Victoria knew something was wrong the moment she stepped into the lion's den. She had suspected as much when she noticed the key to her private room was missing.
Her hope was she had just misplaced the key or perhaps Vincent had grabbed it, but in the pit of her mind she knew that wasn't the case as she pushed the door open to the room she had had built to be her own sanctuary, a reminder of her dominance where every detail mattered.
She could almost feel her jaw hit the floor as she entered.
Her throne was gone, her crown was the only thing left behind, likely a message from the thief.
She paused, taking a slow and steady breath. Trying to consider who may have stolen it. It had to be an inside job, it had to be somebody who trained at The Lyons Den. Only the people here knew where she kept it.
She ran through some of the names in her mind and only one truly stuck out only one person around the Lyon's Den had a history of crime and more than a few felonies to their name.[/i]
“Cleo Phillips…” Victoria muttered
Cleo Phillips wasn't a name that was part of the SCW universe, she was a PWS Superstar who also trained at the Lyons Den and had even worked with some of the talent that did work in SCW. A former felon who had used wrestling to turn her life around for the better and had left that life behind her in favor of becoming a youth speaker to help troubled you with not make the same bad decision she had.
Of course Victoria being Victoria looked past all that and looked at Cleo with a once a felon always a felon mentality.
As she stomped around the corner she found Cleo near the weights getting ready to do a workout.
“All right, where is it?” Victoria said with a demanding and angry tone
“Try again.” said Cleo showing no signs of intimidation.
“I want my throne back Cleo." said Victoria, “I have a match against Alexandra and LJ and I need to be able to address them. It's Vincent's big debut and I need my throne.”
“Well I don't know where it is.” said Cleo “I certainly didn't take your little fancy chair.”
“You're the only one around here with a criminal record.” said Victoria “And you love to make trouble. It seems right up your alley.”
Cleo nodded and let out a short laugh.
“Let's get one thing straight Victoria” Cleo said. "If I was going to come at you like that I would do it to your face. I'm not going to stab you in the back I'm going to stab you in the front.”
Victoria frowned and folded her arms.
“You really think I'd waste my time dealing with whatever little setup you had in that room over there?” said Cleo, "Maybe you should start thinking about everybody else you've been pissing off lately.”
Victoria frowned it was possible Cleo is lying but somehow she knew she wasn't Cleo may have had a criminal history but she was always in your face about it and she never hit it if Cleo had done something she'd likely already be bragging about it.
But who else could have been? Victoria was going to have to go down the list and figure out this mystery.
“Fine whatever.” said Victoria “But if I find out it was you I'll make sure you get put right back in that jail cell you belong in.”
“Yeah I'd like to see you try.” said Cleo, stepping up and getting in Victoria's face.
Victoria stepped back trying not to show that she actually was intimidated by Cleo.
“I'll just go ask somebody else…" said Victoria
“Yeah. I would advise you do.” said Cleo
Frustration still simmering, Victoria walked away and found a private corner of the room to sit and observe.
Any one of them could have done it. It could have been one of the new talents coming in, it could have been Coach Kaiser, she did have a little bit of an argument with Alexander or for all she knew perhaps Eddie had something to do with it.
She had to try to not let it get to her. She was already still dealing with her loss to Andrea Hernandez. All Because of Alexandra Calaway and her Code of Hammurabi moment.
Victoria honestly wasn't even that mad about it. After all, she smashed Alexandra with a chair first, gave her a concussion and ruined her chances at the chamber. If anybody loved the eye for an eye mentality it was the Mad Queen herself.
Of course now that they had fired their shots at each other it was now time for war and climax control was the perfect chance to set the tone for Blaze of Glory.
Victoria alongside the debuting Vincent would be taking on Alexandra and her boyfriend LJ Kasey.
Alexandra was dangerous and Victoria wasn't going to pretend that she wasn't. She knew what type of threat Alexandra was.
But LJ Kasey? LJ was Miles Kasey's little brother, trying to step out of his brothers shadow and be his own man. He always fought with something to prove and had been making a name for himself in his own right.
But she had a little brother of her own and he would be fighting alongside her. Vincent was her twin. By little she meant it due to the fact that she was born a minute and a half earlier but was also bored at a different year due to the time change at midnight when their mother gave birth to them.
Eddie had his dad so that Vincent was ready and didn't like Victoria using him like this but she knew better she knew Vincent wasn't broken and she knew he wasn't lost Vincent was searching for meaning and his time away on that island whatever happened had forged him into something else entirely.
He was a weapon now his time away forging him into something primal, something relentless and he was coming to SCW, not only to back up his sister, he was here to destroy, and Victoria was the one ready to unleash him. Those lovebirds didn't know what they were in for but they were going to find out and so would the rest of Sin City Wrestling.
__________
The cameras open on the familiar dimly lit throne room of Victoria Lyons. Banners of her insignia hang on the walls framing the scene, but there's an absence, an empty void where her throne would be. That is where Victoria since legs crossed fury in her eyes, her crown resting on her head.
Beside her looms Vincent Lyons Jr casually leaning against the wall. His posture and subtle movements hint at the restrained violence simmering beneath the surface of the man who was once called The Young Lion.
Victoria inhales slowly exhaling through her nose as her lips curl into her signature smirk.
“Take a look around.” she says “Notice something missing? My throne has been stolen.”
She motions around the room to show that there is indeed no throne anywhere.
“A bold move I must say.” she said “And I will deal with whoever did it in due time. I thought perhaps it was you Alexandra, but no it couldn't be. You chose to blast me with the championship, that was your revenge. Besides this is The Lyons Den and you don't even go here.”
She exhales, the mystery is clearly weighing on her mind.
“You call yourself the Queenslayer.” she said with a smirk “You act like it means something, like it's some badge of honor. But how many queens have you actually slain? Because last time I checked, I'm the queen of this company and I have consistently stood above you in our little war.”
She pauses letting her words linger in the air.
“You had your moment and you took your shot.” Victoria continued “You went Code of Hammurabi, eye for an eye and paid me back for what I did to you. I guess now that we both have given each other concussions we can call it even.”
She chuckles as does Vincent.
"I should be furious and I should be calling for your head for costing me my match against Andrea Hernandez." Victoria continued "But I'm not rather I applaud it. Because now it means we are officially at war, and that means blood will be spilled. So honestly I'm not mad I'm excited.”
She pauses keeping the grin on her face.
“You want to call yourself the Queenslayer?” Victoria continued “Then you should know what happens when you fail. You don't lose the fight, you lose everything, and I promise Alexandra at Blaze of Glory, you will fail to reclaim MY championship, it will slip through your fingers and you'll never touch it again so long as I'm champion.”
She holds up the Bombshell Roulette Championship to the camera as if reaffirming her point.
“But before that we have a battle at Climax Control." Victoria continued “And it's not just you and me is it?”
Vincent slowly begins to step forward standing closer to her just behind her now.
“We have your beloved LJ Kasey, and we have my brother and my twin Vincent Lyons Jr.” Victoria said with a smirk. "It almost makes me feel bad for poor LJ.”
“Wrong place. Wrong time.” said Vincent.
“We know what this match really is Alexandra.” said Victoria "This is about us. This is about our war, and LJ? He's just an afterthought, a casualty of circumstance. A supporting player in our game that he doesn't even realize he's playing.”
“A mere pawn.” said Vincent.
“See Vincent knows.” said Victoria “Vincent knows this is our war and that he is also just a player in something bigger. But he's willing to bend the knee and stand behind his queen, support his family and support his kin.”
“Long live the Queen.” said Vincent “Family first.”
“See I don't care about LJ.” said Victoria “Vincent doesn't care about LJ. We care about destruction and that's exactly what's coming for the both of you, and unfortunately poor little LJ will be a casualty of war.”
She pauses for a moment readjusting the crown on her head.
“When we step into that ring at Climax Control I want you to take a good look at me.” said Victoria “I want you to really think about what's happening, because it's only going to be a taste of what you have in store coming your way at Blaze of Glory consider it a sneak preview if you like.”
“A red band trailer.” said Vincent with a grin of his own.
“You want to be the Queenslayer? Then come try.” said Victoria her smirk widening, “But I think we all know how that story ends. At Blaze of Glory, I walk in as Bombshell Roulette Champion, and I walk out as Bombshell Roulette Champion, and you will never forget why I am the one that gets to sit on the throne. Because even when it's stolen I'm still the queen."
“Long may she reign.” said Vincent.
With both of them showing some sinister grins, the scene fades to black.
__________
Victoria's patience was wearing thin. She needed to know who stole her throne and if it wasn't Cleo then who? What made matters worse is that nobody was taking it seriously as they should have.
Just a chair. some of them would tell her like it wasn't a symbol of her dominance.
She caught sight of her next suspect while they were having lunch. Eddie exhaled heavily as he felt her approach.
“Yes Victoria?" he said bluntly “Can I help you? I'm trying to have lunch with Sabrina.”
“You took it didn't you?” said Victoria with an accusing stare.
With an annoyed exhale Eddie it's at his sandwich down and looked up at Victoria.
“Took what?” he said "What am I supposed to have taken from you?”
“My throne.” she said “It's gone, someone broke into my private quarters and took it.”
Eddie just rolled his eyes and shook his head almost as if he found this whole thing amusing.
“Is this a joke to you?” said Victoria “A crime has been committed!”
“I don't know anything about your throne.” said Eddie “I've been waiting too busy with Sabrina's pregnancy and getting myself ready for the chamber. Do you really think I would take the time to worry about your throne? I'm probably the one person around here who might still have your back and you accuse me? What would I even need your throne for?”
“I don't know you're going to be having new expenses with the baby.” said Victoria “Maybe you decided to go pawn it for extra cash.”
“Eddie wouldn't do that!” said Sabrina
“Oh I think he might do anything.” said Victoria “Anything at all for that bastard in your belly.”
Victoria didn't even see Sabrina stand up before she felt the slap connect to her face. She could feel her ears ringing. Before she could react Eddie was already in between them.
“Sabrina it's okay.” he said holding back a smile “Go sit down. I got this.”
“And you.” he said turning to Victoria "What was that about? You know that was out of line.”
“I just want my throne back.” said Victoria
“I understand that.” said Eddie “And if you want to pick fights over your missing chair then to go do it with someone else. Don’t drag us into it because Sabrina and I have nothing to do with it.”
Victoria scoffed. Eddie likely wasn't lying he was hardly around here anymore since they bought that home in Vegas anyway. There were still others she had to consider.
“Fine whatever.” she said “Just stay out of my way I'm going to figure this out.”
Giving Sabrina a quick dirty look with the slap still burning on her skin she turned on her heel and stormed out of The Lyons Den.
__________
Victoria stood on a windswept location in the outskirts of the city as the camera flickered to life. There was no throne, no golden spotlight, no Vincent, no grandiose setting befitting the queen. It was just Victoria, her championship and her crown.
She exhaled sharply as she began to speak.
“You ever have those moments when you know something is shifting?” she began “When you can feel the ground cracking beneath you but no one else seems to notice?”
A small humorless smirk appeared on her face.
"That's where I am right now Alexandra." she said "I'm surrounded by liars and snakes and thieves who think they can take what's mine and get away with it.”
Her voice trembled with frustration as she spoke.
“And despite all that.” she said “I have to deal with you. I know how serious you are. I haven't forgotten how hard I had to fight to take this championship from you in the first place.”
She holds out the Bombshell Roulette Championship.
“Now here you are crawling back trying to reclaim what you once held.” Victoria continued, “But there's something you need to understand that you've never been able to grasp.”
She pauses for a moment taking a step forward glaring directly into the camera.
“You will never be me.” she said sternly
She exhaled heavily before continuing.
“You can call yourself a Queenslayer all you want but let's be real you've never had what it takes to be a queen in the first place.” Victoria continued, “That isn't to underestimate how good you are, because you have been to the mountaintop before, but then what happened? I stepped in and reminded everyone with true dominance looks like.”
She pauses for a moment.
“Now because you can't stand the fact that I'm still on top.” Victoria continued, "You've decided to latch onto this little idea that you can undo what happened, that you can erase that loss and take back what I took from you.”
She laughs to herself as if the thought amuses her.
“And what of your little sidekick?” said Victoria “Yeah I'm talking about you LJ, because that's all you're ever going to be. You’re the sidekick to your brother Miles and you're the sidekick to Alexandra. How does that make you feel to know that you will forever be a footnote in the career of better wrestlers?”
She does her little laugh again amusing herself.
“Do you really think our tag match is going to be some moment for you?" Victoria said “That your name will somehow matter in this match? Because it won't. Let me spell it out for you LJ. You are filler and you're an extra and you're just a little tag along to Alexandra Calaway.”
She pauses for a moment again.
“She needs you you know LJ.” said Victoria “Someone to carry the burden of her losing again. Because deep down she knows it's going to happen at Blaze Of Glory, so she's scrambling desperately trying to find something that makes her feel powerful.”
She pauses and takes a few steps forward.
“But here's the thing LJ.” she continued “No matter how hard she tries. No matter how hard she bashes in my skull or how many concussions she gives me she will always be in my shadow.”
She takes a moment to let her words linger.
“You really think that this match will give you some sort of momentum and confidence you need heading into Blaze of Glory don't you Alexandra?” Victoria continued “But it won't it only make the match that much harder. Vincent and I are going to show you and LJ no mercy and then that Blaze of Glory I will finish the job.”
She takes another couple steps forward closer to the camera.
“So when you're laid flat on your back at Blaze of Glory staring up at me after failing again.” Victoria continued "I want you to remember this moment and remember every single word I said. Remember that you were never strong enough to take my place. Then I want you to fully understand that no matter how much you want it you will never be the Queenslayer you desire to be.”
Victoria simply sat there for a moment staring down the camera with an unreadable expression and then everything cut to black.
__________
Victoria stood near the window of a dimly lit room lit by a flickering candle on an old desk, her fingers resting on the windowsill.
Nearby Vincent sat in A worn out chair resting his elbows on his knees still sweaty from the workout Victoria had just thrown him into. She had managed to get him into shape again and his body was ready but she could tell his mind was still far away.
“I'm proud of you, you know.” she said to him.
Vincent looked up meeting her gaze.
“I mean it.” Victoria said “After everything you went through, all you survived, you're still here and you're still fighting.”
“Doesn't feel like it.” Vincent muttered
“Of course not.” said Victoria kneeling beside him “Because nobody, not Eddie or Cleo or Alexander or any of the rest, none of them understood what it took to come back but I do.”
He looked down at Victoria and she smiled at him. She knew she had him right in the place. She needed him to be that tender place between doubt and need.
“They all doubt you.” said Victoria “Say you're not ready, that you shouldn't be wrestling again just yet, that you shouldn't be in the ring so soon after returning from that island but they're just afraid.”
“Afraid?” Vincent questioned.
“Yes," said Victoria “Afraid because they know you are the true heir. They know that you will surpass them because you are Vincent Lyons Jr. You are the son of the founder of the Lyons Den.”
She rises to her feet still looking into his eyes.
“If that island couldn't break you.” said Victoria “Nothing can not LJ, not Alexandra not anybody. You’ve survived something that they can't even imagine. Now you need to show them the new primal lion that you've become.”
Vincent exhaled sharply through his nose.
“You remember what it was like don't you.” said Victoria “When it was just you and your survival instincts? When there was no mercy and every move you made was life or death?”
Vincent began to stare blankly as Victoria's words lingered onto his ears.
“I'm not asking you to change.” she said “I want you to remember I want you to remember what it was like. I want you to remember how you survived. Remember how strong and tough you had to be out there.”
Vincent continued with his blank stare, Victoria was unsure if he was even listening.
“Hello…?” Victoria said “Vincent? Earth to Vincent. Are you there? Do you copy?”
Vincent sat there and said nothing, his mind was already somewhere else entirely. Victoria did her best to continue to get his attention but he was already lost to his memories.
[/i]
