Cogito, ergo sum.
High Stakes
November 7th
New York, NY
Violet wastes no time in wiping out Bea and Seleana with the Blonde Bomber Suicide Dive before she rolls back into the ring and waits for Bella to get back to her feet! Violet goes for the Fifty Shades of Violet on Bella, but Bella blocks it before reversing it not the Ashes for Ashes!
Simone: Ashes to Ashes on Violet! We are seeing a repeat of their match from the Disneyworld Show!
Adams: No time limit to stop Bella from getting the win this time, stick a fork in Violet she's done!
Bella goes for the cover as the crowd chants along with Drew's count.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
DING DING DING!
It was so loud but when she looked up and saw the referee calling for the bell, walking over and raising her hand she still couldn’t believe it. Through the whole reaction of the crowd, through Justin at the top of his lungs yelling her name, declaring her the winner. It became a little bit more clearer and when she looked down at her mother, father, brother and grandfather all collectively losing their shit, it finally hit her.
She fucking did it.
It all from the end of the match to when it finally sank in, all seemed to move in slow motion for a moment and all that emotion came flooding in. Tears willed themselves to come and she balled herself up for a moment as her music blared through the sound system of Madison Square Garden, and allowed herself to have a moment, just A moment in the center of the ring as her hometown crowd showed her how much this win meant to them.
Once she was able to collect herself enough to sob in front of the TV cameras, thought he tears were still streaming steadily down her face, she pulled herself up as she celebrated in the ring and then rolled out and walked directly over to her mother and her and Laura exchange the brightest of smiles and the biggest hug that she had given her in quite some time. In fact she was engulfed by the whole crew. When they finally let her go she turned to see her grandfather, Jeffery beaming with so much pride that it brought a sob to Bella as he wrapped her up in his arms and lifted her small frame off the ground.
“I am so proud of you!” is all he got out before he started crying a bit himself. The whole damn thing was so emotional she was glad when she realized the cameras had cut away from the clan, allowing them the proper celebration with her family. Even with the crew around the ring telling her to start making her way to the back, she would soak in every bit of admiration she could get. This was her moment after all.
So imagine her surprise when she was walking around giving everyone high fives and suddenly she’s over a familiar shoulder, “HEY!”
She swatted down at the jean clad ass of her husband, “Sorry love! I was told to hurry ya up a bit!” She couldn’t help but laugh and just enjoyed the ride up the ramp, leaning up a bit on her back with her head in her hand and a smile on her face.. As he got to the top, he put her down and looked at her, “Ok, I’m doing this one time. Give these idiots one more reason to cheer.” and with that he lifted her up on his shoulder and she raised her hands high to one last cheer.
When the screen came alive with Caleb, he brought her down comfortably and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her into the back where she was greeted with cheers and applause. She would thank everyone possible including Mark and Christian, who told her to enjoy the moment.
And there was something about the ‘real work begins tomorrow’. But for now, she allowed Mal to just escort her through the people and into the hallowed halls of the Garden. Once the noise quieted itself, her footsteps slowed and she turned around looking back, “Bells?” when Mal noticed this.
Standing in silence, she seemed almost confuddled by everything. She looked to Mal and pointed back towards the area of the gorilla, “I-” ...she shakes her head, “I’m sorry, did...did I just really do that?”
“That wasn’t a dream but I’ll gladly pinch ya, if you’d like,” he said with amusement in his voice poking at her bare midsection. She swipes at him for a moment, glaring at him playfully but then that all too familiar look of ‘What the fuck did I just get myself into’ screams across her face and he steps up and drops his voice low enough and so sincere, “Love, you just wrote yourself a first class check into the main event of that last show of the year. You have been kicking at that ceiling for so damn long and tonight it finally cracked just enough to get you through.”
She takes in his words, blinking a few times before looking up at him with a smirk, “But was it enough?”
Mal raises his eyebrow for a moment, “Nothing is bleeding, nothing is broken and you are coated in a nice glimmer of sweat and walking out the winner of the match. I think it was enough.”
“Ok yeah, it was enough to get the win. But-” she turns fully and looks at him, “I’m already in my head mapping out these next few weeks. I can’t even allow myself a moment's rest right now.”
He could see her work herself right into that frenzy that she is notable for. Always the perfectionist, never allowing herself that moment to just take it in, “Woah, okay, Bells you absolutely can do just that. You work just as hard if not HARDER than anyone I have ever met, the exception may be myself and my brother.” he looks around, before turning back to his wife, “Give yourself at least tonight to soak this all in.”
“But Amber...”
“..Is always lurking around here like she owns the place. You know damn well she’s going to do whatever it takes over the next few weeks to try and get into your head. Don’t let it start already.” Mal leans his head against hers and tries to be her calm around the madness that is around them, “Your family is here, ready to celebrate you. You did this all yourself and every single one of us is proud of you. Let yourself have the moment that you busted your ass for. You have earned that much.”
And for the first time in a while, through her losing streak, through her breakdown, through the pushing and the parading of wanting that moment. Getting it and earning it...and with the breath that she finally caught, she just let herself lean into and let herself be wrapped up by the one thing that truly brought her peace, “You’re right.”
Mal shakes his head, now was not the time to give her a dose of her own medicine but he just couldn’t help but poke her just a bit, “You’re lucky I’m in this mode with you or I would have busted out my phone and asked you to repeat that.”
She shifts herself to look up at him with the glaring of her eyes matching her tone, “You know, if you weren’t just a couple days away from getting that cast removed...”
Rolling his bright blue eyes, “I have done nothing to warrant any level of threatening bodily harm...”
“I dunno, sometimes I wonder if your existence doesn’t just warrant that,” a voice popped in behind Bella. She turns around and comes face to face with Alicia Lukas. “Sorry, I didn’t want to eavesdrop but....congrats on that W out there. That was one hell of a match.”
Bella smiles at her, almost embarrassed a bit that the Wolfslair member actually gave her a compliment, “Thanks.”
“I heard what Mal was saying about enjoying this victory and he’s right,” Mal goes to say something but decides against it and just simply nods as Alicia continues on, “Give yourself about 24 hours, soak it in but if you are serious about what is to come in about 6 weeks time when you take on the the top that our division has to offer...”
“I just got her calmed down.” Mal protests before Bella nudges him in the midsection, “OW! Damn you have the pointest elbow known to mankind.”
“Should just hit him in the...” Alicia speaks up before Mal glares at her, “ANYWAY, I know you don’t have your phone on ya right now so when you can, get my number from Lach and we’ll talk. But for now enjoy it.”
Alicia had turned to leave them alone but Bella couldn’t help herself, “Talk about what?”
Alicia slowed her pace for a moment before turning on her heels and smirking, “Just...enjoy the moment. Tell your mom I said ‘Hi’!”
At first that confused her but then she remembered a few years back, they had worked together in another place, in another time, “I keep forgetting she knows her.” Bella simply stated turning and wrapping her arm around Mal.
And as they made their way to the locker room area he just let out a breath of air, “I’m beginning to think your mom knows everyone.”
Enjoy The Moment
Wolfslair NYC Gym
I have never in my life been more annoyed by that statement has I have been since High Stakes.
Say, if you will...that you are the rightfully crowned Number One Contender for the SCW Bombshells World Title. And the current champion that has had NINE Successful defenses goes out of her way the WEEK FUCKING AFTER THAT to call out the entire Bombshell roster to step up. And with that came out everyone. Even in the process of getting to Winter Wonderslam, where Bella would get her title shot against Amber Ryan, she watched as time and time again it was like the whole damn company, EXCEPT Christian actually acknowledged her as what she really was.
THE Contender.
Bella would address it time and time again and somehow it fell on deaf ears. After her win over Seleana, she would just put her head down and keep working hard.
But she still heard it. ESPECIALLY when Johanna was named the contender after her. Hand picked by the ‘Queenpin’ herself. Not that Johanna didn’t deserve it, by all means but when you have two wolves on the hunt for the same prize....things can get a little testy.
In the gym, they would stay away from one another. Alicia and her would pull off a whole session and she could feel Johanna’s eyes burn the back of her head but there were enough eyes on her already that she wasn’t going to let Johanna bother her.
Fast forward, two weeks ago when she finally got the champ face to face, and the young superstar got to stare directly into the champ's eyes...she noticed something and took note of it but wasn’t going to let her in on it. Amber sought HER out, it was like the redhead wanted to size her up. Under all the demeanor of Amber Ryan, the redhead had to come to her.
As she stood by and listened to Alicia, soaking in all the information that she possibly could before putting it into practice, that thought crossed her mind and it brought a bright smile to her face.
“That’s a look.” she heard from behind her, “Something funny, lil Phoenix?”
Bella glanced behind her to see Johanna standing there leaning against the edge of the ring, and her speaking up had caught everyone’s attention. She cleared her throat, trying to wipe the smile off her face but she just couldn’t, “Sorry, I was just thinking about my encounter with Amber.”
“Ah yes, I saw something about you and her finally coming face to face.” she had said, jumping up next to her, “So, what about that has got that shit eating grin on your face?”
Bella looks around for a moment, making sure she wasn’t breaking any kind of rule, she was still the newest member here after all but no one stopped her, “She sought me out. I was simply there to take care of some things for appearances, spreading holiday cheer to kids in the hospital and suddenly there she was.”
“She does that with everyone.” Johanna says matter-of-factly.
“Exactly.” she says with a laugh on her lips, “It’s an old school intimidation factor that some have turned into an art form.”
A shrug comes across from her, “So...”
“So, I think she realized real quick that I am not exactly the one to be intimidated. You of all people should know that,” and with a raise of her eyebrow she pulls herself up, “Look, I know you are the next in line after me. In fact I’m glad that you are. But when I saw the upcoming supershow and it was her name and your name, it sorta pissed me off. At first, I was mad. Because it felt like everyone wanted to simply focus on the new year.” she looks at Alicia as to say it’s alright before she slips out of the ring and stands face to face with Johanna, “If it’s me, awesome. If it’s you, great. But I am not going to stand by and let myself be intimidated anymore. I have been nipping at the heels of everyone for so damn long and honestly I’m over it. That’s why I took Alicia up on this opportunity and joined Wolfslair, I am so much better than I have let everyone believe. But I want to make something very clear, it may very well be you and I at Inception. I’m done getting looked past, like I’m a stepping stone.”
Bella goes to walk by her and Johanna grabs her by the arm, everyone goes to stop them but she raises her hand and in a low whisper, almost a growl, “Then stop fuckin’ around and do it.”
And then she simply lets her go and they look at each other for a moment before Bella slides back into the ring and stands looking at Alicia, “Let’s run it all. I got a glass ceiling to fucking shatter.”
You hear cheers from all around the building and Alicia calls for her to circle up and the two women lockup.
I have spent 6 weeks preparing myself for this moment. The moment where I stand across the ring from the QueenPin of SCW for the first time ever and she is going to come to the realization really quick that 10 is indeed the magic number.
For me. Not for her.
It is that time. And I AM THAT ONE!
Las Vegas, NV
“Oh Amber, Amber, Amber.....you probably think you have this ALL figured out don’t you.”
The Las Vegas skyline has been out of her view for far too long. 2020 was a time where she got to know this sky and the air. The roads and the people. But it all felt different in a way.
“You know, when I came into SCW back in 2019, I did it because I had legitimately wanted to go beyond the legacy my parents had left behind. Sin City was a vessel for that and I knew there was something special about this place. I wanted to grow beyond just the sum of my parts. I like to think in 2021, I have done just that.” Bella sits atop the familiar Gold Casino roof, dressed in leather with a long flowing coat, “I like to feel that this place has almost that Paris feel to it for me. A place where I came into my own and where I could stand tall. And yeah I’ve had my ups, I’ve had my downs. 2021 before High Stakes, I hit what I felt was rock fucking bottom. I had come up short so many times where I thought it was that right moment....little did I know that moment was just a preamble for something much much larger.”
“Thanks to a friend, I found myself with the chance of a lifetime. My hometown and the winner would get you. I took it, I ran with it and now here we are, a week before Christmas and you are deep down inside sweating the little guy.” Bella leans forward, and with a sultry wink she stands quickly and swipes her coat. We now find ourselves in the locker room, “Everyone knows the Queenpin...one of the most dominate champions EVER in SCW history. She has taken it upon herself to call out the entire Bombshell roster while a REAL threat was well on her way before we even got to 2022. What’s amazing is because of my shortcomings in other areas, you have taken it upon yourself to call your shot and tell everyone that listens that it will be you and Johanna at Inception V. WELL your majesty, I fully intend on the last Climax Control of the year 2021, to serve you up a big ole helping of humble pie...with a little side of crow just for good measure.”
“I KNEW what New York would bring me, and every day following that I have pushed myself harder than anyone. I know damn well what you are, and the threat that you bring but I am just so sick and tired of not being able for one brief moment to truly enjoy the fruits of my labor.” Bella stand in front of the locker and leans against it, “Here, as the woman that represents the very division you called out AFTER I WAS SET TO FACE YOU, I am going into the arena of this very casino, I’m going to step into that 6-sided ring and I’m going to look you dead in the eye, Queenpin and I’m going to REFUSE to be intimidated BY YOU. That cloak and dagger bullshit is so old school. You don’t realize the lengths that I will go to to make sure you know that the supposed ‘Glass ceiling’ is an illusion. And my sixth sense is telling me that you know exactly what kind of threat I truly am.”
And with one more push Bella stands on the stage of the arena and she smiles brightly and stands tall, “SO to the Queenpin, you have run roughshod over a lot of us, but it gets a little tiring...doesn’t it. I could see it in your eyes, the Queen is tired. Well, it will be a privilege to take that burden from you, Amber. For I am the NEXT GENERATION of not to be fucked with.”
“See you in the ring, champ.”
I THINK. THERE FOR I AM!
