Thinking about the Future: Part 9

==========

Off Camera

Scene 1

==========

The Dragon is a mythological creature appearing in medieval tales of knights, King Arthur’s Court, and many other fantastic legends.  But for Angelica Jones, The Dragon has been something entirely different and all too real.  For the redheaded matriarch of the famous Jones family, The Dragon represented the anger that raged and welled up within her.  The Dragon represented her uncontrollable violent tendencies.  Some would say that The Dragon represented the evil that existed within her; an evil that would destroy anyone or anything in its path.

Angelica Jones grew up with The Dragon nearly all of her teenage and adult life.  The Boston native can trace the beginning of The Dragon back to when she was thirteen and her familial home was invaded by a psychopath representing the Russian Mafia.  He brutally raped and murdered Angelica’s beloved mother right before Angelica’s own eyes.

The Dragon hated society and everything about it.  The Dragon wanted to make society feel the same pain Angelica felt when she watched her mother suffer and die.  Angelica, though, managed to keep some semblance of control over The Dragon, especially when she began her career as a professional wrestler.  Being a wrestler was a unique sport in which she could channel all of that anger and rage, all of those violent tendencies of The Dragon, and utilize them in a somewhat constructive manner. 

The hatred that The Dragon had for society would not be ignored.  Over time, the pure rage became too much for even Angelica to control and she unleashed it at the most inappropriate of times in her wrestling career; desiring to injure or permanently cripple her opponents as opposed to simply defeating them.  The rage grew to a boiling point twice in her life, once when she murdered the father of her oldest daughter, and a second time here recently when she nearly beat to death an old rival named Emma Storm.

Angelica knew that The Dragon was gaining too much control and she was slowly but surely losing control.  Eventually she would lose total control and do something far worse; something heinous.She knew something had to be done…

…insert Sister Maria, a friend of Angelica’s back in the days when the two of them were both nuns in a Catholic monastery.  Angelica Jones helped Sister Maria during the tough times in the early few weeks when Maria first joined the monastery.   Sister Maria wanted to return the favor by helping Angelica rid herself of the evil that threatened to destroy her sanity and soul.

It was difficult, it was challenging, but Angelica kept at it and, with Sister Maria’s help, a genuine change seemed to emerge within Angelica Jones.  No longer was there an anger or a rage.  She seemed sincerely happy.  Even inside the wrestling ring, Angelica no longer sought out to hurt her opponents.  She was just a competitor, trying to win.

Angelica thought she was rid of The Dragon.  Even her sister Kayla, for a moment, thought she was rid of The Dragon.  But Sister Maria was not convinced.   Maria has since told the siblings that in order for The Dragon to truly be eliminated from Angelica’s psyche, she must let go of the hate and forgive the individual responsible for the creation of The Dragon in the first place.

That means forgiving the man who murdered their mother, and neither sister wants to even revisit that situation again, let alone forgive him.  Besides, Angelica and Kayla both were convinced that The Dragon was gone.  They were convinced that Angelica was a changed person.

Sister Maria knew better.  She knew that the potential for evil still lie deep down within her; it was just a matter of when it would come out.  And lately, it has been brought out in tag team matches involving The Sisterhood.  Angelica dragged her sister Kayla out to challenge The Daughters of Darkness recently on Breakdown, which led to a tag team match, one that ended in a double count out as the two teams brawled outside the ring regardless of the rules.  When Sloan and Diana griped about the draw, Angelica again let her anger get the best of her and she agreed to a tag team rematch in which Sloan and Diana could choose their own referee…

…and of course, with the referee in their back pocket, The Daughters of Darkness defeated The Sisterhood.

Now the Jones siblings both must face the reality that perhaps The Dragon is not dead but weakened or dormant, waiting to grow in strength, waiting for Angelica’s anger and rage to boil over to a point in which she can no longer maintain control.

Angelica still wants The Dragon to be gone and she will do anything to rid herself of it.  And yet, there is a small part of her mind, perhaps The Dragon itself, trying to convince her that she still needs that violent rage of The Dragon in order to succeed in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  The point can easily be made, especially when you consider the fact that Angelica Jones will be competing inside of the Elimination Chamber at Under Attack.

Vixen Cain is the reigning SCW United States Champion and he will be defending the title in the chamber.  The challengers will include the likes of Jake Starr, KonradRaab, Alexis Quinn, and even Merrick Wiseman.  Angelica Jones will round out the group of six hoping to leave the chamber with the gold.

Angelica Jones, who has a history of chamber matches, knows about how much it will take to endure such a match.  She also understands that this match will be a very violent affair.  So perhaps unleashing The Dragon might be to her advantage?

While that is still just a small voice in her head, it is still a voice trying to influence her.  But mostly Angelica just wants to be rid of The Dragon.  Due to the coming chamber match for the US Title at Under Attack, she is not quite sure she is ready to get rid of it.  But there is also the fact that Sister Maria insists that confronting and forgiving the murderer of Kelly Jones, Angelica’s beloved mother, is the only true way to get rid of The Dragon.

Angelica is not sure she is ready to do that, even if doing so does mean freeing herself from The Dragon.

Currently Angelica Jones sits at a booth in a café at Boston, Massachusetts just a few blocks away from the monastery where Angelica once served as a nun and Sister Maria still serves as a nun.  This is the café where they met for a long time before Angelica left the monastery.  Now they have renewed their regular morning coffee break to meet and discuss the matters of the day.

Only problem is, this is the afternoon.  The morning coffee break with Sister Maria has already come to an end and yet Angelica is still here.  The redhead is wearing a knee length black skirt, short sleeved red floral print blouse, and black high heeled pumps.  Her nails are painted red.  Her long gorgeous ginger locks of hair hang down unrestrained to shoulder length.

Angelica has already met with Sister Maria for the day.  Maria has long since left but Angelica remained.  Why?

She is waiting on her next meeting.

The dinging of the bell hanging on the door signals that someone is entering.  Angelica turns her head upward and looks towards the door.  She notices another redhead female walking into the café, wearing denim jeans, silver high heeled sandals, and a long sleeved green sweater.  Her long red hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back.  A wicked grin is written across her face as she walks across the floor towards the woman she claims as a “sestra”…

…this is Anastasia Jones, the woman who claims Bart Jones adopted her.  Bart Jones is Angelica’s father and thus it would make the two women sisters.  But Angelica still refuses to accept it and she still refuses to accept the friendship of this unstable Russian native.

What could Angelica possibly want to talk to her about?

“Greetings, sestra.”

Anastasia playfully curtsies before Angelica after making it to the booth.  Angelica, completely unimpressed, just rolls her eyes in response and motions to an empty seat at the booth.

“Just sit down, Anastasia.”

“My, my, you certainly don’t seem too happy.”

The younger woman chuckles, sitting down at the booth and ostensibly crossing her legs.  She smirks knowingly at Angelica.

“Why aren’t you happy, sestra?”

“Well gee, I should be preparing for a chamber match…a very violent match…for the SCW United States Championship…”

She motions to Anastasia.

“…and yet here I am, wasting my precious time with you.  I wonder why I am not happy?”

“Point taken, sestra, but…”

She points a carefully manicured finger at Angelica.

“…you were the one who invited me.  Remember?”

Angelica sighs and nods her head.  It is true.  She did invite Anastasia here.  She invited her for a reason because, as much as she hates to admit it, Anastasia may be able to help her with this particular situation.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“And yet I am a waste of time?”

Anastasia shakes her head.

“Nyet, my sestra.  Considering the very, how you say, rough relationship we have had since meeting one another, I find it rather hard to believe you would want to see me unless you really needed something.”

Angelica narrows her brow.

“You don’t know me, Anastasia.”

“Oh I know you better than you think, sestra.”

Angelica pounds her fists on the table.

“Quit calling me that!  I am NOT your sister!”

“Biologically, no, but our dear father did adopt me.  That makes you my sestra.  And when I learned that I was a part of the famous Jones family, I studied and did my research on everything about you and your famous family.  I know so much about you and your sister and your children.”

She winks.

“But you already knew that…”

“Yeah, I DO know that.  You love to flaunt your knowledge of my family.

“Our family.”

Angelica rolls her eyes.

“Whatever.  Point is, you do know a great deal about my family, and hell, you may even know things that I don’t know.  The time my father should’ve been using raising me and Kayla he instead chose to spend playing vigilante in Russia.  So I wouldn’t be surprised if he told you things that he never told me.”

The rage in Angelica’s voice is clear and evident.  Anastasia, though, notices something else and it causes her to grin from ear to ear.

“Ah, I see…”

“See what?!”

“I see what you want.  You want my knowledge.  You want information.  Am I correct?”

Angelica grits her teeth.

“Yes…damnit, yes…”

Anastasia chuckles.

“Ah, the irony.  You do not want anything to do with me, you do not want to even claim me as your sestra, and yet now you need information from me.”

“There you go again, more taunting.  That seems to be all you can do.”

Angelica stands up.

“But I can damn sure shut you up and make sure you do not laugh again.”

The anger Angelica is feeling towards Anastasia is getting the best of her, but she doesn’t seem to care.  Anastasia notices this.

“You could beat me up, sestra, but bear in mind that if you do, you will never get any answers.”

Anastasia looks around the café.  It is small and still fairly empty except for one or two others across the room.  She turns and looks back up at Angelica.

“And would spending a day in jail be worth it?  That might even get you booted from your precious chamber match.”

As much as she may dislike her, she does raise a good point.  Beating her up right now, assaulting her, it would do no good.  Angelica sighs as she sits back down.

“Fine…”

“Now tell me, what brings you to me?  What information do I have that you cannot get from anywhere else?  Clearly you hate me.  So whatever it is, it must be a fairly bad situation to make you take such a desperate move.”

Angelica nods her head.

“You’re right, you were not my first choice, but you are arguably my only choice.  And yes, I am desperate, because I will do anything to get rid of The Dragon.”

A look of realization crosses Anastasia’s face as she nods her head.

“Ah yes, I have heard of this.  You have spoken of it.  This is your darker-self, correct?”

“Yes, and I want to get rid of it.  I don’t want that evil, dark nature inside me any longer.  And I took steps to get rid of it…”

“Your little nun friend.”

Angelica frowns.

“Sister Maria…how do you know of her?”

“I keep track of you, sestra.”

Angelica glares angrily at her.

“So you’ve been stalking me?”

“You say stalking, I say keeping track…”

Angelica wants to choke the life out of Anastasia right now but she knows she still needs her.  Angelica does her best to restrain herself.

“Right, fine, Sister Maria helped me and I thought we had gotten rid of The Dragon.  I thought I was free.  But more and more I can see those dark tendencies returning, resurfacing.  More and more I feel myself unable to control the anger and rage.”

Angelica brushes a strand of her long red hair out of her face.

“Sister Maria seems convinced that the only way to truly get rid of The Dragon is to confront the one individual responsible for its creation.”

Anastasia frowns quizzically upon hearing this, for it has her puzzled.

“Odd, you actually have me stumped.  Who is this person, sestra?  Who does Sister Maria believe is responsible for creating The Dragon?”

“My mother…”

“Yes?”

“When she was…when she…”

Anastasia grins knowingly.

“Killed?”

Angelica nods her head as tears begin to roll down her cheek.

“Yeah…when she was killed, I was…”

“What?”

“…I was present when it happened.  The man who murdered her, he tied me to a chair and forced me to watch.”

Angelica wipes tears out of her eyes.

“You may be a psychopath, but surely you can understand what kind of damage that can do to a thirteen year old’s mind?”

Anastasia nods her head.

“I can, and believe me or not, I do sympathize with you.  No child should have to be forced to bear witness to their parent’s brutal execution.”

Anastasia reaches out and takes Angelica by her hands.

“And for that reason, I shall tell you the truth.”

Now it’s Angelica’s turn to look puzzled.

“The truth?  Anastasia, I already know the truth.  I know…”

“You know only what our father told you.  I am not suggesting that he lied, I am merely saying that he left some details out of the story.”

Angelica frowns, almost in a look of frustration.

“Then, please, by all means, fill in the blanks.”

“Are you sure you can handle the truth, my sestra?”

Again Angelica bangs her fists on the table.

“Damn it, Anastasia, I want the truth!”

Anastasia grins knowingly.

“Then the truth is what you shall get.”

“Start from the beginning.  Why did my mother have to die?”

“Your mother’s family, the Ford family, were not what they seemed.  Ford was not even their original surname.  Originally they were the Kurensky family.  They were immigrants from Russia who changed their last name upon arrival.”

Angelica shakes her head.

“Ok, fine, I didn’t know that, but why is that important?  People immigrate all the time.”

“Quite right, but not under the special circumstances as the Kurensky family.”

Angelica arches a brow out of curiosity.

“Special circumstances?”

“Your grandfather, Kelly and Mary’s father, he used to work closely for the communist party running what was then the Soviet Union.  He even got close to Josef Stalin.”

The name brings about shivers down Angelica’s spine.  As a history buff, Angelica knows about the ruthlessness of Josef Stalin

“In fact, your grandfather got too close.  He saw too much and he lost the stomach to continue fighting for the will of Stalin’s regime.  So they defected to the United States from the Soviet Union.”

Anastasia reaches into her pocket and puts some cash down onto the table.  She then stands up.

“Come, sestra.  This is not a good place to continue our conversation.”

Angelica nods her head and then stands up.  She follows Anastasia down the floor and to the front door.  They open it and step outside of the café.   The two women walk down the sidewalk, seeming to have the first civil discussion with one another.

“They left Russia and changed their name hoping the KGB would never track them down.  Your father, knowing many of their tricks, managed to elude them.  Mary Kurensky began dating Glenn Braddock in England, Kelly Kurensky began dating Bart Jones from the United States.  All seemed to go well for the family as it appeared that they had indeed begun a new life.”

“What went wrong?”

“Our father’s job is what went wrong.  He was an FBI agent and the federal government knew of his wife’s connection to Soviet Russia.  That’s why they assigned him the task of going after the Russian Mafia, hoping that his wife’s connections could help.”

Anastasia shakes her head.

“But it did not work out, Kelly did not want to get involved with her husband’s assignment.  She was vehemently against helping.  Father assumed it was because she was afraid the KGB would figure out who she really was and it would put them in danger.  So he decided to go on his investigations without any aid from his wife, despite the federal government’s wishes.  But it was during those investigations that he learned Kelly Kurensky had been having a secret affair with a man from Russia, a man named Dmitri.”

Angelica’s eyes grow wide, first with shock and then with anger.

“No!  That is impossible!  Not my mother!  NOT HER!”

“I am sorry, sestra, I truly am.  I was concerned that you might not take this news too well, for you always had a rather immaculate view of your mother.”

Angelica buries her face in her hands.

“No!  Not mom!”

“Your father was furious when he found out.  It almost led to their divorce but, for the sake of you and Kayla, they decided to try to work it out.”

As much as she does not want to admit it, she does remember a time when she was much younger that her father and mother were having marital difficulties.  It did seem as if they would break up but they seemed to work it out.

“They did work it out, as you recall I’m sure, and Kelly immediately told Dmitri, her secret lover, that she and her husband would be staying together and that their relationship was over.  Dmitri did not take the news too well.   He tracked your mother down.  He raped her and he killed her.”

Angelica shakes her head.

“But dad told me the Russian Mafia put out a hit on him and they got the wrong target because he wasn’t home.”

“You may not know much about the inner workings of the Russian Mafia but I do…”

Angelica sneers as memories of Anastasia working with that group in order to get at the family comes back to her.

“Yeah, I know about that all too well.”

“…yes, I do know about the inner working of the Russian Mafia, but common sense should also tell you the same thing that I know.  Think about it, sestra, if they wanted him dead that badly, do you think they’d mess up and get the wrong person?  And even if they did, do you think they’d give up so easily?”

“But dad was working on their case...he was hunting them…”

Anastasia nods her head.

“Yes, it made perfect sense to you.  Dmitri was a member of the Russian Mafia.  That much was true and your father knew it.  But never did he say WHY Dmitri killed your mother.  Dmitri killed her of his own accord, not because the mafia ordered him to do it, but because he was a jilted lover seeking revenge.”

Angelica shakes her head as she isn’t quite sure what to make of this information.  She walks quickly ahead of Anastasia until she gets to a bench on the sidewalk.  Angelica sits down on the bench and buries her face in her hands, crying.  It isn’t long until Angelica feels a pressure down next to her.  She looks and she finds Anastasia sitting there.

“I am truly sorry that I had to tell you.”

“Don’t apologize for telling me the truth.  I needed to know.  I just…”

Angelica shakes her head.

“…I just don’t know what to do now.”

“Your nun friend wants you to forgive Dmitri, correct?”

Angelica nods her head.

“Yeah…”

“But you don’t want to even confront him.”

“I’d rather he stay out of my life for good.”

Anastasia places her arm around Angelica’s shoulder.

“That’s not the wise decision and you know this.  You must confront Dmitri, because if you continue to ignore him you will continue to be divided.  You will continue to have conflict within your psyche over who you are.  In order to find peace, you must decide who you wish to be and to do that you must confront Dmitri.”

Angelica stares blankly at Anastasia.

“I don’t understand…”

“Sister Maria clearly must know where to find Dmitri if she is encouraging you to confront him and forgive him.  If you forgive him, then yes, The Dragon will be gone from your life forever.  I know where Dmitri is, as well.  Hammurabi’s Code states ‘an eye for an eye’.  You may feel that for your mother’s life, you must take Dmitri’s life.  If you choose to take his life, then you will also be choosing to embrace The Dragon and this time it will be forever.  Anything good about you will be long gone.  Only The Dragon will remain.”

Anastasia stands up.  Angelica gazes up at her.

“I know what I would do, but then again, this isn’t about me.  This is about you and what future you wish to have.  I do hope I have helped.”

Anastasia turns and walks away.  Angelica doesn’t let her eyes off of her for one second, continuing to stare.

“Yes, you did help…”

She sighs.

“…but I still do not know what I want to do.”

Angelica pulls out her cell phone and dials a number.  She waits patiently.  Then she perks up a little.

“Maria?  Yes, this is Angelica…I think I’m ready…”

==========

Off Camera

Scene 2

==========

We find ourselves in the parking lot of a nursing home on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts.  Sister Maria and Angelica Jones exit a 2016 Ford Focus.  They stare ahead at the nursing home as if it weren’t really a nursing home but a horde of barbarians that they are about to contend with in battle.

For Angelica, that isn’t far from being true.  This will be a very difficult task for the redheaded wrestler.  Her friend, Sister Maria, as well as Angelica’s on-again off-again adopted sister Anastasia Jones, both have told her that she needs to confront Dmitri, the man who killed Angelica’s mother.  For Sister Maria, this is about Angelica ridding herself of The Dragon once and for all.  But for Anastasia, she just wants Angelica to find peace, whether that peace be with or without The Dragon, it doesn’t matter to her.  She just knows that one way or the other, Angelica must choose whom she shall be.  This good person she claims to be deep down inside…

…or The Dragon.

“This is it?  He’s here?”

Angelica says this with a hint of doubt in her voice.  She finds it rather hard to believe that this man, formerly of Russia, formerly a member of the Russian Mafia, is now here among other elderly individuals who can no longer take care of themselves.  It’s almost as if he has fallen from a lofty position to this, one where someone has to take care of him twenty four hours a day.

“Yes, Sister Angelica, this is the place where you shall find him.”

Finding him is one thing, deciding what to do next is another thing altogether.  Angelica has had a full day to contemplate her next move.  Sister Maria wants her to forgive him, Anastasia doesn’t care, and Angelica herself can hear a small tiny voice in her head telling her to kill Dmitri the first moment she gets.  Dmitri did, after all, kill her mother.  An eye for an eye, as they say.

Yet she also remembers what Anastasia told her.  It was a warning; if she forgave Dmitri, The Dragon would forever be gone.  If she killed Dmitri, The Dragon would take over permanently.  Angelica isn’t quite sure if she believes Anastasia’s claims or not.  They seem quite fantastic and hard to believe.  But then again, Angelica’s friend whom she does trust, Sister Maria, made a similar claim by stating if she forgives Dmitri, then The Dragon would be gone.  Would the reverse not also be true?

Something needs to be done, though, one way or the other.  With this elimination chamber match coming up at Under Attack, a match in which she could become SCW United States Champion, Angelica cannot afford to be distracted by anything else.  She must make a decision on who she wants to be heading into the chamber…

…Firestar, the hotheaded spitfire who made history as a successful female athlete in what is typically a man’s sport…

…or The Dragon, a violent, evil entity that has no feelings and no remorse.

For a match as brutal as the chamber, one may think Angelica would be better served to embrace The Dragon.  But at what cost?  Is the United States Championship worth her soul and her very sanity?

“Ok then, let’s ok.”

Angelica’s words bring a grin to Sister Maria’s face.  The two friends walk towards the nursing home.  Sister Maria gets there first and opens the door for Angelica.  Angelica enters, followed by Sister Maria.  They approach the front desk.  Sister Maria takes charge at this point as she smiles warmly at the female secretary wearing a pantsuit.

“Good afternoon, Andrea!”

The secretary looks up and grins.

“Good afternoon, Sister!  How are you?”

“I’m doing well, thank you.   How are your children?”

“As wild as ever.  What can I do for you?”

“My friend and I would like to visit with David, if that’s ok.”

Andrea nods her head.

“They just finished with supper so David should be good to have visitors.  You remember where to go, right?”

Sister Maria nods her head.

“Of course!”

Sister Maria turns towards a hallway and motions for Angelica to follow her.  Angelica follows her friend down the hallway.  As they walk Angelica turns to face Maria.

“Who is David?”

“David is the fake name Dmitri took upon himself.”

“Why would he need a fake name, Maria?  Did he leave the Russian Mafia?”

Sister Maria seemingly ignores her as she approaches the door that leads to Dmitri’s room.

“We’re here.”

She goes for the door but Angelica steps in front of her.

“Not yet.”

“Huh?”

“There’s something I should tell you, Maria.  I spoke with Anastasia and…”

Angelica sighs.

“…she told me everything.”

“Everything?”

“I know the truth about why Dmitri killed my mother and I know it had nothing to do with the Russian Mafia targeting my father.  What I want to know is did you know about this?”

Sister Maria pauses before finally nodding her head.

“I suspected but I couldn’t confirm anything.  Anything I told you, I wanted to be truth, so until I learned it for a fact, I did not want to tell you, Sister Maria.”

“I wish…”

Angelica shakes her head as her voice trails off.

“…I wish you had told me.  Sometimes I feel as if you are manipulating me.”

“I honestly didn’t mean it that way.  Forgive me, please, Sister Maria?”

“I forgive you, but please don’t call me Sister Maria.  Remember, I’m not a nun any longer.”

“And you should remember that once you are called and ordained, you can never give it up.”

Angelica rolls her eyes.

“Whatever.  Let’s just get this over with.”

Angelica pushes the door open but Sister Maria steps in first.  Inside the two women find a very old man who appears so fragile and decrepit that he could be on his deathbed.  Sister Maria, with one hand but no words, tells Angelica to stay back as she approaches the bed.  She smiles down as she quietly speaks.

“Dmitri…”

The old white haired Russian slowly opens his eyes.

“Sister…”

He chuckles.

“…I must admit, I am surprised, my dear.  I am pleasantly surprised, though.  I will never complain about a visit from you.”

“I know, Dmitri, I was just here yesterday, but today I’m here with a friend who wants to meet you.”

“A friend?”

He looks up at stares across the room at Angelica Jones, whose dagger like raging eyes glare across at him.  It makes him wary but his memory is so shot, and it’s been so long anyway since he has seen her, that he wouldn’t realize whose presence he is in.

“Who…do I know her?”

“You mean you don’t recognize me?”

“Nyet.”

“Maybe you know my name…maybe you know the name JONES!”

Immediately Dmitri’s eyes grow wide with shock and surprise.  He was not expecting this visitor.

“I do remember a Jones…from a time long ago…how do you know her?  Why do you bring this up?”

Angelica storms her way across the room and shoves Sister Maria aside.  She gets up in his face.

“TELL ME HER NAME!”

“Angelica, please!”

Sister Maria tries to get involved but Angelica shoves her backward onto her ass.  Angelica then turns back to face Dmitri again.

“TELL ME HER NAME, DAMN YOU!”

“Ke…Kelly!  Kelly Jones!”

Angelica points to herself.

“I am her daughter!  I am Angelica Jones, the thirteen year old girl you tied up, you made me watch as you raped my mother and then you made me watch as you killed my mother!  Now do you know me?!”

Dmitri is still too stunned to speak.

“ANSWER ME!”

“I…I am…”

He shakes his head.

“…I am so very sorry…”

“You are sorry?  You raped and murdered my mother, and to satisfy your sick and twisted mind you made me watch it all happen, and all you can say is that you are sorry?!”

She shakes her head.

“You have no idea of the consequences of your actions.  You criminal thugs never care about the consequences.  You just do whatever the hell feels right at the time.  Not only did you take my mother’s life but do you realize what else that action did?  My sister ended up in a foster home where was beaten and molested.  And me?  I was damaged mentally by what you did.  It turned me into a monster, just as bad as you.”

Angelica’s eyes are full of hate and Sister Maria realizes she can do nothing to stop her right now.  This is not Angelica.  This is The Dragon.

“And this monster wants to beat you to death right here and now, this monster wants to take your life just like you took my mother’s life.”

Sister Maria tenses up, concerned over what will happen next.  Dmitri looks scared to death as he stares into Angelica’s eyes, the eyes of The Dragon.  But slowly those eyes soften as The Dragon seems to leave her body.  Angelica then reaches out and takes Dmitri by the hand.

“But that monster is gone.  I am Angelica Jones, daughter of Kelly Jones, and I forgive you.”

Sister Maria’s eyes light up upon hearing this but Dmitri, on the other hand, isn’t quite sure he believes it.

“You…forgive me?”

“I forgive you.  I have held onto this hate for so long.  It’s time I let it go.”

Dmitri sighs and then a smile crosses his face.

“I do not deserve the forgiveness, but thank you.  I truly do thank you.”

He shuts his eyes.

“I have been suffering with a guilty conscience over this deed for a long time.  I did it in a rage of emotion, without thinking.  I hated her for not leaving Bart Jones to start a life with me.  I…loved your mother…I wanted her but…”

He shakes his head.

“…I was wrong.”

Angelica stares at him.  She turns around and walks away, pushing the door open and stepping out into the hallway.  She buries her face into her hands and starts to cry.  It isn’t long before she is joined by Sister Maria.

“Sister Angelica, are you ok?”

“I can’t stay in there any longer.  I just can’t.  I feel angry again the way he talks about my mom and…”

Sister Maria wraps an arm around her shoulder.

“It’s ok, Sister.  It is ok to feel anger, anger is a natural emotion that God gave us.  It’s just how we react to it that matters.  You did not give in to your lustful desires to kill him.  You forgave him.”

Angelica looks at her friend.

“The Dragon?”

“The Dragon is gone.  Now you can move on with your life, just as Dmitri can now move on with what is left of his life.”

Angelica wipes her eyes and a smile wraps across her face.  Sister Maria is right.  Finally she can move past this event that ruined her life, that has haunted her for so long.  Finally, she can perhaps have some happiness.

==========

On Camera

==========

We open in front of a SCW logo backdrop.  Soothing classical piano music is heard in the background. Angelica Jones emerges onto the scene from stage left.  Angelica is wearing a black petite v-neckline sleeveless dress that features a stunning lace overlay at the bust and a flattering tiered skirt that finishes with a tulip style hem.  Her feet are encased in black high heeled pumps.  That music comes to a sudden end.  The Boston native begins to speak.

“My name is Angelica Jones, and at Under Attack I will be setting foot inside of the chamber, I will be competing in the elimination chamber, one of the more brutal matches in wrestling, a match that also tests your durability.  I will be fighting the Dumb and Dumber duo of SCW, Vixen Cain and Merrick Wiseman, I will be fighting someone universally hated by one and all, Jake Starr, I will be fighting someone who is more concerned with Golden State Warrior basketball than her own wrestling career, namely Alexis Quinne, and I will be fighting a man who has come close so many times but can’t quite get there, Konrad Raab.”

She scratches her chin.

“Did I leave anyone out?”

Firestar snaps her fingers.

“Oh yeah!  That’s right!  I did leave someone out…”

She motions to herself.

“…me.  I’m fighting myself.  And in many ways, that will be my greatest challenge.  Think about it, I have had a long and successful wrestling career and during that time I have competed in elimination chamber matches.  I’ve won some, I’ve lost some.  But every single time I competed in a chamber match I would intentionally lose control and allow that darkness within to break free, I would unleash The Dragon and let it have fun.  Chamber matches, as brutal as they are, are perfectly suited for the violence of The Dragon.”

She shakes her head.

“But now The Dragon is gone.  This is the first time I will be competing in a hardcore environment as just myself…as Angelica Jones…and I’ll admit, it has me worried, it has me nervous, but by God I can promise you one thing…”

She beats her chest.

“…I still have the heart and the never say die attitude to keep me going!  But what about my opponents?  Do they have the heart?  What exactly do they bring to the table anyway?”

An image of Alexis Quinne appears on the screen.

“First there’s Alexis Quinne.  Unless she plans to talk us all to death about Golden State, then really she has no formidable arsenal to speak of.  Her best weapon is the outside interference of Punk Hazard and she will not have that advantage inside of the chamber.  It’s just her, on her own, with her own set of skills, against five other athletes.  One of those athletes happens to be me, and I am damn sure not going to let her get through me.”

An image of Jake Starr appears on the screen.

“Jake, we’ve battled before, and I do not like you.  I’m sure the feeling is mutual.  But as big an asshole as you are, I know you are also just as ruthless, just as cunning, and will do anything to win.  Those are just the right kind of attributes that will help you survive an elimination chamber.  And while you have gotten wins over me in the past, I’ll admit that, there is one thing you have to consider, one fact that you have to admit as well…”

“…you don’t change.  You never evolve.  You are still the same asshole you always have been.  You are still that same prick, a talented prick, but a prick nonetheless.  You haven’t changed much in terms of who you are inside or outside the ring.”

She motions to herself.

“But I have changed, and Jake, you have no CLUE who you are going to get inside the chamber at Under Attack.  And to be honest, I don’t even know what kind of Angelica Jones I’ll be when I get into that chamber…”

She smirks.

“…we’ll just have to wait and see.”

An image of Konrad Raab appears on the screen.

“Konrad, remember me?”

She chuckles.

“You may not and I don’t blame you if you don’t.  Your career has certainly gone places since we locked up at Best of the Best.  You nearly became the US Champion.”

She applauds.

“Good job.  I mean that, sincerely, although you may not believe it.  You have no reason to believe me, because I did leave you lying in the center of the ring after blasting you in the head with a steel chair.”

She shakes her head.

“Not one of my finer moments.  But what’s done is done.  All I can do is apologize and tell you that I am a different person, and also understand that you, just like Jake Starr, had better believe that I truly have changed, that I truly am a different person, and expect the unexpected from Firestar, or else I will burn you to pieces inside the chamber.  I may have changed, but I am still just as competitive as I ever was, if not more so, and I want to become the SCW United States Champion, and I want it more than you.”

An image of Vixen Cain and Merrick Wiseman appear on the screen.

“Finally I come to the Dumb and Dumber of SCW, Vixen Cain and Merrick Wiseman, whom I will talk about at the same time seeing as these two knuckleheads are joined at the fucking hip.”

“Vixen, you must really be one arrogant son of a bitch if you think you have this elimination chamber all figured out.  If you think you’re going to be ok, that you’re going to walk away champion, you’ve got another thing coming.”

She holds up three fingers.

“There’s at least three of us who I am quite sure would love to kick your ass with or without the title being on the line…that being myself, Jake Starr, and Konrad Raab…”

She holds up five fingers.

“…and you have FIVE individuals who I KNOW for a fact that they want what you currently have, that they want to become SCW United States Champion.”

She nods her head.

“That’s right, I said five, because if you think your boyfriend Merrick Wiseman won’t betray you for that title, then you really are delusional.”

A knowing grin forms across Angelica’s face.

“You know it’s true, Merrick.  You want that championship just as badly as any of us.  And I don’t know if you’ll be bold enough and honest enough to tell it to his face, but you will stab him in the back for that title inside that chamber.  When push comes to shove, you WILL try to win, just as we all will be trying to win.”

“The truth is, Wiseman, that you are a hypocrite.  You are no better than the rest of us and yet you and your boyfriend Vixen believe yourselves to be agents of justice.  You don’t care two flying shits about justice.  All you care about is getting ahead.  And that’s why I have more respect for Jake Starr than I have for either of you two clowns. At least Jake admits to what kind of person he is.  He doesn’t try to hide it.”

“Karma is a funny thing…it comes at the most un-expected and most inappropriate of times, and usually it is never EVER welcomed.  Karma is coming for all of us at Under Attack in that elimination chamber.  Karma will be there to make sure neither Vixen Cain nor Merrick Wiseman leave with the SCW United States Championship.”

“Everyone thinks of karma in such negative lights, and yet true Hindu and Buddhist thoughts of karma tell us that karma can prove to be positive as well.  Those who have acted decently will get rewarded some day by karma.  The case can easily be made that Konrad Raab deserves a gift from karma…will it be the United States Championship?”

She shakes her head.

“Sad to say, I hope not.  I hope that karma rewards me with the United States Championship, despite the fact that I know I probably do not deserve it.  But the opportunity is there, right in front of me for the taking.  I just have to work hard, I have to bust my ass, and I have to sacrifice in order to finally reach that brass ring.  And damn it, I am prepared to make any sacrifice necessary to survive, to endure, and to ultimately become SCW United States Champion.”

The camera fades to black.