Motivated by Ego (2)

All you have to do is say “Open Invitation” or “Championship Match” and every single professional wrestler at least halfway worth their salt is going to be calling.  So when Supreme Championship Wrestling, thanks in large part to Ace Marshall, puts the Adrenaline Championship on the line in an open invitational battle royal, and that isn’t even to mention the two hundred fifty thousand dollars and the brand new car also up for grabs, it shouldn’t be any surprise that you get the rookies, Bill Barnhardt and The Gotfhfather of all people throwing their names into the hat.  It shouldn’t be any surprise at all whatsoever that the lunatic Leviticus would show his bald-headed ass up for this match, the one match out of the year he actually does wrestle.

There are those who don’t take this shit seriously at all whatsoever, namely Beard.  Here’s a reality check for each and every individual; this is a sport, this is competition, and competitions have winners and losers.  This isn’t about having fun, it’s about winning.  If you’re not here to win, then you are in the wrong industry and it is time for you to get out or I will get you out myself.

So am I doing this for fun?  Am I doing this to entertain the fans?  No.  I do this because this is a competition and as a competitor I always try to be the best, I always try to win.  Now here’s a shocker for you; becoming SCW Adrenaline Champion would be great but that is not my ultimate goal.  I have more important things on my mind than becoming SCW Adrenaline Champion, but if I do win that piece of gold, then I can guarantee you that you’ll have the single best Adrenaline Champion in SCW history.

Finally there are those like my cousin, Glory Braddock, individuals who are doing this just to feed their oversized, overbearing egos.  Glory is the type of person who does this because she feels the need to be the best wherever she goes.  It’s all in her damned name.  She calls herself “The Best in the World”, right?  While that may be debated by other egomaniacs out there, there is no questioning the fact that she definitely wants to be better than me. She wants to outdo me wherever she goes.

She followed me to Global Division of Wrestling and outdid me there.  I tried to expand my horizons and went to Motor City Wrestling but she followed me there and outdid me.  I moved on to Millennium Wrestling Alliance and, yes, Glory followed me there and outdid me.  I eventually made my way here, to Supreme Championship Wrestling, and after several years of wrestling alongside my sister Kayla, together we established The Sisterhood as a dominant force to be reckoned with in the tag team division.  But guess what?  That’s right, Glory Braddock followed me.  Now she’s coming to SCW, even if it is just for a one time only showing, in an attempt to win the SCW Adrenaline Championship.

You don’t need this, Glory.  You are already a fourteen time world champion.  This SCW Adrenaline Championship is just to feed your ego, it is just to pad your record.  And no, I don’t buy your argument that you’re doing this so that you can give back to the community.  If you care so much for that charity, give it out of your own pocket and stay away from this battle royal.

Am I doing this out of ego?  No.  I am quite pleased with what I’ve accomplished in my career, both inside and outside of SCW.  Thirteen world titles throughout my career, and thus far two tag titles in SCW.  I am proud of what I have accomplished.  Unlike Glory Braddock, I do not need to pad my record.

I am sick and tired of Glory Braddock sticking her nose into my business. Time and time again Glory Braddock has decided to set foot into my turf and started to throw her weight around as if she owned the place.

Well not this time, British Bombshell.  This time I will be the one who stops you.  Your entrance into the match has motivated me more than anything else has motivated me this past year.  Furthermore, you’ve also managed to awaken The Dragon.

You and everyone else should remember The Dragon.  The more violent part of my personality, the side of me that will thrive in an environment like this; a battle royal where you are not eliminated by being thrown over the top rope but by being pinned or made to submit.

Think about that for just a second…Glory and everyone else in this battle royal…think about it, being thrown over the top means nothing.  Hell, being disqualified or counted out means nothing.  You have to be pinned or made to submit.  So we can do anything we damn well please in this battle royal and every bit of it is legal.  Anything that comes into my sick and sadistic mind is legal.  No matter how twisted or bloody it is, it is all legal and I can do anything I want in order to win this match.

Not that winning is my sole purpose.  But if beating Glory into a bloody pulp is what it takes to make sure she doesn’t win then so be it.  And yes, if it comes down to it, if it comes down to me and Glory, then I’ll beat her and become SCW Adrenaline Champion.

Glory Braddock, I want you to listen to me and listen to me well.  SCW deserves better than for you to use this match and the Adrenaline Championship as a means to an end, that end being feeding your ego.  It is a prestigious championship with a great history, one that I will not let you tarnish by your ego.  I will eliminate you from this battle royal, Glory.

Now after she’s done, after I have accomplished my goal of making sure Glory doesn’t win, then all bets are off and, yes, I will proceed to go through the rest of the competition in this battle royal, I will proceed to eliminate anyone and everyone else who gets in my way, because once Glory is out of the way, there is no one who will stop me from becoming the new SCW Adrenaline Champion.

Motivated By Ego

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Off Camera

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The Bible is considered by Christians all over the world to be a book full of spiritual wisdom and insight to help individuals navigate their lives as they strive to follow God.  Even some non-religious individual view the Christian scriptures as full of good wisdom.  However, as full of counsel as the Bible is, there are a number of popular proverbs and familiar sayings that are misquoted.  One common example of Biblical ignorance is the phrase “pride goeth before a fall”, which is not, actually, in the Bible.

"Pride goeth before a fall" is a saying that is similar to the original Bible verse, found in Proverbs 16:18, but it does not accurately reflect the original text. In fact, the verse says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." This shows that destruction is the end result of pride, according to the Bible.

Angelica Jones is convinced that her cousin, GCW World Heavyweight Champion and General Manager of Motor City Wrestling Glory Braddock, is suffering from a bit of that pride problem and is convinced that Braddock is heading down a path that leads towards destruction.  It has to be pride, Angelia keeps telling herself.  What other way could explain why this woman, who has accomplished so much in her career, would enter the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal?

It makes no sense to Angelica.  She already has everything she could possibly want and has achieved everything a wrestler could achieve.  Why would she denigrate herself by dressing up in some sexy costume (which is the qualifier) just so she can pad her record?  And what’s more is that this will pad her record at the expense of Angelica herself.  For everywhere Angelica has gone, every company Angelica has been a part of, Glory would eventually follow, and in Angelica’s eyes, Glory would almost immediately outdo her in every company she was ever a part of.

Now Glory Braddock has come to SCW in order to outdo Angelica here as well?  Not going to happen.  This pride will lead to Glory’s failure, Angelica is certain of it.  And if nothing else, Angelica will make sure of it herself by entering the End of the Year Battle Royal to compete for the SCW Adrenaline Championship, the cash prize, and the car.  But the only reward she truly cares about is making certain that her cousin Glory does not win the battle royal.

We open in Boston, Massachusetts, at the special private gym owned by Angelica Jones herself, we see a gym that is in disrepair and whose better days have long since gone.  The concrete floor is gray and the walls are painted an off-white color, at least the walls that still have paint on them, as most of the paint on the walls have begun to peel.  There is a standard wrestling set up in the center, weights scattered all over the floor.  At one of the far ends of the room is a red heavy bag.  In the background we see a standard wrestling ring.  The ring has black ropes and a black apron but the mat is a Carolina sky blue.

The self-named and self-made woman, The Dragon of The Sisterhood, Angelica Jones, inside the ring with a raven haired beauty.  This is her sparring partner for the day but also is the young woman whom Angelica and her sister Kayla is training to be a wrestler; her name is Audrey Russo.

“Hold nothing back!” Angelica’s words drip with venom from her mouth as she glares across the ring and Russo, who for her part, does not back down.  She nods her head and charges forward, locking arms with Angelica in a collar and elbow tie-up.

Kayla Jones, the younger sister of Angelica Jones, stands on the outside watching this sparring session.  She wasn’t sure of this plan, she still isn’t sure of this plan, but Audrey agreed to be Angelica’s sparring partner because it gave her some good sessions with a legend like Angelica.  But Kayla senses that there is more than meets the eye, there is more than what Angelica is telling her.

The tight collar and elbow tie up is broken up by Angelica who drives a knee into Audrey’s gut and then shoves her backward into the ropes.  Audrey rebounds and gets hit with a back elbow smash from Angellica, knocking her to the mat.  Kayla shakes her head with disappointment.

“Audrey!  That was a careless mistake and you need to watch out for that!  And Angelica, you really don’t need to be so stiff with her…”

“If she wants to be a wrestler then she needs to learn to be able to handle stuff like this.” Angelica remarks coldly. “If she can’t handle this, she can’t make it in this business.”

“Angelica is right.” Audrey responds. “Besides, I can handle it.”

Defeated, Kayla sighs and lets the sparring session continue.  Audrey then charges Angelica, wrapping her up and taking her down in a double leg.  She proceeds to pour on rights and lefts without any break or hesitation.  Angelica manages to kick her off and scramble back to her feet.  The woman charges again but this time Angelica sidesteps her, sending her into the ropes.  She comes back and Angelica hip tosses her.  The woman scrambles to her feet, charges, and Angelica connects with an arm drag deep into an arm bar.

Audrey Russo slowly but surely fights up to her feet but Angelica keeps wrenching the arm bar in tighter and tighter.  Audrey reverses the arm bar into an arm bar of her own.  Angelica then counters again, this time into a hammerlock.  Audrey breaks it with elbows to Angelica’s face.  Kayla applauds for Audrey’s achievement.

“Great work, Audrey!  Keep up the pressure!”

Audrey charges, looking for a clothesline but Angelica ducks it and then snaps off a quick superkick straight to the jaw of Audrey that sends her tumbling over the top rope and to the outside.  Kayla gasps as she looks at her older sister rubbing her jaw from when Audrey connected with the elbows to her face.  Kayla then turns her attention to Audrey and rushes over to the trainee’s side.

“Audrey, are you ok?”

Audrey utters no words as she is somewhat of out of it from that vicious kick.  But she does manage to get a thumbs up signifying that she is ok.  Kayla nods her head and then turns back to the ring.  Kayla slides into the ring and immediately gets up in her sister’s face.

“We have to talk.”

“Can it wait?”  Angelica remarks stoically.  “I’m busy training.”

“No, it can’t wait.”

“Fine…”

With that, Angelica exits the ring and heads to the far corner of the gym.  Kayla turns to look back at Audrey who has just now managed to get back to her feet.

“Audrey, you just rest for a little bit.  Angelica and I will be right back.”

Audrey nods her head as she takes a seat on the ring apron.  Kayla then exits the ring and heads over to the dark corner where Angelica has planted herself.  Once there Kayla places one hand on her hip and the other she motions back to the ring.

“What the hell was that back there?!”

“That was a sparring session.” Angelica answers in a matter-of-fact tone. “It helps Audrey train for the future and it helps me prepare for the End of the Year Battle Royal.”

“Sparring sessions aren’t supposed to be that stiff, Angel.  Especially when the individual in question is the person we are training, Audrey Russo.  She is new, Angel, she is learning.”

“Right, and she needs to learn that this business is not for the weak at heart.  If she can’t handle what I gave her just now, then she does not belong in a wrestling ring.”

“You damn near took her head off with that kick!” Kayla exclaims. “I understand wanting to make her learn but that was ridiculous!”

“Don’t criticize my training methods, sis.  I’m doing her a favor.”

“By what, exactly?  Trying to end her career before it even begins?”

“No, by eliminating that pride and hubris that seems to pervade in this industry.  I am doing her a favor by teaching her what her role is in the world early on so that she doesn’t get a big head like some people we know.”

“Like yourself?” Kayla asks with a smirk.

“No, like Glory.”

“What the hell does Glory have to do with any of this?”

“I may be a hard ass but I do care about Audrey.  That’s why I want to make sure she doesn’t turn out to be like Glory.  It took just ten years of wrestling success to twist our cousin and now look at what Glory has become.  She has one of the biggest egos in this industry today.  Loves to brag about her fourteen world title reigns.  She tells anyone and everyone who will listen that she’s The Best in the World.  Who else goes around calling themselves The Best in the World unless they are just an egomaniac?”

“Point taken.”

“Right, and do you think I really want Audrey to turn out like that?” Angelica shakes her head. “No. I’m training her, and that means my name is forever attached to anything and everything she achieves.  I don’t want my name attached to an egomaniac, so I am instilling some humility in her early on.”

“Ok, so let me get this straight,” Kayla begins with a hint of skepticism in her voice “you’re telling me that you just want to make sure Audrey doesn’t turn out to be as egomaniacal as Glory Braddock is and that’s all there is to it?”

“Exactly.” Angelica says, nodding her head.

“Your argument is flawed, sis.  For starters, you are exaggerating about Glory in a big way.  So what if she calls herself ‘The Best in the World’?  Yeah, it is slightly arrogant, but what wrestler worth their salt doesn’t have an ego?  You need an ego to survive in this business.  You need to believe in yourself.”

“You don’t get it.” Angelica shakes her head. “Her ego goes beyond the norm.  I mean look at her, she’s entering the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal and what does she have to gain?  Absolutely nothing but to stroke her ego.”

“Why are you entering?” Kayla asks. “The same could be said about you, a former thirteen time world champion in your own right.  What do you have to gain by entering this?”

“You’re wrong!” Angelica’s voice raises considerably. “I’m not the one who followed my cousin everywhere just to outdo her!  That’s what Glory did to me, Kayla!  She followed me to GDW and outdid me there!  She followed me to MCW and outdid me there!  She followed me to MWA and outdid me there!  She followed me to FWA and outdid me there!  Now she’s coming to SCW, albeit for one night only, but on this one night only she could potentially eclipse everything I’ve ever done in my several years here with SCW!”

Angelica is breathing heavily after her outburst but Kayla Jones has a knowing smirk on her face.

“And now we’ve come to the truth.”

“What do you mean?!”

“Now I know why you really entered the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal and perhaps why you took out some of your frustrations on poor Audrey over there.  You’re pissed off and jealous with Glory Braddock.”

“You know what?” Angelica nods her head. “Fine, I may be a little jealous, but come on, give me a break, she has outdid me everywhere I’ve gone…”

“That’s an exaggeration, I’m sure.”

“No it’s not.” Angelica responds, slowly getting calmer. “Look it up for yourself, it’s true.  I was hoping SCW could be the one place that was mine, where she wouldn’t come here just to outdo me  But now…now she could outdo me in one night, because in one night she could win the SCW Adrenaline Championship…”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to make sure she doesn’t win.” Angelica remarks defiantly.

“So you don’t even care about winning it yourself?”

“No, not really.” Angelica answers, shaking her head. “I mean, it’d be great if I did win, but that’s not my primary goal.  My primary goal is making sure Glory doesn’t win.  It’s as simple as that, Kay.”

“Don’t forget that stupid stipulation Ace Marshall put in, the one about the sexy costume.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“You’re going to parade yourself around in a sexy outfit just to make sure Glory loses?”

“Why not?” Angelica smirks. “I am proud of my body, Kay.”

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On Camera

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I should’ve seen this coming.  I should’ve known that you could not keep yourself away.  Your ego cannot stand the fact that I had a place to call my own without you in it.  You saw me in Supreme Championship Wrestling, content and happy in a place that I could call my own home.  MY home…as in a place I did not have to share with you…but your ego would not allow you to stay away.  Just like with everywhere else I’ve been, you had to step into my home unwelcome and uninvited.  And you used the End of the Year Battle Royal as your way in.

Still, I can’t fault you too much, Glory.  In fact, I can’t fault anyone who wants to enter this battle royal.  Think of the reward; two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, a brand new car, and the SCW Adrenaline Championship.  It is such a big reward, Glory, that you or anyone else in this company would be crazy to turn it down.

Yet you say this isn’t about the reward.  You told the world that you’re giving all of the money to charity, that you’re going to auction off the car and give its proceeds to charity, and that you will vacate the SCW Adrenaline Championship seeing as this isn’t about the gold for you.  You claim that you’re giving back to the world, and yet in that same breath you claim to be The Best in the World…

…you sound so arrogant and so humble in one sentence, it just makes no sense, unless you accept the simple fact that you are lying or are hypocritical or both.  The way I see it, the declaration of you being The Best in the World gives you away, Glory.  This isn’t about giving back.  This is truly about your ego.  You want to win it all and the wrestling world will praise you for achieving such a magnificent feat, thus stroking your giant ego.

Then you’re going to give away the prize money, you’re giving away the proceeds of the car after its auctioned off, and people will praise you for being such a generous person; thus stroking our giant ego.

As for the Adrenaline Championship and vacating it after you win it?  Well that right there is ego in and of itself.  What it says is that you’re so good that you don’t need that championship.  In fact, it’s a slap in the face of SCW and of everyone who has held that SCW Adrenaline Championship.

That leads me to the primary reason I am entering the SCW End of the Year Battle Royal.  My primary reason for entering is to make sure you do not win, Glory.  SCW deserves better than for you to use this yearly event just to make yourself look good.  I will make sure you do not win that prize money, that you do not win that cash, and that you do not win the SCW Adrenaline Championship.

And maybe, just maybe, I’ll go on and win the whole thing myself and become the new SCW Adrenaline Champion.  And I know I can be a champion that SCW can be proud of.  I guarantee it.  I won’t walk away from it like Glory, I won’t make a joke of it the way Ace Marshall is trying to make a joke out of the battle royal itself; I will be a fighting champion, proudly fighting for SCW.

As for Ace himself and his stupid little sexy costume stipulation; that won’t bother me.  Not at all.  In fact, I already have a fairly good idea of what I’ll be wearing when I am crowned new SCW Adrenaline Champion.

I hope you like it, because that’s the only good thing you get out of me being in this match.  Here’s the spoiler alert for you and anyone else who is going to enter this match thinking that they have a chance; you have no chance.

None of you have a chance to win because of the simple fact that I am now in this match.  I know what I want and I’ve explained why I want it and I am prepared to return to the darkness in order to get it.  I am prepared to bring back something that I tried to hold back in order to get that SCW Adrenaline Championship.

You see, boys and girls, you won’t be facing Firestar or The Golden Goddess.  You will be facing The Dragon.

Which brings me to Giovanni Aries…sorry about your luck, pal.  Your hunt for a Lizard King has thus far come up short and you won’t find any Lizard Kings in this battle royal.  But if you want a reptilian monster then look no further.  The Dragon is back and she’s taking your title whether you like it or not.

Random Roleplay With No Real Sense of Direction

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Off Camera

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We open backstage after the SCW Future Is Now pay per view has come to its conclusion.  Specifically we are in someone’s dressing room.  The dressing room is actually quite roomy; wooden benches line two of the walls while blue lockers line the other two walls.  A Future Is Now pay per view poster is hanging on one of the walls and the floor is a plain concrete one.

Kayla Jones is sitting hunched over in a blue steel folding chair in the center of the room.  She has already changed back into her regular attire, consisting of She is dressed in a flowing, loose fit ankle length floral print skirt, a red short sleeved top, and sandals on her feet.  Her long gorgeous red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.

The younger half of The Sisterhood appears to be deep in thought, so deep that she doesn’t even notice when the door opens and her oldest sister, Angelica Jones, joins her in the room.  Angelica is wearing a pair of form fitting denim jeans, a black t-shirt, and her signature black leather jacket.  Her long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.

Another pay per view and another disappointing loss for Angelica and Kayla Jones; it has been par for the course but something seems different this time.  There is something in the air that seems to indicate that, despite their continued run of bad luck, that perhaps maybe, just maybe, they are turning a corner.

“Kay?  You awake?”

“No…” Kayla remarks as she looks up at her older sister with a sly smirk on her face “…I’m just practicing dying.”

“Well it’s good that you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

Angelica walks over to Kayla, grabbing a steel chair of her own as she sets it up next to her younger sibling.  Angelica sits down in the chair next to Kayla, placing a hand on her knee, gazing into her eyes with a look of concern.

“Are you ok, though?”

“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?  I mean, it isn’t like we’ve been losing time and time again here in this division that we used to dominate.”

“Yeah, right…” Angelica chuckles “…you’re definitely ok, your sarcasm is showing it.”

“Losing is tough to handle, but you know something?” Kayla pauses as she lets out a sigh. “It isn’t nearly as bad or frustrating as it once was.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t get me wrong, it still sucks to lose like this, especially to idiots like Chad and Lexi, but I’ve had time to think about this whole situation we find ourselves in, a situation that we, in a way, have put ourselves in.

“What do you mean?” Angelica asks.

“We have isolated ourselves from the entire division.  No one likes us and why is that?”

“Because we’ve been acting like a couple of bitches.” Angelica smirks.

“True, but it goes beyond that.  We’ve been acting entitled.  We think we’re entitled to being in the top spot of the tag team division, we think we’re entitled to being heaped with praise, and yet Amy Chastaine and Kennedy Street team up for the first time ever and we freak out, like they do not deserve it.  But they went out there tonight and they EARNED the tag titles.  We should be happy for them, not pissed off because they’re getting a shot and not us.” Kayla points to Angelica and then at herself. “We focus on us, we focus on what we can take from tag team wrestling, and hell, from wrestling in general, and we’re not focusing on what we can give back to this sport.  I mean, we’ve done a lot in our careers, Angel, don’t you think it’s time we gave back?”

Angelica tilts her head to one side and studies her younger sister carefully, trying to figure out exactly what it is she is asking.

“What are you suggesting, Kay?  Are you suggesting that we quit?  Retire?”

“No, no, not at all.” Kayla shakes her head. “You and I, we have plenty of years left in us.  We don’t have to quit or retire anytime soon.  We can keep going on and maybe even win a third SCW World Tag Team Championship if we ever get back on track.  But sis, come on, is this really about winning as many championships as possible or is this about something more?”

“The championships are important, but…” Angelica’s voice trails off for a moment as she pauses to consider her answer.  Kayla interrupts, answering for her.

“But it isn’t the only thing.  It isn’t even the most important thing. Our greatness will be determined in part based on what we give back to the sport.  How do we contribute to the enduring legacy of this sport; not just how much titles we can win?”

“Audrey.” The name is a familiar one and is the first one that pops up as Angelica realizes where Kayla is going with this line of thought.

“Yeah, I thought about Audrey.” Kayla remarks with a nod of her head. “We started training Audrey Russo, and if I recall you were hesitant at first but even you came around.”

“I admit, I may have been a little unfair to Russo.”

“A little?  Angel, you threatened to beat the hell out of her.”

“What can I say?  I have a temper.”

“Not an excuse.” Kayla answers. “My point is, while the training sessions are still going on, they have become less and less frequent.  What if Audrey were to give up on this sport?  What if she misses out on her dreams of becoming a wrestler and it’s all our fault?  OR we could continue to mold her in our image and she could be our contribution to this sport.”

“You make a good point,” Angelica says with a disappointing sigh “but she isn’t the only one we…or rather I…have been neglecting.”

“What do you mean?”

“My own children…” Angelica’s voice trails off.

“Now, Angelica, don’t beat yourself up over that again.”

“It’s true though.” Angelica answers back. “Marie felt guilty over the preferential treatment I gave her, Jessica hates the preferential treatment I gave Marie, and then there’s poor Kim; who knows if Kim even feels like she belongs in this family?  And it’s all because of how I’ve been neglecting them.”

Angelica reaches out and takes Kayla’s hands.  She gazes deep into her younger sister’s eyes.

“You’re right, Kay.  We’ve been focused on those tag titles, on this business, so much that we’ve been neglecting other things, more important thing.  I think a change is necessary.”

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On Camera

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Team Desire…how appropriate, because DESIRE is ultimately what it takes to be great in this industry.  Now Kayla and I won’t pretend that we’ve been GREAT lately.  We haven’t been able to win when it counts.  But that doesn’t mean that our desire has lessened.  It doesn’t mean that we’ve lost the will to get the job done.  We still have dreams and we still have desires as a team in Supreme Championship Wrestling.

We still want to be the SCW World Tag Team Champions for a third time.

Now we have no illusions that one win, even over a stalwart team like the Stewards, would put us right back into the title picture, but you have to start somewhere and we’re ready to right the ship.  We’re not thinking long term, we’re not looking past you two, you can rest assured of that.  We are focused solely on you, we are focused on getting back to our winning ways and we are going to do that at YOUR expense.

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On Camera

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Yeah, like Angelica said, a third tag title reign would be nice, but that’s not in our short term plan.  Hell, as bad as we’ve been lately it may not even be in the long term plan.  Right now we just want one simple thing…

…respect.  We want the fans to watch us and know that they are watching one of the greatest tag teams in professional wrestling.  We want our opponents to either feel pride knowing that they get to wrestle The Sisterhood or feel that sense of dread knowing that The Sisterhood is about to kick their teeth down their throat.

And at the end of the day, when all of the smoke is cleared and that final bell is rung, Angelica and I just want to make damn sure that you two Stewards know that you’ve been in a war and that you know that you have been in a fight with one of the best tag teams in SCW today.

Cold War: Part 3

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Present Day

Off Camera

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Kayla Jones is one tough and rather stubborn bitch.  She is a self-admitted bitch but she also proves time and time again that she is tough, too tough to back down or back away from anyone or anything.  A broken neck couldn’t keep her away from the sport she loved.  She fought back and retired to the ring.  A losing streak in SCW didn’t keep her down, she fought alongside her sister until they got back on track, winning two straight matches recently until failing to capture a victory in the tag team tournament last month thanks to The Network.  The cowardly attack from Chad Evens and Lexi Von Aaron couldn’t keep her down, either.  Nothing will keep her from her goal of getting back to the top of the tag team mountain alongside her sister, Angelica Jones.

Yet on this day, Kayla appears to be quite shaken up as she sits in the driver’s side of her vehicle, staring at the front doors of a local gym.  The redhead is waiting anxiously for the arrival of her older sister, Angelica.  But Angelica is late.  She is very late.  And that is very unusual for her.

She last saw her older sister when Angelica picked up Marie.  The two were leaving for some meeting.  Marie had previously told Kayla that she had to speak with Angelica and, despite her misgivings, Kayla did her best to set up the meeting.  Angelica told her a time to expect her to be at the gym, because she knew that a good training session was necessary for what they had in store at The Future Is Now; a four way table elimination match pitting them against Chad Evans & Lexi Von Aaron, Adrenaline Rush, and The Network.

The Sisterhood have history with all of these teams, and they have a score to settle specifically with Chad and Lexi, but more importantly if they can win this match then they put themselves in line for a tag team title opportunity.

Kayla knows how badly Angelica wants this opportunity.  It is an opportunity to prove that they have not lost their touch, that they are not past their prime.  It is an opportunity to prove that they are still the best tag team in the division.  Plus Angelica, like Kayla, is a consummate professional.  It is highly irregular for her to be late for something of this magnitude.

Kayla pulls out her iPhone and immediately dials a number.  She puts the phone to her ear and waits…and waits…and waits…and waits…finally Kayla sighs and hangs up.

“Damn it!” Kayla exclaims with a clear sign of frustration in her voice. “Where the hell are you?  Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

Just then, as if on cue, Kayla notices Angelica’s vehicle pulling up into the parking lot.  Kayla lets out a sigh of relief as the car comes to a stop.  The driver’s side door opens and Angelica steps out.  The elder Jones is wearing a flowing maxi skirt with tiers of semi sheer chiffon that floats over a mini length liner in a breezy pink and purple tapestry print, a crocheted lace tank top, and a crossover strap bracelet and sandals.  Kayla opens her car door and exits.  The younger Jones sibling rushes up to greet her sister and sighs with relief, shaking her head.

“It’s about time…”

“Sorry, but Marie and I kind of got distracted.”

“Yeah, about that...where the hell did you take her?”

“The Salt Lake Temple.”

Kayla tilts her head to one side, frowning curiously as she studies her older sister. “The Mormon Temple?”

“Yes, it really is a fantastic sight to behold.  You should go see it before we leave Utah.”

“Right…” Kayla’s voice trails off in confusion.

“What’s wrong, Kay?”

“Nothing.” Kayla answers, shaking her head. “It’s just…you seem different, you know?”

“I am different, Kay.  I’ll admit that.  Europe changed me.  That’s part of what I had to say to Marie just now.  Now let’s go train…”

Angelica attempts to walk towards the gym but Kayla blocks her path and shakes her head.

“Not yet.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Not until you’ve finally told me about what happened to you in Europe?”

“It isn’t important.” Angelica shakes her head.  “Now let’s go…we have a match at Future Is Now and we won’t stand a chance if we stand here arguing…”

“No…” Kayla folds her arms over her chest and shakes her head, remaining defiant “…no training, not until we’ve talked.”

“It isn’t necessary.” Angelica says, trying to remain calm.

“Oh but talking to Marie is necessary?” Kayla asks as she touches her own chest. “What about me?  What about your own sister?”

“My sister needs to get her head out of her own ass and help me prepare for that tag team table match at Future Is Now.”

“Well, uh…” Kayla thinks for a moment as a sly grin spreads across her face, then she points at Angelica “…you’re not even dressed for action.”

“Neither are you.”

Angelica answers back quickly, pointing to Kayla’s wardrobe, which consists of an American Rag laid back printed sleeveless dress featuring a lace up front and an open back with smocked details, a scooped neckline, with a hemline that hits above the knee.  Kayla grins right before bursting into laughter.  Angelica joins her in laughing as the mood lightens just a little bit.

“Sorry, Angel, I guess we both are a little stressed right now.”

“No, don’t apologize.  You have every right to hear from me, to talk to me, to hear what happened.   It’s just…” Angelica shakes her head “…I can’t talk about it right now.”

“But you can talk about it to Marie?”

“No, I didn’t tell Marie anything.  I have told no one.”

“Angel, I’m sorry, but…” Kayla reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder “…keeping things like this to yourself is not healthy.”

“But I can’t…I can’t tell anyone…”

“I can keep a secret.” Kayla answers. “I am your sister.  Trust me.”

“Fine…” Angelica says, seemingly ready to give in “…I’ll tell you everything…”

==========

November 9^th, 2017

Off Camera

==========

The night of November 9^th was dark, very dark, and you could barely see anything except the hand in front of your face were it not for the street lights as well as the bright moon that shone overhead in the streets of Berlin, Germany.  It would be much safer to be inside right now than it would be to be standing outside.  And yet Angelica Jones does not feel safe, despite the fact that she sits inside of a café, full of native Berliners and a few tourists.

Angelica sits in the back corner at a table.  She is by herself, with a cup of coffee.  Kayla insisted that she would be with her the entire way but Angelica refused to let her come along.  This is something the elder Jones feels she must do alone.  For she is about to confront something, someone, a ghost from her past that could very well change her entire way of thinking.

The ringing of the bell signals the arrival of another guest in the café.  This ringing doesn’t seem to bother anyone else in the café, except the servers who know they have another customer.  Outside of that, no one seems to take notice of the newcomer walking into the café; no one except Angelica.

Jones takes note of what appears to be a female figure wearing a dark raincoat.  She turns and heads in Angelica’s direction.  Jones sets her coffee cup down as she steels herself for what is about to come in the form of this visitor who takes a seat at Angelica’s table without even bothering to ask permission.

The woman removes the hood of her raincoat and lets her long red hair fall down freely to shoulder length.  Angelica is surprised that it has remained red; perhaps she is dying it?  Angelica also notes how much this woman looks like her sister Kayla…just an older version of Kayla…

A server approaches the table just before Angelica can speak.  “Was kann ich dir zum Trinken bringen?”

“Ich hätte gerne Wasser.” The woman says in what sounds like perfect German.

“Ja, gnädige Frau.”

Angelica watches as the server walks away to fill the order.  Once the server is out of sight Angelica speaks up…

“I didn’t realize you were fluent in German.”

“I am fluent in several languages.” The woman answers back. “I have to be able to communicate for my line of work.”

“I thought you were just an American, then I learned you were Russian, now what else am I going to learn…mother?”

The woman, Angelica’s mother, sighs and shakes her head. “Maria…my damned sister never should have opened her mouth…”

“Yeah, my aunt Mary told me that you were still alive.  She told me that she saw you and she spoke with you.  And in her defense, she did tell me not to pursue.”

“And yet you still pursued this.” Kelly, her mother, shakes her head. “Foolish, girl…”

“Is it foolish that I want to know the truth?”

“No, but it is foolish considering the danger that you are putting yourself in.”

The server returns to the table with the glass of water for Angelica’s mother.  She accepts it and nods her head with gratitude.

“Danke.”

The server walks away and Kelly Jones, or Kurensky if you go by her true last name, takes a sip of the water before placing it down on the table.  Angelica just shakes her head.

“This doesn’t make sense, mom.  None of this makes any sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“All of our lives Kayla and were angry, enraged at our father for abandoning us, for leaving us out in the cold so he could go adventuring in Russia thinking he was seeking out vengeance for you…only to find out you faked it all?  So did dad abandon us in an attempt to get revenge for something that never happened?”

“You know, you really do sound just like your father…” The woman says with a hint of laughter in her voice.

“Just answer me, damn it!” Angelica exclaims loudly.

“Hush now.” Kelly remarks. “Do not get the entire place in an uproar.”

“Then answer me.” Angelica quietly snipes back at her.

“Fine…” she sighs and nods her head “…yes, it is true. Your father had no idea I had faked my death.  He thought I was truly gone when he went away seeking his revenge, leaving you and your sister behind.”

“So let me get this straight, our father abandoned Kayla and I to start a war with the Russian Mafia because he thought they had murdered his wife, only to find out that, in fact, she had faked her own death.”

“Your father was one of those government types, FBI…” she scoffs and shakes her head “…I’m sure your father would understand.”

“He might understand…” a tear rolls down Angelica’s cheek “…if he were still alive.”

Kelly’s eyes grow wide as she takes in this information. “He’s dead?”

“Yeah, he’s dead; murdered by the Russian Mafia.”

“I can’t believe…” Kelly shakes her head vehemently “…I’m sorry, I had no idea…it wasn’t my intention…”

“I’m sure it wasn’t your intention, but every action has a consequence and your actions indirectly led to his death.  And you never knew, you’ve just been in Europe the entire time, hiding out for God knows what reason, hiding from your own children…”

“I had to!” Kelly is now the one exclaiming loudly. “I have no choice but to hide!”

“I don’t believe you, mom!”

“What I did was for your own good.” Kelly insists. “Don’t you think I would’ve taken you with me if I could?  But I had no other choice.  The KGB tracked us down, they found where we were hiding.  They threatened us, so I made a deal with them.  I agreed to become a spy for the Soviet Union.  Your father had the government connections and I passed on what I learned to the KGB.  When I had outlived my usefulness they told me I had to return to Russia.  They organized what appeared to be a mafia hit and that would explain my disappearance.”

“And you made me watch…” Angelica snarls “…then you abandoned us…”

“I’m sorry, but it was the only way the Soviet government agreed to leave you and your sister alone.  Then with the fall of communism I thought I was out of work but the Russian government continued to employ me.”

“Still a spy?” Angelica sighs, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it.”

“I’m sorry for disappointing you, my little Angel.  I really am.”

==========

Present Day

Off Camera

==========

“And…?” Kayla asks impatiently waiting for more details.

“That’s it, really.  We had some small talk but not much else.  You look a lot like her, Kay.”

“Thanks, but this…” Kayla shakes her head “….this is just so overwhelming.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m sorry, Kay, but I had to see it for myself.  I thought I saw her get butchered but I guess it was a fake, a ploy, a stand-in, I don’t know.  Somehow they fooled me.  But then again, when you working with the people she was working with, it’s easy to fool with people’s minds.”

“So, what, is that it?  Will I never get to see her?”

“You are more than welcome to go to Europe and track her down.  But not me.” Angelica shakes her head. “I’m done with her.  I’m just so angry right now…”

“I can understand why.” Kayla remarks.

“No, you can’t!” Angelica exclaims. “You’ve been damn near perfect as a parent!  Paige and Duncan are absolutely adorable and you have been a great mother to them, unlike our parents. First Kelly abandoned us, then our father abandoned us, and what did I do?”

Tears form in Angelica’s eyes and roll down her cheek. “I abandoned my first two children…I abandoned Marie and Kim at birth…just like my mom and my dad did with me…”

“Angelica, what’s wrong?  You’re scaring me.”

“What’s wrong is that I realize the truth and the truth is that I am every bit a monster as those two…as our parents…I tried my damndest to be a better person, I tried to suppress the monster, to get rid of the Dragon, but I realize now that all I did was put it back in its cage.  I can never get rid of it because it is forever who I am.” Angelica sighs with some regret. “And it’s time I embraced that.”

==========

On Camera

==========

Angelica and I had motivation enough before; and that motivation was to once again become the SCW World Tag Team Champions.  Twice we’ve been to the top of the mountain.  We’ve beaten Standing Room Only and Honor Code, so we know we can beat Resurgence or BAE to become three time SCW World Tag Team Champions.  Getting those belts a third time would prove to the world exactly what we’ve been saying for the past few months is true and that’s the fact that this division, the tag team division, it is still our playground and Angelica and I are still the top bitches in that playground.

That’s what this should all be about.  It should be about proving yourself, that’s ultimately what Angelica and I want to do, that’s ultimately why we are here.  We are here because we want to prove ourselves to be the very best in the tag team division.  If you are a tag team and you are not here to be the best, if you are a tag team and you are not here to be SCW World Tag Team Champions, then you are in the wrong damn business.

At first, that was our singular motivation.  We want to push our way back into the title picture and The Future Is Now is a perfect opportunity to do just that.  It also provides further motivation and another drive to succeed…

The Future Is Now has every up in arms, everyone talking about proving themselves to be the future.  New tag teams like The Network  as well as Chad Evans and Lexi Von Aaron want to make names for themselves at our expense, and I can’t speak for the other veteran team in this thing, Adrenaline Rush, but we’re not going to sit by and let that happen.  The Network and Chad Evans with his whore are going to have to earn it.

The “future” is not here yet…it’s still the present day and the present belongs to The Sisterhood and if we have anything to say about it, the future will belong to us as well, because we’re not going to be pushed aside by anyone.

That was motivation enough, I would think, but then the entire landscape changed, didn’t it Angelica?

==========

On Camera

==========

You could say that…

Network, and I honestly don’t even know which two of you assholes it will be, but that’s not the point, you attacked us after Under Attack and then in the tag team tournament, we had your asses beat, but you decided to take the cheap way out and get disqualified, only to turn up later and cost us the tournament semi-final.  Then you were ready to attack us on Breakdown, and why?  Because Chad and Lexi paid you off?

Speaking of the dipshit and the whore, I have no fucking clue what you have against us, but for some reason you want The Sisterhood taken out.  Hell, maybe you just drew a random name out of the hat.  But the point is we got the “lucky” draw of your wrath, and you decided to attack us on Breakdown, but specifically you focused on Kayla’s neck?

There’s a mistake you made though, boys and girls, and that’s the fact that you didn’t finish the job.  None of you finished the job.  The Network couldn’t get the job done, Chad and Lexi couldn’t get the job done, none of you could get the job done…all of you managed to do was piss us off and now our motivation isn’t merely to earn a tag team title shot, that’s just icing on the cake…

…our motivation is to completely obliterate and destroy each and every one of you.  Our motivation is simply to paralyze and cripple you, just like you all tried to do at different times this past month.  If we happen to become tag team championship contenders in the process, great, but that’s not our primary motivation; our primary motivation is to beat the living hell out of Chad Evans, Lexi Von Aaron, and whichever two members of the network have the guts to step forward and take an ass kicking from The Sisterhood.

My motivation is to end you.

Take us home, Kayla.

==========

On Camera

==========

My pleasure.  Adrenaline Rush, you’re the one tag team in this thing we respect.  We respect you because we’ve been to war before.  We’ve won some, you’ve won some.  And I truly do hope that it will come down to The Sisterhood and Adrenaline Rush.  I truly do hope that we do get to cripple The Network and Chad Evans and Lexi Von Aaron, leaving it down to just us, because no one deserves this more than Adrenaline Rush…

…except for The Sisterhood.  We deserve this more than you and are prepared to fight like hell to get it.  But then again, I’m sure you feel the same way.  I’m sure you feel that you deserve this opportunity more than we do.  But we’ll settle this the way we always do; inside of a wrestling ring.  Only this time there’s not going to be any pins or submissions, count outs or disqualifications…

…only tables.  And yeah, we’re still going to kick your teeth right down your throat!