(Keira was used with permission from her handler)
Krystal would emerge victorious in her grudge match against Mercedes Vargas at High Stakes XII but the Aussie Bombshell was left dissatisfied at the lack of effort Mercedes put into the match’s promotion, to the point that at Climax Control 346 she issued a challenge to any Bombshell she had yet to face or hadn’t faced in some time! She namedropped several women who fell into that category but made sure to leave the champions names out of the list because, in her own words, Krystal wanted to build herself back up.
Well, in a way, Krystal got her wish because she was facing someone who she has never faced before, the World Bombshell Champion herself Masque! And it wasn’t a non-title match, no the title was on the line and would be defended against the Go Gym Graduate! Krystal has been in contenders matches for that title before, most recently at the start of the High Stakes XII Cycle, but this was the first time that Krystal was competing for the top belt in the division and with the recent return of Amber Ryan, Krystal might just have a chance! Can Krystal pull off the upset of the century!
Backstage at Climax Control 346, Anaheim, California
Sunday the 13th of November 2022, 11:00pm
Tonight was certainly a night,
If I had to name my favourite time to be an SCW Bombshell without naming a PPV, I’d have to name the post PPV Climax Controls such as tonight’s show, why? Beyond just dealing with the fallout from the PPV, you never really know what’s going to happen most of the time.
New rivalries formed, new champions cutting their first promos as champ, all that fun stuff! Off course it was a complicated time to be two of my friends, namely Ariana and Jessie! Beyond the incident with Carter (which I’ve been fuming about for most of the past week) they were set to face off in Ari’s latest Roulette Title defence and it ended up being the annual Black Friday Brawl, the match itself was a brutal affair but in the end, Ari retained the gold, that just left me wondering what the bosses had in store for me.
That was my motivation heading into my promo tonight, whether anything comes off it in the coming weeks remains to be seen but I’ve got my New Years Resolutions set for 2023 and we’re only in the third week of November! If nothing else, I like to plan ahead! It’s whether or not those plans pan out that is the question.
”You’ll be pleased to know that Ari and Jessie are doing fine after the Black Friday Brawl.” I commented to Cassie over FaceTime as I made my way into the arena’s parking lot, I had made the decision to leave after the match between Bill and Finn had reached its (predictable) conclusion but had opted to give my cousin a call. ”Whether Ari fell faster than your chances of ever getting that ban lifted after you insulted The Troll’s mom remains to be seen!”
”Oh come on Charlotte! Really? Your still jumping to that piece of shit’s defence?!” Cassie grunted in annoyance and I shook my head, if you followed Cassie on Twitter then you know that her “tell bad jokes until more people joined Motor City Wrestling” stunt had backfired big time after she had insulted The Troll’s mom, how did The Troll get involved with that? He had apparently found one of her tweets and replied too it, simple really! ”He called me a cow! What was I supposed to do?!”
”Ignore him, come up with a more creative insult and use it on him, literally anything but insulting his sweetheart of a mom!!” I responded with an annoyed sigh as I messaged my forehead with my free hand, I love Cass, really I do! But her youth and impulsiveness did often push how far that love went. ”Just take your punishment at Hero Academy tomorrow morning and be done with it! I’ll even talk to Harper about not targeting your bad leg!”
”She’s been avoiding targeting that leg anyway, ever since that argument with Keira.” Cassie responded as she shook her head right as I got the new card text, it was that time of day again it seemed. ”Wait, isn’t your birthday on Wednesday?”
”Don’t try to change the subject! But yeah, I’m turning twenty-seven next week.” I nodded to confirm it and Cassie grinned. ”I don’t know how Makayla will top getting me a puppy for my twenty sixth birthday last year but we’ll see! Anyway I got the new card text right as you mentioned my birthday so give me a sec.”
”Sure.” Cassie nodded as I hit the home button to get out of FaceTime and checked the card, I was debating whether I should tell Cass that The Troll was getting a second match in a row but then I saw the Main Event and all colour drained from my face. ”Charlotte?”
”Remember when Ari described her title reign as being the result of a monkey’s paw? Right when she was thrust into the feud between Jessie and Melissa?” I asked my cousin and Cassie nodded to confirm that she remembered Ari’s promo for her rematch with Melissa. ”I think that monkey’s paw has turned its attention to me! The bosses have heard what I said during that promo!”
”So the bosses have booked you for next week’s show?” Cassie asked and I nodded to confirm it. ”Well, the other Crystal’s match against Bella was announced two weeks ago so that’s out, Amber Ryan just returned but it seems like no one’s sure about how ready she is to compete, what’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like they put you up against Masque or any……….” Cassie trailed off before it hit her. ”You’ve got Masque in next week’s Main Event, don’t you?”
”Yep! And the World Bombshell Title’s on the line!” I responded before taking a screenshot of the text and sending it to Cass so she could see it for herself. ”That woman’s only lost two matches, one was because Bill Barnhart was her Blast from the Past Partner, the other was to Roxi Johnson, I know World Bombshell Title Matches are never supposed to be easy but that’s taking the cake!”
”Cake? It takes the whole fucking bakery!” Cassie scoffed in response and I had to admit, that one made me chuckle. ”You’re planning to go to Hero Academy tomorrow, maybe seek out Team Hero’s advice for dealing with Masque?”
”That’s actually not a bad idea, even without their history with Masque, Roxi and Keira have been on top of the Bombshell Division mountain before and this is my first shot at the World Bombshell Title, any advice they can give will be invaluable.” I nodded in agreement before I got in my car (a Nissan Quash Quai). ”I’ll see you in the morning Cass but I’m about to head to the hotel, don’t feel like causing a car crash on my way back so I’ll be cutting it short here!”
”Yeah, that’s probably a good idea, see you in the morning.” Cassie responded before she ended the FaceTime call on her end and I put my phone on silent as I got the car ready to head to the hotel.
I’ll admit, the World Bombshell Title is a bucket list item of mine, why wouldn’t it be? Winning that title means your at the top of the food chain in the Bombshell Division! But in this case getting that shot means a match with Masque.
The last time Masque faced a Go Gym Graduate was when she faced Adrienne Beaufort earlier this year, the French girl’s confidence in herself was already shaky heading into that match but watching her demeaner after the fact? In hindsight, it was a matter of if, not when Adrienne asked for her release for the sake of her mental health.
Last I heard from her, Adrienne had managed to land on her feet in CU:LT but I wasn’t Adrienne, when I entered SCW I was already a seasoned competitor, just so happened that SCW was my first shot at the big time, even if I got my start in SCU at first! In theory that meant I should be a lot more ready for a competitor like Masque than Adrienne could ever hope to be.
But on the other hand? How does someone prepare for a wrestler like Masque? Title shot or not?
Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 14th of November 2022, 08:00am
Any other time I would’ve gone to Gabriel for advice ahead of a match like the one against Masque, but this was a special circumstance.
Not only was I at Hero Academy to make sure that Cassie faced her punishment and took it but the new class was being oriented today, thus several new guys and gals were joining the existing students at Hero Academy, Sarah and Cassie were required to be there anyway since they were the first two graduates from Hero Academy, but Cassie’s comments about The Troll’s mom meant that she had an extra painful morning ahead of her.
There was another reason I was coming here for advice rather than the Go Gym, unlike Gabriel, Keira had faced Masque before.
“Roxi wishes she could be here but she’s busy preparing for the match against Seleana.” Keira informed me as she lead me into my office, Cassie and Harper were having their training session/stretch out after mine and I figured that we could leave them alone for a bit. “And I know why you asked for this chat Charlotte.”
”Then I’ll cut to the chase.” I commented ass I walked around Keira’s office after closing the door behind me. ”How do you prepare for a wrestler like Masque? I don’t think there’s ever been a Bombshell like her in the past decade that SCW’s been in operation!”
“If we knew the answer to that, I think Masque would’ve lost her first match a lot sooner.” Keira pointed out as she shook her head and I had to admit that she had a point. “I think the real question you should be asking is how to survive Masque’s mind games, or do I need to remind you of how Adrienne was following her last SCW match?”
”Adrienne’s mental health had been suffering for months, the match against Masque basically pushed it to the point where it would’ve only gotten worse if Adrienne hadn’t asked for her release.” I responded as I shook my head and Keira nodded as she got the idea. ”Hell Jessie’s been in SCW since the beginning and even she couldn’t crack the riddle that is Masque! The only thing separating me from them is the fact that I’m facing her in a title match.”
“Charlotte, I think the best advice I can give you is to just do what you do best, you’re a graduate of the Go Gym, a school that has produced some of the best wrestling talent in the country, you and Ariana included.” Keira advised me and I nodded as I got the idea. “Beating Masque for the title won’t be easy but nobody said that beating any champion in SCW is easy, even one as enigmatic as Masque.”
”Yeah, it just seems like Masque is even more untouchable than Kayla or Ariana.” I responded as I folded my arms and Keira frowned as she got the idea. ”And you’ve been in the ring with both ladies, you know how good they are.”
“Ariana has a bright future ahead of her if her Bombshell Roulette Title Reign is anything to go by, and Kayla may be a bitch but she has proven that she is no fluke champion.” Keira nodded in agreement as she leaned back in her chair. “But you’re right, Masque is a completely different beast to either of those women question is, what can you do to end her reign on Sunday?”
”Fight as if my life were on the line? Basically treat Masque like she was the villain in a slasher movie?” I asked hypothetically before there was a knock at the door. ”We’ll be done in a sec.” I called out to the knocker before turning back to Keira. ”That’s basically what Masque is, she kicked out of the Black Rose Overdrive for fuck’s sake! We may make fun of Mercedes for being so past it but Masque was the first one to kick out of that move in over a decade!”
“I think we should consider the circumstances behind that kickout, Mercedes sent herself and Masque off the ring apron and through the table and Mercedes had to use Drew’s hand for him because he had been knocked out.” Keira pointed out and I had to admit that she had a point. “Setting aside the fact that the match ended in a Double DQ Draw off course.”
”Yeah, the bosses don’t like it when one of their refs gets the shit beat out of them, who knew?” I asked jokingly and Keira shook her head with a chuckle before there was another knock at the door and Keira got up to answer it. ”You sure you don’t want to make them wait longer?”
“I’ve got a training school to run anyway, as much as I appreciate the chat I have a job to do.” Keira responded before she answered the door and Zoey, Cassie’s biracial girlfriend, was waiting for us with a concerned look on her face. “Everything okay Zoey?”
”I wanted to give you a chance to finish your chat with Krystal but two of the new girls are going at it pretty hard.” Zoey responded as she shook her head and now that she mentioned it? I did hear the sounds of two women arguing now that the door was opened, it was only after I picked up a Kiwi accent that I realized that it could only be between two students. ”It’s between Fayth and Skyler!”
“Never a dull moment.” Keira shook her head with a sigh before she turned to me. “Want to help me break this up Krystal?”
”Don’t mind if I do!” I responded with a grin before I followed Keira and Zoey to the source of the argument.
Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 14th of November 2022, 09:00am
If I ever get the idea to open my own training school years from now, feel free to shoot me in the head.
When we, Keira and Zoey had left Keira’s office the argument had gotten so bad that Fayth and Skyler were coming to blows, and not in a sparring match in the ring like you’d hope two trainees would but outside the ring and with the rest of the trainees watching on, some where even chanting “fight, fight, fight” though that quickly stopped when they saw me and Keira storming over to the two young women.
Before you ask, no Cassie wasn’t one of the ones cheering them on, she was still in her sparring match with Harper, a sparring match that had gotten interrupted by said fight distracting the two teenagers.
“You couldn’t even wait five minutes before you decided to fight?” Keira demanded of the two young women as she stepped between them and separated them, at this point Francisco stepped in to help Keira by restraining Skyler (and being careful not to accidentally grope her) leaving Keira to keep Fayth restrained. “What’s the meaning of this?!”
“That bitch dared to compare me to my sister!” Skyler spart as she pointed to Fayth and she rolled her eyes in response. “I’m here trying to make up for Taylor’s mistakes! Not emulate them!”
“Oh and I suppose sucker punching me makes that alright?!” Fayth demanded as the redhead glared at the blonde woman, I could already feel a migraine coming on as the two women argued. “What was I supposed to do? Sit there and let her get way with that bull………”
”ENOUGH!” I interrupted the two young trainees and Skyler and Fayth slowly turned their heads to me. ”Skyler, Fayth, you two are so fucking lucky that you enrolled here instead of the Go Gym because if you had tried that shit on the first day of training at the Go Gym you would’ve been thrown out on your ass faster than you can say “unprofessional conduct”! And don’t even get me started on the rest of you egging them on!”
“But your meeting with Keira was taking to long.” A male voice from the crowd spoke up and we turned to see a short, athletic guy with short black hair, based on the accent? He seemed to be English but I couldn’t tell you where in England he was from. “The fight at least entertained us!”
”What’s your name kid?” I asked the guy as I walked up to him and he gulped as I stood up to him. ”Well?”
“Aaron.” The trainee gulped in response as I looked him up and down. “I flew all the way from Manchester to train here."
”Roughly a fourteen-hour flight, must’ve cost you a fair bit of money on top of that, right?” I asked as I folded my arms and Aaron gulped before lowering his head in shame. ”And one of the first things you do at Hero Academy is to egg that on? Keira, these are ultimately your trainees.” I said as I turned to Keira and she nodded as she got the idea. ”Ball’s in your court.”
“I want every new trainee who egged on the fight to run five hundred laps, now.” Keira said in a low angry voice and whilst their was some discontent between the trainees, the rest (including Aaron) took their punishment in their stride. “Fayth, your training with Krystal, Skyler, you’re with me!”
“That’s your idea of a punishment? Train with you two?” Fayth asked with a sceptical look on her face and Keira turned to her. “Maybe we should get into fights more often.”
“Thanks for reminding me, I’ll be going extra stiff on you Skyler, Krystal? Feel free to do the same.” Keira responded and needless to say, that shut up the squabbling trainees.
And hey, at least I got a workout out of it!
Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 14th of November 2022, 12:00pm
Today was definitely an interesting start to my birthday week.
The sparring matches between me and Fayth, Keira, and Skyler did at least prove that the girls had a lot of potential as wrestlers, whether they could get past their attitude problems and actually make amends with each other remained to be seen but I was getting ready to leave the Hero Academy for the day after I stretched out Cassie for a bit, what? Did you think I had forgotten all about those comments she made about The Troll’s mom?
Please, The Troll maybe the biggest dickbag in SCW (well, the biggest dickbag who isn’t taken seriously by his piers at least) but that didn’t mean his mom deserved to be insulted for not swallowing him on that fateful night!
”Well, that was a dun workout.” I commented as I loaded my duffel bag containing my gym clothes into the boot of my car, I was planning to stop by the Go Gym for my promo on the way back but Cassie needed to be dropped off at her mom’s place so she was catching a ride with me. ”How goes your driving test Cass?”
”Going well, my instructor reckons that I’ll be ready to pass the test by the first week of the New Year.” Cassie responded with an optimistic grin on her face and I nodded in response. ”What do you make of the Fayth and Skyler situation?”
"Those girls are talented for their experience level but as far as their attitude goes? They need a lot of work.” I responded as I shook my head and Cassie nodded as she got the idea. ”Not unlike a certain cousin of mine when we first met, right?”
”I wasn’t seeking out fights with the other PTA Gym Trainees!” Cassie defended herself and I shook my head in response. ”Though honestly? I’ll just be glad to put that whole “The Troll’s Mom” saga behind me and just focus on my wrestling career, not to mention my relationship with Becky and Zoey and my burgeoning status as yet another lesbian in the world of professional wrestling!”
”So long as you keep doing what you do best? You’ll thrive!” I responded before I paused as I processed that last part. ”So, how long have you known that you’re a lesbian?”
The look on Cassie’s face was priceless, she had clearly forgotten that I didn’t know about that little fact until now. ”For a couple of weeks now, I came out to my mom the other week.” Cassie sighed with a sheepish grin on her face as I turned to her. ”I’m just not ready to come out publicly yet, and yes, Becky and Zoey know!”
”Trust me, you’ll know when the time comes.” I assured my cousin who grinned in response, I decided not to ask how her mom reacted because I’m pretty sure I would’ve heard by now if she had been thrown out of her parents’ house. ”But for what it’s worth? That’s the worst kept secret in Hero Academy, you haven’t exactly been subtle about the fact that you have the hots for two other women!”
”Heh, I guess your right! You’ll be there for me when I do come out though, right?” Cass asked as she looked up at me. ”Same goes for Makayla?” Cass added and I put a comforting hand on the teenager’s shoulder.
”I’ve been openly bi since my SCU days and Makayla’s been an out lesbian for even longer than that! I think that goes without saying!” I assured Cassie and she grinned in response. ”That said? We had better get going!” I added and Cassie grinned in response before she got in my car and I drove off.
Go Gym Parking Lot, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 14th of November 2022, 14:00pm
*promo time*
After everything was done for the day at Hero Academy I stopped by the Go Gym to get the rest of my reps in for the day, but not before cutting this promo.
”Open mouth, insert foot, if there was one saying that can summarise my promo on last night’s Climax Control, it’s that!” I sighed as I leaned against the bonnet of my car. ”I just wanted some competition as the year winded down, I didn’t think that my first match after that promo would not only be the Main Event but for the World Bombshell Championship on top of that! But yet, here I am, the week of my twenty seventh birthday, set to take on Masque for the World Bombshell Championship in this week’s Main Event!” I ran a hand down my face as I processed the last sentence. ”That is one hell of a birthday present and I’m not even sure if that’s a good present!”
Let me explain.
”Look, I’d be lying if I said that I don’t want the World Bombshell Title, it’s practically the dream of every aspiring Bombshell whether they are training at Hero Academy or the Go Gym!” I added as I pointed to the gym with my thumb. ”It definitely was mine when I was training at the Go Gym all those years ago! But here’s the thing, back then? We didn’t have anyone like Masque at the top of the mountain in the Bombshell Roster! I could’ve at least handled any of the champions from my trainee days with my usual confidence, but Masque? You’re a different animal to any Bombshell who’s come before or after you, you’re a dangerous competitor and an unpredictable one at that! Throw in the fact that Amber Ryan is back on the scene and looking for revenge against you? The odds are definitely not in my favour heading into the match!”
However………
”But here’s the other thing Masque, I may have freaked out on Twitter when I found out about this match but I refuse to be intimidated by you!” what changed? Stick around and out as I stare into the camera. ”Why? Several reasons really, the competitor in me is relishing the opportunity to compete for the top prize in the Bombshell Division, after all I said on High Stakes XII that I wanted to get me hands on another title in 2023! And if that means me entering the new year as the new World Bombshell Champion? So be it! I just know that I have to fight like my life’s on the line if I want to be the one to dethrone you Masque!” I added as a cocky grin crept onto my face. ”But can you face me in Mortal Kombat?”
Yes, that was a video game reference.
”I’m pretty sure the bosses will be upset if I actually pull off a fatality when we meet this Sunday night in Anaheim, and I’m also sure that a very awkward conversation with the local police would ensue as well! What I mean is that I am going to have to pull out all the stops if I want to be the one to dethrone you on Sunday Masque!” I said as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”I’m not going to kid myself by saying that this won’t be a daunting task but it’s one that I’m more than willing to rise to the occasion for, I hope you’ve said your goodbyes to that title Masque because it’s coming home with me!”
This will be my toughest fight.
”And there’s no getting around this next part either, this will be the toughest fight of my wrestling career to date! And hell, I might be putting it a little too mildly for my tastes!” I added as I started to pace around the parking lot. ”But these are the types of fights that the Go Gym trained me for when I enrolled there! This is what I was trained for, to fight the very best and become the very best in the industry! And when we meet on Sunday I’ll be more than happy to put my training to practical use if it means taking that title from you, with or without Amber’s help!”
The elephant in the room.
”And I’d be remiss if I left out the third returning face to SCW TV from last night’s Climax Control, Amber, it’s been a while hasn’t it?” I asked as I folded my arms. ”The last time anyone saw you on TV, Masque had beaten to a bloody pulp, I think it’s safe to say that you want your revenge on Masque, am I right? Normally I’d be inclined to tell you to stay out of it and let me try to win this match on my own, but somehow, I doubt that’s going to work on you, not after everything Masque has done since that attack! I don’t know if your plans for revenge on Masque factor in the World Bombshell Championship or not Amber but if you find yourself inclined to cost Masque the title on your little revenge arc? I won’t stop you!”
Not at all.
”I know a thing or two about revenge, ask Char Kwan if you want details, but the last thing I’m going to say on that subject Amber is that if you go out seeking revenge, dig two graves!” I said as I held up two fingers to illustrate my point. ”And Masque? You don’t just have to deal with a young, hungry up and comer who’s been chasing after titles for the better part of a year, you also have to deal with a woman who’s severely pissed off at you, that’s not a good sign for your title reign, isn’t it Masque?”
Will it be enough?
”But then again, talk is cheap, and unless I can back this up in the ring then I might already be cashing cheques that my body can’t pay!” I added as I shook my head. ”If there’s any consolation to this match, it’s the fact that you’ve been shown that you’re not an invincible as you’d want people to think you are, you’ve suffered two losses since your debut at Inception V and only one of those losses were the result of you being pinned! I mean, it's still not ideal but there are chinks in your armour, I just need to find a way to exploit those flaws and win the match and the title!”
It's that simple.
”There’s no way around it! This is the biggest match of my career, but if I want to become the World Bombshell Champion I need to dethrone the Queen of the Masquerade! And yes Masque, I’m talking about you!” I added as I leaned against the boot of my car with my arms crossed. ”You’ve built up this mystique about you since your arrival in SCW Masque but the cracks have been showing for months now! You didn’t even make it past the opening round of Blast from the Past, you lost the first World Bombshell Title Shot to Roxi Johnson, you fought Mercedes fucking Vargas to a Double DQ Draw, it’s just that only a handful of competitors have been able to exploit the cracks in your armour, I’ll be the first one to use those exploits to take the title from you!”
And with that I decided to wrap things up.
”I’d be lying if I said that this is what I had in mind when I cut that promo on Climax Control last night, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in its white porcelain mouth either!” I said as I folded my arms. ”You’ve been a dominant champion Masque, there’s no two ways around that fact, but all good things come to an end as I close the chapter on this part of my career, I’ll open a new one entitled “Krystal Wolfe: World Bombshell Champion!” I’ll see you in the ring!”
I got in the car and drove off as the scene fades.
