Pack your bags he says, get on a plane he says, everything is falling in to place he says. It was a bolt out of the blue, he'd only been gone two days and plans were rolling and me and Kenz were doing just what Danny said. Our bags were packed, we was on a plane flying across the Atlantic cause everything was rolling in the right direction. While we sat there next to screaming babies all the way to Las Vegas, never did know what the hell we was walking in to. It was only three days ago we saw this stuff on television. Granted, it didn't look too hard to pick up, looked like it's a bit like being a stuntman or something, from then on, every spare minute went to watching this stuff, and now here we were, sitting on the plane about to start the journey that lead us to here, to our championship belts, and to our first supercard. I don't think we knew how tough it would be, and nothing can ever prepare you for the sideshow carnival selection of characters we happened to meet immediately. Those people alone would be enough to make you regret so many life choices, but it was day one, who knew it would be the start of something special.
Here's where our story starts, Danny told the story of how it came to be, this is the story of day one...
A more residential area, than metropolitan area is the scene, although very few houses care seen scattered around, the area seemed out of the way on a less than busy street. Four people, who could easily be mistaken for every day, common as muck, average, tourists, but they were far from that, they had a plan, a mission, and it wasn't like most English people in Las Vegas and break the bank at any of the casinos on the strip, it was to someday own a piece of one of them, but it started with trying to gain permanent residency in a country where someone would build a wall to keep people out. The four figures look up at a plain building, unremarkable in every way outside and the camera zooms in to get a closer look at the four to show them as Daniel J Morgan, Osbourne, Mackenzie Page and Charlotte Elliot. Each have a bag in their hands, presumably full of training gear. In Daniel's free hand, he holds his phone, his eyes on a text message.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Charlotte asks him.
"Yeah." Mackenzie adds. "This place looks like a shit hole, not a gym. It's just a building."
Daniel looks up at the building and back to his phone.
"This is where the message says to be at this time." Daniel tells her with a sideways glance towards her "And this is where the old dogs GPS app thingy has sent us so yeah, this is where we're meant to be, bollocks know what lies within. It's the old book and cover story."
The four move closer to the building and Osbourne taps Daniel on the shoulder.
"Something to say?" Daniel says, flashing a smile in the big man who simply points to a nearby door.
"I knew we brought you for a reason." Mackenzie says as she looks at him.
She moves towards the glass door, looking through, her eyes shielding the morning sun. She turns on her heels towards the other three and shrugs her shoulders.
"Can't see shit in there." She informs them.
The other three walk towards her, and Daniel spies a buzzer to the right hand side.
"One way to find out." He says matter of factly.
He lifts his right hand and presses down on a green button and a buzzing sound can be heard. He waits a few seconds before a click can be heard and a deep voice can he heard.
"Yes?" The voice says.
"Hello mate, I'm Daniel Morgan, I'm here to see Gabriel and Odette." Daniel says calmly.
A few seconds pass with silence, causing Daniel to look around the group, a feeling of wonderment can be felt through the whole group before another buzz can be heard and the sound of a lock of a door releasing. Daniel smiles at the group before taking a firm grip on the door handle and pulling it open. He holds it open, pointing inwards and allowing Osbourne, Mackenzie and Charlotte to walk in to the building before following them in to the building. A short corridor can be seen with a door at the end and the group make their way towards it, having nowhere else to go. Reaching the door, they look to the right, a small desk set up with a laptop and phone. In front of the laptop sits a teddy bear. Osbourne moves his head down towards the bear, just looking at it.
"Cute." Mackenzie comments "Os has found a new friend."
Osbourne snaps his head towards her, gritting his teeth before standing up straight and walking past her, pushing the door open and walking through, quickly followed by the other three.
"Well damn." Charlotte says with a tone of surprise in her voice.
Well damn indeed as the group of four look around what can be seen before them. Rows of exercise equipment can be seen to one side of the room, running machines, weights, fairly modern things to increase stamina and muscle mass. In the middle of the room, two wrestling rings are set up, one traditional and one six sided. Their heads turn to the left at the sound of weights hitting weights from one of the machines and a group of people can be seen doing various things.
"I thought it was just us training." Mackenzie says quietly to Daniel.
"Looks like we've got ourselves and audience." Charlotte adds.
Daniel scratches the side of his head and looks towards the ladies.
"To be honest." He starts off "I don't have a scooby, but I have no clue who these people are."
"They're other trainees and wrestlers." Gabriel says as he appears behind them, causing the group to spin around in surprise. "Nice to see you made it."
"I'm a man of my word Mr Stevens." Daniel says with a feeling of relief that they have made it to the right place. "Let me introduce you to the ladies. This is Mackenzie Page and Charlotte Elliot."
Daniel points towards the women, their eyes looking Gabriel up and down as Odette joins him at his side.
"This is Gabriel and Odette Stevens." Daniel tells them. "The best trainers in wrestling today."
"Nice to meet you both and seeing you two again." Odette says with a warm smile "Come with me and let me introduce you to everyone."
"Are they here training too?" Charlotte asks.
"Some are." Odette tells her as she walks past her "Some are keeping their skills sharp, others are just observing and helping out."
"We have a lot of people who come here to help out." Gabriel adds "And a lot of SCW people come here to work out away from the crowds. Shows here a lot and with a lot of tourists and the fact it's tough to find a gym with a wrestling ring in, tougher to find one in private, it's hard to get a good work out in and work on some in ring stuff without some dirt sheet report picking up on it, so much people come here to work out and offer some advice to people we're training."
"You don't bring in people to work with others, they just show up?" Charlotte says.
"We do bring in people to work with our guys." Odette tells her as she ushers the new group towards the others, all slowly walking. "It depends on the size of people and their style. It will be no point bringing in someone who weighs one hundred a fifty pounds to train someone who weighs four hundred pounds. If we have a big guy like muscles here, we'd bring in a big guy to help out, like Casey Williams. Little guys will struggle to teach bigger guys how to do a powerbomb. We tailor everything to fit the person we're training."
"Very professional." Charlotte says, but Mackenzie moves next to Charlotte's ear.
"The fuck is a powerbomb?" She whispers to Charlotte, but Charlotte shrugs her shoulders.
"Damned if I know." Charlotte responds with a smile.
Odette leads them in front of the group of people and Gabriel calls out.
"Can I grab your attention?" He calls out in a loud voice. "This is Daniel J Morgan, Osbourne, Mackenzie Page and Charlotte Elliot, they're gonna be training with us for a while in hopes of breaking in to SCW. I would say go easy on them but it's not our way."
He smiles as the group look around, casting nods in their direction. The four Londoners stop in front of two men, one much bigger than the other.
"This is Beauty and this is Beast." Gabriel says "They work out part time here, a lot less than others, but will be looking to break in to the business at some point."
"Someone's mumma had a Disney obsession." Mackenzie says as she looks at the two men, Beast smiling politely while Beauty looks at himself in a hand mirror.
"Not their real names." Odette informs them "But once you step through those doors, you are addressed by your personas. All business here."
"Some of us don't have personas." Beast says as he jolts his head towards Beauty "Some of us really do like looking at themselves, just in case they get a pimple, like the one appearing on his forehead."
Beauty's eyes widen.
"Wait.... What?" He says with horror, furiously looking in the mirror at his forehead, causing a wide smile on the face of Beast.
Charlotte looks towards Osbourne, who stares stone faced at the crowd.
"How's it feel not to be the biggest guy in the room for the first time in your life?" She asks him.
"Rumour has it Os was born bigger than the doctor." Mackenzie adds.
Osbourne looks at the two women, rolling his shoulders backwards and turns to look at a woman moving towards him.
"This is Devona." Gabriel says "She's been training with us for a while and we have a deal in place for her to become an SCW wrestler in the near future."
"Nice to meet ya." Daniel says with a calm nod.
"Likewise." She responds with a polite smile.
They move past Devona to an older, large man, intimidating in looks and statue.
"This is Synn." Odette says to the group and pointing at the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"You're a big lad." Mackenzie says.
"In more ways than one." He says as he clasps his hands together and his devilish smile moves over his face.
"What do you do around here?" Charlotte asks curiously.
"I own twenty percent of this place." He tells her. "Plus when people come out of here, I tend to sit down with bosses and try and land contracts for Gabriel and Odette's clients."
Daniel waves a finger towards Synn.
"You are gonna come in very, very handy." Daniel says with a smile as he looks at him.
Synn nods his head as he looks at him, instantly draw to the relaxed demeanour of Daniel. Another woman approaches the group, long dark hair and tattoos covering her body.
"This is who everyone aspires to be." Odette says. "This is our current jewel in our crown, currently ripping a hole through SCW, Evie Baang."
"I didn't know you cared." Evie says sarcastically. "G'day."
"Alright." Daniel says in a typical East London greeting.
Evie rolls her eyes as she looks at Daniel.
"Another bloody Cockney." She says with a sigh. "Cockneys get everywhere."
"Not just one." Mackenzie starts "Four bloody Cockneys."
Mackenzie grits her teeth as she looks at Evie, who slowly shakes her head.
"Be more Cockneys in SCW than anything else by the time you're finished." She says to Gabriel.
"Nothing wrong with that" Gabriel tells her.
Before anyone can continue, a tennis ball whizzes past the group, causing the group to turn their heads to see Despayre sitting with Angel in front of a treadmill, the treadmill moving fast as he drops another tennis ball on to it, sending it flying across the room.
"Is that the same bear Os made friends with?" Mackenzie asks.
"Can't be." Charlotte returns. "That one was left in the hallway. It didn't walk in here on it's own."
"That little guy sitting over there, is my son Joshua." Synn tells the group. "Know to many wrestling fans as Despayre."
"What is he even doing?" Charlotte asks.
"Best if you don't ask." Gabriel tells her. "Ignorance is bliss when it comes to Despayre. It's simply not worth knowing because it will only confuse you."
"Right ladies." Odette starts "The women's changing room is over there and the men's is next door to that one there. If you hurry up and get changed in there, we'll get to work."
Before they continue, a high pitched sound can be heard.
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
The group quickly turns around to see Despayre and Angel flying through the air, clearly Despayre bored of launching tennis balls and launching himself.... Or he accidentally sat on it without turning it off, who's to know. Osbourne puts his arms out and Despayre lands in them, while Daniel catches Angel mid air.
"Touch down!" Despayre yells out, pushing his arms in the air. "Good catch big fella."
Despayre taps Osbourne on the head and Osbourne fires a confused look towards Daniel, who holds back a smile.
"I think this belongs to you." Daniel says as he hands back Angel to Despayre and Osbourne puts him back on the ground. "And you must be Despayre."
Despayre's eyes widen as he shuffles next to Gabriel, turning his head towards Gabriel's ear.
"Have I met this guy before?" He says in a low voice "Or am I under medicated again?"
Gabriel can't help but smile at the young man and puts an arm around his shoulder.
"It's cause you're famous." Gabriel tells him.
"I am?" Despayre replies looking slightly confused. "Well, why didn't anyone tell me that?"
Despayre scratches his head and Odette points the women to the dressing room, walking with them and leaving the men to talk. Odette stops both women outside the door and look at them.
"This is not gonna be easy." She tells them. "To do this, you need commitment, hard work and to go above and beyond anything you've ever done before. This isn't a regular job, and you won't be working every day, but those days you do work, it's gonna be really hard on your body, it's gonna take a lot out of you and you're gonna have many days where you sit and wonder if this is really worth it. The months of training, the years of performing, the travel, the whole lot is gonna take it's toll. You two need to be more committed to this, than anything you've ever done in your life, but there is a bright side to this long term."
"And what's that?" Mackenzie asks.
"Today is gonna be the hardest day of your life." Odette says with a confident smile. "So it can only get better from here on out."
Odette wasn't kidding...
A few hours later proved that very point, this was indeed the hardest day of their lives as the sound of a key card swiping a lock in a hotel room can be heard. No one could anticipate the incredibly hard day that was had. It wasn't like a regular gym session, it wasn't like lifting weights or spending an hour on a running machine, this was full blown hard work like never before and it showed on Mackenzie and Charlotte's face as Mackenzie lead her way in to the hotel room, her face drawn and her eyes tired. Charlotte shuts the door behind them, her usually neat hair, turned in to a frizzy mess, her face pale. Both women randomly drop their bags on the floor, neither caring where they landed. Mackenzie walks to the nearest seat, slumping down but the pain shoots through her body and she straightens up.
"For fucks sake!" She yells out, not really caring about anyone who may have heard her through the walls.
"In some pain, Kenz?" Charlotte asks with a smile.
Mackenzie looks at Charlotte through narrowed eyes.
"Telling me you're not?" She says. "I've been run fucking ragged in that ring, I don't think there's a part of my body that doesn't hurt. It even hurts to talk."
Charlotte moves to another chair, slowly easing herself in to it, a grimace appearing on her face as she sinks down in to it, resting her body.
"Oh I hurt and already miss the days of beating on people in London." Charlotte responds "But it didn't kill us so it made us stronger."
"Bollocks did it." Mackenzie replies with gritted teeth. "I'm probably battered up more than a fish at this moment in time."
Mackenzie stands up slowly and turns away from Charlotte, lifting up the back of her shirt and revealing black lines across her back, clearly made from the impact of bouncing off ropes.
"How does it look?" She asks Charlotte.
Charlotte bites her lip as she looks for the right words to use, picking them wisely.
"Well I wouldn't stand next to traffic lights if I was you." She says "Because when they turn red, people will be walking across ya. You got a back like a zebra crossing at the moment."
Mackenzie rolls her eyes.
"Great." She says sarcastically "Just what I fucking need. This whole plan of Danny's is the most painful plan he's ever came up with. I've tortured people and it's hurt them less than what I hurt now."
"Well next time you get the urge to torture someone, just send them to wrestling school" Charlotte replies quick wittedly.
Mackenzie turns around, looking at Charlotte.
"This ain't funny." She tells her. "I don't know why you're not complaining about it."
"Long term goals." Charlotte replies "This is the most pain I've felt for a long time, but it is gonna get better. Nothing can hurt me like this again and by the end of it, it's gonna be worth it. Short term pain, long term pay out. It's all about that pay out at the end of it and owning a piece of Las Vegas."
Mackenzie moves back to the chair, easing herself down and taking a seat very slowly.
"I just hope he knows what he's doing with this plan." Mackenzie says softly "Because this pain better be worth it in the end."
"It will be." Charlotte reassures her. "Plus you got to meet so many new people and Os got a teddy bear friend."
"New people...." Mackenzie says slowly "It was like a circus. We met a guy who spends more time looking in the mirror than anything else, a gentle giant, a woman that might as well have the state of New Orleans tattooed on her face, a magician, a crazy Aussie, a normal Aussie, a guy who can give Satan himself the willies, a kid who fires tennis balls of a treadmill and a teddy bear. It was like a circus."
"Nothing wrong with circuses." Charlotte responds.
"I was waiting for the clowns and jugglers to come in." Mackenzie says "And I hate clowns and jugglers."
"Still, we're alive, we survived day one." Charlotte says optimistically. "We was told it was gonna get easier from here and it will. All we gotta do is turn up tomorrow for some gym work and power through this shit. I ain't looking like some bitch who can't handle it."
"Neither am I." Mackenzie fires back.
"So don't worry about it." Charlotte responds. "I do know one thing though."
"What's that?" Mackenzie replies.
"I don't think I'll be hitting the town tonight, in fact I don't think I'm gonna move from this spot for the rest of the day." Charlotte says leaning back.
A lot was learned on day one, many lessons and stories told, and yet the ladies did not quit, if they did, they wouldn't be standing in the same ring right now that they trained. Their eyes focused on the other ring where Daniel is just finishing up his very own promotion about High Stakes VII. He looks across the training facility at the ladies...
"No fucks given there...." Mackenzie says
The ladies turn towards the camera, their SCW Bombshell Tag Team championships over their shoulders. Dressed a little more casually then the men, both in blue jeans, Mackenzie wearing a white shirt and Charlotte in a black shirt with the same style. Charlotte takes the lead.
"Everyone has been telling us that this is our toughest challenge yet, that we're going in as underdogs." Charlotte starts "But I clearly must be missing something, cause something doesn't exactly make sense in my head. Not too long ago, we faced The Fallen in the ring, I admit, it was a battle royal, but they were there. Let's go back to that fateful day in September when we were the last two teams standing and Gothika went flying over the ropes. Three time champions beaten by the underdogs then. Why should this be any different?"
Charlotte smiles towards Mackenzie.
"Oh it won't be any different at all." Mackenzie adds "Not even a little bit, cause you proved then that you were not the same people as those three time champions and you sure as shit ain't got any better in the last month."
"Not even a little better." Charlotte says. "Let's look at you first Raynin because it seems like you are more prestigious that your little sharp toothed vampire friend. Two time Bombshell champion back in the day, three time tag team champion, well la de da. What have you done for us lately? Nothing, not a thing. From what I can gather, you drift in and out and when there's no golden chances for you, it's a drift out moment, so this is gonna be another in your long line of drift out moments, because we will be waving bye bye to you again after this. I read up on you, you're a mercenary? Seriously? Have you seen yourself?"
"Couldn't we pay her to kick her own arse?" Mackenzie asks. "Mercenaries do that shit for money, has anyone actually paid her to do that?"
Charlotte stares at her partner blankly.
"I doubt it." She says "I've watched back on a few of her past promos and I ain't seen anything mercenary related, just stretched out stuff with pointless music and stuff as if it's gonna make a difference."
"So basically, everything about Raynin is a fucking lie?" Mackenzie asks
"Seems that way." comes the response. "Seems she turns up and fights and pisses off. Records a ton of boring stuff that lasts half an hour, when it could be pressed in to ten minutes then goes and sits in the corner acting like a loner."
"What's the deal with the eye patch?" Mackenzie asks. "Got a bit of a pirate fetish or some shit."
"To give her opponents a chance." Charlotte says with an unimpressed tone.
"Bitch needs to take it off against me because she won't stand a chance." Mackenzie adds firmly. "Seriously needs a fucking reality check if she thinks that makes her look tough. Woman might as well give me the eye patch so she stands a chance because I'm not gonna hold back on her. She's like a prize buck, and her head will look good mounted on my wall."
"Little messed up." Charlotte says casually.
"You know what I mean." Mackenzie says. "Former Bombshell champion is a fucking big prize to claim once you beat her and I have every intention of doing that, I don't fear her because of what she's done, she ain't done shit lately, but I'll happily take her and beat her down to teach her a lesson. Show her that it's time for the old school to piss off to the retirement home and let the new era of wrestlers take over and show what they can do."
"Not disagreeing with you at all." Charlotte comments. "But she could be worse, she could be her partner."
"How the fuck does that work?" Mackenzie asks. "Mercenary and a vampire walks in to a bar and says hey, we should team? Like fucking seriously? It just doesn't work for me or anyone else, it makes no sense at all and Vampires are so 90s anyway. What kinda vampire are you Gothika? Glittery Twilight vampire? True Blood vampire? Lost Boys vampire hanging out in damp caves and shit? I don't know why you think that would give you an advantage. Meant to strike fear in the heart of us mear mortals because you got big sharp teeth? Piss off, a cats got big sharp teeth and their ain't many people that fear them. You can take your vampire gimmick and piss off back to the 90s where it actually meant something. You learn something from watching those movies with vampires that nine times out of ten, man actually wins. Vampires end up with a chest wound the size of a fist and everyone goes home happy. This match is gonna be no different because no one wants to see a vampire and GI Jane walk away with our belts and trust me, they'll be going home happy."
"Very happy." Charlotte adds "We got these belts for a reason, because we're the best here and a washed up old vampire, who makes me feel proper Tom and Dick getting freaky with another vampire over SCW screens, isn't gonna do a damn thing to rip these belts from us."
Charlotte runs her hand over the title belt resting on her shoulder.
"No amount of red eyes, sharp teeth and the claim of being undead is gonna stop us." She continues "No amount of bullshit promo filler, or having a grope of that Dmitri guy is gonna give you a chance in this match. FYI, get your eyes checked, the guy is straight up sandpaper, rougher than a dogs tongue. Nothing you can bring to this match, no matter how much fear you try and strike in to the heart of us claiming you'll be biting necks and whatever else vampires are meant to do will give you the remote chance of taking what you're not good enough to ever hold again. You're in this match because you finished second somehow, nothing more, nothing less."
Mackenzie nods in agreement.
"We already have your number because we know we're in your head just by having the belts." Charlotte says firmly "You already know we've beaten you one way and now we're gonna do it again another way. Tap or pin, all the same to us, either way, High Stakes VII will not be your night."
"I think we're done here, but we look forward to waiting up till five minutes before midnight to see your promo stuff." Mackenzie adds "But have no doubt about it at all, these belts are staying with us. We'll see you there, we'll be the one's with the belts, you'll be the ones looking at the lights with watering eyes."
Mackenzie smiles before looking outside the ring where Daniel is seen applauding his two women.
"Proper tidy." He comments.
The screen fades to black as Mackenzie and Charlotte look down the camera.
