[SCW Staff]

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

[Victoria Lyons]

Victoria's home was a battlefield, and not the kind she usually thrived in. There were no championship belts, no crowd or cameras. Nobody stood across the ring from her waiting to get humbled, it was just a war of suitcases. Far, far too many suitcases.

Darian stood in the doorway of their bedroom hands on his hips watching a growing mountain of luggage with an expression like he was watching a natural disaster unfold before him in slow motion.

“Victoria….” he said calmly.

No response.

“Victoria!” he said, a little louder this time.

Still nothing.  Victoria carefully folded another outfit and put it in an empty suitcase

“Victoria Cadney Lyons!” he said even louder.

That one got her attention.

“What?!” she said looking up from her packing routine.

Darian pointed at her pile. Three carry-ons, two garment bags, two duffle bags and a small suitcase sitting on top of a large suitcase.

“What is all of that?” he asked

“My clothes.” she replied.

“We're going on a cruise for a week, babe..” he said.

“Exactly.” she replied .

“So why are you packing enough clothes to survive a government collapse?” he said.

“I'm just being responsible.” she said.

“Responsible would be two suitcases..” he replied.

A horrified expression grew on Victoria's face.

“Two?” she said “TWO?!? I need options Dare Bear.”

“You have options..” he said.

“Championship options.” she said

“Championship options?” he repeated.

“Yes…” she said “I have my formal dinner clothes, my regular cruise clothes, pool clothes, workout clothes, match gear, champion clothes…”

Darian raised an eyebrow

“What are champion clothes?” he asked.

“The ones that look expensive.” she said “'Im the main event and the headline act on the show. I have to look the part at all times.”

“Okay…” Darian started.

“Plus backups.” she said. “At least four sets of backups for everything.”

“Four backup sets?” Darian's eyes widened.

“Just in case something happens.” she said “You can never be too careful.”

“What exactly do you think is going to happen?” he asked

“You never know..” she said “Maybe a seagull.....”

“A seagull?” He asked.

“It happened to me two years ago on my first cruise..” she replied. “So yes. I'm being careful.”

Darian just shook his head with a smile. Victoria was many things Intimidating Ruthless and the bombshell world champion But when it came to the Princess Cruise she transformed into a little panic goblin convinced civilization might end before they reached their destination. He noticed her moving toward the closet again and immediately stepped in front of it.

“No.” he said.

“Move.” Victoria said “I saw another dress…”

“You don't need another dress.” he said.

“I do.” she said

“No.” he replied.

“I do. Now move.” she said.

“No.” he replied. “I'm your husband now, and that means putting my foot down and letting you know when you're doing too much. you brought less than this on the Abruisement tour.”

“What if we have a fancy dinner?” she asked.

“We probably will, and you have at least four outfits for that.” he said

“Yes, but what if…” she said.

“Victoria..” Darian said calmly putting his hand on her shoulder, “You have enough, it'll be okay.”

After a short pause, she exhaled and threw her arms up in the air.

“Fine.” she said. “You're no fun.”

“I'm just saving the ship from structural damage.” he grinned

She laughed and threw a pillow at him. These were the moments when they were home, away from the arenas and constant travel. Where they could be Victoria and Darian, just a married couple packing for a trip, eventually they found themselves sitting on the edge of the bed together.

Victoria glanced toward the championship belt resting on a nearby chair, the World Bombshell Championship. The one she had captured at Into The Void, the one Mercedes Vargas still seemed incapable of accepting she lost. Darian noticed immediately.

“Thinking about Mercedes?” he said

She nodded.

“How many times do I need to beat her before she gets it?” she said. "I'm the World Bombshell Champion. I beat her clean and somehow it seems like she just can't accept reality.”


“Well I think Bella Madison opened her eyes a little bit.” he said

Victoria grinned.

“Yeah she did.” Victoria smirked. “Yet somehow Mercedes continues to find reasons, anything except acceptance. She continues to live in this fantasy when she's better than me rather than just admit what happened, not once but multiple times.”

Darian shrugged.

“Some people don't know how to lose.” he said

“Clearly.” Victoria continued. “I need to make it clear at Summer
Xxxtreme who runs things now. They gave me the main event. They made me the headliner. This is my show and this is my cruise.”

“They should rename it the Queen's Cruise.” Darian said

“Now you're making sense.” Victoria smiled at her husband.

She glanced at her championship again.

“This is it..” she said “This one feels different. When I beat her for two out of three falls and walk out still champion, she won't be able to lie to herself anymore. I'm going to force her to acknowledge that she is not better than me. She can have all the accolades in the world, but she's never been better than me.”

She pauses and reaches over to grab her championship, resting it on her shoulder.

“I'm going to beat her.” she said “This time, maybe then she'll finally shut up. Truth is, I think she understands already. She only keeps coming back because accepting the truth would hurt more.”

“I don't know if she's capable.” Darian said

“Then she'll only continue to make herself look foolish.” Victoria said. “Because I make my final statement with her aboard my Queen's Cruise, and leave her with no other choice but to face the truth.”

Victoria was ready to teach Mercedes that the queen wasn't pretending or playing dress up.  This wasn't any fantasy she was living in, she was exactly what she claimed to be. The World Bombshell Champion and the face of the division.

Mercedes didn't know it but she was heading into her final hour at Summer Xxxtreme, but right now Victoria had another battle to finish.

“You know what? I think I might need another couple of dresses after all.” she said.

“No..Victoria wait…” Darian said, trying to stop her before she entered the closet.

And so the war of suitcases and packing continued in the home of Victoria Lyons just days before she and Darian would board the Princess Cruise with the rest of the Sin City Wrestling roster, and she would headline the show against Mercedes Vargas.

__________

The cameras come to life to find Victoria Lyons sitting in front of a sea of suitcases with the World Bombshell Championship proudly displayed on her shoulder. Her posture is as confident as the expression on her face as she begins to speak.

“You really just don't get it do you Mercedes?” she said "You really think you're going to prove something at Summer Xxxtreme instead of once again losing to your better.”

She points to herself.

“I don't know what excuses you propose I'm supposed to run out of.” she said “I don't have any when it comes to you, because I've never needed them. I've defended championships against you,I've won championships from you and I defeated you to hold this World Bombshell Championship on my shoulder, not yours, mine.”

She casually touches her championship as if affirming her point.

“At this point, I don't think I have anything to prove against you mamita.” she grinned, "This is all about you proving to yourself that you can beat me which is why it will make the reality so much sweeter when you have to accept that you simply can't.”

She laughs to herself.

“You told me to watch you so I did.” she said “I was already watching anyway, I'm the World Bombshell Champion. I watch everybody. I saw you beat Zenna. I stood atop that ramp and watched you beat Alexandra Calaway. I also sat at ringside and watched as you lost to Bella Madison.”

She grins.

“What? Was I too much of a distraction?” she said “That sounds like a personal problem, maybe you should pay more attention to your match. You're supposed to be a veteran, you should know better. Never let yourself get distracted, especially not against the caliber of an opponent like Bella Madison.”

She shrugs.

“You asked me to watch you closely, but have you been watching me?" she said. “Did you watch me defeat Seleana? Did you watch me defeat Frankie Holliday and show her who the real queen is?”

She smirks confidently.

“The truth is you don't get to act like I'm the one with something to prove.” she said “Because that's not how this works. I have proved myself against each and every person I've stepped in the ring with. I have beaten everybody there is to beat in Sin City Wrestling. You think two out of three falls is going to test my endurance? I survived seven stages of hell against Luna Pasilno. So you wouldn't be the first to test my endurance.”

She pauses.

“So if you ask me…” she continued “You're the one that needs to prove something, mostly to yourself. It's not like you don't have the talent, you do and have the accolades to prove it. I've been in there with you. I know how good you are, but what you need to accept is that I'm better.”

She keeps her eyes confidently locked on the camera, for a moment she says nothing she just lets her words settle the confidence never leaving her face. I smile that says that beneath all this smugness and glamor there's still a fighter who remembers every single slight made against her.

She casually adjusts the World Bombshell Championship on her shoulder leaning forward slightly.

“That's what really bothers you isn't it Mercedes?” she said “It has nothing to do with you being weak, you're not weak. Everybody knows exactly what you've done in Sin City Wrestling. They see the name Mercedes Vargas and immediately think of history.”

She gives a small nod to the camera.

“You are history.” she said with a smirk “But I'm the present, and as long as I hold this World Bombshell Championship I'm the future as well.”

She leans back in her chair.

“You've had an entire month to sit with the fact that I beat you for this Championship.” she said, "I didn't steal it or sneak up behind you and take it when nobody was looking. Nobody handed it to me. I stood across from you, I fought you and I won.”

She pauses.

“Yet all I get from you this past month are baseless warnings and a half-hearted apology.” she said “In case you didn't hear me the first time you can take your fake apology and shove it.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“You thought that going low on my husband would anger me, and you were right.”  she said “But you made one mistake. You thought anger would make me careless, which tells me that you really don't know me as well as you think you do.”

She laughs to herself.

“I'm not some little girl who lets her emotions get in the way causing her to fall apart.” she said “I'm not someone who's going to walk into a match blind with rage and let a veteran like you pick me apart because I forgot how to think. I am Victoria Lyons. I've been called spoiled, entitled, delusional and every other little word people use because they can't stand the fact that I'm a woman who knows exactly what she's worth.”

She speaks with her usual confidence.

“Mercedes you can tell yourself whatever story helps you sleep at night.” she said “You can continue to live in the land of make believe that I have anything left to prove against you. Two falls. That's all I need to prove once again what I already know and to prove what you've spent the last month refusing to admit.”

She grins and raises an eyebrow.

“You're going to get your chance to prove that you can finally beat me." Victoria smiled “But when it's over and you've lost two falls, and this Championship is still right here in my shoulder? You're finally going to have no choice but to accept the truth that I'm your ceiling and you are never getting past me.”

Victoria lets her words hang for a beat.

“You act like I should be grateful to have an opportunity to stand in the ring with the great Mercedes Vargas once again.” she said “I understand why you feel that way, you built your legacy here. You're one of the names people mention when they talk about what it means to survive in this division.”

She pauses again.

“But all those times you held a championship before I came along they're not going to win two falls for you at Summer Xxxtreme.” she said “Being better than the person standing across from you it's what's going to get you those two falls, and you have yet to prove you can even keep me down for one.”

That smug grin returns.

“I did what you could not do at Into The Void.” she continued “When it was time to step up, I didn't hesitate or make excuses. I became champion.”

She casually runs her fingers across her championship drawing attention to it.

“I've been in wars Mercedes, and I've been pushed past the point where most people would quit. I've had people try to break me mentally physically and emotionally.” She continued “I've stood with the odds stacked against me and still found a way to walk out standing.”

She rises to her feet, still holding her championship proudly.

“Maybe you'll catch me once Mercedes.” she said “But now you have to do it twice. You have to outthink me twice, outlast last me twice, and outfight me twice. That's not something I think you can do. When you tell me this match is going to expose me, when you act like I need to make any sort of excuses, all you're doing is showing me that you haven't really been paying attention to who I am.”

She pauses.

“At Summer Xxxtreme you're stepping into the ring with the World Bombshell Champion.“ she said pointing to herself “The woman who beat you at Into The Void and took the future you thought belonged to you. The woman who's going to pin you twice and prove without a shadow of a doubt who the Bombshell division belongs to. You'll find out exactly why I have to pack for a championship suite, why I'm the woman headlining this event aboard her Queens Cruise. ”

She grins.

“Pack light Mamita.” she said, patting her championship “Because you're not bringing this home.”

She winks at the camera with a confident expression as everything fades out to black.

__________

Victoria stood with one hand wrapped around the handle of her carry-on and another resting over the strap of her World Bombshell Championship slung across her shoulder. She looked at the door to her suite as though it was a monument built specifically for her arrival.

Darian stood beside her holding two garment bags over one shoulder and dragging two more of the larger suitcases behind him.

“This is going to be good. I can feel it.” she said

“The suite?” he asked.

“Yes.” she said.

“You can feel the suite?” Darian raised an eyebrow.

“Not just any suite.” she said “THE suite. The one reserved for the world champion. They gave me a decent one the last couple years when I entered as the Bombshell Roulette Champion but this one this is the one reserved for the truly elite. The one I always deserved.”

She had a genuine smile on her face as she held the card against the sensor and watched the light blink green. A soft click followed as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

For a moment she had nothing to say. It was the kind of room designed to make people feel important the second they walked through the door. Spacious dining area a mini bar a giant living area with deep couches and a wide wall mounted television but what really caught Victoria's attention was..

“Look at that balcony!! she said making a beeline towards the giant balcony area.

She stood her hands on the railing overlooking the sea as it stretched out in every direction. Darian soon appeared beside her.

“Okay yeah you were right..” he said “This is nice.”

“This is more than nice.” she said “This is main event nice. This is World Bombshell Champion nice. The secondhand suites they gave me as Bombshell Roulette Champion don't compare. This is the one I've deserved.”

She looked down over the balcony and everything below her and raises her championship high.

“Kneel my subjects.” She said “Kneel before your queen.”

Darian rolled his eyes.

“Get that out of your system?” he grinned.

“Yes.” she replied. “Yes I did.”

She just stood there for a moment overlooking the entire ship. She stood across from Mercedes Vargas at Into The Void and won the vacant World Bombshell Championship. She defended that championship against Frankie Holliday when Frankie thought her temporary authority would allow her to leapfrog the entire division This was hers and she had earned it.

“This is where I'm supposed to be.” she said quietly.

Darian kissed the side of her head.

“Yes it is.” he said.

“The best part is...” Victoria continued “Mercedes is probably somewhere on this ship right now telling herself this is her moment, where she takes everything and that she's going to walk into Summer Xxxtreme and finally prove she can beat me.”

Darian leaned his elbows against the railing beside her.

“Probably.” he agreed.

“She probably thinks this suite is supposed to get into my head too.” Victoria continued.

“You think she cares about the suite?” Darian asked, looking over at her.

“When she sees me walk around this ship with this championship, she has to see the truth every time.” Victoria said “She sees the champions suite, the main event and she has to know that all of it belongs to me now. She can tell herself that she can take it from me, that Into The Void was a mistake, but her entire reality is going to fall apart when once again I hit her with the cold hard truth that this is my era now.”

The sea breeze blows through her hair.

“I'm here because I beat Mercedes I'm here because I defended against Frankie.” she said  “I'm here because I survived every person who thought they could take something from me, and I'm going to leave this ship with this championship still on my shoulder.”

Darian nodded.

“You earned this.” he said “You earned the championship and the main event. Mercedes can say whatever she wants but she can't change any of that.”

Victoria looked at her husband with a smile and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you Dare Bear.” [/color]she said

“Anytime my queen.” he replied with a smile.

“You know I think I just remembered something important.” she said.

“Another suitcase?” he grinned

She stuck her tongue at him playfully.

“The wine.” she said

“The one you always talk about that you can only find on this cruise?” he said.

“That's the one.” she smiled, has the two made their way back inside.

She quickly grabbed the phone for room service.

“Hello yes. I would like a bottle of the reserve red wine, the one on the special list.” she said

‘....’

“Yes that's the one.” she replied "Very good, thank you… actually on second thought make it two.”

“Starting off with two bottles?” he said.

“I want wine.” she said “And I only get this wine once a year. Besides, don't you want to share bottles of wine with your wife while we overlook the ocean from a championship suite? It's almost like a second honeymoon.”

“I got to admit, you got me there.” Darian said.

They both found a position to cuddle on the couch together  just taking everything in for the next few minutes until a knock came at the door.

Victoria wasted no time in answering it.

“There she is.” Victoria smiled at the attendant delivering the wine, it even came in a little metal bucket of ice with some glasses and the bottle opener.

She thanked the attendant and accepted the bottle graciously, providing an even more gracious tip before shutting the door and meeting Darian who had made his way back out to the balcony.

The sun began to lower turning the water into golden shades of orange  making it feel even more beautiful. Darian opened the wine and poured them each a glass, handing one to Victoria.

They clinked their glasses together and Victoria took a sip with her eyes closed.

“Still perfect.” she said.

Darian took a sip of his.

“You know I've never been a wine person but this is pretty damn good.” he said

“Told you.” she grinned

He raised his glass to her.

“To the queen.”  he said

She raised her own glass.

“To victory.” she said.

She overlooked the massive ship beneath her suite once more, and vowed that at Summer Xxxtreme she would make sure the entire ship understood exactly who ruled it.

[Mercedes Vargas]

Blog: Almighty Fire
semana del 13 de 20 junio de 2026

It’s never as good as it is, and it’s never as bad as it seems. That’s how I’ve chosen to look at my life. That’s something I figured out a long time ago.

At least, that's what I told myself after Climax Control 460.

The lie I sold the world. The lie I sold myself.

Because that night? I'm not going to sit here and pretend I didn't feel like I wanted to crawl out of my own skin when the referee's hand hit that mat. When Bella Madison put me on my back and the lights went out and I realized I was staring at the ceiling again, wondering how many more times I could take this fall before I just… stopped. Before I just said I was done.

But guess what? I also stared at it after wins. I also hit the mat after losses I didn't even care about. I also got up. Always.

That night wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It wasn't ugly. It was just… a night.

And I didn't let it define me because it didn't. I didn't break. I didn't quit. I didn't even think about it for more than an hour. Because I knew what was coming next. Summer XXXTreme. World Bombshell Championship. Victoria Lyons.

That's what matters. That's the moment. That's the mountain. Not Bella Madison. Not Climax Control 460. Not some go-home show loss that nobody's even talking about anymore.

Because here's the thing: I'm not looking back. I'm not carrying baggage. I'm not letting one loss—on one night, to one person—decide anything about who I am or where I'm going.

I lost. Okay. Doesn't mean I'm broken. Doesn't mean I'm weak. Doesn't mean I'm not going to walk into Summer XXXTreme and take Victoria Lyons's title right off her shoulders.

Because that's what I'm doing.

And Bella Madison? Climax Control 460? The go-home show?

Gone.

Remembered by nobody.

Including me, mostly.

What matters is what's coming. And what's coming is me. Standing over Victoria. Holding that World Bombshell Championship. And laughing about how nobody even remembers the go-home show anymore because I'm too good, too fast, too undeniable to let one night steal the spotlight from the real story.

The real story is me.

And the real story ends with me as champion.

Everything else? Just noise.

And now everyone suddenly wants to know if I'm ready.

Ready for what? Victoria Lyons? The pressure? The spotlight that comes with a World Bombshell Championship match under two-out-of-three falls rules?

Here’s the answer. I’ve been ready.

I didn’t grind through locker rooms, get passed over, get looked through, just to stand here and second-guess myself. This isn’t luck lining up at the right time. This is years of work, sacrifice, and refusing to stay in the box people tried to put me in.

Victoria Lyons is the champion. That’s not up for debate. She’s walked in with the title and walked out with it. She’s done everything a champion is supposed to do. She’s beaten the kind of competition that proves you belong, and I’m not here to pretend otherwise. Champions don’t get to where she is by accident.

But let’s be honest about something. Being the champion and being the best are not always the same thing. Sometimes they overlap. Sometimes they don’t.

At Summer XXXTreme, we find out which one this is.

Two out of three falls is supposed to prove who the better competitor is. No flukes. No excuses. No lucky breaks to hide behind.

That’s exactly why I wanted this.

Because the longer this goes, the worse it gets for her.

I don’t need one moment. I don’t need one opening. Give me time and I will figure anyone out. I will take what works, strip it down, and use it against you.

And in this match, Victoria doesn’t get away with beating me once.

She has to do it twice.

That’s where this starts falling apart for her.

Victoria carries herself like she owns the place. Confident. Comfortable. Like this is just another defense she’s going to get through.

That’s the problem.

She’s gotten used to surviving.

Used to finding a way at the last second.

Used to believing that no matter what happens, she’ll still be standing at the end.

That kind of thinking works. Until it doesn’t.

And this is the kind of match where it doesn’t.

When you've been on top for long enough, you start believing you’ll always find a way. That no matter what happens or how tough things get, you’ll pull it out in the end because you always have.

I’m not walking into this match with that mindset.

I’m walking in like someone who knows this might be the only shot. No guarantees. No second chances waiting behind it. If I want it, I take it now.

And that difference? That’s where champions get dethroned.

In a one-fall match, maybe Victoria leans on instinct and gets through it. Maybe she finds a way late. But in a two-out-of-three falls match, the story doesn’t end after one mistake.

This isn’t that match.

This one keeps going.

And every reset is a new opportunity for me to break her down further.

Maybe she gets the first fall. Maybe everything clicks early and she reminds everyone why she’s the champion. Fine.

Now she has to do it again.

While she’s thinking about closing the match, I’ll be thinking about extending it. While she’s trying to protect what she has, I’ll be taking pieces of it away, her stamina, her rhythm, her confidence.

Two-out-of-three falls isn’t just about winning. It’s about endurance. It’s about who can keep their edge when fatigue sets in, when frustration creeps in, when the easy victory slips through your fingers and you realize you have to fight all over again.

That’s where I thrive.

I’ve built my career in those moments, the ones where things aren’t going smoothly, where the plan isn’t working perfectly, where the match becomes messy and unpredictable.

I don’t panic there.

I don’t hesitate.

I get sharper.

Victoria Lyons is used to being in control. She dictates pace. She imposes her style. She forces opponents to react to her.

But what happens when she can’t?

What happens when every time she thinks she’s figured me out, I change the equation? When every time she thinks she’s one step ahead, I take two steps sideways and drag her into a fight she didn’t prepare for?

That’s the version of this match people aren’t ready for.

Everyone talks about the first fall like it’s the most important. It isn’t. The second fall is where the truth starts to show.

That’s where fatigue meets frustration.

That’s where adjustments either work or fail completely.

And if it goes to a third fall?

That’s where champions either prove they’re untouchable… or they finally get caught.

I want it to go to three.

Not because I need it to, but because I want the world to see exactly what I'm capable of when there's nothing left to hide behind. No quick finish. No debate. No excuses.

That's the fight I want.

And that's the fight she's walking into, whether she realizes it or not.

People have underestimated me my entire career. They’ve labeled me as almost there, not quite ready, missing that final piece. I’ve heard it all. I’ve felt it all. And instead of letting it break me, I turned it into something sharper.

Because every time someone said I wasn’t ready, I worked until I was undeniable.

Every time someone questioned whether I could hang at the top level, I made sure the next performance answered that question louder than any words could.

Now here we are.

World Bombshell Championship on the line.

Two out of three falls.

Mercedes Vargas and Victoria Lyons.

This isn’t a challenge.

This isn’t just another match on the card. This is a collision between someone who has held the throne, and someone who is done waiting for permission to take it.

Victoria, you’ve done everything right to get where you are. You’ve defended that title. You’ve carried it with pride. You’ve proven you belong in that spotlight. You just happened to do it at the wrong time.

Because now you’re standing across from someone who isn’t trying to prove she belongs.

I already know I do.

I’m not walking in hoping.

I’m not walking in trying to impress anyone.

I’m walking in to take your title.

To take your spot.

To take everything people think belongs to you.

When this match is over, I don’t want people debating whether I deserved it. I don’t want them pointing to moments, “what ifs,” or near falls.

I want it to be clear.

No debate.

No excuses.

Just the result.

Two falls to one.

Clean.

Final.

And the moment people realize that what they were looking at this whole time wasn’t a contender.

It was the next champion.

The one who walked in, took everything, and didn’t ask for permission to do it.

Because that’s what a true championship victory looks like.

So let the world watch. Let them speculate. Let them argue about odds, momentum, and history.

None of that steps into the ring with us.

When that bell rings, it’s just you and me, Victoria.

And by the time it rings for the last time, the world is going to understand exactly who Mercedes Vargas is.

Not the version they thought they knew.

Not the version they underestimated.

The real one.

The one who walks in as the challenger…

And walks out as the World Bombshell Champion.

~~~

INT. THE FLOATING PENALTY BOX – DAY

Sunlight cuts through grime-streaked windows as the marina turned restaurant outside sits unnaturally still; inside, the boat is curated destruction.

A hand-painted sign hangs crooked on the door: “OPEN – $30 PER VIEWER” / “NO REFUNDS.”

TOMAS sits at the door on a folding chair like a throne, sunglasses on, counting cash into a bucket at his feet.

IRMA paints over layered logos on a life jacket without hesitation.

HUGO sleeps behind the bar, face pressed into a pile of cash.

MERCEDES stands center, arms crossed, taking it all in.

MERCEDES
How many so far?

TOMAS
Six.

MERCEDES
Six people paid thirty dollars to walk into this?

TOMAS
Seven. One guy came back.

A CUSTOMER stands awkwardly holding a drink.

CUSTOMER
So… is there like a show or—

IRMA
You’re in it.

The customer laughs alone, sips, and immediately regrets it.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D)
What is this?

HUGO (eyes closed)
Don’t ask questions you can’t afford.

Everyone glances at Hugo—still asleep.

MERCEDES
Is he awake?

TOMAS
Sometimes.

A loud bang from outside—then a SECOND CUSTOMER rushes in.

SECOND CUSTOMER
There’s a line forming.

TOMAS
A line?

SECOND CUSTOMER
People think this is… a thing.

MERCEDES
What kind of people?

SECOND CUSTOMER
The kind with money?

They exchange a look.

CUT TO:

EXT. MARINA – CONTINUOUS

A messy line of tourists and influencers forms as people film and whisper.

GIRL
I heard it’s illegal.

Her friend immediately starts recording.

CUT BACK TO:

INT. BOAT – DAY

TOMAS
We need tiers.

MERCEDES
No.

TOMAS
Premium access.

MERCEDES
No tiers.

IRMA
VIP paint.

MERCEDES
Absolutely not.

HUGO
Charge extra if they cry.

Beat.

MERCEDES
That one stays.

A THIRD CUSTOMER enters mid-conversation.

THIRD CUSTOMER
I paid fifty.

MERCEDES
You paid who?

THIRD CUSTOMER
Some guy outside.

Tomas storms out.

CUT TO:

EXT. MARINA – CONTINUOUS

A RANDOM GUY runs a knockoff stand with a cardboard sign: “REAL ACCESS – $50.”

TOMAS
What are you doing?

RANDOM GUY
Scaling.

Beat.

TOMAS
You’re hired.

CUT BACK TO:

INT. BOAT – LATER

Now packed and buzzing, Irma paints customers (willing or not), Hugo pours mismatched drinks half-awake, and Mercedes watches from a crate as Tomas counts faster and the Random Guy takes cuts at the door.

CUSTOMER
This isn’t what I thought it was.

MERCEDES
What did you think it was?

CUSTOMER
I don’t know—something.

MERCEDES
Exactly.

He nods, accepting it as the room hums louder; Hugo raises a glass.

HUGO
To bad decisions.

Some join—eventually, even Mercedes, scanning the chaos as a slow smile forms.

MERCEDES
Okay.

Faint sirens approach in the distance, tightening the energy.

MERCEDES (CONT’D)
We’re gonna need a back exit.

TOMAS
We don’t have one.

IRMA
I can paint one.

Beat.

MERCEDES
Start painting.

CUT TO BLACK.

~~~

Present Day ♦ L O S A N G E L E S, C A L I F O R N I A

[REC•]

[Mercedes Vargas sits on the edge of a training bench, wearing a crisp Argentina World Cup jersey—light blue and white stripes, the AFA crest gleaming on the chest. An Argentina soccer ball rests between her feet. She bounces it lightly on her knee, then lets it roll across the floor. Her fingers tap rhythmically against her thigh. After a long three-second pause, she reaches forward with her foot, stops the ball, and sets it aside with deliberate precision. The moment it's still, she leans into the camera, her eyes locking on with electric intensity.]

"Victoria, you've been talking a lot lately. You've been throwing my name around like it's worthless. Like it's nothing. And I think you need to understand something right now, before we even get to the ring next Sunday."

[She picks up her cellphone, taps it once, then sets it down on a nearby table. Her foot returns to the soccer ball, rolling it gently back and forth as she speaks.]

"Like I said, I already know what I'm in for. This five-foot-seven Latina from Buenos Aires, Argentina, hasn't held the World Bombshell Championship for awhile, and maybe my name doesn't strike fear in the hearts of opponents anymore. Oh, wait. Maybe it's because they're all *too scared* to say it out loud. But you, Victoria? You're not scared. You're *delusional*. And you best believe that next weekend, you picked the wrong opponent to mess with."

[She leans back slightly, a cold smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.]

"They say time changes people. They say championships fade. They saylegacy erodes. But what they don't tell you is that hunger? That never goes away. That fire? That doesn't dim. It just waits. And I've been waiting. Watching. Learning. Every single match you've been in, Victoria. Every time you've stepped into that ring. I've studied you. I've mocked you. I've broken you down. I've found every weakness, every tell, every moment where you hesitate. And next Sunday, I'm going to make you *feel* all of that. I'm going to make you *beg* for it to stop."

[She plants her foot on the ball, pressing it down, claiming it.]

"I don't believe in queens, princesses, or goddesses. I claim nothing; I prove everything. So, Victoria, train with all your heart's content. Watch all the tape on me you want and take notes. There will be a pop quiz after. Do whatever you have to do, and I promise you, you still won't be prepared for what I do to you."

[Her voice hardens, the whisper becoming sharp as steel. She kicks the ball hard—it smacks against the wall behind the camera.]

"You think you're ready? You think you've seen it all? You think you've felt everything? Let me tell you something about pain, Victoria. Real pain. The kind that makes you question every decision you've ever made. The kind that wakes you up at night and makes you wonder if you should've never signed that contract. That's what I'm going to give you. That's what I'm going to show you."

[She stands now, walking closer to the camera until her face dominates the frame. The Argentina jersey stretches across her shoulders as she moves.]

"Come next Sunday, don't come looking for me, mamita. I'll be waiting for you. And I'm not going to let you leave that cruise ship the same person you walked in as."

[She turns back, grabs the soccer ball with both hands, and holds it against her chest like a trophy.]

"Do your worst. Bring your worst. Matter of fact, bring your best, too. Bring everything you have. Because, little girl, I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to break your body. I'm going to break your spirit. And I'm going to enjoy every moment while I make you cry, then use your face as a mop to wipe your tears off the canvas. Writing me off before you ever step foot into a ring with me? Big mistake."

[Her eyes narrow, the intensity reaching a fever pitch. She spins the ball on her finger like it's a wrestling championship.]

"You want to know what separates me from everyone else? It's not the championships I've won. It's not the accolades I've earned. It's this. This right here. This absolute, unbreakable, violent certainty that I am better than you. That I am stronger than you. That I am going to destroy you. And I'm not going to stop until there's nothing left but a broken shell of who you thought you were."

[She drops the ball, letting it bounce once, twice, then catches it.]

"Question my victories and accomplishments, but never my resolve."

[She takes a slow step back, her expression shifting from venom to something almost serene. The danger is still there, but it's controlled now. Calculated. She holds the Argentina ball in one hand, the AFA crest visible.]

"My mother taught me something when I was little. She told me that life doesn't give you what you want. Life gives you what you need. And sometimes what you need is pain. Sometimes what you need is humiliation. Sometimes what you need is to be reminded that you're not the biggest, the strongest, the best. And Victoria? You need all of that. You need me to remind you of who you are."

[Looking deadset into the camera lens, her voice drops to a whisper, though conviction burns behind her words. She pauses, mostly for dramatic effect. The soccer ball sits between her feet again.]

"Estar preparado para lo peor, esperar lo mejor."
"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."

"Y que la suerte está siempre en su favor."
"And may the odds be ever in your favor."

[She smiles now, clutching the Argentina soccer ball to her chest. It's not a warm smile. It's the smile of a predator who knows the hunt is about to end—and a champion who knows her country's spirit runs through her veins. The camera pulls back on the lasting image of Mercedes smiling, the light blue and white jersey against the dark background, as we fade to black.]

[Mercedes Vargas]

Blog: Almighty Fire
semana del 13 al 20 de junio de 2026

Since day one, I didn’t walk into Sin City Wrestling to compete with anyone. I walked in knowing that everyone here would eventually be compared to me. And 14 years later, that’s exactly what this place has turned into.

I didn’t need a legacy. I didn’t need to be chosen. And I sure didn’t need to ride anyone’s coattails. I built this myself, and I did it better than anybody who’s ever stepped through that door. Nobody handed me anything. I kicked the door in, stepped over whoever was in the way, and kept going. That’s why I’m still here and so many of the names people used to worship are nothing but history now.

And Victoria Lyons can lie to herself all she wants. She can call this another match, another defense, another night.

It isn’t.

Not even close.

This is the moment where she finds out exactly how far out of her depth she really is.

Así de simple.

Let’s get this out of the way now, because I know you’ve heard it all week, and I know you believe it.

Victoria Lyons is unbeaten against me. Four wins, one draw.

Yeah, you’ve memorized it. You treat it like gospel, like it explains everything. It doesn’t. Those numbers tell you what happened, not how it happened, and they definitely don’t tell you what happens next.

And if you actually go back and watch those matches instead of just reading the results, you’d notice something pretty obvious. She’s never dominated me. Not once. Not in the Ultimate X four-way two summers ago. Not one-on-one. Not at High Stakes last year. Not in the draw earlier this year. Not even at Into the Void last month. Every time, it came down to one moment. One opening. One mistake going her way instead of mine.

But don't confuse that with control. Don't confuse that with superiority. And don't confuse that with inevitability.

Porque una cosa es ganar… y otra muy distinta es dominar.

If this was as simple as “Victoria always wins,” we wouldn’t be here again. SCW wouldn’t put this match, this stage, this stipulation on something already decided. They know better. I know better. And deep down, she knows better too.

That record is comfortable, sure. It's something people cling to because it's easier than admitting what's actually been happening every time we collide.

I've been closing the gap. Match by match, moment by moment. Getting closer to taking everything from her. Into the Void proved it. That wasn't dominance. That was survival.

Y ella lo sabe.

Lo sintió.

Now we’re stepping into a match where none of that history can protect her.

Two out of three falls.

This isn’t about one moment anymore. One mistake, one counter, one lucky break. That’s not enough here. She has to beat me twice in one night.

Dos veces.

Those four wins don’t carry over. They don’t give her a head start. They don’t protect her when things start going the other way. All they are now is a record, and records don’t help her when she's in there trying to survive something she can’t control.

That’s what this kind of match does. It doesn’t protect history. It exposes it.

Porque la verdad… siempre sale.

While everyone else was looking at the result, I was paying attention to everything else. I know how she thinks when she's ahead, how she reacts when things start to shift, what she falls back on when she feels pressure.

You see a record. I see a blueprint.

Five matches is enough to learn someone. Enough to see the same habits, the same patterns, the same decisions show up again and again. That’s not dominance, that’s predictability. And predictability gets exposed fast when somebody’s actually paying attention.

That’s the difference between her and me. She was handed opportunities. She was given time. She was given chances for people to believe she mattered.

Me? I didn’t get any of that.

I took everything.

Resultados. Campeonatos. Todo.

And for well over a decade, that’s all I’ve done. I’m not just still here, I’m at the top of this place. Most decorated. Most accomplished. And whether people like it or not, the most dangerous person in this division.

There isn’t a single name in the past, present, or future that can touch what I’ve done. And that includes you, Victoria.

Así que ven el domingo.

So show up on Sunday. Bring your confidence, bring the title, bring whatever you think is going to help you get through this.

Oh, and bring your husband too. Let him sit front row and watch exactly how this ends.

Because when the pressure hits, I don’t crack. I don’t hesitate. And I don’t lose in moments like this.

Over ninety championship matches. Seventeen main events. That’s not luck. That’s separation.

You had your moment. You had your time in the spotlight.

Pero yo no tengo momentos.

I define eras.

And when that bell rings, this isn’t going to feel like an opportunity for you. It’s going to feel like the biggest mistake of your career.

That title you’re holding? No es tuyo. It never really was. It’s just been waiting for me to come take it.

Because the woman who "couldn't beat Victoria Lyons" will have done it when it mattered most. On the biggest stage. In the main event. With no excuses left to hide behind.

Decisively. Completely. Unquestionably.

So hold onto your record. Hold onto your history. Hold onto that comfortable little story you've built around you being unbeatable against me.

Just understand something, Victoria.
Records don’t fight. People do.

Y yo… no pierdo.

You’ve won matches, sure. But you’ve never finished this. You’ve never made it unquestionable.

So when people bring up that record like it settles something, all it tells me is you’ve had every chance to end this, and you still couldn’t.

At Summer XXXTreme XIV, I don't need five matches. I don't need history. I don't need to rewrite anything.

Two falls. That’s all this takes.

Two falls to end the argument. Two falls to get rid of the illusion. Two falls to do the one thing you’ve never been able to do, make this unquestionable.

And when it’s over, when those two falls are mine, this stops being a debate.

It becomes a correction.

You’re not the future. You’re not the standard. You’re not even real competition at this point.

You’re just the next mistake they put in front of me.

And at Summer XXXTreme, I correct it.

Permanently.

~~~

EXT. SUN PRINCESS – LUXURY SUITE BALCONY – MORNING

[The Sun Princess glides through the Pacific waters like a floating palace, its white hull gleaming against the azure sea. Mercedes Vargas stood at the railing of her luxury suite, the morning sun warming her face as she stares at the endless horizon.]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

EXT. SUN PRINCESS – POOL DECK – MIDMORNING

[By midmorning, Mercedes descends to the pool deck, where the Sun Princess's main pool shimmers under tropical skies. The air hums with laughter, clinking glasses, and the distant beat of lounge music. She moves through the crowd with the natural confidence of someone who had commanded arenas from Vegas to Toronto to Tokyo.]

[Mercedes finds a quiet cabana near the edge, her eyes tracing the curve of the ship. In Sin City Wrestling, she had been a champion who had dominated the roster for over a decade, won 16 title reigns, and lost more than she'd admitted to anyone. But championships faded. Fans moved on. And now, at this crossroads, she wondered: Was this cruise merely a vacation, or could it be something more? Would this be a breaking point, or a turning point?]

[A young woman approaches, holding a tablet.]

YOUNG WOMAN
Excuse me, are you Mercedes Vargas? The wrestler?

[Mercedes smiles, like she hasn’t quite left the spotlight behind.]

MERCEDES
I am.

YOUNG WOMAN
I've seen your matches online. You're... incredible. My brother says you're the best woman wrestling right now.

[The words hit harder than Mercedes expected. Best woman wrestling right now. Not "best ever." Not "legend." Current. Active. Still in the game.]

MERCEDES
Thanks. Wrestling's been my life for a decade. But I've been wondering, maybe it's time to redefine what that means.

YOUNG WOMAN
That's awesome. Good luck with whatever you're doing next.

[The Young Woman walks away. Mercedes watches her, thoughtful.]


━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CUT TO:
INT. SUN PRINCESS – 24-HOUR BUFFET – NIGHT

[The buffet is quieter at this hour, but not empty. A few late-night stragglers linger. Someone dozes off in a chair. A kid sprints past unsupervised with a plate of fries like it’s a life-or-death situation.]

[Mercedes steps in, scanning the spread. Her stomach growls. Loud.]

MERCEDES
…seriously?

[Another growl.]

[She exhales, annoyed, grabs her room key.]

[Mercedes walks in, scanning the options.]

MERCEDES
Alright… reinvention can wait five minutes.

[Mercedes sits alone, halfway through a full plate: steak, pasta, something that might be seafood, dessert already missing a corner. She’s not rushing, just eating like someone who finally doesn’t have to think about it.]

RICARDO
You always eat like that, or is this a special occasion?

[Mercedes glances up, finishing her bite before answering.]

MERCEDES
Depends. You judging me, or joining me?

[She looks up. Ricardo stands there, silver at the temples, composed, observant. Beside him is Irma, sharp-eyed, casual but put together, already clocking everything.]

[Ricardo smiles faintly.]

RICARDO
Curiosity.

IRMA
Both things could be true.

[Mercedes looks at Irma now, taking her in.]

MERCEDES
Yeah, that sounds about right.

[She gestures slightly with her fork.]

MERCEDES
Go ahead. Sit. You’re already here.

[They take a seat across from her.]

[Irma looks at the plate again, amused.]

IRMA
I’m not gonna lie, that’s impressive.

MERCEDES
That’s what happens when nobody’s timing your meals anymore.

IRMA
You seem to enjoy it.

MERCEDES
More than I should, probably.

RICARDO
Discipline doesn’t just switch off like that.

[Mercedes shakes her head slightly.]

MERCEDES
It doesn’t. It just shifts.

[She taps her fork lightly against the plate.]

MERCEDES
You stop worrying about weight cuts, you start worrying about everything else.

[That sits for a second.]

IRMA
Like a main event this weekend?

[Mercedes looks up again, a little more focused now.]

MERCEDES
Yeah. Like that.

RICARDO
Summer XXXTreme. Victoria Lyons.

[Mercedes nods once.]

MERCEDES
You’ve been watching.

RICARDO
Enough to know what kind of match it’s going to be.

IRMA
She’s good. Fast. Confident.

[Mercedes doesn’t argue.]

MERCEDES
She is. She should be.

[She leans back slightly in her chair.]

MERCEDES
That’s what makes it a main event.

RICARDO
People are saying this might be her moment.

[Mercedes lets out a quiet breath—not annoyed, just acknowledging it.]

MERCEDES
Yeah, I’ve heard that before.

IRMA
You don’t sound bothered.

MERCEDES
I’m not.

[Beat.]

MERCEDES
Moments come easy when you haven’t had one taken from you yet.

[Irma studies her a little more closely.]

IRMA
And you have.

[Mercedes gives a small nod.]

MERCEDES
More than once.

[She looks back down at her plate, absently moving food around.]

MERCEDES
That’s the part people don’t see. They see the wins, the titles… they don’t see what it takes to get back after you lose one.

RICARDO
So what makes this time different?

[Mercedes looks back up.]

MERCEDES
It’s not, really.

[Beat.]

MERCEDES
That’s the point.

[They both wait for her to continue.]

MERCEDES
She’s walking into this thinking it’s her moment… and maybe it is.

[She shrugs slightly.]

MERCEDES
But I’ve lived in those moments. I know what they feel like when they start slipping.

IRMA
You think it’ll get there?

MERCEDES
It always does.

[Her tone is calm. Certain.]

MERCEDES
There’s always a point where it stops being about momentum and starts being about who can hold it together.

RICARDO
And that’s where you’re comfortable.

[Mercedes nods once.]

MERCEDES
That’s where I’ve been for years.

[Irma leans back a bit, crossing her arms.]

IRMA
She hasn’t had that kind of match yet.

MERCEDES
No.

[Beat.]

MERCEDES
And I’m not sure she understands what that feels like.

RICARDO
So what are you expecting from her?

[Mercedes thinks about that for a second.]

MERCEDES
Honestly?

[She sets her fork down.]

MERCEDES
I want her at her best.

[Irma raises an eyebrow.]

IRMA
Most people wouldn’t say that.

MERCEDES
Most people want excuses.

[She shakes her head.]

MERCEDES
I don’t.

[Beat.]

MERCEDES
If I beat her, I want it to be clear.

RICARDO
Clear?

MERCEDES
That she brought everything she had… and it still wasn’t enough.

[Silence for a moment. Not tense, just heavy with meaning.]
IRMA

That’s a lot to carry into one match.

MERCEDES
It’s what the match is.

[She picks her fork back up, a little more relaxed again.]

RICARDO
And after it’s over?

[Mercedes lets out a small breath, almost a quiet laugh.]

MERCEDES
You keep asking that like I’ve got some big plan waiting.

RICARDO
Don’t you?

[She shakes her head.]

MERCEDES
No. Not really.

[Beat.]

MERCEDES
I just know I don’t want to keep doing things the same way because it’s comfortable.

IRMA
So you’re figuring it out as you go.

MERCEDES
Yeah.

[She glances between them.]

MERCEDES
First time in a while.

RICARDO
That’s not a bad place to be.

MERCEDES
No… it’s just unfamiliar.

[Irma nods slightly.]

IRMA
That usually means it’s worth paying attention to.

[Mercedes considers that, then gives a small nod.]

MERCEDES
Yeah. Maybe.

[She looks back down at her plate, then takes another bite. The conversation softens, but the focus is still there, just quieter now.]

MERCEDES
Either way…

[She swallows.]

MERCEDES
I’ve got a match to win first.

[No edge. No performance. Just fact. They don’t argue with that. For a moment, it’s just three people sitting at a table, the noise of the buffet filling the space. But underneath it something bigger is already in motion.]


━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

INT. SUN PRINCESS – LUXURY SUITE – NIGHT

[Back in her suite that night, Mercedes stands before a floor-to-ceiling window, the ship's lights reflect the dark water below. The room was a sanctuary of luxury: a king-sized bed with silk linens, a marble bathroom with a soaking tub, a private balcony overlooking the ocean.

[Her reflection in the window showed a woman who had earned every inch of her success. The scars on her shoulders from countless matches. The confidence in her posture. The fire in her eyes that hadn't dimmed, even after the hardest losses.]

[The ship sailed forward through the dark water, carrying her toward ports she hadn't yet visited, toward opportunities she hadn't yet imagined. And for the first time in years, Mercedes felt not like a veteran chasing one more championship, but like an architect building something new.]

FADE OUT.

~~~

Present Day ♦S U N P R I N C E S S • C R U I S E S H I P

[REC•]

SUNSET. LUXURY SUITE BALCONY. SUN PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP. CARIBBEAN WATERS

[The golden hour light bleeds across the Caribbean, painting the water in shades of amber and fire. Mercedes Vargas stands at the railing of her luxury suite balcony, the Sun Princess's white wake stretching behind her like a ribbon cutting through turquoise. The ocean stretches endless behind her, horizon line sharp and distant. Salt air carries the distant hum of the ship's engines, a steady rhythm beneath the water's soft lap against the hull.]

[She wears a black blazer over a fitted black tank top, paired with dark tailored trousers. The blazer is unbuttoned, sleeves rolled to her elbows, revealing the dense muscle of her arms and the scars on her shoulders visible in the golden light. Her hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail, no makeup, face raw and honest. Her body is a weapon carved from nearly two decades of punishing wrestling matches. She grips the railing with both hands, knuckles white, then releases. Her chest rises and falls in controlled breaths.]

[She turns to face the camera directly. Eyes lock on the lens. No hesitation. No warm-up. She speaks with the intensity of someone who has stared down arenas and never backed down.]

"Victoria Lyons thinks she's the Queen of Bombshells."

[She lets the words hang. Her jaw tightens. The wind catches strands of hair at her temples, but she doesn't move. Her eyes don't blink.]

"She's got the championship. She's got the spotlight. She's got everyone telling her she's the best woman wrestling right now. And she's got the future. But I'm not the past. I'm the end."

[Mercedes steps forward, closer to the camera. The ocean behind her blurs slightly as the focus locks on her face. Golden light cuts across one side of her face, shadows deepening the other.]

"I've been in this business for seventeen years. Fourteen years in Sin City Wrestling. Sixteen title reigns. And you know what? More often than not, I've never lost to anyone who matters.

"You know what they don't tell you about losing? They don't tell you that every loss teaches you something. That every time you get thrown across that mat, every time someone hits you harder than you expected, every time the crowd screams for you to get hurt... you learn. You adapt. You become something harder. Something sharper."

[She raises her right hand, showing the faint scars on her knuckles. Her fingers flex, then relax.]

"Victoria Lyons? She doesn't have the 17 years of blood. She doesn't have the 14 years of dominating a roster that didn't want to give me anything. She doesn't have the scars."

[Mercedes steps back, turning slightly. The ship's wake behind her stretches into the distance, water churning white. She looks at the horizon for a moment, then back to the camera.]

"I've been wondering if my legacy is just Sin City Wrestling. If that's where I'm defined. If I'm just the Champion of Champions. But Sunday? Sunday I'm not just taking her championship. I'm ending her. I'm erasing her. I'm making sure the entire world knows that Victoria Lyons was never the Queen. She was just... a placeholder."

[Her voice builds again, stronger now, the fire in her eyes unmistakable.]

"Two-out-of-three falls. That's not a match. That's an execution. First fall? I'm that much closer to taking her title. Second fall? I break her body. Third fall? I make sure she never wants to wrestle again. I make sure the entire world knows who the real champion is. And I'm not here to win one fall. I'm here to destroy her completely."

[She leans forward, hands gripping the railing again. Her chest is tight, breath controlled. The muscles in her arms flex as she pushes herself forward.]

"Five times. Five times we've met since 2024. Four times you walked away with my championship. Four times I gave you the chance to be great. And you took it. But you know what? That chance is gone now."

[Mercedes steps forward, closer to the camera. Her voice drops to a venomous whisper.]

"Summer XXXTreme. Four-way Ultimate X Over the Pool. You retained your Bombshell Roulette Championship. Climax Control 407. Singles match. You retained again. High Stakes last year. Triple threat. You pinned me. You took my Bombshell Internet Championship. You ended my third reign. My second reign of 2025. Ninety-one days.

"And then Into the Void last month. You walked away with the World Bombshell Championship. You left Osaka, Japan thinking you were the greatest."

[A small shake of her head. Mercedes steps back, turning slightly. The ship's wake stretches into the distance. She looks at the horizon. Her voice builds, rage creeping in.]

"You know what they say about the New York Knicks? Nobody thought they'd win again. Fifty-plus years of waiting. And then? They won their third title. And Sunday? Sunday I'm the Knicks. I'm the one ending the drought. I'm coming back. My third World Bombshell Championship. First time in eight years I'm taking it home.

"But you should know what happens when I take it, Victoria. When I win Sunday, I'm not just getting my title back. I'm setting records you can't touch. A fifth Bombshell Triple Crown. A fourth Bombshell Grand Slam. My 17th championship in Sin City. My 11th singles title. And I'll be the only Bombshell to ever hold three reigns with five different championships. Roulette. Internet. World Tag. Mixed Tag. And now? World Bombshell."

[She points directly at the camera.]

"You're not just defending a belt, Victoria. You're the gatekeeper to a legacy you can't break. And Sunday? Sunday I walk through you. And when I do? You'll know. You'll know I was never the past. I was the comeback."

[She smiles, cold and certain.]

"Victoria thinks this is about her legacy. She thinks this is about her becoming the next great Bombshell Champion. But this isn't about her. This is about me reminding everyone why I'm the greatest woman who ever wrestled.

"This is about seventeen years of dominance overall. Fourteen years in Sin City. Sixteen championships I didn't just win, I owned. And Sunday? Sunday I'm not just taking her belt. I'm taking her career. I'm taking her confidence. I'm taking everything she thinks she is."

[Mercedes steps back, straightening. Her posture is perfect, athlete's confidence in every inch of her frame. She looks directly into the camera, no flinch, no hesitation.]

"I don't wrestle to impress crowds. I wrestle to create damage. And Victoria Lyons? She's about to get a whole lot of damage. And she'll spend the rest of her career wondering why she ever thought she could touch me."

[She lets the words hang. The sun dips lower, casting longer shadows across her face. The ship hums beneath her feet, steady and relentless.]

"I've spent years fighting in arenas. Defending titles. Taking titles. Owning SCW. Rewriting the record books. But come Sunday, on the Sun Princess? I'm ending something. Not my story. Yours, Victoria. Because after Sunday, there's only one Queen. And it's me."

[Mercedes turns slightly, looking out at the horizon again. The golden light catches the scars on her shoulders, the muscle in her arms, the fire in her eyes. But this fire is different. It's not passion. It's hunger.]

[She turns back to the camera, eyes locking on the lens again. Her voice drops to a final whisper, cold and personal.]

"And when I take that championship? When I break you in that match? When the entire world sees who the real champion is? You'll know. You'll know that SCW was my kingdom. And this? This is where I prove I'm the only one who deserves to rule it."

[Mercedes stands still. The camera holds on her face. Golden light, ocean behind her, ship's wake stretching into the distance. Her eyes don't blink. Her breath is controlled. The wind catches her hair again, but she doesn't move. Her smirk never fades.]

"I'm not here to win one fall. I'm here to end you. And when I do? You'll know. Victoria Lyons. You're about to get destroyed. And you're never going to be the same."

[She lets out one more cold laugh. Then she turns away from the camera, walking toward the suite door without looking back.]

"Game over."

[Victoria Lyons]

The Princess Cruise had fallen into a rhythm all its own it wasn't like the Frantic pace of an airport or the constant motion of the city and gentle posted the engines beneath the deck the distant cry of seagulls, the sound of waves breaking against the ships hull, it all blended into something peaceful that many saw has an escape, but for Victoria Lyons it was a Queendom.

The sunlight painted the ocean in different shades of sapphire as Victoria stepped onto an upper observation deck wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses on her head and a flowing white sundress with gold accents.

She walked slowly toward the railing as the ocean breeze pushed gently against her dress and she looked at the endless blue stretching towards the horizon. Darian appeared beside her in his own loose-fitting shirt, shorts and flip flops

“It never gets old.” she said “This is my third cruise and it's still amazing but somehow this feels like the best one.”

“How's that?” he asked.

“The first year I came in as the Bombshell Roulette Champion.” she said “I was just in the beginning of my SCW career. But when I was on this cruise, my crown got stolen, I got seasick, and a seagull crapped on my face.”

“I remember you telling me about that.” Darian nodded, “Eddie ended up finding your crown and returning it to you.”

“And I slammed the door in his face without so much as a thank you.” she said, shaking her head as if disappointed in herself.

She sighed and let her eyes drift out across the open water.

“I did defend my championship that night though.” she said “However the next year I wasn't so lucky. That's when Harper Mason beat me for the Bombshell Roulette Championship. I came into the cruise on the second year still a champion but walked away with nothing.”

She went quiet again for a moment, Darian didn't rush to fill the silence. He had learned enough to know that when Victoria went quiet she wasn't dwelling on failure, she was measuring the distance she had traveled to get where she was.

“But they say the third time's the charm.” she said “And this third cruise really feels like it. I'm coming in as the headliner, the main event, and the World Bombshell Champion, and that's exactly how I intend to leave.”

She looked at Darian with a smile.

“Plus I have my amazing husband with me.” she said

Darian smiled back at her and the two shared a romantic kiss, they stood there for a moment as Victoria rested her head lightly against Darian's shoulder.

“You know..” she said "I didn't really appreciate any of this the first time. I spent so much time worrying about losing my championship and trying to prove I belonged, worried about what everybody thought of me. I never really took time to enjoy the cruise.”

She looked out at the horizon again.

“Now it feels different.” she said “I've stopped trying to convince everyone I belong, because I already know I do.”

“There she is.“ Darian said “The confident version.”

“Was there ever another?” Victoria grinned

“Course not.” he said.

“Back then I was too busy thinking about everything else.” she said “The title, the pressure, who was watching, what everyone was saying and if I was good enough for all of it, and I was missing the point.,”

She glanced across the water.

“I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean." she said “I didn't appreciate the view. I was just too worried about somebody taking what I had. Now that I'm taking the time to just enjoy it all feels so much better.”

“Boat mushin?” said Darian

Victoria laughed.

“Well, mushin did help me defeat Mercedes in Japan.” she said “So sure why not? Boat mushin, I like that.”

“I thought you might.” Darian smiled.

“You know what Mushin actually gave me?” Victoria said

“What?” Darian asked.

“Perspective.” she said “In Japan everything slowed down. I realized I spent so much of my career trying to force things, wanting every championship immediately and every person to admit I was the best.”

She paused.

“I wanted to silence every critic.” she said “But mushin taught me that you don't force confidence, you become it. I realized that if I constantly worry about proving I belong, then maybe somewhere deep down I don't believe I belong.”

She lets her words hang in the air, not dramatic, just honest.

“But now.” she said “I believe, and it's not just words saying that.  I honestly truly believe, so I don't need Mercedes Vargas to believe I belong,  I already know I do.”

She casually adjusted the sunglasses on top of her head as the two strolled down the observation deck together, it seemed like another breathtaking view opened every few feet, they stopped again closer to the stern of the ship, one of Victoria's favorite spots.

She watched the white foam turn beneath the massive vessel stretching on for miles before gradually disappearing into the calm blue water again.

“You know I always thought this looked beautiful.” she said.

“The wake?” Darian asked

“Yes.” Victoria replied “It reminds me of life. It only exists because we're moving forward, and if the ship stops it disappears. It's a reminder to me that people spend too much time staring behind themselves thinking about the things they wish they could change.”

She pauses.

“I used to regret losing the Roulette Championship.” she said “But I don't anymore, because if Harper Mason never beats me, maybe I never stand here as World Champion and the headline act of Summer Xxxtreme.”

She pauses again, she really did like looking out at the wake.

“If Mercedes never pushes me.” she said “Maybe I never learn patience, if I don't listen to people telling me that I'm spoiled, entitled and arrogant then maybe I never become stubborn enough to prove them wrong.”

“You've always been stubborn.” said Darian.

“Careful..” she smirked at him.

She let the wind drift over her face for a few seconds before she spoke again, her tone growing quieter and more reflective.

“You're not wrong though.” she said “It's just who I am. But stubborn doesn't mean I refuse to listen, and arrogant doesn't mean I refuse to learn. That's not what it is not with me, it just means I remember every time somebody counted me out and every time somebody decided what I was supposed to be before I did.”

Her eyes sharpened but her expression didn't change.

“Mercedes Vargas doesn't annoy me because she's dangerous.” Victoria said “I know she's dangerous. She annoys me because she will not stop trying to make the world match the version of reality she prefers. She lost to me at Into The Void. I beat her for the vacant World Bombshell Championship.  That happened, that was not some dream or technicality or a fluke. I won.”

She exhales, the sea air caresses her lips.

“This time she's going to have no excuses.” Victoria said “I'm going to beat her for two out of three falls and then maybe finally she will be forced to accept her place beneath me. She will be forced to acknowledge me as Queen and accept the fact that the business has moved past Mercedes Vargas, and that right now this is the time of Victoria Lyons.”

She smiled at Darian and they just stood there holding each other looking out across the horizon. By the time Summer Xxxtreme arrived, Mercedes Vargas was not going to find a woman pretending to belong. She was going to fight a champion who already knew she did.

__________

The cameras open, finding Victoria lounging outside the observation deck of her suite, championship draped across her abdomen, sunglasses atop her head, swirling a glass of wine in her hand, keeping her eyes on the camera. Darian lays next to her on a lounge chair with sunglasses on, looking to be at least half asleep beneath them.

“You really are getting delusional in your old age aren't you Mercedes?” Victoria said “You continue to act like you get to say that you're better than me but the truth is until you're able to at least beat me that's not a claim you can make the correct verbiage you're looking for is, you are more experienced than me.”

She sips her wine.

“But in all your years of experience it seems you never learned humility.” she said “You never learned respect. Maybe it took some time for me to learn how to properly respect people, and maybe I had to learn some humility myself. Maybe I'm still learning. But I do know that when I look back on my career I'm not going to become like you.”

She paused.

“A miserable delusional old hag.” she said “Someone so desperate to hold on to what they once were that they just can't admit that time has caught up to them and they just don't have it like they used to.”

She grinned.

“So I guess I'm going to have to make you believe.” she said “I'm going to have to take this match and force it through your thick skull that you cannot beat me. You will finally get it into your head that until you somehow do manage to beat me, you don't get to claim that you're better than me. It really is that simple.”

She motions around at the fancy observation deck around her.

“Do you know why I get this suite?” she said “It's because I beat you. You could be sitting right here in this very chair had you walked out champion at Into The Void but you didn't.”

She motions at the championship she has draped across her.

“You know who can claim to be my better?” she said “Bella Madison, Alexandra Calaway, Harper Mason, Frankie Holliday.  At least they can stake claim to having victories over the queen. I'm not here as the Internet champion because of Alexandra Calaway.  You are not here as Internet champion because of me. you are not here as World Bombshell Champion because of me.”

She took another sip of wine.

“So on what planet do you get to stake claim to being better than me?” she said “We've faced off more than once. In singles and multi women competition and with all your experience you just can't seem to defeat Victoria Lyons.”

She lets her word hang in the air for a moment as she swirls her wine glass.

“See Mercedes you keep talking about history like it should win wrestling matches.” she said “It doesn't. The second that bell rings history disappears and it's just two women standing in a ring one was beating the other and one who hasn't.”

She taps her championship and a sly smirk appears on her face.

“You really have had a career most people would dream of.” she said “You've won championships and beat incredible opponents on your way to building a legacy and nobody can take that from you, but here's the problem.”

She paused.

“You keep acting like your past is supposed to intimidate my present.” she said “It doesn't. I didn't wrestle the Mercedes Vargas from ten years ago at Into The Void. I wrestled Mercedes Vargas now and I beat her. No matter how many accomplishments you list the SCW world bombshell still belongs to me.”

Next to her Darian gave a lazy thumbs up to the camera, Victoria shook her head and smile.

“Don't worry about him.” she said “My husband had too many Margaritas earlier."

“Why is the sun so bright..” Darian moaned.

“Stop being a baby.” she said “I told you that fifth Margarita was a bad idea. I'm trying to talk to Mercedes here.”

“Carry on.” Darian said lazily.

“Where was I?...." she said “Oh yes, Mercedes. You keep trying to act like this is your redemption story or some sort of comeback for you. But you don't need to redeem yourself, you need to accept yourself. You need to accept that someone younger, hungrier and better prepared came along and that someone beat you.”

She keeps her voice firm and confident.

“You act like there's some lesson I still have yet to learn.” she said “That no matter how decorated you are, I can still beat you and the only person refusing to learn is you.”

She sips more wine.

“I think when you look at this championship.” she said “It's a reminder of your failure,  and you look at me as a reminder every morning since Into The Void that you just couldn't get the job done.”

“You don't hate me.” she said, "You hate what I represent. The next generation,  that I'm the woman standing where you expected it to be standing. Now,that only makes you human. But refusing to accept the truth is what's making you look foolish.”

She swirls her glass.

“You've talked about this match, telling everyone how it's going to end.” she said “But I've already seen how it ends because I'm living the ending.”

She taps her championship.

“This isn't confidence or wishful thinking “ she said. "It's evidence. The reason I can sit out here and speak so calmly is because I don't have to imagine what beating Mercedes Vargas feels like I already know.”

“That's a good one babe.” Darian mumbled.

“I thought so too.“ Victoria grinned.

She lifted the wine glass again taking another longer sip this time.

“See if you think this is going to be some attempt to humble me.” she said “You're running a little too late on that because I've been humbled in the past. Harper Mason humbled me. Alexandra Calaway humbled me. Do you know what happened afterward?”

She taps her championship again.

“This happened.” she said. “So don't confuse my confidence for arrogance. I know exactly what can happen inside that ring, but I also know exactly what has happened. I've beaten you, and you've never beaten me. Again those are just the simple facts."

“Facts speak pretty loudly.” Darian commented.

“See, even Mr. Five Margaritas knows.” she smirked.

“It was four.” Darian protested.

“It was definitely five.” Victoria corrected him

Darian paused and counted his fingers.

“Oh yeah.” he said “I guess it was.”

Victoria shook her head with a genuine smile.

“That's my husband.” she said.

An amused smile grew on her face for a moment before it faded back to the usual composed confidence.

“Now here's the part where I thank you.” she said. “I thank you because you reminded me that champions can't live in the past. I could have spent this entire time talking about everything I accomplished in this company, every milestone and every opponent I've beaten but then I'd be making the same mistakes as you.”

She took another sip from her glass.

“The difference between us. “ [/color]she said “Is that my greatest accomplishment isn't something I did ten years ago, it's what I'm carrying right now. It's evolution.”

She paused shortly.

“Every version of Victoria Lyons has been better than the one before her.” she said “The Bombshell Roulette champion was better than the girl who first walked into SCW. The champion that lost to Harper Mason became better than the woman that won that championship. The Victoria who lost the Internet Championship to Alexandra Calaway became better than the woman who won it. Now the woman who sits here as the World Bombshell Champion is better than all of them.”

She sips more wine.

“That's called growth.” she said “I'm not going to pretend my failures didn't happen. I look at every single one of them in the eye and become someone they can't happen to again. I became the World Bombshell Champion because I stopped expecting perfection and I started expecting Improvement. That's why you're chasing me instead of the other way around. I kept evolving and you kept reminiscing.”

She grins.

“I represent where this division is going.” she continued “You represent where it's been, and there's nothing wrong with where it's been. There's women before me that built this division and you were one of them, but eventually every generation has to hand the ball to the next one.”

She pauses for another beat and sip of wine.

“The difference is I'm not asking for it, I already took it.” she said patting the center plate of her championship “If you want it so bad then come and take it. You keep talking like you're owed something but nobody owes you anything. Not another championship, or another moment at the top.  We earn those. I earned mine and if you want this championship you're going to have to earn it from me."

“She's got a point.” Darian chimed in, still never moving from his lounged half passed out position.

“Of course I do.” said Victoria “Mercedes can ignore the truth all she wants but when this cruise is over and we dock back at Port, I will still be the World Bombshell Champion. Mercedes will just have to continue to keep wondering why Victoria Lyons is her Kryptonite and why she can't figure out how to beat me and why her best days are behind her.”

She shrugs casually.

“I wonder what you're going to do after..” Victoria said “When I walk out as champion and beat you once again, what are you going to have to say? I know if you beat me I'll give you your credit but I'll also come for my rematch. That much is certain. But if you don't win, I'm very curious what excuses are you going to make this time?”

“I'm sure she'll find one.” said Darian.

“She absolutely will.” agreed Victoria “But that's all they're going to be, excuses. She'll continue to ignore the fact that she lost but that's going to be her problem because everyone else is going to look at her as the past and they're going to look at me as the future because I will still be your World Bombshell Champion.”

“Long live the queen.” Darian muttered.

“Enjoy the cruise while you can.” said Victoria “Just know there's not going to be a happy ending for you. The odds are definitely in my favor.”

She raises the glass to the camera with a slight nod as everything fades to black.