“See boys, told you I’d make an impact.” said Victoria to Vincent and Alex, “Soon I’ll have the entire roster groveling at my feet. Begging me to give them championship matches, begging me to let them face their rivals. Oh how fun it will be to watch them beg.”
“You did great out there sis.” said Vincent.
“Of course she did. Shes our matriarch.” said Alex, “She did it for us.”
“Absolutely dear cousin. It’s always for us.” said Victoria, “Now Coach Kaiser has called for me, it should be fun to entertain this at least, so I’m gonna slip back and pay him a visit. You boys be good."
As she made her ways back to Coach Kaisers office, she could hear im talking with Eddie, and took it upon herself to barge in. At least she was invited.
“I understand my presence has been requested.” she grinned as she entered. “Oh hello cousin.”
“Hi.” Eddie muttered.
The two glared at one another as they passed each other like a couple of gun slingers. It was almost like time stood still. As Victoria took a seat, resting her feet on the desk. Eddie sighed and left the room, Victoria gave Coach Kaiser an arrogant gaze as he started speaking to her.
“So Victoria, you have quite the opportunity with this queen for a day.” said Coach Kaiser, “I know we have disagreements, but you’re still my student. You’re still one of my talents and I want the best for you, just as I want it for Eddie. I’m hoping we can come to some sort of agreement on how you and I can work together. I want to guide you to a championship just as I did for Eddie.”
“Why, so you can take credit for our success?” Victoria said, with a rude tone,”You abandoned me, and you abandoned Vincent. We were your original students, and when WWH closed it was like we didn’t matter to you anymore.”
“You know that’s not true.” said Coach Kaiser, “I just wanted others like Cleo and Eddie to have the same opportunities you and Vincent did in WWH. You need to understand I support The Lyons Den as a whole, that’s not just you and Vincent. It’s all of you, Eddie. Cleo, Jazz, and Alex as well.”
“You play favorites and you know it.” Victoria snarled, “You need to remember whose family actually owns this school. You work for MY family.”
“I know that!” said Coach Kaiser, “Your family, your father in particular gave me MY start in this business. I owe everything to him, that’s why I want to do everything I can to keep this place going, and making sure it produces top talent across the board.”
Victoria rolled her eyes in defiance, clearly showing no respect for the man who called himself her coach.
“Whatever.” she said, “You spend way more time with Eddie and Cleo than you do the rest of us. But you want to act like you care for all of us? Could it be because we’re all you have?”
She grinned, removing her feet form his desk and leaning forward.
“Yeah, without us you’re nothing.” she said, “You want us to succeed, because you NEED us to succeed. If you don’t have any students out there working, then who even are you? Nobody. That’s who. A coach without talent, without his team. You live vicariously through all of us, because it makes you relive the glory days of your career. Glory days that didn’t really happen did they?”
Coach Kaiser furrows his eyebrows.
“What you want the truth about IWF? The ONLY place where you ever won a world championship?” she said, “It was a goddamn joke company, favoritism was going all around and nobody, my father and uncles included knew what the fuck they were doing. You had that ridiculous love triangle that pushed everyone away and it ended up killing the company all together.”
“Victoria…” Kaiser said, his tone growing more serious.
“No. It’s the truth, and you need to hear it.” said Victoria, “After IWF self destructed, you had a fine career in HWL, probably the best run of your career. But you never did win that world title. Then once they closed, you just followed Aaron around for years joining whatever shit company she invited you to. You and her had a tag team that went nowhere, but you sit and act like you guys were some special team.”
Coach Kaiser exhales heavily, but says nothing.
“You never really made it in this business yourself.” she said, “So you send us out to be successful for you. That’s why you cling so close to Cleo, because she got you a world title you felt was actually earned. Because you know the ones you “earned” in IWF don’t actually count.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about” said Coach Kaiser
“Oh, but I do dear coach.” she said, “You are just too proud to admit it. But that’s okay. I may not need you, but you need me. My success will make you feel, whatever it is you need to feel better about yourself. So because I’m such caring person, I am going to destroy this division for you. I will become Queen for a day and I will win you a championship.”
She reaches across the desk and boops Kaiser on the nose.
“It’s okay.” she smiled, “I’m here for you coach.”
She stood up,keeping the arrogant smile on her face, flipped her hair and turned and exited the room, leaving Coach Kaiser with a sour expression on his face.
________
Open on a dark room, in the center is a nearly equally dark throne. Occupied by SCW’s newest Bombshell, Victoria Lyons. Underneath her smirk, there’s a feeling of pride and confidence as she speaks.
“What does it mean to be a queen?” she began, “Is it power? Is that what you all seek by becoming Queen for a day? Because if that’s all you seek then you have already failed. See, being a queen means you are the embodiment of grace, strength, and wisdom. A true queen is both formidable and nurturing.”
She pauses for a moment.
“Can you be that ladies?” she continued, “Can you truly call yourself a leader? Can you uplift not just yourself, but everyone around you? I know that with me as your queen, even if only for a day I will be able to harness that power for the greater good, and continue to build a better world where we can all live together in peace and harmony. My goal is to make this world a better place for us all.”
She raps her fingers along her opposite forearm, casually leaning back in the throne as she continues.
“How about it Diamond Steele?” Victoria said, “Honesty, you more than the rest of this lot should understand my message more than anyone. Isn’t Punk Rock culture all about fighting the power, and being rebellious. Are you a true rebel, or is it all really just a desperate cry for attention?”
She pauses for a moment, like she’s waiting for a response.
“The truth is you may claim to stand against the system, but still conform to your own set of rules. Which in the end makes you just as enslaved as the rest of the sheeple. You lack an inner strength, only focusing on chaos and destruction without offering a vision or a path to a better world.” she hisses, “However, I have a clear vision and can guide the sheeple as their shepard down a better path. You need to open your eyes to the truth Diamond, and learn what true rebellion means.”
She takes in a breath, and leans back in her throne.
“And what of those who fancy themselves heroes?” Victoria piqued, “That’s what you consider yourself right Harper? A hero? World needs a hero and her name is Harper Mason right?”
Victoria laughed and shook her head
“What are you doing as a hero of the world?” Victoria asked, “Because you are right, this world does need a hero, but it’s not Harper Mason. It’s Victoria Lyons. I am the one with any actual vision for a better world. I already exposed Nakita Niles and her false honor. You are no hero Harper, but you need people to think you are. You seek validation, and you thrive on admiration. You don’t act on a true concern for others, it’s a deep-seeded need to feel superior. You are nothing but an imposter, feeding off the admiration of those you deceive. What happens when they don’t want you as their supposed hero anymore? What will you fight for then? A true hero always fights for a better world, even when the current world disagrees with them. They do not need or seek the applause of the masses to satisfy their own inner ego.”
She grins arrogantly, as she ponders her next thoughts.
“Will winning this crown give you the attention you desire Eiley?” Victoria asked, “Do you really need validation like our friend Harper and her little hero complex? This craving for attention you have will only lead you to emptiness and despair. You are almost there Eiley, you understand some of the falsehoods of this world, and you seem to understand how fucked this world really is. You just need to give up this quest for self-adoration and learn more self-awareness. You do not need the attention or validation of the masses to know your own self worth. Let your value come from within yourself, that is all the attention you truly need. Embrace the strength that comes not from being the center of attention but from true self-awareness.”
The camera catches one of her sinister smirks.
“Now, what about poor little Seleana?” Victoria grinned, “With such an abysmal record, it must wear on your mind. Keeping you from achieving your true potential by undermining your own confidence. If you want to break free from your cycle of failure you must first accept that it is a choice. You choose to remain stuck in old patterns, making the same decisions that caused your failures in the first place. Find that beast within yourself, and maybe then you'll grow from a mere cat, to a lioness.”
She laughs to herself, amused.
“And now we come to adorable little Bobbie Dahl.” Victoria says with an eye roll, “Always trying to be cheerful, and happy. You draw others in with a positive attitude, but what lies underneath it Bobbie? A shallow existence devoid of any depth or authenticity. You’re bubbly nature is just a shield against uncomfortable truths. People like Bobbie turn a blind eye to the cruel nature of the world, out of fear of judgment or rejection. Toxic positivity will cause you to never grow as an individual, and you will always find yourself on the wrong end of deception.“
Victoria adjusts herself upright, and leans forward in her throne.
“I am a visionary. I can see the strengths and weakness in all of you.” said Victoria, “Hear my words and you can become more than you already are. I am the only choice for queen because my words are the ones that shall educate the masses. I’m not out to seek glory for myself, bt for a better world for all of us. Free of the chains we find ourselves binded by. The world is full of sheeple and I will be their shepherd. Remember ladies, we are in fact…..STRONGER TOGETHER!
Victoria smirks, and winks at the camera,as it cuts to static.
__________
Manipulation, that was the aim of Victorias game. Though only her twin brother and formerly estranged cousin had truly fallen under her spell. That didn’t seem to bother her. Now that she had a contract in SCW, she could spread her message to the world. Make them understand her vision, as her brother and cousin had. Or else, burn them to the ground.
“They can live in our new world, or they can die with their old one.” Victoria said to Alex and Vincent, in her own private lounge in the back of The Lyons Den. The one that came with her family owning the place., “ We will leave the world better than how we found it. When I become queen, they will all have to listen and those who don’t will have to pay the price.”
“Off with their heads?!” said Alex with a sinister gleefullness.
“Sadly, I don’t think they’ll allow such macabre, dear cousin.” Victoria said with a laugh. “But I like the way you think.”
“You should just give yourself a championship match.” said Vincent, “And make Eddie run a gauntlet or something.”
“Whose to say I’ll do anything with Eddie?” said Victoria, “With someone like him, it will torture him if I DON’T let him compete.”
“That’s a good point sis.” Vincent nodded.
“As for giving myself a championship match?” she said, tapping her chin with a finger, “Maybe. We’ll see. I’m not so foolish as to try and strike when the time isn’t right. Do you remember how a lioness hunts?”
“They lie in wait.” said Vincent.
“And strike when the time is right.” said Victoria, “I have still just arrived in SCW. I still have to scout the prey around here, so…well we’ll see.”
“Of course.” said Vincent.
“Remember, patience is key dear brother.” said Victoria, “True change takes time. I had to travel through the darkness to shed my former weaker skin from my body. The weak version Nakita Niles claimed I lost. But she learned it wasn’t loss. Instead I FOUND myself. I discover who I was, I helped you discover who you were Vincent, and Alex we took you in when the old PWS closed and your so called family left you to rot. You came to your true family, your actual flesh and blood, and now you have become even stronger.”
The two boys nod back proudly.
“Right now, Coach Kaiser is still selfish and says he can’t find the time for you two to have contracts.” Victoria grumbled, “But that just means I’ll fight even harder for us. It’s time people know there’s more to The Lyons Den than just Eddie or Cleo. I said it before, Vincent and I are the fucking foundation. We kicked the new era off in HWL, and there is no Cleo, Eddie, Jazz or even Alex without us."
Alex seems mildly insulted, but accepts it as truth without a fuss.
“Just know, when I’m in that SCW ring. I’m fighting for you two as well.” said Victoria, “We are Coach Kaisers forgotten children. Now that I’ve been given a chance I refuse to squander it. SCW doesn’t understand yet what’s been unleashed on them. But it’s time to cleanse Sin City wrestling of all it’s sin.”
The three smile and laugh together, Victoria seemingly already arrogantly deciding that she’s going to be queen.
________
The cameras open on darkness and shadows, with some moonlight illuminating the scene, from the shadows emerges The Head Lyoness herself, Victoria Lyons, with her illuminating yet haunting and somehow captivating smile.
“Power is an interesting thing isn’t it?” she began,”Whichever of us wins Queen For A Day will be given quite the power. Full control over everyone's destiny for a day. Why one could hand out title shots to themselves and their friends, one could even make friends and lovers fight one another in some sort of bloodbath."
She smiles to herself at that last thought.
“I wonder what you all might do with such power.” she continued, “What sort of queen would you be? Will you prioritize your needs over the greater good? Will you just make the same mistakes so many in power already have and simply exploit it for your own gain?”
She pauses for a moment, letting her words sink in.
“A nice girl like Harper Mason might just give everyone what they want.”she said “She’d allow herself to be walked on with their demands because she’s too worried about being so damn nice. We do not need a queen that would let herself be walked on like some pushover. Of course others like Eiley or Diamond Steele would likely just further their own goals in some selfish manner..”
She shakes her head at the thought.
“Bobbie Dahl?” said Victoria with a mocking tone, “You think she’d make a good queen? Can you imagine? We need a real queen, not a Disney princess. Would her winning make Artie a king? I suppose he would have to win his own match. Would him winning his make you his queen? Bobbie better hope so, because that’s the only chance anyone like her has at becoming any sort of queen.”
Victoria grins, arrogantly.
“And what about Seleana?” said Victoria “Should someone who can’t even keep a respectable record for themselves be given power? She has little control over her own destiny, why should she be in charge of others?”
Victoria shrugged, pondering it over.
“None of these ladies understand how to truly use power.” said Victoria, “But me? I understand, and I understand it well. I consider power a responsibility, not a privilege. As Queen, I would use my power with integrity and a sense of duty for the greater good. I would see my power be used to uplift and create a better world for everyone.”
She smiles again at the camera, with an alluring gaze.
“What you all need to understand about power.” Victoria continued, “Is that is not good, nor is it evil. Its impact is determined by the one who wields it. It begins with integrity and that leads to trust, respect and the foundation for meaningful change. One must have compassion. Compassion and power together help uplift the voiceless and create a more equitable world.”
She rubs her palms together as she speaks, keeping her gaze on the camera.
“Power used properly benefits all.” said Victoria, “It should be used to drive us to a better future. One free of the chains that hold us all back by the ones who currently hold all the real power. Heed my words, for I am the shepherd that will lead the sheeple to a better world. I will fight for a world where everyone thrives, and there is boundless possibility. You will all be calling for me to become your queen for not just a day, but for all of time. Remember, I am fighting for all of us. Together we thrive, and together we rise. In other words we are…STRONGER TOGETHER.”
She keeps a sly smirk on her face, as she slinks back into the shadows.
___________
Her face reflected back at her in the mirror, as she captured her own gaze. Alone with her thoughts, Victoria pondered over her past, present and future.
“It was really you who made all this happen. Way back in WWH you stood in your brothers corner, and led him to success. Everything he achieved there, he owes to you. He understands that now of course, but back then it was always about him. Then you laced up your boots, joined his revolution with Renee Jonae, and became the third wheel. Again, no appreciation.”
“Then the company closed it’s doors. Leaving you both unemployed. So what happens? You come to Wrestling Coalition. You win their stupid emblem. An emblem that was to be defended 24/7, anytime anyplace. But did anyone step up? No. Nobody even attempted to take it. Perhaps they were just cowards. You had to force Orianna Johnson to challenge you just because nobody else would. Of course then that place closed before it really even started.”
“So PWE seemed promising. It took time to get the ball rolling, a rough start but you find your momentum, pick up some big wins and finally get a championship match. Which you win, but then….the company closed. Perhaps you are a curse.”
“No. Those companies failed you. You gave everything to them and got nothing in return. Everyone around you got to see more success. New chances started being given to Cleo, to Alex, to Eddie. But like a true lioness you waited patiently, and finally, you get a chance to come to Sin City Wrestling.”
“You had a lot of anger and aggression to unload on Nakita Niles. So much that after one match, you immediately are given a chance to become Queen for a day. After one match, you are already being talked about as a force in the Bombshell division. You are destined to go straight to the top. Becoming Queen will be just the beginning.”
“You will the shepherd to guide these sheeple. You will open the eyes of the weak and lead them to the greater good. It won’t be an easy road, but you are strong enough Victoria. It’s stronger together yes, but you yourself are strong enough to keep the fight going alone. Its like you told Vincent, they can live free in your new world or die in their old one. They do have a choice in the matter.”
“You are Victoria Lyons. The Head Lyoness. You are the matriarch of the family. You are the true leader of The Lyons Den. They are going to deny you, say awful things about you. But you won’t let that bother you. It’s not their fault. Many of them lack the understanding, and the knowledge to truly understand. But with your words, they will. If they can’t then perhaps they were never strong enough to begin with. You know well Victoria, you have to be willing to shed a weaker skin to find your truly strong one.”
“The Victoria that Chris Mathews told Naktia Niles about is long gone. She was only holding you back with her sweet bubblegum attitude. She acted much like the false twin Kallie Reznik. I mean at least you and Vincent get along. KERBEROS, he’s the victim in that pairing. Poor thing.”
“But you can’t worry about them Victoria. You have a crown to win, and then you must decide how to use your power, and who will and won’t benefit. Who will be forced to learn a lesson? Will you make lovers fight? How much carnage will you bring upon them to make them understand. Make them understand how their being controlled by the ones on top. Make them open their eyes to the truth, that we are divided by design to keep our eyes away from those who are causing harm to us all. Make them understand, that we are in fact…Stronger Together.”
She smiled at herself confidently, she was ready for this. Those other girls would likely see her as the new girl, who hasn’t got her feet wet yet. But they don’t understand. When you come from The Lyons Den, you tend to make an immediate impact and rise the ranks rather quickly. Even Eddie was able to do that. It’s the one thing that binds all Lyons Den talent, and even Victoria knew that. As it were, she passed Eddie in the hall on her way out of The Lyons Den.”
“Eddie.” she nodded with a smirk.
Eddie rolled his eyes as he shook his head.
“Victoria…” he muttered.
He two passed by one another, without further words. Seemingly both had the understanding now wasn’t the time to argue. Both had big matches at Into The Void. They had to focus on their own matches, and their own opponent or in Victorias case, opponents. Eddie entered the backroom Victoria had just left, as she made her way outside to meet up with Vincent and Alex.
__________
The cameras open on Victoria, she’s seated crossed legged on a chair, it’s outside and looks to be some sort of backyard picnic area she’s relaxing in with a glass of wine in hand.
“You know ladies, we talked about what being a queen means, about what power means.” she began, “But what of truth? Or even legacy? We all have a chance to become queen, but it’s only for a day.So you need to think. You need to think about how what sort of lasting impressions your actions as queen will have. While a true legacy can not be built in a day, one certainly could still leave the seeds of positive change.”
She smiles slyly as she sips her wine.
“One can surely start the seeds of their legacy in a day.” said Victoria, “It may not be easy and you will have to stand firm in our convictions, but when you come from a place of truth. It becomes a lot easier to stand by them, and begin to help shape the future for a better tomorrow.”
She sips her wine again.
“Truth, what really is truth?” she continued, “Truth is a source of liberation and can fear us from the chains that bind. It is the foundation of our existence.In the deceptive world we live in, we need to seek truth more than ever. It means we must align with our beliefs with our actions and not compromise them for anyone's approval or to make them more comfortable.”
She pauses for a moment, continuing to sip her wine and lounge in her chair.
“Truth is about understanding your true self.” she continued, “Your own desires and fears, and how you can help others learn to find theirs. Truth and legacy work together, to create a positive lasting impression, and make the world better than it was when we found it, once it’s our time to depart it.”
She keeps her usual alluring smile on, as she sips some more wine and continues her sermon.
“Truth will open your eyes ladies, open our eyes.” she continued, “It is a source of liberation. You will feel free once you embrace truth, about the world and about yourselves. I did it, and so can you. Look me not as your enemy, but as your friend, your guide. My methods may seem strange, or even cruel to some. But you can trust that they are all done for the greater good, not just for me, but for all of us.”
More…wine.
“I have embraced the truth.” said Victoria “I have traveled through my own valley of darkness to get to it. I opened my own eyes, and now I choose to confront injustice and strive for a world where honesty rules over deception. I remain in my unwavering commitment to what is real, and to remain fighting for what is truly just.”
She takes another sip of her win, a red if anyone was wondering. Possibly a Merlot.
“Can any of you offer any insight to truth, change and actual justice as queen?” she continued, between sips of her wine. “I know it can be hard to stand up to forces that like to maintain falsehoods. But understand that is how they survive and operate. Move past your falsehoods ladies, and admit none of you are ready or have the vision being a queen requires. You are not yet ready to wield that power. Because none of you have yet embraced the truth.”
She gives her alluring smile at the camera.
“I am ready.” she said, “Do not underestimate me because I’m the new girl. You need to consider me a real threat, one of the bigger ones in the match. You need to open your eyes to the truth and accept that I am destined to rise up the ranks as my cousin Eddie did, and you can do little to nothing to stop it. Your only choice is to embrace it. I will make the world better, and those who can’t open their eyes and embrace truth will be left behind. I can only lead you so far before you must learn to stand on your own, stand alongside true leaders like myself that exist to inspire true change, true unity, true freedom.”
She smiles again, between her wine sips.
“I can make the best out of all of you, should you allow your minds to be freed, and your eyes open. All the paper people of the world need leader like me to help the see the light, the weak need my strength to guide them. I have the ability to speak the truth and leave a legacy that matters. I will be a queen that uses my power for the greater good, and the benefit of us all. Think about your demands and wishes now, because I’ll be the one you come to begging for your desires.” says Victoria.
She takes one last sip and finishes her wine.
“Long live the queen.” she smiled.
With a wink, and the blowing of a kiss the camera fades to black.
