(Gabriel was used with permission from Mark)
The Go Sisters had a hell of a match against Team Hero but alas, the younger wrestlers were defeated by the veteran team and to make matters worse for Krystal, she was the one that took the pin from Keira! But the match was bittersweet as it was likely Keira’s last Climax Control as an active competitor as her retirement match was at High Stakes XII against Roxi! But where did that leave Krystal? Ariana still had her title match (albeit against Seleana instead of Jessie) but as for the Aussie?
Well in the weeks that followed Krystal’s unsuccessful bid to earn a World Bombshell Title Shot (that ended up going to Diamond Steele) she had been calling out her old nemesis Mercedes Vargas challenging the Hall of Famer to a match at High Stakes XII, Mercedes accepted the match but then went quiet when Krystal tried to make the match official, well the bosses stepped in and made official for them and the former Roulette Division rivals were set to go at it at High Stakes XII, Krystal has gone unpinned on PPV all year, can she continue the trend or will Mercedes end 2022 on a sour note for Krystal?
Krystal’s home, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday the 18th of October 2022, 14:00pm
This has definitely been a week.
The Go Home Show for this year’s High Stakes event ended completely differently from the Go Home Show for last year’s High Stakes, I at least picked up a win on that year’s show but the same can’t be said for this year’s show!
Granted I pretty much HAD to win last year’s match because it was a Roulette Title defence and I needed to get revenge on Char Kwan for Ari’s sake but that goes without saying really! Besides, my match for this year’s High Stakes event was less dependent on me being a champion entering the event and more to do with whether or not the bosses were paying attention to the back and forth between me and Mercedes Vargas, spoiler alert? They were.
Between that and Ari learning that her defence against Jessie wasn’t happening until the post High Stakes XII Climax Control (and that was IF she got past her replacement challenger Seleana Zdunich), Carter wrestling a Roulette Rules Match with a broken finger (and I, like Miles and Ari, had a sinking feeling that I knew exactly how he broke that finger) and Jessie getting announced for this year’s Hall of Fame class alongside Keira? The best way I could describe the go home show was bittersweet.
”What is going on with you two today?” I asked Garrus and Tali as I looked at e two dogs, Tali had been acting off all day (and I would later find out that she was in heat) as was Garrus but not knowing how to understood dog body language that wasn’t “happy” “food” and “injured” (Garrus was barely a year old and Tali was slightly older than her, their combined energy did result in the occasional injury) was not helping and the two dogs just looked at me with their adorable faces. ”One of these days, some scientist’s going to invent a helmet that lets us understand you guys.” I sighed as I sat down and started stroking the two dogs.
”You act as if all you’d hear from them wouldn’t be “food” “squirrel!” and “I need to go pee”.” Makayla scoffed as my wife entered the room with two dog bowls in hand and the two dogs raced over to the Greek Australian woman when they realized that she had food for them. ”You said that Cassie, Ari and Francisco were popping over to play video games and to try to unwind after the whole mess with Jenny Tuck’s attempt to buy the Go Gym, right?”
”Yeah, Cassie said that she’d be here in an hour and Ari said that they’d be over in two.” I nodded in response as I leaned back in the sofa, I still wasn’t sure how Jenny had gone from “I want to celebrate Keira and Jessie getting into the Hall of Fame” to “I want to buy out the gym that has produced more former SCW Champions than I care to count” but I at least made sure she knew that the Gym wasn’t for sale even if I did run it (oh yeah, she thought me, Ari and Carter ran the gym, AND that Carter was a woman and that we’d all just be happy with a cash payment, even if Carter donated his to Ben and Jamie’s LGTBQ Homeless Charity. ”I didn’t think things were going to get crazier than the build for Violent Conduct but here we are! At least my phone didn’t get crushed by an elephant this time!”
”I’ll let you know the next time there’s an animal breakout at the local zoo!!” Makayla teased me and I rolled my eyes in response. ”As for whatever’s going on with Tali, I don’t know but she and Garrus have been getting a little frisky these past couple of days, maybe it’s that time of the month for her?”
”Translation: you think she’s in heat.” I responded with a frown on my face as I looked over at the golden lab, both dogs were in their own little world but since neither of us were vets, well. We didn’t know what to make but I did have one very important question on my mind. ”We got Garrus from a breeder last year, we just haven’t had the time to get him neutered, but Tali’s a rescue dog, she should’ve been spayed by the rescue centre!”
”If we end up with a litter of puppies that combine the intelligence of a German Shephard with the energy of a Golden Lab just because we wanted to get Garrus a companion then we’ll probably never hear the end of it you’re your colleagues!” Makayla sighed as she ran a hand through her long blonde hair. ”Am I saying that the litter won’t produce some beautiful dogs? No, off course not, but those beautiful dogs are going to be a handful to say the last!”
”And we’re not exactly licensed breeders so we’d need to figure out what to do with said litter! Ari just got a kitten so I doubt she’s in the market for a dog, depends on how good Athena is with other animals I guess!” I responded with a shrug as I thought over the other wrestlers we knew had pets. ”Jessie just got a Chow-Chow rescue and whilst he is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, everything I’ve read online says that letting that breed mix with other dogs is a bad idea! Caleb moved back to New York a couple of months ago and took Adrienne with him, Chelsea’s down in Chicago and rarely comes up to Vegas as it is and K and Aron have their hands full with Chestnut and his husky who’s name I can’t remember off the top of my head!”
”In other words, at the rate we’re going the only SCW Staff without pets might end up being the arena staff!” Makayla responded with a chuckle and I shook my head, from that point the day proceeded as (relatively) normal, Cassie, Ari and Francisco came over for some gaming, I learned that my younger cousin had entered into a lesbian polyamorous relationship with Becky and another closeted young woman called Zoey (you heard me) whilst still being unsure about her own gay status……..
Yeah, it was going to be one of those weeks! At least I wasn’t left off a Supercard this time!
Go Gym, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday the 19th of October 2022, 14:00pm
After everything I learned last night, I needed a break from home, and as much as I wanted to avoid drama by staying away from the Go Gym, well since Carter’s suspension from the Gym things have been drama free so I had no issue with going back there.
I mean yeah, my impending match with Mercedes Vargas definitely played a part in that but that was still a week away, getting a chance to unwind and work out was just what the doctor ordered.
”99, 100!” I finished my sit-ups with Ariana counting along with me, she had told me that she hadn’t planned on staying around long today because she wanted to get her promo against Seleana done and had found an abandoned warehouse that was perfect for that promo for her rematch. ”You heard anything from Jenny since, well, you know?”
”Last time I even spoke about her was when Gabriel called me into his office to talk about my title situation yesterday.” Ari responded as she motioned to the office door with her head and I nodded. ”Naturally the situations with Jenny Tuck and Carter got brought up, I answered his questions about the situation with Jenny about as truthfully as I could and he doubts that Carter broke his finger the last time he was at the Go Gym.”
”Obviously I wasn’t there for the incident but that was the impression I got from when you, Miles and Christian confronted him after the Roulette Title Match.” I nodded in agreement before I sat up and leaned my arm on my leg. ”A broken finger, seriously what was Carter thinking? I know the injuries I had when I checked myself out of hospital for that match against Kat were a lot worse, but if anything? Carter demonstrated why trying to wrestle whilst having any injury is a bad idea! When was the last time anyone tapped out to a Hammerlock?! And don’t say the Barnhart Shoulder Breaker because Elevated Hammerlocks hurt like hell!”
”I wasn’t going too because I agree! The only thing with the elevated Hammerlocks is that they require a lot of strength to pull off which is probably why you don’t see them employed that often.” Ariana responded and I could’ve worn I heard the door to Gabriel’s office open but I paid it no mind. ”Well, that and they aren’t exactly the flashiest of moves!”
”Sometimes, it is the least flashy moves that get the job done, a Hurricanrana is rather basic by today’s standards but Keira still pinned Charlotte with one to win the match.” Gabriel chimed in as he walked up to us with a serious expression on his face and his hands clasped behind his back. ”Charlotte, I need to see you in my office, urgently, you’re going to have to finish your workout with Ariana later.”
”I was about to leave anyway.” Ariana responded as she stood up and pulled me back to my feet after offering me a hand. ”I’ve got a Roulette Title Match to promote.”
”Off course, and I wish you luck with that Ariana.” Gabriel nodded in understanding before we went our separate ways, Ariana towards the women’s changing room and me into Gabriel’s office. ”She’s come a long way in the yar since she was attacked, hasn’t she?”
”As bad as the attack was, I think it lit a fire under Ari that has yet to be put out.” I nodded in agreement before I noticed something off about Gabriel’s desk, namely his computer was on which something that didn’t really happen for these meetings. ”This isn’t just about my match against Mercedes, Jenny or Carter, is it?”
”Those topics will get brough up but this is more important.” Gabriel responded before he turned the screen around, he had Skype open and was talking to a guy who looked to be around Ari’s age with short, messy black hair and brown eyes behind a pair of glasses, even as someone who was in a lesbian relationship I had to admit that he was a good-looking guy. ”Kai, you are on.”
“Thank you Gabriel.” Ka responded and it didn’t take me long to recognize his accent, after all it was from the same region of Australia as mine. “Is that Charlotte Thompson?”
”I go by Krystal Wolfe these days but yeah, that’s me.” I nodded as I moved closer to the screen. ”What’s this about?”
“I understand that this is out of the blue but my name is Kai Thompson, it’s my understanding that we have something in common, namely that our dad is a murderous scumbag.” Kai explained and my eyebrows shot up when I heard that, I had suspected that my dad had other victims out there but aside from Kirsty I hadn’t been able to get in contact with them. “That seems to be true unfortunately, I have been trying to get in contact with his other victims for the past month, it only took me so long to get to you because I didn’t realize that you had moved to the states and changed your name.”
”What can I say? I had too many bad memories associated with Adelaide to stay and Gabriel’s gym gave me a chance to follow my wrestling dreams.” I responded with a frown and Kai nodded in understanding. ”What’s this about exactly? I thought I had other siblings out there but I hadn’t heard from any of them aside from Kirsty and I had to take custody of her daughter because she was a drug addict and a prostitute.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that things were so rocky between you and Kirsty.” Kai apologized sincerely and I motioned for him to continue. “I suppose I had better hold off on contacting her, but there is a reason why I’m calling you, it’s our dad, he got diagnosed with terminal cancer at the beginning of September.”
It took me a moment to process that info, what would be devastating news for literally anyone who a regular upbringing had just left me cold because of the hell he put me and my mum through. ”How far along is the bastard? And what kind of cancer are we talking about?” I asked and Kai pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before continuing.
“Last I heard? He’s already bedridden, and I haven’t been able to get a straight answer from the doctors at the prison he’s been occupying for the past eight years but all the signs point to being liver cancer.” Kai explained and considering I distinctly remember escaping from my train wreck of a homelife because he had passed out from heavy drinking? That made sense. “Since I got the news I’ve been trying to contact the other survivors, from what you told me about Kirsty I should perhaps not bother with trying to contact her but considering most of the other siblings have either taken their own lives or turned to crime? It is a rather tragic improvement.”
”I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t contemplating taking my own life a few times.” I admitted as I shook my head and Kai nodded in understanding. ”But what does this have to do with me? I’ve been trying to move on from my childhood since I entered adulthood.”
“I understand completely, but my idea was that we could ensure that the legacy of his crimes is never forgotten, sadly it’s proven difficult to get anyone living interested in it for the very reason you stated.” Kau explained and I nodded as I got the idea. “That has included relatives of his numerous wives, I understand that your mother has relatives living in Vegas?”
”Yeah, my aunt, uncle and younger cousin Cassie live here in Vegas, she wrestles as well.” I nodded as I got the idea. ”I’ll see what I can do on my end but I’m just ready to put all that stuff behind me, Cassie was barely eleven years old when her aunt was murdered but she still remembers that day clearly.”
“Eleven? So, she’s what? Eighteen? Nineteen now?” Kai asked after doing the math and I nodded at his second guess. “Breaks my heart to bring someone that young into this but some of us were even younger when we escaped, and no I don’t know how that bastard got away with it for so long.”
”You’d probably have to take that up with Adelaide’s police force.” I responded as I shook my head. ”Let me deal with Cass and her family, they know me and she thinks the world off me for the strength I showed when I escaped my homelife, as for me? I’m in.”
“Excellent, and thank you, I’ll have Gabriel forward you my phone number ASAP.” Kai thanked me before he ended the video chat and Gabriel turned the computer screen back around.
”Can’t say I was expecting to hear that news today.” I commented dryly as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”Not that I don’t trust your word or your judgment, but is his info good?”
”I checked it myself before I came to get you, it is verified.” Gabriel nodded as he showed me the articles on the subject from the Australian news media. ”I couldn’t find anything to verify what he said about your other siblings, but I doubt he’d make something like that up.”
”And even if he were, what would he have to gain from telling such terrible ties?” I pointed out and Gabriel nodded in agreement. ”Almost feels like a whiplash to talk about my match against Mercedes now, same goes for the incidents with Jenny and Carter.”
”Agreed, so I’ll make this quick.” Gabriel nodded in agreement as he shifted his weight. ”You have faced Mercedes several times since your SCW debut and have won almost every encounter, every other encounter was the result of you not being pinned, do what you do best and you will not fail. As for Jenny and Carter? I feel I got sufficient information on Jenny’s failed buyout when I talked with Ariana yesterday, and the Carter situation is being dealt with, both his suspension and the broken finger.”
”I still don’t like that whole incident, especially since I feel like I already know how Carter’s finger got broken.” I sighed as I went to stand up. ”And considering how much time that chat with Kai took up? I had better get back to my training.”
”I understand, and myself and Odette will be here if you need anything.” Gabriel informed me as I approached the door and I glanced over at him. ”I know that your relationship; with your father is rather unfortunate to say the least, but your father is still dying, that has to be weighing heavily on your soul.”
”I’ve spent most of my teen and adult life morning my mum, if I’m going to morn either of my parents, it’ll be her, not that monster that dared to call himself my father!” I responded bluntly before I left his office without another word.
Hero Academy’s parking lot, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday the 19th of October 2022, 18:15pm
Once I had finished my day at the Go Gym I had driven straight over to the Go Gym, if it weren’t for the meeting back in New Delhi I would’ve thought twice about involving Cassie in this since she was still a kid, a kid who was in a relationship with two other women who both knew that fact full well but still just a kid, but if that meeting told me anything, it was that Cassie was very mature for her age.
Yes, even taking into account her addiction to porn and weed! Though from what I had heard, she was trying to kick the weed habit now that her career was taking off.
”Evening Cass.” I greeted my cousin as I saw her leave the training school with Becky and Zoey, Cassie looked up and saw me leaning against the bonnet of my car. ”How was your day of training?”
”Err, really good, ready for my next match with Supreme Championship Wrestling at least.” Cassie explained with a surprised look on her face and I nodded. ”What’s going on? Mom told me she was picking me up.”
”Plan’s changed Cass, and I already called your mom to explain the situation.” I explained to the nineteen-year-old before I turned to Zoey and Becky. ”She’ll catch up with you girls tomorrow, I hope you understand.”
“Err, yeah I guess.” Zoey nodded as she stepped aside to let Cassie walk up to me. “Is everything okay? Cassie isn’t in trouble, is she?”
”Is there a reason why she would be in trouble?” I asked with a raised eyebrow and the other two girls quickly shook their heads. ”Anything I missed Becky?”
”Only thing I can think off is Cassie and Zoey getting a bit intimate in the women’s changing room’s showers but they were interrupted before it got any further than some kissing.” Becky explained as she shook her head and I gave Cassie and Zoey a curious look before they grinned sheepishly. ”But even that didn’t get back to Roxi or Keira, they were interrupted by another female student who was otherwise enjoying the show but was worried about them getting caught.”
”If we wanted to take it further than that, we would’ve then and there!” Cassie asserted and I just shook my head, once she had said her goodbyes to her girlfriends (that was going to take some getting used too) Cassie hopped in my car and we drove off. ”Okay Charlotte, what’s this about? I don’t think you’ve picked me up from training since the PTA Gym days.”
”I got some news from back home, whether or not it’s tragic depends on your interpretation.” I responded as I drove along and Cassie put her seatbelt on. ”My dad was diagnosed with cancer last month Cass, and it’s terminal.”
”If it were anyone else, I’d be saying “I’m sorry to hear that” but I know as well as you what a piece of shit he was.” Cassie nodded as she got the idea whilst I drove out of the parking lot. ”But why are you telling me this now?”
”Because I didn’t find out until I was at the Go Gym earlier, apparently the guy contacting the other siblings was unaware that I had my name legally changed.” I explained and Cassie nodded with a frown on her face. ”His goal was to contact the other siblings and make sure and make sure dad’s crimes weren’t forgotten, that extended to the family members of his wives and, well, that’s where you come in.”
”Yeah, that makes sense, your mom was just as much a victim as you were and she was my aunt.” Cassie responded with a frown as she shifted her weight uncomfortably. ”If you need my help with this, I’m in, but I’d rather not end this day on a downer.”
”Thought you’d say that! Which is why I got your mom’s permission to treat you to a meal.” I explained and Cassie grinned broadly when she heard that. ”Your choice of where to eat.”
”I know just the place!” Cassie responded with a grin before typing in the address on her phone and showing it to me as soon as we hit traffic lights, once that was in my car’s satnav we were off.
Las Vegas Hike Trail, Las Vegas Nevada
Thursday the 20th of October 2022, 11:00am
*promo time*
I figured I’d go for a hike to get some exercise and well, why not throw in a promo as well.
”Oh where, oh where has little Mercy gone? Oh where, oh where could she be? Yes, I know I’m parodying a kid’s song but I’ve been wondering that since she accepted my challenge for this match! She was quick to use her native language to call me timid but the moment I prove that I can bite back she backs off?” I asked with a scoff as I rolled my eyes. ”Are we sure this is the same woman who’s a Hall of Famer? A Multiple Time Champion? The same woman who earned a World Bombshell Title Match by taking Masque to a Double DQ Draw? The same woman who started the trend of people kicking Alicia Lukas’s ass to get a title shot? Because I’m suddenly finding that very hard to believe!”
Seriously!
”Oh wait, I guess she’s too busy digging through the SCW archives to do anything else, my bad!” I added sarcastically as I rolled my eyes. ”Before my Roulette Title reign I held you in high regard Mercedes, you were a multiple time champion, a grand slam winner, a bloody 2x Hall of Famer, once on your own and again as part of the Mean Girls, when I got you for that warm up match after I earned the Bombshell Roulette Title Match that would shape the rest of my career I thought that they had given me serious competition in response to my call for a warm-up!” I added as I shook my head. ”And then the match happened, and you got beat because you got cocky!”
Ironic, don’t you think?
”Before anyone points it out, I am well aware of the irony of me calling someone else out for their cockiness considering how I acted towards the end of my title reign, but even after that disappointment I was happy with it, frankly I was just glad that I hadn’t gone right back to losing matches after finally ending my winless streak!” I stated bluntly as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”If that was our only encounter, I doubt that much would’ve changed, but then you served as my third challenger alongside Bella Madison at the first Climax Control outside of Las Vegas since the pandemic started and unlike me and Bella, you didn’t even bother promoting the match, you said that if you did then everyone would be up in arms over you winning that title for a fifth time, the way I see it? That was the most bullshit excuse I’ve ever heard!”
But there’s more.
”Our next singes encounter wasn’t until months later after you and Goth did what many thought was impossible, you ended the reign of Austin James Mercer and Tempest as Mixed Tag Team Champions!” I commented as I shook my head. ”Or to be more accurate, you rode Goth’s coattails to your first title win in years! And whilst I doubt Austin will powerbomb me off the stage for namedropping him unless he wants some very angry words from the bosses, let’s focus on that champion vs. champion match, shall we? You lost, again, only this time you tried to get the help of Winter Elemental and it went exactly as you’d expect! For those keeping track at home, that’s four singles matches before this one because I’m also counting that #1 Contenders Match that kicked off 2021 for me, remember it? You should, being SCW’s historian and all! Me, you, Royal Purple, and Alice Knight, that one didn’t end well for either of us!”
But enough about that.
”Deny it all you want Mercedes but you’re a spent force! Your glory days are so far behind you that they aren’t even over the horizon and I bet the only reason the bosses keep you around is because someone has to do the record keeping around here! Except you’re not even good at that!” I commented as I shook my head. ”You claimed up and down that the last match between my good friend Ariana Angelos and Alicia Lukas was their first encounter when in fact Alicia had faced Ariana in her second match as an SCW Bombshell in the middle of the Greece Lightning Tour, that was just a few months ago, don’t even try to say that it was too far back in the archives! And then came last week’s Main Event where you inaccurately reported that Ari wasn’t in action when in fact we had put our names forward as Team Hero’s last opponents weeks ago! It got to the point that me and Ari started doing our own record keeping because you kept getting details wrong! What was it I said a few weeks ago on Climax Control again?”
Oh yeah!
”Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, but what about those who are so obsessed with the past that they ignore the present?” I asked bluntly as I folded my arms. ”If there was a question that summarized modern day Mercedes Vargas more perfectly than that then I can’t think of it! Your career belongs in a wrestling museum Mercedes and who knows? Maybe that’ll be your calling when you finally hang up the wrestling boots? Digging up old facts that no one else gives a shit about?” I rolled my eyes as I continued down the hike trail. ”And this woman’s a two-time Hall of Famer, what a fucking joke!”
And no one’s laughing.
”It’s not even a funny joke either, it’s a joke that makes everyone groan or roll their eyes at best, and dope slap whoever told it at worst! I should know, I have a little cousin who loves making those kind of jokes! I’d have you meet her if she weren’t banned from SCW events indefinitely.” I added as I shook my head. ”You know how far you’ve fallen Mercedes? You’re at the point where the bosses trot you out when an up-and-coming Bombshell needs a win for momentum or a champion wants to defend their title on Climax Control, sometimes you surprise people like when you beat Alicia Lukas or got that draw against Masque but your rematch against Masque for the title proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that those occasions are the exception rather than the rule.” I added as I shook my head. ”It’s high time someone put the old dog down!”
It's that simple.
”When I challenged you to this match Mercedes I wanted the Mercedes who got that win over Alicia, the Mercedes who wrestled Masque to a draw, I wanted the old Mercedes! If I had known that those occasions were flukes, I would’ve challenged someone actually worthy of my time instead, like Alicia Lukas or Bea Barnhart!” I laughed to myself as I said the last part. ”That’s right Mercedes, your fall from grace was so dramatic that your beneath Bea Barnhart! Try to deny it all you want but you know it’s true but I guess actions speak louder than words and I’ll have to demonstrate that at High Stakes XII for the world to see!”
And with that I decided to wrap things up.
”Because at least Bea Barnhart actually won a match this cycle! And since your up against me at High Stakes XII? That’s not changing anytime soon!” I stated plainly as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”You want to prove me wrong Mercedes? You can start by actually put some fucking effort into our match at the PPV and don’t waste my time, otherwise? You’ll just be another statistic on my journey ass a wrestler, well, more so than you are already and as I turn the page on this well-read chapter of my career? I’ll drive you down with the Down Under Thunderbomb yet again! I’ll see you at High Stakes XII Mercy!”
I continued down the hike trail as the scene fades.
