[Christian Underwood]

Please post all roleplays here! Have fun and good luck!

[Peter Vaughn]

~The camera slowly comes up on a sight we've seen many times before over the last year. We're inside the same unknown warehouse, its location in the world having never been disclosed. For all we know, we're in Borneo.~

~But, honestly... it's probably not Borneo.~

~Nonetheless, the cameraman takes in the large room, which appears to be even more empty than usual. It even appears that some of the light fixtures and other electronics have been removed, making it a darker place, with the main light coming from the windows nearby. The cameraman, used to these situations, positions himself in the center of the room and waits. Patiently.~

~After several seconds tick by, we suddenly hear the rumbling of an engine from outside the building. It's not the normal sound of a car engine; oh, no, it's far louder and more powerful than that. The cameraman turns, showing a shot through one of the windows... as a large bulldozer plows towards the building. We hear the cameraman gasp, then he rushes backwards, with movements you normally only see in found footage horror movies. He manages to get out of range, even as the bulldozer crashes through the side of the building, sending bricks and mortar flying everywhere!! Fortunately, the rest of the wall manages to stay up, even as the cameraman moves cautiously back in, focusing on the man in the bulldozer's driver seat: Peter Vaughn. He leans out, giving the cameraman a once-over before grinning.~

Peter Vaughn: Not exactly the best place to be standing, boyo. Didn't you get my note?

~In answer, the cameraman raises up his phone to the camera, where we see the text from Peter: "I'll see you at the warehouse." He shows it over towards Vaughn, who nods.~

Peter Vaughn: Yes, "AT" the warehouse. I never said to go in this time. Still, I guess I could have been more clear. My bad.

~The camera shakes for a moment, and you have to wonder what's going through the cameraman's mind. Probably nothing good. But he's a professional, so he stays focused on Peter, who looks around at the destruction he's caused.~

Peter Vaughn: You see, after my loss to President Washburns, I decided that it was probably time to turn over a new leaf. To do that, I figured I'd need to destroy the old leaf first. I'm moving forward, after all. There's no time to waste looking backwards. This warehouse? It's been fun, I'll admit. But it's time for something new. Something better. It's just like me, really.

~There's a puzzled silence for just a second, but Peter picks up on it, looking back at the cameraman for a moment.~

Peter Vaughn: Yes, I'm changing as well. You hadn't noticed? Didn't I show enough in my work on the last Climate Control, propelling my team to victory and earning a second title match at Summer XXXTreme XI? It's no longer just about smashing through the singles ranks for me anymore. It's now about decimating the tag-team ranks as well. Because as luck would have it, I found myself an extremely talented partner, one that can hold her own in any situation. Between us, we now form one of the most dominating teams Sin City has ever seen... and we're just getting started.

~Peter smiles to himself, enjoying the thought of the chaos to come, with the Saviors continuing to roar back to prominence. It's a good thought to have.~

Peter Vaughn: Yes, indeed, times, they are a-changing. This whole first run, taking over the Roulette Division and smashing down every opposition to it? That's just the first scene of a full show on the way, boyos. You all just wait and see what's to come. A newer Peter Vaughn. A BETTER Peter Vaughn. The future of this company, written in stone as it was meant to be. You think I was tough on my own before? Just wait and see...

~Suddenly, Peter looks off past the cameraman, across the warehouse from them. He nods, settling himself back into the bulldozer. But he can still be heard as he speaks to the cameraman one last time.~

Peter Vaughn: You probably want to clear out of here now, friend. As I said... I have a partner now. And I think she's too excited to wait any longer.

~As Peter backs up the bulldozer through the hole he made, the cameraman turns to focus on the other side. There, we can see a large machine closing in from the other side, swinging what appears to be a wrecking ball. The crane rotates, bringing the wrecking ball back, before launching it forward towards the warehouse. With a wild yell, the cameraman abandons all pretense of professionalism and makes a run for it, racing towards the earlier hole that Peter had made. We hear a loud crash from behind, as the building's walls are caved in from the other side. A cloud of dust overtakes the camera, covering us up for several moments. Finally, the dust clears enough for the camera to show what's behind it: a partially-destroyed building, with more parts coming down every second, as the bulldozer and the crane continue their work. The cameraman can be heard, cursing, as he moves away, possibly to call about getting a different assignment next time. We fade out.~


~The picture comes up on a shot of Peter Vaughn, making his way slowly forward. He has a rope in his hands, slowly twirling the loop around as he inches forward. After taking a few more steps, he brings the swinging rope over his head, spinning it, before finally letting it fly. It hangs in the air for what feels like a long period of time, before coming down right on target, going right over the horns sticking upwards. Peter pulls the rope taut, smiling to himself, then starts as the sound of clapping reaches his ears. He turns and looks back, seeing one of his best hands, Sadie Anderson, making her way over.~

Sadie Anderson: Keep it up, and you'll actually be able to rope a real steer, Mr. Vaughn.

~Vaughn scowls for a second, even as the camera pans over to show that Peter had just roped a wooden post with two cow horns positioned on top of it. It was still an impressive toss, just not as impressive as it could have been.~

Peter Vaughn: If that Wyatt Bailey would just sell me cattle, I'd be able to practice for real.

Sadie Anderson: You know we don't usually do much cattle roping, don't you? That's more for TV and movies. Sure, it's a great skill to have, but you probably won't get to use it much.

Peter Vaughn: You never know. Sometimes anything goes in a wrestling match, after all.

Sadie Anderson: If you say so. Anyhow, I talked to two other cattle distributors, and they're willing to work with us. The fees aren't cheap, but I think we can afford it, if we cut back on a few other expenses.

Peter Vaughn: Don't even bother, Sadie. I've got another meeting with Bailey set up later on today.

~Sadie sighs, before leaning on the nearby post.~

Sadie Anderson: You're a stubborn son of a bitch, aren't you? There are other options. We shouldn't just ignore them because one man angered you.

~Peter doesn't say anything. He just starts rolling in his rope, walking towards the post to pull the lasso off of it.~

Sadie Anderson: If you're going to be a ranch owner, Mr. Vaughn, you really need to learn how to adapt.

~This causes Peter to look up at Sadie, before consulting his watch.~

Peter Vaughn: That reminds me, I'm supposed to be meeting Kim soon. She said she's got some... plans for me.

~A dark look flashes across Sadie's face, but Peter doesn't notice it. He's too busy taking the rope over to a nearby storage shed, hanging it inside. When he comes back, Sadie has moved into his path, trying to look as disinterested as possible.~

Sadie Anderson: So you and this Kim seem to be getting close.

Peter Vaughn: She's a great tag-team partner. I think she's going to be the one, Sadie.

Sadie Anderson: The... the ONE??

Peter Vaughn: Yep. The one that finally gets me to tag-team gold.

~Peter nods to himself, looking pleased at the thought, and again missing the mixture of expressions crisscrossing Sadie's face.~

Peter Vaughn: I've tried with so many teams. Chris Page. Mark Flynn. Bam Miller. But I've never been able to get over that hump. Y'know, Bam just won tag titles with Mac Bane. I'm happy for them... but damn it, I hate that hole in my resume. But I do think maybe, JUST MAYBE, this could be the turning point. Kim could be the one to get me there.

Sadie Anderson: So... so she just wants to meet with you to go over your strategy for your PPV match? Or is it going to be more training?

Peter Vaughn: Actually, I think she said something about a make-over.

Sadie Anderson: A... a what??

Peter Vaughn: Yeah, something about how I'll fit in better with the team. Apparently Sin City is working on some standard press pictures, and she wasn't a fan of the first few.

~Peter pops out his cell phone, shooting the photos over to Sadie's cell. She looks at them, with each showing Vaughn and Kim Pain standing close together, as a tag-team normally would. Sadie looks a little annoyed, but works to cover it up, as Peter puts his phone away.~

Peter Vaughn: Look, I've got to run. Make sure that the chickens actually got their food this time, okay? The feeding machine's been a bit buggy the last few days. Thanks, Sadie.

~Peter pats Sadie on the arm, before turning and walking away. He heads towards the parking lot, where his truck, Gabriella, is waiting. Sadie watches him go, looking conflicted.~

Sadie Anderson: One of these days... you're going to figure it out... Peter...

~Sadie recovers, looking down again at her phone. She savagely deletes the pics, clearing them from her cell's memory, before stomping off towards the chicken coop. We cut away.~


It's a new experience, trusting my fate with another. I'm used to being fully in control of my own destiny.

But maybe this is what's needed for me to finally hold a tag-team title in my hand... one that I haven't stolen and hit someone across the skull with, I mean.

I've worked with Kim many times before, in various federations, and once or twice outside of wrestling. We saved a girl's life once. Wonder what ever happened to her? Anyway, it's clear that we make a superior tag-team, as shown by the way we dismantled Team Go and made our way into the finals for the Mixed Tag-Team Titles. Sure, some will moan and cry about me "cheating", and how it wasn't a clean win, but as a former janitor, I can assure you that it was plenty clean enough for me.

As they say, it's not cheating if you don't get caught. Everything I did, from that standpoint, is 100% legal, and if you think I won't be willing to go to those lengths again on the cruise, you're missing a few brain cells from too many shots to the head. I want this victory. Badly. Kim wants it just as much, if not more. If that means taking advantage of the situation in any way possible? So be it.

If I happen to, say, use an illegal object in the course of the Mixed Tag-Team Titles match, which allows us to score the pinfall victory, there will be no asterisk next to our team's name. We'll be the champs. If I maybe hold onto the tights just a little too tightly, the other teams can cry and demand rematches, but we'll still be the champs. And if Kim and I are just too dominant and don't even need to resort to 'alternative' options, again, nothing changes. We'll. Be. The Champs.

And that's the only outcome I'm really concerned with.

So let's talk about some of our male opponents, starting at the bottom. I'm looking at you, Oliver Zahn. Crazy to see you in this, along with Eiley. I'm surprised you were able to get out of school long enough to take the cruise, you kid, you.

If people want to bring up our victory being 'stained', that's nothing compared to Zahnie's way of moving forward. Using a distraction by having music played, then stealing the victory? Hey, I'm not knocking it. It's a good way to win. But the fact that you lost to Milo in the singles rematch, well, that tells everyone what they needed to know. I think it's clear in everyone's minds that Ollie is the weak link in this one. He's too young, he's too inexperienced, and he thinks he's a hell of a lot better than he actually is.

Not that I think Eeely is any better.

I give their team a 2% chance of walking out with the belts, and that would require an army's worth of interference.

Next up, we've got Alexander Raven and Luna Vanity. Y'know, Alex, you've got a name that strikes a chord with me. Raven. I made it a point last year to work to take down every Raven I could find. And you know what? I succeeded. I defeated "Raven" Matt Knox in a title match, while also knocking him silly when I first came to SCW. I took down James Raven multiple times, beating him last at the CCPE vs. The World supercard. I even defanged a guy named Rufus Raven.

I think that was his name, anyway. Guy didn't deserve to be on the list. At all.

So having a chance to clip another Raven's wings is always a joy to behold. That being said, it remains to be seen where you end up on the list, Al. After all, you're not exactly swimming in wins lately, are you? You weren't able to reclaim the Internet Championship at Into The Void, getting your ass spanked by Mr. WashingMachine. Hey, been there, don't plan on doing it again. You also got your 'bells' rung by Calvin Harris, which I'm sure required a lot of ice on your part afterwards. Could you see the swelling? Or was it about the same?

At least you managed one win, with your team getting into the finals by beating... the Barnharts? Seriously? THAT was your competition? Oh, man... Ollie's starting to look better and better, honestly.

I give Raven & Vanity a 5% chance of winning. I think I'm being generous.

But let's look at team #3, and the one that everyone seems to think is the biggest threat coming into this one. We've got Austin James Mercer & Tempest, former Mixed Tag-Team Champs, and I will say, this is the team I'm most looking forward to fighting. Mercer's got something there, a great deal of history being at or near the top. He's even held the Heavyweight Title here, along with guys like Wash, Cross, Mac, and Knox... all men that I've beaten, by the way.

I'd love to add another former champion to the list.

And then, of course, there's the fact that you're the only team in the mix to have held Mixed Tag gold here before. And you got there, I'm sure, in a very honorable fashion, by beating...

The Barnharts? Seriously?? Why do they keep popping up? I destroyed Bill easily, after all. Hmmph. Well, I GUESS that doesn't take away from your run with the belts... that much... but then you eventually lost them to Goth & Mercedes. Did I mention that I've beaten Goth? Not an easy victory, by any means, but I'm proud to have fought him when I could, taking him down.

All-in-all, Austin, I still consider you the most dangerous male involved in this one. You're the reason I'd give you guys a 10% chance of winning, much better than the other two teams. I mean, Kim & I are still far and away at the top, but you two could be the dark horses. That means you're going to be the man I fully target, Austie. I take you out, I eliminate you, and Kim will get to blow Tempest away. Because when it comes down to it... Kim Pain is going to be the most dominant force out there, even more dangerous than I will be.

And I'm looking forward to seeing it, as I send all you guys flying out of the way, clearing the path for a lot of Pain and punishment.


~The truck pulls up outside of the small shopping center, parked expertly to the side, where there is a lesser chance that anyone's car door will dent Gabriella. Peter pops out, making his way over to the store front, considering the businesses that are all located here. He doesn't look too pleased, but then, Peter's never been the type to spend much on anything relating to fashion or looks. His 'style' has always been more focused on in-ring action. Another car door opens, and he watches as Kim Pain gets out. She had apparently been waiting for him.~

Kim Pain: Hello, Peter. Thanks for agreeing to meet here.

Peter Vaughn: Of course. We're partners, after all. So what do you have in mind for today? I thought you might have a photographer with you, so we could take more promotional shots.

Kim Pain: That will wait for later. For now, we have a lot of work to do, Peter.

Peter Vaughn: We do?

Kim Pain: Look, Peter, I think you're a great guy and a heck of a wrestler. But if you're going to be with me in a championship team, well, there are some standards that need to be met.

~Peter arches a slightly overgrown eyebrow, looking puzzled. This might be what helps Kim make her first decision, as she grabs Vaughn by the arm and starts dragging him to the left.~

Kim Pain: Let's start off with that haircut of yours.

Peter Vaughn: What's wrong with my haircut? It's a practical look, and it keeps people from being able to yank on my 'long locks'. It removes a vulnerability, having it cut like this.

Kim Pain: Maybe, but I think the stylist here can do something to... freshen it up a bit. Maybe bring that cut into the 2020's.

~They get to the door of the hair stylist, which has a bright sign stating "A Breath of FresHair". Peter stops them there, noting a couple of pictures displayed on the front, one of them being an older man who bears more than a passing resemblance to Patrick Stewart, aka Captain Jean-Luc Picard.~

Peter Vaughn: Just tell me that bald isn't in style right now.

Kim Pain: You'd never pull it off. Now, c'mon! Don't you trust me?

Peter Vaughn: .... Sure I do. We're partners.

~Kim gets Peter inside the salon, as the door shuts behind them.~


~We rejoin the Saviors duo several minutes later, as there's very little less entertaining than a haircut, no matter who's doing it. We see Kim sitting to the side, reading a fashion magazine that might be from 2020, judging by how weathered it looks. She looks up as the door to the side opens, with the stylist stepping out. She gives a small sigh before walking over to Kim.~

Kim Pain: What's the verdict, Brianne?

Brianne: Well, I did what I could. You didn't bring me much to work with, Kimberly.

Kim Pain: I know. If we only had the time to grow it out more, but our cruise match is coming up too soon.

Brianne: Just remember, I'm not a complete miracle worker. Peter? You can come out now.

~The two turn towards the door, where Peter Vaughn cautiously pokes his head out. His hair is now styled up, somehow seeming to sit more fully on his head. His eyebrows look like they've been reshaped as well, adding more detail to the lines in his face. It's not a massive change, but it's enough for anyone who knows Peter to notice the difference. Kim claps her hands, showing respect to the stylist.~

Kim Pain: What was that about not being a miracle worker? Peter, you look great!

Peter Vaughn: If you say so. It seems like an awful lot of work to make it appear like this. It's so much simpler just to comb it in the morning and be done with it.

Kim Pain: Trust me, Peter, this makes a world of difference. Your life is about to start changing.

Peter Vaughn: That sounds like a threat.

~Brianne laughs, assuming it's a joke, but Peter doesn't join in. She adds in a few coughs before clearing her throat.~

Brianne: So if you agree, that takes care of the hair on his head. The next step would be the rest of him.

Peter Vaughn: Wait.... what?

Kim Pain: I don't know how bad it is under those coveralls, but we'll definitely need to make it more presentable.

Brianne: I'm sure. I've gotten in a new Super Fruit Wax that should work. It's got elements of cranberry & pomegranate added in, which helps the skin recover.

Kim Pain: That sounds like a perfect solution for him.

Brianne: It's not cheap, but then, good looks never are, are they?

~Both ladies laugh at this, as Peter repeatedly glances between them, looking suddenly concerned.~

Peter Vaughn: No. Nope. Not happening. The only wax I deal with is when I want my kitchen floor to shine.

~Peter seems adamant, but Kim's expression doesn't change. She steps towards him.~

Kim Pain: I thought you trusted me.

Peter Vaughn: I... I do, but...

Kim Pain: You know this is for your own good, right?

Peter Vaughn: But... but I...

Brianne: People do this all the time. It's natural.

Kim Pain: It'll all be over quickly. I promise.

Peter Vaughn: .... But...

~Both ladies take Vaughn by the arm, as they begin to direct him towards the back. His eyes flicker towards the exit, as if contemplating a prison break, but he knows that could backfire on him. Reluctantly, he goes with them, disappearing into the back.~


The things you put yourself through for team unity.

That said, Kim has earned my trust over the last few years. If she says this will help us towards becoming Mixed Tag-Team Champions, that I'm willing to go along with it. After all, I want those belts. I want to climb up one turnbuckle, raising the gold over my head, and be able to look to my left and see my partner doing the same thing. I want to hear the crowd react, realizing that Peter Vaughn is now a tag-team specialist as well as a singles dominator. I want to see the faces of our competition as they deal with the notion that the belts are now out of their range for the conceivable future.

It'll be a great sight.

Now, I know I didn't talk much about the other ladies in this contest. There's a reason for that. Two reasons, actually. First, the fact that I can't fight them here lowers my interest in them. I'd much rather focus my attention on zapping Zahnie and annihilating Alexie and Austie.

I hadn't really thought about the alphabet representation in this one. Crazy.

The other reason, though, is that I have seen Kim Pain in action. I've seen her destroy opposition, both male and female. I've watched her in training, sending unfortunate 'students' flying in every direction, learning only that wrestling can hurt. There's nothing stopping her from becoming one of, if not THE greatest female wrestler to ever come into Sin City.

You compare her to Eiley? Please. Kim's experience edge will swamp her. Luna? She's already proven she doesn't belong as a champion, losing the Bombshell Roulette Title in, what, one week? And then there's Tempest, who's this monster Bombshell threat, supposedly. And yet, what has she done without Aussie by her side? You'd think in three years, she would have won a singles title or two in Sin City. That just tells me that she's clearly the weaker member of her team, just as I suspected.

I'm one of the top wrestlers in the world today. I'm always a threat to become a World Champion wherever I go. But I still give credit where it's due, and I know for a fact that Kim is going to be the reason we win those Mixed Tag Belts.

Because once all the guys have taken the Plunge and are out of action, Kim's going to turn the Lights Out for one of your ladies. And that'll be all she wrote.

Prepare to meet your Saviors.


~We return to the stylist's shop, where the camera focuses on the clock above on the wall. It shows that it's been over an hour and a half since Peter was dragged to the back by Kim and Brianne. The camera slowly turns to the doorway, where it seems all the noise has finally stopped. The door swings open, with an exhausted-looking Brianne stepping out. She walks tiredly over to the nearby chairs, plopping down in one. Behind her, Kim steps out, a large smile on her face.~

Kim Pain: Great work there, Brianne.

Brianne: I... I never expected that to take so long. It was like... his hair was actively resisting the process.

Kim Pain: One of Peter's strongest attributes is the fact that he's stubborn. I guess that translates to his body as well.

Brianne: And that body!!! Did you... did you expect those abs under those coveralls??

Kim Pain: He's a great wrestler. Of course he's got an outstanding physique.

Brianne: ... I still would have never believed it.

Kim Pain: So how are you doing in there, champ? Ready to go?

~For a few seconds, there's no sound. We finally hear footsteps as Peter approaches the doorway, moving carefully. Very carefully. He's got his coveralls back on, but he's wearing them a little more loosely, probably to avoid any additional skin irritation. He looks from Brianne to Kim, showing some fatigue.~

Peter Vaughn: ... I've been held and tortured for days by sadistic men trying to change me. This... might have been worse.

Kim Pain: Stop being such a baby. At least you don't have to do it as often. Now, if you're good, we've got to keep moving. We've got a lot to get done still.

~Kim turns and pays off Brianne, giving her a large tip for her services. In the meantime, her words are just finally penetrating into Peter's brain.~

Peter Vaughn: Wait, there's... there's more?

Kim Pain: Of course there is. I think, next up, we need to talk about... what you're wearing.

~Vaughn looks down at his trusted coveralls, his face paling. Kim smirks as she directs him out of the stylist shop, even as Brianne gets out a beer from her fridge and pops it open, needing a drink after what they just went through. We slowly fade out.~

[Kim Pain]

Kim did not miss the panicked face Peter pulled and the hesitation as they walked into the shopping mall.. He could see himself being pulled into something he was not going to be comfortable in but she had a surprise for him. Something she knew he will be very happy about.. She had been paying attention to her partner and what he actually likes.. They walked through the mall but one store after another with men’s clothing they passed by and Kim did not drag him into any of them. She got them both a coffee and a gigantic muffin to go with it.. They sat down and Kim smiled when she had a bit of the coffee..

Kim : Relax.. I am not going to make you into a Ken Doll.. Although you got the body for it..

Peter : It is not me..

Kim : Exactly.. That is why I am not putting you through all of that..

Peter : You had them do my hair and… I got waxed..

Kim : Your girl will thank me for it..

Peter : I don’t have a girl..

Kim shook her head..

Peter : I don’t..

Kim : And why the hell not..

Peter : Long story and not telling it here..

Kim : Fine but you will tell me that story someday..

Peter did not say anything and Kim dropped the subject.. She knows better than to push him on it.. She finished her muffin and sat back in the chair.. Where they were sitting is about halfway down the long stretched mall they were in. When they had finished their coffees and got rid of the trash they made like the good janitor he once was, they made their way through the mall again..

Kim : It is just a little further down..

Peter : I did not think there was a clothing store down there..

She could tell he was getting less anxious when he realized they were walking to the back of the mall where he knew there was a gigantic hardware store just outside the mall. As they walked to the other side he looked at Kim with glittering happy eyes..

Kim : I am not going to change who you are Peter.. But I am getting you something that fits a little better together with what I am wearing..

Peter : Okay..

His voice was a little weary as she said it..

Kim : Trust me..

Peter : I do.. You’re my partner..

Kim : I am.. And we will get you those tag titles you want..

Peter : We will be champions together..

Kim : We will be.. I am sure of it..

They walked into the store and Kim walked straight for the coveralls area he knew pretty well.. He followed her to that section and immediately walked to his favorite greyish blues and Kim put it back..

Kim : Nope..

Peter turned towards her and his eyes told her plenty.. He was damn near affronted that she said no to his favorites..

Kim : You can wear those all day every day Peter.. But we are getting you.. These…

Kim grabbed pitch black coveralls.. She held it up to him.. There was a slight cut to it.. Tailored just a little to emphasize his build a bit more..

Peter : Those…

Kim : Try them on.. You can change in there

Kim pointed towards the changing room and raised an eyebrow at his hesitation..

Kim : Please Peter.. For me.. Try them on..

Insert the pout.. It is not as effective as Kat’s pout of doom but it works on her tag team partner to at least try on a different cut and color than his standard.. Peter sighed and nodded.. Taking the black coveralls and went into the changing room. Kim smiled as he did it and did a little tapdance happy dance.. She was truly doing it for his own damn good.. The man is fit as hell and has a body to fucking die for and he is hiding it behind those baggy coveralls.. One step at a time.. Coveralls but fitted ones..Kim sat down in a seat and grabbed her phone..

The camera was turned on and it showed the hardware store behind Kim..

Kim : Fatal Fourways.. They are always fun and always unpredictable.. And that is definitely made for us.. Neither my partner nor I are predictable after all.. When you are looking at this match on paper there is a gigantic advantage in this match for us.. Tempest.. Eiley and Luna… My side of the match.. To be honest I am not seeing that advantage on your end.. Tempest is a beast.. Everyone knows that.. But that works best in a singles match or a one on one situation.. Anyone with more than two brain cells knows that to conquer the beast you work together to make sure that the beast is taken down.. Your advantage.. Gone.. We can tag out on every side of the ring.. And to survive you all of us would be more than willing to work together.. So Austin.. You may believe that you got a shot.. Think again.. And Tempest.. I respect the hell out of you and I hope someday we get to fight one on one but as big and strong and impressive as you are.. Even for you the lights can go out at any time..

None of us are stupid.. We all want that title wrapped around our waist and the question should be who wants it more.. I can tell you the answer.. The Saviors.. We are closer than all of you put together.. Most of you are just trying to tag because you could not catch a break otherwise.. That is neither Peter nor me.. Peter is the current reigning and defending SCW Roulette champion.. We are going into the Summer XXXtreme 11 to get those title belts and make Peter a double champion in this federation.. Something nobody was able to do before..

Kim paused a moment before tilting her head slightly and leaning into the camera..

Kim : Eiley.. I have seen you here in SCW.. But I am wondering.. Are we getting the strong wrestler I have seen before or the weaker version you have become lately.. I am hoping for the strong one because I have no problem kicking your lights out if the weakling shows up.. We got no time for the weak links and if you are that weak link.. Not looking beyond the obvious and making stupid rookie mistakes.. I will be the one making you pay the prize for it.. Oliver.. Prepare her or find yourself carrying your knocked out partner to the back..
I don’t make any false statements, that is a move that can hit her out of nowhere and while the company may not like it that I fight men.. I would have no problem knocking your ass out right alongside her.

But I am not the only one with hard impactful moves in her playlist.. My partner did not become the Roulette champion because he was a pushover.. He did not become a multi time world champion because he is a one hit wonder.. My tag team partner is one of the best in the business period.. Not just one of the best in this federation.. I have said time and time again that I am not in it for the shiny title belts.. And I am still not.. The only reason I want to win the title belts and be the Mixed Tag Team Champion.. Is my partner.. I am doing it all for him.. Can any of you say the same.. And that leaves just one more..

Kim leaned back into the chair with a smirk on her face.. She crossed her long legs before she spoke again..

Kim : Luna.. Long time no see.. Been like 2.. 3 months.. Not really interested.. You at the very least should know your tag team partner better than the rest of them who seem to just jump in on a new title chance.. Bunch of gold diggers.. But you at least know him better.. You and your man.. boyfriend.. whatever Alexander Raven.. Oh god another Raven.. I swear I am starting to dislike the bird with the amount of Raven names we got in this business and not many of them are any good… I do hope you give the smart and gorgeous birds a better name once again because I actually liked Ravens until I came back to actively wrestling once again.

Luna.. You are tossed into the deep end of the pool here and given a shot at something I don’t believe you actually deserve but hey.. Why not right.. I am sure you found a way to thank Raven for carrying your ass.. That is the difference between all of you and my tag team partner and me.. If there are 5 men ganging up on your tag team partner girls.. Would you jump in.. Or would you stand back and watch.. Luna.. I think you would watch it happen.. Maybe call for help.. Eiley.. For sure she will watch and do nothing to help in any way looking like a panicked stricken puppy.. Tempest.. Oh she will kick everyone’s ass but she might just kick her partner’s ass for getting into the fight to begin with.. Me.. I would grab whatever I could swing and start beating the crap out of anyone that messes with my partner…

Kim smirked and placed her foot down and came a little closer to the camera..

Kim : Consider that a warning if any of you ladies try to be sneaky and mess with my partner during this match.. I will take the greatest pleasure out of bashing your head into the ring steps and make you regret that you ever even thought about it.. Because I will smash your face into a bloody pulp and laugh while I do it too…

With that said the scene fades as Kim turns off the camera when the curtain finally moves and Peter comes out wearing the pitch black slightly tailored coveralls.. He pointed at himself..

Kim : Goddamn Peter! That looks good!

Peter : I don’t know…

He glanced at the old faithful coveralls hanging in the changing room.. Kim dragged him to a mirror and put him in front of it..

Kim : Can you move freely in them ?

Peter : Well yes… That is why I took so long.. I was trying out movements in the changing room..

Kim : No pinching or tightness anywhere?

Peter : No they fit well and I am free to move around..

Kim : The black fits me…

Peter : Well yes.. You do wear black a lot..

Kim : I do.. And it is not like I want you to wear spandex or anything.. It is just a little change…

Peter : I guess..

Kim : Oh come on Peter look at you.. It looks amazing on you.. Way better than the other ones.. You can finally see that body shape.. Which shows you are fit as hell.. The new haircut looks good..

Peter : I am getting used to the new hairstyle..

Kim : Shall we just buy this one.. And if you can get used to it.. Maybe wear it when we defend our Mixed Tag team championships?

Peter : It does look different than the other ones..

Kim : Right.. Call it your special occasion coveralls.. And what better special occasion than winning the titles.. I kinda like the sound of.. Your new SCW Mixed tag team champions.. Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn..

Kim looked at Peter and smiled.. He smiled as well, nodding..

Peter : I guess I will try it..

Kim : Bring the old ones too.. If you don’t feel like it.. Don’t wear them.. Go change and we can get these paid for..

Kim sat back down on the chair and it did not take Peter long at all this time around to get changed back into his favorite coveralls. Kim had been looking around on twitter finding that their opponents are the really quiet kind.. Even the ones that are usually loud and obnoxious seem to have forgotten they have a match at all.. It was getting a bit annoying to be honest but hey unprepared opponents always made for good punching bags anyway.. She scrolled around on twitter laughing at some of the stereotypical drama and rolling her eyes even more so at the amount of stupid subtweets.. Add them if you want their attention so badly.. She heard Peter opening the curtain and he stood there with a nicely folded bundle in his hand which are the new black coveralls and was wearing the old faithful..

Kim : Ready to go..

Peter : Yes..

Kim took the coveralls and headed for the register and held her hand up as Peter wanted to protest..

Kim : Nah uh.. I said it before I am getting you these..

The lady at the cash register could not figure it out.. The man in the coveralls and the punk rock chick with the torn jeans and the multi colored hair.. Kim placed the coveralls on the counter and grabbed her card from her phonecase.

Lady : Did you find it all

Kim : Yes we did..

Kim paid for the coveralls even with Peter grumbling in protest in the background.. They were put into a bag and Peter snatched it before Kim could so he could carry them himself. They headed out of the store and went back inside the mall and they talked as they walked..

Peter : When are you leaving for Scotland..

Kim : Later today I want to be there on time to get some sightseeing in as well.. I love going to historical places and not just wrestle there but learn about the history.. Last time we were in Romania.. I went to the castle that was said to be Vlad the Impalers, the one that inspired the movies.. And I went to the actual one with Demona.. Was a lot of fun.. This time I am going to Bannockburn and I am going to visit the actual battleground that inspired so many movies and stories..

Peter smiled at her as she rattled on..

Kim : I am sorry.. I am a bit of a history nerd.. Old world history mostly..

Peter : I can tell and totally fine..

Kim : Let’s grab another coffee before we both go back to the madness..

So it was that about fifteen minutes later Kim was sitting next to Peter and she grabbed her phone and spoke once more..

Kim : Mixed Tag Team championship is on the line and the whole lot of you are quiet like mice.. Everyone and their mother is on social media showing how ready they are.. Talking shit and getting ready to board the ship.. Have some fun on board and all that but nothing.. Do you guys even remember that we are going on a cruise?

Peter : Would not surprise me if they didn’t..

Kim : Would not surprise me either but damn.. The company is nice enough to hire a gigantic cruiseship.. Throw the biggest bash of the summer and….

Kim looked at Peter and shrugged..

Kim : Crickets.. Nothing.. Really..

Peter : How disappointing..

Kim : I know right.. As you can see.. We are ready.. Peter got himself a new look.. Some new threads.. His body is definitely swimming pool ready.. Mine is swimming pool ready.. We are all set so.. Why are you guys being such duds.. I mean for crying out loud there is gold on the line.. at least half of you are gold hungry little buggers.. I know more than one of you has been craving some gold strapped around their waist so what is going on here..

Kim grabbed her coffee and took a sip..

Kim : But hey.. Go ahead and slouch.. makes it easier for us to become the New Mixed Tag Team Champions of the World…. The Saviors.. Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn.. 

Peter : I love how that sounds..

Kim : Me too! Here is to us Peter.. And may we reign long and prosperous!

Peter : Saviors..

Kim : Always!

They toasted with their coffees before Kim turned to the camera again..

Kim : I am not a patient or a forgiving woman.. If you are not doing your share of promoting and working for this match ladies.. Bet on me making you pay for it. I do not care for the excuses.. You have had plenty of time to speak up and none of you have so far.. You had better get to work or find yourself looking up at the clouds..

I am also not a kind woman to those that stand in my way.. Stand across from me and the goals I have set.. The goal here is the Mixed Tag Team Championship because my partner and stablemate so longs for that title to be added to his collection.. And for him.. I will make room to add one more to my own collection of titles.. You were warned.. And if you ignored the warning.. That right there just makes you too stupid to be a champion anywhere.. And we will be walking out victorious..

With that said the camera was turned off again and they finished their coffee.. Outside of the mall they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways until they would board the boat..

[Austin James Mercer]

Complicated

Why did we have to go and make things so complicated?

Austin sat at the edge of the small concrete loading dock near the large roller door leading into the gym. He let out a deep breath as if trying to push out every single piece of worry and stress that was on his shoulders out. But running through his mind all he could think of was her. Why was she there? Why did this all have to happen? Over the last few months he had become accustomed to being by himself and being alone. He socialized when he had to he talked to people when he felt the need to. But for the most part Austin James Mercer had become a loner. He did not actually need anyone or want anyone to join in his darkness and commiserate in the world that he had created around himself. He talked to his sister he talked to his kids, he talked to those he worked out with and who were his friends.

But, as far as letting anyone else into his life and letting them see the pain he was going through, well that didn't happen. Until recently. From the moment that Alicia had come to see him to the moment that she walked back out the door encouraging him to come back to the gym he had been thinking about her. He felt like he was foolish; he felt like it would not matter even if he did talk to her, the dark secret of his role in her husband's death and his role in Lisa’s death hung over him like a dark cloud. But, with that being said he still found himself sitting outside the gym his hands clasped together as he stared out into the field around the front where various trainees would do cardio work and explosive power workouts involving large truck tyres and sledgehammers. He took a deep breath and shook his head looking down but all he could think of was the wild blond hair, the blue eyes, the cherry red lips.Her hand grabbing a hold of his.He felt anger, anger at himself for even entertaining a thought that he and Alicia could be something more. What made it worse, what made this pain unbearable is that he was fairly certain she felt the same way.

Since they had that moment, they had electricity between them, Alicia had been different around him. She would run up to him say hello every single morning they would talk and for a few moments Austin would laugh and would feel free.Free of everything that he had been through over the last few years, free of all the loss that had followed him around from the moment he was born.Feeling abandoned, feeling thrown away, watching his loved ones die.All of this had weighed down upon him and changed him from a positive happy person to someone who was cynical and thought the world was nothing but a void being filled with people who had no idea when they were going to leave and be lost. But moments with her, laughing and smiling it made him feel alive, happy, human.

Looming up in front of him was the promise of a night with her. A dinner where they could talk about everything and try and work through their grief.At least, that's what he thought it was going to be.But being around each other seemed to help them with the grief it seemed to help them move forward just being able to talk to one another and act the way they had been. Various members of the gym had taken notice, Alex would look over at them and smile, happy that they had found each other and found that common ground. Others were amused but also skeptical of the two's relationship.And tonight, well tonight Austin would make her dinner. He pushed off his knees and got to his feet, grabbing his bag that had been sitting next to him.He looked over his shoulder at every one else cleaning up inside, including Alicia who shot him a small smile and a nod.He smiled back and turned making his way to the parking lot.He took a deep breath and got in, enjoying the small drive back to his home.His sister had taken the kids for a weekend away and the house seemed so empty again.

He swallowed hard, he was nervous.It was a strange feeling being nervous about this.It was just a dinner between two friends who had both lost someone close to them.But, he knew it could be more than that.The small glances between him and Alicia, the moments where they would talk privately between them and she would laugh at his jokes and he would laugh at hers.The fact that they both felt free when they talked to one another like they hadn't missed any time being friends while Austin had been in his own little pity party crusade.

He was deep in thought while he started to cook.Cooking always helped him focus it helped peel away all the awkwardness of the day. He looked over at the clock, a few hours had passed, a few hours where he focused on himself and tried to push down all the nerves, a few hours where he decided to make pesto chicken pasta dish, one he knew Alicia would like. As it finished he heard a knock on the door. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before pushing it out and turning towards the door, he popped the lock and opened it, and there she stood and at that moment he realized that this was less of two friends talking and more of two friends going on a date. She was dressed ina beautiful black dress, her makeup was done and her hair tied back.She held a bottle of wine in her hand and tilted her head with a grin as Austin suddenly felt very underdressed for the occasion. Wearing a tight black T shirt and jeans.

”Hey…” Her smile was bright, her mannerisms were relaxed. She was genuinely happy to be there with him.Austin smiled,a real smile.His heart lifted and he was happy to see her. ”Smells good…..I never knew you were an amatuer chef”

Austin scoffed, a dismissive move that he turned into a joke. ”To be honest with you, I know how to make this and spaghetti, two really easy things but my kids love them, so it’s pretty lucky…” He paused for a moment looking at her and studying her face her bright blue eyesand cheekbones that curled up into a flirtatious smile. ”I can also handle a mean phone and call for chinese or pizza”  Alicia chuckled, grabbing two wine glasses and popping open the bottle, she poured a glass for Austin and one for herself as he grabbed the frying pan moving the pasta and chicken in the sauce before plating it up into small bowls.

They moved through the house to the backyard, a small table sat outside as the sun started to go down. Alicia Took in a deep breath and relaxed as she sat down taking a sip of her wine. After some light conversation and eating they both sat back laughing. This is when things started to change. The light hearted meal becoming much more serious as Alicia tilted her head and leaned forward. ”So, how long do you think the grieving period lasts before you can…see someone?” Austin raised an eyebrow not wanting to presume anything as he was having some wine, he swallowed and Alicia quickly realized she should clarify. ”I mean…Michael and I weren’t together when he died. We…had broken up and had signed divorce papers…so…you know…”

She trailed off. Austin sat back and shook his head. It had been a year since Lisa had passed. Was that enough time? He knew what Alicia was getting at. And he wanted it. He wanted to see where this was going to go. But then a shot hit his heart, he couldn’t do this. Not until he was honest with her. He took a deep breath and sat back. ”I honestly don’t know. I suppose it depends on the person. I don’t know if I’m ready…or rather if I would be ready…”

He needed time, he needed time to formulate a way to tell her what had happened. Alicia though looked at him, tilting her head and looking as if a cloud of sadness had suddenly come over her head.Was she taking this as a rejection?

Austin sat forward, acting quickly to make sure she knew exactly what was in his mind. ”I don’t know what this is between us Alicia. But I do want to see where it leads. When I’m with you I feel….I don’t know.”

”Free?”

She felt the same way he did.Looking over at him with a smile they both seemed to be on the same wavelength.The problem was that Austin had guilt hanging over him. Guilt about Michael's death, guilt about how it all came together.And guilt about having feelings for someone when in his mind he would only ever love Lisa.What was between he and Alicia was not love but it was definitely something. ”Yeah…but…I….there’s something you need to know…”

Austin stood up, moving down onto the grass of the small back yard.Folding his arms over his chest as he looked up on to the deck, at Alicia.She got to her feet as well moving down onto the grass as they both stared right at each other.Time stood still for a moment and Austin's eyes became sad, his body language dropped as he felt the need and want to tell her everything.His voice trembled as he opened his mouth, but to his surprise Alicia reached out placing a finger on his lips and shaking her head. ”Not now…. She smiled. ”It can wait…we can wait”

She leaned toward him, putting her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.Austin took a deep breath in and instinctively wrapped his arms around her.And that is how they ended their night.Staring up at the star filled night.Holding each other. And it was as simple as that. Austin led himself feel.He let himself let go of the guilt. But for how long?

Tag teams everywhere.

Austin stood in the study of his house. His eyes trailing over everything, looking down his list of accomplishments and accolades. Looking at his championships. Or rather the replicas he got to keep. The honor world title, the WWH hellsgate title, the SCW world title and Internet titles. But one caught his eye. One that is relevant to this moment. His replica of the SCW mixed tag team titles.

”I remember when Tempest and I won those, well, I can’t speak on her feelings but mine were, mixed. To say the least. See, I was proud of what we accomplished. Proud of the dominance we had as a team. But, at the same time I was annoyed. Annoyed at the fact we honestly had very little competition because very few people cared about those titles, and cared about what those titles represented. It ball started with who we beat for them…”

“See, I want you to cast your minds back to who held them before me and Tempest. The Barnharts. Bill and Bea.”

“It was a joke, those titles became a joke. So Tempest and I chose to take them and raise them back up.”

“We took them and defended them and made them a prize. That is what the titles need now. They need champions. They need two dominant professionals who will make them mean something again. When she and I lost them, when Tempest and I watched another team walk away with those titles we hoped and prayed that they would be treated with the respect they deserve. But, they weren’t. Goth and Mercedes treated those titles like things to pad their resumes. Goth quickly disappeared and Mercedes retreated back into being an irrelevant shell of who she once was…”

Austin backs up and turns, sitting on the edge of his desk with a smirk, his brown hair flowing down over his eyes as his tattoos peak out from under the rolled u sleeves of his shirt.

”And very quickly, those titles disappeared. Goth and Mercedes lost them to Reckless Elite and the entire division shut down. The entire division guys. An entire part of a company got dissolved because of those teams. All because it was crushed when Tempest and I were no longer the ones with the division on our backs. And now, well now we are expected to do it again and I do love a challenge. And rebuilding thise shattered division, well. It is a challenge.”

“And looking at our competition, I bel;ieve she and I are the only two who can do it. We nare the only team in this match who have championship experience in this company. And Tempest and I picked up exactly where we left off. We got in the ring to earn our way into this fourway and we did it by clicking as the dominating force we were before we l;ost those titles.”

“But these three other teams, the six individuals against us. I can look at them and believe they have no idea what they’re going up against.”

“I know mAlexander Raven quite well. He and I wernt to war and he impressed me with his tenacity and his defence of his championship. I applauded him, I did. And I was able to respect what he was capable of and as a singles competitor. As a man who stands across the ring from you, one on one, well Alexander should never, ever be overlooked or underestimated. However, with that being said, Luna and Alexander as a team, well, they don’t measure up to us. Tempest could, and would eat Luna alive and Alexander knows damn well how dangerous I am.”

“I can admit though, they could walk away with the titles and I would be content in knowing they would at least try and make them worth something. I would just rather avoid the citation and take those titles ourselves.”

He laughs and shakes his head grumbling under his breath.

”But then there is the team of Oliver Zahn and Eiley. They seem oddly familiar. These upstart rookies who believe themselves to be the future. Well, if these two are the future then I don't want any part of where this business is going.It's nothing about their character, it's more to do with how they present themselves and their arrogance.I have earned my position in this company and so has Tempest.We have both done everything in our power to make any titles that we have held and any matches that we have been apart in feel important.Important for everyone involved.These twothey only want to promote themselves.They don't see the bigger picture.They don't see where this company needs to go and what the championships mean.They are simply…”

“Not ready.”

“I'm sure Oliver is going to bring up the match that he and I had, that is the problem with youth. They see things in fragments.They see things like a jigsaw puzzle but only focus on one piece at a time instead of the whole. And yes Oliver and I had a rather interesting match that ended with him being able to walk away and say that he got the best of a former Sin City Wrestling World Champion.But ,he never saw the best of me, he never saw the best of what I can do.And he along with his partner are going to be just a footnote in the history of those tag team championships.The worst parties I wish I was wrong.I wish these two rookies would stand up and be counted for and attempt to be the best that they can be.But they will, much like Luna and Alexander”

“fail.”

He shrugs and pushes off the desk stepping forward.

”Of course there is the final team in this clusterfuck of a match. We have the dark horses in Alexander and Luna, the rookies in Oliver and Eiley and then, well, then we have the veterans, the SAVIORS. What are they saving? Who lknows, I still haven’t figured that out. See, I know Kim Pain, I know what she has done, what she is capable of and I also know Peter Vaughn. I heard his name long before I ever saw him in person and in a very short amount of time Petter has shown us just how good he can be.”

“He is the Roulette champion and by the end of Summer Xxxtreme he could hold two championships. And you know…atleast he’s ready to EARN it.”

“But Kim and Peter, as good as they are individually, well, in this company, they still pale in comparison to us. Tempest is a beast, a large angry incredible athlete ready to rip arms off like wings off a fly. Luna, Eiley and Kim, well, they don’t match up at all. And me? People tend to forget what I’m capable of. They forget what I can do and my past. Former world champion, Internet champion, mixed tag team champion. I have a track record of greatness and it would be a huge mistake…”

“To underestimate us…”

[Luna Pasilno]

Ocean Blues
Scene One | On-Camera | 24th June 2023

“We’ve been thinking a lot lately. Alex and I. Thinking about what we actually want from life, thinking about the directions we want to move in. Happiness is first and foremost for us both, and something of a revelation has come from that. This business, it saps the happiness. It saps the desire, and it saps our love. Not for each other, but for ourselves. The inherent nasty nature, it is forever sapping of those who would do naught but offer their purity to it. In our love, we give our souls. We bare our flesh to the light, and it does naught but take. Failure is lauded, yet success is ignored. Success is hated for the fact it does not fit the story that they wish to tell. So we stand here, questioning. Alex with eyes on the horizon, gazing at other pastures. Fresh challenges and life beyond the stagnant. Myself? Regret. Regret for stepping into a world, that I perhaps just didn’t care for. Negativity breeds negativity, and two pessimists are forever swathed in the light of the negative. So, we wonder. We step towards that cruise ship, and we wonder.”

Luna is sitting at a small table outside of a bar. Sun streaming down, a pair of pints in front of her. She is sitting alone, but the other has had a mouthful taken from it. Her own, fingers linked through the handle and wrapping the glass. Her hair cascaded down around her shoulders, wavy and messy. Looking brushed by the wind and the sun itself. A light smile on her face, as she gazes up into the sun. Eyes hidden behind ridiculously large sunglasses with bright white frames.

“We wonder if it is worth it. Denial of success for others, to only be hated for it. To be not respected for the successes, but hated for the shortcomings. We acknowledge the success of others, and attack the failures of those who would slink away from the reality. I do not like Salco, but I can respect her beating me on the night. I do not like Alexandra, but I can respect her for shutting her mouth afterwards. Two paths to acceptance, and so many refuse to take either of respect. No, instead they belittle and mock. Those who are not clean of the stain of defeat, yet they are allowed their inability. Allowed to be lesser than. No one would dare mock Tempest, no one would dare mock Kim Pain. I’m certain none would mock dear Eiley either. No, they would not, and their partners in the journey will be upheld just the same. But us? The Conspiracy? Forever mocked for not being what they want us to be. Excuses of arrogance and bravado, yet we say nothing more or less than any one else. We are no less arrogant, we are no less full of bravado. We are just reflections of those who would pretend to be better than they are, and yet. Yet we stand here the villains. We stand her the bullied. The victims of the bullying. We are the ones who offer nothing but acceptance and self-love, yet are fucking hated for it. I wonder, truly. I wonder why we why continue to step forward.”

“But then, as I sit in the sun. Soaking in the day, and poisoning my body with more and more alcohol than the previous. I remember. My vices are those that drive me. My vices are those that make me want to step into the future and continue to succeed. My vices are those that make my self-love possible, and my desire to show others that they too can live happily within their vices. Moderation is the power of the vain, yet the fine line must be walked. So, despite the vitriol. Despite the hatred, the mockery and the deceit. We continue to step forward. We continue to walk into the sun and allow it soak into our aching souls. We continue to walk forward so that those who are so unsure of themselves will always have something to hate. Because that is our role, isn’t it? To be the focus of the ire of those who wish to hate us. To hate those of us with the confidence to be accepting of our place. Of our role. To hate us, for not being them. For wanting to be free of the constraints of the conformity. To free us all of the delusions. The lies. To show the power of your own love.”

Her smile slowly slips away, as she raises the glass to her mouth. Taking in a deep, long mouthful. Her eyes snap open, a warmth to her gaze. Happiness dancing behind the seeming distance in them. She runs a hand up the back of her head, bunching her hair up. Holding it in a loose mess bun at the back of her head. She pulls a hair tie from her wrist, tying it quickly. Leaving it a loose bun, but free from her face. A few loose strands drifting down her forehead.

“The virtual unknowns, is what we are becoming. Those who every time we step into the ring it is once again for the first time. There was a group of people I expected to see across from us on the Princess Cruise. Miles and Alexandra. Carter and Angelos. Hell, in some twist of fate, I somehow expected the lovers themselves, the Barnharts, to weasel their way here. Yet instead, we get the former champions. Austin and Tempest. Peter Vaughan in his arrogance thinks he can pull double duty and still walk away the king of the mixed tag division. Kim Pain, someone who also feels my pain at having lost to the arrogant cunt that is Jessie Salco. The woman who bases her entire personality on suffocating the younger women in her life, and pretending that her ten years is anything special. We both felt the sting of defeat against her, and that makes us… something of kindred spirits. Only somewhat however. No, the bigger connection, is a desire. A desire to be seen as more than they were currently are. To be seen better than our failures.To be seen as people beyond our failings. Yet there in lies the difference, isn’t it Kim? For they won’t mock you, like they mock me. They won’t spit upon you, in the same way they spit on me. And whilst I wouldn’t normally care. It has begun to drain upon the psyche somewhat. That those who are just as fucking useless as we seem to be, are continually give opportunity and love. Yet us, The Conspiracy. We are spited for simply existing. For doing nothing more than wanting to change the rhetoric. To punish the bullies for their behaviours. Yet mockery is what is given us, and love is what is given you.”

“So, before I talk about the terrifying Tempest. Before I talk about the nobody that is Eiley. You get my focus, my ire. My hatred. Kimberly Pain.”

She reaches into the pocket of her shirt. A yellow, loose fitting shirt. A light shirt, with flowery print all over it. Tucked tightly into the waistband of her jeans, cinched tightly around the waist. She removes a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, placing them on the table. As if on cue, a man swings open the front door and brings another round of beers. Eyeing the one opposite her and shaking his head. He places another light amber coloured beer in front of her, picking up the other beer. He bumps his hip against her shoulder rather brusquely. The same eyes on both of them. Similar features, the same cold gaze. She pulls a cigarette free and lights it, a roll of the eyes from the tall barman. He turns away and returns inside, leaving her to herself.

“Family, was what made me want to do this. Did you know that Kim? I don’t think many would really know. Alex and his family, they were our family. Not in the weird Alabama way. We’re not that repulsive. My brother and I, James. Our parents weren’t the nicest of people. Neither were the Rabenschwarz, but they cared for us. Took both James and I when we needed shelter from the beatings. From the abuse. From the screaming, the yelling. A freedom from the pain. I was madly in love with Alex back then. A teenager’s love. More based in the moment than the future. Not really understanding the difference between lust and love. Between desire and needing to be desired. Young kids, often stuck together. But I always looked up to them both. Alex and James. My boyfriend and my brother. And they were best friends too. With desires and goals. James was the first. A man of another time, stepping into the ring first. James Phenomenal. Arrogance was something of a necessity for him. The Baracuda. Probably shouldn’t have let the eighteen year old name themselves, but there he was. The Baracuda, James Phenomenal. Seeing his name in the lights. Battling the likes of Axel Vengeance, Ace Static, Corey Bull. Names of an older era. Names not often thought of anymore. The Alexander Remingtons and Stygians of the world. These were the people we watched with fascination. Not the Kimberly Pains and Peter Vaughns. Not the Austin James Mercers and Tempests of the world. And most definitely not the Eiley and Oliver Zahn’s of the world. No we were looking upon a whole different level of success. And it was inevitable. It was inevitable that we would take that leap too.”

“I was last. Much later than the rest. I watched three men I loved, go through the pain of this world. First James, then Leon and finally Alex. Love may not accurately describe it. For James, it always was love. Love for my bigger brother. Love for the man who stood between the world and me. Who stood between the torrid hate when I was making terrible decisions. The man who called me out on my bullshit when I broke Alex’s heart. When I pushed him into the arms of another. When I fell into the drugs, vices and bad behaviours that Leon took me to. Leon wasn’t truly love. Fascination, excitement. Danger. A bad boy for a girl who didn’t think herself worthy of the purity of the attachment she had. Doubt is a powerful motivator. Which is why it leads us here. Kimberly Pain, Tempest and Eiley. Vulnerability isn’t a weakness, yet I feel this group cannot acknowledge that. Women so focused on their own power and supremacy, that they lack the foresight to understand what humility can do for them. Lack the humility to understand the power of self-love. Of their vanity. I understand the backwards logic if it. The backwards understanding, but a moment of thought shows an infinite future.”

She slips the lighter back into her shirt pocket, as she takes a long drag on it. The burning ember flaring brightly in the sun. Fingers wrapping around the glass once more, slipped through the handle. Shaking her head slightly, she extends her other hand out in front of her. Wiggling her fingers.

“It is truly unfortunate the group that lay before us. A perfect world would have had, Austin and Tempest, Miles and Alexandra, and Carter and Angelos before us. A perfect world, for in it, utter redemption for all shortcomings and failures. A chance for Alex to put down both Austin and Miles once more. To show their stint with the top of the card was a failure of decision. A chance for me to once again silence the snivelling bitch that is Alexandra Calaway. No excuse of a concussion this time. No excuse for her inability to be the veteran she claimed. A chance for both Alex and I to redeem our short-step against Team GO. To get one up and over both  Carter and Angelos. To show that their previous success was naught but a chance fluke of fate. Yet, instead. Instead we get this. Tempest, Eiley and Pain. Mercer, Zahn and Vaughn. An embarrassing field, to be truthful. It must be truly upsetting that the favourites to win this, aren’t the former champions. Aren’t the powerhouse team of veteran talents in Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn. Not even Oliver Zahn and Eiley. No, the favourites. The ones most likely to win. Alexander Raven and Luna Vanity. The Cospiracy. How much it must burn, how much it must churn the waters of despair. The quivering of the foundations, if you will. We are the ones who will see the success to its fulfillment. We are the ones that will see  the mixed tag crowns taken to the heights they deserve. We are the ones who will take all of the hate, all of the vitriol. All of the resentment and make it our own. Make it our power. Make it our success. And in it, show the love we are offering. Show the success we are willing to offer to any who would simply reach up and take it. To silence us, for that is what they always wish. What do you think, Tempest?”

“This isn’t your first time on this rodeo. This isn’t the first time you’ve been offered the opportunity to take the tandem crowns. Perhaps in the hardest circumstances, but still not the first. You and Austin James know the taste of success. Both together and separately. Passionate and wanting to redeem. Austin failed to take out Carter. Failed to finish things with Miles. Even failed to stop the unending insufferability of Michael Harris. So Austin has everything to gain. Dedication, and spite will take him to the heights he needs. So, do you feel confident being the failure at his side? When he takes another step backwards, another loss. When he collapses because you were unable to stop the others. Do you feel confident in yourself at his side? Do you feel confident in being the one to step up and take down all others? To outthink a field of better wrestlers, and smarter persons. I wonder, Tempest. For I don’t think you have that bravado. I don’t think you have that confidence. To run the risk of being the reason that Austin James fails against Alexander Raven again. To run the risk of being another reason that Austin James Mercer sinks further into obscurity. I don’t think you could look yourself in the mirror if you were another reason for his descent into madness. I wonder Tempest. Are you truly ready?”

She stops wiggling her fingers and shakes her head. Slowly tapping the cigarette ash into an ashtray on the table. Her legs seemingly restless, she springs up onto her feet. Beginning to pace with slow laborious steps side to side next to the table. Her head turned downwards, looking down at her own feet as she moves. Back and forth. Slowly.

“Eiley. I’ll be honest. I didn’t do my due diligence this time around. I didn’t do my research. I have no idea who you are. I have no idea what you want. I have no idea why you even wanted to be here. Yet, here you are. Full of bravado. Full of arrogance. Full of vim and vigour. I can hear it in my head. The words. The mockery. Because that is all people have. Mockery. Nobody has a unique thought. Nobody has another confident in others, because being confident in your opponents. No that would show a weakness. A weakness that you can’t allow, isn’t that right? A weakness that would undermine everything you aim to show. Bullies are bullies because of their own insecurity. This is something we are taught as children. Bullies are bullies because they do not know any other way to be. Bullies are bullies because it allows them to hide their own inferiority behind a mask of superiority. Yet, every single bully wishes for that which they aim to steal from their victims. Eiley, you strike me as such. Someone so unsure of herself, that a mask of superiority must be dawned. Love for self that is nothing but a mask, is as impure as the lust I held that took me down a path I wish never to see again. Lack of self-love made me hurt those around me. Made me fail those around me. Lack of self-love is what bullies have. Lust for what others have, and a desire to steal it. Yet you cannot steal something that isn’t someone else's to give. You cannot take what you must grow within yourself. So I ask you, Eiley. Are you ready to face up to that which lays before us? Can you find that of which you need to love within yourself, in order to be on the level of those who would take everything from you? Or are you reliant upon the success of another. Do you have wild confidence in Oliver Zahn, and in that a confidence in your own failures being hidden from view. I do not know, Eiley. For like I said. I lacked my due diligence this weak. Honesty is the best policy, and perhaps my honesty will be my undoing. Yet I continue to stare you down. As I do Tempest, and as I will Kim Pain. I continue to watch before me, for I know success lays there. Not in the past. But in the future to come.”

“And so that brings me back to you, once more. Kimberly Pain. The woman who I think actually has her eyes in the right place. A confident woman, if not a bit misguided. There is ever this assumption in this cesspool. That the past, is greater than the future. That those who stand first, will continue to lead the way for the new. Yet you gave up, didn’t you Kim? Walked away from it all. Allowed the bullying to push you away. Do you come back to us now, a stronger woman? Do you come back to us now, with eyes set to a future alongside your man? To a future alongside Peter Vaughn. Alongside the Saviours? Are you fearful, Kim? I wonder if this is an escape for you. A way to slither away from it all. A way to hide behind someone who you hold in greater confidence than yourself? I wonder, truly. Do you have your eyes set on a greater tomorrow? For I know what I must do. I know what I need to do. I’ve learnt my faults, and stepped past my mistakes. I have no problem acknowledging my areas of lack. Years of experience seems to be a problem to overcome, yet not an insurmountable task. There will always be people younger, better and stronger. There will always be older, more experienced and rugged. The truth however, comes down to those three seconds. Doesn’t it? The truth comes down to who has more grit, more intensity and more integrity in those three seconds. The slap of the mat, the ringing of the bell. It takes only a moment for everything to change. Are you ready for that Kim? Are you ready to watch on, unable to stop it. Knowing that failure takes you both. That Peter has been forced into double jeopardy. That the Saviours continue to fail on all fronts. That each time they are offered success, they come up short. Only one remains a king. Only one remains on top. Peter Vaughn. Lucky for you. Lucky that you have the one success in those failing old men and women. Lucky that you have the chance to shine, not by your own merit. But by the power and work of another. For that is what lays before us, isn’t it? You pave the way for Vaughn to do the hard work. To stand against the juggernaut in Austin James. To silence the uppity prick Oliver Zahn. To embarrass Alexander Raven. That just happens to be the world before us, isn’t it? Paving the way for those who will break our necks if it so suited them. Paving the way for those who spit upon our broken bodies when we fail them. Are you willing to do anything to be just another stepping stone in their success?”

Luna shakes her head, laughing a little. A deep breath, a heavy exhale. She turns and puts the cigarette out in the ash tray roughly, crushing it down. Slowly she runs her hands down her sides, smoothing her shirt down, before resting her hands on her hips. Squeezing tightly. Her eyes closed once more.

“For me, this isn’t just an opportunity to shut up the naysayers. For me this isn’t just a way to get gold around our waists once more, though it is an important part. No. For me this is showing that I am worthy. I am worthwhile. That the confidence I place in myself is worth it. I talked about how we took this journey together. My brother, my darkness and my lover. My brother walked away, my darkness forced away. Yet my lover remains. Through it all, Alex has stayed. Distance took us for a time, but we always came back together. We always came to an understanding. So when I saw him, rising to success. Rising to the top of the pile and becoming the king he always wanted to. I knew, that I couldn’t just sit there and watch. I had to become part of the process. I had to become part of it all. I do this to prove that I am equal to them. Not just equal, but that I am better than those who would deny it. Better than those who would bully, belittle and beat down. We were thinking a lot. Thinking about how this place saps the happiness. How it takes everything from us. And we need to change that. We will be the change we wish to see. We won’t let them take our happiness anymore. We won’t let them sap away the good and confident. We will stand against that tide. And we will show them all. The Conspiracy is here to stay. The Conspiracy is here to eradicate all the bullies. All the arrogant. All the failures. We are better than we were, and we will be better in the future. We can only go up, and we refuse to be the mistakes we made. Understand that.”

She smiles, lifting the beer to her mouth once more. Drinking it all down in one go. Her head tilted back just right to let it all slide down in rapid time. Two, maybe three seconds to scull the entire pint and then she lowers it. Smiling once more.

“We are coming to change things up. We are coming to ensure that people understand what it is we are here for. The Conspiracy is here to change things, and we start that by taking the Mixed Tag Team Championships. Honesty, and truth. We will be the paragons of that mentality. The martyrs for self-love. Those who will stop the bullying. Cleanse the arrogance. We will be the change we wish to see. I promise you that. For there is nothing that we won’t do to ensure that we stop the liars. To stop the naysayers. There is nothing we won’t do to win.”

The door to the bar opens again, Alexander Raven walking out. His arms around the waist of Luna, and then a raised eyebrow.

“Where’s my beer?”

She sighs, shakes her head.

And then…

Darkness.

Silence.

Nothing.

[Tempest]

Las Vegas, Nevada
Current

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It's Maile."

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

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

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

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

Instead she asked, "What happened?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Los Angeles, California
Port of Los Angeles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She nodded her head.

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

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

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

She shrugged.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She jetted out a lower lip and nodded.

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

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

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

She drew in a breath and chuckled.

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

She shook her head with an almost sadistic chuckle.

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

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

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

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

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

[Eiley]

OFF CAMERA
Location:
Date:Thursday, June 22, 2023
 

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Eiley had left the previous Climax Control immediately following her match and flew back to Hawaii to meet back up with Kaleb to spend more time on his boat. She hadn’t expected to not care so much about the fact that she had lost her match but it hadn’t really mattered to her; not as much as her opponent had tried to state that it did. And she did not try as hard as her stupid opponent thought she had. It hadn’t mattered to her because she was going to go back on the boat and spend a few days on the ocean in the sun. She had been thankful that Kaleb had been thoughtful enough to stock the downstairs with food and had been happy to stop if needed.

But now it was Thursday, and she knew that needed to get focused for the match that she and Oz had at Summer XXXtreme. She couldn’t be the one to fuck up their careers that were intertwined; it was one thing to do it to her own career, but she didn’t want to do it to Oz’s. She wasn’t that selfish. She sighs as she walks through the beach of Kaneohe, carrying her shoes in one hand after being let off on the shore. She sighs as she looks around, squinting as the bright sunlight hits her eyes. It was around noon and she had to find a way to get to Mikah’s gym, get dressed, and work on something other than putting suntan lotion on.

The sand felt nice on her feet and she didn’t mind that she was still in her black bikini and a pair of shorts over the bottoms that were unbuttoned. She smiles to herself as she thinks about all the time that she had been spending on the boat with Kaleb. She continues to walk along the beach, enjoying the warmth of the sun and lost in her own little world when she stops as she sees Oz laying in a chair on the beach. His clothes gave her the impression that he was still up from the previous night of partying, but with the sunglasses over his eyes she couldn’t tell if he was actually conscious. He didn’t move at all as she approached, but once she was close enough to try and nudge him with her foot, he spoke up without stirring in his chair.

○OZ “I figured if I hung out on the beach long enough eventually you would show up.”

His voice cracked, likely from a night of partying. It almost sounded like he had been inhaling sand all evening the night before. However, from having partied with him before, she knew it was probably just a side effect.

○OZ “I would have thought that you would be staying away from boats being that we are about to get trapped on one with all of our co-workers for a week.”

She looks at him, her eyebrows raised for a moment as she processes his words. She just shrugs her shoulders as she looks him over, letting her eyes wander over him, shamelessly.

•EILEY “You weren’t wrong because here I am.”

She doesn’t seem too worried about the fact that she had been literally out of reach for practically everybody. She didn’t really care to think about what she was missing out on while she had been out of reach. She chuckles softly at his words, her eyes dancing with amusement.

•EILEY “I’m not too worried about being trapped on a cruise liner with our…co-workers for a week. There are ways to get away from people on that ship. Plus, there’s also other people that will be on the ship that aren’t our co-workers. Fans or whatever.”

She had not really put too much thought into the cruise liner, if she was going to be honest. It didn’t bother her too much to think that she was going to be stuck on a large ship with many amenities. It could possibly provide her with other opportunities as well.

•EILEY “Are you sure that you can handle being around a lot of people? I remember how you said you don’t like attention. It will be hard to be…invisible on that ship.”

She gives him a smile as she fidgets with her shorts, debating on re-buttoning them but in the end, leaves them alone.

○OZ “Kris kind of forced me to give up on being anonymous. The dude laid me out in the middle of the ring and turned me into a meme. People know me as ‘that guy Kris knocked out’ as soon as they lay eyes on me.”

She could tell that the loss of his anonymity was a sore spot for him. It was understandable given that the two of them had made a living off of being able to go unnoticed by everyone around them.

○OZ “I can’t be too upset. He has caused me to have to level up my game. I have to try three times as hard to walk away with half the normal haul at the end of the night.”

He reaches into the pocket of his unbuttoned shirt, and pulls out a roll of cash. She had gotten pretty good at being able to eyeball and estimate the value of the rolls through all of their travels together, and he wasn’t lying. It was lighter than normal, but he couldn’t really complain a whole lot. Realistically, it was still some of the easiest money they could make.

○OZ “The Summer XXXtreme boat is different though. Being trapped for a week with the people I am trying to steal from doesn’t sound smart. There is no exit strategy. We’re stuck. I guess that makes it more of a vacation than a work thing.”

She runs her fingers through her hair, watching him before shifting her weight a little bit in the sand. She was used to the uneven ground but that didn’t mean that she was comfortable all the time on it.

•EILEY “The vacation life could be nice. And for what it is worth, if anything, I don’t know you as the guy that Kris knocked out.”

She was not sure it was much of a consolation prize because she had known him before either of them had been involved in SCW. She also wasn’t trying to make it sound like it was a consolation prize, either.

•EILEY “I am sure that there are still ways to get around it on the ship. It would definitely be a lot harder, and would probably have to involve disguises of some sort. But I wouldn’t say that it’s impossible.. Could even be considered thrilling, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

She’d had close(ish) calls before and while that would have stopped other people from continuing on, it only seemed to make her want to continue on. She chalked it up to that same feeling of the thrill of the chase.

•EILEY “But I also don’t think getting in trouble before the big match would be ideal…”

She looks at him again before adjusting her bikini top a little bit.

○OZ “Big match…”

The two words made him laugh sarcastically. He had gotten disenchanted with the whole idea of competing for Sin City after his last outing.

○OZ “Everytime I go out there alone, I get my ass absolutely handed to me whether I win, or I lose. I don’t think it would be all that bad if I got caught lifting things off of fans. It would probably get me fired and save me a lifetime of nonsensical beatdowns.”

It was a bit overdramatic, but she could understand why he would feel that way. The games that Oz usually ran were low risk. Most of the time, nobody would even think to lay a finger on him. However, all of that changed in Sin City. People squared up first, and asked questions never. That is the most radical part of the lifestyle change for Oz.

○OZ “I mean it is not even like I really wanted to be here originally. I got sent here. Maybe I should just walk away and stop trying to make the best of it.”

She listens to him and could understand where he was coming from. It was not nearly as fun going out there and losing compared to winning. She had lost her match against whatshername and while it didn’t feel the best, she really didn’t care. Nobody could win every single match they were in.

•EILEY “Every time? And I didn’t take you to be a quitter, Oll-Oz.”

The two were both seemingly competitive but in different ways. She preferred to be more discreet about it.

•EILEY “I don’t think every match has been a disaster, has it? The one where we teamed together seemed to go okay…”

She had been pretty much disconnected from anything SCW related for a few weeks. And disconnected from people, as well. She couldn’t seem to keep any connection with anybody, except Kaleb. But she knew that whatever it was with Kaleb wasn’t real; she didn’t feel anything real with him. He didn’t make her feel anything other than normal feelings. It wasn’t the same sort of feelings she had around Oz. But she wasn’t going to admit that outloud to anybody.

•EILEY “But if you’d rather give up, I guess that’s your choice. It’s just something I can hold over your head.”

She scrunches her nose at him with a smirk on her face. She didn’t mind if was taunting him in a sense, if it worked.

○OZ “Maybe you just haven’t had the target painted on your back like I have. Things seem cool because even when you lose, you get complimented. You come up a little short, and still get to walk away. On the other hand, even when I have won, I’ve lost.”

It was the kind of self-pity that she wasn’t used to hearing from him. Usually Oz was the perpetual optimist. He was always trying to work some new angle to make every situation eventually go his way. She almost didn’t believe that it was possible for Sin City to have beaten that out of him already.

○OZ “I’m not saying that I’m not showing up. I’m not saying that I am not going to compete or anything like that. Imma be there, but not because of Sin City. I wouldn’t send you out there alone. I don’t want to leave you hanging. That’s really what matters. We have been partners a lot longer than we have been in SCW. That won’t change.”

There was a small glimpse of something positive under the surface, but it didn’t sound like he actually believed the sentiment. Maybe he was just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear.

○OZ “It just feels like it is going to be a lot less fun than what our lives used to be.”

She listened to him, keeping pretty much a straight face through his entire little speech or whatever and she could understand where he was coming from. Before SCW, they had been pretty much anonymous and could do whatever they wanted. They weren’t under a microscope like they seemed to be in SCW. And he’d had a rough few matches and had essentially, made enemies with Kris at one point, even if it seemed to be in the past now.

•EILEY “What is it you told me when we first ran into each other in Honolulu?”

She raises her eyebrows at him and taps her index finger against her lips. She looks down at him before choosing to sit next to him in the sand. She couldn’t really remember everything about that night but she had remembered that originally, they hadn’t gotten off on the right foot right away.

•EILEY “You had stated that you weren’t going to let anybody drag you down. Of course, that was you talking about De–not about SCW. But it can still apply here.”

She didn’t want to say the name as it usually sent her in some sort of spiral. She hadn’t touched or even thought about London or what had happened there. Out of mind was a better way to deal with it. She gives him a kind smile before tossing some sand at him.

•EILEY “Don’t let the idiots in SCW drag you down, Olly. You’re better than they are.”

She takes a breath and looks away from him and back out to the ocean. They were both making revelations about how they felt about one another.

○OZ “I don’t really care about them. I care about myself.”

That was about as honest he could be about the situation. Of course, it sounded a lot worse than he meant it without some kind of clarification.

○OZ “I have spent the majority of my life trying to avoid getting stomped out. Now that shit happens on a near nightly basis. It’s not like I have ever been afraid to square up. I don’t hate having to fight my way out of situations. The problem is, even when I win, I lose. I think I could do a lot better for myself by not having to eat a beatdown every Sunday.”

She opens her mouth to correct him, but he cuts her off.

○OZ “Yeah, I know. Not EVERY Sunday, but close enough. I can’t help but feel like my talents are being under-used, and my face is getting over-abused.”

He didn’t want to inspire her to pity him as well though, so he attempts to shift the conversation away from himself.

○OZ “Which I guess makes teaming with you a better deal for me. No matter who rearranges my face, I will still be standing next to you. On occasion, you are good looking enough for the both of us. As a champion, probably even moreso.”

She expected the backhanded compliment, it was something he was rather good at doing. But it doesn’t stop her from rolling her eyes just the same.

•EILEY “Look, you’re on good terms with Kris now. I don’t think you have to worry about that anymore. And before you say that it has happened from other people, it’s just the beginning of your career. Do you think that everybody starting out had an easy go at it?”

She raises her eyebrows at him. She was not used to this type of behavior from him and he was the one that usually talked her into things.

•EILEY “I’m definitely more attractive than you. And I have the endorsement from the next World Heavyweight champion, so I’m pretty sure that means more..”

She gives him a small wink.

•EILEY “But if you want to continue this little poor me party, go ahead. But…I’m going to go to the gym. Or something. I need out of this bikini.”

She carefully stands up and brushes the sand off of the backs of her legs and from the back of her shorts and then pulls them back up as they had drifted down, due to not being buttoned.

○OZ “I could help you out of the bikini, but I think that is frowned upon at the gym.”

The words come out in a completely flat tone, just like the rest of everything he has said. It makes it near impossible to know if it was just some off-color joke he was making or a serious declaration of interest. It wasn’t like he was going to let her dwell on the answer to that question though.

○OZ “Then again, knowing who owns the place, probably not. I have already heard a bunch of wild stories backstage at Climax Control. Makes me feel a little dirty about everyone saying we are the new versions of them.”

For the first time, the sound of his voice actually shows just a pinch of interest. He pushes the bridge of his sunglasses down his nose, revealing his eyes. They weren’t nearly as bloodshot and tired as Eiley expected them to be.

○OZ “Although, I am pretty sure they never got beaten as a team. If we can be that good, maybe not everything will suck in the long run.”

She was trying her best to not let his comments affect the color of her cheeks. It wasn’t like it bothered her, but it was a natural reaction.

•EILEY “Knowing those two, they’d probably encourage you to help me out of the bikini.”

She knew that she probably wasn’t too far off, either. Eiley was also the type that did not really want to believe that all of the stories about their mentors were true but she had a feeling that they were true. But she didn’t want to dwell too long on that, not wanting to draw the comparisons either. Not that too many could be made backstage between her and Oz.

•EILEY “And we’d probably be lucky enough to be as good as they were as a team, honestly. I’ve watched some of their matches on old tapes, and it is practically scary at how well they worked together. And still work together.”

She just shrugs before smirking a little bit as she looks at Oz, letting her eyes wander a bit before she looks back out at the ocean.

•EILEY “I probably don’t need help out of the bikini…but the gym attire later…”

She doesn’t finish her sentence as she starts walking up the beach, leaving Oz there. It takes a few seconds for her words to really sink in, and then he takes another few struggling with himself about whether or not to follow. Eventually his cool and calm demeanor lose the battle, and he rises out of the chair.

○OZ “I should probably join you then.”

He looks back at the chair before discarding his stolen sunglasses on it and sprinting through the sand to catch up to her.

○OZ “....because if we are actually going to win, we should probably take this more seriously than we did the qualifier. We need to make it out of the gym ahead of Kris and Mikah this time though. I’m not trying to get locked in again.”

She chuckles to herself as he easily catches up to her and she just shrugs her shoulders at him.

•EILEY “It wasn’t too bad last time.”

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ON CAMERA
Location: --.
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023

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“One loss means nothing to me. If you want to be technical, it’s two losses as  my Blast From the Past partner got pinned by J2H in the first round which by association, I have that loss in my win loss record. But I technically didn’t sign a contract till after that match. So, in my eyes it is almost like that match and that loss doesn’t matter nor count to my record here in SCW. But the loss last week to whatshername? I don’t think I can expunge that from my record but I still do not care about it. And that stupid, ugly bitch wants to think that I actually tried, kudos to her. But she doesn’t know what it’s actually like when I try to win a match. Because that? That was me barely trying to do shit. And she can continue to be butthurt about it, because she is a nobody and does not matter to me. And that’s all I’m going to say about her. Because my match on the ship is going to be more important because it’s for the mixed tag team championships.

These championships are being brought back after a little over a year of being terminated because nobody could beat Mikah and Kris. They retired the championships after they both beat everybody that challenged for the belts. And it’s fitting that Mikah and Kris are mine and my partner’s mentors. It is almost like they brought these championships back for Oz and I once it came out that he and I were trained by the best of the best. It’s almost like it’s fate that we won our match against Alexandra Callaway and Miles Kasey. It was almost like the higher ups had wrapped the win for us and handed it over to us, wanting Oz and I to advance to this match coming up in a week. And I can’t really say that I blame the; I’d want Oz and I in the final match for the championship match. I wouldn’t bet against us but that’s just me, being biased on what I know that Oz and I can do in the ring.

Is this me, tooting my own horn so to speak? Yes, because I can and I feel that it’s appropriate. I’ve been nothing short of impressive since signing my contract with SCW. I have only suffered one loss and that’s because I didn’t even care to try to win. I didn’t care about it enough to try as I was busy trying to focus all of my energy on this match for Summer XXXtreme. Silly? Maybe, but this match is more important than a silly little singles match against somebody who doesn’t matter. Because you know what does matter? Oz and I as a team.

I’ll be honest, Oz and I took a while to get on the same page and sometimes, we still aren’t really on the same page when it comes to outside of the ring. We both have different…ideas but we both know what’s important once we step foot in that ring. And we know what we want out of it and how we need to go about it. We can’t let things that do not have to do with competing affect the way we are in the ring. You know who else was really good at keeping things that didn’t matter out of the ring? Mikah. So it is only fitting that I, her prestigious student, picked up on that mannerism from her. Oz and I do not have to see eye to eye when we’re not in the ring because that’s not practical; nobody is going to agree on everything, that’s just not how the world works. Because if it did work that way, the world wouldn’t be going to shit and everything would just be peaceful. But it is not that way, and Oz and I have learned that early on. We know what to bring to the ring and what to keep bottled up in the back.

As for our opponents, which there are plenty of them in this match and it’s definitely going to be a struggle to keep everything straight, I think they’re going to chalk Oz and I up to being the rookies that we are and not count us for shit. They’re not going to believe that we have it in us to win. We are the youngest in this match and we might even be the youngest in the company, I’m not sure. But that doesn’t mean that what we’re bringing to the match isn’t worth taking note of. I have a feeling that we’re going to be under looked and not even be anything more than an afterthought. But the most fun thing about that is going to be proving everybody that we’re facing wrong. Proving them that we are the team to beat because we are the ones that are going to be coming prepared.

I’ve looked at the teams that Oz and I are booked against and they seem solid. Tempest and Austin James Mercer have held these championships before, so they’re obviously going to be the biggest challenge in the match because they’re going to know how it operates. But it isn’t going to be impossible to beat them. Because the card said that they were former champions, which means that they aren’t unbeatable. And just like Oz and myself, they’re also going to be fighting for the championships. Plus, I believe Oz has a little bit of a thing to settle with Austin, so I’m not sure that they have what it takes to walk out of this match as champions.

Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn could be another big threat when it comes to this match. They might be another wild card in this match. But Peter Vaughn might be a little exhausted from his first match in the night to be able to focus too heavily on the match at hand. He’s involved in a triple threat match for his roulette championship against Miles Kasey and The Troll and that match has all the potential to take most, if not all of his energy. Kim, however, could be the one to carry this team. I know a little bit about her; Mikah told me as much as she could be bothered to remember about her. Of course, Mikah’s information about Kim comes from years ago, but how different could it be? People do not change the way that they compete in the ring that often and she did prepare me enough to tell me that Kim was good at submission holds. But here’s something that she should know, Mikah’s also trained me well…okay, well Kendall has trained me the best she could in submission at holds under Mikah’s supervision, given Mikah’s pregnant condition. So, I’m not going into this match blind to the fact that Kim is good at submission holds. She is, however, considered to be a veteran of the sport, even if her accolades have not come from SCW. I’m not going to pretend that she is a nobody in this match, because her past holds up and she’s going to give it her all. But I do think that she’s going to be one to maybe underestimate me when it comes to what I bring to the match. Maybe not, maybe I will be wrong but only time will tell.

And the last of our opponents is Alexander Raven and Luna Vanity. They are probably the only team that I cannot figure out or what they’re even about as a team. And they’re probably one of the teams in this match that could be considered dull and boring. Or maybe I just find it hard to sit through their little promos and can’t find a reason to want to find anything decent about them. I am not even sure how well they are as a team because I can’t seem to force myself to sit through their promos. But I can’t discredit them either because they did make it to this match, so that has to mean something, right? They’re not going to be pushovers because I do not think that they would have made it to this match if that was the case. But looking at them separately, rather than a unit, Luna’s style is nothing like mine and that could definitely be a toss up in this match. However, I do not think it’s going to be something that is going to count me and Oz out as a team. I think that Oz is very capable of holding himself against Alexander as well, if there is a need to do so, which there obviously will be. I do not think that Alexander is any better in the ring than Oz is. And I’m going to bet that Oz is even better. But hey, I’ve already stated that I’m biased, so might as well stick with the theme.

This match is not going to be just a normal match because there are four teams competing for the mixed tag team championships. That’s eight people that want the same thing and it’s going to be a fight to the finish to get the win. Everybody in this match wants it and there’s not one person that is booked that I feel doesn’t care about the outcome. I know that everybody is going to do whatever they can to get the win for their team. And the only thing I can say about that is that Oz and I are going to be the best team in a week from tomorrow. There’s not much else to it. We know what we want and we know how to get it, and size other people aren’t going to stop us from trying to get it, either.

And on the off chance that Oz and I lose, it’s not like we’re not going to get another shot at it. Because we’re going to be here, fighting for that chance every time we get the opportunity. And it’s not going to go away just because of one match where the outcome might not go our way. We’re here for the long run and we’ve got everything to prove. And we need to prove that we’re better than our predecessors and we have to break their records that they’ve set with these championships. There is no choice but to win.

And there’s nothing the six other people we’re booked against can do about it but try. But they will lose and we are going to prove just why we’re the next best thing to happen to SCW.

Ciao.

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[Jet City]

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Partners
Los Angeles, CA -- Princess Cruise Ship
24 June 2023
OFF-Camera


They were only a day away from being able to check in and set sail on the cruise line. Arguably, Oz should have realized the problem that he was faced with before now, but he had been distracted. At first he couldn’t find Eiley at all. They missed several days of preparation while she had been out sailing around Hawaii with her douche friend. Oz didn't let that get under his skin though. Other things had been at the forefront of his mind, namely how he kept getting his ass handed to him on Climax Control no matter what he did. Miles had made sure to add insult to injury during their last match, as if beating Oz wouldn’t have been enough by itself. He had to make an example of the newcomer because he had fallen short of the mixed tag team opportunity that Oz had at Summer XXXtreme.

Although, the fact that he was a member of a mixed tag team at Summer XXXtreme came with its own set of drawbacks. Neither he or Eiley had put any effort into their travel plans, and somehow they were booked onto the cruise to split a room. By the time that they figured out the problem, it was far too late to have anything changed. All of the rooms were sold out. The cruise was fully booked. They were going to be stuck with one another for every second of every day that they were on the ship. That wasn’t something that either of them were willing to let happen.  The duo took some time away from their work in the gym to get to Los Angeles a day early to hopefully scope out the ship. If they could find their way onboard early, they could potentially solve their problem using the skills that had carried them through life before Sin City got involved.

Getting onto the ship hadn’t been difficult at all. The crew was distracted loading up ahead of setting sail. The duo had simply grabbed some equipment and followed the other members of the crew onto the ship. They had experience attempting to go unnoticed after all. Working their way through the ship had been significantly harder though. Oz snagged a crew uniform piece by piece as they worked their way up through the multiple decks of the ship. By the time that the two made it to where they needed to be going, he was dressed like every other person on the ship. Eiley was always going to stick out, so they hadn’t even tried to steal a disguise for her. Instead, she was playing the role of irritated patron that had annoyed Oz into bringing her up to the captain of the ship. The ruse had worked to get them past several individuals with questions, and before too long, they had arrived in the office that they needed.

Oz sat down at the computer and was trying to pull up the passenger manifest so that they could figure out a way to unburden themselves from each other while Eiley did her best to keep watch at the window. They had a plan. If anyone tried to disturb them, she would try to buy as much time as she could. However, they knew that if they got busted they could likely cost themselves their spot on the boat, or worse, their chance at the Mixed Tag Team Championships.

OZ: Just make sure to call it out if anyone heads this way….

She knew what to do, they had gone over the plan for what seems like one time too many. She just nods her head, opting not to press his buttons any further.

EILEY: Aye, aye, Captain. 

She smirks at him, scrunching her nose a little bit as she leans against the wall near the door to keep an eye out for anybody coming their way. She keeps her eyes looking out the small area, watching the hallway the best that she could.

OZ: It looks like they have us in the same cabin. Not necessarily the nicest one. J2H has one of those. Looks like Kris has another. We could just take his, although that might create more headache than it is worth.

He was mostly talking to himself, and further keystrokes on the computer weren't necessarily waiting for a response from her.

OZ: The rooms next to ours are all roster members. Looks like if we want to split up we aren't going to end up on the same end of the ship.

She raises her eyebrows at him mentioning taking Kris’ cabin.

EILEY: Do you really think trying to take Kris’ cabin is a good idea? I think creating a headache is putting it nicely. I don’t think you want to tangle with him again and be knocked out in front of everybody on a cruise liner. Or worse, be potentially thrown overboard. 

She did not know Kris as well as she knew Mikah but she knew not to cross either one of them. And it seemed like even thinking about taking his cabin was a bad omen.

EILEY: Is that going to be more of an inconvenience? Being on opposite ends of the ship? It might be nearly impossible to make training times if we’re running from opposite ends.

She did not know much about cruise ships and how the cabins were placed. But she could imagine that it would take a few minutes to get everywhere from the lower cabins.

OZ: Better than being stuck on top of one another every second of the next week…

He said the words under his breath without really considering how it sounded. The two of them had gotten more on the same page in the last week, but rooming together was probably equally as explosive an idea as taking Kris' room.

OZ: I just think it would be less of a distraction to be at least mildly separated. It'll keep us focused on actually winning this thing. Too much of each other can only go wrong.

It was more about his self-awareness and knowing that he had a tendency to rub people the wrong way over time. They already had to clear that hurdle just to be able to qualify for the championship match. If anything, he was trying to avoid the two of them taking a step backwards.

OZ: One of us might end up on the short end of all the perks based on who we kick out. I can probably dump someone out of a cheap room and they won't have the money or influence to cause a big fuss.

She just shrugs her shoulders, not sure who had money and who didn’t when it came to their co-workers. She did know, however, that Mikah’d has money and that J2H has money and that was about as extensive as her knowledge about money goes.

EILEY: Like who? And how do you know everybody’s money situation? 

She looks over at him, a slightly amused look on her face. She was curious as to how he knew the things he knew but at the same time, she didn’t seem to want to know either. She believed that the less she knew was probably better.

EILEY: Never mind, maybe I don’t want to know. Just do whatever it is that you have to do to get it to work the best for us. That is what is most important.

OZ: I mean, it is basic math, right? If they could afford a better room, they would have a better room. Fans aren't like us. Our spots were guaranteed by Sin City. If they were cheap enough to buy a shitty one, it is probably all that they could afford.

It wasn't a whole lot different than the mental math that they put into all of their other jobs together. People that looked cheap, probably were cheap. On the other hand, trying to kick someone out of a suite would probably cause more people to notice.

OZ: What about this?

He pushes the monitor back so that it can swing on its hinge to face her. The room on the screen was basic, but it had only one occupying individual. It was also on the bottom deck without so much as a porthole for viewing. Sure, the guy would probably be broken hearted when he found out he wouldn't be joining them for the cruise, but that wasn't their problem.

OZ: Think you would survive without all of the fun perks?

She looks at the room, her eyes scanning the picture and she makes a face. She wasn’t fussy and typically didn’t need all the bells and whistles that some of the more high maintenance women wanted.

EILEY: I could survive without the fun perks. But not being able to see outside? I’m not sure that is a perk in itself. But should be a basic thing to want in a room. 

Maybe it sounded like she was being picky, but she was not intending to be.

EILEY You could find a better one that’s still not as fancy with a window, I think.

He sighs, and turns the screen back towards himself. It was at least a step in the right direction. She could have told him that he would have been fine down there while she kept their suite. At least she was willing to give up the better room. That boded well for him.

OZ: I'll keep looking. I don't want to waste time and have someone come barging in on us though.

His attention was already back on the screen though. Things were going to get slightly trickier. Instead of looking for one room, he started looking at moving multiple people around. Kris' room had an adjoining space, so the first thing he did was swap their room with his. He doubted Kris would notice the difference, and it had the added benefit of getting them away from the rest of the roster.

OZ: What about this?

After swapping Kris' room with theirs, he moved their neighbor down to a lower deck. He then moved that person down to the shitty room that Eiley rejected, which had result of kicking the same guy off of the ship altogether.

OZ: Next to each other while still maintaining all of our boundaries. Probably the best case scenario really.

She glances at the screen of the monitor before looking at his face and then back at the monitor. It didn’t seem too horrible and it at least had a view better than the wall.

EILEY: Looks better than being trapped in the dungeon like the one you showed me a minute or so ago. A step up, anyways. 

She lets her eyes look at the room a little longer, taking her eyes away from the hallway and not paying attention to whether there was somebody coming or not. She then looks at him.

EILEY As long as it’s not going to have anybody important mad at me, it looks alright.

She looks back out at the hallway to resume her lookout duty.

OZ: You know how it is. Somebody is always mad. Our job is to not be around for them to get mad at. How is it different from all the wives you have made leave their husbands after they hand you all their money?

Or for that matter, all of the people that had to try and explain away the assets Oz had liberated from them after a night out on the town.

OZ: Kris will probably put it all together, but how mad could he really be? We are doing him a favor. Not like he is the one getting the boot.

She raises her eyebrows at him.

EILEY: I feel like you really enjoy messing with Kris and haven’t really learned your lesson. There are just some people that you should just leave alone, Olly. 

It wasn’t like she would know anyways as Mikah hadn’t ever laid her out like Kris had done to Oz.

EILEY:If he comes around asking, I won’t hesitate to throw you under the bus. I don’t want to be on his bad side or his wife’s.

She gives him a look before looking back out into the hallway once more. It was a risk that Oz was willing to take though. He went about closing all of the windows he had opened on the computer, and putting everything back the way that it was when he had first sat down. There was a copy of the manifest already on the printer, which he quickly dumped into the shredder. As it went to work, he printed a new one with all of the changes that he had made to make their lives a little easier over the next week.

OZ: You’re always worried about getting caught. How many times have things ever gone wrong on one of the jobs I have planned out? We always manage to come out ahead. Just because Kris got one over on me once doesn’t mean that he has my number or anything.

He stands up from the next as the printer starts spitting out new copies of the manifest. Eiley takes her eyes off of the hallway once more to turn around and remind him what happened during their qualifier.

EILEY: Well he did lock us in a gym once. And there was almost getting you arrested too. Every time you think you are a step or two ahead of him, you are wrong. Maybe I just think that you have finally met your match.

He shakes his head as he comes around the desk and joins her at the door. With a quick look to the outside, he pulls it open and lets her exit out into the hallway first.

OZ: I don’t have a match, because there ain’t nobody like me.

The two of them step out into the hallway and try to silently close the door behind them, but as it latches, they are approached from behind by someone in a much nicer uniform that Oz had stolen. Given the special, yet ridiculous hat that the man was wearing and all of the addition stripes on the logo of his jacket, Oz knew that they were probably busted.

CAPTAIN: Who are you two, and why were you in my office? 

Oz sighs, and Eiley looks over at him with a frown.

EILEY: You were saying? 



==========================================================
>Better Together

==========================================================


The scene opens up with a wide shot of the Princess Cruise ship behind Oz. He has a bag over his shoulder, and was definitely on his way to actually board the ship. We can see people moving about the deck as it looked like a lot of the Sin City superstars were starting to make their way aboard before all of the fans were allowed to start to fill their rooms. Oz knew that after the incident with the captain of the ship that he wouldn’t be taking the fans with him to see his new depressing accommodations. He needed to get his comments out of the way before actually stepping foot on the ship.

”Not exactly sure how I feel about being trapped on a boat with a bunch of people I don’t like….”

Several of the Sin City superstars were making their way up the ramp and onto the ship, but he didn't single anyone out in particular. Fans knew that Oz really didn’t get along with much of anyone though, so it didn’t matter exactly who was within view of the camera.

”...and I don’t just mean the other teams in this match. I don’t just mean the stage hands and the management either. I mean everyone. From the owners of this company, to the locker room, to the fans staying in the cheap rooms, I hate them all. Other than myself, there will be exactly one person on this adventure that I even give a shit about. Everyone else is a distraction at best, and a headache at worst.”

Of course, that included his own tag team partner, although they seemed to have turned a corner in recent weeks. Their partnership had been tentative at best from the start, but the two of them were finally starting to realize that they were, in fact, better together.

”I guess I get the idea behind it. Summer XXXtreme is an excellent business model for Sin City. The fans always jump at the opportunity to set sail with the whole roster of Sin City. They get to hang out with their favorite stars wherever they manage to locate them on the boat. And for the rest of us, it is supposed to be a time to relax and recharge, even though we all have big matches coming up. It is like a mini-vacation that makes Mark and Christian money. Kind of sounds like the best of both worlds if you ask me.”

Granted, he was speaking from the perspective of the two owners of the company. He assumed it was also a big win for the cruise line in general. There weren’t exactly people lining up around the block to get on a floating disease-ridden prison soon after a pandemic. At the very least, it was good publicity for both companies. For Oz, it was just work, albeit without the ability to leave whenever he wanted to.

”I assume that it is even better for the people that actually take the fans seriously. There are plenty of opportunities to mix it up with fans at the various bars, pools, and events before the actual show takes place, and every year, there are people that make the best of that. Sam Marlowe is one that comes to mind. Ben Jordan is another. I expect the two of them to not only have a blast while sequestered on the cruise ship, but to walk away the #1 Contenders to whomever actually wins the titles next week.”

The way that his voice perked up at the mention of his potential number one contenders made it seem like he was looking forward to that match more than the one he needed to win to actually make it happen.

”However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for those of us actually taking part in the match to crown new champions. I have done the research. There doesn’t seem to be a decent human being among us. This match is full of combustible, selfish, violent sociopaths who are mostly in this business to inflict pain on others. With some, that is very obvious. Kim Pain has her intentions right there in her name, and Austin James Mercer literally cost himself a match a few weeks ago by going ape shit on me for no reason. Luna Vanity has talked about being fascinated by death and murder, which doesn’t make her seem approachable at all. Tempest feels like the type of person that enjoys using her size to break people down, and Peter Vaughn tries to do the same thing, but with words. Although, I assume he is slightly more approachable than the conspiratorial ‘Napalm Kingslayer’ who thinks the world is out to prevent him from rising to the top. ”

He probably would have lost an eye if he had attempted to roll them any harder than he did. It was obvious that of all of his opponents, the unnamed Alexander Raven was the one he was least impressed with.

”As I watched the qualifiers play out, one thing became incredibly clear: Eiley and I are the team that the fans are going to get behind.”

For once, it sounded like he actually believed in their ability to work with one another in order to get the job done. That was more credit than he had given his partner during Blast from the Past.

”Obviously there are going to be pockets of fans of just about every team. There are going to be those that really want AJM and Tempest to take home the gold since they are the only former champions in the mix. There are going to be tin-hat basement dwellers that Alexander and Luna have conned into joining us on the ship, and I assume that Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn will have at least mild support as possible spoilers, even though Kim has said over and over again that she really isn’t interested in chasing titles.”

”...but that’s not what I am talking about. I am talking about the type of team that the fans on the ship can actually identify with. For the most part, that is not going to be some deeply conspiratorial hacks. It also isn’t going to be people that flip out in a rage at the smallest possible offense. There is only one corner that the majority of fans are going to be able to see themselves in, and that is mine and Eiley’s. We aren’t some over the top anger management cases. We aren’t violent weirdos. We are a pair of rookies that care about ourselves, maybe a little bit too much.”

”...and is that really so bad? The two of us were trained by one of the most beloved mixed tag teams of all time. We have been brought into this business by the two people that made this division worth watching, and then killed it with their absolute dominance over everyone else. The two of us are impressive to look at, especially with the beach theme that the cruise ship seems to run with, and have more talent than any of these other teams are actually going to give us credit for. Eiley’s talent was spotted by the best of the best in her very first match in this company. Her stock is on the rise regardless of whether or not she wins or loses week-to-week, and nobody can explain why. And then you have me, who everyone keeps saying can’t quite hack it, but I just keep winning way more often than I am losing. J2H couldn’t pin my shoulders to the mat, and AJM got so frustrated trying to put me down that he cost himself a match against me. I feel like those two things say more about me than anything the hacks in this match are going to spew out.”

”Nobody can take away the fact that Eiley and I have risen to the occasion when it comes to mixed tag team action. The two of us were put out of the Blast from the Past tournament by the eventual winners, so there is nothing wrong with that. No other teams were able to come close to stopping either of us. Then, we qualified for this match without ever having teamed up with one another. No matter what the obstacles are, we always manage to pull out something spectacular that nobody else saw coming. We were the team least likely to make any noise, and now we are the only team at Summer XXXtreme worthy of supporting. Like I have said, Kim Pain doesn’t even give a shit about winning a championship and would rather be untethered from these kinds of opportunities and Peter Vaughn has more than enough on his plate without being a mixed tag team champion on top of it. ”

Granted, Oz knew that the version of Peter Vaughn that showed up for their match wasn’t going to be at 100%. Not only was he going to be bogged down by his commitments to other companies, but he was supposed to defend his Roulette Championship in an Ultimate X match to kick off the show. There was no way that he was going to get himself together enough to make any real noise in the tag team match.

”Luna Vanity and Alexander Raven have had tons of matches, but nobody actually shows up specifically to watch them compete. The two of them are glorified enhancement talents. They show up to give the people that the fans actually came to see someone to beat up. I guess that there is nothing wrong with that, but having championships around their waists just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Allowing them to be the face of the mixed tag team division would kill it all over again on the very first night back.”

”...which I guess just leaves AJM and Tempest, but I am of the mind that we have all already been there and done that. Tempest seems to be hit or miss in Sin City, and AJM only threw his hat in the ring for this opportunity because he has fallen short so many consecutive times on his own. That is what those Wolfslair people seem to do though. Only a couple of them were ever impressive on their own. The rest of them always needed a team to surround themselves with. Hell, AJM had one of his buddies with him at the last supercard and neither of them managed to get the job done. Obviously it is time for them to step aside. This team is old news. They had their moment to shine, and instead, the whole division died. At least the rest of the teams in this match are moving forward and trying to do something new. These two are trying to drag us all back to the mediocre past. I am more interested in taking the championships to new heights, and Eiley is too.”

”Isn’t that more interesting than any of the alternatives? AJM and Tempest seem like a bad rerun, and either of the other two teams would be lackluster on their own. These new championships should be celebrated, and I just don’t think that will be the case if someone as forgettable as Luna and Alexander win them. I wouldn’t be surprised if the vast majority of people don’t even remember that these two are in this match. Even worse, they have been threatening to celebrate with nudity, and I don’t think anyone paying to be on this cruise actually wants to see that. We are going to get to see plenty of unsightly horrors on the ship. I don’t think that Sin City would be wise to put a spotlight on Luna’s boyish frame and lack of ass, or anything at all that Alexander has going on. ”

”...but I know everyone is going to have just as many negatives to say about me and Eiley. We are too young. We are too inexperienced. The fact that someone caused a distraction during our qualifier was unfair. Some will probably even say that we haven’t had the time to actually pay our dues in this business. Personally though, I think all of those excuses are lame. Why? Because they only serve to keep the same old acts in the ring while discarding anything new. That is all any of that bullshit actually means. People say that we aren’t ready, because in reality, they aren’t ready for us to reach out and steal the spotlight from them yet. Others will say that we haven’t paid any dues, because they wasted a whole lot more time losing before they got their big break. In my opinion, experience in this business comes from getting these opportunities and making the most of them. Nobody gave us a shot during the Blast from the Past tournament, but everyone knew our names when everything was said and done. We managed to get onto Mark and Christian’s radar right from the start. Is it our fault that we did that so much faster than the average walk-on?”

As if on cue, Oz made his way to the ramp leading up onto the ship. He stopped, and put his back to the railing so that he could look into the lens of the camera.

”To me, that is just a further demonstration of how ahead of the curve we are. This is only our second supercard as Sin City competitors, and we are already in the running to be the newly crowned Mixed Tag Team Champions. Regardless of what any of the other individuals in this match think, obviously we have done something to stand out in the crowd; just look at the teams that didn’t make it this far. So I don’t care what we have to do. I don’t care who we have to maim. I don’t care if we are being booed, or cheered. Eiley and I are leaving this cruise with those championships.”

He gave a light little shake to the bag over his shoulder to prove that he had left more than enough space to pack his soon-to-be acquired Mixed Tag Team Championship inside of it.

”Ain’t no stopping us, ya know?”

[Alexander Raven]

No More
Scene One | On-Camera | 24th June 2023

A pier, a few people out fishing. Alexander Raven is sitting on the pier, a fishing rod in a holder next to him. A small esky next to him. His eyes are fixed on the water to the distance. Watching his bobber in the water gently sway in the light movement of the water. The sun is pouring down, and he has some zinc on his nose not fully rubbed in.

“I’ve been stumbling as of late. I’ll be the first to admit it. I stumbled against Jack Washington, twice. I thought my fire had come back in beating Barnhart, but that is far from the truth, isn’t it? No, it wasn’t fire. It was just a proof. A proof that I haven’t fallen, just that I’m… stumbling. That currently I’m missing something. That my eyes are not focused, and that my mind is lost. Calvin showed me up, there is no question about it. Washington is one of the best I’ve stepped in the ring with, but questionably, I wonder how much of it comes from freshness. I’ve been given my few weeks of recovery. I’m feeling better than I have in over half a year. I’m feeling more alive than I have in a long time, but that changes very little. That doesn’t change the fact that this is more than just an issue of the body. This is an issue of the mind. This is an issue of stagnation. I spent six months trying to beat the past, rather than focusing my eyes on the future. I spent six months fighting former kings, rather than putting my dominance over the future. Something I must thank Luna for. For showing me that the past can only hold so much. There is times when the past will keep you going. That the experience will show you something new. Something interesting. But stagnation is the death of the career. That stagnation is the death of success. That stagnation is what ensures kings fail, that kingdoms fall and words become nothing but that. Words. Luna showed me the revitalisation of new. Of moving forward. Of focusing forward. Yet, the past stands to mock me once again. In two ways, really. Austin James Mercer, King James.”

“A man who knows that in a situation of opportunity, none are more dangerous than a focused Alexander Raven. A man who knows that it takes more than brute force, and pure strength to beat me. A man who knows better than anyone that stepping to Alexander Raven invites a journey into a beating not previously expected. That Alexander Raven is more than just talk. For that is all I ever fucking hear. That Alexander Raven is just talk. Yet those who stand against me, learn the truth. They learn that the beating of fist on flesh feels far fucking realer than the talk ever did. That the blood that flows feels far more real, warm and painful than the words of fear ever were. That when Alexander Raven talks, it is not just bluster. It is in fact truth. A truth that Austin James Mercer knows well. A truth that another Savior, Ken Davison, knows well. A truth that fucking Fenris, Lachlan Kane and O’Malley all know well. Even Carter learnt not to disrespect Alexander Raven between the ropes. Washington will never admit it, but his acknowledgement of me, speaks legions. Every person who steps in the ring with Alexander Raven leaves with a better understanding of the man afterwards. A better understand that the words, are just part of the experience. That the words are not the part to be fearful of. That the words speak of what is to come, but the flesh and bone are what is to be feared.”

 Raven reaches over to the rod, slowly reeling it in a bit. Just a bit. Moving the bob and bait. Tempting the fish below. He reaches up, slowly rubbing the zinc into his nose a little bit more. A tight fitting plain white tee, and chino-style shorts. The cuffs rolled up twice, his legs hanging over the edge of the pier. A wide-brim straw hat, decorated with small white shells. Looking a far more normal man that he would normally present himself as.

“But the words, they are all I’ve had lately. Words, and no substance. There are few men tougher than Bulldog Bill Barnhart. But there is also nothing to be gained in his defeat. Beating the Barnharts to get here, was the most disrespectful pathway that could be given to us. There was never any doubt that we’d win. There was never any doubt that we’d step into the tournament, and despite the naysayers, we are the favourites. We are the favourites because this is it. We cannot afford any more stumbling. We can’t afford another mistake. We can’t afford to be the butt of anymore jokes. I spent six months as Internet Champion ensuring that nobody would question me. Tearing down every threat I could, to show that I was more than my failures. And then it was all stolen. And I was reminded. Reminded of the views of the world. Reminded of the insecurity of those who would stand behind us. For no other reason than to trip us up. For no other reason than to say they told me so. Because it is so much easier to tear down someone, than it is to accept that they have grown. Accept that Alexander Raven could be vaguely better than they give him credit for. No, because it is acceptable to tear people down. It is okay to bully them, into being what you expect them to be. And yet, I continue to push forward. Pushing out the white noise, and to grow. And I stumble. And I will stumble again. And again. And again. Because growth only comes when you see the issues that are sitting before you.”

“But no. No growth is impossible, because they tell me it is impossible. Growth is impossible, because they all know the truth. The truth that they refuse to change their own minds on. Truth that they think is owed only to them. But, I refuse to accept that. I refuse not because of these delusions of grandeur. I refuse because I want to know the truth. I want to see what lies beyond the arrogance, the bullying, the filth. I want to see what lies beyond the ignorance and depravity of it all. I’m extending my horizons, because I refuse to stagnate. I refuse to be stuck in the stumbles. I refuse to be acquiescent to inferiority. I refuse to be the truth that they want me to be. For I am not the simplicity of the deception. I am not the simplicity of any of it. I refuse to be mundane. I refuse to be simple. I refuse to be because I need to be more than that. No matter how much I want to prove that people are no more or less than each other. I’ve become aware of my own vanity. My own desire to be more than I am. To really be the Napalm Kingslayer that I demand of myself. No more false titles. No more pretending to be something special. For that is not the case. I want to be more than I am, and to do that, I need to stop hiding behind the arrogance. I want to be the difference maker in my life. And Luna has helped me see that.”

He shakes his head a little and stands up slowly. His eyes sit focused on the bobber in the water. His hands slipping into his pocket as he turns, slowly taking slow strides alone the pier. Finally turning his head away to face towards the horizon. Only going a few steps away before spinning and returning. Pacing back and forth.

“But enough about my semantics. Enough about me. Let us look at who stands across from us. From least, to most. Interestingly, both King James and Pitiful Vaughn hold equal levels of importance, for mostly different reasons. Oliver Zahn however. A mocking little boy. A man with arrogance to think he can step in and win. To take his skill and apply it in a way that will reward him. Oliver Zahn and Eiley are nothing more than pitiful children, looking to step into a world with juggernauts that they are not ready for. Oliver Zahn has no chance against the likes Peter Vaughn, let alone Austin James Mercer. A man with eyes too large for the success that he will not achieve. A man who denied those who rightfully should have been here, so respect in that. But again, nothing substantial. They offer naught, yet expect to take all. I can respect the arrogance. I can respect the bravado. What I cannot respect is the desire to do so at the forsaking of those far more deserving. What I can’t respect Oliver. Is that you are actually here, stepping into the ring to detract and take away from what we are actually working towards. I don’t respect you Oliver. I don’t respect you, Eiley. You are the rookie upstarts who do not deserve to be here. You do not deserve to even be in the running. Insultingly, to all involved. Miles Kasey and Alexandra Calaway deserve the spot you have taken. The dynamics would’ve been so much more interesting. Your arrogance stole that from us. Stole another face off with former litter mates, Miles Kasey and Austin James Mercer. Stole another face off of the battling beauties in Calaway and Luna. Stole my chance to show the misplaced belief in Austin and Miles. A belief that should have been mine. But, still. You mock that all and stand to gain everything. So perhaps you are concerning Oliver. Maybe I need to keep a closer eye on you. Maybe I’ll keep my ear to the ground for this one.”

“But the next person on my mind. Is you, Peter Vaughn. And you may wonder why that is. Unfortunately for you, it’s not you yourself that interests me. No, it is far more rudimentary than that. It is who you represent that makes you interesting to me, Vaughn. The Saviors, are arrogant bunch at their core. Full of themselves, with this holier than thou stance on it all. Ken Davison and I will go to war again one day, of that I’m sure. But in my recent encounter with him, I became aware of something. I became aware of my disdain for your arrogant ilk. I became aware of what I wanted to achieve, and what I needed to do to achieve that. I became aware that the Saviors are everything I have spent my time here attempting to change. A poison of the past that attempts to permeate into the future. A poison that builds in the depths of the filth, and continue to hold itself over us all. You, Peter, are part of that problem. Part of the incestuous filth that continues to dribble all over this Sin City and hold it down. You are part of that which needs to change to allow for the future to come through. You are part of what needs to change to ensure that the old school doesn’t ruin the modern. Doesn’t ruin the future. You, Peter, are the saviour of nothing but the status quo. You are the saviour of nothing but the conspiracy that keeps things from very changing. You are nothing Peter Vaughn, except for the failings of this place to adapt and grow.”

Alex comes to a stop slowly, and looks out at the water. His bobber now thrashing about somewhat aggressively, before being pulled under. He picks his rod up quickly, and pulls back on it, definitely with something hooked.

“But worse than you being part of the problem, Peter. Is that like Oliver Zahn and Eiley. You are nothing more than your arrogance. Double duty, to prove what? That you can be better than any others on a show as big as Summer XXXtreme? To show up the rest of us mindless drones who are only willing to risk ourselves once. Arrogance breeds arrogance, Peter. And your arrogance seems to know no bounds. I feel for Kimberly Pain being slogged at your side. Being required to carry your team, because there is no chance in hell you step into that ring any level of acceptable. There is no chance in hell that you step into that ring and feel you can adequately stand against Austin James Mercer and Alexander Raven. I’m not worried you’d be up to stand against Oliver Zahn, for, truthfully. It makes little difference whether or not he actually shows up for the match. No the bigger concern is your arrogance leading to your own downfall. Your forcing of Kim Pain to carry your ass through the match. To carry your arrogance to success. I feel for her, because you don’t. I feel for Kim’s pain. Because you clearly don’t. But it’s okay, Peter. It’s okay. For you are the next Savior on my journey. I bled the wolves, and now. Now I will bleed the Saviors. One by one, until they are washed from relevancy. Until their taint, their failings. Their poison is scrubbed clean from the veins of Sin City Wrestling. I want you to understand what it coming for you Peter, yet I don’t think you will. I don’t think you’ll fully comprehend it. And I feel for you, because of it.”

“Yet the man I have my eye on mainly. The man I cannot seem to avoid these days. Austin James Mercer. The one competitor in this match I respect. The one man I respect because our history shows our ability. King James knows the danger in underestimating Alexander Raven. King James knows the danger in Alexander Raven being given an opportunity to exploit the scenario. King James is a man who will break my nose and then wipe the blood on his chest. King James is the one to watch in this match, and the one man I believe capable of upsetting it all. Of taking my opportunity away from me. But I know our last encounter showed something to Austin. That being labeled with the pack mutts was nothing but a hindrance to him. Free from the shackles of the binding leash, King James is now a free man. And whilst I take harborage with both he and Miles being given the chance against Michael Harris before me. Whilst I believe that to be in bad taste, and poor faith. I understand it. For him. I understand the danger in Austin James Mercer, and so I will not pretend that this will be simple mathematics. I will not pretend that this will be the outcome that is beneficial. I will not pretend that the former champions are the safe ones to overlook. Because that is wrong. It is wrong to overlook Austin James Mercer, and I know the first hand.”

Alex pulls back hard on the rod, and then there is a loud snap. The line breaks and whatever was hooked takes the bobber, bait and half the line into the depths below. Alex sighs deeply, shaking his head. Throwing the rod onto the pier beside him.

“But I cannot let you walk over me either, Austin. I cannot allow anyone to walk over me. There is two promises coming out of this. When The Conspiracy wins. When we walk away as the champions, the open challenge begins. Every single week, every single card. We will defend the championships against any team that wants to step to the plate. New, old or anything in between. One off, or established relationships. It does not matter. We will be there, every week to show that The Conspiracy cannot be broken. But the other truth, the other promise. If Alexander Raven stumbles again. I will need to find myself. I will need to breathe. Recover. Explore. I’ve got my mind focused elsewhere currently, and that may be bad. I have my mind focused on those who I wish to fight, rather than those I am being forced to. Counter-intuitive, I know. But to offer the opportunity, rather than being the proverbial prey. It is a difference, that I cannot ignore. So, the two promises stand. When we win, we will be here every week. And if we lose…”

Alex smiles a little, lifting his head up, towards the sun. Through closed eyes, and a creased face, a smile. A bright, warm and happy one.

“Then I will step away. To allow her, her freedom. And to find my own.”

Alex turns away slowly, and lifts the rod from the pier. Holding it loosely in his left hand, about half way up the rod. He slowly walks away, off the pier and to the world beyond.

And then…

Darkness.

Silence.

Nothing.

[Austin James Mercer]

Truth

The truth shall set you free

Old adage. Usually true. But sometimes the truth should be hidden away. Locked deep down where it can never come to light and hurt those around you. But then again, they say that honesty is the best policy.That revealing everything will lead to freedom, while hiding it will always leave you locked in a cage.Austin closed his eyes, all these thoughts running through his mind as his hands clasped together.It had been a few days since Alicia and he had dinner and had their moments.Those brief moments of freedom where he felt calm and collected.The moments where he actually felt like himself instead of the monster he thought he became.

But, what now?. What was the direction he needed to go in? If he hid everything that he knew away,then walked down the path that he wanted to walk,would the truth end up breaking the future that he wanted? Or, if he told her everything, if he revealed all that he knew would it stop the journey before it had a chance to really begin?

The only thing that was stopping him from keeping it buried deep down inside was the guilt.The guilt that he had a hand in Alicia's ex husband's untimely demise.And the fact that she had no idea.Austin took in a deep breath getting to his feet and pacing around the kitchen.He looked out into the backyard watching his sister his nephew and his kids playing. He smiled, he had a good life.He knew he had a good life.Even with what happened to Lisa and all the loss that he had felt he still had them.He still had a future.So then why was he always so angry?

Why was he always pushing back?

As he exhaled his doorbell rang he turned and moved toward it, popping the lock and opening it to find Alicia standing there with a smile on her face.Her sons Rory and Ryan standing just behind her on either side.He gave them a nod and stepped to the side letting them in.They said hello and quickly made their way out into the backyard to play with the others.As the door closed Alicia looked up at Austin with a smile on her face, her cherry red lips curling up into a bashful grin that was very rare to see on such a confident woman who had long cast off the shadow of the damaged insecure girl she once was.

Austin leaned on his kitchen bench, looking out at all the kids with a smile. Alicia moved up next to him and sighed. ”They seem to be getting along well.” Austin gave a small nod and turned opening the fridge and pulling some drinks out setting them on the bench. ”Thanks for having us over…” He laughed to himself. It wasn’t so much Austin letting Alicia and the kids over, it was more that Alicia messaged him and said she was coming over. ”It’s good to see Amy wanting to be social to. After the war she went through to keep her son, the poor thing.”

”She knows that it time to get out a little. Live her life. And as much as I love having my sister here…she needs space..” He paused and chuckled. ”I need space”

Alicia smiled and looked over at him with a lighthearted laugh. ”I know the feeling.” She moved around, putting her back against the counter with a sigh, folding her arms over her chest. ”You ok? You seem a little…distracted.”

He was. He was absolutely distracted. Those thoughts of guilt and the past were infecting him like a virus. His eyes trailing up to the backyard, seeing those kids smile, seeing them play together was heartwarming. ”I have something to tell you.” His voice was solemn, his body language changed and his heart sank. He looked sideways at Alicia whose body language also changed. ”Ali, about Michael..”

”Aus, I’m over him, if that;’s what you’re thinking, legit I am fine…but if you’re not over Lisa…” Her voice trailed off and she looked away. Austin took a deep breath and shook his head. ”I get it. After what Michael did, maybe I’m not worth your time…”

Austin shook his head as a revelation hit him. Did she know? ”What Michael did?”

She sighed and stood back. ”My exhusband, once upon a time, was a good man Aus. But he had his demons. And I am so so sorry that he was responsible for…you know” Austin was shocked. His jaw dropped. ”I understand loss Aus…and I understand guilt. And I feel guilty for his actions.”

He moved forward again, standing right across from her. He reached up and slowly ran his thumb across her cheek. ”Here we are. Both feeling guilty, over things that were not in our control…” She tilted her head, staring at Austin and swallowing hard as weight seemed to drop to her stomach. ”I could have stopped Michael from being killed…but I didn’t and I’m so-”

Alicia’s finger moved to Austins lips and she shook her head again. ”You don’t need to apologize. Michael’s death was his own fault. And truthfully. Everything he did….he got what he deserved.” She turned away. Things were awkward, things were weird. But they both felt like they had weight lifted off them. But, something felt wrong. It felt unfinished and directionless. Alicia looked miserable, defeated. Sad. Austin reached over, grabbing Alicia by the wrist and pulling her forward leaning down to kiss her. As they pulled back, Austin laughed to himself. Alicia smiled and gave a nod. ”So uh…we’re…good then?”

He couldn’t help but laugh. ”I guess so…”

Reclamation

”Counting down, over and over again, toward the restart of the SCW mixed tag team division. A restart, a renewal, a rebirth. Something this division has needed and wanted.”

Austin can’t help but laugh to himself. His mind casting back to a time when he and Tempest held those titles and they meant something.

”And what an amazing amount of competition we have. Four teams, eight individuals. All teams that earned their way into this fourway match, and the fact we all seem to want those titles means the world to me. See, I want those titles to be wanted. I want the mixed tag team division to succeed and be the force and juggernaut it deserves to be. It’s what myself and Tempest wanted, it’s what we saw with teams like Sass and bash, London Underground, Kain and Vargas, Team Eggplant and of course, Alex and Johanna, my stablemates in Wolfslair.”

“They all held those titles proudly and tried to expand and push the division to it’s boundaries and past them. And if any team in this match can win those titles and do the same then I welcome it. The only problem with this theory is that only one team has a track record of holding those titles and making them mean something.”

“Myself and Tempest.”

“The Amazon Bombshell, the prodigal son, the wreckingball of the bombshells division and me, the lone wolf, estranged from his pack. We held those titles proudly, we faced all teams who earned their way and we helped elevate them back to where they needed to be after they fell into the hands of the Barnharts. And, happily, there is not one team in this match that was as horrible as those two morons…:”

He chuckles and shrugs, no fucks given.

”But, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring some stupidity to light. I can’t say that I’m not disappointed in certain comments made by apparent legends in wrestling as well as lack of comment by others. Now, I understand I just went on about the mixed tag titles and their pastand their future. But it was all relevant to the match we’re in and the situation at large. Now, I want you to go listen to roughly seventy to eighty percent of what Peter Vaughn decided to say. And I want you all to ask yourself.,.”

“What the fuck did any of that have to do with this?”

“His stories of beat9ing various men named Raven….riveting. Absolutely. Name dropping prople like James Raven because for one brief fleeting moment he was a name that mattered we a great moment of clout chasing. All in aid of talking shit about Alexander Raven. Because it’s a very overused name.”

“Well, I have beaten up and destroyed many men named Petter, but I don’t feel the need to waste time by running their names up here in this promo for a match that has literally NOTHING to do with them. And all the history, all of it, that I have in this company and Tempest has, as well as Alexander Raven and that is the best you could come up with.”

“Are you that dense?”

“All I can think of is that someone of your experience was trying to put all of us off of our game.Talking in circles and talking in riddles about the stupidest shit seems like a good idea if you are trying to make people second guess themselves.The only problem Peter is that I am not someone who is easily put off my game, I am not really some one who loses focus.And the fact that you felt the need to pad out everything you were saying with stupid stories about people no one cares about while Kim barely said anything just shows that you are both out of ideas and have no idea what you are going to do when you get in that ring.”

Austin scoffs and folds his large tattooed arms over his chest.

”As good as the two of you are separately,it doesn't automatically translate into being a great team.You both may have known each other for years, but that doesn't mean in the ring as a team you are going to be anything.He could have teamed together over and over again but in a match like this, against opponents like myself and Tempest, you need to bring everything that you have.And that includes being focused and not resorting to such foolish tricks like talking in circles and rambling, while Kim doesn't really say anything at all.But you PeterU really did impress me.You impressed me by being exactly the sameas Michael Harrisyou were able to say so muchwithout actually saying anything at all.”

He rolls his eyes now and clears his throat.

”But, we get to go from old veterans using stupid tricks to The conspiracy. Nice nameand really it's fitting.Most conspiraciesabout 99%are complete lunacy.I only believed by lunatics.Do you see where I'm going with this lunaryou are delusional.I sat there and listened to everything you had to say and by the end of it my brain hurt so much that I felt the need to take about 4 Advil, drink half a bottle of vodka, and lay down and sleep off all of the anane crapthat you put out there into the world.I was looking forward to seeing if you or Alexander had actually learned anythingI wanted to hear some one, any one, research the history of the championships and look deep inside themselves and tell us why they think they would make good champions and what they were going to do to achieve their goal.And that definitely is not what I got with you.Instead I got stories, and moments about yours and Alexanders relationships.”

“I got a look into your psyche and all I felt was confusion, anger and sadness.Sadness that some one like you was employed by this company instead of being under psychiatric care.The problem that I have with you is the same problem that I have with Alexander Raven you both try and do the word vomit promo material where you try to sound smarter than you really are by using a lot of smart sounding phrases that just end up being word soup.Are you a professional wrestler are either of you professional wrestlers or are you both fake philosophers regurgitating the same broken down crap that we've heard for the last 150 years?”

“You two might have talent ,Peter Vaughn and Kim Payne have talent, but when I think about Luna or Raven holding those tag team championship my heart sinks and I feel sick to my stomach.Because I know that they would never do those championships justice and they would never, everset it straight where it needs to be.You need strong champions you need people who know what it is to be a team and actually put there best foot forward when it comes to professional wrestling and you don't get that with luna vanity and Alexander Raven. So I can't let either of you get your hands on those mixed tag team championships. And I won't.”

He curls his top lip in a sneer and shakes his head to refocus.

”But then we have the impetuous youth. Unlike Peter and Kim, who in my opinion, just want to hold these championships to pat their resumes.Luna and Alexander who, well I don't know why they want to hold the championships because I couldn't make a goddamn lick of sense out of what they were saying. At least I know that Eiley and Oliver want to hold the championships for the right reasons. And, while I don't like either of them at least I can respect that.They want to be the mixed tag team championships because it means something, because they believe they can be the youthful shot in the arm that these titles deserve and have earned.”

“However, Eiley Is going to get eaten alive by tempest. Regardless of if she is a talented young superstar waiting in the wings for her shot at glory, she is facing a woman who is ready to roll her up in a little ball and throw her down a lane way towards bowling pins.And believe me when I say this, Tempest can do it.And you stood there and tried to make it seem like you knew something about the way the wrestling business works.Let me tell you something, you two? You two don't know shit.”

“Oliver proved that. And, he almost had me, I almost believed that maybe, just maybe, there was a little bit of a wrestling mind and intelligence in that head.Instead of justice a blank void .But then he went and ruined it by opening his mouth about things he has no idea about. He wants to sit there and talk about my past? Well, I will give him a giant A for effort because he decided to do some research.But then he missed the point entirely.”

“He wanted to talk about the group that I came from and wanted to act like we could allcount on each other for our championship victories. Alex won world championships without my helpI want it without his help.Johanna ran roughshot over the roulette division with no help, and Alicia? Well Alicia was the most dangerous amongst usand held the bombshell's title three times without help.The only time we watched out for each other?”

“Mixed tag team matches like the one that you are currently in Oliver.”

“So consider the irony that you are talking shit about teamwork right before a match, that is based off of teamwork. How ironic and hypocriticalI. guess youth really doesn't think before they open their mouths and talk.”

“The truth is you two are not ready. Luna and Alexander are not worthy, and Peter and Kim are not focused.”

“The only team in this match who has a track record and can stand up for what those titles mean and what the division could stand for are myself and Tempest and at summer xxxtreme, we are going to walk away as the two time mixed tag team champions.The way it should be.”

[Peter Vaughn]

~The picture slowly opens up with a bit of a rocking motion, as we appear to be aimed out onto the beautiful, blue sea. As the camera readjusts, turning to the right, we can tell that we are, indeed, on the Princess Cruise liner, host of SCW Summer XXXTreme XI! The ship is really magnificent, a true marvel of the ocean, judging from the happy faces of the people walking past in their bikinis and swimsuits, heading for the poolside area. The cameraman, though, isn't expected down there. He gets a few more shots of the expansive top deck of the liner, before there's the sound of a throat being cleared behind him. He turns around, showing Peter Vaughn standing there, looking cool under the collar in spite of wearing his new, custom black coveralls. He nods to the cameraman, apparently pleased that the man is promptly on time. After all, the bars are always open on this ship, so anything could happen.~

Peter Vaughn: Glad you could make it. Enjoying the cruise so far? Have you visited the two-story Lotus Spa yet? It's pretty incredible. I'm sure this probably feels less dangerous than my old warehouse, huh?

~There's a definite nod from the camera. After all, the guy almost lost his life in there during the demolition of the site. It was a chaotic scene, to be sure, one whose blame falls firmly on Peter Vaughn’s actions. Still, the current environment has the cameraman feeling more forgiving. A cruise with beautiful men & women has to feel more comfortable, after all. Vaughn nods again, taking a moment to look out over the ocean, before pointing over to his right.~

Peter Vaughn: Let's head on up, then. I want to give this course a try.

~Vaughn moves off, with the cameraman quickly realizing what he's talking about. The camera shot shows the extensive ropes course that has been put in rather recently, as one of the Princess Cruise's newest additions.~



~There's an audible sigh from behind the camera, before the man hurries to keep up. Vaughn is already getting himself secured up in a harness, a necessary safety measure that Vaughn barely seems to care about. He starts up, as the cameraman finishes getting locked into his straps. He then hurries to catch up, managing to shimmy his way up the ladder, an impressive maneuver considering he's still holding the camera. You have to applaud SCW for the talent they hire behind the scenes. As he makes the final climb  up top, Vaughn is already on a rope bridge, showing off his remarkable balance as he turns back to the camera.~

Peter Vaughn: So things are looking extremely good for our tag-team competition. I checked the cruise roster sheet, and wouldn't you know it, every single one of the competitors made it on board! Even Ollie! I have to tell you, I'm ecstatic. I really thought some of them would ‘accidentally’ miss boarding and have to watch this contest from dry land.

~With no sign of difficulties, Vaughn continues across the rope bridge, barely even needing to have his arms out for balance. It's not as easy for the cameraman, as he almost slips a couple of times on his way across. But, trusting in the safety harness, he keeps going, even as Vaughn starts taking a small series of steps higher up.~

Peter Vaughn: Of course, as expected, I was seeing a common theme mentioned multiple times. The general thought is that, clearly, I'm going to be exhausted after defending my Roulette Championship earlier in the night, which means that I'm not going to play as big a factor in the Mixed Tag-Team match. It's an interesting theory, and I can see where they're reaching their conclusions. There's only one problem: the facts don't support their hypothesis.

~With nimble feet, Vaughn starts again across, this time on round cylinders that can almost remind you of pool noodles. That is, if you ever saw a pool noodle before. Otherwise, think, I guess, a fluffy snake? A cleaner for the pipes in the toilet? Wait, that's a snake, too, isn't it? Funny. Anyway, Vaughn doesn't seem to have any trouble with the rolling items, getting all the way across. He looks back, waving to the cameraman, who appears reluctant.~

Peter Vaughn: Remember the safety harness, boyo.

~After a few moments, the cameraman sighs and starts across. He slips several times, and we expect a plunge any minute, but somehow, against all odds, he makes it, bringing an impressed smile to Vaughn's face.~

Peter Vaughn: See, this is why I keep requesting you. I know, you've put in applications for other wrestlers, but c'mon, when are you going to have fun like this?

~There's no response from the cameraman. He's probably too floored at Vaughn having blocked his reassignment.~

Peter Vaughn: So let's talk about the facts. Fact is, I'm very good at multitasking. Fact is, I'm used to wrestling multiple matches in a weekend. Heck, I've wrestled eight times before in a single 48-hour period. Sure, part of it was a tournament, but hey, I won that tournament, didn't I? Honestly, I seem to do better the more matches I have in a single weekend. Another fact is, my competition for the Ultimate X match? Not exactly that intense. I've beaten Milo before, and as for the Troll, well, let's just say that I'm not too concerned. I'll probably breeze through that contest, saving as much energy as possible for the Tag match to come.

~With that, Vaughn turns and starts climbing up a wall of ribboned fabric, getting up to the highest point of the ropes course. Having no choice, the cameraman follows, struggling all the way. How he's managing it is anyone's guess, but he does get a helping hand at the end by Vaughn, who reaches down to grab the camera and haul it up first. Once the cameraman's back in position, Vaughn continues.~

Peter Vaughn: Really, I'm skipping over the biggest fact of all: my teammate. Kim Pain could probably win this match all by herself if she wanted to. She's easily got the advantage on Eiley, Luna, and even Tempest. Yep, I fully believe Kim could take down Tempest one-on-one if she wanted to. So the fact is, no matter what energy I use, I'll still be fresh enough to keep the rest of the male mop heads at bay, so that Kim can take care of business. Once she's completed the route, I'll have two victories on this cruise, and two championships to proudly raise to the sky.

~Grinning, thinking about the gold, Vaughn actually does put his arms up in the air. But it's only so he can grab the highest rope, which really looks like it's more there for the harnesses than an actual transport device. But he climbs across easily anyway, hand over hand, reaching the other side. He looks back, waving the cameraman on, but gets a firm shake of the camera. We've reached the max of what this man is able to do. You can’t really shimmy with only one arm free. Looking a tad annoyed, Vaughn nonetheless climbs back over, landing in front of the cameraman once again. He doesn't even look winded.~

Peter Vaughn: You missed out, that was the best part of the course. But hey, some people just can't complete their goals, just like the opponents we'll be going against during the show. Other than the end there, though, you did pretty good, pal. Just don't shirk on your workouts, because keeping up with me? It sure as hell is not easy, for anyone in Sin City. See you at the bottom!

~With that, Vaughn turns and takes a massive leap off the top, spiraling downwards!! The cameraman quickly rushes forward, focusing on Vaughn, whose harness thankfully holds. He bounces on it for a second, before he's finally lowered into the net below, another safety mechanism. A few of the workers move in to start helping Vaughn out of the net, looking like they’d like to tell him off for just leaping like that with no warning. Of course, nobody says anything, because it’s Peter Vaughn, and they know better. Vaughn points up at the cameraman, who realizes that from where they are, there really isn't another way besides making the whole trek back down and getting in the way of others on the course. With a brief, muttered prayer, the cameraman tilts himself over the side and begins downwards, the netting below coming closer as we fade out.~


~We return to a different camera shot, this one showing the outside of one of the establishments on the cruise, Bellini's Cocktail Bar. It’s a rather nice bar, which is what you would expect from such a high-end operation as the Princess Cruise. We see Peter Vaughn walk into the shot, still dressed in his custom black coveralls. The maître d at the door studies him for a few moments, apparently trying to decide that he is actually seeing what he thinks he's seeing. He blinks a few times, but nothing seems to change. Vaughn, noticing that the door hasn’t been opened for him yet, turns to the man.~

Peter Vaughn: Everything alright?

Maître D: ... Of course, sir. Right this way.

~Vaughn nods, heading through the door and into the bar. As Vaughn moves off, the maître d can be seen shaking his head sadly.~

Maître D: Wrestling cruises... oy...

~The camera follows Vaughn as he makes his way through the bar, studying the faces. He finally spots the one he's looking for, walking over to where his tag-team partner, Kim Pain, is sitting. Vaughn sits down as well, with the bartender immediately turning their direction, as a good bartender should.~

Bartender: What can I get you?

Peter Vaughn: Do you have Yellow Rose?

Bartender: ... No, sir, I'm afraid not.

Peter Vaughn: Just give me something on draft then. Your pick.

Bartender: Very good, sir.

~As the bartender goes to work, Vaughn turns to Kim, who still hasn't acknowledged him.~

Peter Vaughn: Hey, Kim. Nice ship, huh? I went down and checked out the engine room. It's pretty incredible down there. I offered a few suggestions for maintenance, but they really didn't need them.

~Still Kim doesn't say anything, sipping on her drink. Peter, confused, leans closer to her.~

Peter Vaughn: Kim? Partner? Hello? Is everything alright?

~Finally, after a few more moments, Kim turns towards Peter, studying him. Peter, obviously unnerved by the almost glare, leans backwards, considering his options and wondering what he did. Maybe it was something he didn't do. Vaughn's never good at these partnership things. But just as Peter is going through the flight or fight instincts, Kim suddenly smiles, nodding to Peter.~

Kim Pain: It looks like I still have my work cut out for me.

Peter Vaughn: Work? What, you mean like the makeover? I thought we were done with all that. I'm sitting here in my new duds, I'm holding onto less hair, and I even took those skin vitamins that Brianne gave me. They tasted awful, by the way.

Kim Pain: I'm glad you're keeping up with that, Peter, but you do realize that's only half the battle?

Peter Vaughn: ... Did I just enter a GI Joe episode? What do you mean? What's left on me to change? Because I guarantee to you I'm not undergoing any plastic surgery. I like the way I look.

~Kim gives a small laugh to this, before shaking her head.~

Kim Pain: It's nothing about the outside, Peter. It's what's inside... inside your head. I think you're due a bit of a makeover there as well.

Peter Vaughn: Yeah, uh, I've had people try to mess with my brain before. I don't really want to revisit that.

Kim Pain: So tell me about this Sadie woman that works with you?

~The abrupt shift in conversation throws Peter, but he's given a reprieve as the bartender puts a large mug in front of him. Peter carefully sips at it, then looks thankful that it's nothing too bad, taking a larger swallow to clear his throat.~

Peter Vaughn: Why do you want to know about her? How do you even KNOW about her?

Kim Pain: I pay attention, Peter. I noticed that she's texted you at least a dozen times since the cruise started.

Peter Vaughn: Oh, yeah, she's keeping me up-to-date on issues with the ranch. It's an ongoing process, getting that one off the ground.

Kim Pain: Uh huh. And yet I believe she was inquiring a lot about how the cruise was going, and especially how it's going with me as your teammate.

Peter Vaughn: ... I guess she's just curious. I don't really know, she hasn't talked much about wrestling before, but maybe she's actually a fan.

Kim Pain: Or she just wants to know more about what drives you, Peter.

Peter Vaughn: Why, so she can work better for me or something? I mean, she already does a damn good job, I don't see room for much improvement.

~Kim shakes her head again, possibly a little shocked that she has to explain this straight to Peter's face. But then, Peter's been rather oblivious to anything regarding the opposite sex for the last few years, ever since his... treatments.~

Kim Pain: Here's the thing, Peter: Sadie's into you.

Peter Vaughn: ... As a fan? As a fan, right?

Kim Pain: No. Not as a fan. She's interested in you... as something more.

Peter Vaughn: ... Like... as a partner, like you?

Kim Pain: Not at all like me. Just... trust me on this, Peter. Sadie... would like to date you.

~Vaughn, still puzzled, takes another long drink from his frosted mug. He sets it back down before looking back at Kim.~

Peter Vaughn: I think you've got your wires crossed here, Kim. Sadie's just a co-worker of mine. I think I'd know if there was something else there.... wouldn't I?

~Kim just waits, as Vaughn starts running things through his head. Some of the comments that Sadie has made lately. The way she has greeted him in the mornings on the ranch, and the time spent at night along with Thomas and some of the other crew. The way she laughed at some of his weak attempts at jokes. Suddenly, Peter sits up.~

Peter Vaughn: Oh my God...

Kim Pain: There we go.

Peter Vaughn: But... but no. I mean, I don't really feel like that... well, with anyone, anymore. I would think she'd be able to see that.

Kim Pain: The heart wants what the heart wants, Peter. Not much can change that.

Peter Vaughn: But... exactly! My heart... doesn't want. At least, I don't think it does. I can't say it's really telling me anything, to be honest.

Kim Pain: Look, Peter. You need to make some of your time on this cruise work for you. You need to find a way to reach your old self, and start reopening old passageways in your mind.

Peter Vaughn: ... The old me sucked. He never won matches. He always got beaten up. He was... a janitor.

Kim Pain: I don't think the last one there is a bad thing, just a little different. But I'm not saying return to the Peter Vaughn you once were. I'm just saying be open to the fact that you can find a way to merge those old paths back into your new ones. Honestly, I think it'll help you in the ring, too.

Peter Vaughn: You think so?

Kim Pain: At the very least it will add to your knowledge base, which is always good to do for a wrestler. You DO want to learn more, don't you?

Peter Vaughn: ... I suppose so.

Kim Pain: So here's your mission, Peter: reacquaint yourself some with life on this cruise. Go and try new things. Talk to new people. See if you can break out of your shell and start seeing the colors of the world again. Then, I think you'll become the perfect tag-team partner, and we'll absolutely destroy all those other teams and grab those championships for ourselves. Are you willing to try that, Peter?

~Vaughn is quiet for a long period of time, drinking away more of the draft beer he had been given, thinking about Sadie and what he might, no, surely DID miss. He finally decides to nod his head.~

Peter Vaughn: I'll try.

Kim Pain: That's all I can ask.

~Kim raises her glass, clinking it against the one still held in Peter's hand. Peter still seems to be trying to process everything, running it through his mind again and again, as we slowly cut away.~


It's amazing, the twists and turns that can happen on a simple cruise, isn't it?

Take, for example, the twist that everyone in our mixed tag-team match prepares to be ready to compete? I truly thought I might see some of them just taking it easy on the crew deck, getting a tan, just taking advantage of the free trip on the cruise. But then I spend my time running around the liner, getting some exercise while taking in everything I see. And all I really see is everyone else involved in this match doing their prep work and continuing to train.

So, bravo, teams! You're not all complete losers, and I'm proud of you for that!

Of course, that doesn't mean that they're not all still making some mistakes in their preparations. For instance, good ol' Austin seems to think that Kim and I are going to underestimate them. Underestimate Austin & Tempest. The only team here to have held the belts before. So I have to ask... why the hell would you think we're underestimating you? You're the #1 target, for us and, I'm betting, for the rest of the teams as well. Honestly, the biggest threat is that we're overestimating you. You might come into this one and lay an egg, sucking up the entire ring, and suddenly a lot of our early strategy would be for naught.

So, you know, please don't suck, Austin. It would mess up our plans.

But I don't think he will. Austin's feeling a ton of pressure in this one, after all. He's already falling from the main event scene, he can't afford to put a brick up in the Mixed Tag-Team ranks. If anything, he'll probably try TOO hard and screw over his partner with an accidental slip-up near the end. Hey, I'm all for it. You screwing up? THAT we've planned for, Austin.

Really, the one I guess I should talk about underestimating might be the rookies. Ollie & Ellie look like they're planning to take this one seriously, even if nobody else is giving them a chance. That being said... I still think they're the underdogs in this one, because the energy might be there, but the experience is not. Most of the time, it felt like Ollie didn't even know what he was talking about. After all, Ollie seems to think that Kim doesn't care at all about championships.

Well, that's really on her to discuss, but from what I've seen, she DOES like to win. That means we will become the champions, so those go hand-in-hand. Either way, my interest in championships will be far and away enough for both of us, no matter where Kim sits on it. I'll definitely be a driving force in this contest.

And by the way, Ollie, let me clue you in on one other thing: losing in a tournament, no matter to what team, is never something to brag about. You and Ellie both lost to the eventual winners? So you're both losers? I mean, that's what that comes out to. It's not even a humble brag. It's a desperate attempt at making a terrible moment something that's worth a damn.

It's not. You lost. So did I. Get over it and move on.

Finally, we have Xander, who has his own underestimation issues. Boy, a lot of estimations going wrong, isn't there? Xandie seems to think that I'm nothing, just because I'm with the Saviors. In fact, there were a lot of negative feelings about us Saviors, which I thought was funny, considering how many of you moved your way forward in this tournament. As I've already said, I'm working to rebuild the Saviors' glory one step at a time, and we're definitely getting there. So if your personal hatred of the group of the past is going to mess with your mind in the present, well, that's just another benefit for us, isn't it?

Also, Raven, you're just as arrogant as I am, if not more. I mean, look how great you feel about yourself despite getting denied championships recently? You'd think your ego would have suffered a few more holes, but I guess you're able to seal up those wounds and move forward, huh?

Probably should get yourself a tire patch commercial. It would sell well.

Overall, boyos, and ladies, while I do believe now that all of you are actually here to compete, I'm just not sure all of you are equipped for the feat. Maybe some of you should just stay away from the tags and locate yourself some nice seats in the front row, away from all the action. You could put your feet up, get a martini (or a juice box for Ollie), and just relax, knowing that you're on a boat, mothertruckers, and that's as good as it's going to get.

Because once again, I have to tell you that nothing's stopping Kim and I from taking home those belts. I'm going to be a tag champion. If it means I have to throw each and every single one of you overboard to make that happen, then that's what I'm going to do.

It really gives "Taking The Plunge" a new meaning, doesn't it?

And when they're retrieving you from the ocean, sputtering and out of breath, you'll wonder to yourselves: why would he do this? Why would he take it so far? Well, it's obvious. Gold's on the line, and that means I'll do whatever I have to do to carry my partner and I across the finish line.

Brace yourselves. Rough waters ahead.


~It appears to be the next day on the cruise, although that could just be because we're outside once again. Now, we're at the poolside area, where fans can be seen enjoying the cool water on a hot summer day. There are a few SCW wrestlers in the pool, too, splashing each other and having a grand old time. They're not the wrestlers we're looking for, though, so the camera continues past them and heads to a nearby sitting area. Hanging out there, having just finished a thorough workout, is Kim Pain. She turns to the person sitting next to her, striking up a conversation.~

Kim Pain: Are you enjoying the trip, Brianne?

~The other lady rolls over, showing that it is, indeed, Brianne from the hair stylist shop. She smiles, sitting herself up.~

Brianne: This has been absolutely a great adventure, Kim! Thanks again for getting me a ticket!

Kim Pain: It's the least I can do after having to deal with so much of my partner's, well, you know.

Brianne: It's all... part of the job.

~Brianne says this without conviction, but then, she shouldn't complain. She DID get a trip on a cruise for it. As if to symbolize this further, a waiter shows up, handing both of them drinks. Kim sets hers to the side, seemingly not wanting to overindulge with a match coming up. Brianne dives right in, drinking away.~

Kim Pain: You don't want to drink too much, Brianne. Being drunk on a rocking cruise ship never goes well.

Brianne: It just tastes so good! Like they bottled the sun to give to us in these mimosas!

Kim Pain: If you say so. Hey, have you seen Peter around?

Brianne: No, I don't think so. Why?

Kim Pain: Just wondering. We had a talk last night, him and I, and I'm curious as to how he's reacting to it today. I doubt we'll see much of a change, though. Peter doesn't seem the type to radically change overnight, you know?

Brianne: I don't know, with all that hair *hiccup* gone, he definitely changed a lot.

Kim Pain: That's not what I...

~Kim suddenly stops talking, as she sits up a little straighter, staring off to the right. It takes Brianne a minute to notice the shift, as she's busy finishing off her drink. She finally gets it, though, turning back, confused.~

Brianne: *hic* What's going on?

Kim Pain: Over there... walking on the side path...

~Puzzled, Brianne looks around, finally finding what Kim is looking at. Her eyes widen in shock. The camera, similarly, turns and focuses in that direction, locking onto the man walking amongst the group of younger people, talking them up. He's wearing swim trunks and nothing else, with his hair styled up in a unique pattern. As he turns to some of the people, he raises up his arms, giving the victory sign to them with a big smile.~



~As shocking as it is, that does appear to be Peter Vaughn. He turns to a few fans who are anxiously waiting nearby, talking with them and offering to sign autographs, something that Vaughn never does. The look on his face is one of someone who's trying way, WAY too hard. He continues to gather a crowd, as it's clear that people are willing to take advantage of this seemingly "change of heart". Kim, though, knows better. She sighs, standing up to get a better look.~

Kim Pain: I may have created a monster...

~Brianne just laughs, thinking the whole thing is hilarious. But Kim is taking it seriously. She reaches down to gather up her stuff, before turning back to Brianne.~

Kim Pain: I think I'd better go after him. I should have known he'd take things to the extreme. Are you going to be alright here by yourself?

Brianne: I'm a grown *hic* woman, of course I'll be okay. You go get your partner.

~Kim nods, moving off at a brisk pace, as Brianne turns, noticing that Kim's drink is still sitting there, untouched.~

Brianne: Don't mind if I do... *hic*

~Brianne picks up the second mimosa, beginning to work on it, and we're forced to wonder what her tolerance level could be. It's extremely difficult to get drunk of mimosas, believe me, it's been tried. The camera leaves Brianne, following Kim's trek as she heads after her partner. However, in the minute it took for her to check on Brianne, Peter Vaughn seems to have gotten away from her. She looks around, wondering how he could have moved so fast.~

Kim Pain: Peter? ... Peter!

~Kim starts calling out, moving off, as the picture slowly fades out.~

[Eiley]

“I DID SOMETHING BAD.”
OFF CAMERA
Location:
Date:Wednay, June 27, 2023
 

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The way that Eiley and Oz had been cohabitating had been going pretty well and it surprised her. She had expected them to be at each other’s throats nonstop, but they were doing well in the smallish cabin. She didn’t mind sharing the bed with him and it was quite easy “living” with him. Easier than she had expected it to be and they were coming together more and more as a team and she could only expect that to transfer over into their in-ring chemistry. And she couldn’t wait to see if it was correct come Sunday.

The week had been pretty fun as well. Eiley had attended a lot of events that were offered as a way to branch out, even if she hadn’t really cared about being friendly with her co-workers. But she was trying, at least. It had to count for something, anyways. It was better than hating and having feelings for him at the same time. This was probably the closest they’ve been since when they first ran into each other in Hawaii.

At first, the cruise hadn’t bothered her and she had been having fun but every so often she swore that every so often that she saw Dean in the distance or in the crowd. The first couple of days, she could talk herself out of it and convince herself that it wasn’t Dean and that she was just seeing things. She didn’t want to let him ruin her time on the cruise but there was a nagging feel in the pit of her stomach that Dean was on board and that something bad was going to happen. She as trying her best to not let it affect her and the way she acted but she knew that it was. She knew that she had been flighty and jumpy with Oliver and she couldn’t deny that he had noticed, because it was obvious that he had, even if he wouldn’t say anything.

She knew that it was dark out and the only light was from the what the decks from the cruise liner had on to light up the areas. She knew that she was probably safer in her room at this time of night but she didn’t want to go stir crazy or alert Oz about any other problems she has. She was trying to sleep less in fear of having nightmares about the London altercation with Dean. She leans against the railing of the cruise liner, looking out over the ocean. The day had been pretty eventful as she spent most of the time either in the pools, laying out, or at the spa. She had taken the part seriously when she had stated that she was going to pretty much live in a bikini for a week and she had for the most part. She had spent the evening in the casino area of the cruise liner, trying her hand a few different games but she couldn’t really commit to putting and wasting money in a machine. She had changed out of her bikini and into a two piece thing that was a skin tight, short skirt with scalloped edges that was an off white color with gold scalloped designs on it. The top was a matching crop top and showed a few inches of her upper torso. She’d had on gold stiletto sandals but she had taken them off when she left the casino and came out onto the deck to look out at the ocean and they now sat on the ground by her feet.

•EILEY• “I’m going crazy.”

She was only talking to herself, he eyes still out on the ocean even though she really couldn’t see very far. The darkness of the night sky and the water made for a vast veil of darkness and she didn’t mind it. After all, she had lived in Hawaii most of her adult life and it was insane at how fast it got dark once the sun went down. She was not even aware that somebody had appeared next to her and was leaning against the railing next to her as well.

∞DEAN∞ “Can you already go crazy if you’ve always been crazy?”

Eiley freezes in her spot, recognizing that voice instantaneously as if it had been drilled into her brain. She glances at him, the fear already written in her eyes and she watches as that evil look is in his eyes. She doesn’t get a chance to move away from him as he firmly grabs her arms and pulls her in closer to him, holding her in place next to him. She breathes a little heavier as she feels his fingers digging into her skin. She looks at him, trying not to let the fear take over but it was hard to push that feeling away.

•EILEY• “What…are you doing here? I…looked on the passenger’s list and your name wasn’t on there. I double, no triple checked.”

The words came out of her voice softer than she had wanted and her tone was laced with fear. It would be hard for Dean to not realize that she was scared of him and for what she thought could be coming.

∞DEAN∞ “I figured that this was gonna be the only way I would be able to get to you again. You’ve been quite out of reach since London. And you think that I’m going to use my real name to book a room on a cruise where I know you’ll be? I ain’t stupid, Eiley; I know that you’d check to make sure. I had to make sure that I could be on the cruise without your suspicion.”

She tries again to pull herself way from him and a whimper-like noise spills from her mouth. She was surprised that there wasn’t anybody else on the deck with them and he was able to corner her like he was. It was a little alarming to her that he was able to get this time alone with her without so much of a struggle.

•EILEY• “I thought you would have figured out that was all done on purpose. The being out of reach thing wasn’t because I wanted to be away from Oz, but from you.”

A certain look of amusement passes through his eyes as he looks down at her and she just glares up at him.

∞DEAN∞ “Still have a thing for that loser? I doubt he’d feel the same if he knew you were messin’ around with me.”

She frowns at him, not liking what he was insinuating and she tries once again to jerk herself away from him. However, this time he jerks her back into him and grabs her other arm to keep a better control of her.

•EILEY• “I have not been messing around with you. I would never do anything willingly with you. And Oliver knows that.”

She was confident in her own statement but the way that the laugh comes out of Dean, almost makes her reconsider her stance. Dean moves in front of her and pins her against the railing of the cruise liner. A small little squeal spills from her lips and Dean just laughs, thinking that it was the funniest sound that he had heard come out of her. He looks at her, letting his eyes wander over her entire body.

∞DEAN∞ “How do you know what Oliver knows or doesn’t know? How do you know that Oliver and I aren’t friends and that he helped set this up?”

She didn’t want to believe what Dean had asked her; she wanted to believe that Oliver wouldn’t do that. She wanted to trust that Oliver was not the same as Dean and he had proved he wasn’t like Dean before. He had not even remotely put his hands on her and had not even had any similarities to Dean.

•EILEY• “You’re lying.”

Dean grins at her, a sinister look in his eyes.

∞DEAN∞ “Am I? How do you know that I’m not telling you the truth? You know that Oliver is just as shady as you are.”

The seed of doubt had been planted and Eiley now could not separate Oz from places where Dean had been in the past few months. She couldn’t deny that Dean had not been a part of her life since sixteen and until Oliver came back into her life. She struggles to keep a poker face as she feels the tears in her eyes at the thought of Oz betraying her. She didn’t want to believe it because she did trust Oz in a way that she hadn’t trusted anybody ever before.

•EILEY• “You’ve always been jealous of him…”

Her voice falters a little bit and she could only hope that Dean didn’t catch it. But by the sneer and smirk on his face, she knew that he had. She tries to breathe to calm her nerves and to tame the fear that was coursing through her veins. Dean did not seem to like her statement as he pushes her a little roughly against the railing, his eyes darkening a little bit.

∞DEAN∞ “I am not jealous of that little asshole. There isn’t anything to be jealous of, Eiley. He ain’t never had you like I did.”

His grip on her arms tightened and she wines as she feels the way that his fingernails dig into her skin. She tries to pull her arms free again, struggling harder against him as he sort of shakes her a little bit to try to get her to stop struggling.

•EILEY• “Just let me go, please!”

She knew that he wouldn’t but she couldn’t help but to ask him to and to beg for him to let her go. He just laughs as he lets go of one arm and grabs her chin, holding her head in place.

∞DEAN∞ “You’re so pathetic, Eiley. Why would I ever just let you go? You’re my favorite little game.”

She breathes out as evenly as possible, trying to remain calm as he pushes her firmly into the railing, enough where she could feel the bars digging into her back. She turns her head away from him, the second he lets her chin go.

•EILEY• “I hate you.”

She knew that the insults and statements of dislike toward him never helped but she couldn’t help it. He had her at a disadvantage and for some reason, everybody on the ship was either in their room or at the other end of the boat. He doesn’t move, keeping her pinned between his own body and the railings of the cruise liner.

∞DEAN∞ “That’s what makes it so much fun, Eiley. The hate, the power struggle, and then you realizing that you will never be able to escape me. I’m always going to be one step ahead of you.”

The color somewhat drains from her face as his words sink in. She realized that he didn’t plan on keeping her “hostage” tonight but only wanted to continue his little game of cat and mouse. She didn’t want to play that game for the rest of her life and she didn’t want to live in fear of what could happen in the future. She just wanted to be free of him and not live in fear but she didn’t know what she could do. She didn’t have a good rapport with law enforcement and it was always going to be his word against hers. And what evidence did she have against him? Nothing and that was going to be the most problematic of the entire situation if she were to go to the cops.

•EILEY• “No…”

The word comes out of her mouth quietly as she couldn’t believe him and what he was saying. And she didn’t want to believe him either. She wanted to believe that he’d leave her alone, even though he hadn’t left her alone at all since she lived with him and his parents as a foster child. The only escape she’d had was when she was in Hawaii and he didn’t know where she was.

∞DEAN∞ “Oh yes. You think that I haven’t been tracking your movements since London? I know about your little rendezvous with Kaleb on that boat. I know about your little crush on Oliver.”

He snickers as he says it as it was hilarious to him that she’d had some sort of thing for Oliver. She frowns at him, feeling that rage against him and she tries to shove him but he easily grabs a hold of her arms once again, laughing at her futile attempt of retaliation.

•EILEY• “You’re just jealous that nobody’s ever had a crush on your ugly ass.”

It was a weak attempt at insulting him and he just looks at her before grabbing her chin again, forcing him to stare at him.

∞DEAN∞ “I ain’t need nobody else but you, Eiley.”

He leans down and forcefully presses his lips against hers and kisses her. She struggles against him, trying her best to push him away from him before feeling her stiletto heels down by her feet. She realizes that she can’t push him away so instead she does her best to knee him and manages to get enough where he backs off a little bit. This gives her a small moment to squat down and grab one of her stiletto heels and without thinking about the consequences and just as he goes to grab her, she thrusts the heel of her stiletto shoe into his chest. The stiletto heel blocks most of the blood from spilling out of his body but a few droplets land on her.

She watches as he stumbles a bit and the blood from the wound is all over her and he goes to reach for her but she ducks and moves out of the way. She moves from between him and the railing and now in front of him and when he spins to face her, he loses his footing and a lurch from the boat has him spill backwards over the edge of the railing and into the ocean.

•EILEY• “Fuck…”

She hurries over to the railing and grabs onto the top railing and looks over into the ocean. But like before, she couldn’t see much due to the dark, night sky. She glances around, her breathing becoming quicker and heavier as the realization of what happened hits her. She starts to panic, internally as she thinks about the consequences of her actions but she then the realization hits her that she will not have to deal with Dean ever again. She grabs her other shoe and tosses it in the ocean to get rid of it, since the other one was stuck in Dean’s chest. It was very unlikely that his body would never be found with the sharks that inhabited the ocean.

•EILEY• “Maybe….he’ll never be missed.”

Her eyes scan the water again before chewing on her bottom lip as she slowly heads away from the railing and to head back to the room that she shares with Oliver. She is careful to avoid corridors where she could hear other people and when she has to interact with them, she forces a polite smile on her face and then when she finally gets to her room, she relaxes. She reaches into the side of her outfit and pulls out her key from the side of her bra. She unlocks the door and steps inside, letting the door close behind her. She walks over to her bag and grabs a change of clothes, consisting of a pair of Nike shorts and a simple white tank top. She walks into the bathroom and looks down before seeing the few droplets of blood on her outfit.

•EILEY• “Fuck.”

She is quick to remove the outfit and leaves it in a pile before pulling on the Nike shorts and simple white tank top. She grabs the pile of clothes and hides them discreetly under her clothes before leaving the cabin. She walks in a normal to fast paced to the stairs and is as polite as usual to the other passengers in the hallway. Once to the stairs, she jogs up them quickly, smiling at the other passengers. She finds it a little weird that she was now seeing other passengers, when before there wasn’t any of them to be found. Once she makes it to the deck, she discreetly walks over to one of the railings and tosses the clothes overboard. She didn’t know how else to get ride of them and they had a few drops of Dean’s blood and she didn’t need that to come back to her in the future. But all she could feel was relief that she didn’t have to worry about him coming around again and that essentially, she was safe.

•EILEY• “Goodbye.”

She watches the ocean for a few more minutes before turning back to go back to the room that she shares with Oliver.

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“I AIN'T WORRIED.”
ON CAMERA
Location: Pacific Ocean.
Date: Friday, June 30, 2023

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The scene opens up to the Spotlight Bar on the cruise ship where the piano is set up in the middle of the room. The room is only dimly lit for a moment or so before the spotlight shines on the piano where Eiley is sitting, dressed in a silver fringed mini evening dress similar to something you may see on a Vegas Show girl or something that Taylor Swift would wear at her Eras concert. She is sitting on top of the piano with her legs apart with her feet on the keys and a piece of sheet music in between her legs on the spot where it’s supposed to go. Written on the sheet of music is: MIXED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: Eiley and Oliver vs Luna Vanity and Alexander Raven vs Austin James Mercer and Tempest vs Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn.

She was still trying to shake off the events that had happened on Wednesday and thankfully, she was good at compartmentalizing and ignoring trauma; she’d had twenty long years of practicing. She takes a breath before plastering a smile like smirk on her pretty face.

“It’s been a long week of fun in the sun.”

She focuses the best she can, trying to fight whatever inner demons that she had that were threatening to spill over.

“But it’s time to focus on what is going to be happening in just two short days. The entire reason that the SCW roster is even on this dumb boat. All of us have different motives and reasons for being on this cruise ship, but ultimately, if we’re booked in a match, everybody’s goal is to win. But not everybody can win, there has to be losers or it would make the whole point of wrestling gone. Not everybody can be a winner and as SCW has proven, there are a bunch of losers that are on their roster.”

“Which is what Oz and I’s opponents are going to be come at the end of Sunday evening. And you can call that cockiness or arrogance, but I’m going to call it manifesting what I want in life.”

She smirks at the thought of winning on Sunday.

“I think that’s what all the cool kids are calling it, anyways. But is that going to get Oz and I the win on Sunday? Of course not. Manifesting is just something that you’re putting out in the world and believing that it’s going to happen for you. So that’s what I’m doing. But I also know that Oz and I are going to have to work our asses off to prove that we are the best team in this match. And that’s not a far stretch to make, either. Have any of these teams even thought about what they really want after Sunday? The only team that might have thought about the future is Austin James Mercer and Tempest. And even then, it’s a stretch to even claim that. Both of them have the potential to be ticking time bombs that could combust at any moment. And not in a good way, either. I do not see them being a profitable team because who wants to see two basket cases running the division?”

She makes a face before rolling her eyes before she carefully stands up, moving and standing on top of the back of the piano.

“Everybody wants to see a good show, that’s what it’s about, right? But who wants to see two people like Austin James Mercer and Tempest throw tantrums like children? It’s almost like they just want people to believe that they are the best team in this tournament. And they do have a history, one that this company knows about but Oz and I have a decorated history together as well. We’ve been working together long before we joined SCW and have always done well as a team. And we’re not combustible together. We know how to get what we want out of any situation that we’re put in. And we want those mixed tag team championships. Personally, I wouldn’t want to bet against Oz and I. We also know how to put on a show, which is what everybody wants, essentially.”

While Eiley was talking and had stood up, a man in a suit had walked in and sat down on the stool to the piano and began playing the piano. He was playing a piano version of Taylor Swift’s song, Style.

“What I’ve learned over the last week and after watching our opponents’ silly little promos, is that nobody is taking Oz and I seriously in this match. The general consensus is that we’re too young, too new to the scene to be able to win these championships on Sunday. Austin James Mercer wants to claim that he and Tempest are the only ones that are going to be able to rebuild what he calls a shattered division. But I’m sorry, I’m not sure I see his point because his points were not very valid. He wanted to credit Mikah and Kris’ reign as what shut the division down. But how can he say that when they were dominating the division and that people were scared to face them? They beat everybody that stepped up to the plate and they made it look effortless. And maybe he shouldn’t be focusing on so much as to what Mikah and Kris did as Reckless Elite but instead, looking at what is in front of him. You can’t always look back at the past, that doesn’t do well for the future. And I’m not sure what the fuck he is talking about earning this spot in the match because I know for a fact that Oz and I did just that. We beat Miles and Alexandra in the qualifying match to be booked in this match and just because you and Tempest have been around longer, does not mean that you two idiots earned this spot any more than Oz and I did. But if that’s what you want to hang your hat on, then go ahead. It will just make you look as stupid as you sound. And yes, that is me calling you stupid, if you needed clarification.”

She rolls her eyes in sheer irritation.

“I’m not even sure Austin’s partner Tempest can be considered sane. She sounded like her and Austin already had the championships won and are already looking forward to facing Sam Marlowe and Ben Jordan down the road. I’m sorry, but when did you become a psychic that is able to see the future? Because we have not had the match because this would be redundant if it had already happened and you and Austin were crowned the champions. I’m sure you are thrilled to face off against Kim Pain in this match, after all she is a considered to be a veteran in this sport. She is also delusional in the fact that all she could talk about was Mikah and Mikah’s relationship with Kris.”

Eiley laughs at loud at the fact before sitting back down, this time making sure the heel of one of her stilettos on one of the ledges by the sheet music and then crossing her other leg over the other. The pianist starts to play the piano version of Bad Blood by Taylor Swift.

“I didn’t realize you were so into Kris and wanted him for yourself. I’m sure I could pass along the message for you, he’s here on the boat somewhere. But I’m going to break this to you gently, you don’t remotely seem like his type. I’m not sure if you’re on Twitter and frankly, I don’t give a fuck. But you’ll be upset to realize that Kris has been openly stating that he was the one that liked her first. Which essentially means that he chased her first. But I’m not sure that will penetrate your thick skull, because you seem to have such strong opinions about a woman who is not even in this match; a bombshell who has had a better career than you will ever have here in SCW. And yes, I am going to defend her because she is not able to do it herself. And the fac that you wanted to insinuate that her child is not Kris’ is repulsive and paints you as a jealous, revolting human being and you should feel absolutely horrible about stating something like that. Maybe you should think twice before you throw accusations around. I texted Mikah the other day, laughing about what you stated and just a second, I’ll read you what she said.”

She holds a finger up before reaching down behind the sheet music and pulling out her cell phone. She unlocks it before scrolling through some text messages before finding the right one.

“The message she sent me after I relayed what you said, because trust me, she can’t be bothered to watch your petty shit, was: Who the fuck is Tempest? So clearly, you are not even on her radar like she is on yours. I find that amusing and hilarious because you spent most of your time talking about her and Kris rather than what I can do in the ring. You’re going to be surprised in a few days when you realize that I’m not Mikah and you won’t have a clue what fucking hit you. You want to call me Mikah 2.0? Fine, go ahead because it’s a compliment, not an insult like you want it to be. If I’m anywhere as good as she was when she was competing here, then I’m obviously doing something right. You can only dream of being as good as she was because you will never be on her level. Therefore, I am not even remotely worried about your delusions.”

She just laughs as the man starts to play a piano version of One Republic’s I Ain’t Worried.

“As for Kim Pain and Luna Vanity, they were so irrelevant with what they had to say about me in their promos, that I’m not worried about what they think they’re going to do to me. Luna was more worried about whether I loved myself or not enough to win, which makes zero sense. She has a lot more to be worried about other than whether I have self love. She should be worried that I’m going to kick her ugly face in instead. And Kim Pain really only focused on the loss I had at the last Climax Control, which I didn’t even try in, like I usually do. She seemed to think that my loss was me becoming weaker. But that’s not the case, I just didn’t give a shit about a match against a nobody that I do not care about. I can promise you that I will be showing up on Sunday and giving you everything I have, that’s what you should focus on. Not on the one loss that doesn’t matter. Maybe the fact that she’s probably had one too many concussions to not recognize when somebody is focused on other things, bigger tings rather than a one off match that does not matter in the grand scheme of things. And both of your partners want to write Oz and I off like we don’t matter and that we can’t win on Sunday. That’s fine, we’re good at proving everybody wrong.”

A smirk stretches across her face as she looks at the camera.

“This is what matters. This Sunday’s match for the belts is what matters and while every single one of mine and Oz’s opponents want to call us children and discredit us as real competitors in this match, it doesn’t matter what they think. It only matters how we’re going to prove everybody wrong on Sunday. We’re going to be the ones that walk off of this stupid cruise ship with the championships in our possession. Not two delusional idiots like Tempest and Austin James Mercer, not a washed up team like Kim Pain and Peter Vaughn and definitely not two morons that don’t have any clue about us like Alexander Raven and Luna Vanity. We’ve got what it takes to win and we’re going to prove it on Sunday. That’s all that there is to say, bring your best because even that is not going to be enough. Oz and I are going to prove just why we’re the best and there ain’t shit anybody can do about it.”

She smirks as she carefully steps off the piano.

“Ciao.”

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[Jet City]

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Blindsided
Los Angeles, CA -- Princess Cruise Ship
29 June 2023
OFF-Camera


Oz hadn’t been able to put his finger on what had been bothering him, but he knew that it started with Eiley. Things were strange. Despite the concerns that he had going into the week, they had actually gotten along. However, as the week went, it seemed like she was in the room only while he was out. When he went back, she made an excuse to leave. From Oz’s perspective, something had happened around the middle of the week to change things. His impulse had been to jump in and get to the bottom of it, but he had held off. In case he was the source of her disdain. He gave her time to come to him about whatever it was. However, with the match for the Mixed Tag Team Championships approaching, he quickly ran out of patience. After all, he had plenty of time to try and think out how to approach her. They were about to get the biggest break of their careers, and he wasn’t willing to risk that by not just asking a few annoying questions.

OZ: You think that…. Maybe. You got a second that we can sit and talk instead of kind of just walking around each other like we’re both in the way?

It was forward, but he knew that if he tried to take his time getting to the point, she probably wouldn’t hesitate to tell him to fuck off. The only thing that he could even attempt to do was be direct, but not pushy. She flinches just a little bit before flicking her eyes over to him.

EILEY: Talk? About what? 

She holds the best poker face that she can manage while trying to maintain her focus on him and not on other things.

OZ: I don’t know. Something just seems off, ya know? And it has for at least a day or two. It seemed like one second everything was chill, and the next you kind of fell off the face of the earth. You’ve been around, but not really present.

He wanted to make sure that he wasn’t making it sound like he was putting all of the blame for that onto her. It was too late to do anything about their partnership on the cruise. It was in his best interest to salvage whatever he could for as long as he could if he had somehow fucked everything up.

OZ: I get the whole tiny room thing wasn’t what we had planned. Just making sure that I didn’t piss you off and make you think this whole thing was a bad idea.

Something flashes in her eyes and is gone just as quickly. She looks at him, a skeptical look on her face as she listens to him.

EILEY: You think I’m upset about the tiny room? I don’t care, this is a step up from a lot of the foster homes I stayed in. And if you think I’m second guessing the teaming together thing, don’t. I’m not. 

She forces a smile as she looks away from him, her focus going anywhere else for the moment.

OZ: All I am saying is that something has been off for a while now. That’s the kind of thing that can pull us apart when we really need to be solid as a team right now. We have to trust each other. I thought that maybe we were turning that corner. Was I wrong?

He took note that the more he talked, the more defensively she positioned herself away from him. It told him that the whole topic made her uncomfortable even if she wasn’t going to actually tell him that. At least it was confirmation that he wasn’t wrong about the tension in the air.

OZ: If it is something up with me, I can take the shot. Just let me know what it is so that I can fix it or something. I’d rather clear the air than just pretend that nothing is wrong.

Her eyebrows furrowed together a little bit before her head turns quickly to look at him. She studies him for a moment, thinking about what he had said before responding.

EILEY: Not everything is about you, you know. Sometimes, there are other things going on in the world or in my life that don't involve you. Or at least, directly. 

It seemed a whole lot like pulling teeth, but he couldn’t let himself snap at her for the evasive answer. If he did, he would only be giving her an excuse to shut down completely.

OZ: Even so. If it is affecting you, it’s affecting me. Whatever it is, let me help. Or at least get it off your chest so that you don’t keep carrying it around and acting super spaced out.

She avoids looking at him as she concentrates on controlling her emotions. She looks up at the ceiling for a moment before finally finding the strength to look over at him.

EILEY: Look, I’m not….I’m not trying to act differently. But I can’t…I shouldn’t tell you, because then if it does come out, I won’t be incriminating you. 

She bites her bottom lip at the sound of the words coming out of her mouth; she had probably said too much and it would be too late to take them back. She wasn’t prepared for the words to make Oz laugh, even though she probably should have been.

OZ: You know how many incriminating things we have done together over the years? I think we are well past the point of trying not to drag each other through the mud. That’s part of the deal when we partnered up.

He finishes the thought, only to immediately correct himself.

OZ: I mean like before now. The times before Sin City. The stuff that we probably shouldn’t always be telling other people about.

She presses her lips together, trying her best to not snap at him. She gives him a slightly annoyed look as she looks around before focusing back on him.

EILEY: This is not the same as what we were doing before Sin City, Olly. It’s different and could have bigger consequences than stealing money from people. Just tell me one thing… 

She hesitates, not sure if she wanted to ask him or not because it had the potential to open another box of worms.

EILEY: Have…you been in contact with Dean since we were teenagers? 

She hesitates to look at him, to look at his face as if she was a little worried about his answer.However, the question appears to take him totally by surprise.

OZ: No. Not even a little bit. Not since, you know…

He knew enough of the story to know that there was no way that he was going to be able to make himself say any more of those words to Eiley. Even aside from that, he had heard enough stories that were similar enough to build a real clear picture of the guy. People may think that he and Eiley aren’t the greatest type of people, but both of them knew that people like Dean were the real monsters in the world. There was nobody in the world that he would want to speak to less than that guy. He was better off as just a memory.

OZ: I try not to even let myself think about the guy. For all my faults, that’s not necessarily the type of guy that I want my name mentioned around, ya know? Not my crowd.

She looks at him, trying to decide whether she believes him but ultimately, he does seem genuine about it. She relaxes, just a little bit.

EILEY: It…was not what he said. 

The words came out as a mumble and could barely be considered coherent.

EILEY: I just…wanted to make sure that you hadn’t been in contact with him.. 

She raises her eyes up to meet his, a slightly guilty look in them. He didn’t even have to tell her that whatever Dean told her was a lie. She could see on his face that all of this was a shock to him. Oz was many things, and he could lie with the best of them, but he wasn’t that great an actor. His tells were always the emotions on his face. It did appear that he started to put together exactly why Eiley had been so distant the last few days though.

OZ: What he said? Like he is here? He showed up to fuck with you on the boat? That’s a simple fix. I’mma find his ass and dump him over the side for old time’s sake. Should have done that years ago if I’m---

He started to reach for the door, but her words stopped him in his tracks.

EILEY: No don’t… I don’t think…that I or you will have to worry about that ever again 

She almost had him convinced, but he cracks a smile as he turns the knob on the door to open it. However, she didn’t crack a smile like he did. She didn’t laugh about it. The way that she said it made Oz have to really considered if somehow things had already gotten way more out of control than he thought.

OZ: Wait.

He pushes the door closed again, and places both of his hands in his front pockets.

OZ: You’re actually serious, aren’t you?

She runs her hands over her face, chewing on the inside of her bottom lip, the anxiety settling in.

EILEY: It…I didn’t mean for it to happen like that; I just wanted to get away. I didn’t mean for him to fall over the---.

She doesn’t actually finish the thought, but he can fill in most of the blanks on his own. Her eyes meet his, a guilty look on her face almost as if she regretted what had happened.

EILEY: It was an accident… 

He sits down next to her with his eyes wide in shock. When he prepared to sit her down so that they could hash out their issues, he wasn’t expecting a bombshell like this one to get dropped on him. On the bright side though, he had no doubts about her version of the events. He knew the guy. He knew their history. More importantly, he knew exactly the type of person that Eiley was. She wasn’t malicious. There is no way that what happened could have been her fault. The thought never crossed his mind to doubt her.

OZ: ...but nobody saw it happen?

He hoped that the amount of mental hoops that he had to jump through in order to get to those words didn’t scare her off. It took a moment, but she shook her head wordlessly. Again, he had a feeling that no matter what happened, she was more than smart enough to make it difficult to get tied back to her in any meaningful way. If that were really a risk, she probably would have bailed off of the boat altogether.

OZ: Then fuck him. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

It was a bit dark, but his hope was for it to be reassuring. Despite either of their intentions or feelings about the matter one thing was abundantly clear. If the two of them acted out of sorts, it was only going to make things worse.



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>Future Champions

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The scene opens on Oz standing at the edge of a balcony. The camera moves past him to show that he is overlooking a deck styled like a casino where several of the Sin City Wrestling superstars are down below mingling amongst fans, drinking, and wagering away all of their money before any matches even get underway. Oz himself has a few chips in his hand that he keeps flipping across his knuckles, but it doesn’t look like he has made his way down to the festivities yet.

”It’s not usually my thing, but I’ll be honest…”

He flashes his arrogant smile at the camera. It seemed as if he was dialing it up a little strong when he added the wink before continuing.

”I can admit that I was a little nervous about this match. It’s not the Supercard feeling, but I have been there, done that, and made it look good. It’s damn sure not the cruise, because I have lost count of how many of these disease-ridden death traps I have crashed over the years. This one isn’t even a really nice one.”

He drags his index finger along the balcony railing in front of him before holding it out to the camera with a forced look of disgust on his face. He flutters his hand and tries to shake the grime away before continuing.

”It wasn’t necessarily the Mixed Tag Team Championships either. It would be kind of crazy if that was it. If being the champion made me nervous, I wouldn’t have teamed up with Eiley to chase them down. I wouldn’t have busted my ass to get to this point if I was anxious about holding the titles. People have seen the type of roadblocks I have run into when I am out in that ring on my own. People have seen Eiley do great things out in the ring, but maybe lose a little focus and intensity when she is out there alone. We both know our faults. They were on full display back at the last Climax Control.”

It was a rare nugget of actual truth. Oz knew that from the moment he said he wasn’t going to bullshit them, the fans would expect him to do just that. The line itself wasn’t going to be enough to get people onto his side, so he had to go a step further than that.

”We both fell short individually, but that’s not something that we have done as a team. Each and every time we are standing next to one another, we can’t be beaten. We both even managed to pull our weight as part of Blast from the Past teams until our partners let us down. We qualified to get into this match just like everyone else that we will see in the ring on Sunday. We earned our spot just as much as anyone else, and I believe we are the best team in this match.”

It felt like he truly believed the words, especially given the fact that he previously acknowledged their flaws as competitors. Clearly he thought there was some logic to back up the arrogance that most of the roster had accused him of.

”Nobody should take that personally. Every team in contention should think they have the best chance, that is the whole point. That is what it is going to take to be crowned the new Mixed Tag Team Champions. I have known that from the moment that I convinced Eiley to sign up.”

His words didn’t feel like an act either. He turned his back to the balcony railing and leaned against it with his arms folded in front of his chest. Whatever the source of the negativity was, it didn’t appear that he had found it yet, and the fans were witnessing the stream of consciousness as he discovered the answer for himself.

”So it’s not the venue. It’s not the stage. I don’t think any of the teams are better than us, and it’s not the championships. I am sure you can see why it took me so long to figure out. For most of the week it was driving me nuts. There were a few days there where I couldn’t even really enjoy the cruise for what it was. My poker game seriously suffered as a result, but that’s another story. This strange anxiety I have been experiencing made me not feel like myself, and because of that there were times where I was worried about how all of this was going to shake out. I started to let some of the doubts sink in a little bit.”

Oz’s eyes lit up like someone struck him with lightning. The pace of his words quickened as he started to excitedly uncover the answer for the viewers.

”...but then a strange thing happened. I realized that all of my doubts had a certain theme. None of my worst case scenarios had anything to do with me or my partner. All of the possible ways things could spin out of control were centered around how mediocre all of our opponents are. This match ends with a pinfall, or a submission, and there is no guarantee that Eiley or myself have anything to do with that. The fears that I have, and the anxiety that I feel, is because I am not sure which one of these mediocre hacks is going to cost me this opportunity if it doesn’t go my way. Not only do I have to find a way to actually win this thing, Eiley and I have to babysit all of the other losers to make sure that they don’t give the win away at the wrong time.”

It was almost as if he could feel the collective groan from those watching around the world. He hoped his words had been convincing enough for everyone to follow him on his journey. There was no easy way of knowing how long it would take to get people hooked before turning the knife. It was a skill he was still perfecting.

”...and they are all spectacularly capable of fucking this up for us. Peter Vaughn and Kim Pain come to mind as the very top of that list. My only hope for these two idiots is that the referee is watching them closely, and they get disqualified and thrown out early on. Peter has already been talking reckless about doing whatever it takes to win, and we know that Kim Pain is going to be on the exact same page. She doesn’t really give a fuck about any championships at this late stage of her career, and Peter has never won a tag title despite all of his successes. My concerns with the two of them doesn’t involve them winning. I am worried how much of Peter Vaughn is going to be left out of the Roulette match. I am worried about whether his partner cares enough to try to save the match for her team. I worry about them giving it away to one of the other two teams. That’s why I hope they take themselves out first. That’s the best case scenario.”

Moving on, he seemed to get a touch more serious.

”Equally unstable are Austin James Mercer and Tempest. I mean, how many times has Tempest popped up out of nowhere and taken someone out? Why is she even considered a threat in this company? It is not like she has some amazing track record. It is not like she has as decorated a career as her partner. She is known more for her ability to show up and absolutely wreck shit as an unpredictable force; tell me that doesn’t accurately describe her partner as well.”

Despite what he was saying, it was clear that he was taking this team a little bit more seriously, even if only because Austin had beaten his face in last they were in the ring together.

”I can’t go as far as to say that these two concern me when it comes to thinking about who is going to take the fall in this match. I can’t see Austin letting himself get pinned by anyone. I don’t even think that Eiley would be capable of making Tempest tap out. It’s not like I have delusions of grandeur. My greatest gift in the ring is being able to read what people are capable of and find a wave to survive it, and that is the only thing that I can do against Austin. I can survive. It works. I’ve done it before. At the end of our last match, he lost his shit and I walked out with the win. He can say that he didn’t give me his best that night, and that’s fine. I don’t really care how I won. I don’t care that he lost his cool and got himself disqualified. I don’t care that he walked out and I got stitches. What I care about is that I won. That is the only thing that matters, especially this Sunday. It doesn’t matter if Austin and Tempest get the last laugh. If they implode, that only helps me end up with half of the mixed tag team championships around my waist.”

”...but what if they don’t implode? I mean, they have proven that they are capable of reigning atop this division. They are the only ones that have actually held the thing that we are all fighting for. They know what it feels like to succeed as a team in this company, and I can’t avoid that fact. At their very best, they are scary. And that is the small window that Eiley and I have. We have to make sure that they are not at their best. It shouldn’t be too hard. The two of them already seem to hate us. Austin blew his lid last time around, and all Tempest cares about is making sure to tell us that we are exactly like Kris and Mikah. Neither of them think that we deserve the place that we are in, and both are dying for the chance to put us in our place. They are taking our potential rise to greatness personally. More so than actually winning this match, it feels like they want the two of us to be the ones to lose it. I can use that. I can exploit that. All it takes is for them to take their eyes off the prize for just a few seconds.”

He looks confused just for a moment, as if he was about to move on without addressing the last team in contention for the championships.

”Which I guess just leaves one team remaining. Kind of a bummer that I did them in this order, because it makes it sound like I was holding off on them for some big reason. I wasn’t. The reason that they are last is because they are the only team that I keep forgetting is actually in this thing. They’re a lot alike. They’re both long-winded, and neither of them say very much of anything. It’s like they want you to get lost in all of the pretty language instead of having anything of substance to actually talk about. Their complaints about Eiley and I being in this match are noted. However, we have been over the fact that we earned our spots just like anyone else. The fact that these two think we are just petulant children that are in over our heads is laughable. I was the very first person to take these returning championships seriously, and I intend to be the first person to hold them for over a year. That’s not a mistake. Eiley and I didn’t accidentally wander into this match-up. We sought it out and we rose to the occasion.”

”Luna and Alexander can’t honestly say the same thing about themselves. At least Raven knows that recently he has been taking steps backwards a lot more often than he is taking any forwards. Week after week he comes out and beats people into submission with his rants, but then when he shows up in the ring he falls flat. Somehow he thinks the fact that he has done nothing of note lately doesn’t matter. Somehow he thinks that he and Luna are up on some pedestal above Eiley and I. The fact is, they aren’t. We might just be starting out from the bottom, but these two were already there waiting for us. And that wasn’t because of lack of opportunity. It is not because they are two individuals that haven’t been given their due. They have had multiple chances. They have tried their best to gain traction in this company. They have had significantly more time to make something of their careers than Eiley and I have, and yet we are still standing here in the same exact position. They want to look down on us and say that we don’t belong. They want to pretend that we are not on the same level. If I were them, I probably would too. Eiley and I are rookies. Luna and Alexander are just disappointments.”

”...and that is why all of the big money is on one of the two of them being the one to take the fall, or tap the fuck out on Sunday. They are the absolute biggest liability. Like me and Eiley, nobody is giving them a chance to win. However, the general consensus is that the loss is going to be Raven and Luna’s fault. I guess I should appreciate people thinking that Eiley and I will be innocent bystanders at the end. I could be worse. I could be a lot further into my career only to be thought of as a loser.”

Oz definitely took pleasure in these moments, which usually only made it sweeter for his opponents once they got their hands on him. Although, that seemed to actually be part of his plan for Summer XXXtreme.

”...and now everyone can see what I found to be so concerning about all of these other teams. I think if this match came down to Eiley and I against any of them individually, I would certainly be walking out of Summer XXXtreme as a champion. The fact that any of them could blow this whole thing up is what gives me anxiety. I worry about each and every misstep that they could possibly make. I agonize over how exactly one of these three teams is going to fuck up the whole cruise.”

Oz started to move away from the camera, and down the flight of stairs separating the balcony from the makeshift casino setup below. He turned back to the camera, almost as an afterthought,  as he continued to descend the stairs.

”...but I have come to realize that I don’t need to be worried.”

He had nearly trailed off before actually getting to the point. Multiple uninteresting opponents had that effect. It also didn’t help that all of the gambling in the air had finally gotten the better of Oz. He looked like he couldn’t help himself any longer. The camera followed him as he hit the bottom of the stairs and started to weave through all of the people separating him from the game he had been following from the balcony.

”Each and every one of these scenarios has all three of these teams losing. These are all of the ways that every other team can fall short. I might not have control about when and where the wheels fall off, but that’s okay. None of my concerns are about Eiley and I falling apart. None of my fears involve one of the two of us blowing this opportunity for ourselves. There is not one single atom in my body that doesn’t believe that we have what it takes to walk away from Summer XXXtreme and the NEW SCW Mixed Tag Team Champions.”

The camera catches the passing faces of several members of the Sin City roster, but doesn’t linger on any of them. Several fans try to pop into the frame with various hand gestures to the crowd, but it doesn’t stop the operator from following closely behind Oz. It also helped that he seemed to one connected to an actual microphone being that the crowd around him sounded like little more than white noise while the viewers could hear him almost perfectly.

”You can call it over-confidence if you want to. Fuck, you can call it arrogance. You can say that we don’t belong here. You can call us children. None of it matters. At the end of the day, we are here. You can’t take this opportunity away from us, the only thing that you can try to do is beat us. I promise, you’ll need a lot more luck with that than you think. We might be new at this, but we are not new to being a team. Eiley and I have been at that a whole lot longer than most of the other people in this match. And if people are going to start comparing us against the two people that trained us, that’s fine too, because none of them ever beat Kris or Mikah anyways. Nobody did. They retired as an undefeated team in this division. Being called the newest version of them is far from the insult that they think it is.”

As he approached a table with several current and former members of Jet City already playing, he turned and stopped the camera. Hall of Famer Kristopher Ryans, and current Bombshell Champion Court Pierce were amongst the players, albeit on opposite ends of the table. It seemed like the exact kind of tense situation that Oz would try to insert himself into.

”In reality, all they are saying is that they all already know that we are going to win.”

He offered yet another smiles to the crowd, with an arrogant wink that most of the viewers hoped would get beaten out of him on Sunday.

”It’s nice for all of us to have that in common.”

With that, he put his hand over the lens of the camera, and it quickly faded to black.

[Tempest]

“So… that’s what’s been going on.” Tempest said with a resigned tone to her voice, seated at a table that was as far away from the crowded masses aboard the ship in this, one of the many such establishments on the Princess cruise. Each bar or nightclub had a little something different to offer to the respective tastes and moods of those onboard. Wines, cocktails, beers and hard liquors to suit every taste, and offer a brief respite for the adult guests to get away for a little time to themselves, away from the younger passengers who were not allowed entry. In some cases, parents would drop their children off to some activity or, if they were old enough, they would put them to bed and then once satisfied to their safety, they would go about having some fun courtesy of a few adult beverages, surrounded by other like-minded adults. There were also other passengers who were single or without children and simply wanted a night’s relaxation of drinking and dancing without having to worry about children screaming and crying and running about the ship.

Tempest spent a part of the day scouring the ship and looking over the different bars and lounges until she came upon one that was more bar than it was nightclub. She had spotted Ben Jordan and even Fenris inside this particular one, taking note that both of those men had a preference for actual bars or pubs as opposed to some dance club with swirling, neon lights everywhere. She certainly did and so that was why she was here, now… and why she had taken the time to be joined by her tag team partner in the Mixed Tag division, none other than Austin James Mercer. The man seated across from her with a whiskey in his large hand, and the man whose head was downcast and his shoulders trembling with the effort to restrain himself from having a good chuckle.

“What!?” Tempest demanded of perhaps her only real friend in the wrestling business, prompting Austin to look up and his face was red. Not from the heat nor the alcohol the two had been indulging in over the past hour, but because he was just simply having a VERY rare laugh – presumably at her expense.

“What!?” Austin choked back, feigning innocence as he took a deep swallow of his drink, and if you want to know a simple truth about this gargantuan monster of a man? He didn’t have much success in trying to play innocent.

“This is serious, Mercer!” She shot back. “As soon as the legal hoops clear, I’m getting custody of an eight year old! Malulani’s daughter!” Austin said nothing in response. He held the glass in front of his mouth as if he were about to take a drink but it was more clear he was using it to hide the smile that was on his face. Austin didn’t smile very much these days. He saw little need or reason to, so this was a welcome change. If only Tempest felt the same way.

“Stop smiling asshole!” She barked and Austin lowered his glass, again trying to pretend without much success, “What makes you think I’m smiling?”

“Because that’s a damn glass in front of that kisser of yours!” She pointed out as if he had just asked the single-most ludicrous question imaginable. “I can see you smirking at me and I am THIS close to smacking it right off your mouth!”

“What is so wrong with me smiling!?” Austin attempted to defend himself. “After all the shit that I’ve been through lately, I think I’ve more than earned that right!”

“Maybe so but NOT when your smile is about me!” She responded, tapping a forefinger heavily into her own breast. “So you think the idea of my being a mother is funny or something!? I was a mom to that little girl for two years before Malulani died!”

“I know, and I’m not laughing at the idea of you being a mom.” He scratched the back of his head, looking to the side and murmuring between his lips, “I might be laughing a little at the idea of you being a mom.”

“Excuse me?” Tempest narrowed her eyes and Austin turned back to her and he shook his head, “Jesus Christ, Alleyene!” he said aloud, using her given name, not her ring name. Which spoke highly not only of the trust between the two, but their bond as friends despite everything that had been going on in their own personal hells as of late.

Austin continued, “I know having a sense of humor isn’t exactly on your list of priorities, but I’m just teasing! I’ve known you for about two years now! I’ve come to know the bad ass woman who’s broken apart so damn many of the women around here and just the idea of you raising a little girl is…”

“Crazy?” Tempest attempted to finish his thoughts for him, but he quickly corrected her and said, “Different. Different than the woman I’ve come to know. That’s all I’m saying.”

“So you think I’ll be bad at it?”

“I didn’t SAY that!” Austin frowned. “Stop putting words in my mouth, woman! I’m just saying it’s a damn shame that this didn’t happen when… What is her name again?”

“Anela.”

“Anela.” Austin nodded. “Cute. I was just thinking it’s a damn shame this didn’t happen when Anela was a baby.”

“What?” Tempest frowned. “Why?”

Austin shrugged. “Because I would have given ANYTHING to see you change a diaper!” he again closed his eyes and teeth gritted in an almost manic smile, raising his glass to his lips as his shoulders quaked. He looked over the rim of the glass as he drank, to see her eyes just staring at him.

“You’re NOT funny!” Tempest accused, to which Austin replied, “I think I’m adorable.”

“You’re wrong!” She then picked up her own glass, a large beer, and shook her head. She admitted, “I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”

This time, Austin did not make light nor did he tease. He wore a serious expression on his face as he lowered his glass to the table. Tempest opened up to very few people and even to those select few, she was still very closely guarded. So everything she had ever confided in him was something of a gift. He reached over, gripping his hand on her wrist.

“Hey, listen to me.” He said with confidence. “You can do this.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to manage.” She seemed lost in thought. “I may have to step down in SCW. Go back to Hawaii…”

“Oh stop talking stupid!” Austin reprimanded her, bringing her straying and distracted gaze back to him. “Do you seriously think you’d be the first single parent wrestler – ever??? Men and women fro decades have been balancing this business with kids at home or on the road with them! If those asshats can do it, so can you!”

“You really think so?” She asked as she lifted her mug to her lips, and Austin again picked up his glass and extended it forward, clinking glasses. An honest and warm gesture between not two wrestlers, not between two monster heels or even tag partners. But between two friends.

“I do.” He answered with simple indifference. Taking a drink, Austin’s eyes again squinted tightly shut and his shoulders started to tremble from the effort to not laugh outwardly.

Tempest sighed, “What is it NOW!?”

“I was just thinking…” Austin mused, setting his glass down. “That once you have custody, one day you’re going to have to attend a PTA Meeting.”

“So?”

“That would be like Marilyn Monroe being in charge of a Girl Scouts Jamboree!” His eyes closed tightly and he started laughing as his friend just looked heavenward, shaking her head.


“The clock is ticking.”

Tempest said as she stood at the very top of the Princess Cruise ship, the lido deck where workers and ring staff were working tirelessly, setting up the six-sided ring protectively so as not to scratch or damage the ship’s finish. Others went about their business, setting up chairs for the fans and measuring distances for the sound systems and the lights, which would be set up later given the unpredictability of Mother Nature. They would hate to set such delicate electronics up, only to have it destroyed with potential rain or heavy winds. And Tempest, she simply had her eyes glued on the workers who were setting up the ring itself.

“Days. Two days to be precise. That’s all the time that six people have left to pray to whatever god or deity they choose to worship, to save their sorry butts from Austin and myself. And the sad thing is, everything that I was talking about last week, everything I said about how the boys were only worried about the boys and the girls were only worried about the girls? I was right then, and the sad truth is that I’m still right. It doesn’t matter who said what, whether it was Eiley pretending to be something of importance going into this match just because she got her training from the same corner Mikah hangs out at, or Luna fancying her chances at winning another title even though she’s went downhill faster than a mudslide… it’s still the same now as it was then.”

“Almost everyone in this match has it in their heads this is about a singles encounter, not a tag team match! True, it's women versus women and men against the men, but the key word here, boys and girls, is Tag TEAM Championship! You do know what that means, yes? That even though us ladies have to worry about one another when we’re inside of that ring, we also have to look out for our partners. We have to have their backs and the way you all are acting, I just don’t think you have it in your heads or your hearts.”

“I’m not sure Luna Vanity or Alexander Raven has anything in their heads going into this match because those two are just reckless. Granted, it’s gotten them some wins and a few championships, but before they can even get settled they drop both and are always back to square one! Those two are the LAST people who should be representing this division if they want it to succeed… no, wait. I tell a lie!”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … Eiley and Oliver are the last people anyone with any common sense would want to win this match and represent the new tag team division. Mikah and Kris 2.0 would be the death of the division, just like their namesakes. Eiley has don nothing, shown me even less. And Oliver? Well I could pick that boy up and snap his ass in half easier than I would most women. Unfortunately for me, but luckily for him, I’m not allowed to lay my hands on him. Eiley, however…”

She shook her head, a smile forming on her face as she nipped her bottom lip.

“Much as I’ve said time and again how much I would love a match, woman to woman, with Kim Pain, Eiley is the one I am the most anxious to get my hands on once that bell rings. I can all but guarantee the little overrated diva will talk big but turn tail and run the moment she finds herself in the ring with me. She’ll either jump out of the ring and run for higher ground through the fans, or she’ll seek the safety of her partner, the unluckiest man in the sport!”

“Looking back, the one who I think made the most impact, or at the very least, had the most to say where I was concerned was the Roulette Champion, Peter Vaughn. True he didn’t say a whole lot, but with what little he did say … he proved he really has his head stuck up his ass. The man doesn’t know what he’s going on about. I mean, he accused me of being a weak link. Me!?”

Hands on her hips, Tempest scoffed as she stepped away from the rail, an (almost) smile on her face as she simply shook her head.

“The man thinks that Austin and I weren’t a worthy team to hold the gold when we did, and why? Because we beat the Barnharts to win the titles in the first place. Well GRANTED it doesn’t exactly take a Herculean effort to put that prissy Bea Barnhart down for the count, but they say winning a title is one thing. Keeping it another. And Petey…? Austin and I did keep it. We held onto those titles for over five months! Longer than anyone! We defended those championships against everyone the bosses threw in our way and we just kept going! We did for the division what even precious Mikah and Kris Ryans couldn’t. We rose it to prominence while they pretty much killed all interest in it! And then, Vaughn tried to use the fact that I haven’t held a singles championship as if that was all the proof that he needed to show that I was the weak link between Austin and myself. Well… newsflash Vaughn!”

She held up a forefinger.

“I never held a singles championship in SCW – yet – because I have yet to TRY for one! I have not challenged for the World, Internet OR the Roulette Championships! And why? Not because I couldn’t win or because I was intimidated at the thought or idea, but because I simply didn’t feel the need to. I’m not like these other little glorified OnlyFans girls who call the ring their home, who think having blonde hair and a book job is justification for them getting all the title shots that they want! I’ll go after a singles championship, when I choose to. Not when some prick like you tries to manipulate me into it! And if you want to start firing shots or digging up dirt, Petey? We could always question the justification of your being in this match for the titles as opposed to you and Kim? You see, despite Austin and I being the … **air quotes** big monster heels of this match, we didn’t have to chat to get into this match. We didn’t have to steal the opportunity, the way you did with Carter and Ariana. So, when you think about it… I’d say having to do that would sort of make YOU the weak link in the Saviors, Peter!”

“And Kim? All respect aside, and as much as I would love to face you one on one, bad ass chick against bad ass chick … every single thing that happens between you and I when its our turn in the ring? You’re going to have your buddy Peter to thank. Because maybe it’s time for the Saviors to learn that when it comes to Austin and myself? There is. No. Weak. Link!”