Saturday, June 11, 2016

Return of Emma



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Scene 1
Off Camera               
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Reinhold Messner was the first man to climb Mt. Everest without the use of compressed oxygen.  When he was interviewed by a reporter, he was asked this one question: “Why did you go u p there knowing you could have died?  Why did you go up there to die?”

His response?

“I didn’t go up there to die.  I went up there to live.”

Angelica Jones can certainly relate to Reinhold Messner.  Just as Messner lived and thrived upon challenges such as Mt. Everest, Angelica lives and thrives upon the challenges of professional wrestling.  Wherever there is a new challenge, she feels she must conquer it, she feels she must overcome it, she feels she must use it as another opportunity to cement herself and her legacy as among the best athletes in the world of professional wrestling.

Most of her career was spent taking on the challenge of Global Division of Wrestling but she would move on to other companies, companies such as Motor City Wrestling, Future Wrestling Alliance, Millennium Wrestling Alliance, Global Championship Wrestling, and even Supreme Championship Wrestling.  To say that Angelica has been around the block quite a few times in this industry would be a major understatement.

But now a new challenge is facing Angelica Jones, one that she will tackle head on just as she has tackled all of her other challenges…

…Uprising Wrestling Alliance.

Does Angelica have anything to prove to anyone?  Absolutely not.  So why did she sign a contract to wrestle with the UWA?  What brings her here to this company?

It’s partially about competition for Angelica; competition in the sense that she wants to leave her mark indelibly upon the wrestling world so that no one can deny her greatness, nor will they deny her legendary status.  Yet there is another part of Angelica just likes the thrill of a good fight and that also play a partial role in her choosing to sign with UWA.  And there is no denying that UWA is just the place for a good fight.

Angelica also realizes that UWA will be a big risk and that risk comes in the form of her own daughter, Marie Annabelle Jones.  The younger Jones, the child of the legendary Angelica, has long wanted her independence and has long wanted to be able to prove to the world that she can do this on her own without her mother’s support.

Granted, Angelica being in the same company does not necessarily mean anything.  Marie knows this as does Angelica.  But they also know that perception is all too often reality in the sport of professional wrestling and the outside world could perceive Angelica being there just to provide Marie assistance and support.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Angelica is there to further her own career.

She knows a confrontation with Marie is coming soon but there is at least one confrontation that she will not have to worry about and that is a confrontation with her other daughter, the one known as Kimberly Williams.

The issue with Kimberly?  For years Kimberly grew up thinking that Emma Storm was her mother when in reality Angelica was Kimberly’s mother all along and had been keeping it a secret.

Angelica has now let the secret out.  She and Kimberly have talked things over and peace has been made between mother and estranged daughter and they have reconciled to try and make things even better in the future.

It appears that things could not get much better for The Dragon of Professional Wrestling…

…but appearances can be deceiving.

Right now Angelica finds herself in a local gym with her sister Kayla.  Both women are similarly attired in adidas windpants, though Angelica’s are black while Kayla’s are red.  Both are wearing white tennis shoes and both are wearing t-shirts, though Angelica’s is white while Kayla’s is purple.  Both women have their long red hair pulled into a ponytail in the back.

This local gym is full of people working out but Kayla and Angelica are focusing on the heavy bags.  Kayla is watching her sister drive her fists and feet into the bag as hard as she can.

“Good job, sis…keep it up.”

Kayla nods her head.

“Harder, now!  Yes, harder!”

“I don’t need the encouragement, Kay.”

Kayla watches Angelica continue to go to work on the heavy bag with her fists and feet.  Kayla just grins knowingly.

“Could have surprised me.”

Angelica stops and turns to face Kayla, hands on her hips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t mean to insult you or question your wrestling ability, but let’s face facts, your match against Miller was not a wrestling match.  It was a fight.”

Angelica shrugs her shoulders.

“So?”

“It means a few things.  First of all, if you had kept it was a wrestling match, you may have won outright instead of just drawing with the bastard.”

She holds up two fingers.

“Secondly, if you are hell bent to fight him OR Ace Marshall next time, you need to be better prepared.”

Kayla holds up three fingers.

“And three, you have Gavin Taylor at Olympus in your UWA debut.  Gavin can definitely get it done either way, as a wrestler or as a fighter.  So you need to be prepared.”

Kayla motions back to the heavy bag.

“Now get to it!”

Angelica rolls her eyes and resumes her punching and kicking of the heavy bag.  She doesn’t like being lectured by her younger sister but Kayla does raise some good points and if she wants to continue her winning ways, she will need to be prepared for the upcoming challenges that face her.  Just as Reinhold Messner equipped himself and prepared himself for anything, she must be equipped and prepared for any inevitability or any possibility that may come her way as she prepares for the next big challenge in her career…

…UWA.

Gavin Taylor was a former two time Evolution Champion in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.  He knows how to get it done inside of the ring and Angelica knows that defeating him will be a tough task.  She was definitely not given an easy squash match for her debut.  Angelica, though, has the ultimate confidence in her abilities and she knows she can win this.

The ringing of her cell phone causes Angelica to stop what she’s doing.  She looks towards her gym bag and goes for it but Kayla stops her.

“Whoa, hold on, sis…”

“What?  I need to answer my phone!”

Kayla shakes her head.

“No, YOU need to get back to training.”

She points at the heavy bag.  Then she points at herself.

“I will answer your phone.”

Angelica rolls her eyes as she resumes punching and kicking the heavy bag.  Meanwhile Kayla reaches into Angelica’s gym bag and produces the cell phone.  She presses a button and puts it to her ear.

“Hello?”

Angelica listens intensely to what Kayla has to say.

“Yes, she’s here, but may I ask who is calling?”

Kayla frowns.

“No, she’s kind of busy.  What’s this about, anyway?”

Kayla sighs and shakes her head.

“Fine…”

Kayla hands the phone over to Angelica.

“Whoever this is insists she speak to you and to you only…”

Angelica shrugs her shoulders but takes the phone anyway and puts it to her ear.

“Hello…”

“Do you recognize my voice?”

Angelica’s eyes grow wide.

“Yes.”

“Good.  We need to talk.”

“Where can I find you?”

“You can find me in your second home…Sister Angelica…”

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Scene 2
Off Camera
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Kayla was none too happy with Angelica’s decision to leave so suddenly, nor was she particularly happy with Angelica’s unwillingness to let her know what was so wrong that she had to keep this a secret.  Angelica feels she can tell Kayla later.  Now is not the time to explain why she is to get to the local Catholic Church.

That’s right, Angelica’s “second home”, according to the person on the phone, is none other than the Catholic Church. Angelica knew that is what they meant when they referred to her as “Sister Angelica”, a reference to Angelica’s past life as a nun in the Catholic Church.

Angelica Jones, still in her workout gear no less, quickly makes a hasty rush up the steps to the doors.  She pulls one set of doors open and steps inside.  She is greeted by an image of Pope Francis on the wall.  She walks past that picture and past the Holy Water on the other wall until she steps up to the doorway to the entrance to the actual sanctuary itself. Angelica looks up and she can see the massive crucifix at the front of the church. Without taking her eyes off of the crucifix, Angelica quickly makes the sign of the cross over her chest.

The redhead notices a woman with platinum blonde hair sitting in the back pew.  Angelica walks to the back pew, briefly bows and then sits down in the back pew.

“It’s been a long time, Sister Angelica…”

“Yeah, it has been…Emma.”

Emma Storm, the woman to whom Angelica gave Kimberly nearly thirty years ago, the woman who raised Kimberly as her own, is the one who requested this meeting with Angelica and is now sitting here next to her.

“I have to admit, Sister Angelica, I am surprised I convinced you to come here.”

Emma grins knowingly.

“I thought Mother Church had excommunicated you for your lesbian preferences.”

“As far as they’re concerned I’m straight.”

“So you’re keeping your marriage a secret?  Why Sister Angelica, you continue to surprise me.”

Angelica frowns.

“Quit calling me Sister Angelica.  I am no longer a nun.”

“That was your sister who I spoke with on the phone, correct?”

“Yes.”

Emma smirks.

“See?  You are still a sister.”

Angelica rolls her eyes.

“You know what I meant.”

“Indeed I do, and I meant it when I say that you are looking quite well.”

Angelica looks genuinely surprised to hear this compliment from Emma.  The two were never really close.

“Uh, thanks…”

“I am just telling you the truth.  I only wish I could say the same for myself.”

The Emma that Angelica remembers always made certain to wear the finest clothing and sport the finest jewelry.  But this Emma looks rough around the edges.  This Emma looks as if she has been through hell and back a few times.

“What happened to you?”

“My daughter…”

Angelica interrupts her with an angry growl.

“…you mean MY daughter.”

“No, I mean MY daughter.  Remember our arrangement.”

“Whatever…what about Kimberly?”

“She is the reason I look this way.  The last time I saw her she had me locked in my own basement.”

Angelica blinks in confusion.

“That was a couple years ago, that can’t hardly explain this!”

“Correct, but I trusted my Kimberly and that was my mistake.  I gave her access to all of my resources and she and I worked well together for a time but I inadvertently made her angry and she locked me in my own basement.  Yes, I did escape eventually, but I had no money, no job, no home, nothing.  Kimberly took it all.”

Emma places a hand on Angelica’s shoulders.

“That is where you come in.”

“Me?!”

“Yes, I need to work way back to where I was.  I do not want to have anything handed to me.  All I want from you is a job with a wrestling organization.  You have connections with Supreme Championship Wrestling, Global Championship Wrestling, and Uprising Wrestling Alliance, correct?”

Angelica nods her head.

“That’s right, but…”

“All I want is an opportunity, Angelica.  I will wrestle, I will manage, I’d clean toilets, I will do anything.  I just need an opportunity.  That’s all.”

Angelica narrows her brow.  She shakes her head.

“No…”

“No?!”

“That’s right, no.  Nearly thirty years ago you took my children from me…”

“…you GAVE them to me!”

“…and you tricked Sean into dumping me!  You…you ruined my life!  Why the hell would I help you?!”

Emma sighs.

“I’m sorry, Angelica.”

“I’m sorry doesn’t cut it.  Not now.  It’s far too late for you.”

“Fine, fine, will you at least tell me where my daughter is?”

“YOUR daughter?  You don’t have a daughter, Emma!  Kimberly is MINE!”

Emma shakes her head.

“No, she is mine.  You gave her to me.  Remember our deal.”

“I told her the truth, Emma.”

Immediately upon hearing this Emma shoots up from the pew.

“You told her the truth?!  WHY?!”

Angelica stands up, facing her eye to eye.

“She’s an adult now, Emma, and deserves to know the truth.”

“But that wasn’t our deal!”

“That deal was thirty years ago, Emma!  It’s over!”

“No, it’s not over!”

Emma walks past Angelica, shoving her back down into the pew.  Just before leaving, Emma turns and glares angrily down at Angelica.

“This was a mistake, Angelica, and I want you to know that I will be back.  You will pay for this.”



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On Camera
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So here I am, UWA: The Dragon, The Golden Goddess, Firestar…all three of me…whatever you want to call me…I am here to compete, to prove that I am the best, and I am prepared to run through anyone who dares to try and stop me.

Some love me, some hate me, and still others fear me.  Everyone respects me whether they want to admit it or not and those few that don’t respect me are the fools who haven’t shared a wrestling ring with me yet, they are the few fools who have not had to go up against The Dragon.  But ask those who have had to stare into the eyes of hell itself…

…most blinked.

Gavin Taylor is about to share a wrestling ring with hell itself.

Knowing David Helms and Drew Bryant, I knew that they would not disrespect me by giving me some pushover of an opponent for my UWA debut on the grandest stage of them all, Olympus.  I just didn’t expect the opponent to be a challenge quite like Gavin Taylor.

I followed your career in IWC where twice you won the IWC Evolution Championship.  You took our world champion Vanilla Skyy to her physical limits.  Now you’re here in UWA and you’ve been rather stagnant.  It’s like you hit a plateau and can’t seem to get any higher than where you currently are.  And maybe, just maybe, you are hoping that a win against me will propel you back to the top.

That just isn’t going to happen.

I am no one’s springboard and I am damn sure not going to let my UWA debut at Olympus be used to save anyone’s career.  This match is going to help just one person and one person only…

…me.

Come Olympus you will step into the ring with The Dragon and you will stare into the Dragon’s eyes.  You will face the fires of The Dragon.  And unlike some you will not blink and you will not run away.  You will face it courageously…

…but you will still be consumed by the flames.  Just like everyone else was consumed by the flames after they fought me.

This is MY debut match, Gavin, not your wrestling resurrection.  This is my time to show UWA what I am capable of, not your time.  UWA has seen what you are capable of.  Now they get to see me and they will see me take you down, take you apart if necessary, and ultimately defeat you on the grandest stage…my stage…on the Olympus stage.

Thirty Years Coming



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Flashback
November 1987
Off Camera
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It’s nighttime in the metropolis of Boston, Massachusetts.  It’s also practically dead.  The citizens have remained in their homes on this night and who can blame them?  It’s not just raining outside, it’s pouring.  The wet precipitation is coming down in sheets.  Most normal people would not get out in this kind of weather unless they had to or if they were desperate…

…or both.

Some people do work for a living and those individuals fall under the category of “having to” get out in this wet weather.  A small burger place on the corner of a street is lit up, ready to accept any and all visitors, guests, and customers but they, too, are practically dead.  The parking lot is empty except for one lone vehicle parked in front and that vehicle belongs to the man running this local establishment tonight.

The restaurant is even smaller on the inside than it is on the outside, due to cramming a bunch of tables of booths inside.  There’s even a jukebox settled against the far wall.  The jukebox is playing songs but the manager tonight doesn’t expect anyone to be here to enjoy the music.  It’s far too messy outside.  In fact, he is even considering leaving early.  No one will know or even care.   It isn’t like anyone is coming by tonight…

…at least that’s what he assumes.

He is cleaning dishes when he hears the all-too familiar jingling of the bell on the door, which tells him that someone just stepped inside.  He turns around and finds, much to his surprise, that he now has a guest.  A beautiful redhead wearing denim jeans, tennis shoes, and a black long sleeved sweater.  She can’t be much older than fourteen years old, possibly younger.  Her long red hair is dripping wet.  He watches as she sits down at a nearby booth.

Time to go to work.

The manager steps out from behind the counter and approaches the booth, pen and notepad in hand, ready to take his one surprise customer’s order.  He smiles politely at her.

“Ma’am, may I …”

The sound of crying seems to take him a bit off guard.  It is then that he notices two small bundles in her arms.  He also notices that she is ignoring him in favor of trying to quiet down these bundles.  It appears to be two infant children.

Now why would she bring two children out here on a night like this?

“Uh, ma’am?”

She looks up at him.

“Yes?”

“What may I get you tonight?”

“Oh, um…just a glass of water, thanks.”

“Sure.  Anything else?”

She looks across at the other seat on this booth, across from her, which is currently unoccupied.  She sighs and turns back to face the manager.

“Another water.”

He nods his head and walks off to fill the order.  He is so caught up in doing his job that he didn’t notice the door opening yet again, nor does he notice the other woman walking in, walking right past him, and sitting down at the same booth as the redhead, across from her.  This woman has platinum blonde hair and is dressed much more stylish than her red-headed friend in high heeled shoes, an expensive white dress, and jewelry galore.  She appears to be slightly older than Angelica, perhaps around sixteen or seventeen.

“I see you made it, Angelica.”

“Of course.”

The other woman grins.

“And you definitely look worse for the wear.  I wonder what Mother Church would think if it saw you like this?”

Angelica scowls.

“Shut up, Emma.”

The woman, Emma, snickers.

“Now should Sister Angelica be speaking like that.”

She studies Angelica closely and snickers again.

“Quite frankly, should Sister Angelica be even dressed like this?”

“Yeah, and I wonder if Sister Emma should be acting this way?”

Emma shakes her head.

“Sister Emma would not be acting this way, but you forget, I am NO LONGER Sister Emma.  I quit the convent a long time ago.”

She points a carefully manicured finger with bright red painted nails at Angelica.

“You are the only one here still subservient to Mother Church.  Which is why we are here tonight, if I am correct.”

Angelica wants to strangle Emma, but she realizes she is quite correct and just sighs in defeat, nodding her head.

“Yeah…you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.  I’m always right.”

The manager returns with two waters.  He places one in front of Angelica and one in front of Emma.  Angelica looks up at him and smiles pleasantly.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, ma’am.”

He turns and walks off.  Meanwhile Emma looks down at her water and snubs her nose up at it before glaring almost incredulously angry across the table at Angelica.

“Water, Angelica?  Really?”

“Yes, what of it?”

“I am doing a really big favor, Angelica.  The least you can do for me in return is order me something better than water.”

Emma grins.

“I have half a mind not to help you now.”

“Can it, Emma.  You know damn well what you’re doing is important and I want you sober for this.  So I’m not ordering hard liquor for you, no matter how much you may want it.”

Emma sighs and nods her head.

“I suppose you’re right.”

The crying resumes and a smile forms across Emma’s face as she looks over towards Angelica and in the direction of the crying.

“That’s the little bundle of joy, I take it?”

“Bundles of joy…”

Emma arches a brow out of curiosity.

“Bundles?”

Angelica unfolds the blankets which, up until now, had been concealing her infant children.  Emma can now see not just one child, but two, one in each arm.  The smile on Emma’s face quickly disappears and in its place is an angry glare.

“Two children?!”

“Yes, Emma Storm…meet Marie Annabelle Jones and Kimberly Francis Jones.”

Emma shakes her head.

“This is NOT what we agreed upon, Angelica!”

She holds up one finger.

“We agreed upon ONE child!  We agreed that I would take your child, SINGULAR not plural, off of your hands!”

“Oh yeah, I’m sorry Emma, next time I’m pregnant I’ll be sure to tell my uterus I only want one child and not two.”

Emma rolls her eyes.

“Funny…just remember that I am supposed to be helping you, my dear Angelica.  It isn’t wise to piss me off.”

“Fine, fine, so what do you want to do?”

Emma shrugs her shoulders.

“Nothing.”

Angelica’s eyes grow wide.

“Nothing?!  But you promised you’d help!”

“I did promise that I would take on the responsibility of raising your child.  I do want to be a mother, after all.  But I never promised I would raise TWO children.”

Emma shakes her head.

“I’m sorry, Angelica, but I just do not have the time, the money, or the resources to raise TWO children.”

Tears begin to form in Angelica’s eyes.  She shakes her head vehemently.  She’d wipe the tears from her eyes were it not for her hands being otherwise preoccupied with holding her children.

“Please, Emma!  Please, you have to help me!”

Emma sneers.

“What’s wrong, Sister Angelica?  You should have plenty of assistance in that damn convent of yours.”

“Yes and they’ll kick me out if they find out I had been sleeping with Sean while I was still a nun!”

Emma frowns.  The Sean that Angelica is referring to is Sean Williams.  Sean Williams is Angelica’s boyfriend.  Nuns in the Catholic Church are not supposed to have any sort of relationship period, let alone a sexual one and that’s exactly what Angelica had been doing with Sean Williams.  Their relationship had been quite the whirlwind, very quickly growing from secret relationship to sexual relationship in a matter of weeks before Sean left for Europe with his parents.  They would be gone for nearly a year.  Angelica has missed him terribly but knew he would return soon.  She wishes she could’ve just given the children to him but he won’t return soon enough.  Emma, Angelica’s sometimes friend most of the time enemy, was the only one willing to help.

Ironically enough, Emma had been Sean’s main girlfriend before Angelica met him.  Sean and Emma had a long relationship that also quickly evolved into a sexual one.  But for Sean the sex grew boring.  He wanted something new, something different.  Angelica provided that something different and thus he dumped Emma in favor of Angelica.

Emma has not forgotten this.

“I will help you but the price for my assistance has just gone up.”

“Anything!  I’ll do anything!  Just please help me!”

“Anything?”

Angelica nods her head.

“Yes, anything!”

“I will take both children off of your hands.  But I only plan on keeping one.  I want you to know this.  One will be going to a local Catholic orphanage.  And furthermore, I want you to tell Sean that you were pregnant with his children and that you chose to have an abortion.”

Angelica shakes her head.

“No…no, you’re crazy.  He’ll never believe it!”

“He’s been gone long enough.  By the time he returns to America it would be perfectly believable that he could have gotten you pregnant and you aborted the child.”

“But, he always wanted to be a father.  He’d be heartbroken.  He’d be…”

Angelica looks almost fearful.

“…angry.”

“Exactly, he will dump you, Angelica.”

“But…but why?”

“Because you had absolutely NO right stealing MY boyfriend!  Sean will return to what he knows, he will return to me, and I will present to him the child I keep and  I will tell him that this child was the product of mine and his sexual relationship, and that, too, is perfectly believable, because just like the little slut you are, you spread your legs for him within mere weeks of him dumping me!”

Angelica shakes her head.

“Please, Emma…not this…”

“It’s this or no deal.”

“I just…”

Angelica looks down at her children.  She knows she has a tough decision to make.  And she isn’t sure that either decision is the right one.  Finally she nods her head and looks back up at Emma.

“…I just want them to have a good life.”

“And they will, well, at least one will, as mine and Sean’s daughter.  The other will possibly get adopted by someone someday.”

“Ok, fine…you have a deal.”

Angelica gets up out of the booth, as does Emma.  Angelica carefully hands them over to Emma one at a time.  Once both children are in Emma’s possession Angelica breaks down crying, as she can no longer hold anything back.

“Good…goodbye Annabelle!  Goodbye Kimmie!”

Before she can change her mind, Angelica turns and walks away, not sure if she will ever see her children again.



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On Camera
==========

I was supposed to be beaten, battered, broken, and buried by Miller.  The man known as Miller, who claims he is the most dangerous man in SCW, even went so far as to say that the dragon would be beheaded.

Well, I don’t feel broken nor do I feel battered.  And seeing as The Dragon still stalks the SCW, seeing as The Dragon is now eyeing its show at the SCW Television Championship, apparently the whole “beheading” thing didn’t work out too well for him either.

Supposedly I’m worthless and yet The Most Dangerous Man in SCW couldn’t defeat worthless little Angelica Jones?  What must that say about him?  It says he’s pathetic.  It says that Miller himself is the worthless one because he could not put me away on Breakdown in the dominating fashion he claimed he would.

You can puff out your chest all you want, you piece of shit.  You can talk about how tough you are but there’s not a damn person in this company who believes you.  Everyone sees you for what you are; and what is it that, exactly?  A mentally unhinged son of a bitch who is probably bi-polar.

Paraphrasing Regan Helms.

That’s all you proved last week, Miller.  You proved that you were unbalanced, that you are good at ranting and rambling about absolutely nothing.  And you proved that you could not defeat me.  You’re supposed to be so tough and yet you stared into the eyes of The Dragon and you blinked.

Just as I knew you would.

No, I did not beat you, either, but I still get what I want.  I get to wrestle for the SCW Television Championship and it will be against the world champion himself, Ace Marshall, no less.

Once again, I said I would be leaving that TV Title Eliminator as the number one contender and I was right.  Sure, I have to share that distinction with a piece of garbage like you, but that doesn’t change the fact that I was right.

Getting the opportunity to kick your ass two weeks in a row is just a bonus, Miller.



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Present Day
Off Camera
==========

With Taking Hold of the Flame now in the rearview mirror, Angelica was looking to kick start her singles career on Breakdown with a victory over David Miller in the Television Title Eliminator to earn a shot at the SCW Television Championship.  And yet, despite her high hopes and guarantees of a win, she did not walk out as a winner.

But she did not walk out as the loser, either.

When all was said and done, Angelica Jones and David Miller’s match on Breakdown ended in a draw.  They tied.  And per the rules of the Television Title Eliminator, both Miller and Jones will receive the same opportunity at the Television Title against Ace Marshall, in what will now be a triple threat match.

Yes, Angelica would have preferred an outright win, but Angelica also knows her priority is to achieve the goal she set for herself and that goal was to get to compete against the SCW World Champion.  Ace Marshall is the TV and World Champion and Angelica will be competing against him, even if it is in a triple threat match.

Angelica Jones went into Breakdown with a goal in mind and, regardless of the outcome of the match, she achieved that goal.  That is enough to bring a smile to her face as she exits her expensive rental car in front of the Faena Hotel at Miami Beach, Florida.  It will be here in Miami where Supreme Championship Wrestling makes its next stop on its road to Rise To Greatness.  It will be at the American Airlines Arena where Angelica faces Miller and Ace Marshall in a triple threat match for the SCW Television Championship.

You wouldn’t know it from the air of confidence that she seems to give off as she approaches the hotel valet, dropping the keys in his hand so he can go park her car.  You wouldn’t know from the borderline arrogant grin on her face that she h as a great deal of pressure riding upon her shoulders.  Angelica doesn’t want her return to the singles division to end in a dismal failure.  She was gifted with a Television Title Eliminator when some may argue she didn’t even deserve it, for it was her first singles match in SCW in a long time.  And she didn’t even win.  The match ended in a double count out which means Angelica advances to a Television Title Shot on a technicality.

Now Angelica must prove that it wasn’t a fluke and her championship opportunity isn’t just a technicality.  She must prove that she can win this thing and that’s a lot of pressure on her shoulders.

And still, even with all of the pressures of a Television Championship Match weighing heavily on her mind, there are still other issues, more pressing personal matters going on in her life that also happen to be occupying her attention.  One such matter goes by the name of Kimberly Williams.

Kimberly Williams has long been an enemy of the Jones Family and only recently turned over a new leaf, choosing to align herself with half-sister Marie Jones, Angelica’s daughter.  It was long thought by Kimberly and everyone else that she was the daughter of Sean Williams and Emma Storm, which made her and Marie half-sisters, due to the fact that Marie was the daughter of Sean Williams and Angelica Jones.  Only later, almost thirty years later, did the world learn the truth…

…Kimberly’s mother is Angelica Jones.

“Hi there!”

Angelica steps up to the front desk at the hotel Faena where she is greeted by a handsome young man with dark black hair and a smile that could swoon most ladies.  He is dressed to kill, as well, in a nice dark navy blue suit and tie with a white button up shirt. There is a reason he works the front desk and t hat’s because he has the looks.  Angelica isn’t impressed, though.  She just wants her room.

“Yes, may I help you Miss…”

“Jones.  Angelica Jones.  I have a reservation.”

The young man nods his head and gets to work typing away quickly at his computer.  It isn’t long before a smile creeps across his face.

“Ah yes, Miss Angelica Jones of Boston.”

He looks up at her grinning from ear to ear.

“What brings you all the way down here?”

Jones smirks.

“Do you really want to know?”

“Of course.  Why not?”

“Because then you wouldn’t have plausible deniability.”

The young man blinks a few times.

“Huh?”

“Yeah, plausible deniability means you can deny knowing anything about what I plan to do while I’m here in Miami.”

“I, uh, I know what plausible deniability is, but what does that have to do with…um…well…”

“What am I doing here in Miami?”

He nods his head.

“Uh-huh…”

“Well if you must know, I am going to take this one guy and beat him half to death.  Then I’m going to take this other guy and cripple him and take his valuables.”

The man looks wide eyed and open jawed with shock.  He appears genuinely fearful as Angelica smirks knowingly.

“You…you can’t…you can’t be serious!”

“Of course I am, it’s part of my job.”

“What is your job?!  Mafia hitman?!”

“First of all, that would be Mafia hitwoman or hitperson, not hitman.  Please be politically correct.”

She shakes her head.

“I’m not one of those anyway.  I am a professional wrestler and I have a championship match.”

“Oh, so the guy’s valuables…”

“Yes, his valuables is his championship belt…dumbass.”

The young man sighs and, realizing that he is getting nowhere with Angelica Jones, and partially still fearful of her, decides to just give her what she wants so she’ll go away.  She reaches underneath the counter and produces a key card, which he quickly hands to Angelica Jones.

“Uh, your room number is 208.”

Angelica takes the key card and then winks at him.

“Thanks, darling.  Your staff will bring my bags up for me, correct?  They’re still in my car which your valet is parking.”

“Yes, of course.”

The redhead turns and walks over towards the elevators.  Jones stands waiting patiently for the elevator doors to open.  When they do finally open, she steps inside and presses the number 2.  The doors close shut and the elevator begins to move.  It goes from Ground Floor to 1st floor and finally to 2nd floor before coming to a stop.  The doors open and Angelica exits the elevator.

Jones turns to the right and begins to walk down the wall, following the numbers on the doors.  201…202…203…204…and on, and on, passing a few other hotel guests along the way, until she gets to her destination…room 207…and finally, room 208.  A grin forms on her face as she takes her key card and slides it into the door.  She hears it clicking, signaling that it is unlocked.  Angelica pushes the door open and steps inside.

“What?!”

The loud exclamation from Angelica Jones comes from the fact, in the king sized bed that was supposed to be all hers, she sees a man in only his boxers and a woman…and not just any woman, but her daughter, Marie Annabelle Jones.

“Huh?!”

The man exclaims back.  Marie sits up and playfully waves at Angelica.

“Hi, mom!”

She is wearing a gorgeous one piece gartered dress with mesh and lace panels, lace trim, and attached stockings.  While she may seem happy and playful, Angelica doesn’t look nearly as happy and playful.  She marches over towards the bed and first grabs the man by his throat.  She squeezes tightly.

“Who…are…you?!”

“I…ack!”

“WHO ARE YOU?!”

“I can’t…I…”

Marie snickers.

“I don’t think my stud can breathe, mom.”

The man nods his head.  Angelica sighs and releases her grip.

“Now then…who are you?!”

“I’m…uh…I’m the…the butler…”

Angelica rolls her eyes.  She remembers that one thing about the Faena hotel was the supposedly excellent butler service.  He definitely serviced someone alright but it wasn’t Angelica.  And yet something isn’t right here.  Something doesn’t feel right.  Angelica believes that, perhaps, this man has been fooled and isn’t worthy of her wrath.  She points towards the door.

“Get out now and I won’t kill you.”

Fearful for his own well-being, the butler nods his head and quickly makes a hasty get away out of the door, shutting it behind him.  Angelica then turns to face her daughter.

“How did you get in here…Kimberly?”

“It’s amazing what a man will do for you just by batting your eyes and telling them you’re a celebrity.”

Angelica rolls her eyes.

“Great, so he thinks he slept with Marie!”

The other woman throws her head back and laughs.

“Yup!”

“Wonderful…just freaking wonderful…”

Kimberly points a finger at Angelica.

“I didn’t fool you, though.  You saw through my disguise.”

“I know my daughter, Kim.  Marie would not cheat on her husband.  She isn’t that kind of woman.  She isn’t…”

“She isn’t like me, you mean?”

Angelica frowns.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s what you meant, isn’t it?”

Kimberly hops up off of the bed and approaches her mother.  She grins nastily.

“I’m the evil child…I’m the monster, the sociopath.  I represent everything you do not want your precious Marie to be.”

She touches Angelica on the nose.

“Right now Marie is pretty much my opposite, but more importantly to you, she is YOUR opposite as well.  And that’s the way you want it, am I right?  And that’s why you have been so damned protective of her and why you coddled her so damn much.  You didn’t want her to become the monster that you are…or the monster that I am…tell me that I’m wrong!”

There is a rage in the eyes of Angelica Jones and Kimberly can see it, and yet Kimberly still refuses to back up.  Angelica then shoves Kimberly as hard as she can to the ground, causing her to land flat on her back on the (thankfully for Kim) soft off-white carpeting.

“GO TO HELL!”

Kimberly laughs and then proceeds to applaud, clapping loudly for Angelica.

“That’s it!  Let it all out!”

Angelica snatches Kimberly by the top of her sexy gartered one-piece and jerks her to her feet.

“You have no idea what you are asking for…”

“What are you going to do, mom?  Are you going to hit me?  Are you going to go full on Dragon on me?”

“I just might!”

“Then do it!”

Kimberly snickers.

“I mean, you may as well go full on Dragon on me, destroy me, leave me a battered mess.  That’s not what a mother does to her child but, then again, a mother doesn’t just abandon her children either, now does she?!”

Angelica tenses up as if she really is about to hit Kimberly.  But then she slowly releases her grip.  Angelica walks over to the bed and sits down on the edge.  She buries her face in her hands and begins to cry.

“I didn’t want to do that!  I didn’t to give you up…you or Marie!”

“And yet you did.”

Angelica looks up at Kimberly with red, tear-filled eyes.

“Why did you come here, Kim?”

Kimberly smirks.

“So you want to know?”

“Yes!”

Kimberly nods her head.

“Fine…it was painfully clear to anyone and everyone observing you that Marie was your favorite daughter.  Hell, even Corey knew it and knew there was no point in denying it.  And now that I know Marie and I BOTH were your children, that we were born at the same time, as twins, it forces me to ask a question.   Why didn’t you come find me?”

“Huh?”

Kimberly begins to lose her cool as she appears genuinely upset by this.

“You happened upon Marie and you were lucky enough not only to find her but to adopt her back into your life.  Why didn’t you attempt to find me?”

“I…”

Angelica shakes her head.

“…I can’t answer that.”

“Now do you see why I feel this way?  I only want acceptance and I only want a true mother.  Emma was never a good mother to me.  She only cared about herself.  She never measured up and it was painfully obvious, even to me when I still thought she was my mother.  Do you remember when I kidnapped Marie and then dyed my hair so that I could take her place?”

Angelica nods her head.

“Yeah…”

“I did that because I was jealous of how much love Marie received from you.  Emma never gave that kind of love to me.  My own father who I did get to know somewhat never gave me that kind of love.  But damn did he ever show a ton of love for Marie, as he waged war with you to try and get her back.  I didn’t do that because I hated Marie or the Jones family.  I did all of that because I wanted to be Marie, but more importantly, I wanted to be loved.”

Kimberly takes Angelica by her hands and squeezes them tight.

“We need each other, mom, whether you want to admit it or not.”

Angelica nods her head.

“I think you’re right and Kimberly…I am deeply sorry for the mistakes I made with you…but if you’re willing to forgive me, if you’re willing to give me a second chance, then I think you would make an excellent addition to this family.  And I promise that, from now on, you will receive the love you deserve.”

Kimberly embraces Angelica Jones, her mother, in a tight hug.

“Thank you!  That’s all I ever wanted to hear!”

“And thank you, Kim…”

They break the embrace and Kimberly can see the tears flowing down Angelica’s cheeks as her mother cries tears of joy.

“…this has been a feeling of guilt that I have had to live with for nearly thirty years.  Now maybe, finally, we both can move on.”



==========
On Camera
==========

We open with the sound of waves crashing on the shoreline.  There is only a slight breeze as the sun shines overhead in this bright blue sky over this sandy Miami Beach.  The tourists and beachgoers are littered around off in the distance, mostly near the water’s edge.  Some are lying on blankets, and they are protected from the sun’s rays by umbrellas.  Others lie on the blankets without any protection whatsoever, for they are trying to get a tan.

“I love the beach.”

Who was that?  We are about to find out.  From stage left we see the beautiful, lovely red head known as Angelica Jones stepping into view.  She is wearing a mid length bohemian print dress with an irregular hemline and lace up the back.  She is barefoot as she walks across the sandy shores and fashionable sunglasses cover her eyes.  She also sports a large straw hat over her head.

“When you live in a cold climate such as the one in Massachusetts, you grow to appreciate a warmer climate like the one here in Miami, Florida.  That’s why I love the beach.  I could stay here all day if I could, kick back, relax on my beach towel in my two-piece bikini, and soak up the rays…”

She takes off her sunglasses and casts them aside, exposing the intense look in her eyes.

“…but I didn’t come to Miami just to enjoy myself.  I came because I have a job to do.  This past Breakdown, I had set a goal for myself and that goal was to use the TV Title Eliminator against Miller to springboard myself into a Television Championship match against Ace Marshall, who also happens to be the world championship.”

She grins knowingly.

“Now I know I did not defeat Miller, but tell me this…who is competing against the World Champion this coming Breakdown?”

Jones nods her head.

“That’s right, it’s me, Angelica Jones.  I get my match against Ace Marshall and while I also have to share that spot with that idiot Miller, the fact is that I get to compete against Ace Marshall, I still get to fight the world champion, and even if it is a triple threat match, a win is still a win, and if I can win this triple threat match against Marshall and Miller to become the new SCW Television Champion, I will have made a case for a future SCW World Championship match.”

Angelica pats herself on the chest.

“When it comes to professional wrestling, I am the best in the world.  Irrelevant, ignorant idiots named Miller have no claim to that title due in large part to the fact that people like him haven’t managed to do anything of merit or value in many years. In all honesty it should be just me against Miller because anyone paying attention on Breakdown saw me not just survive his little pathetic onslaught but they also saw me kick the crap out of him as well.  Miller does not belong in the same ring as me and that is a fact.”

She smirks.

“And yet, at the same time, I think back to the reason why I am in this sport.  I think back to why I step inside of this ring.  I step into the ring, I participate in this sport, to prove that I am the best, to prove that no one can touch me.  And what better way to prove that no one is better than me than to not only defeat Ace Marshall, the holder of the SCW Television and World Championships, but to also defeat that annoying garden gnome reject David Miller as well and to defeat them both at the same damn time?”

Jones nods her head.

“Yeah, people will really start paying attention then.  People will know that The Dragon is back.”

Angelica, with the wave of an arm, motions to the tourists and other beachgoers behind her.

“Just look at them…not a care in the world!  And that’s another great thing about the beach, am I right? You can go to the beach to escape from the world.  You can play in the water or you can lie in the sand, soaking up the rays, sipping on a margarita, all the while forgetting about your problems.”

She points a finger into the camera.

“But you can’t afford to forget about your problems, can you Miller?  You boasted and bragged and threatened in your unhinged incompetent ramblings last week that you were going to break me, bloody me, destroy me, bury me, kill me, and on and on and on with every possible generically bland threat ever made by every generic tough guy to come around.  I get it…”

She nods her head.

“…I really do get it, you’re trying to become relevant again.  You feel you have something to prove.  But you’re not proving it at my expense.  You picking a fight with me is not an exercise in futility, it is a damned suicide mission!”

She snickers nastily.

“Career suicide, to be precise…because the fact is that as irrelevant and pathetic as you were before, you made yourself look even more dumb by making all of those threats and promises about how you were going to beat my ass and then you failed to deliver.  Now, just think of what everyone will think of you when you fail yet again to deliver on your promises.”

She shakes her head in disappointment.

“You’ll be done for.  Maybe not quite finished but I will say this, when you fail on Breakdown, it will be a long damn time before you ever get another opportunity here in SCW.”

Angelica laughs.

“Now there’s Ace Marshall…my real target.”

He grins slowly fades into a much more serious look.

“Just like Miller, you can’t afford to ignore your problems like these beachgoers here at Miami.  You are the SCW Television Champion and the SCW World Champion.  You have me chasing after the Television title, you have Miller chasing after the Television title, you have James Evans chasing after the World Championship, you have Kennedy Street chasing after your testicles…”

She winks.

“…I’m honestly not sure who you should be afraid of more!”

She grins once more.

“Point being is that you have a giant target on your back.  It seems that everyone in SCW wants a piece of you, and not in the way you would like it.  Now I can’t speak for Kennedy, Evans, or Miller.  I can only speak for myself, but I will say this…”

Jones takes her hat off and tosses it to the side, letting her long gorgeous red locks of hair flow freely.

“…you have a lot to be proud of, Ace.  You hold two championships here in SCW.  You defeated Rachel Foxx for the SCW world title while at the same time continuing to defend your television title.  That speaks volumes for your abilities.  Despite what some may say, there is no doubt about the fact that you are currently the best athlete in SCW today.”

She sneers.

“And that’s why I have to face you.  As I tried to explain to that raving lunatic Miller last week, I am only in this sport to be the best.  I don’t wrestle to entertain.  I don’t wrestle because I enjoy it.  I wrestle because I believe I am the best and I want to prove to everyone else that I am the best.”

Angelica points a finger in the camera.

“Currently you have that one all important symbol of greatness.  That symbol tells the world that whoever posses it is the best.  Of course I am referring to the SCW World Championship.  Now I know that winning this triple threat match and becoming Television Champion doesn’t mean I also become World Champion.  Hell, it doesn’t even mean I get a title shot.  But what it does mean is that I can tell the world that I hold a victory over the reigning world champion, further proving my case that I am the best in the world.”

Jones nods her head.

“That’s why I have to win, Ace.  That’s why I have to defeat you and Miller.  But don’t take it personally, because as you can see it’s just business.”

She pauses momentarily and then shrugs her shoulders.

“Well Miller can take it personally if he wants.  He can go to hell.  But don’t take it personally, Ace, when I do take your SCW Television Championship.  In fact, as a celebration of my new championship reign, we can go out for drinks…”

Angelica winks at the camera.

“…my treat.”

The camera fades to black.