Tempest: A what?

Tempest had been getting ready to start preparing dinner for Anela and herself just a few short minutes ago when she had overheard her phone ring from her bedroom and found the man who had brought her into the rough and tumble world of professional wrestling on the other end with some (unwelcome) news. That ever since she had won the Internet Championship in Las Vegas and declared she would bring the Internet back to the related title, the GO Gym had been getting requests for interviews with the most recent champion under his and Odette’s tutelage.

And the vast majority of them were requests from the hosts of random webcasts; some very well known, and others not so much. Not exactly what she had in mind with her promising statement.

Gabriel: A webcast interview. It’s usually hosted by a wrestling fan who doubles as an influencer of sorts. He or she gets sponsors and makes a pretty good living off of it…

Tempest: I know what an influencer does, Gabriel. I just can’t believe that there’s a wrestling related version of them out there!

Gabriel: Well, believe it champ. Your winning the Internet title garnered for you a lot of attention and these guys are clamoring to get you onto their shows. Especially considering it’s pretty well known how much you dislike interviews.

Tempest: Meaning … what? Getting me on one of their shows lets them ‘neener neener’ the other shows?

Gabriel chuckled.

Gabriel: In a manner of speaking, yes. It’s a pretty competitive field. I’ve been on a handful of these types of interviews and they’re not as bad as they sound.

Tempest: They couldn’t possibly be.

Tempest slowly sat back in her chair and massaged her temple with the fingers of her free hand.

Tempest: Christ, what the hell have I gotten myself into?

From her end of the call, she could hear the soft chuckle escape from Gabriel before her trainer could shield himself from allowing her to overhear his amusement at her own expense.

Gabriel: Well Alleyne, that’s what you get for winning your first singles championship. It comes with the territory, especially when you went on public record to say you were wanting to bring the ‘Internet’ back to the Internet Championship.

Tempest: I just wanted to bring back using those polls to decide challengers. I didn’t think it would mean I’d have to conduct interviews from home or in some studio the size of a pantry with some that smells like cheese!

Again, she could hear the laughter being held rather unsuccessfully at bay. She bit at her lower lip and gazed half heartedly into her cell.

Tempest: You’re enjoying this just a little too much!

Gabriel: I’m sorry Alleyne, but you're making it rather easy when you get so worked up over the most basic part of this business! It’s not like this would be the first time where you conducted interviews outside of the actual promotion.

Tempest: Those times were different.

Gabriel: Yeah, this time you don’t have Austin to shoulder the majority of the burden!

Tempest: Exactly!

A moment’s pause passed between trainer and student, and this time Tempest realized that the mirth that Gabriel had been enjoying during this conversation had been replaced with the more serious understanding that she had come to know and appreciate over the past few years where he was concerned. It was more evident when he broke the lingering silence between them.

Gabriel: Listen to me Alleyne. You're going to be fine. It’s only natural that you started garnering more attention with some of these folks wanting to get some ratings in for their programs. Especially considering who won the poll to get the title shot at Blaze of Glory XII.

Tempest: Yeah, well…

She leaned back in her office chair, turning her head to look outside of her apartment window and watched as the train gently pelted against the window of her bedroom.

Tempest: I still think she stuffed the proverbial ballot box with everyone she could contact to get that rub.

Gabriel: While I really wouldn’t be surprised, the simple fact that Crystal did win the poll, so people sat up and took notice that you’d be defending the title against her in Arizona. … Unless, of course, you just want to job out to Mercedes or Seleana so they could face Crystal instead?

A frown crossed her face and she did a double take toward the phone. But before she could even answer that suggestion with whatever scathing retort that might have crossed her mind, Gabriel took the initiative.

Gabriel: I could hear that thought without you having to even say it aloud. And you’re lucky I’ve heard worse. … And that Despy wasn't here today to overhear whatever it was that you didn’t just say out loud.

Tempest drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled through pursed lips before she finally responded.

Tempest: I don’t job - to anyone. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.!

Gabriel: That’s all I wanted to hear. You’ll be fine.

To this, Tempest just rolled her eyes even though Gabriel was unable to see the fact. But then she heard something coming from further in the apartment and a slight frown of confusion crossed her face as she glanced toward her closed bedroom door.

Tempest: I know I will be. But I have to go and take care of something.

Gabriel: Understood. I’ll see you tomorrow when you drop Anela off before your flight.

Tempest: Fine. And Gabriel?

Gabriel: Yeah?

Tempest: Thanks.

This time there was no laugh or subdued chuckle, but nevertheless, she could hear the smile behind his voice as the call was concluded.

Gabriel: It’s what I do.

That being said, the call ended silently between them and with a deft click of the thumb, her phone was shut off and dropped to the desktop. Pushing herself up from her seat, Tempest exited her bedroom and walked down the hall of her apartment and the sound she had heard from behind closed doors gradually grew louder, now realizing it to be the television in the living room.

Tempest entered the living space and walked up behind the plush recliner where she could see her stepdaughter, Anela, curled up and her attention fixated on the flickering image of the 32 inch smart TV that was stationed against the far wall, atop the multi-level TV stand. Standing behind the chair, opposite another chair and the sofa, Tempest rested her forearms on the back of the chair, leaning against it. She could sense the gaze upon her and looked down into the warm and loving eyes of her adopted, nine year old daughter before she shifted her attention back to the screen and the movie playing on it.

Tempest: What exactly are you watching?

Under most circumstances, Anela would be found watching something like Hilda, the Dragon Prince or Over the Garden Wall. But this wasn’t just not an animated series or movie, it was live action and it didn’t look like something one would assume a nine year old would be interested in watching. After watching a few moments further, Tempest would have likened it to a female version of Beverly Hills Cop or a film edition of Law and Order. But it was the face of whom crossed the screen, speaking to detectives at the scene of a crime that caught her completely off guard.

Crystal Zdunich.

Anela reached into a small fun-sized bag of Cheetos, answering without taking her eyes off of the screen.

Anela: Hollywood Hills Detective. The first one.

Tempest: Crystal Zdunich did a movie?

Anela: She did three.

The girl emphasized the number three, looking up at her mom ever so briefly as if she had just asked the silliest question imaginable. Tempest just stared at the screen with an arched brow.

Anela: This is just the first. There’s a marathon of all three tonight!

Tempest slowly walked around the chair to take a seat on the sofa, seemingly transfixed by the actual sight of a fellow SCW Bombshell on the screen and not in an actual wrestling match.

Anela: I’ve seen them a hundred times! Crystal is my favorite.

Tempest just turned her head slightly to look at Anela whose own eyes widened just a smidge at what she had just said and just as quickly corrected herself.

Anela: Second … favorite.

Tempest: Mm hm. Nice save.

Anela just smiled as she and her mom watched the happenings on the screen, and the adventures Crystal played in this film before the adult in the room shook her head.

Tempest: I think you could get more entertainment value out of an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Anela leaned up on her elbow and looked to her with hopeful eyes to which Tempest quickly corrected her.

Tempest: And no we are not watching the Kardashians!

Anela moaned audibly as children her age might but she turned back to the TV when after a moment’s pause, Tempest frowned having realized something.

Tempest: Hold up. Aren’t you supposed to be doing your homework?

Anela: I’m finished.

Tempest: You read that whole chapter?

Anela: …. Can we just say that I’m finished?

Tempest reached over and snatched the remote from Anela’s hand, prompting the little girl to cry out in protest as her momma shut the TV off.

Tempest: Back to work, kiddo!

Anela: Aww!

With incredible reluctance, Anela pushed herself to her feet and with a playful smile, tempest nudged her along. She knew all too well how the girl felt as she had been that girl a number of years ago, with a mom who sent her to finish her homework rather than watch TV just as she had done. Tempest then got up and walked into the kitchen where she opened the fridge and took out some ground beef to get dinner started, when there was a knock at the door.

Tempest frowned and set the ground beef into the kitchen sink, quickly rinsing her hands under the faucet before she started for the door. She was curious who would be calling on their home, especially in this weather. She herself rarely had visitors and she had trouble believing any of the parents of Anela’s friends would visit without calling first, let alone in this wet weather. But one quick look through the eye hole told the story as she opened the door, revealing somewhat friend and ally Hana Nguyen, from the PTA of Anela’s school. She had visited once or twice so her daughter could visit and play with Anela, and the two women had grown to be on friendly terms.

Tempest: Hana, what are you doing out in this weather?

Hana: I’m sorry for not calling first but I just left an emergency PTA meeting and I had to tell you the news. Can I come in real quick?

Tempest quickly stepped aside and was privately (and silently) grateful she had invested in the door mat so Hana’s soaked shoes didn’t dampen or ruin her floors.

Tempest: Can I get you anything…?

Hana: No, I can’t stay. Caishen is waiting in the car. I just had to let you know that we voted Monica out of the PTA.

Tempest: Out of… not just as President?

Hana: No, she’s out entirely after what she did to us and her history of doing it to anyone who got her proposals voted down. She put up quite a fight but even her hardest supporters had trouble justifying what she was doing. Eric carried a lot of influence when he flat out told the room he doesn’t trust her in the PTA where she’d have influence over his son and wanted her gone. So…

She shrugged and Tempest nodded, satisfied.

Tempest: We should take up a collection and get that man a muffin basket. And that bitch… I got notice from CPS I might need to make a statement in court for what she did. They’re charging her with a misdemeanor.

To which Hana nodded in understanding.

Hana: And me as well, and a few other parents she is suspected of doing that to. Now I am going to head out but before I do, Eric proposed something at the meeting that actually does involve you.

Tempest’s eyebrow arched and she shook her head.

Tempest: If you’re about to ask me to officially join the PTA, I’m really not interested.

Hana: Please Alleyne, just think it over. We voted Eric as the new president, but he had to be talked into it. You showed you carry a voice with influence already, so everybody was pretty much on board with the idea of you being a member.

Tempest closed her eyes, really having nothing to say because the actual thought of her as an actual participating member of the PTA was about as alien to her as the idea of putting ketchup on ice cream.

Hana: It’s only once a month. Maybe an additional meeting if something extra comes up. Will you at least consider it? Give it some thought before you refuse?

Tempest exhaled in a huff, opening her eyes and she shrugged. It wasn’t altogether that often when people actually wanted her to take part in something.

Tempest: Fine. I’ll think about it.

Smiling, Hana patted her on the arm and turned for the door. Tempest quickly opened it so her guest could take her leave, offering one last farewell before the door closed between them. Tempest just turned around and fell back against the closed door.

Tempest: Bollocks…!

---

The only thing seen with prominence in the immediate vicinity was a darkened wrestling ring, with no ring lights shining down from above but one single spotlight burning bright directly from behind. This basked the ring itself in brilliance but the surrounding area in shadow, much like when police shine a bright, single spotlight on a given target.

There were footsteps heard echoing off of the walls of the gym, and through the spotlights illuminance, the shadowy outline of a figure with an impressive stature appeared walking toward the ring. That figure turned out to be none other than the newly crowned Bombshell Internet Champion, Tempest.

Dressed for battle in her red and gold ring gear, Tempest stepped up onto the ring apron and climbed through the ropes, entering the ring. There in the center of the ring was a steel folding chair, in which Tempest removed the championship belt from around her waist before taking a seat. With the belt propped up on her lap and her arms resting on the brown leather of the prestigious title, Tempest started to speak.

“I’m about to be extremely honest with everyone out there who decided to grace me with their attention; as honest with them as I’ve ever been with anyone since I first entered this business. And that honest fact I am starting off with is that I was actually terribly disappointed with the outcome of the poll for this, my first defense of the Internet Championship. Not because of who was in the actual poll because both Seleana and Mercedes deserve their places, for reasons I’ll jump into here in a moment. But because of how the poll turned out. A tie.”

She held up a hand in a placating gesture.

“I had high hopes. I admit that my first defense would be a one on one match, against either one of these bad ass chicks, but things didn’t go my way. And I guess that was one of the risks of this public internet method Calvin Harris first cooked up to decide challengers, but something was off in this one, in my own not so humble opinion. Even more so than what I was thinking in regards to Crystal Zdunich coming from behind so quickly to overtake Alexandra Calaway to win the shot at Blaze of Glory XII.”

“You see, I was paying close attention to the poll and how the votes were going and here’s what I saw; ties. Almost every time I looked, the distance between Mercedes Vargas and Seleana Zdunich had closed and they were dead even in the poll. Then … I see a change and someone cast a vote for Seleana, allowing her to pull ahead and get a better chance at facing me one on one. Only to check back later to see that someone out there, one single individual, cast a vote for Mercedes to bring it back to a tie. As far as I could tell, not a single time did Vargas pull ahead, but every time Seleana did, some lone individual cast a vote that brought it back to an even tie. It was almost as if there was someone watching the poll as closely as I was, and had one of two things on their agenda. Either they were working from multiple accounts to prevent Seleana from getting a one on one shot against me, or they were going that extra mile to make sure both women got this shot in hopes it would take two to take me down and get this title off of me.”

Tempest smiled and scoffed.

“Well, lots of luck with the former, but as far as the latter? That is where my money is laying and it is the first reason why I am happy either one of these women were named by the head honchos to be a part of that poll, let alone the actual title match. And that is because Seleana Zdunich did the one thing that Mercedes has not - she beat me.”

“Almost two years ago. May of `22. Into the Void X. Remember that? I know a lot of people tend to gloss over some of the big wins Seleana has gotten for herself and would rather focus on losses, but the fact is Seleana is one of the few women in SCW who hold a pinfall win over me. And granted at times her record doesn’t look perfect on paper but here’s the thing; we don’t wrestle on paper. We compete inside of a ring and in there? Seleana is one of the single most underrated stars in the entire division. That is all the evidence I could want or need to appreciate why she was in that poll, and why she is getting this chance at the Internet title. I went into that match against her, thinking I was the shit! I had it over her in every way imaginable EXCEPT …”

She held up one finger.

“... For experience. Before I went into that match, I looked at her and all I saw was one of those typical Barbie dolls that I have hated so much! One of those pretty little girls that think they can get by on their looks alone.”

She scoffed and shook her head.

“And I am woman enough to admit that I couldn’t have been more wrong. She did one thing that I was not expecting. She watched as I pretty much decimated her stepdaughter and her wife, and while I was using those actions to pretty much hype myself, she used them to throw gas on a fire that was already out of control. She went in there fighting for her family and that was the action that gave her the advantage. Now… I can only imagine that she thinks she is going to be able to repeat history. She probably watched as her wife won that lottery a week ago and is getting this golden chance all on her own. Sel probably thinks that she is going to use the fact as a catalyst to take this away from me…”

She holds the title belt up briefly.

“And lead into a wife versus wife title match in Flagstaff, instead.”

Tempest shook her head.

“Sorry, not sorry, Sel. You see, just as you think you can repeat the past, I’ve learned from it. I made the mistake of looking past you once, thinking you were little more than a blip on my radar. I now know that your family is your strength - respect, but in this case, I am going to turn your so-called strength into your big weakness where you and I are concerned. You are going to be so focused on doing right by your wife that you are thinking more of her welfare and less of your own. You are going to want to keep me from doing to her again what I’ve already accomplished in the past, that you simply aren’t going to see the end coming. Just do your family a favor and ask them not to watch. Crystal I could care less about seeing what’s going to be in her own future, but even I’m not cruel enough to want your little girl to see what’s about to happen to her mama.”

Tempest then slipped the title belt over her shoulder and sat back in the chair, looking contemplative.

“Mercedes Vargas on the other hand… Now that is one bad ass chick I knew about from the day I signed to SCW. I mean, how the hell can any woman sign to this promotion and not know and understand who Mercedes is as both a woman and a competitor? And I have been pretty damn lucky to have gotten to face her a handful of times; most of which had been in mixed tag team matches as I recall. And granted, while I had my reservations on tag team matches of any form, Vargas was a veteran who might have been half my size but she taught me so damn much in those encounters!”

“When Mercer and I faced her and Goth the first time, Vargas surprised the hell out of me at the tenacity she came into that match with! I was used to the women across the ring from me looking at me with either fear or apprehension because of my size and strength but that crazy ass bitch ignored all that and just came tearing away at me! It was as if Vargas was all but ignoring the fact I was twice her size or she just refused to acknowledge and she just jumped me! She came at me swinging and even though Austin and I managed to win that first round between our teams, damn did I change my outlook on that woman! And the fact she played no small part in her and Goth taking the titles away from Austin and myself?”

Tempest shook her head.

“I don’t get how some of these little girls can stand there and say things like Mercedes needs to retire or she needs to just give it up. They accuse her of being ‘past it’ because it’s been so long since she’s won a championship but I am going to tell everyone out there one simple truth where they are concerned compared to her.”

“Every one of those jealous little bitches who talk all this trash and say these things about Vargas have not and will not accomplish half of what she has over the past decade in SCW! The woman has earned every merit that’s been handed to her! Every award, every Hall of Fame nod! The woman is one of, if not the first, Grand Slam Champions in Sin City Wrestling, and do you know what that means for me? It means that as far as I’m concerned, Mercedes Vargas does not have to wait in line for the title opportunities that get thrown her way that these jealous Barbies like to cry about. She does not have to wait in line because she MADE the damn line! And come Sunday, I fully expect her to cross that proverbial line that I’ve drawn in the sand – and she will enjoy just as much success at my personal expense as she’s enjoyed in the past.”

Tempest leaned forward into the camera.

“Meaning … None.”

Tempest stood up from the chair, towering over the camera that she looked down into.

“So yes, I would have much rather this be a one on one between either one of these women, for the sole reason I’d prefer to test myself against them alone as opposed to being put in an environment where I could lose the title and not even be the one to get beat! And I am pretty damn certain that both Vargas and Zdunich would love that very same thing.  But I am not going to give either one of them the satisfaction!”

“I am not going to lose this championship on my very first defense!”

“I am not going to wind up another notch in the belt that is Mercedes’s already established career!”

“And I won’t give Seleana the satisfaction of taking this away from me and holding two straight wins over me!”

The floodlight goes out, and all that is left in the gym is a foreboding darkness.

“This is my time, girls. And there is no chance in hell that I'm going to give it up to either one of you!”

Woman: We’re with Child protective Services. May we come in?

Tempest heard every word that the woman who had just introduced herself as Jolene Ward and her male counterpart, an Anthony Papazian, had said but because of the surprise given the circumstances, what exactly she had asked following the introductions did not register. All she heard was “Child protective Services”. Everything else was just static.

Jolene: Missus Mahoe?

Causing Tempest to blink and she looked from the woman to the man, high level of uncertainty and mistrust evident on her face.

Tempest: yeah, sorry. But put yourself in my shoes. CPS agents just show up from out of the blue at my door? I think I earned the right to be caught off guard.

Jolene: Of course. We more than understand.

The woman said as the man took a step forward, when Tempest pulled her eyes from him and then toward the woman who was clearly in charge of whatever this operation was.

Tempest: Well then you have one up on me. You mind if I ask you to fill in the blanks for me? What is this about and why are you here?

Jolene: May we discuss this inside? I’m sure you’d rather your neighbors not overhear anything said between us?

Tempest: I’m not so much concerned about my neighbors as I am my daughter.

Tempest shrugged but then surprisingly yielded, stepping to the side to allow Jolene and Anthony to step through the doorway and inside of her home.

Tempest: Then again, had I refused I suspect it would only have been a matter of time before you showed back up with a warrant and a police officer for added affect so let’s just get this over with, hm?

She shut the door behind them, then watched as both CPS agents examined the immediate surroundings, looking over everything without moving. Anthony however turned to her with what he had would be a charming smile she suspected but it had fallen far short.

Anthony: Familiar with CPS protocols, I gather?

Tempest: No. I’m just familiar with some aspects of the law. It was something of a prerequisite given my former job.

Anthony then fished around in his briefcase and pulled out a clipboard with some paperwork and files attached. He set the briefcase down and flipped through a few pages until he arrived on what he had been searching for.

Anthony: Ah, yes. You were a bounty hunter?

Tempest: No, I opened a bail bonds business in Hawaii. I only had a bounty hunting license when someone skipped out on their court dates or parole.

Jolene then checked her own paperwork as if to confirm before she addressed Tempest.

Jolene: I see. And were you in this industry while you were a parent to your stepdaughter?

Tempest: No. After her father - my husband - died on active duty, her grandmother literally stole her out from under me. Her father had me named her legal guardian but his mother hid the fact. I didn’t find out until the bi

Tempest quickly corrected herself.

Tempest: Witch … died, a few months ago and I got Anela back.

Anthony: And now you work as a professional wrestler?

Tempest: Yes! Now don’t you think it’s time that you answered a few questions for me? What is going on and why have I been reported to CPS!?

Jolene: Missus Mahoe… the fact is that we were contacted with a report that Anela might not be in the best environment. That perhaps your professions might be a danger to her or she might be neglected while you’re on the road.

Tempest: By who!?

Anthony: Missus Mahoe, if you are anything familiar with the law, you should know that these reports are made in confidence. We can’t tell you who filed the report.

Tempest set her hands on her hips and threw her head back, her eyes staring up at the ceiling in stark exasperation.

Tempest: … Fine! Where my informer job is concerned, key word - former! I own the business but it is in the hands of a team in Hawaii! Not here! I only have a license in Honolulu, and not Las Vegas so that shouldn’t be any concern!

Jolene: And your current career?

Tempest turned to the woman and frowned.

Tempest: Are you familiar with the sport? At all?

Jolene: I’m afraid not.

She looked to Anthony but he shook his head in the negative, showing that he too was unfamiliar with the inner workings of professional wrestling.

Tempest: I am far from being the only wrestler who is also a parent! Nine times out of ten if I have to travel, it’s no further now than Colorado! I wrestle once a week at MOST and I am usually back the following day! And I rarely if ever take Anela with me on that one night because she has school the following day! So I have friends here in the city that she stays with!

Anthony: And their names?

Tempest: Gabriel and Odette Stevens.

Anthony: And would you mind if we got their contact information so we can follow up?

Tempest: Unless it is absolutely necessary, I’d prefer to keep this between us.

Jolene: We understand. What of the times you have to bring her with you?

Tempest: I’ve only had to do that once. There is a strong support network of wrestlers backstage who are also parents. They watch out for each other and their kids if they come to the shows.But it’s a universal truth in that field; kids are off limits.

To which, Jolene nodded with appreciation. Anthony then stepped up and had to ask the inevitable.

Anthony: Do you mind if we have a look around?

Tempest: Do I have a choice?

Anthony: We aren’t the enemy, Missus Mahoe. We only want what’s best for Anela, just like you.

Jolene: We’re just doing our job.

Tempest was not happy as she was trying to think on her feet, how this all came about and so suddenly and from out of nowhere. Until finally she relented with a wave of the hand and stood back and as calmly as possible, watched as the two CPS agents did their job. The sooner they did so, the sooner this could be finished. The first place that Anthony ventured was the kitchen and he started to open the cabinets and refrigerator to ensure that the household had enough to eat. Which wasn’t a problem at all because both were stuffed with everything a young girl (and her mama) could want - healthy and otherwise. And while he did this, Jolene turned to Tempest with an inquisitive question.

Jolene: Anela isn’t home?

Tempest: No. She finished school thirty minutes ago but is at her art club for another hour.

Satisfied, Jolene ventured down the hallway and entered carefully into the nine year old’s bedroom to make sure she had adequate sleeping arrangements. Again, not a problem considering the elaborate and decorative bed that Tempest had bought for her stepdaughter the moment Gabriel had helped arrange for the apartment. Jolene then opened the closet door and dresser drawers to find more than enough clothing, perhaps too much for a young girl. She also had toys everywhere, a dollhouse, stuffed animals and more than one BTS poster pinned up on her bedroom walls.

(Hey, she’s nine! There’s no accounting for taste!)

And while the agents did their job, Tempest stood and watched while the entire time, she was deep in thought, wondering how the hell this had come from out of nowhere? Her train of thought went back over several days to anything that stood out until finally she arrived at… and she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth in a growing rage.

Tempest: That bitch….

She murmured below her breath as after a few more agonizing minutes, Jolene and Anthony returned to the front room, joining her and breaking her away from her private thoughts about Monica Moore, a brick wall and how best to introduce one to the other. Tempest crossed her arms over her upper body.

Tempest: So…?

Jolene: So…

She looked around one last time before she looked to her partner who nodded. She turned back to Tempest and finally smiled.

Jolene: I think that there is nothing to worry about here.

Tempest: Really?

Anthony: It would seem that Anela is being very well looked after. Both here and as far as your profession. We’ve inquired about her teachers and she is receiving very good grades. Overall, I’d say you were doing a fine job.

Tempest said little to nothing, just nodded in both appreciation as well as acknowledgement.

Tempest: Can I get that in writing?

Anthony: Of course.

Tempest: And you can’t tell me who it was that reported me?

Jolene: Correct.

Tempest: Tell me something, what are the general laws surrounding filing a false CPS report?\

Jolene: That’s a Class 1 Misdemeanor. Why?

Tempest bit at her bottom lip until she finally asked…

Tempest: And if I could prove to you that these accusations against me were done out of malice?

This time it was the CPS agents that were left with nothing to say. They looked first at each other and then at Tempest.

Anthony: What exactly are you implying?


The familiar setting of the school where Anela Mahoe went to was in the forefront once again, and much as last time, there was a special PTA meeting taking place. The head of the PTA, the familiar figure of Monica Moore, was currently standing at the forefront of the classroom, along with several familiar faces in attendance; Chief amongst them Hana - Tempest’s somewhat friend-in-parenting and the formidable figure of Eric among others. Everything that had taken place the last time there was a meeting had been seemingly forgotten, as Monica was all smiles as the meeting progressed. Monica clapped her hands together.

Monica: So! We’re all agreed? A spaghetti dinner to raise funds for the class field trip to the Shark Reef Aquarium?

There were many murmurs of agreement, and several hands were raised just to be certain that the vote passed. A stark contrast to how Monica’s vote turned out the last time around.

Monica: Wonderful! Now, next on our agenda … we are going to need volunteers to spearhead the dinner. I’ve already got the superintendent to agree for the use of the cafeteria, so long as everything is cleaned afterwards. So we are going to need volunteers for cooking, cleaning…

But before she could say anything further, the classroom door swung open wide with a clatter, causing many present to jump in startlement while Tempest set foot inside.

Hana: Alleyne?

Tempest looked around for the one she was searching for, and it was not a hard find as Monica was standing right there for all to see at the head of the classroom. And from the moment this woman invaded yet another meeting, the annoyance Monica felt had been usurped by an overwhelming sense of both fear and self preservation. Tempest stepped further into the class but did not go so far as to approach Monica too directly and thus give Moore cause to believe she was a threat.

I mean, she was but Tempest didn’t want her to realize that.

Tempest: So, are you satisfied?

Monica: What is the meaning of…?

Tempest: I asked you if you were satisfied!

Monica: I don’t underst-

Tempest: You can cut the crap, Monica! I already know that it was you!

Eric: Monica, what is she talking about?

Monica feigned ignorance toward Eric’s question and Tempest’s accusation, shaking her head but Hana turned to Tempest.

Hana: Alleyne, what is going on?

Tempest: I just got a visit from CPS! They conveniently received a report about me neglecting my daughter not two days after I was in the last PTA meeting where you tried to get those books banned!

Hana: What…?

Monica: What does that have to do with me…?

Tempest: It seems a little coincidental, doesn’t it? That two days after I helped get your book banning shot down, I got accosted at my home by CPS agents who had a report that Anela was being neglected and that I was a danger to because of my job!?

Monica: I don’t think I appreciate what you’re trying to insinuate…

But Tempest was not even remotely finished as she set one hand on her hip and raised the other to stress out her point.

Tempest: When you were asking me about my job last time, weren’t your exact words that you thought my job made me something of a threat?

Monica seemed at a loss for words as the heads of the parents present turned toward her virtually as one.

Parent: Funny, this isn’t the first time that we heard of a parent getting reported to CPS when they helped get something you wanted to do shot down.

Tempest: Oh, so I’m not the only one?

Hana: Monica, what did you do?

Monica placed her hand on her heart as if that made her appear any more innocent as she protested.

Monica: Hana, I swear to god! I don’t know why she’s accusing me! I had nothing to do with you or her being reported to CPS! It was…

Hana: Monica…

Monica: This just is not fair! This is why I wanted our meetings to be at my place because it is obvious that some people have something against me!

Hana: Monica…

Monica: I am just tired of being made out to be some kind of villain when all I want is what’s best for our children!

Hana: Monica!

Monica: What!?

Hana shook her head, her normally calm demeanor now taking on a more thunderous quality.

Hana: I never told anyone that I was reported by CPS.

Monica looked like she had just been slapped in the face, as everyone - even her supporters - turned toward her with silent accusations in their eyes. Monica looked around at everyone staring at her, clearly at a loss for words. But the silence in the classroom did not last for long when Tempest leaned back at the waist, and called aloud to someone.

Tempest: Did you hear that?

And into the room walked CPS agents, Jolene Ward and Antony Papazian. Monica paled considerably as the heads of those in the classroom turned from the agents to Monica.

Anthony: Every word.

Jolene: Missus Moore. We would like to have a very serious word with you.

And the scene faded out, just as Monica Moore looked ready to faint where she stood.

---

The screen flickered to life, showing various moments of Tempest in action on the weekly SCW Climax Control webcast…

The scene changed to a young girl watching the Barbie movie on her laptop, all dimples and smiles when a certain 6’3” amazon walked onto the screen and started throwing the blonde Barbies in every direction, sending them scattering and screaming! The little girl herself shrieks in surprise, prompting Tempest to turn to face her from the screen itself.

“Trust me when I tell you I’m doing you a favor!”

The scene changed to a scene filled with LOL! Cat memes and images, with the bust of tempest right in the center of the screen, looking up and around in every direction with an annoyed and perplexed expression on her face.

The scene finally changed one last time, showing Tempest in her wrestling gear, perched atop the Iron Throne of Game of Thrones fame. Most appropriate given the circumstances she currently found herself in. She leaned back in the seat of the throne, stretching out her long legs and arms resting on the armrests.

“What does the Bombshell Internet Championship mean? Wow, that is a loaded question if I ever heard one! I can tell you exactly what that championship ‘used’ to mean, because there was a time where the title was thought to be the second most prominent championship in either division, right after the World titles. What does it mean now? Well, for the men it still ranks right up there with Miles Kasey as the champion. The guy has been making everyone proud, standing tall and keeping hold of that title since he won it way back at the start of October. But the women? The Bombshell’s?”

She made a face and scoffed at the very question.

“Let’s be honest, the honor and prestige of the Bombshell Internet title has fallen faster than Bobbie Dahl’s panties every time Miles Kasey or Fenris posts a thirst trap picture! And Bobbie – no offense by that. Just shows a girl has taste. But let’s face it; if I were in charge, I’d be booking the opening act of any Supercard with Courtney Pierce defending her title rather than either of the Roulette Champions because at LEAST Peter Vaughn and Bobbie have been proud and hard fought champions, deserving of being higher up on the show!”

“But that’s why we’re here now, isn’t it? To rectify the situation and see what can be done to get the Internet tit;le on a new owner and back where it belongs. What’s that you say? Easier said than done?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“If you say so.”

“Now as our esteemed champion, why shouldn’t Courtney Pierce go first? I won’t lie and try and tell the world that Pierce hasn’t been able to hold onto the championship, ever since she beat Ariana Angelos for it last December. Then again, I also won’t lie and tell the world that Pierce has been a very deserving champion because she hasn’t been.”

“When Courtney first debuted in SCW, the bitch had the world at her fingertips, having won the 2018 Blast from the Past tournament in her freaking DEBUT year! Then what happens? She seemingly gets injured and proceeds to fall off of the face of the earth! Nothing is heard from her. No updates. Nothing until she just shows up out of the blue, acting like no time has passed by and other teams haven’t accomplished what she already did years before. She starts to play the role of victim, telling the world what SCW owes her as a whole and unfortunately for the world, the bosses listened and gave her what she wanted; a world title shot that yes, I have to admit she took full advantage of and won. But what happened after that? Do you remember Courtney?”

“Over time, you started to show the world just exactly what kind of woman you really were; and that is a self centered, self righteous witch who thinks the world owes her whatever her little heart desires, simply because she wants it. You pulled the wool over the eyes of the entire world, because where they looked and thought they saw someone who had every advantage and all of the potential needed to be a true bona fide success , what you really turned out to be was the Coattail Queen!”

“From the start, all you’ve done is ride the coattails of better athletes to get ahead! You had Fenris to thank for becoming a Blast From the Past Champion and securing for yourself a world title opportunity! When you returned, you rode the bosses’ asses to get for you a title shot that, in my opinion, had long since expired! And where you stand now as the Internet Champion, you have only your wife to thank for getting you to this point! If it hadn't been for her, you would have lost that gold a dozen times over! If it hadn’t been for her, you wouldn’t even have been able to win the title from Ariana in the first place! But in the end, all of that doesn’t matter. Because this time there are three of us in that ring, looking to put your bitch ass down for the count! And not even your little wifey is going to be able to save your bony ass this time around!”

“Now Luna, if ever there was a poster girl for Wrestling Tourettes, she would be the one. Girl, if you’re out there, you still have my heartfelt sympathies for the loss of your blood. Trust me when I say that I can relate, knowing all too well the pain of losing someone that you love. But from where we stand, between you and me? The sympathies between us is where things end between you and I, because we both want to accomplish the same goals and bad as I feel and as angry as you are, to me you are just another body standing in my way of winning my first singles title in Sin City Wrestling.”

“I admit I just don’t get you Luna. You turn it on and off like a light switch, this personality - or personalities - whichever it is. On one hand, you tell me that you love me, on the other hand, you say you don’t really like me and even compare me to Krystal, saying that I’m as irrelevant as she is. Now, under most circumstances, those would be considered fighting words and I would find that extremely insulting.”

Tempest turned to a close up shot and held up a hand.

“No offense, Krystal.”

She then turned back to her leisurely pose atop the throne.

“But if I am going to be perfectly honest, this time around I just found everything you said to be very, very amusing. You’re like our own little version of Harley Quinn, but nowhere near as dangerous. Because, despite all the false bravado that you threw my way and all the insults and insinuations, there is one universal truth between us that you have failed to acknowledge time and again. And that is the fact that I have beaten your ass inside of that ring. More than once I might add! So if whatever your outlook about me is like that makes me irrelevant, then pray tell sister; what the hell does that make you?”

Tempest then sat up straight on the Iron Throne, but leaned an elbow onto the armrest and rested her chin atop her fist as she stared into the camera.

“I guess that brings you to the last place once again, doesn’t it Krystal? Not that I saved you for last as a direct message like I did the last time. This time… I just wanted to save you for last so you had no other option but to sit and pay attention. Because everyone in the entire Bombshell division knows that you have this delusion inside of that head of yours that everything revolves around you. I don’t know where you got the idea from that you have a place in this match or deserve it given your recent track record, but I can promise you that you’re the only one that feels that way. I still maintain my belief that Ariana should have been in this match rather than you, but it is what it is, so let’s move on, hm?”

“I have no direct animosity against you other than the reckless way you treat the kids at the GO Gym, whether they asked for it or not. When you broke that girl’s nose, all that did was show the world that physically bullying a student - not a fully trained and experienced wrestler - a stu-dent, is your biggest claim to fame in years! You haven’t been able to pick up a title, let alone cause a lasting impression, other than hurting a student at a gym.”

Tempest clapped her hands together slowly and with much sarcasm.

“Bravo. Krystal. You sure showed her. Now, why don’t you step up and show me? Try the same thing with me! Because all the speed and agility in the world won’t save your ass once I get my hands on you! And to even infer that you have strength even remotely compared to me?”

She snorted back laugh.

“Now all of those blows to the head are really getting to you!”

She tapped a forefinger to her head.

“They’re making you senile before your time! Now as far as I’m concerned, I’m pretty much done with you Krystal until the bell rings and all bets are off. I have nothing personal against you, really. And as far as where the GO Gym is concerned? I believe there is something to be said for loyalty. But unfortunately for you, you’ve shown the world time and again that you have no idea what that word even means. Two days, Krystal.”

She held up two fingers.

“That’s all the time that you have left to think up your excuses as to why you’ll have yet another loss added to your records!”

Tempest then drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“So much could come from the outcome of this match. The question is, will the eventual winner actually take the steps needed to bring this title back to the prominence that it once held? Courtney Pierce, quite honestly, hasn’t done anything to really elevate this championship. If anything, the actions of her and her wife have devalued the title more than anything else! Luna Pasilno? I have no idea what is going through that chick’s mind! The girl has more personality traits than Sybil, where one moment she acts like she could be the one to raise the Internet division back to where it deserves to be, the next she is overly preoccupied by the voices inside of her head. And then there’s Krystal Wolfe. Now I know that chick better than anyone else involved in this match, considering she and I were trained by the same academy. I have absolutely no doubts if she were to win, she would be a fighting champion. Krystal would all but demand to have a defense on the first show after My Bloody valentine V, right up to the next Supercard! Wolfe would defend on every show if they’d let her, of that there is no doubt. But would that be enough in the long run?”

Tempest shook her head.

“Here’s the thing. The Internet Championship - the women's or the men's, have more potential than either is given credit for. I mean, it ranks right up there with the World Championship! I mean, hel-LO!? What part of the Internet - or world-wide-web, does everyone not understand?”

“There was only one person to take the Internet Championship literally while champion, and that would be Alex Jones. That man actually used the Internet to hype the Internet title! He used the Internet to help determine who his challengers would be in each defense of the title! He gave power to those watching, to decide who was most deserving of trying to strip him of the championship! I have yet to see anyone do anything so innovative as what Alex did with the title when he was the champion. And that is why, after winning the championship, I want to ask that man’s blessing and do the exact same thing with the Bombshell title as he did with the men’s!”

“Hell, when I win, just to do the championship justification, I just might finally make an official account for Twitter or X or whatever the hell it’s called these days!”

Tempest then stood up from her seat upon the iron Throne and looked down into the camera.

“Because after all, what sort of representative would I be as the NEW Bombshell Internet Champion if I had no Internet presence?"

GO Gym -
Las Vegas, Nevada

The famed training facility that helped to pave the way for the future of the sport was fast becoming a familiar site where the treacherous Bombshell known as Tempest was concerned. Since her recent return to a more active role inside of the six-sided rings of Sin City Wrestling, the amazon was taking a more active outlook to her career, preferring to not rely solely on her size and power to get by where her opposition was concerned, and instead to continue with her training to hone the skills taught her and learn what new skills she may.

Considering her size and the difference it held between herself and the majority of not just the other Bombshells on the active roster, but here at the Gym as well, Tempest often had to rely on training in the GO Gym’s rings with the male graduates and Gabriel himself, with the possible exceptions of Gabriel’s wife Odette and the always dangerous femme fatales of London Underground - Mackenzie Page and Charlotte Elliot. But none of the three aforementioned women were on hand this day and after what happened in her previous sparring match against two loud mouthed students, few of the other trainees were anxious to step inside of the ring against her for something as simple yet potentially damaging as a wrestling match.

So rather than push herself too much before her match this coming weekend against a fresh faced opponent, Tempest was instead working uncharacteristically on her cardio, running at pace on one of the state of the art treadmills lined up along the wall. This was a rarity for her but was something Gabriel had urged her to work on more because there would come a time when she went up against a woman that could run circles around her. If she didn’t work on and improve her stamina, the smaller women would succeed at the old ‘hit and run tactics’ and where that was concerned, such a tactic would play a detriment toward the larger of the two competitors. Or in this case - Tempest.

But as she continued to run, she extended her fingertips to press a few buttons on the treadmill’s monitor, causing it to not only pick up speed, but to also rise into an incline so as to push her even harder. Not something she would have wanted to do regularly in front of others, having had to get used to using one of these things rather than do it the old fashioned way; by running along the streets of Las Vegas like a normal human being. The first (few) times that she tried, she admittedly fell and was grateful that the Gym had been blessedly vacant and that there were no active cameras recording at the time. And now, the only others present in the Gym were a couple of male students being directed through the basics inside of the ring by Daniel Morgan of London Underground and his wrestling colleague, Fenris. Them - and those same two little divas that Tempest had a run in with a couple of weeks ago. They were insignificant enough that for the most part, she had even forgotten their names.

Kelly and Hayley? She thinks…

But those two were over at the free weights, ironically enough, Kelly spotting as Hayley was working on her bench press. Tempest stole a glance and thought she saw Kelly steal a glance her way but she quickly averted her gaze and that was when Tempest thought she overheard some hushed whispers between the two.

Kelly: I swear, I don’t know what Gabriel or anyone in SCW sees in her! She’s just … big! That’s all.

Hayley: Big enough that she threw us around the ring like kids?

Kelly: That’s only because neither one of us were really ready. I bet when we graduate and Gabriel gets us jobs in SCW, things will change. Everyone will see that she’s not as great as they think she is!

Hayley: And that we’re the future of the sport! I mean, we’re young and she’s… how old is she?

Kelly: Too old. She should have retired years ago.

Both young women cackle like a couple of hens about to lay a gigantic egg. It was almost like the two didn’t realize how well the walls of this facility carried sound. That, or they just were that dumb above the neck. Tempest again extended a hand to the controls and with a few rapid clicks of her fingertips, the treadmill slowed down to an eventual stop. Grabbing a towel from the rail, she dabbed at her forehead and neck and then calmly walked over to the two, neither being the wiser that not only were they overheard but now about to be confronted by the same woman they were discussing.

Tempest walked up and laid a hand down on Kelly’s shoulder, causing her to jump almost out of her own skin! Kelly cast a look back over her shoulder and blanched at the sight behind her. But Tempest did nothing and said nothing. She just tightened her grip on Kelly’s shoulder and steered her away from where she was spotting her buddy, then took her place.

Hayley: I know, right! Just… say, you don’t think she can hear us, do you? Kel…?

Hayley looked up and saw the upside down face of Tempest staring down at her. Hayley gasped hard, almost inhaling her own tongue as she dropped the barbells - which were snatched suddenly by Tempest before the young woman could get injured. Tempest set the weights back on the bench where they belonged as Hayley very slowly and very meekly pulled her legs around to sit up with Kelly joining her, wide eyed, at her side. Tempest then folded her arms over her chest and looked between the two.

Tempest: So girls, what’s new?

Gabriel: Tempest?

Tempest already knew who was addressing her. His voice had been one of the most familiar to her ears these last several years but nevertheless - she turned around to address the man who did the seemingly impossible. And that was to transform this violent, hot-headed “bounty hunter” into a credible threat in the world of professional wrestling. Gabriel Stevens.

Tempest: You called?

Eyes closed, Gabriel could not help but smile that this amazon of a woman was having a bit of sport at the expense of two young hopefuls that have been something of a handful in recent weeks. Often they’ve allowed their egos and mouths to overrun their better judgment and more often than not, it’s come back to bite them on their backsides. In short, Gabriel was almost grateful that a handful of his prized graduates like Krystal Wolfe and Tempest have taken these two to task. Almost.  All the better to drive some sense of humility into their being where before there didn’t seem to be none. Gabriel beckoned her to come over to where he was standing just outside of his open office door, all the better to be able to handle the business dealings while still keeping watch over the goings on between his and Odette’s students.

Gabriel: Well, I did have something to discuss with you but before I get to that, do you think you could possibly refrain from scaring the hell out of the students? I think they’ve been through enough, don’t you?

Tempest: You’d think so but I just caught them running their mouths, again. So I just thought I’d put a bit of a scare into them.

Gabriel: Really…

Gabriel leaned over slightly to look past her and toward the two young women who were huddled together and talking in quick, hushed whispers. Gabriel stood right and nodded.

Gabriel: Remind me to have Fenris take those two on a run tomorrow morning.

Tempest scrunched her facial features, pursing her lips. Knowing full well the magnitude of Fenris’s training tactics, especially when it came to his early morning runs.

Tempest: Ooh! That’s just cruel.

Gabriel: Flatterer. But I digress. We have to talk. I have something to tell you and I don’t think you’re going to like it.

Tempest leaned back against the door frame and crossed her arms.

Tempest: Oh this should be interesting.

Gabriel: It’s just that I just got some news from Odette. She had to take Lucas to the doctor and the poor kid has a flu bug. So we’re not going to be able to watch Anele while you’re in Reno.

Tempest: Damn…

Gabriel: I know. Poor kid always ;looks forward to when his buddy is over but we can’t risk Anele catching the flu. You understand, right?

Tempest frowned.

Tempest: Of course I understand! I know I’m not the best mom in the world but I don’t want my kid to get sick! She just had the flu over Christmas. I don’t want her getting it again!

Tempest then tapped a finger to her lower lip, clearly in thought.

Tempest: Now what am I going to do?

Gabriel: You could always ask Fenris to watch her.

Gabriel snorted back a laugh as Tempest lowered her hand to just stare at him. Both knowing Fenris’s reputation for being as bad with children (in his own mind, Lucas would disagree) as he was for his infamous temper.

Tempest: Damn it! This is what I get for not moving back to Hawaii. I have no options!

Gabriel all but rolled his eyes.

Gabriel: Oh I think you have more options than you realize! The most obvious being just take her to Reno with you. It’s not even a forty minute flight. I get your little one is scared of flying but by the time she reacts to taking off, you’d have already landed. Or, you could drive there with her and just see the sights along the way. It’s not even eight hours.

Tempest: Gabriel, the flight or the drive doesn’t bother me! I can’t take her to the show!

Gabriel holds his arms out in wonder, his face a mask of bewilderment.

Gabriel: Why not? I can all but promise you the people backstage would make over her! Your girl is adorable!

Tempest had to smother a smile at that all but too true of a statement.

Tempest: She gets it from her Daddy. But that aside, what happens when it’s time for me to wrestle? What do I do then?

Gabriel: Are you kidding me? Austin is usually somewhere backstage and he could keep an eye out for her. And even if he weren’t, you have a locker room full of women, some of whom are mothers themselves! Chances are that any one of them would be too happy to watch her for you until the match is over! And you probably couldn’t find anyone better or safer to watch than one of those women. Bella? Laura Phoenix? Even Crystal. Nobody would try to mess with Anele with those women around to watch over her. Not that anyone would try anyway. There’s an unspoken truce backstage where each others’ kids are concerned. You don’t mess with someone’s children.

Moments later…

The doors that led from the Gym’s interior to the lobby itself opened and Tempest, having grabbed a quick shower and change of clothes, was being escorted out by Gabriel.

Gabriel: You have to trust me .. and your peers, Alleyne. Everything will be fine. Your daughter will get to see what goes on backstage and she’ll get to see her mom compete in person for the first time.

Clearly not taking everything to heart as much as Gabriel might have preferred, Tempest shook her head but still was trying to put as much faith into what she was hearing as Gabriel was in saying it.

Tempest: I hope you’re right!

They pass the desk where all guests - both students and visitors alike - must check in with Gabriel’s little brother Despayre sitting behind the desk, his nose buried in an upside down edition of the National Enquirer. Despayre glanced up over the rim of the paper, his eyes magnified ten times their usual size thanks in part to his Mister Self-Help glasses and focused () on the bigger of the two figures heading for the exit door.

Despayre: Don’t forget to cut your promo after this! Mark and Chris will dock you points if you don’t!

Tempest reached for the exit door but stopped short at hearing this little declaration. She turned to look at the little guy who had by now again buried his nose into his reading material. Gabriel too was looking toward his and Odette’s ‘little helper’ but he had a knowing smile on his face, all too used to his Despy’s way of thinking. Tempest and Gabriel shared a look and she held a hand up, stalling him from saying anything.

Tempest: I know, I know! Don’t question it!

Gabriel nodded, patting her on the shoulder as she turned to pull open the door.

Gabriel: You’re learning!

---

The Truckee River District is one of Reno, Nevada’s top ten destinations for both tourists and locals alike. It is viewed as an ideal place to go for a stroll, no matter the time of year. Offset by the city’s famed main road where there was a plethora of bars, museums, cafes and theaters to visit, one never had an excuse for being bored while paying the “Biggest Little City In the World” a visit.

And that would go for the stars of Sin City Wrestling as well, as the former World Mixed Tag Champion and contender for the Bombshell Internet Championship - Tempest - was out and about, casually walking along the famed Truckee River. She had just left the Automobile Museum and was not getting some fresh air, carefully avoiding all others along the path. She began to cross over the bridge and paused in the middle, arms resting on the rail as she looked to the running waters below.

“So here’s the thing. There is something about myself as a wrestler that you might not be aware of. I know, people tune in and see me and how little I talk on Climax Control or how I am when I step inside of the ring and these experts think they are already experts on everything there is to tell about me. They think that they know all that there is to know.”

She wagged a finger at the camera, shaking her head.

“Not true! You see, I am not - nor have I ever been - one of those wrestlers that have perfected the art of psychological warfare. You see certain wrestlers with vast reputations like Crystal Zdunich and J2H who have this way of expertly inserting themselves into the minds of whoever they’re set to face inside of the ring and more often than not, the battle is over already even before the opening bell sounds. And why? Those subtle little actions that they do and the things that they say, either in their promos or on social media that gets under someone’s skin and causes them to lose focus and before you know it, they’re left lying flat on their backs and staring up at the lights, wondering what the hell just happened!”

“I’ve often been told while in training and to this very day that getting into your opponent’s head is half the battle already won. But … it’s just not my bag, if you know what I’m saying? I guess you might say that I have never been one to play with my food. I don’t have social media as I always found it distracting and a complete waste of time. And as for promos, how often do you see me cut an interview before my match, saying time and again what I’ve already said is going to happen to whoever it is that’s unlucky enough to have to face me that given evening? I’m just not much of a talker. When you look like this…?”

With a wave of both hands, she showcased her imposing stature.

“You don’t have to be. And you don’t have to go out there on a microphone and talk a bunch of bullshit or hide behind some computer screen while playing the role of keyboard warrior on twitter or X or whatever the hell else it’s supposed to be called. I do not have to say or do anything but just stand there in order to get into the mind of one of my opponent’s. They take one look and see a woman that is twice their size! They see the only woman who was able to lift Bobbie Dahl into the air for a crucifix! They hear the (repeated) stories of how I hurt my back by lifting a car and they already know they are in way over their heads - and I don’t have to do or say anything in order to put them there! All I need to do is step into the ring and I see them putting on the bravest of faces but deep down I can see they are regretting ever putting their names on a contract opposite my own! Only three women by my recollection…”

She held up three fingers.

“... Ever took the initiative to challenge me rather than the other way around, or by being unlucky enough to simply draw the short end of the straw in however the matchmakers do things.”

As she recited each name, she lowered one finger.

“Bobbie Dahl. Zoey Lukas. And they are the exceptions to the rule because those two bad ass chicks are the closest to match me in size and strength. But the third?”

She shook her head.

“Not so much. And that would be the woman who decided that this weekend, she wanted to tempt fate by challenging me to a match for no other reason than saying she was brave enough - or dumb enough - to have done so. And that woman is Harper Mason.”

“Now Harper, you’ll have to give me some time here to process this whole scenario because I still don’t get what got it into your head to do this. For a little girl such as yourself to actually get it into her head to risk it all and two weeks away from My Bloody Valentine V where you and I both have dates with champions; you the Roulette and myself, the Internet title. Now I know that when you first showed up, people - mainly Christian Underwood - were teasing you with the idea of putting you into a match against me so soon after your debut but when you think about it, you have nobody to blame but yourself for having been backed into that particular corner. Because once again, social media came into play and you just started talking about being nervous or scared - or both - at the idea of eventually having to be put into a match against me. That was when our esteemed boss…”

Tempest rolled her eyes.

“... did what he does best and took the bait, and he started using you for target practice with my name as the proverbial ammo. I mean, you never know! Had you not opened your mouth, it was entirely possible that Christian may never had gotten it into his head to put us inside of the same ring together! But now we’ll never know because you made a ballsy decision … a regrettably dumb decision - but ballsy nonetheless. You decided that rather than wait and sweat it out over a possible time frame of weeks or months to see if the match would happen on its own, you were just going to tear that bandage right off and get it over with!”

She shrugged with an air of nonchalance.

“More power to you, I suppose, but you really couldn’t have waited? This match could have taken place after we both had our respective championship matches in Vegas, and while I’m secure in how I feel about dealing with the three other women that I’m up against, one would think you’d have more of a care considering you’re facing the first woman to ever beat me in a match; Bobbie Dahl. So Harper, I have to ask. What the hell got it into your noodle head that it was a smart idea to want to face me right before you have your first title match in SCW??? Why in hell would you risk it!? You have got to know that I have absolutely no intentions in taking it easy on you! Do you think I have it within myself to show mercy to you or any woman I’m up against?”

She looked confused as she placed both hands on her upper body.

“Me of all people! Sugar, I don’t care if you’re my size or pint size! I don’t give a damn if you’re some ten year veteran or a wet behind the ears rookie who is making her official debut! I treat every woman that stands across the ring from me in the exact same way; as an obstacle! A hurdle in my path. And I do not jump over roadblocks or move around them. I run right over them, no matter who the hell they are or fancy themselves to be! But this time, Harper, you really stepped into it because as of late, you’re making me feel almost as if you’re thinking of me as something akin to a stepping stone. Someone to use to serve yourself up to when you have to fight Bobbie Dahl for the Roulette gold.”

“I don’t like feeling like that. And before you even try to deny it, let’s not forget I have eyes where you might not think. I know you shoehorned your name into someone else’s tweet when it had absolutely nothing to do with you, in this little girl’s attempt to maintain being the center character to everyone’s story. You just reply to a tweet by Roxi Johnson to try and turn the subject around to what she thinks of you challenging me. You get what I’m saying here, Harper? That exchange you got yourself involved in, it had nothing to do with you. It had even less to do with myself! But you just had to go and try to make it all about you which really makes me start to see and recognize the influence that Jessie Salco has had on you because time and again, that chick made it her career goal to take any spotlight that was shone down on any other woman and turn the lights so it was on her instead. Well – good news and bad news, Harper.”

“The good news is you got what you wished for and then some! You got the match that you THOUGHT you wanted, and you did indeed turn the attention to what was about to happen between the two of us. The bad news is, is that it is just between the two of us! Jessie Salco can’t help you for obvious reasons. This has nothing to do with the two women who helped bring you into this sport - neither Roxi nor Keira can help you where it matters the most. This doesn’t involve them. It doesn’t even have anything to do with your little friend, Joshua Acquin. He can stand in your corner as much as he wants, but he’s not going to be able to do anything to prevent the end result of when I get my hands on you.”

Tempest stood up straight, arms extended and hands gripping the rain of the bridge.

“And that end result will be Mark and Christian looking for a new contender to challenge Bobbie in Vegas because there won’t be enough left of you to provide her with anything resembling a decent challenge!”

Tempest gave the camera one last, derisive look before turning her back and continuing on her way as the scene closed out.

December 23, 2023 -
Las Vegas, Nevada

The holiday season of 2023 has come and gone, but for those of us within the realm of Sin City Wrestling, the miracle of flashbacks is not something that is relegated to one instance or another. In fact, we can go back as far as we wish in order to reflect on times past so that we might better learn and experience from memories - be the beloved or hard to face and confront. And when it comes to the holidays, one can visit the good or the bad because there is absolutely no promise or guarantee that either will be the case. You can plan your Christmas or ule or Hanukkah down to the very minute detail and even the smallest thing will lay waste to the absolute best of plans.

Case in point…

Tempest: Hey Momma.

Tempest said from her end of the call she had been worried about placing since yesterday, but there was no mistaking the circumstances and no turning back. The woman who was looked at by the SCW Universe, fan and competitor alike, as the literal amazon of the six-sided ring, looked to be anything but given the circumstances.

Nalani: Alleyne! Dear, I wasn’t expecting you to call!

Tempest: I know, Momma, but I’m afraid I have some bad news.

And as quickly as her mother’s face lit up with the call from her ‘baby girl,’ it fell just as quickly with the words dreaded by any parent.

Nalani: Oh dear, what is it?

Tempest closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, exhaling through her pursed lips before she broke the news.

Tempest: Anela and I aren’t going to be able to make it for Christmas.

And what mother wanted to hear that the wouldn’t be seeing their child (even just one of several), that one most magical day of the year. Nalani looked absolutely devastated, her free hand placed over her heart and her eyes were closed for a brief time while her daughter continued from her end of the call.

Tempest: I know despite what we talked about on Thanksgiving that we’d come to you, but Anela isn’t feeling well. She started getting sick yesterday and I don’t know if it’s a cold or the flu or…

Nalani: Dear, if it’s just a little cold…

Tempest: Momma, whether it’s just a little cold or what… bringing a little girl onto a plane for a seven hour flight would just be irresponsible. The poor thing would be in misery.

Nalani: I know dear, I was just hoping so much to see you both with everyone…

Tempest: I know, and I was looking forward to that perfect little first Christmas with my daughter but sadly things don’t always work out the way that we want them. Plus, answer me this; and be honest! How would you react if someone tried to get you to bring one of your sick children onto a flight?

Nalani sighed, despite herself, and found herself unable but to admit the truth.

Nalani: I would probably forget that I was a lady and tell them where to go.

Tempest chuckled, never failing to take delight in her mother’s way of putting her thoughts into words.

Tempest: Well, I never claimed to be a lady but I would also never tell my own mother where to go.

Nalani murmured.

Nalani: Smart girl…

Tempest: And I wanted you to know this is not how I wanted my first Christmas having Anela back to go but…

Nalani: I know, I know. It’s alright Alleyne. Well, it’s not alright but I more than understand. So … it is just a cold? It’s not…?

Tempest: I don’t know yet but I pray to God not. That’s all this poor kid needs! I’ve kept us holed up in the apartment just in case but will give her the test first thing in the morning.

Nalani: Poor thing… Well dear, I still hate that you two won’t be home but I’ll let the family know. Now you just go take care of our little girl. Just make sure you keep me updated on how she is and call us come Christmas!

This was one of the many reasons why Alleyne - Tempest - loved her mother so much. Disappointed though she was, she always had her priorities in order and her heart remained in the right place.

Tempest: I will, Mama. Love you.

A sentiment that was as well spoken as it was sincere. Tempest was not a woman who regularly showed such emotion, preferring to allow the image of her being an angry Amazon to perpetuate in the minds of those around her. But where family was concerned, particularly her mother, there simply was no going back from being the loving woman that those closest to her knew her to be.

Nalani: Love you too.

And that being said, the call was ended. Tempest turned her phone off and set it on the counter of the kitchen in her new apartment in Las Vegas. She stood up from the bar counter and walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and taking out a single bottle of beer. She used to be more free when it came to having a beer every now and then, but with a child in the house, one of whom she had bought for so long to regain custody of, she felt almost a sense of guilt when it came to having a drink. And she was just about to pop the cap off the bottle, when she closed her eyes and exhaled.

Tempest: Damn it.

And she opened the refrigerator back up and set the bottle back inside, shutting the door behind it. This was going to take some getting used to.

Tempest then turned and walked out of the kitchen and down the hall where she arrived at the door that was slightly a jar so as to better afford her adopted step daughter some some months of privacy but also allow her to keep an eye on the young girl given she was under the weather. Tempest nudged the door open further and gazed into the darkness and she could see the huddled form under the blankets, hidden from head to toe. She knew Anele well enough that when she wasn't feeling well, she was curled into a fetal position just as she was now.

Tempest crossed over the carpeted floor of her step daughter's bedroom and sat as gently as was possible given her 6 ft 3, 200 plus pound frame. But no sooner did she do so than Anela snuggled up to her in her sleep. That was all the invitation this Beast of a woman needed, as she kicked off her shoes and Drew her legs up onto the small bed, resting back against the headboard. She draped an arm around the girl and just sat there for her daughter who needed her, simply being a mother.

---

The follow morning…

And thank God, Anela did not have COVID. Tempest had administered the at home test on her stepdaughter, and the girl put up an impressive struggle to having a swab stuck up her nose, but in the end the result came back negative which was a great relief. Tempest then did the unthinkable and asked her next door neighbor, a kindly older couple, to keep an eye on the apartment while she ran to the nearest drugstore and stocked up on every available child's cold and flu medicine she could get her hands on.

This was all foreign territory to her, and by her own admission Tempest did not know how her mother managed to do the same between herself and her three older brothers. She doused Anela with vitamins, medicine, and of course the obligatory orange juice and chicken soup simply because her own mother had insisted upon it. And when it comes to their children, or in this case, grandchild, a mother/grandmother knew best.

By the time night had fallen this evening on Christmas eve, Anela was feeling somewhat better but still not entirely under the radar of the bug that had caught up with her. Tempest had chosen to forego temporarily the chicken soup and orange juice and sent for takeout at her step daughter's behest, getting the Chinese food that the young girl wanted so badly. Not that Tempest minded, mind you. She could certainly do with some spicy shrimp while Anela hit at her own beef and broccoli but only ate it sparingly, still feeling the influence of both the flu as well as the medicine taken. Tempest even ignored her own rule about no eating in the living room and she sat on the sofa with her own plate while her stepdaughter stretched out with her head in her lap, the pair of them watching the traditional Charlie Brown Christmas special on TV.

The lights were turned down, the colorful and soft twinkling of the Christmas tree lights dancing off of the white walls that surrounded them. It was one of the things that brought a sense of magic to this one night. And it had nothing at all to do with the pile of elaborately wrapped Christmas presents that were under the tree.

Honest! It was not as if Tempest was in any hurry to spoil her stepdaughter on their first Christmas together. And if you believe that, I have some motion front property in Arizona that I would like to sell you!

---

“Well, isn't it amazing how things seem to take on a life of their own and work out for better or worse? I have to admit that the past couple of weeks or not what I had expected. I had hoped that my first Christmas with my stepdaughter would have been perfect but circumstances dictated otherwise. And even though it wasn't what I envisioned, I have to admit that it still turned out special.”

“Weeks ago when I thought all hope was lost for my new family, that was when Gabriel Stevens put something into my head that never truly took root until Christmas eve. He told me that the family I have in Hawaii was not my only family. Or I'm from, family always meant a great deal and took precedence above all else. But this year I wasn't able to be with my family for the holidays, and what did that man do? On Christmas Eve he showed up at my door, with his own family, to celebrate Christmas Eve with me and my daughter since they would be busy the following day. That was what he meant. And that was the moment I realized the truth that rang true behind his words.”

“I have family here, in Las Vegas, where I need it when I can't be home. Gabriel and his family. Carter, Ariana and their significant others. Despy and Synn. And perhaps most especially my closest friend, Austin James Mercer. Everybody. And even though my GO Gym family all said that they would be busy on Christmas day, they still stopped by once again to visit and wish us well, and make sure that my daughter had even more presents than I had already given her. The way her eyes lit up on that one morning, it made everything right. It made all the pain from the struggles of the past several years of wanting her home completely worth it in the end. And it made me value and cherish the people that helped me get here, where I am today, all the more.”

“Which is why this Sunday, things are not going to go well at all for my opponent, Luna. All due respect to Luna, I never once expected somebody simply to step up and volunteer to be my opponent because quite frankly, I can't remember the last time that ever happened if at all! But you said if I wanted someone to fight inside of that ring, you would step up. And step up you did! That I have to respect.”

“But it doesn't mean that things are going to go any easier for you simply because you chose to do so. If anything, quite the opposite. Because yes, I do want to have somebody to fight. And you volunteering was just your way of placing yourself in harms way. I am not the sentimental sort by any means of the word, but all of the love and support that I’ve and shown over the years by everyone from the gym and Austin's own support, has given me all the motivation I could need or want.”

“Some of my critics were right. For the last 4 years I was content. I could easily stand back and take my fights where I chose. No more, no less. My tag team with Austin is the peak of my career that I will cherish the most, but I think it's time that my sights were set on singles gold as well. Up until now, I couldn't have cared less. To me, those championship belts were just baubles. Trinkets to feed the egos of pretty little blonde girls who fancy themselves as more than they really are. I've sat back and watched people that I have been close to in this business lose themselves because of his desire to wear one of those belts around their waist and call themselves The best. I didn't want to all that far, I didn't want to go down that rabbit hole”

“And now? While I still feel that championship belts are just show and decoration, I think it's high damn time that I show these girls, time that I show all these armchair experts who don't think I have what it takes, that I in fact do! And it all starts this Sunday. It all starts with you, Luna.”

Las Vegas, Nevada
The GO Gym

It was a familiar enough site for anyone familiar with the history of Sin City Wrestling. One of the top four wrestling academies in the sport of professional wrestling, alongside other hallowed grounds such as Wolfsair, Hero Academy and Jet City. Notable stars such as Evie Baang-Jordan, Fenris, London Underground and others have called this elite and upscale gym their ‘alma mater’ including one face who did not go to the same lengths as her ‘gym mates’ - that being Tempest. Tempest was a name that struck awe in the Bombshell division of SCW, even though to date the only championship she wore around her waist, she shared with one of the more hated and controversial men in the business, Austin James Mercer. That being the World Mixed Tag Team Championship.

Not that she had not had the opportunities granted to her now and then, but Tempest had personal setbacks that prevented her from making the same strides forward in the business that her peers had enjoyed. Not that she allowed that to be a setback for her. More so she lived her career in sports entertainment just as she did when she served as a bail bondswoman and a bounty hunter; she preferred to go slow and take her time, so that she had a better chance to succeed. And when things did not go her way in one instance, she did not lose her temper as she was prone to do in many other matters. She simply stood back, examined where she went wrong and came up with a solution that would help her to move forward and take that next step in the path to success.

And that proverbial ‘next step’ was to throw herself into her training, given that a golden opportunity had practically been dropped into her lap. Along with the laps of roughly eight other Bombshells. Nobody expected the news that Aleesha, who had dethroned Kayla Richards and been on a dominant tear ever since as the Bombshell Internet Champion, would ever have the ill luck of a serious training injury that caused her to relinquish her title without ever having technically lost it. Her loss would be another's gain, and the moment Gabriel had texted her the news, she knew without a doubt that this would end up being one of the most difficult and chaotic matches she had ever been involved in within her relatively sporadic career.

Every day, from the moment that she dropped her stepdaughter Anela off at school right up until it was time to go pick her up, Tempest was either at the weights, setting new records with her strength training, or she was inside of the ring, sparring with some poor unfortunate soul. If the sparring partner was unlucky, it was a promising new recruit to the gym. Gabriel considered it a way of weeding out the weak. But if Tempest were lucky, it was one of the Gym’s graduates she could get inside of the ring with to keep her skills sharp. More often than not it was either Charlotte Mackenzie or Mackenzie Page from London Underground as they were the only two women in the Gym (aside from Odette) that could stand toe to toe with Tempest in a heated sparring match. But Gabriel knew his student’s preferences, no matter whom they happened to be, and he knew that due to her size and strength advantage she held over most of the Bombshell roster, she much preferred to train alongside the men. Yet only two or three men in the Gym were willing to help her in that regard. Not Despayre - forget that! But Daniel Morgan and Osbourne of London Underground? And Gabriel Stevens himself. He was the one most willing to train with his student, as he held the staunch belief that he could not expect any of his and Odette’s students who lent a hand in training the Gym’s students to do anything that he himself was not willing to do.

As a matter of fact, that was where we had just come from, as Gabriel had put Tempest through quite the test inside of the six-sided ring where the two now sat on the ring apron, taking a much needed respite with a bottle of water each. To his credit, Gabriel took much satisfaction that Tempest had worked up quite the sweat inside of the ring against him. Against such a physical specimen, it told him that he still very much ‘had it’. On the flip side, he had been in the ring with men who were not capable of doing some of the feats of strength that this woman had just put him through.

Gabriel: So, have you found out what’s going on with your girl?

Of course, Tempest had softly confided her worry about her stepdaughter Anela and what she was going through in school. The first person she had spoken to was her closest friend in Austin James Mercer. The other being the man seated to her immediate left. The truth was, Gabriel himself knew something was amiss because his son Lucas had told him Anela was having some trouble at school. But when his dad pressed him for details, Lucas showed his loyalty to his friend by repeating her oath that he would not tell anyone. A frustrating spot to be in if you are a parent, but Lucas was as loyal to his friends as Gabriel himself was to his own. Gabriel’s eyes shifted to Tempest who took a drink from her bottled water and shook her head.

Tempest: Not a clue, and it’s driving me crazy. She used to love going to school from what my husband’s sister told me, but now? She just seems so morose after her first day and has even tried to convince me that she was sick a few times to keep from having to go. One time she even cried about going, and when I pick her up, she just shut down completely.  I don’t know what to do. All these years I wanted her back, to be her Momma, and now I’m failing her…

Tempest found Gabriel’s hand on her arm in a reassuring gesture. It was a testament that she did not shrug it off or remove it as she might most others.

Gabriel: Hey, listen to me Alleyne. You’re not failing her. You’re not going through anything that all other parents go through. Kids keep secrets, good and bad. It’s part of their nature. Is the school helping? At all?

Tempest scoffed.

Tempest: Those jackasses are about as useless as boobs on a man. They told me they don’t know anything – haven’t seen anything. I call bullshit. That school isn’t that big that at least one of the teachers wouldn’t have noticed something going on. I just don’t think they want to get involved and spoil their cushy image of the perfect institute of education.

Gabriel: You’ll figure it out. And I’m still trying to get Lucas to open up. He’s been Anela’s shadow since she started school. Whatever’s going on…

But whatever else Gabriel was going to say was interrupted as the door that led from the Gym to the lobby where students checked in opened up, and a sheepish looking Despayre stepped through with Angel cuddled against his upper body. Despayre casually walked across the Gym’s spacious floor plan, by-passing the equipment until he arrived at where his ‘big brother’ Gabriel and Tempest sat, chewing on his bottom lip.

Gabriel: Everything okay, Despy?

To which Despayre shrugged his slim shoulders.

Despayre: There’s a phone call for Tempest.

Tempest frowned.

Tempest: For me?

Despayre nodded, and she turned to Gabriel looking perplexed.

Tempest: Who the hell would be calling me here?

As Gabriel shrugged his own confusion, Despayre answered the question.

Despayre: It’s Anela’s school.

Tempest’s head whipped back around to stare hard at Despayre briefly, then she jumped to her feet and headed for the lobby door to take the call. Despayre watched her go and Gabriel cleared his throat behind him. ‘Despy’ turned his head back to his best buddy.

Gabriel: Despy? What’s going on?

---

Las Vegas, Nevada
John S. Park Elementary School

The tension in the principal’s office was high. The principal herself, a Missus Jennifer Benizio, sat behind her desk, her hands clasped on the edges surface. Eyes from behind her glasses looking back and forth at the gathered number before her. Seated to her immediate right, was a teacher in the school, Mark Cohen. Together the two school staff looked at the nine year old Anela, who sat on a chair to the right of the office with an empty seat beside her. Anela had dried tears that stained her cherubic cheeks, her eyes downcast and her fists jammed into her lap. Across from her, was a boy her own age, who was holding an ice pack to his swollen nose and was already sporting a beauty of a shiner. And beside him was obviously the boy’s father, a stern looking man.

Father: Look, can we hurry this up and get this over with!? I left work because you let my son get assaulted!

Principal: Mister Marek, we have to wait for Anela’s mother…

Father: Why!? It’s as obvious my son was attacked and I want this dealt with…

But that was when the buzzer of the intercom on the Principal’s desk sounded, distracting them all from the man’s tirade. The Principal pressed the button…

Principal: Yes?

Secretary: Anela’s mother is here.

Father: (muttering) Finally…

Principal: Thank you, Dinah. Send her in.

And a brief moment later and the office door opened and in walked Tempest, changed from her workout clothes and now in her street attire.

Teacher: Missus Mahoe, how nice of you to join us.

Tempest paused as she was in the process of shutting the office door to allow them the allotted privacy. She shot the teacher a sharp look as the sarcasm of his words was heard by all ears.

Tempest: Yeah, you’ll have to forgive me. There was a three car accident on the way here. Might have been casualties, but who knows? Next time you summon me I’ll make sure to stop and ask for details so I can give you a reason for my lateness. She finally closed the door and was quite satisfied to see the teacher appear thoroughly chastised. She walked around the office to take the empty chair beside her daughter.

Tempest looked right at Anela…

Tempest: What’s going on?

Teacher: It would seem your daughter has some anger issues, Missus Mahoe. You can see the end result of a little tirade she had earlier in my class.

Tempest looked to where the teacher was indicating and saw the swollen nose and heavily bruised eye of the boy, his father trading an embarrassed scowl with his son before staring daggers at Tempest herself. Tempest all but ignored the man as she looked at Anela instead.

Tempest: You did this?

It took a moment before Anela finally yielded with a nod.

Tempest: Why?

Teacher: Your daughter was trying to tell me…

Tempest: ExCUSE me!

Tempest’s outburst silenced the teacher who seemed as if his words were stuck in his throat. She had her hand up to forestall any further words from the man…

Tempest: That is the second time I have asked her a question and you took it upon yourself to answer for her! Do you mind? Because I was speaking to my daughter, not to you! Which tells me that you’re either rude or you don’t want her to answer me for some reason. So, which is it?

But the teacher sat back in his chair, his face flushed as the principal gave him a look, and then she turned back to the two gathered families. Tempest again looked to Anela and she asked…

Tempest: Well?

Anela: He’s seated behind me and kept pulling my hair.

And by ‘he’, she obviously meant the boy.

Anela: I told him to stop it but he kept doing it! Mister Cohen told me to quiet down and when I told him what Andy was doing, he told me to just ignore him! But Andy pulled my hair again after that so I turned and hit him!

The father sat back in his chair, obviously looking ‘vindicated’ at this admission of guilt as it were.

Father: There, you see? She even admitted it!

Tempest turned away from the father, all but rolling her eyes and she instead focused on the teacher himself.

Tempest: So why did you call me down here? To discuss my filing charges against this boy and the school? Mainly this sorry excuse for a teacher?

Teacher: Sorry excuse…!?

Father: Filing charges…!?

Principal: Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves….

Father: You can’t file charges when your daughter is the one who attacked my son!

Tempest: I can actually file charges because what your son was doing could easily be classified in any court as assault and what my daughter did was defend herself when her teacher couldn’t be bothered to do his job!

Teacher: Excuse me, but it is not my job to…

Tempest: To what? To stop bullying in the halls of this school?

She then looked straight at the principal.

Tempest: I was under the impression that this school had a strict No Tolerance policy on bullying? I mean, that is what’s advertised on your website and fliers! Or am I mistaken?

She then looked right back at the teacher, not even giving the Principal a chance to answer.

Tempest: So you’ll forgive me for telling a teacher how to do their job but I think it IS your job to put a stop to any bullying tactics inside of YOUR classroom! Or is there some reason why you couldn’t be bothered?

She looked to the Principal.

Tempest: Does this school have a junior football program?

Principal: It does but…

She then turned to look at the battered boy.

Tempest: And are you on that team?

There was an awkward silence in the room before the father himself nudged his son…

Father: Answer her!

And he did. Not with words but a sullen nod. That was all Tempest had to see, as she turned and shot the teacher a knowing look.

Tempest: That’s why, isn’t it? It might not be college level or even high school, but I know the school systems well enough to know just how much football is revered, even at the possible cost of the education system itself! And … just how protected the players are no matter their age! And you… the man in charge of their education and well being during school hours told my daughter to IGNORE a boy yawning her hair so hard he was bending her neck back and could have caused possible damage!? LOOK AT THEM!!!

Her loud outburst caused even the father to start.

Tempest: He is bigger than she is! Stronger! Heavier! How exactly is she supposed to ignore him pulling on her hair like that!? Would you be able to ignore it if I grabbed a handful of YOUR hair and pulled!? How hard would it have been for you to simply tell that boy to stop!? One word. That’s all you had to say and you just could not be bothered!

Teacher: I thought it was just a little bit of rough house play between children and boys will…

Tempest: I swear to God if you say ‘boys will be boys’ to me I will take you out back myself and show you just how wrong that is! Because ANYONE who says that is just enabling some spoiled, entitled boy to do whatever he wants to! Those are the exact words some fathers use for their sons to excuse them slipping some girl a drug or taking advantage of her while she’s passed out…!

Principal: Missus Mahoe, I think we’re getting away from the reason why we’re here…\

Tempest: Oh I couldn’t agree more, but if you think you’re just going to punish Anela here for defending herself and let this boy just walk, you got another thing coming! Because the moment we set foot outside of this building, I will be on the phone calling every damn lawyer in the phone book if I have to and what would that do to the sterling reputation of this school!? If you want to punish her, fine. I can’t stop you. But whatever you punish her with, you had BEST be looking to punish that boy the EXACT. SAME. WAY!

Her arm was completely extended across her daughter and pointing straight at the boy. Now even the dad appeared apprehensive but still troubled/embarrassed at his son having been ‘beaten up’ by this little girl.

Tempest: My opinion? He got exactly what he had coming to him because your system has him so spoiled and entitled he thinks he’s untouchable but my girl showed him that just wasn’t true! And if you can’t be bothered to take care of the children in your class, I am left wondering what the hell you’re even doing teaching!

Principal: Mister Cohen has always been one of our top…

Tempest: Bull! The best don’t play favorites, and this man is clearly playing favorites!

Tempest then turned to the principal.

Tempest: I am taking my daughter home now. If he doesn’t start doing his job, then I am going to insist Anela get removed from his class and transferred to a different one! You have my number. Call me if and when you decide on some punishment – but remember what I said about punishing that boy, too!

She looked at Anela and motioned toward her…

Tempest: C’mon, go get in the car. We’re going to Dairy Queen.

Anela grabbed her jacket and school bag and stood up along with her stepmother, leaving the father looking flabbergasted.

Father: Dairy Queen? You’re going to reward her for…?

Tempest: And you…!

She all but jammed a finger at the man, shutting him right back up.

Tempest: I hear so much as one word on how your boy is still picking on my daughter then you and I will go a few rounds! And I can promise you that what my daughter did to your son won’t even compare to what I will do to you!

She did not even wait for any of those present to respond. Tempest jerked the door wide open and stood back for Anela to walk through before she followed and slammed the door shut behind them so loud it caused the desk to rattle and those left inside of the office to jump!

---

“Someone once asked me to summarize this business into just one word. I’m not sure the hows or the whys, but I think they were just curious where I, a woman who would be seen still in her rookie years in this business, would go with such an innocent question. It took me quite a bit of thought. Some with their heads in the clouds will say ‘glamorous’. Me? I’m a realist. I always have been, and that is why I answered with a single word – chaos.”

“I mean, tell me I’m wrong. Tell me when, in all of the shows no matter if they are a regular weekly show or a pay-per-view, when did everything go absolutely according to plan? When were there no backstage altercations or outnumbered attacks inside of the ring? When did someone not go for a steel chair or some random ass weapon to try and steal a win because they didn’t have the physical or mental capability to do it on their own? When did chaos not reign supreme at least once in this sport that we have all dedicated ourselves to? I’ll tell you when – never. And the fact that we are here, in this given situation that I and eight other women find ourselves in, is proof enough that this sport, this business, is nothing if not chaotic! The Internet Champion, Aleesha Jones – has been shelved. Injured somehow while training – which admittedly I can relate to all too well. But this injury was severe enough that she would be out for the foreseeable future and had to be stripped of the Bombshell Internet Championship, and rather than fight for the opportunity to challenge her at High Stakes XIII, we’re now in a Battle Royal to decide a new champion! And … you tell me … what match in wrestling has more potential for sheer chaos than a Battle Royal??”

“Think about it! It was going to be wild enough fighting for the chance to fight the champion but now nine women – NINE – are going to be inside of that ring, fighting to BECOME the champion! I mean, personally it’s not the road I would have taken to decide a new champion but I imagine Mark and Christian were pressed for time and had to go with what worked. Throw someone over the top rope and BOOM! You’re the champion! Great! Terrific! But some of us in this match might have it a little easier in this type of match than others.”

“Zoey Lukas? She’s right up there at my level, because she is one seriously bad ass chick! I’d like to think I’m the stronger of the two of us, bigger too – but she has to come the closest out of any woman to ever step up to me! And she has – more than once. I beat her one on one last year but damn! That match we had weeks ago where she picked me up the way she did? No other woman - no one - was ever capable of doing that to me! This might be my first Battle Royal since entering this sport, but I’ve seen them enough to know that she and I have a target on our backs just because of who we are! Well, good luck girls because that ganging up strategy is easier said than done! And I am calling it right now that Lukas and I will be the last two women inside of that ring! Then she and I are going to give these people the rematch they deserve before she gets thrown out of the ring and we have ourselves a brand new champion – me!”

“But as much as I see Zoey and I as the top chicks in this match, I can’t ignore the fact that there are others involved. Like the little biplanes that got swatted out of the air by King Kong. Take Luna Vanity for example. That girl started off in SCW so fast and so strong that nobody thought she was going to be stopped! Nobody thought she would beat Alexandra Calaway in a Hardcore match but she DID! Nobody thought she would win singles gold so soon after her debut, but she DID! Then what happened? Nobody knows because she’s fallen flat as quickly as she rose up. She is not the dominant force she started off as, and this match is just going to be another example of just how far and fast she’s fallen.”

“And speaking of fallen, Sammi Marlowe! It’s GOOD to see the Girl Scout of SCW back in the thick of things! Now, for a late addition to this match, this is not bad. I haven’t been inside of the ring with you in a LONG time, and I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with you, girl. Where’ve you been? What have you been up to? And why, might I ask, were you not one of the original names listed in  this match? And how did you get added? Was this some backstage political pull on your part or did you have someone intervene on your behalf? Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. Can’t deny with your rep you deserve this chance as much as anyone else. But, sister – you are going to regret petitioning to get yourself involved because sooner or later, I am going to get my hands on you and them… over!”

“Now if there was a woman I wanted to face that I haven’t got the chance to yet, it’s Kat Jones. The girl came back after how much time away and the first thing she did was shut the mouth of Keira Fisher-Johnson! Now that might not seem like much to anyone on the outside looking in but to the rest of the women’s locker room? Girl I think we ought to chip in and buy you a fruit basket! I’m looking forward to this and after? First round is on me!”

“Now when I was talking about big names and people who deserved to be in this match… I might have mentioned Mercedes Vargas but really – when was the last time that woman has really earned much of anything? Oh sure, she has the past credentials to back up the hype she’s given or that she gives herself, but that’s just it – the past. When was the last time she won a championship? Hell! When was the last time she won a match of any importance? Yes. She won each and every title offered to a woman in SCW. But … the past. And you can’t live off of your past forever, Mercedes. Sooner or later, the present – me – is going to come crashing down on you. I did it once between just the two of us and it’ll be a pleasure to do it one more time.”

“Seleana Zdunich… now there’s a name I’ve been looking forward to finding some time alone with when we’re in this chaos. You see, I met her once before and I admit … She got the best of me. I blame myself really. I looked at her and didn’t see much substance. To me, she was all style. Flash and nothing else. But that cost me and chicky… I am SO looking forward to a little payback!”

“And of course, there’s my little sparring buddy, Ariana Angelos. Or as the world is calling her – Krystal 2.0. The girl who has proven just what exactly the phrase ‘fair weather friend’ really means. For years we looked at this girl and saw a Girl Scout … the girl next door. Happy and laughing and cooking some god awful shit, but deep down she was hiding this facade of a conceited, angry and entitled little girl. She proved that easily enough turning her back on her closest friend in this business but then when it looked like she couldn’t ride on Carter’s coattails anymore in the tag team division, she sure turned about face to make nice, didn’t she? Because she has had chance after chance to shine in the singles ranks just like her so-called BFF had done before, but her spotlight was always at his side … or behind home rather because every person watching knows he was the backbone of that tag team! But she started running her mouth and taking it out on everyone else when she couldn’t get her foot past that door to success. She cried foul and rather than step up and fix what went wrong, she just pointed fingers and blamed everyone else BUT herself! Well go on then Ari. Blame me. Run your mouth at me. I mean, you have everyone else so why not? And we’ll see just how far I can toss you like a freaking lawn dart!”

“Which brings us to last … and least. Krystal Wolfe. Now as bad as Ari has been acting, she’s really just become a pale imitation of this one. A girl who stabbed everyone in the back and  couldn’t even last a month in Hells Gate after she all but abandoned the Go Gym! She and I butted heads, yeah. And I whipped her ass in front of the entire world! She attacked her own flesh and blood and used rookies as a punching bag, breaking their limbs because she didn’t have what it takes to do the same to the women who actually mattered! And now look at her. After becoming POSSIBLY the single most hated person on the roster, she’s now putting on the ‘good girl’ act like nothing ever happened and everything is a thing of the past! She’s on this ‘redemption’ quest to become better loved in the eyes of the world – as if anyone with any common sense would ever trust her again! She has proven that the only thing that matters to her is winning. Well this is a good time to tell you that you are in for a very bad revelation, Krystal! Because you won’t be winning this weekend. You won’t win the match and you will not be winning the Internet title! You are in the ring with every single woman that you have done wrong! You were finished the moment this match was signed.”

“This is my time, ladies. My moment. And soon enough, my championship!”

Las Vegas, Nevada

She would have been surprised had she not worn out a groove in the floorboards beneath her feet as she paced back and forth in the front room of her small, Las Vegas apartment. Hands clasped together with fingers steepled, she paced back and forth as she waited for her invited visitor to show, altogether uncertain of how she was going to proceed with what she now needed to do.

The issue here was the fact that Tempest did not confide certain things to this little makeshift family here in Las Vegas that was predominantly responsible for opening her doorway into the world of professional wrestling. Reason being, she was an intensely private person and she simply did not want people feeling bad or sorry for her. Some might welcome such sympathy, while others might heartily encourage it. But Tempest? She found it both belittling and insulting. But here’s the simple truth; that was when it just involved her. Now, she had something else to consider. Someone else. And that was why she was preparing herself to step out of her comfort zone.

She needed help.

Luckily, that was when the rap on the door reverberated in her home. Her amber eyes turned toward the door and she closed them, drawing in a deep breath. Exhaling through pursed lips, she walked over and promptly opened the door to be greeted by none other than…

Gabriel: Alleyene.

Gabriel Stevens, co-owner of one of the world’s most premiere wrestling schools - the famed GO Gym, and the man responsible for her in-ring training. Tempest stepped aside, allowing the man to enter her home. As she shut the door behind him, he turned around to face her with a curious expression on his face.

Gabriel: Is everything okay?

Tempest: Why wouldn’t it be?

Gabriel smirked a rather knowing smile. True this student of his had her secrets but he had been around her and people in general long enough to be able to read them deftly with a rather unique precision.

Gabriel: Because you aren’t exactly known for inviting people into your home. It’s your safe house, your sanctuary… or, am I wrong?

Tempest cast an exasperated look heavenward. This was a reason why she wasn’t more forthcoming. It seemed these people around her could read her anyway so why even try? She finally lowered her head and shrugged her shoulders, hands tucked in her jean pockets.

Tempest: I need help.

Gabriel blinked, rather taken back by this admission.

Gabriel: Wow. That must have stung a bit.

Tempest just tilted her head and looked at the boss man, prompting another smile from her trainer, but this time it was more soft … genuine.

Gabriel: Seriously, what’s going on? How can I help?

That being said, Tempest turned and walked away from the foyer of the apartment and through the door frame that led to the inner sanctum of the bedroom. Gabriel remained where he stood, figuring if she wanted him to follow then she would have stated so outright. He heard soft spoken voices from the other room, recognizing one as Tempest’s but the other one…? He knew that whatever was going on, it would be the unexpected but what he was not prepared for was seeing Tempest emerge from her inner apartment dwelling with a young child, a girl of only perhaps nine years of age. Tempest led her into the front room by the hand, the girl never once taking her eyes off of the stranger in the home - Gabriel himself.

Gabriel smiled. He couldn’t help it. He loved kids – he had two of his own in fact. He watched as the little girl was being led closer to him but the little one eventually put on the proverbial brakes, not wanting to come any closer just yet, and Tempest wisely did not force it. Gabriel looked from the little girl to Tempest herself.

Gabriel: Who’s this?

Tempest a hand on the little girl's shoulder, ushering her ahead a step or two. The girls eyes never leaving Gabriel's own.

Tempest: Gabriel, this is Anela. My stepdaughter.

---

Gabriel: How long?

It was an invasive question, he knew. A painful one. But the floodgate had been left wide open and now was the time for questions to be answered. Especially if he was going to be able to help in the way she asked. Gabriel cast a glance from where the pair of them were talking quietly between themselves in the dining room, to the front room where Anela was curled up on the sofa, her eyes fixated on the television and an episode of Bluey. Tempest briefly followed his gaze before she looked back to him.

Tempest: Just over five years ago. Malulani's mother hated me from the start and wasted no time in taking her away from me after he died.

Gabriel: But you were the stepmother. Didn't you legally have the…?

Tempest: I was in totally unfamiliar territory and my mind wasn't right after losing her Daddy like that. She made threats and I took them seriously and thought there was nothing I could do.

Gabriel: Until now.

Tempest nodded.

Tempest: As soon as the old witch died, Malulani's sisters found out the truth. That she never had legal custody. Malulani wanted her with me and if I didn't take her, she would have gone into the system. You know, I had hoped for years that this would happen and now that it’s here…?

Gabriel: You’re not sure where to go from here?

Tempest only nodded silently. Gabriel casually looked around at their surroundings and then back to her.

Gabriel: Well, I think you’re going to need a bigger place. This is barely big enough for you.

Tempest: I know, I was thinking about that actually. I have my house in Hawaii and I was thinking maybe it’s best to pay off my lease and bring Anela back to…

Gabriel: Well, you can’t go back to Hawaii right now. … How is your family, by the way.

Tempest: Safe.

Gabriel nodded, satisfied. He was above all else, a family man and he knew what mattered most. His thoughts strayed momentarily as Tempest watched her stepdaughter watching cartoons, curled up against a mountain of pillows. He could already tell what was going through her mind, knowing she felt cornered, perhaps with no options. He’d respect whatever she chose was best for the little girl, but he wanted her to know that she did, in fact, have options.

Gabriel: You don't have to retire, you know. You're just getting back on your feet again…

Tempest: I know, and I hate the idea of doing it but what else can I do? I have new priorities. And I don’t see how I can raise her while still wrestling…

Gabriel: Why not!? Alleyene, do you seriously think you’re the first parent – or even single parent – that would be in this business? You can do this, without having to leave Vegas permanently. You have options now.
Tempest: I also have family in Hawaii that are going to watch to get reacquainted with my daughter.

Gabriel: Of that I have no doubt! But you can have the best of both worlds. You can do this! And if things get overwhelming for you, there are people who can step in and help you!

Tempest: But they’re in Hawaii, remember?

Gabriel stared hard at the woman for several long moments before he cleared his throat and pointed a finger directly at himself.

Gabriel: I wasn’t just referring to them. You have all of us too, you know? Synn can help you get a bigger place. Odette and I would be happy to help you get Anela in the same school as our kids. Lucas is close to her age, they may even wind up in the same grade. Or, if I know my boy, he might just pour on that charm of his.

To that, Tempest just snorted back a laugh, shaking her head. Her eyes were downcast, but Gabriel’s voice drew her attention back up to his own gaze.

Gabriel: So what do you say? Give it a chance? Let us help?

Tempest just exhaled, rolling her eyes heavenward, which to Gabriel was all but an admission of defeat on her part. Gabriel sat back, relaxed and he smirked.

Gabriel: You know, Despy has been saying for months that you were hiding something.

Tempest: Yeah, well … Despy needs to keep his nose out of other people's business.

Gabriel scoffed.

Gabriel: Yeah. You’d have a better shot at landing a hurricanrana.

---

“Queen For A Day.”

“Not a bad distinction at all to have, to call what will be the first of many. Funny thing about this match. Not a whole lot of people expected me to get this far. I heard whispers that people ‘in the know’ expected Luna Vanity to beat me and join her man cake Alexander Raven, maybe make the effort for the ‘happy couple’ to reign over Sin City Wrestling as the King and Queen together? Well … surprise! All of Luna’s hopes and dreams to be Queen…”

Tempest sliced a finger across her throat, making the appropriate sound effect.

“Off with her head! And the moment – the moment – that I gained a spot in this match, one particular person looked right past me in the assumption that I was just a number. A spot filler. A roadblock that she was just going to run right over to climb that ladder and be Queen For A Day. And I can’t really fault them for their assumptions. I know that when it comes to singles competition, I’ve had a person or two take their shots at me and my relative lack of success where championship gold comes into play. And trust me when I say there is a very simple reason for this, but I’ll get to that later.  But for the moment? Yes, I am talking about that washed up geriatric Bombshell known to most as Mercedes Vargas.”

“Girl, ever since I earned my way into this match, you have been running your mouth non-stop. A feat you hold a particular talent for. And last week, when you and I finally met one on one to build this match the way it was meant to be? Well, if you had just slowed down that motor mouth of yours, maybe you wouldn't have got your foot wedged and made a damn fool of yourself! Oh trust me, I watched every minute of that little promo you shot at my expense, and even if I didn't go out of my way to show it, I really appreciated each and every word that you said. Because for every negative thing you said about me, about my career and where I stood in the grand scheme of things, I wouldn't have been so inspired – so enthusiastic – to go out there and spay you like the old bitch that you are! Vargas, you could say everything about who I lost to in my time as a singles wrestler, but I noticed that at the same time, you never mentioned the women that I have beaten. Namely – Zoey Lukas. You remember her, don’t you? The third woman in our little court? And who else? Oh, I remember now!”

She snapped her fingers and pointed right at the camera.

“You, Mercedes. I. Beat. You! Do you know deep down the meaning behind that accomplishment? It means that without Kim Pain involved in this match, I am literally the only woman in this match that holds a victory over the other two participants. That means, logically speaking? The smart money would fall on…”

She tapped a finger to her chest.

“Me. And as for you and that broken record you tend to play every single time someone points a camera in your direction? The one where you take the time to remind everyone of your championship record in SCW? Of your Hall of Fame status? Your last tag team title run was in January OF LAST YEAR. And the last time you had a singles championship around your waist was in 2019 – FOUR YEARS AGO! So yes, dear. You certainly have had a stellar career inside of the ring – but has anyone else besides you fallen from grace so hard, and so fast? When was the last time you had a significant win – of ANY kind!? And what does it tell you Vargas – that people were paying more attention to Zoey Lukas last week as a referee than they were to you in the actual match that you were officiating?”

“How does it feel Mercedes, to be the third wheel inside of the ring? In your own match?”

Tempest shook her head and looked aside before giving the camera a sidelong glance.

“But don’t think for a moment that I’ve forgotten about you, Zoey. Sister, the moment that fist of yours came down across my face I lit up like a Christmas tree in the summer! You Zoey, you above anyone else reminded me of one of the reasons why I got so involved mentally into this sport! Not just for the leisure of breaking a Barbie doll or two, but to get the chance to face women like yourself. A REAL woman who doesn’t give a DAMN about what the world around her says or thinks! Chick, you are you – and for that…”

Tempest clapped her hands together.

“Respect! But…”

She then held a finger up.

“Respect will only get you so far when you get in my face the way that you did. The way that you got in my business! I don’t give a DAMN about you being the referee or whatever mistake Vargas made where you were concerned! I did not WANT your help against her, nor did I NEED it! Vargas does not get enough calcium, Zoey. Her bones are growing more brittle by the day and I had her one way or the other in that match, and you involving yourself like that? I might have walked away the winner but all you did was cause people to question me and whether or not I could have done it had you not gone rogue! Now here’s the thing…”

She motioned for the camera to come closer.

“I don’t like being questioned. I don’t like people having doubts about me and what I can do! I know myself. I know what I can and can not do and in the ring? There is very little that I can’t do! I mean, I beat you – after all. And no, you didn’t make it easy on me which is, believe it or not, the way I prefer it! But the fact remains! And if I can best you in your own environment, the one that you were groomed for by birthright? What the hell do you think I’m going to be able to accomplish when all I have to do is climb a damn ladder!?”

She sneered.

“Eight days away Zoey. Let’s beat the holy hell out of one another and make it something to remember before I get that crown. Then we can dump Vargas back at Shady Pines and grab a beer.”

Honolulu, Hawaii

The home that Tempest once shared with Malulani served as a tense setting for the storm that was quickly rolling in. And when we say storm, we are not referring to a simple thing such as a force of nature. Not a hurricane or monsoon, but a disagreement between two women, once linked by the same blood. A man, both a brother and a husband. Maile, the older sister of Malulani and the next in line as family matriarch, and in being so, she had come to expect her every thought to be revered and every judgment to be followed. However, she had run into someone who simply did not play by her foolish rules, the widow of her deceased brother and now the adoptive mother to her niece.

Maile stood in faux shock as she watched Tempest stand on the opposite side of her bedroom in the house, putting the finishing touches on packing the bags that she would need when traveling overseas.

"You can't be serious!" Tempest stood rigid as she faced off once again with her former sister-in-law, Maile, sister to her deceased husband Malulani. Maile held her arms out as she said, "You're actually going to go on this stupid tour!?"

"I don't actually have much choice in the matter, Maile. It is my job, after all." Tempest said in this heated exchange between (former) family, and anyone will tell you that family can and will make for some of the most heated battles because blood is involved. Tempest closed her luggage and drew the zipper across. She stood upright with a smile that was more bitter sarcasm than one of mirth and amusement.

"Oh, sorry." Tempest said. "I think that's the first time anyone said the words 'Maile' and 'job' in the same discussion. Seeing as how you've never had one!"

"How dare you say something like that to me!?" Maile was aghast, clearly affronted at the mere accusation that she did not work. She said, "I am a mother and homemaker and THAT is the toughest of jobs!"

"Hm, true." Tempest nodded, despite herself. "And I'd probably be more open to giving you credit for just that if your husband hadn't hired a nanny to do the majority of the work raising your kids and a housekeeper to take care of the house. After all that, what's left? Taking spa days with your girlfriends and having morning mimosas!"

"Don't you DARE speak to me that way!" Maile hissed through clenched teeth, growing angrier by the second at such blatant disrespect. "As matriarch you show me res-"

"You are NOT the family matriarch, Maile!" Tempest threw her clothing luggage to the floor in an act of anger and annoyance. "You think just because your mother is gone that means you're matriarch and people have to kiss your ass the same way they kissed her's!?"

Maile stormed across the bedroom and around the bed to confront the woman opposite her, her right arm stiffening for an obvious blow to come but Tempest just stood there and stared at her, calmly stating, "I would think very carefully before you do what it is that you're thinking about doing. Because I can - and will - throw you through that wall."

Maile shook her head, "I regret ever calling you about my mother. I regret telling you about Anela!"

"You didn't have a choice in the matter, as I recall." Tempest stood right up to her, looking down at her dear Malulani's sister. And credit due, the woman did not back down from Tempest despite the vast size and strength differences. But before she could say anything else, anything more scathing that might leave Maile without the skin on her body, Tempest closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

"Listen to me..." Tempest finally said. "I am no more thrilled at the idea of taking this time away than you are of my doing it. But I don't have a choice! It IS my job and I can't take her with me into another country while the adoption process is being finalized so she is safe and secure!"

Maile looked away, her lips pressed so tightly that they practically disappeared. But then Tempest spoke up, taking a step closer to the woman and she turned her head back to look her in the eyes.

"Listen." Tempest said quietly now. "I do not like you, and I know that you have no love lost for me. But this isn't about either of us. There is a little girl in there that needs some semblance of comfort and familiarity! That is why I called you! That is why I asked you to stay here with her as opposed to my own mother! Because she knows you! I mean, have you any idea the level of trust I am putting on your shoulders right now??? You could easily wait until I'm in Jordan and then pull the same act your mother did..."

"I won't." Maile said simply. Tempest nodded and said, "I know. That is the other reason why I asked you."

In that given statement, more was said than mere words between the two women. One did not have to like a person in order to show them the proper respect.

---

Tempest was standing at the very site that had led Sin City Wrestling to the city of Amman, Jordan and more importantly, to one of the modern Wonders of the World -- the Ancient City of Petra. The 6'3" amazon stood stoically, arms crossed as she stared straight ahead at the carvings in the mountainside. Carvings that had withstood both the ravages of nature and the tests of time, remaining not only standing to this day, but in remarkably superb shape. The heat was intense, even for a woman whose wrestling career was based in Las Vegas which was smack dab in the middle of the Nevada desert.

But Nevada was one thing. Jordan was a true desert! Her tanned flesh glistening under the sun, she watched as the SCW ring crew busied themselves, setting up the ring before the Gates of Petra.

"I'll be the first to admit that I have a temper. If something is bothering me, I speak up on it. If I think I've been wronged, then I will happily call someone out. I have absolutely no qualms in telling anyone how I feel and if it upsets anyone listening..."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well that sounds like a 'you problem' more than anything else. I call things as I see them, and the thing about people is this; when you're calling them out, the more truthful you are, the more upset people tend to get. People do not like it when you're being honest - ESPECIALLY when that honesty is directed toward them. But here's the thing... I'm here because of exactly that situation, but I'm caught at a bit of a crossroads. Because I feel that I have been wronged, but the people who are getting something that I feel I and another are owed, did me no wrong. They accepted the hand dealt them, so where do I go? Who do I speak to?"

She turned her head toward the camera and unfolded her arms, setting her hands firmly on her hips in an open stance of defiance.

"The world, that's who! This match I was given against Alexandra Calaway... this whole Queen For A Day thing? It's a bone that I've been tossed by the top brass. Same for Austin in his opportunity against Miles Kasey. They're giving us this consolation prize because they gave something that we're owed, to someone else. Now this is no knock against Ben Jordan because, well who doesn't like that guy? And no REAL knock on Sam Marlowe because... maybe she's not so bad. But here's the thing... that's the team that Mercer and I beat to get to the Mixed Tag Team Fatal Fourway at Summer XXXTreme XI! We advanced to that championship final event! We were the team to beat and while we didn't win, we also were not the team that lost so MIkah and Kris Ryans 2.0 could win! You know what that tells me? That tells me that Austin and I should be fighting for that championship! But nope!"

She threw up her hands and shook her head.

"Instead that honor has gone to Saint Ben and Sammi Girl for this next Supercard and where are Mercer and myself? Split up and put into singles matches to give us a shot at these King and Queen spots. Now yeah, I get it. This would mean that when we get that far and win the whole deal -- and we WILL -- that we can book whatever we want, including a mixed tag title shot. Fine. Then. How the hell does that do anything for us now? We are talking about a championship match at the climax of this tour, at Violent Conduct IX as opposed to handing yourself a title match on a normal show. We are talking about being recognized and rewarded for something you deserve by the top brass -- as opposed to using your one day of power to gift yourself something that should have been yours in the first place! The bosses gave this opportunity to someone else, and left me with scraps as a means to TRY and mollify me. And heavy emphasis on the use of the word 'try' because trust me -- it doesn't work!"

"Which puts this so-called 'queen' Alexandra Calaway in a really bad spot because she's the chick I have to go through in order to make it to Violent Conduct IX, and angry as I am over this whole scenario? She's the one I get to take everything out on, all in one fell swoop. Now I admit I have watched Calaway, and she's earned her spot. Okay I admit SOMETIMES she seems to get over stimulated on her own hype and it bites her right in the ass, but she's a fighter. And that's a trait that is going to come in very useful where I am concerned because the chick is going to have to fight if she wants to survive. Let alone win! She showed she could fight with that Luna Vanity, and even though she dropped that one, she showed she wasn't afraid to bleed in order to get the job done."

Tempest nodded.

"Respect. And she even beat the chick that got a win over me last time around when she won against Bobbie Dahl. That loss still bothers me but I can't fault Dahl for getting one up on me, and for Calaway to take the win there? Well, she earned it the hard way. Too many girls want to get ahead and 'earn' their spots in this business with their tits and asses hanging out but Calaway simply fights for it. That's someone after my own heart so yeah... this match won't be as easy as some might think. I'm not delusional enough to assume just because I'm twice her size, that it'll make it so. Calaway will give me a fight, that much is certain. Because if she doesn't, that would just piss me off all the more and make me hurt her even worse."

Tempest shook her head in mock dismay.

"And that's not something I want, Alexandra. And not something you want, either. I have no real beef with you, other than you simply being put in the path of an oncoming storm. And that, Alex, is where the most damage gets done."

Las Vegas, Nevada
Current

There was one hard, fast constant within the hallowed walls of the GO Gym, more of an ever-lasting rule than anything else. And that was the belief that a student only stopped being a student when they were no longer active in the sport. It was not unheard of for students who had "graduated" from this premiere academy to return often to workout and maintain their in-ring skills so that they remained sharp. In fact, it was practically expected. Even when down and out with injury, "the White Wolf" Fenris could be seen at the weights. Once he had been given the green light from both his surgeon as well as Whisper who had helped him with rehab, Gabriel had reopened the Gym's doors for him to take full advantage of everything he and Odette had to offer. Yet it was what was taking place inside of the one of three wrestling rings that was the reason why we were here today.

As in only a mere matter of days, the "Amazon Bombshell" Tempest was being given the opportunity alongside Austin James Mercer to regain the Mixed Tag Team titles at Summer XXXTreme XI, becoming the division's first two-time champions. That being said, Gabriel had expected Tempest to be here until she had to leave for the Port of Los Angeles, readying herself for her biggest match in what seemed like forever. And he had made certain that Tempest would be prepared for anything those three other women could throw at her. He had set her up against perhaps one of the few women in the famed GO Gym who could, in fact, stand toe to toe with her if not by size then certainly by fighting spirit and determination -- namely Mackenzie Page of London Underground fame. There was absolutely nothing Mackenzie loved more than a good fight inside of the ring, and there was nothing Tempest wanted more out of a match than a legit challenge - of which for her there were few and far between. So, where these two were concerned, it was a win/win.

"God damn it!" Tempest growled between clenched teeth as her phone started to go off -- again. The one time she had forgotten or neglected to turn her phone on vibrate, she answered for it. Her workouts and sparring matches were of such notoriety in the Gym that even Fenris acknowledged her as such, stating, "Bitch is crazy!" A viewpoint that Tempest took neither offence nor umbrage too. Tempest stood up, Mackenzie still hanging off of her in the front chancery guillotine choke, and Mackenzie saying, "Just ignore it!" As Tempest turned her attention inside of the ring toward the outside where her gym bag had been set near a workout bench she had laid claim to for a post-match workout.

But this time the phone continued to ring, not letting up or stopping to take the voicemail option, so a slight worry started to grow in the recesses of the bigger woman's mind. "I've got to take this!" Tempest stated outright as she hefted the former Women's Tag Team and Mixed Tag Champion up and set her down with a gentle respect few would know she was ever even capable of. But when working out in the GO Gym, respect between students was key.

"Oh for fucks sake..." Mackenzie finally yielded with reluctance, setting defiant hands on her hips. "Fine, but make it snappy! I had you going!"

Tempest was stepping halfway through the ropes, between the top and middle, when she cane to a full on stop. She paused for a handful of uncomfortable seconds until she resumed her stance, standing on the ring apron and just looking at Mackenzie with a smirk, "Sure. You bet." To which Mackenzie smirked herself. Like two peas in a pod where these two women in particular were concerned. She then dropped to the floor and walked with purpose to her gym bag and snatched the phone from on top of it. Without even bothering to look at the Caller ID to see who had just interrupted her workout, she swiped up and barked, "This had BETTER be important!"

"Alleyne?" The woman's voice from the other end of the conversation spoke, a slight tremor behind her tone.

"Of  course it's Alleyne, you called me!" Tempest answered hotly. "Now who the hell is this!?"

"It's Maile."

"Mai-" Tempest almost dropped the phone from her hand in shock at the name she had not heard in the past few years. Maile -- the older sister of Malulani, her deceased husband who had been killed in combat overseas. After finding her voice and regaining  her composure, Tempest asked, "How did you get my number?"

"Your mother." Maile answered, to which Tempest closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. her mom. Her mom gave away her private number to the older sister of her husband, a woman who like her then-mother-in-law Mahina had never accepted her as Malulani's new wife following the death of his former. She had been treated like an outcast from the very get-go, and aided Mahina in removing Malulani's daughter -- her stepdaughter -- from her care.

"She gave you my number..." Tempest seethed, her eyes opening to mere slits but the emblazoned fury could be witnessed even then were anyone to take close enough notice. "I can not believe she...!"

"Mom died." Whatever else Tempest thought her ex sister-in-law might have said to her as to why she was calling out of the blue after more than four years, that was certainly not it. A part of Tempest wanted to tell her that she hoped her mother would rot in hell. But the part of her that yet loved and mourned Malulani prevented her from saying the scathing words. That was still his mother and she would not disrespect her -- no matter how much the bitch might deserve it.

Instead she asked, "What happened?"

"She had a heart attack." Maile answered. "The funeral is in..."

"I'm not coming to the funeral." Tempest interrupted her. But Maile answered, "We didn't expect you to. We probably would have been shocked if you did. But this isn't about Mom. It's about Anela."

Anela. Her Malulani' daughter, and the stepdaughter she loved like her own. When Malulani had first introduced them, admittedly Tempest was worried. Yes -- Tempest was worried. She was very concerned how the little girl would react to her Daddy dating another women, let alone marrying her. But much to her surprise and Malulani's relief, the little girl had not only been more than happy her Dad had met someone, but Anela herself seemed to be over the moon at having a new mother figure in her life.

And it was perhaps Anela's reaction to her that spurred her mother-in-law to work so feverishly to remove Anela from her care after her father's passing. If there had been any doubt to the girl's affection toward her, Anela's screams and cries at being removed from her house haunted her to this day. Almost as much as the feeling of being helpless at preventing it.

Tempest again had to swallow back the choke of memories and she found her voice once again to ask, "What about her?"

"CPS wants to take her away." Maile stated in a voice that cracked under the pressure of emotion, at both losing her mother and now possibly her niece.

"Take her away???" Tempest barked, her voice carrying across the Gym and the walls, having great acoustics to sound, caused heads to turn. Tempest quickly turned and walked past everyone, avoiding their eyes as she barged into the women's dressing room. Only then did she continue her conversation as she asked hotly, "How the hell can they take her away!? If your Mom had legal custody then they should be placing her with..."

"Mom never had legal custody, Alleyne." Maile interrupted, and judging by how frail her voice sounded at the very moment, it was as if she were waiting for the inevitable explosion from the woman she was talking to.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE NEVER HAD LEGAL CUSTODY!?!?!" Annnnd there it was! The explosion, and she was certain that everyone out in  the Gym had heard her outburst and truth be told, she didn't give a damn! "Bitch, you better start talking...!!!"

"Alleyne!" Maile called aloud from her end, trying to both diffuse the growing situation and solve the problem as to why she had called. She had the given effect and the opening, so Maile continued, "You know better than anyone how the courts are when a child is involved. Someone at CPS did some digging and they found out Mom never got legal custody of Anela. Something happened to the paperwork on the judge's end and the custody issue was never notarized."

"What are you saying...?" Tempest asked, feeling almost paralyzed on the spit by everything that was unraveling around her right now.

"I'm saying..." Maile took a deep breath from her end of the phone. "That after Malulani's passing, legally you should have had custody of his daughter. You still can."

Tempest closed her eyes, and a lone tear streaking from her right eye and down her cheek as Maile continued, "Alleyne... the CPS agent said that if you don't make a case for custody, Anela will be taken away and placed in 'the system'.

---

Los Angeles, California
Port of Los Angeles

The opening shot is of none other than the Princess Cruise ship, an impressive monolith of maritime leisure. At over 143,000 tons and a length of 1,083, the ship held a total capacity of 3,560 between staff and passengers alike. A perfect setting for an epic summer extravaganza. In just a matter of eight days, such an event would be taking place ON BOARD this very vessel while out at sea, as famed SCW summer event Summer XXXTreme XI would be once again dominating the summer heat!

And as the camera slowly panned out, one such participant was standing on the dock in  her summer street clothes, a teal colored tank top, cut-off denim shorts and high tops -- Tempest. Former World Mixed Tag Team Champion, and soon-to-be two-time co holder of those very same championships. Hands on her hips, Tempest kept a careful eye on the ship as workers went about their business, readying everything well ahead of time as the sun slowly started to descend into the ocean waters.

"As impressive as this sight is, I will go on record and admit that I am probably the only person booked on this show that wishes it was anywhere else but on a cruise ship. Not for any reasons that the so-called experts who ply their trade from their mama's basements and offering their views and opinions from the relative safety of a keyboard might assume. I'm not afraid of the open water nor do I get seasick. I don't mind narrow spaces like these cabins or interacting with the occasional fan who actually approaches me for a picture or an autograph. I simply lost my taste for cruises a few years ago. I haven't liked nor appreciated them since."

"This does bring back memories though. Not personal ones, but professional. Because the last time I was on a Princess cruise for Sin City Wrestling and Summer XXXTreme in particular, it was for 2021's event where  Austin James Parker and myself defended these very same championships against Miles Kasey and Seleana Zdunich -- successfully I might add. I won't lie and say that I didn't have my fun moments during the cruise. Mercer saw to that, which I suppose I am grateful for. It's just ... cruises don't do for me what they do for everyone else it seems. But, that is neither here nor there. Austin and I won this opportunity, and whether it be on a ship out at sea or on solid, dry land, we are going to make the most of this I can assure you that."

Tempest stops mid-promo for a moment to take a seat on a wooden bench as a seagull flies across the sky, it's screech heard by everyone in the vicinity.

"Austin and I are not alone in this endeavor. Like us, the other three tag teams in this Fatal Fourway earned their chances alongside us. By hook and crook, by sheer talent ... or just plain, dumb luck. You be he judge because I won't bother. My eyes are set straight ahead toward not just the three women that I will be inside of the ring with, but their partners as well. Because like it or not, this is a TEAM effort, and while I can't lay my hands on Peter or Alexander or Oliver, nor they me, it doesn't take away from the fact that we have to work together with our partners to achieve the same goals -- score the win and win the championships. And with all due respect to the other three teams involved in this match, there's only one team in this match with the proven history in this division as champions."

She tapped a forefinger into her own chest as the camera swerved around to catch her from the front.

"Austin and myself. Austin and I are the ones who held the championships for over five months. In that time, neither of us abandoned the other allowing another to simply be handed the championship without earning it. We kept those titles around our waists and defended them whenever the higher ups called on us to do so, against whomever they could find that were willing to take the risk. And yes..."

She nodded her head.

"Facing Austin and myself as a collective unit is a risk. You can put on all the false bravado that you want to in order to save face or prevent your toxic sense of masculinity from wilting like a flower in an oven, but it's the hard, cold truth that all three of these teams are going to have  to acknowledge and accept. We have the size and power. We have the experience as a team. And we have the successful track record. And whom did Austin and I beat to get this far? None other than the team everyone wanted to see together, and a team I desperately want to face once again -- Sammi Marlowe and Ben Jordan. Sam brought it, I have to admit. More so than I ever thought her capable of. And the only thing that ruined our moment between our teams was Bea Barnhart who just could not accept the fact that she and her hubby were no longer in the running at the time. Still, a win is a win I suppose even though it wasn't how Austin or I wanted to get here, so winning the championships and meeting Ben and Sammi one more time will more than satisfy those lingering doubts."

"But what about you, Luna Vanity and Alexander Raven? I have literally no idea what is going on in that head of Luna Vanity, because as the name implies, the chick is about as unstable as a game of Jenga during an earthquake. Still, she has pulled off some impressive wins, such as beating Alexandra Calaway at her own game and being a former Roulette Champion - for about two weeks. To me, the true strength behind this team is Alexander Raven because the man has been nothing short of impressive since he first showed up. I am not so full off myself that I can't say that about someone on the opposite side. He's been the Roulette AND Internet Champion, and held both championships for an impressive run each. Jesus Christ, the man beat Fenris! Granted, some say that Fenris pretty much beat himself in their title match but like I said before, a win is a win and if anyone on this team is going to be the threat, it'll be Alexander Raven."

"Not that I'm not looking forward to stepping inside of the ring against Luna, because I am. I always appreciate new experiences inside of the ring, hoping for an opponent that might actually surprise me and give me the sort of fight that I am really hoping for. Zoey Lukas gave me that fight, as did Bobbie Dahl. Few and far between, but it happens. Can Luna do the same?"

She shrugged.

"It's possible. I mean, after seeing that wild match she had with Calaway I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility, but I have my doubts. That match had no restrictions. This one does, and Luna does not exactly strike me as the sort of woman who easily focuses with that scatterbrained mind of hers."

"But then again, Luna is not the woman I am really all that interested in facing the most out of this match."

She bit her lower lips with her teeth, a smile that was much like a hunter anticipating a meal wile she shook her head in the negative.

"No, that honor would fall most toward Kim Pain, a woman whose career I have followed even before she set foot in SCW. When she came here, all I could think about was the chance to wrestle this woman who's stepped inside the ring elsewhere with men twice her size and lived to tell the tale. The woman, who despite all intents and purposes, is a legit bad ass inside of the ring but displays a complete opposite side of herself once the match is over and business is concluded. I've heard enough about the good she's done for others inside the facility of Hellsgate, Carter in particular. Kim had absolutely no reason or obligation to help with some of Carter's rehab, but she did it anyway. Why? I never asked but I assume it was because she and Carter got along well enough, and because she simply felt that it was the right thing to do. I can respect that. Appreciate it, even. I can say as I would do the same because I'm just not that sort of person, but that sort of person performs outside of the ring, and that just is not where we're going to clash."

"It's rare to have something you look forward to in this business that doesn't involve a championship, and while the titles are at stake here between us Kim, and I truly think this match will come down to you and me -- and of course our partners by proxy, this is what I look forward to. And while I hope that one day my curiosity will be satiated in a one on one encounter, for now this will have to do because I have no doubts that while you and I could steal the show, that Luna and ... **snort** Eiley will attempt to steal our thunder. What say you and I take a moment between ourselves, lay down our arms and take out the trash, then settle things between just us?"

She waved a finger between the camera and herself, a clear indication.

"Which brings us of course to the final piece of this little mixed tag team puzzle. And no, I did not save the best for last. if anything, I saved the least for last because out of every team in the entire mixed tag team division, this is the team I think the absolute least of! Oliver Zahn from Jet City and Eiley from ... whatever the hell Mikah calls where she dug this girl up from and trained her. Oliver and Eiley, or as whoever names these teams should refer to them as ... Mikah and Kris Ryans 2.0. Because honey, let's face it, when we see either one of them on the screen, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a rerun of an old edition of Climax Control where Mikah and Kris were onscreen together. I am almost ASHAMED that Mikah calls Hawaii her home now because she is the exact type of person who natives of the state such as myself don't want around. Vain. Self centered and thinking the entire thought of an island paradise revolves around their own personal pleasure rather than maintaining the beauty and prosperity of the islands and the people born and raised there. But I can't say as I'm surprised, that's just the sort of person Mikah is. It's always been about herself and what people can do for her. Case in point... Kris Ryans. Before her retirement and kris's staged death, the two were revealed as being an item. Not surprising that they picked up right where they left off in that regard because every time Kris disappeared or took time off and returned, Mikah practically knocked everyone over that was in her path so she could latch her hooks into the man. It bordered on stalker obsessed behavioral patterns. But this time the chick outdid herself because now as soon as he returned, suddenly she's pregnant with his baby!"

She jetted out a lower lip and nodded.

"Well good for her. But if I were Kris, I'd get a DNA test done as soon as that kid is born because with her track record... Drake Green, Mark Ward, etc etc... the record is against him. Oh, wait... sorry!"

She lightly tapped the side of her head with the palm of her hand.

"I was talking about Mikah and Kris all of this time when I was supposed to be talking about their respective proteges, Eiley and Oliver. Easy mistake to make, considering they're practically mirror images of the other. Oliver really hasn't shown me much of anything, which is a damn shame considering his trainer Kris is a proven commodity in this business and a Hall of Fame recipient. But Oliver himself? I just can't help but feel he's hoping to use this new tag team division as a means to an end, as a way of boosting his standing elsewhere in SCW when HE should be the one boosting the division. Not the other way around! And Eiley...?"

She drew in a breath and chuckled.

"You know when she first showed up and we were told she was trained by Mikah, that was all I needed to hear. Yes, Eiley has gotten one or two good wins, but otherwise she's been an absolute bust in making any kind of impact. It's like Mikah wants her to be a mirror version of herself and Eiley just wants to emulate the woman who brought her into the sport! I always thought that a good trainer wanted their respective students to grow past them and become their own person but that just is not what I see in Eiley -- or Oliver for that matter. But Eiley is the one I have to deal with in the ring and oh...!"

She shook her head with an almost sadistic chuckle.

"I will do so GLADLY. And when the match is over and Eiley is put out to sea, I just wonder if she's going to try convincing the world that she meant to lose. That she wanted to lose the match and the chance for the championship, just like Mikah tried telling the world that she wanted the same when she dropped the Internet title to Devona. I mean, birds of a feather and all that."

That being said, Tempest pushed herself to her feet, the camera rising u along with her so she could stare straight into the lense.

"It doesn't matter. None of it. The saviors are not what they once were or had the potential to be. At least their presense here in SCW isn't, and that includes Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn. Alexander Raven and Luna Vanity have about as much chance of winning this whole event as the ocean has of turning into peanut butter. And Mikah and Kris 2.0 aka Eiley and Oliver? Say your prayers, kissos. The sea ha5s claimed enough victims these past few weeks."

She leaned in close and taped the lense with her forefinger.

"And it's about to claim two more."

By admission, there was a lot of explaining to do in recent events. There was a point in time where Tempest was set to take the Bombshell division by storm, but with as much momentum as she would build behind herself with her sheer, dominant presence, something always seemed to happen that stalled her from taking advantage. And in some cases, she would seemingly fall off the face of the earth just as things were going her way. In one instance, she had injured herself - straining her back by lifting the car of Gabriel Stevens so that he could look under it.

No, we’re quite serious!

And in another, she was called home to Hawaii due to a family emergency when her brother Nohea, a military man, was home on leave and was stabbed with a broken bottle in a bar fight. All because he and his Navy buddies objected to some drunkards mistreating the barmaids working that evening. While he was in recovery and fighting for his life afterwards, Tempest steadfastly refused to leave Hawaii. Not when her brother could lose his life and for that reason, both the SCW brass and the Stevens could certainly understand and appreciate. Family would come first – or at least, it should. But that was the last Tempest was scene in the six-sided ring of SCW; her match against Zoey Lukas that had drawn many fans’ attention due to the sheer physicality of both women.

So then the question begs; why now? Why was Tempest back, and why did she not return sooner? Well, that’s why we’re here right now. To shed some light on the return of the ‘Tower of Power’.

---

Barbados - Garfield Sobers Gymnasium
04/02/2023

Chaos reigned supreme in the backstage annals of the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, and where SCW was primarily concerned, that was certainly speaking volumes. The activity backstage was always at a frenzied pace as staff was routinely working at a frantic pace to better ensure what happened out in  the ring and what was seen by hundreds of thousands on their weekly webisode broadcast of Climax Control went as smoothly as possible. But sometimes the unexpected would happen, and mere moments ago in one of the final 2023 Blast From the Past opening round matches - that was certainly the case. All that the “Benedict Arnold” of the Bombshell Division – aka Krystal Wolfe – wanted to do was break her personal curse and make it past the opening round, and with the Hall of Fame monster Casey Williams at her side, she was well on her way to accomplishing exactly that. At least that was until her own past caught up with her, and karma bit her on the ass.

Security was everywhere, more so than the usual as guards en masse had surrounded the former World Mixed Tag Team Champion Tempest and they were forcibly removing her from the premises as she argued with the men hired on by Mark Ward and Christian Underwood to keep everything in order! But in this woman, they had their hands full because Tempest was not just any Bombshell who was half the size of these guards, as she literally stood as tall as many on the men’s roster and she was fearsomely noted for her raw, brute strength! One guard made the grievous error in attempting to restrain her or direct her away from the immediate vicinity by placing a hand on her shoulder, only to have Tempest whip around and grab him by the arm.

Tempest: Don’t TOUCH me!

She bellowed as more security moved in to physically intervene against her when a voice brimming with authority that would not be denied called out, causing many heads in the area to turn toward the British accent.

Hot Stuff: Oy! You lot! What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing!?

Mark Ward might have been playing  nice these past number of years as opposed to his business partner, the Ying to Christian Underwood’s Yang (no puns, please!), but when the British Bossman spoke, you listened because he had a temper that rivaled any of the stars that he and Underwood employed. he simply chose when and where to showcase it to the best of his abilities.

Many of the staff backstage scattered and the security guards on hand parted like the Red Sea, and Hot Stuff himself was Moses. Tempest stood there, looking around toward each man who had just attempted to accost her and forcibly remove her from the building while Mark stood in on spot, but turned around on his feet to openly survey the scene an d ensure each person present was looking at him and ONLY him!

Hot Stuff: I asked you a question! What the hell are you doing with this woman!?

One older man in his mid to late fifties, the Security Director of his team, he alone stepped forward with his own sense of authority to address the situation.

Security Director: Mister Ward, we’re just removing this woman from the premises. Didn’t you see…?

Hot Stuff: Yes, as a matter of fact I did see what happened out there! And while I don’t condone it, I never authorized her removal from this building!

Security Director: I don’t understand … I was under the impression that fans were not allowed to…

Hot Stuff: She’s not a fan, genius! She’s under my employ! She’s one of our wrestlers!

The security team glanced around at one another with uncertainty in their eyes.

Security Director: Well… how were we…?

Hot Stuff: Supposed to know?

Mark finished his question for him, prompting the man to nod.

Hot Stuff: If she were a fan, would she have come from backstage rather than the crowd!?  If she was ‘just a fan,’ I would have thought that the security we employed would have been more diligent in stopping her before she got that close to one of our wrestlers! Or am I mistake?

Mark held his arms out in wonder, all but daring the frustrated head of security into saying something… anything. The older man's face was flushed red but discretion being the better part of valor, he turned instead to Tempest.

Security Director: Our apologies, ma'am.

But the Amazon of the Bombshell division simply stared at the man, neither acceptance nor rejection of his apology coming forward. He cleared his throat and signaled to his team to follow him, leaving Tempest alone with the boss man. She exhaled.

Tempest: Sorry about that.

To which Mark shrugged.

Hot Stuff: No harm done. It's not like you hurt any of them.

Tempest paused at that and then frowned.

Tempest: No. I mean what caused it. Tossing Wolfe into the audience.

Hot Stuff: Oh, that.

He shrugged.

Hot Stuff: Meh.

---

Eilean Mor, Flannan Isles, Scotland
04/09/2023

Of course, nothing comes easy. The very next week on the supposed haunted Isle of Eilean Mor, Krystal Wolfe sought some payback for costing her a chance at the Quarter-Finals and she boldly called Tempest out for her actions. The angry amazon indeed indulged her and did come out to the ring for a face-off, but it quickly devolved into a brawl between the two women. It looked as if Tempest might end it just as quickly as it started the moment she got her hands on Krystal, who had spent much of the time imitating a car wreck – as in hit and run. But Krystal escaped her predicament and the two women were separated, the entire time Wolfe smugly acting as if she had the entire situation in the palm of her hand. But it was what happened after this confrontation that had the tongues of wrestling fans wagging the world over, when Tempest came to the aid of her friend and former championship tag team partner, Austin James Mercer. The moment when Tempest stood toe to toe with the hated World Heavyweight Champion Michael Harris, preventing him from doing further damage to Mercer whom he had ambushed from behind.

Austin sat on a bench in the first aid area that had been set up for just such emergencies, far enough away from the action to remain away from the prying eyes of fans and/or reporters looking for a newsworthy scoop. As the show was taking place outdoors, literally on Eilean Mor itself, the medical station was inside of a large tent, cordoned off and away from the rest of the ‘backstage’ area set aside for staff and wrestlers alike. The medics needed privacy and quiet to do their work, away from all distractions. Austin would have preferred just to get dressed and get off this damn island… actually, he would have preferred to pull Michael Harris’s head right off his neck and THEN get dressed and leave, but he wasn't given much choice in this instance.

The blow to the back of his skull with the World title belt had opened up a deep laceration, and blood had flowed freely down the back of his head and the medics were currently working on cleaning it before they would determine if he required stitches, or if the medical skin adhesive would be sufficient to the task. And even then Mercer would have been all but fine ignoring the situation so long as it got him off of this rock, but unfortunately he had a commanding presence in his path. Namely Tempest.

When Austin left the ring, he stubbornly did so under his own power and without any assistance from the ringside staff. Tempest had waited until Harris and his “Sister Wives” had been forced away by security before she accompanied Mercer ‘backstage’. Even then, Austin tried to ignore his situation and he pulled away from all offers of help to go to the dressing area, only Tempest had taken him by the arm and steered him directly toward first aid whether he liked it or not. Anyone else and Mercer would have reacted accordingly, lashing out with appropriate acts of violence. But she was different. She was quite possibly the only friend that Austin had left on the active roster and so she was probably the only one guaranteed ‘safe’ from the infamous wrath Austin had rained down on much of SCW in recent months.

Austin James Mercer: God dammit! That stings!

Tempest watched as Austin lashed out verbally to the team that was working as a unit to take care of him, dabbing at his wound with sterilized cotton and then cleaning it with antiseptic to prevent infections out here in the open air.

Medic: Austin, we need to clean the wound before we can set to seal it. It won’t likely need stitches but…

Austin James Mercer: Just get ON with it!


Mercer growled with menacing authority, prompting the medics to continue their work. Tempest just shook her head, arms folded over her upper body.

Tempest: Jesus… all the hell you wreak and the blood you spill, and you are still a big baby!

Austin glanced up through his brow, having to keep his head tilted down so the first aid staff could work on him properly, and she could see the flash of anger and annoyance in his eyes but it vanished just as quickly. Just as well, because it had literally bounced right off of her without a care.

Austin James Mercer: I didn't ask for your help… I didn't need it!

Tempest: Of course you didn’t.

Nothing else was said between them for what seemed forever. Nothing needed to be said, that was the beauty of a tried and true friendship. When you knew one would have your back, and be there for each other. Anything else was just  formality. Just – words. But something was said after several long moments when the staff began to apply the ‘skin adhesive’ to the back of his head. The voice indeed belonged to Austin, but it was so softly spoken that anyone else might have believed it impossible or just thought that they were hearing things.

Austin James Mercer: Thanks … for that. Out there.

Tempest just smirked, shrugging her shoulders in a playful indifference.

Tempest: It’s what I do.

“Excuse me, Tempest?”

Tempest turned her head at the voice, emanating from the vicinity of her shoulder. She looked ‘down’ and exhaled in a sharp sense of disgust at the arrival of one of SCW’s backstage reporters, namely the comely Pussy Willow.

Pussy Willow: Could I get a word with you, please?

Tempest all but rolled her eyes at this request and made a motion with her hand, directing Pussy’s attention toward the man currently sitting under the care of the paramedics.

Tempest: Is this absolutely necessary? I do have a friend that’s hurt, in case you can’t see!

Pussy Willow: This will only take a moment, I promise!

Tempest sighed and Austin blindly made a shooing motion with his arm.

Austin James Mercer: Go on, I’ll be fine.

Tempest: You’re enjoying this.

She accused him with a frown, and a hard laugh escaped Mercer who knew the negative feelings Tempest felt towards the backstage reporters of SCW, particularly Pussy Willow and Ms. Rocky Mountains. They seemingly exemplified everything she detested about the business. AJM just gave her a thumbs up - not exactly a denial to her accusation, but she finally relented and turned and allowed herself to be escorted just outside of the first aid tent so they could speak.

Tempest: This better be good! Make it quick!

Pussy Willow: Yes, it will be and I am sorry for interrupting but what we just saw out there….

Tempest: So what!? Fights between wrestlers happen all the damn time! And if Wolfe hadn’t taken the cheap shot I would have…

Pussy Willow: No, not that. You are right, fights between wrestlers happen all the time. But you just literally got in the face of Michael Harris and you even shoved him!

Tempest: The bastard shoved me first!

Pussy Willow: Yes and had it not been for the ring ropes, you would have put the reigning champion of the world on his back! That’s one of the reasons why I had to get a word with you! It’s a first for SCW! A Bombshell actually facing off with the World Heavyweight Champion! It has never happened in ten plus years!

Tempest: Yes and I’m pretty sure the both of us with be getting a nice little fine because we violated their intergender rule.

Pussy Willow: Most likely, I admit, but that brings up the other reason I wanted a word with you. The reason behind what happened. You came to the aid of Austin James Mercer.

Tempest shrugged her shoulders.

Tempest: Yeah, so?

Pussy Willow: Well it’s just … haven’t you seen what’s been happening in recent weeks where he’s concerned? I mean, it was just a few weeks ago when he brutalized Helluva Bottom Carter to the point Miles Kasey had to make the save! Despite the fact that they’re both members of Wolfslair!

Tempest: What exactly is it that you want me to say? Carter and Mercer were in a match. It was a mismatch from the start and things got out of hand.

Pussy Willow: But … is that all you have to say? Two weeks ago Austin attacked Carter at ringside for the sole purpose to get into Miles’s head! You and Carter are both members of…

Tempest shot a hand up in Pussy’s face, stalling anything else the blonde was about to say.

Tempest: We’re both members of the GO Gym ‘fraternity’? Is that what you were about to say, or were you somehow under the impression that I wasn’t aware of this little fact? Yes, Carter and I come from the same stock where the GO Gym is concerned, and yes I will always support the men and women who came from there because I came from there! Do I agree with Austin using the kid as a means to an end? No. Are you somehow under the assumption that because of what’s been happening, that I should sever the friendship I already have with Mercer out of loyalty for a kid that was nothing short of disrespectful the last time he and I crossed paths?

Tempest paused and leaned in for emphasis, towering over the reporter.

Tempest: If that’s really what you expect out of me then you have a pretty piss poor sense of what loyalty is! Mercer was there for me as a friend when no one else was – NO ONE! Yes, I have my secrets and yes, he might have found out one or two on his own. But he didn’t judge me. The man didn’t coddle me. He was simply there for me! Have you any idea how rare that is in a person? And you think I’m just going to throw that out the window because of something that doesn’t even involve me???

She held up her hands, not allowing Pussy to get a word in edgewise.

Tempest: Let me make this divinely clear for you! I don’t agree with what happened between Mercer and Carter. I don’t. But I am not going to just abandon a near TWO YEAR friendship with a man that you and nobody else out there knows ANYTHING about!

Tempest then moved past Pussy Willow, poking her in the chest.

Tempest: THAT … is what loyalty is!

That said, she brushed past Pussy harshly and went back inside of the first aid tent, leaving the blonde clearly intimidated.

---

All caught up are we? Good! See, that brings us to the present but one has to wonder how exactly we got here in the first place. What was Tempest doing in Barbados in the first place when she was last seen in a match against Zoey Lukas in Las Vegas? The answer to that would be quite simple, really…
March 2023

Gabriel: Just… talk to him.

Gabriel Stevens, owner and proprietor alongside his wife Odette, of the famed GO Gym training facility, spoke over the video chat messenger with none other than Tempest from her home in Hawaii. Tempest looked heavenward, but her respect for Gabriel was evident on her face and in the calm tone of voice as she questioned the man’s reasoning behind what he was asking of her.

Tempest: You’re asking me to pick things up here and fly all the way to Barbados to meet with Mark Ward. Why…?

Gabriel: Because it’s your chance to get your foot back in the door. You stayed in Hawaii to help your mom care for your brother…

He quickly brought his hands up to stall anything that she might say in case she took his reasoning wrong.

Gabriel: Respect, by the way. Family always comes first. Especially considering the circumstances. I understand that, and so does Mark. That’s why he wants to talk to you about a comeback.

Tempest: What ‘comeback’ Gabriel? My contract expired. It’s over. I wasted so much time with injuries and personal issues…

Gabriel: And Mark told me that he’s prepared to offer you a brand new contract if you make it to Barbados. But ONLY … if you make it there to speak to him face to face.

That little fact clearly caught the attention of the amazon, as she stared at Gabriel as if she were waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. When it did not, when nothing else was said between them, Tempest found her voice and shook her head questioningly.

Tempest: Why … would he do that? I wasted so much of his time and efforts in pushing me…

Gabriel: All of which was entirely out of your hands. His words, not mine. And maybe, just maybe … he sees something in you that deserves that push. And I don’t just mean the fact you came from here and we have ourselves a PRETTY DECENT track record. I’m talking about the exact same thing I said to you when I first interviewed you. You bring something new and different to that division. Maybe he wants to nurture that.

She fell silent, still unsure given the circumstances. Gabriel realized this and felt the need to sweeten the pot, so to speak, in order to give her a better nudge in the proper direction.

Gabriel: Mark sent us a copy of the contract he’s offering you. Synn looked it over…

He chuckled.

Gabriel: Despy made a few adjustments. You’re getting a decent raise, and a lighter schedule so you can stay in the ring while tending to some of those nagging injuries of yours. But…

Tempest: I have to be in Barbados.

Gabriel nodded.

Gabriel: You have to be in Barbados. So…. will you go?

Tempest bit at her lower lip, deep in thought and eventually looked up to Gabriel…

And, as the history books might say… the rest would be history. Just as Krystal Wolfe will be in just a matter of days.

---

London, England -
the Copperbox Arena

Everything was prepared. In just a matter of days, the next Sin City Wrestling Supercard event would take place right here in London. The aforementioned arena was set up, workers continued about their job, setting up the stage and lighting while others went about lining the ringside floor with rows upon rows of chairs that would soon be filled with screaming fans, young and old alike. And standing inside of the already set-up ring was none other than Tempest.

The towering figure of a woman, clad in a jean jacket over black tank top, blue jeans and tanned, heel boots, the recently returned Bombshell has her hands tucked inside of her jean pockets as she turns around in the center of the ring, surveying her surroundings.

“God I missed this feeling! It’s not going to be long before every seat out there on the floor and in the stands will be filled with men and women, children.. Just thousands of fans. And it’s been so long, so long since I’ve gotten to experience the feeling of those thousands of fans screaming, cheering - or far more likely in my case, booing. But considering who I’m up against? Who knows? But there are times when you’ve been away from something that you loved, that you enjoyed more than words could express, that it almost feels like a dream when you return and get to do it all over again.”

“October… Christ! Has it seriously been that damn long!? I’m beginning to understand just why Zoey Lukas has been so hot, and not just because I played a bit of a hand in her tournament match against Wolfe, but because she wasn’t exactly wrong when she accused me publicly of beating her in our match and then not taking advantage of the momentum that win against her gave me. Beating that chick put me in the hot seat, literally! She had been unbeaten up until that point in her SCW career, and I brought that to an end and what did I do with that win?”

She shrugged.

“Absolutely nothing. I let that win ride itself out and I did - nothing. I did not get straight back inside of the ring and start pressing my advantage to negotiate for a championship shot like so many of these other chicks might have done. One win is all they seem to need to start their own personal entitlement issues, thinking that sole victory is all they need to get a shot at a champion. Hell! Some of them don’t even think they need the one win! They’ve convinced themselves that all they need to get what they feel ‘they deserve’ is the ability to cut a promo for a show that they're not even booked for, or they rely on their so-called past legacies that they had elsewhere before even coming to these greener pastures. And most of the time those past legacies are about as fudged up as a waiter telling his clientele how he’s an actor who’s never set foot on stage or a model who has never walked a runway.”

“But I didn’t do that. I didn’t even negotiate for my next match, so yeah. I can see why Zoey got pissed at me for not just the aftermath of our match, but my getting involved in her first round match. And no, before anyone out there works up the courage to ask me, I’m not going to explain why. Because one, it’s nobody’s goddamn business, and two? I already explained why to the people in the business that matter the most to me;”

She counted off on her fingers.

“Mark Ward and Christian Underwood. Gabriel and Odette Stevens. And yeah – Austin James Mercer. Those are the people I explained myself to, and that right there should tell you exactly where I place them on the pedestals in my life because I never felt the need to explain myself to anyone! Now I can see some of the armchair experts who pretend at being the expert wrestling fans having their theories or some of my colleagues trying to dig up some dirt at my expense to explain everything well… you’re more than welcome to try. Give it your best guesses boys and girls, because even if you manage to guess right, it won’t really matter as far as I’m concerned because my reasons are my own, and those are the past. Where we are right here, right now? That’s what really matters to me. In the present, and my beef with Krystal Wolfe? That I have no issue at all in explaining myself.”

“Which really brings us to the subject at hand, and why we’re even here in the first place. Krystal and me? We have a little issue between us. See, she’s blaming me that she – again – got eliminated in the first round of the Blast From the Past tournament. How many times in a row does that make it now, Krystal? Two? Three? Doesn’t matter. My problem with her … is the fact she’s a sad little twat who is looking for any semblance of relativity in this business. She knows that she’s not as important as she once was – if ever she was – and she’s going to drastic measures to climb back out of the pit of obscurity that she’s found herself in ever since she tanked as the Roulette Champion. Sad, but true. And that’s really not saying a whole lot because when it comes to the Roulette Championship…”

She shrugged.

“Well, sorry to any woman who held that championship but let’s be honest. It’s more about luck than what one can accomplish in the ring where it’s concerned because more often than not, you’re not even inside of a ring. You’re either climbing a ladder or fighting in a parking lot or fighting on a scaffold above a tank filled with piranha…”

She made a face, frowning and silently mouthing ‘what the fuck’!?

“And that Krystal, that was your claim to fame ever since you left SCU and made your way into the big leagues. And let’s be perfectly honest, when you got here, you weren’t exactly making the biggest waves, were you? No, in fact, you found yourself on a losing streak that would almost make the Troll a little green with envy. But you came from behind and pulled yourself out of that losing streak, and good for you!”

She pumped a fist.

“But, look at what’s happened since. You went from being the woman who walked away as Future Star of the Year and Most Improved in the 2021 Year End awards, to a bitter little girl who is blaming the world around her and everybody in it for her own shortcomings! No, nothing is your fault, is it? Everyone else is to blame! Everyone else either used you like Keira Fisher or your little cousin Cassie, or the so-called **air quotes** dead weight from the GO Gym that you surrounded yourself with like Carter and Ariana! It’s their fault, yes? You sound like one of those little divas on some reality show that can’t accept the real world does not revolve around her! So you go out and make every excuse in the book and tell lies that a grade school child could see through and disprove, hoping that at least one person will take pity on you and buy that whopping pile of bullshit that you spew out every time you open your mouth! Like, telling the world when you first showed your face that you were the second-ever graduate of the GO Gym after Evie Jordan and I don’t even know what you were trying to accomplish with that one! Anyone with half a brain and access to the Internet could find names like Fenris and London Underground came before you! It was almost like you were trying to use Gabriel and Odette’s past successes as a means to catapult yourself to places you don’t deserve to be! Which, when you get right down to it, is both sad and hypocritical considering you turned your back on those who supported you, ‘claiming’ that THEY used YOU when really - it was entirely the other way around.”

“When you were down in SCU, Carter and Ariana were the stars of the show where the GO Gym grads were concerned and when your name was brought up, all people could say was ‘who’? They’re the ones who won the Pride tag titles. Carter was the one who captured just about every singles title that the men down there were offered. You? You were the wrestling equivalent of a bench warmer. So you left. You got out of SCW where better talent was overshadowing you and you signed with SCW where Carter wasn’t and Ariana had yet to sign. Oh but when she did…”

Eyes closed, she shook her head with a smirk on her face.

“It was like history repeating itself because all people cared about was Ariana’s arrival and nobody gave a damn about you any more. And when Carter signed after SCU’s closure, things just got worse so you practically latched yourself onto the two that you refer to as ‘dead weight’. Hanging around them so that your name would be heard and that you could be seen. But, oh yes. They’re the ones who were using you!”

She nodded, mock sarcasm etched all over her face with faux sympathy.

“Right. Until you did the unthinkable and decided that you could do better. You signed with the Saviors, and then attacked not only your own flesh and blood, but Ariana as well. Which, in hindsight, should tell you just how unlikable you really are because even the Saviors got fed up with everything you were saying and doing and not even a month after joining…”

She whistled and jetted a thumb back over her shoulder.

“They chucked your bony butt to the curb. That HAD to have been some kind of record for shortest stay in any stable or team! And the fact they chose the Troll over you…???”

She scoffed.

“That is just a visual aid to what the world around you really sees and feels where you’re concerned. Nobody gives a damn about you, Krystal, so you try every cheap little tactic that you can think of to get your name back in the minds of everyone watching. You could literally disappear off the face of this earth tomorrow and nobody would notice. Nobody would care. Well… maybe that new little play toy you have for yourself might. Who the hell knows? You could have done a lot better than another cheap Barbie doll accompanying you. Hell, you could have had J2H…”

She casually glanced at the camera with a raised brow before resuming her train of thought.

“But I suppose I can’t fault you for being who you are and what you like. Just tell your little side chick to keep things in your corner because I swear to god if she tries to get involved to give you any sort of advantage…? Well, her time in SCW will end up shorter than yours was with the Saviors. Keep it real, Krystal, and just accept what’s coming. You brought it on yourself. When I put you six feet under on Sunday, not a single person will show up to mourn your loss. They’ll simply say ‘Krystal Wolfe - we’re richer for having lost her.”

Tempest then turned her back on the camera as the light above the ring went out.

Where on Earth has Tempest been? That is the question on many minds within the SCW Universe. Fans who fancy themselves the experts on the Bombshell division, as well as different promoters who work closely with Mark Ward and Christian Underwood in the booking of Climax Control in their respective cities that SCW is known for traveling through regularly. In fact, the amazonian Bombshell has not been seen since her match at Into the Void XI against Seleana Zdunich. In the climax of that extravagant event in Athens, Greece, the final show of the unfortunately named “Greece Lightning” Tour, Tempest did indeed fall to Seleana in what some have called something of an upset. True, Seleana had the experience factor going in her favor, but from a size and power standpoint, many fans and so-called experts expected the much larger Tempest to steamroll over the former World Champion.

An expectation that did not, in fact, come to pass.

Some misguided souls believed that perhaps Tempest was in such disbelief or ashamed at the rare singles loss that she was unable to handle it and simply left, walking out of Sin City Wrestling without a word to anyone. Nothing could have been further from the truth had anyone paid close enough attention to social media posts from Christian Underwood on Twitter…

May 15, 2022
Athens, Greece

Seleana had surprised not just the fans, but Tempest as well when she took advantage of their positioning and struck - bringing the 200 plus pound Bombshell from the corner in an Avalanche Asai DDT - coined by Seleana as the Kattöga. Realizing too late what was about to happen as she came down, Tempest attempted to shield her head from the impact by bracing herself with her forearm, but it was a rookie mistake because the moment her head struck the mat, with her weight working against her, she felt a sharp, intense pain in her forearm despite the fact the impact all but knocked her senseless, allowing Seleana to make the successful cover.

Afterwards, Tempest was alert enough to make her way back up the aisle and into the backstage area, shrugging off any offers of assistance from the staff or security. The moment the curtains parted at the “gorilla position”, she was met by SCW Co-Owner Christian Underwood. He beckoned her with a lilt of the head, stating simply, “Follow me.”

She huffed, a growing sense of annoyance and yes, embarrassment, flushed her features as she took what some have insultingly named he “walk of shame” - what anyone who just lost their match had to endure as they left the arena and walked past staff and peer alike, feeling the sense of a loss against them and in the eyes of those that watched. Whether those around her tried to hide the fact or not. All Tempest wished to do was simply get to the women's locker room, change and wait out the remainder of the evening and finally leave. Go home. And by “home”, she meant Hawaii, not Las Vegas. She just wanted to get away for a week or two and surround herself with her family. Something she had been unable to do for quite some time. But for now, she found herself at the first aid station in the backstage area where the medical personnel employed by SCW for the evening busied themselves, tending to minor wounds and injuries of the Superstars and Bombshells alike.

She kept still as the light in the physician’s hand shone in her amber colored eyes, before he turned it off. He then said, “Okay, that checks out. No change. Now, follow the pen with your eyes.”

And she reluctantly did as instructed, her eyes following as the physician moved the pen across her field of vision horizontally from left to right, then back again. Up, down, right, left, then in a wide circular pattern and not once did her eyes stray.

Satisfied, he set the pen down and asked, “Any dizziness or headaches?”

“No.” She shook her head.

“Any nausea or loss of balance when you were walking back here?”

Again, she answered in the negative as Christian himself chimed in and offered, “I was with her on the walk here and she was moving perfectly fine for a woman that just landed on her head from ten feet high.”

The physician whistled at what Christian had just described, shaking his head in faux disbelief. He turned back around to Tempest but spoke for Christian’s benefit as well, as he was her employer. He said, “I think it’s safe to rule out a concussion. Which I have to admit greatly surprises me considering what you just described. But I wouldn’t take any chances. I would still stay here in Athens for an extra day or two before hopping on a flight. Preferably with someone who can keep a close eye on you.”

Tempest scoffed at that notion as there was absolutely nobody present who would or could fill that role. Well - Austin, perhaps. But he had to get back to the States and return to his own family. He was probably as anxious as she was to leave, if not more so.

She shook her head at the notion, stating simply, “I’ll be fine.”

“You can use the extra day to visit the hospital and have your arm looked at.” Christian suddenly spoke up. Tempest looked at his with a frown on her face, but before she could object or play innocent, the boss man shook his head and said, “Don’t play dumb with me. You haven’t stopped holding your arm since you stepped through the curtains. And I was watching. I saw how you landed on it.”

Their eyes met and admittedly, Mark was quite correct when he stated that Christian was intimidated by this woman. But he was also very serious when it came to looking out for those that worked for him (at least to a degree) and he met her eyes with as much stubborn determination as her own.

She stated, “I’d rather be seen by my own doctor.”

“Your doctor is all the way in Hawaii and god knows when you’d be able to see them without doing yourself even more damage.” He shook his head, “This is not a democracy and it’s not up for debate. You’re going. Not after the show. Now.”

He stood there stoically as the physician waited for her to concede the point, until she finally looked away and exhaled in disgust.

Two days later…

The video call on her laptop was picked up on the other end of the call from her hotel room, and there was the face of Gabriel Stevens, one-half of the proprietors of the famed GO Gym, and the man that prepared her for the world of professional wrestling. Gabriel, of course, knew what had happened as he and Odette, along with their children, had watched the event live. Gabriel had sent immediate texts her way and she had assured him that she was fine and would be back in the states soon, but he had called her bluff right from the start until she admitted that she had to go get her arm checked out at the nearest Greek hospital. Gabriel gave her the condition that she contact him the moment she had any news.

Gabriel said from his end of the call, “So! What’s the official…?” It was then that he saw her arm in a sling and he flinched, “Oh, ouch.”

“Yeah.” Tempest sighed, an overwhelming sense of defeat in her being. “Ouch.”

“What’s the word?” He asked amicably and she answered, “Hairline fracture in one of the bones of my forearm. They said it would take six to eight weeks to fully heal.” 

“That’s not so bad.” Gabriel found himself admitting in an attempt to lessen the blow. He knew this woman well enough that she was figuratively kicking herself over causing her own injury over a simple, rookie mistake. “Feet and shoulders”. That was the better way to practice your landings inside of the ring, but the way Tempest was brought from out of the corner by Seleana? There was little to do to shield herself from that much impact. She tried to use her forearm to brace for the impact, but the error in judgment caused her to land her head on her arm, rather than use her arm against the canvas, thus causing the injury.

Gabriel continued, “It could have been a lot worse. I saw the match and the way you landed, hell Alleyene. I wouldn’t have been surprised had you snapped that bone in two.”

“Thanks.” She nodded. “Message received.”

“Oh don’t go getting all butt hurt.” Gabriel corrected her before she could properly build a full head of steam. “”I’m just saying that things aren’t as bad as you’re thinking. Two months is not that long.”

“Long enough for them to forget anything that I’ve accomplished.” She pointed out, then shrugged to concede. “Not that I’ve been given much opportunity outside of my team with Austin.”

“We can talk about when you hit Vegas.” Gabriel promised. But tempest shook her head and returned her eyes to the screen, and thus, to him. “Hawaii.”

“Excuse me?”

She said, “I’m not coming back to Las Vegas. At least not straight away. Maybe long enough to grab a few things but I’m going to spend the majority of the recovery time back home.”

It took a moment for the words to register in Gabriel’s mind, and not that she was giving up or acting morose, but something else altogether had caused this frame of mind to take charge. He suddenly chuckled and nodded, saying, “Your mom?” And saying it as more of a statement than a question.

“Yeah.” She sighed. “The woman never would have forgiven me if I hadn’t called her first with the news from the examination. Just got off the call right before I contacted you. I was going to come to Vegas like you said but then she…” Tempest frowned at Gabriel who was attempting to smother his smile and her eyes narrowed. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you!?” She accused him.

To which, Gabriel held up a thumb and forefinger very close together. “A little bit.” He admitted, then flat out laughed. “You can hardly blame me! The woman is twice your age and a third your size!”

“Hell, even my brothers know well enough not to cross her.” Tempest found herself admitting at the expense of herself as well as that of her siblings. She tilted her head to the side and yes, a soft smile curved the corners of her unpainted lips. “We learned that lesson early.”

Gabriel chuckled as he nodded in understanding. He said, “I can appreciate your mom wanting you to be home while you recover. And you wanting to. Just swing by the Gym first when you stop in Vegas for your things.”

“Talk business?”

“That…” Gabriel smiled. “And Lucas and his sister have been working all day on their get well cards for you.”

Tempest stared hard at the man on the opposing side of the screen for a fair few moments before she snorted back a laugh and shook her head. The smile was evident enough on her face as she said, “Fine.” trying to play it off but deep down, this “monster of a woman” had a notable soft spot for children; the Stevens children chief amongst them.

---

Honolulu, Hawaii
Two months ago

It was their first house together, one that her husband Malulani and she had purchased jointly from his funds as a soldier and hers through her bounty hunting business. It had three bedrooms, evidence that they had planned to expand past just themselves and Malulani’s daughter Anela, and maybe, just maybe, a child of their own some day. Unfortunately, fate was not on their side for any such dreams, and with her husband’s death and Anela being taken from her by her grieving and bitter mother-in-law, Tempest had nevertheless kept the house in her name, refusing to sell despite the many offers. It was, after all, prime real estate here on the island of Honolulu. Up on a secluded hill and surrounded by trees of many kinds; among them 'Ōhi'a lehua, Eucalyptus and Jacaranda, along with so much local plant life. But it was the seclusion that sold her on the house, and was the deciding factor in her keeping it. There was but one path on the land that led to the city and the surrounding, nearby ocean. There were other homes nearby, but they were few and far between.

And to those in the real estate game who came house hunting? The house, and the land it was on, was her own. She owed nothing. No payments, no mortgage. It belonged to her and more than one realtor was sent scurrying with tail between legs when approaching her to sell for the fact alone.

From the outside, it looked humble and for the woman who had come to be known as Tempest? That was quite alright because she wasn’t one of those women who had to fill every nook and cranny of her home with meaningless plants and trinkets to fill up space. It was a large home, but with simple tastes.

And it was where she had just returned following a rather full day, complete with the physical that brought along with it the good news that she had been cleared officially by her doctor to return to competition if she so desired. Her doting mother was understandably upset at the idea of her only daughter leaving Hawaii once again, and if she was going to be perfectly honest? Tempest herself was as of yet, undecided where her next path would lead.

Still, she had her doctor fax her release papers to the SCW offices in Las Vegas and she phoned Gabriel and Odette Stevens to tell them the good news. Their glowing, positive energy was slowly eroding away any doubts she had laying deep in the recesses of her mind. She was interested in a return to the six-sided ring, but as she explained to the Stevens and she would repeat to Mark Ward or Christian Underwood, whichever of the two bosses who would be contacting her the next day, she just needed a little more time with her family. She had spent the early evening with her parents and siblings, along with their respective spouses and children in a big family dinner that her mom went completely overboard in preparations. Now that night had fallen and the air had cooled off, with winds blowing through the trees that surrounded her home, all she wanted to do was grab a beer, maybe watch a late movie and then finally go to bed.

But again – fate.

She felt the tell-tale vibrations on her phone that told her she had a call coming in. A call, at this hour? And from who..? She picked her phone up from her kitchen counter and saw that it was actually a video call request, and from Austin – of all people. Wondering what he could want at this hour, she quickly hit the green button to accept the call request, to which his face appeared on the screen opposite her own.

“What’s up Buttercup…?” She started to ask in her usual, playful greeting to the man that had gone from being tag team partner to acquaintance to genuine best friend, but her words quickly halted at what she saw before her eyes. Austin looked – absolutely pitiful. Haggard, to be more specific. His eyes were sunken with bags under them, a clear testament that the man had not been sleeping. His complexion appeared almost like wax, as if he had been violently sick. But it was his eyes… haunted. Brimmed red and bloodshot as if he had been crying buckets of tears and the streaks down his face testified that he had indeed, and he was not finished yet.

“Austin…?” She spoke with much concern in her voice. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Austin could only close his eyes and draw in a shaky, choked breath before he could bring himself to find his voice and answer her.

TBC…

---

“Well… when the higher ups in SCW first contacted me to tell me my first match back was set, this was not what I was expecting. I thought for certain I’d be stuck in yet another meaningless match that served as much purpose as your average card filler match, but this? A six woman Battle Royal for the Internet Championship that Roxi Johnson just recently gave up? And in India, no less? I guess the best way to sum up how I feel about this little turnabout is… Roxi’s loss is about to become my gain.”

“I think I’ve done fairly well for myself here since I started laying waste to all the Barbie dolls that seem to mass produce in the Bombshell division. The fact that I’ve only been pinned twice is evidence enough, but let’s not ignore the fact that at one point, Austin James Mercer and I were so feared as Mixed Tag Team Champions that Mark and Christian had extreme difficulty finding us challengers that wanted to risk their physical well being by getting into the ring against us! What does it say about your reputation when championship gold isn’t enough of a lure to compete against us, and they had to resort to just throwing teams together at random so the championships could at least get defended if but semi-regularly. But still, there is always the lure, always the bite. The desire to prove yourself capable and as much as I look back on my time with Austin and as much fun as I had with the man as a friend and a tag team partner, yeah. I admit it. I wouldn’t exactly object to proving myself capable of winning a championship of my own, on my own. And here that opportunity has practically been dropped right into my lap!”

“The Internet Championship. Some have said that the Internet title is the second most prestigious singles title in SCW, while others state that this distinction belongs to the Roulette title because of its long and distinguished lineage. I don’t know. I’m not one of those arguing over the point. I just know there is a championship being dangled in front of me, and I apparently have to go through five other Bombshells in order to claim it for my own. Well, hell! That suits me just fine!”

“The fact that I’m going to be surrounded by five other women isn’t as concerning as you might like to want me to believe, and make no mistake about it! I will be surrounded! There is no way those women are going to target anyone BUT me because they know from a physical standpoint, I’m the threat! I’m the one they have to get out over that top rope and onto the floor if any of them have any hope of walking away with that championship. And more power to them for even considering trying because those hopes and dreams are going to be slammed to the floor just as easily and just as assuredly as their own bodies will be! Four of those women, I know. One, I’ve never had the pleasure and I’m not exactly broken up over the fact.”

“That woman, of course, is Keira Fisher-Johnson. The picture personification of a Barbie Doll wrestler. The woman who practically uses her body to sell herself to fans and promoters. I mean, all you have to do is go on Twitter every damn week and you’ll see her posting as many pictures of herself in as little as legally possible! And she does it for one reason; to draw eyes on her. Classic narcissist, am I right? She of course plays it off but anyone with two eyes can see the woman is completely full of herself and as much as her eyes are all over her wife, those eyes stray and unapologetically so. I’m sorry but if my spouse was on social media and posting all these sexual innuendo remarks towards others, I wouldn’t just sit back and laugh like it was nothing! All the “And Roxi is the only one for me” tweets week in and week out don’t erase the fact the woman is a psychological cheat.”

“In this business, Keira is probably second only to Crystal Zdunich when it comes to selfish ambitions. How many times has she called Roxi and herself the greatest tag team of all time when there has been clear evidence in the past that other teams have had just as good if not better records? How many times has Keira whined about the Internet title when she neglects to mention the fact that she never held the title that I did? The Mixed Tag? Oh that’s right! That’s because she’s too good to team with anyone BUT Roxi! Despite the fact that Despayre hinted more than once about teaming with either half of Team Hero, only to get snubbed! But every time, every single time, Keira makes an appearance, it’s the same song and dance. Woe be to Keira! ‘Am I not good enough? Maybe I should just hang up my boots?’ Wash, rinse and repeat! Well Keira, honey? Keep those thoughts fresh because you are the first chick I plan to toss out of that ring!”

“Now Kayla Richards, I can’t deny the fact I don’t know too much about because of my own time away, but given how she debuted and then vanished for weeks on end, one could be forgiven for having forgotten she was even still signed to SCW. That is either a mark against the bookers or her, but I do know she’s come back strong and I know enough to know she comes from pretty damn strong stock where Wolfslair is concerned. Proud as I am of the GO Gym legacy and the fact I think them the best, I’m not one to deny facts and anyone who comes from Wolfslair is someone worthy of respect. But respect doesn’t get you anywhere when it’s every woman for herself so, Kayla? Sorry about it but if I have to go through you, and I do, then I will.”

“Bea Barnhart is one chick I have direct experience against, because Bea and her hubby are the team that Austin and I blew through to win the Mixed Tag titles. When I heard you were in this match, Bea, I had to ask myself two questions. One … why is she in this match when she’s done less than nothing to deserve being in it? Hell! I’ve been gone for two m months and even I did more in that time frame than she has to warrant being entered into this Battle Royal! The other question I wonder if she remembers much from our last time in the ring together? Or, outside of the ring I suppose would be more accurate. The time I caught you and threw you right into the barricade? Remember, Bea? Good times! I suppose I was curious if that blow into the barricade rattled enough around in that head of yours to make you forget just why you should be doing everything possible in order to avoid me. Well, that won’t be much of an option because truth be told, I just don’t see you lasting that long in this match. If I don’t throw you out myself, I could easily see every other woman in this match teaming up just to dump your bony butt out of the ring. They’d do it for the pleasure of it. I’d do it because of a little thing called loyalty. Trust me, I haven’t forgotten even if everyone else has. Tell all the lies that you want to in order to put your halo back. I don’t care. I just know that you helped blind Fenris, the man that went to the same Gym as I did. And for that… bye bye!”

“Now… Seleana. The one chick out of all the others that has a win over me. Props for that girl, I won’t lie and say that you cheated or got lucky. You are what I would call the Anti-Barbie. Girl is the walking talking picture of a Barbie doll, but doesn’t fight like one. I will say that I was as much at fault for my loss as you were for beating me. So let;s just think of this as something of a return match, shall we? A way that I might get into that ring with you and correct a past mistake. I’m not going to be like any of these other women who look at you and play down the things that you’ve done like it was nothing. Most of them haven’t accomplished half as much as you have and to me, that’s just being bitter. I’m not bitter, Seleana. I’m ANGRY. It was the match against you that put me out for the past eight weeks, so you are just going to have to come to an understanding why I am going to steamroll right over you and take a great amount of pleasure in doing so!”

“Which brings us to the last woman I have to get inside of the ring with, and maybe the one that's going to be the hardest to find myself in there against. For sentimentality if not from a physical standpoint. Ariana Angelos, my own GO Gym grad! Well Ariana, I think we can both say that this is … awkward. Everyone out there, perhaps yourself included, is going to expect the two of us to go into this match with the sole purpose of working  together until it’s just the two of us and then we can focus on one of us eliminating the other. Well, I have to admit that it’s a nice plan, but not without its faults. I mean, it IS every woman for herself so if my back is turned, could I trust you not to surprise me and TRY to get me out over that top rope? Or can you say the same that when every other woman in this match jumps me in a hang up attempt, you won’t join in rather than pull them off of me to help? Ari girl, there are three things between the two of us. Loyalty and respect chief amongst them. You’re not Krystal Wolfe. Now HER I wouldn’t think twice about grabbing and tossing her out on her happy little ass, but you? You’ve had it pretty rough since you got up here in SCW from SCU. But you don’t give up. You fight on so like I said… loyalty and respect. But… that third thing? The Internet Championship? That third thing is the one thing that is going to throw the first two out the window because only one of us is going to win this one…and sister? It’s not going to be you.”

“SCW knew what it was doing when they were booking this match, because it would take five women to get between me and my first singles championship and even then? It’s not going to be enough!”