Selena Frost vs. Xander Valentine

[supremecw]

Xander Valentine vs. Selena Frost
SCW World Championship

2 RP limit per person (no word limits)

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, June 1, 2024

[Xander Valentine]

1 of 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yrjI...sp=sharing

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Takes place following the previous roleplays (both Deanna and Selena). I strongly recommend reading the last few Breakdown roleplays as the events rely on those.

DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction and not to be confused as complete or accurate representation of any beliefs, religions, etc. Please refer to research/articles by experts for that.

Villain of the Year

”The Passion Projects”

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
May 25th, 2024
2:38pm

“Selena! You coming back?!”

The voice, a bright call, snapped Selena’s attention away from her current task, the platinum-blonde jerking her head up and towards the doorway exit of the room she sat in, her pale hands almost fumbling the glass needle between her fingers. It was her natural reflexes that saved things, her hands acting of their own accord to catch the syringe.

“I’ll be right up. Just a few more minutes.” She called out gently, her own voice travelling in response as she carefully placed the glass item back within the wooden, cushioned box next to her before closing the lid and locking it by spinning the tumblers on the latch. With a sigh, the young woman turned her head back towards her laptop and the camera on top of it.

“I protect what’s mine.” She stated firmly, her voice suddenly cold and her sapphire eyes narrowing. “I suggest you do the same. Because, I promise you… either we BOTH will get what is due to us – the main-event of Rise to Greatness…” a cold, promising growl escaped her as she spoke her last words. “Or I’ll make sure NEITHER of us do.”

She gave the message a few seconds of silence to settle before she clicked the ‘stop’ button, effectively ending the recording. A few minutes and keyboard-button pushes later, and she had finished the task and sent it on its way, leaving her suddenly drained, the world champion leaning back with a long sigh to relax against the soft, crushed velvet of the royalty thrown chair. Vaguely, she could hear the sound of movement happening on the upstairs floor above her, but the silence was still enough to allow her time to reflect and her eyes to scan the room, taking everything in as she breathed to calm her racing heart and thoughts – the latter the only thing faster than the former.

She recognized the bookshelves, the carpet, the lights in specific places, and especially the mahogany desk in front of her and the large chair she sat on, her hands instinctively stroking the tops of the armrests comfortably. Her old office space.

“How long has it been?” she whispered to herself, sure that no one could hear her, but not really having an accurate answer for the question. As it was, she could not remember the last time she had been in this room, let alone worked a promo within it. It certainly hadn’t happened since she had left the house and moved to the Eyrie Tower over in New York City. Part of her had been surprised, initially, at how well and clean Deanna had kept it in the Snow Queen’s absence. There was no dust or things out of place… nothing.

And all this while she’s looking after the kids AND being the United States Champion… the guilt came naturally enough, Selena expecting the shot of emotion – the numbness not having a chance to ‘kick in’ yet, as it were - as the thought came to her. Did she regret leaving her wife and children behind late last year when this whole thing began? Of course she did. Part of her still wished she had never left her ‘Forever Home’. How could she not, at least partially, wish that? She had effectively left her private life behind, sending it into shambles in order to embrace her role as ‘The Blue-Eyed Devil’, return to SCW and acquire the World Championship.

It was necessary… the familiar ‘devil-voice’, a mixture of her own voice and that of Malcolm Scythe, resonated in her mind. It’s all for them and the family… she/he reminded Selena further, causing a sigh to escape the woman as she leaned forward, placing her forearms on the desk just a bit away from the keyboard.

She knew all that already. She knew that all of this was necessary. She had never asked to be hated by anyone. She had never wanted to be hated by anyone. She had loved being the ‘hero’ of the SCW Universe. ‘The Face of SCW’ – that’s what they had called her. But because of one choice – was it even a mistake? – she had been hated and vilified. Just because she thought a certain Trios-Cash-in was a disservice to the championships of SCW.

One disagreement.
One thing that she and the SCW Universe didn’t agree upon.

That had been all it had, apparently, taken for the SCW Universe to turn on her and suddenly hate everything she was about: the honor, the integrity, giving everything you had for what you believed in. It had been over a year ago that it had started and the hell that she had been put through over it… she rested her forehead against her hand.

Fuck, she felt so tired... It was never supposed to be like this. She had tried so hard in the months since that incident to fix the relationship between herself and the fans, working her ass off to regain the world championship, headline Rise to Greatness for a third time, and put on top-quality match after top-quality match, asking for nothing else in return for it. And it still hadn’t been enough. The fans were set in their new ‘mindset’. They had wanted her gone, out of SCW, beaten up and left with nothing. As if the last, nearly, ten years of sacrifice, of scars, of injuries, - of missing birthdays and specials moment in her children’s lives - of doing EVERYTHING for SCW hadn’t mattered.

Time you can never get back… the devil-voice whispered darkly. Again, Selena offered no refute against it, simply because it was true. She had not asked for any of this. She had not been the one to choose this role. Everyone else had.

The fans.
The management.
Even Deanna.

They all had wanted her back in some form and fashion. The fans to have someone to hate. The management to have their ‘starpower’ back. Deanna to try and have her wife back. They all had wanted something from Selena still and it hadn’t mattered what Selena had wanted. And while she had obliged, she refused to be so manipulated and powerless had she had been for the past decade. Everything was under her terms. Her design. Her machinations.

It had been strange, after so many years, being the one pulling all the strings and making SCW dance to her tunes, but if SCW was so fixated on hating her, why not embrace the notion – a small smile graced her lips – at least part of her could understand the likes of Xander, Kandis, Kristen Scott, and Polly now.

They all had been villains throughout their time in SCW, trying desperately to control SCW with their own methods… though none had held a candle to her as ‘The Blue-Eyed Devil’. To the level of control she wielded. And after so many years of being the victim to some of their, and many others, methods… to be the one that was now dealing it? Oh yes, Selena understood far better now…

It felt good feeling so untouchable. Of making others obey you and making them the victims instead of her. Of watching them be the ones that struggled and made excuses and… all of it!

Another sigh escaped her. The problem was, like everything else she tried to do in SCW, she had tried to be ‘the best’. And, at least in the current landscape of SCW and its roster, she had done it too well. In as effectively as she had been the most beloved and popular superstar in SCW, she had, in much less time, become the most hated superstar in SCW… and made so many more enemies than anyone else – perhaps with a close second going to The Enigma. So many enemies, in fact, that now? Now she felt trapped.

She was one more title defense away from achieving her mission and getting the chance to undo the BS that had been the Rise to Greatness main-event last year. One more title defense away from fixing everything and making it all right again! Problem was… it wasn’t as simple as that.

It would have been nerve-wracking enough if she just had to worry about Xander Valentine. Gods, the man was a challenge in and of himself! There hadn’t been a match with him where the Snow Queen hadn’t had to dig deep and push herself to the utmost limits to fight him – to overcome his strength and size advantages to take him down – and sometimes she HADN’T managed to beat him. Alone in the privacy of her home - well… former home. – she could admit that. Her wars with The Executioner were often a coin-flip. The matches could go either way where they were concerned. And it had been a long time since she had tested herself against him, certainly not since she had returned as the devil.

But that wasn’t even the worst part of the whole affair. No…

It seemed fate was playing a fucking joke on her. Because she now had Kristen Scott and… Kandis… she felt her jaw clench at the last name… both women she had beaten, thus removing all doubt in her claim to the world championship and her status as ‘the best in SCW’, had not been able to take their losses with any grace and dignity like Selena had, both taking it upon themselves to interfere and attack the world champion on multiple occasions.

And now? Through promo and segment, both women were promising Selena to be involved in her business again, Kristen Scott the overzealous one and Kandis simply playing her same-old style mind games – Selena scoffed at the thought of them. Utter fools! She thought bitterly. Rather than focus on the royale and getting their shot against her for the world title fairly, oh no!, both Scott and… Kandis… were spending so much of their time swearing to the gods and back that they were going to do all they could to ensure Selena did not leave London, England, with the SCW World Championship!

And Alex Desbourais – CHBK - had done NOTHING about it!

Her hands clenching into fists, the platinum-blonde slammed them into the desk, using all her willpower not to scream out in frustration and, potentially, getting the attention of her family upstairs. Instead, she dug her nails into the skin of her palms as hard as she could and clenched her jaw till her teeth began to hurt. How the hell could the old man be okay with this?! Both women had insisted that they would take action against her during her match in the main-event – HER main-event – against Xander Valentine. Hell, even Polly was playing with the idea somewhat and, while she had no reason to believe Gavin Taylor would be a threat, he had stated something of the like to get some ‘crowd love’ last Breakdown.

The point was, whether it was two or four or the entire roster, people were getting involved in her matches over and over again and Desbourais had done NOTHING to stop it!

Of course not! she mentally hissed. You’ve been forcing him to obey you this whole time. To play by your rules. He wants you out as world champion more than anyone else! the devil-voice added with a growl, causing a quiet growl to escape Selena.

Slowly, inhaling and exhaling, the young woman did her best to calm herself down. “Get all of this out now.” She whispered to herself as she begun to feel the familiar numbness in her chest slowly form and spread – how long had it been since she had felt that? Too long… it felt oddly good. The dulling of pain as she breathed, it offered her clarity. Focus… her devil-voice seemed to like that word, speaking it in a whisper as it came into Selena’s mind.

She would find a way, she told herself. She always did. That’s what she was better at than anyone else! Especially with The Executioner! She was the puppet-master now! Not Kristen, not Polly, not Xander, and sure as hell not CHBK! She would not be cheated and screwed out of her rightful place in the main-event at Rise to Greatness. Not after everything she worked for! Not after everything she had given and endured to get here.

Another calming breath and Selena felt the numbness growing stronger, fueling her, her eyes taking in the computer screen. Steps were already underway. Stacked deck or no against her, she was not going to be stupid enough to simply force her way through the next weekend without a plan. Without everything in place…

But you’ve done all you can for now… whispered the devil-voice, now with a mix of Anastasia DeCarlo’s voice in there, soothing and comforting the wrestler. Now get upstairs before they get suspicious…

With one last calming exhale, Selena pushed herself out of her chair, allowing the numbness to fully fill her, which, in turn, allowed her to slip out of her anger and frustrations as they ebbed and faded into the back of her mind, and adopt the loving smile of ‘Selena Frost. Mother and wife’ that she knew so well. Adjusting her charcoal-gray t-shirt and black pants, the woman quickly made her way out of her office and through the familiar path that she knew like the back of her hand up the stairs, the noise from upstairs growing louder as she drew closer.

She quickly found herself standing in the large kitchen/family room area, immediately seeing how the space was abuzz with activity! She saw Amiliah first, the little redhead, so much like Deanna, was sitting at the dinner table, her small form looking so cute at the end of the large, wooden structure, almost disappearing in comparison to it. Her little hands were working the glue-stick as best as she could, working it like a pencil’s eraser against the paper, trying to get some of the pictures and magazine clippings glued to the current page she was on. Beside her, Selena recognized Gerda patiently snipping words and pictures out of some of the magazines Selena had bought/brought for her ‘fireball’s’ project.

To add some color to it… she had reasoned.

Amiliah had the little white sleeves of her pink-and-white-shirt rolled up so high above her elbows, it was almost comical, while Gerda did not require such percussions with her more controlled movements, the sleeves of her teal long, button-up dress shirt remaining around her withered hands and wrists.

Looking away from them, Selena spotted Oberon next, the white husky half-walking, half-bustling around the room, following anyone who was moving. In this case, it was David, the dog following the boy as he paced around the room, returning to a small table by the balcony where his laptop was resting, as if in thought. He tilted his head this way and that, pacing around and around in an agitated fashion. “I can’t play right now, Obi.” He said to the dog as it continued to move and jump around him, the marshmallow of an animal effectively, and repeatedly, getting in the boy’s way. “I have to get this done.” He added with a half-whine.

Gods…/i] Selena thought, unable to stop the smile from forming on her face. [i]Just like me… she almost laughed aloud at that. The movement was a dead ringer! How many times had she paced just like that while working on her promos? While waiting for email replies? While just thinking and trying to process her next step in life/SCW? She felt the quick stab of joy in her heart before it gently faded into the growing numbness.

Before she could further scan the room with her eyes, however, she spotted the movement coming towards her, taking her attention as the taller redhead in the room was by her side. She said nothing at first, merely pushing herself up on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to Selena’s lips, which the platinum-blonde was quick to return. “Hey.” Deanna smiled. “Got everything done?” she asked.

“As much as I can.” Selena nodded in response. “I’m…” she turned her head to make sure no one was really paying attention to her, allowing her to spy Elsianna in the far corner of the room, sitting quietly in a chair with her own laptop in her lap. “I’m sorry.” Selena whispered. “I just…” she tried to explain, moving a little out of the room to give her and her wife a bit more privacy – not much, but still more than she had.

“I’m just nervous…and I’m frustrated about it.” She whispered, thankful her wife simply looked on and nodded her head.

“About losing the title?” Deanna asked.

To answer, Selena quickly caught herself, feeling the complete control that she had given herself in her office earlier. “No.” she measured her answer. “Well, yes, but not what you think. If he just beat me. I mean fair and square…” She gave a shrug. “That would be fine.” She hated lying, especially to Deanna, but – as her devil-voice had pointed out – there was a time and place for everything, including the truth. “But this whole thing with Kristen and Kandis and now, possibly, Polly…” She sighed. “I’m just… I’m so close, you know? To fixing all of this – being done with it…”

She saw emerald-eyes widen at that. “Being done with it?”

“With my mission.” Selena explained. “With fixing last year’s Rise to Greatness. But with them… and Aaron… and Xander… and Alex… I’ve…” she sighed. “I’ve never felt the deck so stacked against me as it is now. Like the odds seemingly so impossible, you know?” she looked up, casting a saddened look at her wife.

It was enough to produce a slow inhale and exhale from Deanna, who took her hands out to take Selena’s. “Maybe…” She whispered slowly, hesitant. “Maybe I can talk to Alex. He’s been listening to me and… okay, some things I don’t agree with you on, okay?”

“I know.” Selena nodded. “I’m not… proud… of some of my choices as of late.”

“Then you can admit that smashing Kandis’ and Scott’s heads with the title was wrong?”

“It was…” Hold your pride, fool! growled her devil-voice. You’re so close! “It was meant as the best of intentions but… I chose the wrong execution.”

It was partially true. She knew, in hindsight, that she should of known better than to simply play ‘shot-for-shot’ with Kandis and Scott. The two women were too stupid to understand such a notion and far too egotistical to let things be after a ‘you got me. I got you’ conclusion. Selena should have known that and chosen a different method to deal with Kandis’ consistent interference. Still, did she regret smashing the One into unconsciousness? In making Kandis bleed as she knocked her out with one shot?

Hell no. she thought calmly. It had felt as good as the night she had knocked out Xander Valentine with her ‘Defying Gravity’ kick, watching the tormentor of SCW crumble like a sack of bricks. That feeling of power – the knowledge of what she could do to anyone that continued to mess with her. Still, again, this wasn’t the place for such things to be said.

“Can…” she tried. “Can you really talk to Alex?” She asked. “You have enough to worry about… with Jessica and Enigma…”

To answer, Deanna held up her hand. “You got Jessica to a safer place. I’ll deal with Enigma this weekend.” She repeated her vow from last Breakdown firmly. “Besides, it’s not like it’s anything big. All I’m going to do is pointing out the situation. You and Xander… kind of a big deal right? Like main-event? A lot on the line? I’ll simply point out that I’m hoping to see which of you two is truly ‘the better’ superstar and that the RTG main-event deserves that. I won’t say anything demanding. Just point it out. Maybe he can do something for you then.”

“Like ban everyone from ringside-“ FUCK! Selena mentally cursed herself at the slip of the tongue, a single errant though in her, otherwise, perfect control. “I mean…” she breathed. “Sorry, Deanna. Just wishful thinking.” She tried. “That’s just the nerves talking.” She cast a glance over Deanna’s shoulder, towards the adjoining room where the rest of the family was. “Don’t let me think too much about work in there, okay?”

For a moment, a look of concern had flashed across Deanna’s face at the stray remark, but, slowly, the younger Frost nodded her head. “Don’t worry.” She offered. “I’ll keep us focused.” To settle the matter, she took one of Selena’s pale hands into her own and guided her back into the ‘room of activity’, pulling her fully in so that, this time, the others could see her.

“Hello, dear.” Gerda offered first with a warm smile. “Does my heart good seeing you back in this house with us.”

“Me too, Gerda.” Selena offered, adopting the familiar smile she knew so well, even moving closer to gently wrap her arms around the older woman.
“Would like to see it back to normal.” She heard the barest whisper come from Gerda.
“I’m…” she breathed in response. “I’m working on that. I promise.”
“Good.” It settled the matter for the older woman, Gerda releasing Selena from the hug the platinum-blonde had started.

Of course, once that was out of the way, it was, apparently, Oberon’s turn, the husky bounding up to Selena, jumping up to put his paws on her legs in a seeking act of attention. “Hello, Oberon.” Selena grinned, kneeling down to mussel the furball’s fur across his head and back. “I’m glad to see you, too!”. She spent the next few minutes giving the attention-whore his just needs of affection, the white bundle of energy barking a little and rolling on the floor to expose his belly for Selena and, more importantly, her petting hands. Deanna, meanwhile, had made her way over to Amiliah and was checking on the five-year-old’s work.

Sending Oberon on his way with a few more pats, Selena pushed herself back to her feet, wiping off the strands of dog fur that had accumulated on her black pants. “Remind me to vacuum later.” She remarked to Deanna as she walked the few steps needed to stand beside Deanna on the other side behind Amiliah.

“How’s it going, fireball?” she asked, gazing at the arts-and-crafts project before her eyes. ‘Project day’. That’s what Deanna had called today: The day dedicated to getting the children’s end-of-the-school-year projects complete. Each child had their own project to do, and Deanna was determined that they be done ahead of time.

David’s class had to write a story and then read that story to a younger class - probably Amiliah’s or one of that age-range.
Amiliah had to finish her ‘Map of the Neighbourhood’ for her ‘Arts and Crafts class’.
And Elsianna…

Casting a glance up, Selena spied her eldest daughter still in her chair, typing away with quite fast fingers. Truthfully, the world champion had no idea what her daughter was up to for her project. The young girl had kept to herself, it seemed, merely saying it was a ‘year-long’ project that had ‘several steps’ in it that were marked to keep the students ‘on task’. She had declined any and all help from Selena and, the woman imagined, from Deanna. Now, realistically, Selena could have found out if she really wanted to. A quick call to the teacher for an update, spy on her daughter’s notes, see if David or Ami knew anything… all doable. Still, she had not seen her daughter so passionate about anything since… well… since she had begun training more and more in their built-in gym/pool house.

The thought caused her gaze to, again, fall on the eldest Frost child, this time allowing Selena to take stock of her daughter. The eleven-year-old was growing up so fast. She had, finally, begun her growth spurt – a late bloomer just like Selena had been – and was now nearing Deanna in terms of height, but what stood out more this time around to the observing platinum-blonde was the trim nature of the child. She wasn’t She-Hulk or anything but it was impossible not to see the work the youngster had put in. According to Deanna, Elsa was working out almost every day, running on the treadmill, doing yoga, and even some gymnastics. It didn’t surprise Selena, as the young girl had even asked to train with her during the children’s visits to the Eyrie Tower.

But still… the passion and dedication, so much like her own, it made Selena proud. Mostly because she knew why…

“De...” She whispered low, earning the redhead’s attention with a responding hum. “Still no idea what Elsa’s project is about?”
“Nope.” Deanna shook her head. “And I am done asking about it.” She stated. “All I do is ask ‘how’s it going’ and ‘is it finished?’.”

“And is it?” Selena asked looking at her wife.

“On my fourth revision of the final draft.”

The answer came from the other side of the room, earning both Frost wives’ attention as they looked towards the girl in question, who merely gazed up at them, tilting her head and blonde-white hair to the side, shorter than Selena’s and not quite as white. “I can hear you, you know.” She lifted her eyebrows at them, not impatiently, but knowingly.

“We’re just…” Selena tried, moving away from the other three women – Deanna, Amiliah and Gerda – and into the family room section where Elsianna was sitting. “Just checking up on you as well.” She offered, sitting on the nearby blue-plush, loveseat couch and patting the empty seat beside her, prompting the young girl to put her laptop down, closing it first, before making her way over to sit beside her mother while the rest of the family returned to working on their individual projects.

For Selena, she waited for her daughter to get comfortable on the couch, the child sitting cross-legged on the cushions, showing her ripped jeans (both knees had a ‘style-rip’ in them), which went well with her white dress shirt and black vest. The only thing out of place, as per usual, were Elsianna’s gloves that covered her hands and forearms, hiding the scarred flesh from any onlooker.

With her daughter comfortable, Selena offered a smile to her eldest. “I mean, we need to be good parents, don’t we?” she teased a little, earning a shrug from Elsianna.

“You are.” She said plainly.
“Well…we’re trying.” Selena remarked. “Doing our best, I mean.” She took a moment to pause, trying her best to focus on her daughter. “So… you’re sure everything is okay with the project? You don’t need us to proof-read it? Or offer some insight?”

“No, I’m okay.” Elsianna shook her head. “I really…” she sighed. “I’d like you and mom to hear it on the presentation day, okay?”

“Okay.” Selena shrugged her shoulders. “About four or five days away? I can wait that long.” She added with a nod, effectively knowing when the matter was dropped. Still, she could not deny the change she had seen in her daughter, especially up close like this. “You’re growing up, my little snowflake.” She remarked without thinking. “Soon you’ll be in high-school and then college or university.”

She saw the young girl give a shrug. “Still a ways away.” Elsa replied. “Least six or seven years.”
“Yes, but…” Selena sighed. “You’d be surprised how much even a single year can change things.”

The two could still hear the others working away as they sat in the family room, keeping their conversation to a series of whispers so as not to be eavesdropped on. For Elsianna, Selena saw her bite her lip a little, as if contemplating a question before suddenly jerking her head back to stare at her mother, the student keeping her voice low.

“When are you moving back here to live with us?”

The question caught Selena off-guard with ease, the platinum-blonde having to blink several times in order to properly register the question in her mind, her jaw trembling a little but making no sound at first.

“It’s just… it’s been almost six months, mother.” Elsianna explained a little defensively. “And mom says it’s for work and that you need space but… how much longer?!” For a moment, Elsa allowed her age to finally show, the immaturity of her question a quiet whine of her missing her mommy. It was enough for Selena to regain her composure, her calm and numbness, and offer her daughter a warm/sad smile.

“I know, snowflake.” She sighed. “I…” she tried to explain but it was harder than with an adult. She’s still only eleven. came the voice of her stepmother. Tell her too much and you’ll lose her…

“I’m working on it. I mean… REALLY working on it.” She settled on answering. “And I’m very close to the end of what I have to do.”

“You are?” there was no denying the hope in Elsianna’s eyes – hope that the Snow Queen wished she could keep there forever.

“Yes.” Selena answered.

“Are…” reeling her emotions back in, the child readopted her ‘mature’ persona. “How is work going?”

“Oh…” Selena smiled knowingly, biting her lower lip like her daughter had done before scooting a little closer to confide in the child. “I am one match away from the big show…” she looked left and right playfully, leaning in a little more to further ‘confide’ in her daughter. “The big main-event.”

“Again?” Elsianna’s eyes widened. “Like… again again?”

“I hope so.” Selena smiled. “It’s what I’ve worked so hard for. For you and for your mom and Amiliah and David.” She stated. “Making a place for our family and securing our name.”

“What does that mean?”

“It…it means… well…” Selena tried. “Some bad people were hurting your mother’s reputation, right? Do you understand that?”

“Yes…sorta…” Elsianna shrugged. “But why would they do that?”
“I…” Selena sighed. “I don’t really know. I guess they just wanted me back there so badly and figured this was the best way to do it.”
“Oh…”

“You don’t have to understand it, darling.” Selena tried, taking her daughter’s hands into her own. “Especially when I don’t. But the important thing is that I have been working harder than ever before to make things right for work and for the family…” she smiled knowingly. “And for you… when it’s your turn.”

Immediately, upon hearing those words, Elsianna’s hand snapped up, her eyes – not as sapphire as Selena but still a lovely shade of blue – full of shock. “You… you mean…you’ll let me…”

“Yes.” Selena smiled, squeezing her daughter’s hands affectionately. “I’ve seen how hard you work and I want you to keep at it. But!” she held up a finger in front of her daughter’s face. “You need to keep up your grades AND at least graduate high-school. After that, when you turn eighteen… well…” her teasing expression returned. “We’ll talk more then.”

Without a word, Elsianna was suddenly moving, the eleven-year-old throwing her arms around her mother’s neck to hug her tightly. “Thank you!” she whispered fiercely. “I won’t let you down! I’ll work hard! You’ll see!”

“I know, baby.” Selena smiled softly, using one hand to wrap arm Elsianna to complete the hug firmly. “And I’ll be even more proud of you than I am now, which is saying a lot.”

The two stayed that way for a few more seconds, until-

“Help!” came the high-pitched whine from Amiliah, not an urgent cry, which was a relief to Selena as she released her daughter, offering her one more smile before patting Elsa’s knee and then pushing herself off the couch to walk the few feet needed to get back to the dining table where Gerda, Deanna and Amiliah were.

“What’s up?” she asked, leaning on the side of the table closest to the trio in order to gaze at her daughter’s work.

Hearing her wife, Deanna lifted her head, shaking her head with a knowing smile to Selena. “No issue.” She answered. “We just need to print some pictures on my phone.”

“Oh…that it?” Selena asked.
“Yeah.” Ami answered with a nod. “Can I use the computer and printer?”
“No.” Deanna remarked quickly. “You know you’re not allowed to use the printer without mom or mommy there.” She reminded sternly.
“Why not?” came the inevitable question from the child.

“It’s a tone problem.” Selena answered without thinking, giving a shrug of her shoulders and she crossed her arms over her chest. “TonER problem that is.”

No one spoke – you could literally hear crickets as all three women looked at Selena. “What?” she asked in disbelief. “It’s a joke.”
“I don’t get it.” Amiliah answered with childlike confusion.
“No one does.” Deanna answered. “Your mother does not tell good jokes.”
“I. Do. Too!” Selena huffed incredulously, her mouth temporarily agape. “What about the one with the kid in the closest and the man who-“
“Selena!” Deanna shot out. “That is not a good joke!”
“You laughed!”
“I mean it is not a good joke for our FIVE-YEAR-OLD!”

“I’ll be six REALLY soon!” Amiliah suddenly exclaimed, bouncing up and down in her chair, even waving her arms up and down in excitement. “I can’t wait for my birthday party!”

Despite herself, Selena pushed that issue to the side for now. Yes, she and Deanna had already talked about it and made some plans and reservations, but the Snow Queen was more concerned about the mood she would be in. Her little fireball’s birthday was only three days after Taking Hold of the Flame, with a party planned the following weekend while SCW took it’s post-PPV-break to set up the ‘Road to Rise to Greatness’. What concerned Selena was attending such a party less than a week after the event if she was no longer the world champion. Doubt I’ll be good company. she thought to herself but quickly reigned in the familiar worry, embracing the numbness in her system.

Plans are being put into play… she reminded herself. You will NOT be giving up the world title so easily…especially to HIM!

Settled in that, Selena offered that smile to the other three. “Focus on your project, Ami.” She gently ordered. “Now, you need your pictures printed?”

“Yeah.” Amiliah nodded, reaching to the side of the table where Deanna’s phone was and picking it up. “Right here.” She held the phone out to her mother.
“Okay.” Selena nodded. “Can I see it?” she asked, her eyes on Deanna.

Quickly, Deanna nodded before taking the phone from Amiliah and unlocking it before handing it over to Selena.

“Okay…” Selena’s fingers moved quickly, the Snow Queen not even having to look up from her task as she moved around the table to stand beside Deanna. “Which pictures?”

“This one…” Deanna pointed. “This one… this one… this one… and these two.”

Selena recognized all the photos she saw. The stone-gargoyles in their backyard, the Cunningham’s house, the Gray’s, the lake that filled the neighbourhood-center, and one of the two of them – her and Deanna, Selena was sure it was one of the pictures she had posted on social media or something. “That it?”

“Yes.” Deanna nodded, earning a nod from Selena, who fished around the screen a bit, opening another app and finishing her task with a hit of the send button.

“I just sent it to my email.” She explained, handing her phone back to Deanna. “My computer in the office can print the photos.”

“I’ll do it.” Deanna smiled, reaching up to pat her wife’s shoulder. “Won’t be more than a minute.” She added a kiss to her wife’s cheek, earning an ‘Ewww…’ from Amiliah that went mostly ignored, before exiting the room the same way Selena had entered.

It was then that she heard the exclamation of “DONE!” and turned her head to see her son standing near the table and doors that lead to the balcony, holding his hands up in success. “Finished!” he affirmed. “Can I go play video games now?” he asked as Selena approached him.

“Not so fast, hotshot.” Selena smirked knowingly. With a sweep, she picked up the boy’s laptop and carried it towards the same exit Deanna had used, casting her gaze towards Gerda. “You okay watching them for a bit?”

“Certainly, dear.” The senior nodded knowingly. “We’ll be fine waiting for your mom, won’t we, dearie?”
She directed the last question at Ami, who nodded eagerly.
“Then we play afterwards?”

“I am sure we will.” Gerda replied to the small redhead, but Selena was already on the move, taking both laptop and son to the room by the main-entrance of the house. There, she placed the laptop on the table. “Stand there.” She ordered gently, having the boy stand on the opposite side of the glass table while she sat on the couch on the other side, facing him. Opening the laptop, she ensured that it was on the proper word document before spinning it around to face David. “Your project is supposed to be you ‘reading to someone’.” She reminded the boy. “So… read your story to me.”

“Awww, mom!” David whined. “Why?”
“Because I want to hear it.” She shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest.
“But…”

“You’re not going to be allowed to play until you read it to me, David.” She remarked somewhat sternly. “That was the rule. You finish the assignment – in its entirety – and then you can play.”

“Elsianna doesn’t have to present her project!” David retorted.

“Elsianna is eleven and had to do the same thing when she was your age – including reading to me.” Selena challenged back. “When you’re eleven, then I’ll take your word for it.”

“This sucks…” David moaned.

“Why?” Selena tilted her head. “Don’t you want to show off your writing skills? Your story-telling skills?”

To answer her, the boy gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t know.”

“David…” Selena sighed. “This is why I want you to read it to me. Because you need practice. You need to feel confident when you read this story. And I want to make sure you’re telling a good story – what if it’s your sister who gets you? You want her to be proud of you?”

“I…” Another shrug from the boy, clearly uncomfortable. “I guess.”

“Great.” Selena smiled, sitting back and throwing one leg over the other. “Go ahead. I won’t judge you, my prince. Cross my heart!”

A huff and a groan came from the second-born, but he slowly lifted the laptop, cradling it in his hands before taking a deep breath.

“David and the Intergalactic Game.” He began. “Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a boy named David. David loved playing soccer more than anything else in the whole universe. But he didn't just play regular soccer; he played space soccer!”

“Space soccer?” Selena remarked in mock-surprise. “How does that work?”

“In space soccer, players wore shiny, silver spacesuits and zoomed around the field wearing anti-gravity boots and hoverboards!” David explained, still reading. “The soccer ball glowed with neon colors, and the field was set among the stars, with planets and comets swirling around.”

“Wow!” Selena remarked. “Sounds epic!” she added, earning a nod from David, the boy seemingly growing more confident as he fidgeted a little on the balls of his feet.

“One star-filled day, David's team, the Star Strikers, had a big match against their rivals, the Lunar Leapers for the All-Star Intergalactic Cup! The game was tied, and there were only a few minutes left on the clock. David's heart raced with excitement as he dribbled the ball down the field! But…”

“Uh-oh…” Selena encouraged with her participation. “But’s never a good thing!”

“As David dribbled the ball down the field, a shadow fell over him. It was none other than Zorgon the Scourge, determined to stop David from making the winning shot. Zorgon zoomed toward David on his jet-powered hoverboard, his evil laughter echoing through the stadium!”

“BOO! BOO Xander- I mean Zorgon!”

“But David wasn't about to let Zorgon ruin his moment of glory. With lightning-fast reflexes, he dodged Zorgon's laser blasts and continued toward the goal. Just as David was prepared to take the shot, he noticed Zorgon closing in fast. It was then that he remembered the words of his ‘Space-Wizard-Master’, the ancient Jedi, Sel-Een-Ah!”

“I’m a space wizard?!” Selena’s eyes widened. “That’s even better than being a world champion, let me tell you!”

“Remembering her words - ‘the ends justify the means, my prince’ -” David continued proudly, “David faked a drop, making it look like he lost control of the ball. Zorgon took the bait, diving in to steal it. As Zorgon lunged forward, he swiftly regained control of the ball and dashed toward the goal. With Zorgon out of position, David had a clear shot!”

“Go David!” Selena cheered on, hearing her son’s voice growing more and more excited.

“With a swift kick, David sent the ball flying toward the goal. It soared past the opposing team's goalie and headed straight for the net. The crowd held their breath as the ball sailed through the air. Suddenly, with a loud whoosh, the ball burst into a shower of glittering stardust as it crossed the goal line. The referee blew the whistle, and cheers erupted throughout the stadium!”

“WOO!” Selena clapped her hands. “Go Star Strikers!”

“David’s teammates rushed onto the field, hoisting him onto their shoulders as they celebrated their victory and collected the massive Intergalactic Cup! David's smile beamed brighter than the stars! And he realized that dreams, even in the vastness of space, can come true! From that day on, David's winning goal was talked about across the galaxy, inspiring young space soccer players everywhere to reach for the stars and never give up on their dreams. And David? Well, he continued to play space soccer, scoring goals and making memories that would last a lifetime.”

A long pause stood between mother and son as David slowly lowered the laptop, his eyes nervously shifting in their gaze at and away from his mother. “The end.” He simply added.

For a moment, Selena said nothing, merely letting her son’s story sit with her. Slowly, she let her proud grin grow until it filled her face. “Very good.” She smiled, pushing herself up to her feet and moving over to her son to wrap her arms around him. “I am very proud of you.”

“R-really…” David asked, smiling up at his taller mother.

“I am.” Selena grinned. “That was so good! You could easily be a writer!”

Quickly, the boy shook his head. “I want to be a soccer player.” He stressed.

“In space?” Selena asked knowingly.
“One day!”

“Well…” the platinum-blonde shook her head lovingly. “Long as you keep trying and reaching for the stars, my prince.” She offered him a wink. “And set aside a ticket for me for your games… you can do it.”

“Thanks, mom.” David beamed – brighter than the stars… Selena noticed. He’ll need the best trainers and schools to be good enough to play professionally… her thoughts reminded her. Something a ‘celebrity’ could definitely set up with the right fame and money…

“Mom?”
“Hmmm? Selena refocused herself on her still embraced son.
“Can I go play now?”

A laugh escaped her from the question, the platinum-blonde playfully shoving him away. “Go on, get out of here, little star striker.” She grinned. “Have fun, but don’t be too loud or disturb your sisters.”

“I won’t!” David replied in utter joy as he bolted out of the sitting room, running towards the stairs to the basement and passing-

At last, Selena noticed her wife standing by the stairs, watching the two of them from her vantage point.

“Did you hear him?” Selena asked with a grin. “Hell of a storyteller.”

Deanna said nothing right away, merely gazing back at her son as she watched him heading down the stairs – no doubt to his video games.

“Deanna?” Selena asked, still not getting her attention. “Deanna!”

The second time worked as the redhead jerked her head around to stare at her wife. “Oh…uh…I’m sorry. I…” she gestured towards the direction David had run. “Did he write that story?”

“He did.” Selena nodded proudly. “Zero help from me. Did you help him?”
“He didn’t have anything this morning before you got here.”
“Well… I mean.” Selena shrugged. “He did have that great game last week. Easy to see the references.”
“Yeah…” again, Deanna’s gaze became distant. “I guess.”

Still, Selena was too proud to give it much thought. “I… I gotta tell ya.” She smiled, moving the few steps needed to stand beside her wife. “We’ve got some pretty amazing kids.”

“We…” a sigh slowly came from Deanna before she nodded her head. “The best.”

“Elsianna and David are growing up so fast and Ami is well on her way.” Selena explained. “Elsa is… she’ll be a teenager before I know it. And David wants to be a soccer player…”

“Of course he does.” Deanna laughed. “And then, in a few months, he’ll want to be a hockey player.”

“Still, I…” Selena breathed, turning to pace around the room. “I’m missing some of these things. Elsianna growing up like she has. David’s games. Ami’s learning more and more each day.”

“You’re trying.” Deanna spoke slowly.

“That’s just it. I AM trying.” Selena nodded, turning her gaze at Deanna. “I am trying my best for this family and to give them more than I ever had! I don’t want anything that I do to deter them or make their lives harder! I want to make their lives better, you know?”

“I… I do.”

“And I want you to be safe. I want you to succeed too, you know! Free from the monsters and demons I had to deal with. Does that make sense?”

“So far…” Deanna slowly spoke. “But I’m not seeing the point here.”

“I know…” Selena sighed. “I’m just… I’m nervous, okay? I’m not good at asking this.”

“Asking what?”

Slowly, the Snow Queen took a deep breath, letting the silence fill her almost as strongly as the numbness empowering her. Play it! her devil-voice commanded. The next step of the plan…

“I’ve just been thinking…” Selena slowly spoke. “That maybe… once this whole thing is over. And IF I secure my place to Rise to Greatness’ main-event… secure the legacy, the name, fix SCW like I planned… maybe I just… whatever happens in July… I fix us entirely.”

“Fix us?” Deanna raised an eyebrow, trying her best to stop the hitch in her throat. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… if you’ll agree…” Selena breathed, adopting a nervous glance to her stunned wife. “I’d like to move back in… with you and the kids.”

_______________________________________________________________

[/i]

The Royal Letter

The camera opens sharply to the interior of a familiar office, though it has been some time since this particular office has been used, with its bookshelves in the background taking up the back wall and the familiar crushed-velvet throne-chair. Sitting in said chair, however, is the woman who’s presence is always in such letters. It is perhaps due to the privacy of this particular Royal Letter, however, that her look is far more casual: charcoal-gray shirt and black pants. A few minutes pass as she sits at her chair, her chin resting against the palm and knuckles of her left hand, eyes looking away from the camera.

Aaron… despite her deep-in-thought expression, her calling of the senior official of SCW is downright direct and cold.

As a professional courtesy, I’ve given you some time to think about what your behaviour lately and what’s happened since your little outburst in Los Angelas at me…

She takes a deep breath, as steadying herself, her sapphire eyes moving up to glare at the camera.

But weeks later, and after everything: I would have thought you’d be the one contacting me first with an apology. An apology for the disrespect you showed me.

Adjusting herself, the Snow Queen leans a little forward, her expression deadly.

Let me ask you something, Aaron. Who brought you into this? Who’s made sure from the early start of this year that you’ve been officiating practically EVERY main-event on pay-per-view? On most events on Breakdown? Who was it that’s been making sure you’re the ‘guy’ that is the ‘Face of Officials’ here in SCW?

You think I couldn’t have picked anyone else? You think I couldn’t have picked Hollinsworth? Or Cassidy? Or just brought in my own and penned them in on my demands? he speech slows down, stressing each word. I run this company. Everything I want? I get. I demand respect. I demand integrity. I demand that consequences be given. And it all stops, starts, and falls on MY shoulders, Aaron!

She sits back, taking a slow breath. And I honestly thought that you understood that. I thought that you – of all people, of all officials – understood what I was trying to do here. The pressure I was under, the stress that I take on and why I take it on. I thought you got it because, like me, you never asked to have your reputation and integrity slandered and dragged through the mud. You were unfairly treated by them. Just like I was. We never asked for that! We never deserved it! But THEY took it away. THEY made me out to be hated and vilified when I did NOTHING wrong – just like they are turning on you and hating you when you’ve done NOTHING wrong!

And that night… I came to you to offer my support. To give you my encouragement. To show my appreciation as the World Champion. For your courage, your heart, and, what I thought, was your integrity…

And what did you do? What did you do?!

She scoffs. You got in my face! You told me that I was ‘wrong’?! You… she winces a little, irritated. You blamed ME for the disrespect that THEY have shown you?! For THEM questioning your integrity when all I have asked of you is call the matches down the middle, devoid of controversy and filled with integrity. And then you tell me – the world champion. The one who runs this place – to leave your changeroom. Like you’re the one calling the shots around here. Like you’re the one that all of this falls on. Like you’re the one that – if this fails – it crashes and burns you…

Slowly reaching up, Selena rubs her hands for a few seconds before returning her gaze to the camera. That what you want, Aaron? You want to be me? You want to be the world champion and be the one making the decisions for this company? You want to be the one making the calls to fix what they did to US? You want to be the one that handles CHBK and puts that deluded, old fool in his place and keeps him there?

Because you saw what he did! You saw how he undermined us! You saw how he disrespected us at Taking the Leap! How he put a fricking loser like Simon and a hypocrite like Bree as the main-event – ahead of US - because Simon’s a psycho and Kristen Scott failed to measure up to MY level, draw, and star-power. You think he’d care if it was you or someone else officiating my matches? No. He took away OUR main-event – YOUR main-event, just like he did last year – because he thought he could and I had to fight him – fight the BOSS – for US. To make sure it NEVER happened again.

You want to be the one to do that now? You want to be the one facing THAT down? Risking your job and place here by angering the ‘boss’?

She shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders. Great! Because then, maybe I can focus on doing what I am supposed to be doing and be the dominant world champion that I’ve still managed to be. Maybe then, I could just focus on just Xander Valentine and not every other person that’s seemed to ‘slip past you’ for the past few weeks to get to me! I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone except the man that wants to ‘DESTROY’ me!

Because you’re the one calling the shots, right? You’re the one fighting for our fair treatment and for this title to be elevated to its proper place in the main-event right, instead of the cesspool of controversy it was in while I was gone? You’re the one taking on management and never backing down, right? Advocating for what we deserve, right? What is best and what is RIGHT for this company?!

A second of silence passes before Selena slowly smiles, shaking her head knowingly – her voice a cold, dead calm. It’s okay, Aaron. I know you don’t want that. I know you don’t want that burden in your life. So, let me make this clear here and now, Aaron. Something you need to get in your head. I am the world champion. I make the decisions I know you don’t or can’t make. I make the calls that you’re too afraid too. I make the choices that make people watch these shows, watch this company, so you even HAVE a job! You…

You’re the one that raises my arm and puts the title around MY waist! That’s your place in this epic tale. You’re here because of ME. Not the other way around. Your stock is rising because of ME. Your paycheck – those bonuses you clearly love so much? Are because of me!

So… the next time I walk into your changeroom, the only thing I want to see is gratitude. The only thing I want to hear from you is understanding. Do you understand?

Because we are ONE win away! In a burst of sudden anger from her cold whispered tone, Selena slams her fist onto the black, mahogany desk in front of her, the ringing of the slam echoing in the office space for a brief moment before settling into silence. The Snow Queen takes a few moments to breath, trying to calm herself.

But maybe… maybe I’m a little too harsh. Maybe I’m being a little too harsh on you. That what you’re thinking now, Aaron? I mean, here’s Selena Frost, sending a private Royal Letter to you, again, and calling you out privately – rather than embarrass you like you did to me in LA… her tone shifts from slightly calm to dead serious before going back to calm. But maybe this whole thing is just… is just one big misunderstanding.

Slowly, Selena pushes herself out of the chair, still in the camera show as she moves around her chair to the bookshelf, her head turning back towards the camera every few words.

I’m willing to accept that from you. I’m willing to understand that. It’s the pressure. It’s the first time you’ve had to deal with this, right? You’ve always been the ‘company-man’ just like I was ‘The Face of SCW’ and its ‘yes-woman’ for about ten years. I get it. I get it, Aaron. I never questioned authority either, I always did what was asked of me – often more. I defended SCW – hell, there wouldn’t even be an SCW if it wasn’t for me taking down groups like The Wonderland, The Brand, Katya’s Infamous, and New Eden, just to name a few.

But did you really think fighting for what was right – what was owed to us – would be easy? That you’d just have to sit back and things would be smooth sailing with me leading you? she scoffs at that. Aaron, what do you tell your kids? Huh? Do you tell them that ‘doing the right thing is always easy’? That they never have to ‘fight for what they believe in’? Or do you tell them that anything in this world worth having has to be fought for?!

Turning her hand, Selena pulls out a black book before turning it sideways and opening it, revealing it to be wooden and hollow. Carefully, she removes a black, plastic vial from it before putting the book back and making her way back to her throne to sit.

I have fought for all of this and sacrificed more than ANYONE else for it! I’ve taken on all the hate. I’ve bent my morals. she winces a little at that again as her hands begin to open the vial, where she begins to remove several small, clear capsules, putting them on the desk in front of her. I’ve let them call me a hypocrite, interfered in matches, struck people with the world title – things I’ve never done more than a few times because of my integrity. I’ve compromised myself in more ways than I can say and my private life… my marriage…

Again, the Snow Queen looks away distantly for a moment before shaking her head. I’ve done it because I know, in my heart, that we are doing the right thing here and that is worth everything! That is worth it all! That is worth fighting for! And you got scared. I see that. You got scared that it was spilling onto you – that ‘guilty by association’ that lowlifes and desperate fools like Kandis and Scott want to use to justify their actions. But how long did you get without me? How long did it take for them to come after you, Aaron?

She shakes her head. That is why I am hoping that this whole thing is one big misunderstanding. Because you had your little temper tantrum and, right after, you saw the reality of how things were. You saw just how right we are in what we do! Kandis? Scott? Polly? They’re talking about me, the world championship, us… they’re attacking us with cheap shots and sneak attacks because they are scared of us, Aaron! They know only one of them, at best, is getting to Rise to Greatness. Only one of them, at best, will be able to face us for the world championship and they are scared! They’re scared because they can’t measure up to what we have done! The level of skill and integrity that we can create!

Hell, we’ve got Xander Valentine scared!

A grin spreads across Selena’s pale features. Xander Valentine – the ‘untouchable’ is intimidated by us! To the point where he RAN away from Breakdown to go and train in his private facilities or whatever! To the point where, when he came back, he needed to make this out to be his ‘possibly last run with the world title, EVAH!’ to try and garner some sympathy from the SCW Universe. To try and put himself in a mindset that ‘empowers’ him! We did that, Adam! We’ve got all of SCW terrified of us to they point where they NEED to cheap-shot me. They need to manhandle you. They need to threaten us! Because they can’t beat US! And you think I need any more proof that we are doing the right thing for this company? For this world championship?

You think Xander is going to give a damn about this? About you? About SCW? Xander only cares about one person: Xander. How many times, Aaron, has he pulled this ‘last chance ever’ crap? How many times as he headed for the hills, only to come back with his tail between his legs, acting like he was still ‘the baddest man in the land’? Didn’t he put his career on the line just last RTG against Syren? How many times have you seen that from him? Or officiated that? And do you think he’s going to look out for you if he’s the world champion? You think he’s going to ‘protect’ you when CHBK screws you over again, choosing Joe Schmoe over you because of ‘ratings’? You think he’s going to fight for you like I have?

We’re talking about the same man that attacked officials, attacked management – attacked FANS – just because he felt like it! Just because he wanted to. Just because he couldn’t accept that I was better! A man that, last time he was world champion, declared himself ‘Judge, Jury, and Executioner’ and declared who was ‘worthy’ to face him and who wasn’t. I’ve done nothing but bring those kind of people UP to my level – he kept them out! Remember that?

Letting her words sink in, Selena reaches over for a wooden box, opening it to reveal a glass syringe. Carefully, as she speaks, she works the needle into the clear pills, drawing out the insides into the tube. But WE can stop that, Aaron. WE can safeguard SCW from having to go through that again. WE can keep the world title, the company, from going back to that idea of exclusion for the world championship.

A few more pills are drained until the syringe is quite full with a clear liquid. Holding it in her hands, Selena turns her gaze back to the camera.

But not if you’re getting cold feet. Her sapphire eyes narrow. Because we are so close, Aaron. We are one win away from having EVERYTHING made right. One win away from headlining Rise to Greatness 21 – the way it SHOULD have been last year. Me, the world champion, you – the paragon of integrity – officiating! As WE set the standard for what SCW and the world title is meant to be about! One more win, Aaron, and all of that is ours! One more win and all of that is made right! You being screwed out of it by O. and CHBK and me being screwed out of MY fair match by them all for ‘ticket sales’. It gets made right – no! – it gets FORGOTTEN! Forgotten and replaced by the rightful image of Aaron Demitra, the leader of the referees. The rightful man to officiate the biggest matches in SCW history!

It isn’t about pride. This isn’t about ‘keeping a title’. This isn’t even about ‘making history’ or whatever, Aaron! Those are just buzzwords we use to push a match! This is about our legacy! This is about what we are leaving behind for our families! This is about how we are remembered! This is about doing what’s right! For us, for our families, our children, for this business!

Taking a deep breath, Selena calms herself further. Taking a look at one of the remaining pills, she picks it up, her eyes studying it for a moment before popping it into her mouth, swallowing it with little difficulty. Taking a small breath, she returns her gaze back to the camera. I need you, Aaron. I’m not too proud to admit that. The world champion needs you. I need you to be strong. I need you to be brave. I need you to be the man that I’ve always believed you were! Not the snivelling, crying fool you’ve been lately. I need Aaron Demitra back! I need the only man deserving and worthy to officiate the matches of ‘The Blue-Eyed Devil’ and the greatest world champion of all time back! I need him back to make sure things don’t spiral out of control. I need him back to BE the control – cause we both know what Scott and Kandis are planning! We both know they aren’t going to win the royale! We both know how petty they are! They proved that in LA, didn’t they? They’re coming for us. They’re coming to take this from us. The world title and, more importantly, our main-event. What we have earned. What we – what I – have given EVERYTHING for! Simply because we are better than them.

So, I need you to be brave… I need you to be what I need to keep being and that’s ‘us’! I need us to be us! To be the best at what we do! Because that’s our ticket! That’s how we overcome Xander Valentine! That’s how we overcome the controversy and chaos that Kandis and Scott are bringing into our business! That’s how we surpass it – the odds, the controversy, the promised interference - and get things on track to our rightful place in the main-event of Rise to Greatness! That’s how we make all of this right!

Selena! You coming back?!

The bright voice, off camera, suddenly steals Selena’s attention away, shocking her enough to jerk her head and, almost, fumble the glass needle between her fingers. Managing to catch the syringe gingerly, she breathes a quiet sigh of relief before gazing off camera.

I’ll be right up. Just a few more minutes.

She is silent for a few seconds before placing the needle back within the wooden, cushioned box, closing it and locking it via the tumblers. With a sigh, the young woman turns her head back towards the camera.

I protect what’s mine. She states firmly, her voice suddenly cold and her sapphire eyes narrowing once more. I suggest you do the same. Because, I promise you… either we BOTH will get what is due to us – the main-event of Rise to Greatness… her voice becomes a cold growl. Or I’ll make sure NEITHER of us do.

She remains silent, staring into the camera for the shot suddenly goes to black.

[Xander Valentine]

OOC: This rp takes place after my last Breakdown RP.

2 of 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NKjD...sp=sharing

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Posted in two parts due to length.

Villain of the Year

”Giving the Devil Her Due”

Manhattan School District #3
Manhattan, New York
May 30th, 2024
1:23pm

“Shit shit shit shit shit shit!” the woman rapidly cursed as she drove the Aston Martin DB12 – more like sped it – into the medium sized parking lot. It was relatively easy for her to do so, with the entrances/exits and surrounding space devoid of cars and buses. It would be that way for at least another hour and a half, she was sure of that, but not much longer. There was only two hours left of school for the middle-school classes, which meant the place would soon be packed with buses, their drivers, and with parents like her (with their own vehicles) that would be picking up their child(ren).

And you were supposed to be here 23 minutes ago!

She wasn’t sure if the mental chastisement was in her voice, her ‘devil’s-voice’ mixture of her/Malcolm/Anastasia or her imaging Deanna’s voice… or perhaps it was all of them at once. Either way, Selena quickly swung the wheel of her new car into the upper empty spaces by the entrance/exit she had just used. She still needed a quick exit for afterwards - Don’t lose focus. Okay, THAT was her devil’s voice saying that, the dark gruff ‘tone’ echoing in her brain with its word of warning.

It actually felt more calming to Selena and she chose to focus on that emotion, which was the only thing keeping her from jumping out of the car and sprinting towards the school at whatever top speeds she could manage in her black dress shoes. Her tardiness, she sternly confessed to herself, had been her own fault. No one else’s.

She had started the day waking up before the sun came out, as per usual, and immediately spending the first hour on one of the many balconies of the Eyrie Tower (her favorite one) in quiet meditation, trying to clear her mind and give calm and focus to herself – things she desperately needed at the start of each day – before surrendering herself, inevitably, to the devil-voice. Once that part of her was up, things became only more intense. Two hours of training had flown by in the gym, her mind focused on the same thing her meditation had settled on, which occurred as she had had her breakfast and sugar-free iced-coffee and begun her singular ‘morning task’.

Study.

A sigh escaped the Snow Queen as she reached up to adjust the wide and long rearview mirror of the car on herself, allowing her to gaze at her own reflection. She had rushed through her makeup, using only the basics such as eyeliner and rouge to accentuate some of her features like her eyes, cheeks and lips. She had never been a heavy-makeup user like… Kandis… she bit back the spike of irritation at the comparison. She chose to look ‘dignified’ and ‘a woman of class’, not ‘trampy’ or ‘Shameless’ as that brat had kept saying - clearly as an excuse for Kandis’ failure and incompetence.

Another sigh, Selena forcing herself to further calm down, her eyes shifting over to the glove compartment, even flexing her hand in quick contemplation before refocusing. Not yet… whispered her mind.

As previously stated, she had spent the rest of her morning studying. She had to. The days were just trickling away so quickly, one after the other. There were only about 3 days left until Taking Hold of the Flame. Three days left until the single, most important title-defense of her current reign as the SCW world champion – maybe of her whole career! Four times in a row now, including this weekend, she had been in the world title match at Taking Hold of the Flame, twice as a challenger and twice as the champion, with the last three all swinging in her favor for victory. It was, probably, one of her best pay-per-views performed in her career and, yet… she still believed this one was far more vital compared to any of the others, despite the talent of Giovanni Aries, Cid Turner, and, even, Adam Allocco.

One win away…

Since she had shouted those words in her private ‘Royal Letter’ to Aaron Demtria – hoping to get the SCW official back in line one way or another (vital as it was) – the concept had not left her and what drove all her focus and study. She had allowed herself the one day to focus on her children, assisting them in their projects, but as soon as it had been concluded, she had returned to the Eyrie Tower and immediately set to work. The days were filled with nothing but study and training. Even her diet had gotten stricter. She had cut out any food that slowed her down or hindered her speed, strength, and progress. Which meant more… she winced at the next thought… Kelp shakes… and tuna straight from the can and less panini-pressed sandwiches and high-sugar drinks like her favorite vanilla-thai with double expresso shot. “Gods, I could use one of those…” she thought bitterly. Her sugar-free iced coffee just hadn’t hit the spot today… or any day this week in comparison to the cold-brew she usually loved in the morning.

But it was necessary! Beyond necessary! She needed to be ready. She needed to have everything working in her favor. One mistake. One miscalculation. That was all Xander would need to take everything she had worked for – everything she had sacrificed for the chance to ‘correct’ the wrongdoings SCW had done to her and her name and to her family – away. Since he had won the number one contender spot, perhaps a bit before that actually, the man had stated up and down to anyone that would listen that he was a different man than he had been years ago. A note that SCW had run with, from Knots and Sharper, to promotional highlights, to commercials and other marketing packages.

And Selena had played into it, using it to her advantage to mess with Xander’s head – gods, how she had enjoyed that. After so many years and battles with him – with him being the mastermind with his ‘mind games’… for her to be the one that was making HIM dance to her little games this time around?

Again, Selena admired herself in the mirror. How could anyone think this was wrong? After everything she had been through the last ten years, the scars she carried on her body and would carry for the rest of her life, all the times she had been the one played and manipulated and hurt… why was it so ‘evil’ or ‘wrong’ that she was the one calling the shots now? That she was the one in control?!

Kandis? Scott? How could anyone agree with the methods of those two? They were running in – Kandis, especially – and getting involved in matters that didn’t concern them! They had HAD their chance! Selena had given them their fair matches against her – given them the chance to prove themselves and be the world champion she was! And they had both failed. What they were doing now? What they were being ALLOWED to do now: running down into the ring, attacking her, promising to get involved with her business this weekend and every other show? Why was this being allowed?! Why was CHBK and management doing nothing?!

She felt her hands tighten into her fists. She had enough on her plate dealing with Xander fucking Valentine! There had never been a match that she had had with the Executioner in which she hadn’t needed to use every bit of strength, power, and resilience she possessed! One fight with the man was always exhausting and painful and, she suspected, career-shortening… and she had had at least FIVE with him throughout her career! Knowingly, she had already booked off the next five days following this Sunday for the sole purpose of recovery! Which meant no appointments, no ‘special meetings’ for SCW-publicity – nothing! She would disappear for a week strictly to recover from the beating she knew she would have to endure this weekend in order to beat Xander.

And isn’t that enough of a worry?!

Oh no! Now she had to worry about the One AND Kandis! Because they weren’t coming for Xander. Oh no! Xander wasn’t any more the target than Bree Lancaster had been! No, they were coming for her! When the pair of them inevitability failed at taking ‘The Flame’ in the royale, they would come for her just to be ‘the ones’ to ‘stop the evil Selena’ and raise their own egos and stock in the eyes of the deluded SCW Universe.

And Xander… She felt the scoff escape her before she heard it within the space of her car. Xander would do the same thing he had done week after week since he had won that damn match with Ravyn that had given him his ‘shot’.

Same thing he had done when she had turned her back on him and dared him to attack.
Same thing he had done when she had held Scott and Kandis accountable for their actions and promos.
Same thing he had done when she had dared him to attack her in the ring.
Same thing he had done when she had been attacked by Scott and Kandis’ cowardly actions.

Nothing.

The man had done nothing to keep their match devoid of controversy and chaos. Nothing to keep them both at their A-game. Nothing to ensure the battlefield was ‘fair’ and ‘without question’. He seemed content in being a ‘third-wheel’ until this weekend, or a ‘bit-part’ until the bell rang. Whatever he needed to do to have his stupid ‘warrior’s-death’ or whatever SCW was whispering about the man’s career possibly ending with ‘one last title run’. All at Selena’s expense…

Again, her eyes fluttered to the glove-compartment a split-second before her mind caught her. Not yet… it demanded. Focus.

Again, she obeyed. She had worried enough about all of these factors, using them to further her study and training. Xander’s ‘changes’ were superficial at best, like the kind of change one got from a haircut or dropping some weight, but his style? Selena had run that through the ringer. THAT was what mattered to her. What he did in the ring. There had to be weaknesses. He wasn’t as fast. He wasn’t as strong. He wasn’t as this. He wasn’t as that. He favored this and favored that. His moves were a little different – THESE were the things she had taken note of in her research. All to be ready – and praying Deanna had kept her promise and spoken with CHBK on the matter of interference.

Because if she so much as saw a hooded figure in the audience again…

She felt the last of her anger ebb away, her calm finally taking hold, allowing her to pull herself out of the car. Adjusting her black pantsuit, specifically the blazer over the matching corset she wore underneath, she began marching towards the school, clearing her mind of SCW, Xander, Kandis, Scott and all others with each step.

Taking a step while adjusting the family crest necklace she wore… she moved Xander to the back of her mind.
Taking a step and fixing her tight, iconic braid… She moved Kandis there too.
Taking a step and adopting her ‘family-woman’ smile and loving gaze… She moved Scott there.
Taking a step and releasing the tension in her hands and back… she moved the SCW Universe there.

Until, at last, the Blue-Eyed Devil was hidden once more, in place of simply ‘Selena Frost’, mother and wife to her children and Deanna respectively, stepping into the middle-school building. She had been here more times than she cared to count and continued her quick-yet-controlled march down the hall that greeted her. She took stock of the large windows that showed the inside of the cafeteria, obviously, empty. She spotted the large flight of stairs of tiles of stone and blue marble that led up to the second-floor classrooms. She heard the different speaking tones, some of teachers and some of students, as she passed by several classroom doors. All of it was a route in Selena’s mind, with the platinum-blonde taking the shortest route she knew to get to the proper classroom she needed to be at. Her eyes spotted the clocks on some of the walls as she passed, taking in the time: 1:31… 1:32… 1:33…

She forced the irritation down with a hard swallow, refusing to break her mask as she turned another corner, finally spotting the long hallway and the classrooms lined up there, numerous colorful lockers build into the walls in-between them. She slowed her march slightly, stopping right before the door she had targeted. Quietly, the young woman stood against the metal of the nearby locker, straining her ears to hear. She could just make out a light voice – male, a boy, one of the students. She heard the words of ‘astronaut’, ‘space’, and ‘rocket ship’ – coming from within but she did not make a move to enter.

She was too nervous at the prospect of, one, being too late and having missed the presentation, primarily, and two, that her entrance would draw too much attention and she’d make things worse for herself and, more importantly, her daughter. Instead, she waited for her chance – keeping her ears locked on the speaking student inside as the boy continued to ramble about… whatever it was he was talking about for his final project. After two or three glances at the nearby clock hanging on the wall, however, Selena opted merely to listen and ignore the time-keeping device, her frustration with the passing of time not helping her in her current state, with her, again, mentally cursing herself for losing track of time.

Still, she reminded herself, there was one saving grace that she found herself clinging to. The final projects for her eldest child’s class were all presentations, the class divided into two groups for today and tomorrow, with the children presenting in alphabetical order. And with her daughter’s last name beginning with an ‘F’, it placed her near the middle to tail-end of that day’s group, granting Selena more time. Thank the gods – FOCUS! her devil-voice interrupted her mid-thought, forcing the young world champion to tune back in, as it were, to the current ‘presenter’-

“Excuse me…” the little voice caught her off-guard, Selena almost jumping out of her skin at the very nearby voice. Her body went rigid and her right fist flew up, on the defensive, ready to strike at the source – you get jumped THREE times by the same woman in the span of two or so months and you learn to react fast! – but just as quickly stopped herself as the ‘source’ in question was a small girl, shorter than Selena’s eldest daughter, and wearing blue jeans and a purple t-shirt with a picture of ‘Wednesday Addams’ from The Addams Family on it.

“Oh…sorry…” Selena managed to squeak out, moving out of the way of the child and door (having suddenly realized she had moved in front of it in that span of time). She watched the child reach up and place her hand on the doorknob but did not turn it or open the door.

“You…” Selena whispered, eyeing the small window that showed a bit of the classroom on the other side. “You going in?”

The young child, with soft (Selena guessed) Korean-features, shook her head. “Mrs. Parker says if we go to the bathroom, we have to wait till whoever is speaking is finished before coming in.”

“Oh…okay.” Selena nodded her head in understanding. “Have you already gone? Presented, I mean.”
Again, another headshake from the young girl. “I’m going tomorrow.”

“Fair enough.” Selena whispered back, finally noticing the laminated, lime-green piece of paper in the girl’s empty hand, a paper that read ‘Hall pass’. “Ummm… if you don’t mind me asking.” She tried to sound gentle, non-threatening. “Can you tell me what letter they are on for presentations? When you left, I mean.”

The student took a moment to look towards Selena, process the question, and then nod her head. “I think that’s still Bernie talking in there. I wasn’t gone too long. He’s a ‘D’.”

“Oh good!” Selena breathed in relief, perhaps a bit louder than she intended, but she couldn’t help herself. D came before F, she DEFINITELY knew that! Which meant that her daughter hadn’t gone yet! Which meant that, while she would definitely get an earful from Deanna for her tardiness, she wouldn’t be in nearly as much trouble as she would have been if she had missed-

The sound of the doorknob turning caught Selena’s attention, breaking her chain of thought, as the young, purple t-shirt-wearing girl pulled the door open. Immediately, the sound of light applause filled the Snow Queen’s ears, nowhere near as incredible as a stadium-filled with thousands of SCW fans, but still, it was unmistakable. Following right behind the girl, the taller woman slipped into the classroom, staying at the back wall and, almost, wishing she could just blend into it like a chameleon to avoid detection.

Fortunately, few of the students looked behind them as they applauded the presenter – Bernie, Selena recalled – the boy quickly walking back to take his seat at his desk. As for the teacher, Mrs. Parker, the woman’s eyes fluttered over her class to the back of the room as Selena had entered, the woman simply giving a nod of her brunette-haired head to signal her welcoming of the wrestler into the classroom space.

Keeping to the back wall and scanning the classroom, Selena was quick to spot her daughter first. Three rows down and farthest to the right, she immediately recognized her daughter’s hair, much like hers and… for a moment, she was surprised to see her child’s hair tied up in the same braid pattern as Selena’s! Deanna must have done it and… her thoughts stopped as she then observed what her daughter was wearing, feeling her breath hitch a little in her throat in surprise. For instead of the girl’s usual preference of conservative and unassuming attire, her eldest choosing mild colors where the other kids were wearing graphic t-shirts and/or bright ensembles, Elsianna was wearing black jeans and, more importantly… Selena’s red leather jacket. The one the platinum-blonde had often wore on SCW shows – or at least she had before ‘The Blue-Eyed Devil’. She couldn’t really recall the last time she had favored the red over the black leather ones she now wore in-between the dresses and, her eyes fluttered down at her own attire, pantsuits.

Still, to see her daughter wearing it… there was no denying the fluttering in her heart that she felt. The pride she felt and-

Focus-
JUST LET ME HAVE THIS FOR A MOMENT, OKAY?!/i]

Her mind went silent after the mental outburst she threw towards her devil-voice, being met only with silence in response. Content with that, she admired her daughter for a few more seconds, the smile refusing to fade from her face even as she felt her arm being tugged and herself being pulled further to the back of the room.

A few steps later, Selena managed to tear her eyes away from Elsianna enough to see who was guiding her along the back, though she had already guessed it. She first saw the full, red hair, followed by the dark-green, ruffled sleeve dress the shorter woman was wearing. The woman pulled Selena further along the back wall and past other men and women – adults – standing against it. [i]Other parents… Selena reasoned with ease. The presentations had been ‘open to all parents’ that could attend, a method used by Mrs. Parker to ‘showcase the children’s year-long project’. At the far corner, Selena also spotted the camcorder recording the front of the class where the ‘presenter’ stood – probably for the parents that worked day shifts and could not attend today.

She felt herself be stopped just before the two of them reached the corner of the large classroom and it was at that time that the shorter woman turned her redhead to glare at Selena.

“Where have you been?” Deanna asked in a whisper only Selena could hear – though that did not make the frustration any less obvious on the younger woman’s face.
“I’m sorry.” Selena tried, matching her wife’s volume of near inaudibility. “I was held up with some issues. I got here as fast as I could.”
“What issues?” Deanna asked, her face a mixture of disbelief and growing concern.
“The kind that ensured we get to LA in one piece…and possibly out of it.” she added. “Don’t ask.” She quickly ordered, her sapphire eyes staring down into her beloved’s.
“Oh, I am going to ask.” Deanna shot back, keeping her voice low. “You disappear-“

“I told you I was going on radio silent.” Selena explained as patiently as she could, those same eyes constantly flashing across the entire classroom to ensure the two of them weren’t getting unwanted attention from the teachers, students or few parents that were there with them. “You know what I’m in for this weekend.” She slowly spoke. “I can’t afford to be-“

“I know.” Sighed Deanna. “And I get it, okay? But what if there had been an emergency?”
“Was there?” Selena asked pointedly.

To her surprise, however, Deanna looked away for a moment – concern and uncertainty flashing before her eyes and face. “There was…” she turned back to Selena. “There’s been an issue we definitely need to talk about. Soon.”

“Alright…” Selena nodded, eyeing the speaking Mrs. Parker as she got the next student up to the front of the class – another young boy that was wearing some kind of gray Transformer shirt (the word was written across the attire). “How soon? Like can we deal with it after this weekend?”

“I…” Deanna stammered, her uncertainty unwavering. “I don’t know. There’s been…” She shook her head. “Never mind. I’ll handle it best I can, okay? Did you talk to the Eyrie Tower people about moving back in with us?”

“Yes.” The lie came easily enough. “They said I still had a several months to work out in the contract, so I have to own the place till then, technically. Year-long contract. Not too big of a hassle.”

“Oh… that’s…understandable.” Deanna nodded.
“That a problem?”
“No.” the redhead shook her head. “But you’re still moving back?”
“Soon as I have things set for RtG.” Selena nodded. “Get past Xander and whatever Kandis and Scott-“ she whisper-stressed the last two names. “Have planned to screw me out of the title… get past all of them and then I can relax and focus on getting us back to normal.”

“Normal…” Deanna’s voice trailed off at the word, the redhead focusing her attention back to the front of the class. “What I wouldn’t give for that…” she added under her breath, Selena barely able to hear it.

The two women remained silent as three more presentations were then given – one right after the other. For her part, Selena heard stories of vacations, fictional tales, a myriad of topics with no real connection between them. Even so, she began to understand what this ‘final project’ was about for Elsianna and her class. David’s, having been completed on the Monday, had been creative writing and presentation – this was probably a higher-level of that, using more of an ‘English class’ concept as opposed to the general education as was the case of her son.

Still, when her daughter’s name – “Elsianna Frost” Mrs. Parker said brightly – was called, Selena could not stop the spike of nervousness that hit her. Immediately, her hands went down, almost colliding with Deanna’s as the redhead lifted hers up at the same time – both without looking, the two mothers holding one another’s hands as they watched the eleven-year old take her place at the front of the class. Turning to gaze at her peers, Elsa’s blue eyes quickly looked to the back to find her mothers staring back at her, both with smiles as Deanna freed one of her hands to give a wave.

Taking a deep breath, the eldest Frost child adjusted the coat (which was quite a bit larger for her given her mother’s taller frame) before taking the printed pages in her gloved hands and holding them up.

“My hero…” She started before biting her lower lip. “By Elsianna Irena Frost.”

And then… she was off to the races!

“When asked ‘what makes a hero’ or ‘who their hero is’, most people would answer a superhero of some kind. Someone with superpowers or special weapons, but someone that does good in the world. I look around-“ she chose then to gaze at her students. “And I see Batman t-shirts. Superman lunchboxes. Avengers coats and pins on knapsacks.” She gave a shrug. “Heroes are everywhere in our culture.”

“But…” she gave a pause – one that looked so practiced that Selena could just barely see her child count the right number of seconds she had rehearsed silently before continuing – “in a world filled with fictional heroes, my hero doesn’t have a cape. My hero doesn’t have superpowers. She doesn’t have a batcave or a magic ring or an almighty hammer. My hero can’t fly. She can’t stop bullets. She can’t leap tall buildings within a single bound. But…” Blue eyes found sapphire ones as Elsianna looked back to gaze at Selena, the Snow Queen returning the gaze with a proud smile – encouraging her to continue.

“But what she lacks in fictional ‘superpowers’, my mother makes up for with the greatest heart that I have ever known. Growing up, I watched my mother train tirelessly, pushing herself to the limit – to the point where she would come home so tired and in so much pain that she could barely hug my mom or me – yet she always did. I watched her, in a world of monsters and villains – of people who sell their morals and cheat and lie – continue to fight for what was right! Presently, my hero is the world champion at one of the greatest wrestling promotions in the world: Supreme Championship Wrestling. A role she dedicates every part of herself to in order to ensure that integrity and fairness be upheld for all. But what impresses me most about my mom is not her victories in the ring, but her victories in life.”

Selena was too stunned to even speak. This was her snowflake’s project? The thing she had worked all school-year for, kept secret from her mothers… a tribute presentation… for her?

“My mom embodies the true spirit of a champion by always doing what is right, both on and off the mat. She doesn't just fight for herself; she fights for those that can’t. For those that are hurt by injustice and those that are suffering from oppression.” Elsianna explained. “But my mom's heroism extends far beyond the wrestling ring. She is a champion of doing the right thing in everyday life. Whether it's standing up to bullies, speaking out against injustice, or helping those in need, my mom always leads by example.”

Taking a moment to breath, Elsianna gazed down at one of her gloved hands, her fingers rubbing the material of the fingers against one another. “There was a bully… that is the reason I wear these gloves.” She held her hand up, earning a shocked expression from everyone, including Selena and Deanna. Was Elsianna truly sharing such a confession?

“I wanted to be like my mother and do the right thing. One day, I tried to save a dog that they were bullying and hurting. And when I did, they turned their attention on me. And my mom… my mother…” Reaching, Elsianna used the same gloved hand to wipe at her eyes with her thumb and index finger. “She stood by my side until I was completely safe in the hospital, and then stepped in and not only took down the bully, but ensured he never did what he did to me or anyone ever again…” Again, the child’s eyes found Selena’s, no mistaking the adulation within the child’s eyes. “Her bravery and empathy taught me the importance of standing up for what is right… even when it's not easy.”

Despite herself, Selena tried to hold back the tears stinging at the back of her eyes – tears that threatened to fall any second. She tried… she was not very successful.

Clearing her throat, Elsianna continued reading off her paper. “My mom's influence extends beyond our family and community; it reaches people around the whole world. As ‘The Snow Queen’ and the world champion, she uses her platform to promote positive change and inspire others to do the same. Whether it's advocating for gender equality in sports or raising awareness about important social issues, my mom is always at the forefront. Currently, she is fighting for equality and integrity within the world title picture – where, for so many years, there has been abuse, interference, and despicable methods performed within. In a world that is, usually, dominated by men, my mother proves every day that we, as women, can achieve anything that we set our minds too!”

“In conclusion…” the poor girl had to stop for a moment so sniffle back a few choking emotions. “My mom is not just a world champion of SCW; she is also a champion of doing the right thing. Her integrity, courage, and compassion make her a true hero in every sense of the word – even without any superpowers. So, while you may have your Batmans and Supermans and X-men, I have a hero of my own. A hero that I am incredibly proud to call my mother, and…” once more, for the last time, Elsa’s eyes found Selena’s. “One day, I am going to follow in her footsteps… and not only become a world champion, but, more importantly, a champion of justice, fairness, and kindness. So that I can inspire someone as much as she… has inspired me.” Biting her lower lip, Elsianna lowered her paper to her side, her shy side once more remerging as she tucked a hair behind her ear. “Thank you very much.”

A decent applause met her, no different than the other presenters – the children merely wanting to get their projects and the class done with – but the Frost wives refused to let that diminish their beaming smiles as Elsianna took her seat, Deanna even flashing the child a thumbs up as she did so.

“Very nice, Ms. Frost.” Mrs. Parker remarked cordially. “Sometimes, the greatest heroes don’t need capes or superpowers, do they?” she spoke out to the whole class, adding a bit of a lesson in reflection to the presentation, as she had for all the others so far. She even cast a kind smile towards the barely-holding-it-together Frost wives. “Now then, let’s give our attention to Georgie Guteria, who will be discussing-“

The voice seemed to dull from Selena’s senses as the class, the session, moved on, as it was bound to. And yet, for the Snow Queen, all she could do was rerun her daughter’s presentation through her head. She had known for some time that her daughter wanted to become a wrestler, following in Selena’s footsteps, as she had said. But to this level… to this belief?

I had no idea… she sniffled a little, feeling the pride and even righteousness fill her. And people question if I’m doing the right thing! The vindication was the most powerful, amazing feeling, even if it was in silence, filling Selena’s chest and displaying itself in the form of a strong, confident smile from the world champion.

Selena… the devil’s voice whispered in the back of her mind, taking her attention. It’s time…

The smile disappeared from her face almost instantly, the positive emotions being doused with a cold sensation of renewed purpose. If anything, Elsianna’s words had only proven to the platinum-blonde that what was next… needed to be done.

“Deanna…” she whispered, earning her wife’s attention. “I have to go handle one last piece of business, okay?”
The redhead seemed more confused, forcing Selena to give her a kind smile. “It’s about the move-in. I’ll handle that and come right back, alright? To celebrate.”

For a moment, emerald eyes studied the taller Frost before Deanna nodded her head, slowly letting go of her wife’s hands. “Hurry back.” She whispered, almost as a command.

“I will.” Selena promised – another lie easy enough to tell – before quietly, and before the next presenter could begin, slipping out of the classroom and back into the hallway. This time, however, she allowed herself to jog down the halls, the same way she had gone, and out of the building until she was, once again, sitting in the Aston Martin, her heart racing a little from jogging in her flat dress shoes. Quickly, her eyes found the glove-compartment one last time.

Yes… came the dark voice in her mind. It’s time to do the right thing.

Carefully, Selena flipped the compartment open, allowing the black vial to tumble out. Catching it quickly, she opened the plastic container and fished out one clear pill, popping it into her mouth and swallowing it without hesitation before also pulling out the wooden, locked box and placing in on the passenger seat beside her. She gave herself two minutes of meditative breathing – to allow the pill to kick in - before she pulled on the driving-stick, pulling her car out of the parking lot and turning back onto the roads of Manhattan.

“All for you, baby.” she whispered to no one, without an ounce of regret for what she was about to do…

****************************************************************

Lennox Hill Hospital
New York City, New York
May 30, 2024
2:54pm

Selena heard her steps echoing through the short distance that she needed to travel out of the large, underground parking lot that wrapped around the Lennox Hill Hospital. She pressed the wooden box under her arm firmly against her side, using its presence to further push her, letting the numbness radiate throughout her entire being.

Reaching the center of the area, it was not difficult to open the door in front of her, press the appropriate button necessary to activate the lift, and step into the elevator. In fact, there was nothing difficult about any of this.

It had all worked out perfectly.

Unlike last time, when she had forced herself to merely be a spectator, Selena had allowed SCW and Deanna to make the decisions regarding Jessica Winters. But as of last week and last Breakdown?

Those black eyes… Selena felt a chill creep up her spine, the Snow Queen quickly shutting it down as she continued to ride the elevator up the floors. After last Breakdown, she had taken matters into her own hands. It had been a cinch to recommend the Lennox Hall Hospital – opting for more ‘private care’ and isolation for everyone’s ‘safety’. It was a place close by to the Frost wives to prevent Enigma from getting Jessica again. Then, she had further hedged her bet by keeping Deanna distracted with the notion of moving back in together. With the redhead properly distracted with that – believing Jessica was safe, her wife was moving back in, and her children’s projects – Selena knew this was her best… and possibly only… chance to make things right.

DING!

The elevator doors opened, allowing the Snow Queen to calmly step out. To be honest, the space wasn’t that different in appearance than the John Hopkins Hospital they had first sent Jessica too. Still, with Deanna and Selena visiting the place twice already this week to check on Jessica, Selena managed to find her way through without much difficulty. Getting past the front desk for ‘resident patients’, if that was the right term for them, was simple – she just used her ‘Selena Frost’ smile and kind voice that she used with Deanna and she was let in. Within minutes, she was standing in a far wing of the building, where long-term patients resided. With a quick glance around the space, she turned the handle to open the door and stepped inside, letting the door close behind her.

The patient’s room was like the last one she had visited in Baltimore. The walls were a solid blue, the floors were tiled and there was very little else beyond a bed, where the patient lay. The difference this time, however, was that the patient was not even remotely conscious. Indeed, Selena saw as she drew closer, Jessica Winters, complete with hospital gown, laying on the bed, not moving an inch. Taking another step, the Snow Queen saw the heavy set of restraints on Jessica’s wrists, not to mention the long belt wrapped around the interviewer’s torso to hold her in place. The only sound in the room was the beeping of the heart monitor, but even that would be soon be silenced…

“Jessica…” Selena sighed moving the last few steps necessary to stand at the foot of the bed, where a counter extended from the bedframe. Carefully, the young woman placed the wooden box that was under her arm on the counter before slowly shrugging out of her blazer, revealing the black corset with shoulder straps underneath. “Why did it have to come to this?” she asked, her eyes looking up to see the room devoid of cameras – precisely the reason she had chosen it.

“Why did you have to be so weak has to fall to some nobody’s – some newbie’s – manipulation? Katya? Daisy Lee? Giovanni Aries? Nothing. Nobody got to you. But this guy with a smoke machine?” she let out an aggravated grown as she tossed her blazer onto the nearby salmon-colored couch chair.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way, you know?” she started again, her voice back to a deadly calm as her fingers began to work the tumblers on the wooden box’s lock. “You were supposed to be my chosen interviewer.” She cast a quick glance up at her unconscious friend. “It’s true.” She continued, unfazed by the one-sided conversation. “Like how I picked Aaron to be my official, which was a more pressing issue at the time, I was going to work it so only you could interview me for SCW. Only the best interviewer – complete with integrity, honor, and courage not to be manipulated like Jaina did with Katya and whatever – only you would have the right to interview the world champion.” A sigh escaped her. “I was going to announce it the Breakdown following the pay-per-view. After I beat Xander Valentine and my road to Rise was set… I’d hold my first interview in the ring… with you, and only you, interviewing me. The best speaking with the best…”

CLICK! The sound of the lock turning and unlocking was heard, allowing Selena to slowly lift up the lid of the small chest.

“Then the three of us: Me, you, and Aaron. We’d begin our road to Rise to Greatness together. Aaron as my official for my main-events and you, the only woman that had access to the SCW world champion! The only person that could conduct the interviews between me and my opponent. The only person that would promote the fourth, and most, Unbelievable Main Event in the history of SCW!”

A sad sigh escaped Selena then - the road not taken… her mind darkly murmured as she pulled out the glass syringe, holding it gently in her hands.

“But then you had to let this happen to you.” She shook her head. “You had to let yourself be weak enough to be brainwashed. And the problem is…” her tone was cold, just like how she felt. “The problem is that I am a woman of my word, Jessica. And I warned you.” Slowly, the world champion began making her way around the bed, each step slow and methodic.

“I warned you what would happen if you couldn’t get this ‘darkness’ under control. If you came after my Deanna again. Did you really think I wouldn’t see that through just because Deanna stopped me that night?”

Reaching the side of the bed closest to Jessica, her back to the door, Selena gazed at the unconscious, restrained woman. With her eyes closed, the staff-member actually looked like Selena’s dear friend. Like she was just sleeping the day away before some big show. Like the time SCW had had a show in NYC and Jessica had spent the night at the Frost’s ‘Forever Home’, sleeping on the couch.

With a sigh, Selena reached over with her free hand to gently caress the patient’s soft face. With those eyes closed, she looked like her the friend she had known for years… but once those eyes opened…

She had seen it on Breakdown and her heart had almost had an attack at the sight. Of those black, soulless orbs. The vicious grin Jessica had adopted, even past the mask of Fall St. Patrick she had stolen.

Selena had only seen eyes like that once before in her life… and it was enough for her to have to do this.

“I know what comes next.” She sighed, turning the syringe in her hand. “And I know it’s not something you want to happen. I know it’s not something you want to do. But if you’re this powerless now…” she heard and held the growl of her devil-voice in her mind, prompting her to act. “I can’t allow this to continue, Jessica. I can’t allow you to hurt my Deanna like they hurt me. Because then I’ll be distracted. And I can’t afford to be distracted now. Now when everything is so close…”

With a sigh, Selena moved her hands up to the IV bags suspended by the metal pole near the bed, her pale fingers tracing the tube from Jessica’s hand and up to the bags that supplied the drugs needed to keep her sedated, her other hand following the trail with the syringe needle pointed at it.

“I promise you, though, you won’t feel a thing.” She offered kindly. “And this way, Deanna is safe and I can focus on my destiny.”

The needle tip was so close to the bag, almost pressing up against the top of it, above the mixture. It would take several hours for the concoction to hit Jessica at that rate. Enough time for Selena to leave before anything started.

Do it./i] Ordered the devil-voice. [i]You have to do the right thing!

She is a champion of doing the right thing in everyday life… came Elsianna’s voice, prompting the Snow Queen’s jaw to clench in set purpose.

“I protect what’s mine, Jessica.” She whispered to her unconscious friend. “Because it’s all I have left-“

“SELENA!”

While her name had been spoken, the world champion had been too focused on her task to be stopped by it. Rather, it was the body slamming into her, arms wrapping around her and expertly slamming her into the ground that created the distance between the platinum-blonde and the IV bag. With a grunt, Selena fought to regain her senses from the shock, her legs kicking at her assailant and her free hand struggling too-

Her eyes went wide as she realized both of her hands were free! Amidst the sea of green and red across her vision, her hands fighting to push her assailant away, she was able to spot the syringe (thankfully unbroken) having slid across the floor… just as her attacker hopped off her and was making a beeline to it. Within a second, they had gathered the syringe, turning to glare at Selena as the woman had pulled herself to her feet.

“Give that back-“ she started to roar but her voice dried up as she beheld the green-dress wearing redhead holding the syringe (needle forward) at her. “Deanna…”

Even in her numb state, Selena could feel the essence of shock rippling through her. “What…what are you doing-“

“Tell me I’m wrong.” Emerald eyes, burning with rage, glared at Selena, the needle tip towards the Snow Queen like it was a dagger. “Tell me I am not seeing this.”

“Deanna…” Selena tried, hold her hands up in front of her. “Put the syringe down… and let me explain.”

“Explain what?” Deanna asked, her voice beginning to crack. “Explain why you’re standing here, next to one of your dearest friends – OUR dearest friends – with a syringe of-“

“It’s not what it looks-“ Selena desperately spoke, both her mind and devil-voice rifling through ANY explanation they could think of. Any rationale they could use to try and explain all this away. None came… This had never been part of Selena’s plan… “It’s just a simple bit of medicine-“

“No! It’s MY turn to talk.” Deanna spoke gravely. “And I swear if you move one step towards her-“ her eyes flew to Jessica’s form before returning back to Selena. “Then I will inject you with this!”

“C..come on, Deanna.” Selena slowly spoke, offering her a gentle smile. “We both know you wouldn’t do that… and really, you can’t. I’d never let you get that close now. I’d have it out of your hands before it even reached me.”

“Do you really want to risk that?” she asked, her jaw clenching. “What about if I get injected?” Quickly, she turned the syringe to herself, pressing the needle close to the skin of her arm.

“NO!” Selena screamed on instinct, immediately taking a step forward, a hand outreached to try and stop Deanna, only for the redhead to, knowingly, turn the needle back towards the Snow Queen, keeping her at bay.

“I knew it.” Deanna’s voice cracked, her eyes filling with unshed tears. “I knew it… It’s NX.” her voice shook. “You’ve… had it… in our house… all this time…” part of her spoke in disbelief, the other part in such rage yet her tone sounded so… tired. Defeated. “You hid it from me. After all that thing did to us…” she shook her head. “And you’re taking it now.”

“I don’t…” Selena shook her head, her thoughts racing. Her plan was perfect! She had worked out every detail to this point! “How…how could you possibly know?”

“Because I’ve always known!” Deanna all but screamed, the tears now falling. “I found the video on your computer! The one you sent to Aaron. How could you threaten him like that? How could you do that to someone that’s stood by you and defended you and has asked for nothing from you in return?”

“I… he just needed strong reassurance-“ Selena spoke quickly. “He needed to understand-“

“And Jessica?!” Again, teary eyes flew to the unconscious woman before finding Selena again. “I was sent the security video from John Hopkins. How you threatened her…and now this…”
“How did you get…”

“Doesn’t matter!” Deanna barked back, the needle-holding hand trembling between the two women. “I thought… all along… despite everything, I believed-“ a sniffle escaped her. “With all my heart, that the Blue-Eyed Devil was just a mask you were wearing for SCW. That you were just being what you had to be in order to do good in SCW like we’ve always done… But now…” she shook her head. “I realized that all the signs that I’ve been seeing…were correct. And the Devil… is who you truly are.”

Despite her mind raging, Selena could not find it possible to move her feet – her limbs seemed frozen in place. If she tried, Deanna might inject herself with the NX, or Selena in the scuffle! And either situation would hinder everything, if not destroy her chance to beat Xander! Even Selena, new to NX once more, couldn’t take such a high dose without some serious side-effects.

“This is not about integrity anymore, Selena. This is not about doing the right thing. This not about our legacy or our family. This is about you! It always has been! And you will never give up the power you have. You’re too afraid to.”

“You don’t understand!” Selena tried desperately, reaching a little closer, only to recoil back as Deanna held the syringe a little higher, intercepting the movement. “Yes, okay. I’m taking the NX but I’m in control! And it’s only for the weekend! It’s only to hedge my bet against Xander and Kandis and the One. That’s all it is! I’m just trying to make the battle fair by giving myself a fair chance! That’s all it is, I promise!” her voice sounded so desperate, so weak, it almost infuriated the Snow Queen.

“That’s not all it is.” Deanna shook her head knowingly. “Because I have seen what you’ve done, Selena. Even if you can’t.”

“I don’t understand.” The platinum-blonde shook her head in confusion.

“The ends justify the means…” Deanna stated, causing Selena’s eyes to go wide. “That incident I told you about? That we needed to talk about?” she sniffled a little, more tears falling. “It’s David. He’s facing suspension and failure of his grade.”

“What?!” Selena’s eyes were wide. “Why?!”

“That story he told you? The one of David and the Intergalactic Game?” the redhead laughed bitterly. “Turns out it was written by an AI program – ChatGPT or something - something online. David just copied it, changed a few words and presented it.”

“How do you-“

“Your ‘radio silence’.” Deanna barked back. “What do you think I was doing while you were being obsessed with the world title?! I was talking to his teacher and his principal! Begging, pleading with them not to suspend or fail our son. That he’d make it up. I pulled every trick I could! I used my celebrity status, your status – all I could just to get them to agree! I…” her voice cracked. “I compromised so much of my morals for our son…”

“And our son…” another sniffle escaped the younger Frost. “Sat in that room – I watched him – in tears, tell me why he did it. He said… it was because you told him to.”
“I never!”

“He said he was doing what you told him.” Deanna explained. “That soccer game… the one he got the winning goal? He told me what you said. How you instructed him to take a dive and fake being shoved by the large kid so he could get the easy, free penalty kick.”

Selena’s eyes widened. “I…” she stammered. “That was just a stupid game! That was using an opponent’s strengths against them! That was-“

“Cheating!” Deanna countered firmly. “You told our son to cheat! To fake and to lie! All to win. That ‘the ends will justify the means’… I thought that was some line from the Devil… but you… you truly believe it… and so did our son.”

“Then I’ll talk to him!” the older woman’s words rushed out desperately. “I’ll explain the difference. I’ll correct the behavior and I’ll make sure he doesn’t do it again-“

“No! You are not going near our children, Selena!” the redhead cried, turning away for a split second to compose herself before turning back to her wife. “And you’re not going anywhere near me…”

“What are you saying?” Selena asked, her voice trembling despite the effects of the NX.

“That I should have seen what truly motivates you now. Since the moment you left me. I should have seen what guided your every action. You’re obsessed with power and you’re terrified of losing it. You’re so scared of losing it that you’ll do anything to keep it. Even this…” she gestured to the needle in her hand.

“I…” Selena’s breath hitched. She felt trapped, her best laid plans now in pieces. There was no way out. Even her devil-voice knew this. “I like the power.” She finally confessed aloud. “But there’s nothing wrong with power! Not when it means that I – that we – can have everything we want! That we can do whatever we want! When I can correct the mistakes of SCW? When I can save people from unfair matches and beatdowns? When I can make it better and to a higher standard!”

Her mind continued to race. “David!” she blurted out. “Our son! He wants to be a professional soccer player! Think what I could do for him with the power I hold? The money? The status? I could get him into any school! Hire any trainer to teach him! Get him to any team! It would be so easy! And Elsa!” she continued to rant. “She wants to be like me! She wants to be a wrestler! Think about what I could do for her! Give her the chances I never got! The debut and opportunities I had to work for years to get! She… with her heart… she could be the next generational talent! With your grit and my abilities and resources?! ‘The daughter of the greatest world champion in SCW’… And coming into a federation that lives by my…” she corrected herself. “By OUR…” she gestured between Deanna and herself. “Our standard of integrity and fairness?! How is that not the right thing?!”

“Because…” Deanna shook her head knowingly. “It isn’t real, Selena.” She took a shaky breath. “That ‘perfect’ world doesn’t exist. There will always be problems. Always be evils. And you… you can’t see how you’re one of them. I… I tried to be everything for you. To be the light in our family – the Frost name – while you were the Devil. And I was so… so in love with being in love with you… needing you, that I ignored what you were doing to our children. To us…” She looked away for a split second before turning her head back towards Selena. “Do you really believe life will be perfect if our son thinks like you? Where, as long as he can justify it with a ‘noble deed’, he can do whatever, however he wants? Do you really want Elsianna to be like you?! Capable of… this!” Again, she held up the syringe towards the taller Selena.

“Deanna… please…” Selena weakly tried. “You don’t understand what I am doing here.” She gestured towards Jessica. “I’ve seen what eyes like that can do! What darkness like that HAS done! That… that evil… Red Rayne…” she felt the weight in her heart at the memory. “That darkness took the most important person in the world from me and corrupted her. Turned Dawn into a monster! And nothing I did could help her. I couldn’t do anything until… until it was too late and I had to take her down…”

“And what? If I am not strong enough and get corrupted – you’ll have to choose between saving me and being the world champion, is that it?”

The question shook Selena to the core, stunning her to silence, which was all the answer Deanna needed. “See? It all comes back to you. To you keeping your power.”

“I…” Perhaps it was the anger that her plan had been ruined. Perhaps it was the elements of her children that she had not been privy too, perhaps it was just everything that had gone wrong. David cheating, Deanna learning about this and more, Xander promising her destruction, Kandis and Scott promising to screw her out of the title, Demtria growing cold feet, CHBK doing nothing and the fans continuing to hate her… when she STILL had done nothing wrong! Whatever it was, Selena clamped down on the numbness still in her chest, flooding her soul with it until all she felt was the familiar cold.

“I will do the right thing.” She glared at Deanna. “And you can’t be here every hour of every day.” She stated. “I protect what’s mine.”

“I know…” Deanna nodded knowingly. “That’s something that will not change. You will always ‘protect what is yours’.” Using her free hand, teary-eyed, Deanna pulled out a piece of paper from her jacket pocket. With a flick of the wrist, she tossed it to Selena, the paper hitting the Snow Queen in the chest, which allowed the platinum-blonde to catch it and unfold it.

“But I’m not yours anymore.”

Before Selena’s eyes, she recognized the legal paper in front of her… and the signature that Deanna had written there. Again, the shock almost knocked her over as she gazed back up at Deanna. “You can’t be-“

“I am…” Deanna half-cried, half-declared. “All this time, I thought I was done being the Queen’s Guard… but it turns out, my path isn’t to guard you from others…” she sighed, defeated. “It’s to guard others from you.”

“You can’t do this.” Selena tried. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.”

“And yet… that’s how it is, Selena.” Deanna answered sadly. “I’m divorcing you. Meaning I’m no longer yours, meaning you don’t get to protect me anymore.”

With a flash of the hand, Deanna threw the needle to the ground, the syringe shattering in seconds. The two women were silent as they gazed from the mess on the floor, back to one another. “Now get out of here, Ms. Frost.” Deanna ordered as strongly and coldly as she could. “And never come back here again.”

For a moment, Selena was too stunned to move, the paper in her hand glaring the truth into her mind. We’ve lost today, my dear. The devil-voice – Malcolm predominantly - urged her. If you stay, you risk losing everything else. Retreat. We will deal with this later.

Slowly, too shaken to fight back, Selena stepped away, gathering her blazer and stepping past Deanna, exiting the room, then the hall, then the elevator, and then the parking lot. She didn’t even realize where she was until she was standing on her balcony at the Eyrie Tower, once more overlooking the city – ‘her city’ she had often privately called it.

Except now… it felt emptier. Incomplete. Now, she felt alone. Casting her eyes down, she saw the signed paper still in her hand. The paper that ended nearly nine years of marriage…

The Devil… she heard her wife – soon to be ex-wife’s - voice on the wind. Is who you truly are…

“Perhaps she’s right.” Selena whispered, feeling her hand tighten into a fist around the paper, the flimsy material crumpling in her steel grip. “And if I am, perhaps I need to stop fighting it. Perhaps…” she felt the paper bend and twist more in her hand. “And after losing so much…” she gazed out over her city.

It’s time for the Devil to be given her due![/i][/i]

[SnowQueenSCW]

The camera opens up to the interior of the Wembley Stadium in London, England. The space is eerily quiet, to the point where the silence almost seems to be a sound itself. While there are only a few days before Taking Hold of the Flame, the final pay-per-view that will shape the megaevent that is Rise to Greatness, the only things built so far is a wrestling ring, some of the rampway, and one thing off in the distance from the center of the arena.

Amidst the cold-blue, white, and dark purple lights, at the far end of the space, is the glowing ‘Rise to Greatness’ sign, large enough to be easily seen by any audience seat below and from any angle within the wrestling ring. As the camera focuses on it, eventually drawing away from it, it follows down into the ring from the side, catching the profile of the platinum-blonde staring up at it from where she stands at the side of the ring, her hands gripping the ropes tightly. Easily recognizable from her hair alone, the SCW world champion, Selena Frost, keeps her eyes locked on the Rise to Greatness sign for several seconds. She wears black jeans, a black t-shirt and a dark, red leather jacket. The SCW world championship is seen from under the jacket, wrapped around the champion’s waist.

The more things change… the more they stay the same. Selena’s voice, alone in the arena, seems to almost echo like a cold wind, yet she seems unfazed by it.

I feel like I’ve said that before in my life, but it continues to ring true. As I struggle to bring star-power back into this federation As I struggle to carry this company on my back because your supposed ‘heroes’ couldn’t do it... As I struggle to bring the world championship and the roster up to a level of skill and talent and undisputed integrity – devoid of cheapshots, run-ins, and tactics that dishonored what being the best in the world truly means… and as I find myself, for the fourth time in a row, fighting for this world championship at this event- she takes a moment to open her jacket a little more with one hand, further revealing the championship she has held for the majority of the year thus far. I find myself seeing how some things have remained the same while others have changed.

And I mean truly changed! she emphasises, turning her head from the sign to cast a cold glare into the camera. Not just some empty words said by those incapable of it. I mean, what’s the same? What’s to be expected? Well, spoiler warning: in a few nights, someone’s gonna point to that sign… she gestures with a tilt of her head towards the Rise to Greatness sign. Because they won the battle royale. And here’s another spoiler: she smirks knowingly at the camera. It’s not going to be Kandis or ‘The One’ Kristen Scott, sorry to disappoint. she shakes her head. Kandis isn’t good enough to do the impossible here by winning it twice in a row and Kristen Scott has never been good enough to ever ‘win the big one’. Look at her track record.

But I digress. You’ll have one person pointing to that sign who’s the royale winner and, in the main-event, you’ll have someone point to that sign as the world champion. These are the ‘sames’ I spoke of. Things that stay the same… but speaking of empty words spoken by people in this business, let me segway that with a question… clearing her throat loudly, she looks straight into the camera.

London, England… she suddenly grins knowingly as she calls out. Do you believe?!

The grin does not falter as she stares into the camera, into her ‘audience’ for a moment.

Do you? And better yet, let me ask you all. Who, exactly, do you believe in? Because another thing that seems to never change around this event is the number of liars I keep hearing as I walk through the halls of my arenas, my shows, and within my ring. Because you all know that this is one of the biggest landscape-changing pay-per-views of the season! This is the penultimate! This is ‘make or break’ for everyone, including your world champion!

And yet, just like there can be only one person that can be said world champion- she takes a moment to run a pale hand over the center-plate of her championship title. Just like there can only be one world champion in SCW – in the main-event of Rise to Greatness, there can be ONLY ONE winner in the battle royale.

A knowing grin crosses her features. Yet, here we are, and people are swarming the airwaves, swarming social media, making their stupidity as clear as crystal with the same promise. The same guarantee. The same blah blah blah! “I’m going to win the royale.”, “I’m going headline Rise to Greatness!”, “I’m going to beat Selena Frost and become the SCW World Champion”…

So, who do you believe, London?

Do you believe Kandis? Cause she’s sworn that she’s going to win the royale and take me down at RTG!
Do you believe Kristen Scott? Cause she’s sworn that she’s going to be ‘The One’ to take me down at RTG!
Do you believe Kimberly Williams? Cause not only does she swear to win, she’s promoting herself as the ‘Victor Frankenstein’ in being responsible for creating ‘the monster’ I apparently am… and going to Rise to Greatness and beating me!

You got Syren promising! You got YUYO promising! You’ve got James Evans promising! Glory Braddock, Waylan Creek, Scott Reed, Chris Lawler – the list is exhausting! So who you got, London?! Who are you believing in other than the reality – the truth that I continue to speak here as your world champion?

Hmmm? Because odds are? There’s a 97.5% chance whoever you pick is either lying to you and/or lying to themselves just like you are lying to yourselves in believing in them! And there’s a 100 percent chance that none of them can take this title from me!

Taking a moment, Selena shakes her head in disappointment at the SCW Universe. And at the top of this enormous pile of lying crap, almost as tall as the top of the mountain that I reside in that is SCW, is the biggest liar in SCW right now: Xander Valentine… oh! Excuse me! Selena holds up a hand. Allow me to correct myself. The NEW Xander Valentine!

A laugh escapes her for a second as she marches around the ring, holding up a hand as if to calm the man has probably irritated with her opening volley.

Now, before we get to that, Xander, I want to clear up a little thing that happened last Breakdown. When you rudely interrupted my entrance – don’t do that again, by the way. she warns with a cold stare. You went on a little diatribe of me needing to be focused on you and only you. Needing to only be concerned with you, my opponent. That you’re unlike my past opponents this year…

A knowing smile forms across Selena’s features. Come on, Xander. Really? You’re telling me to focus? You’re telling me not to underestimate you? Let me ask you, sir: Out of the two of us, which of us has REALLY, in our history, ‘underestimated’ the other? Which one of us has refused to acknowledge the other’s ability and skill in its proper respect? Hmmm? Isn’t that partly the reason you’re in this situation in the first place? Because you, continuously, underestimated and undervalued me? Holding up a hand, Selena takes a single to give an understanding nod.

But alright, old man, I’ll humor you. I’ll humor you and I’ll tell you like it is. Because I’m not interested in burying my opponent and saying I’m beating some ‘nobody’ Xander. I’m not interested in playing down how big this match is for me. This is Xander Valentine vs. Selena Frost! A concept that bagged ‘match of the year’ and ‘feud of the year’ in 2019! This is Rise to Greatness main-event-level worthy, Xander. And, honestly, I could not ask for a better opponent to beat to, emphatically, start my journey back to the main-event of Rise to Greatness for a fourth time!

Cause while I’ve beaten former world champions and while I’ve beaten Hall of Famers and icons since I returned, while I’ve beaten dangerous and bloodthirsty opponents, you’re the only one that’s all of that, Xander. The only one that checks every box! You’re ‘The Executioner’! The Hall of Famer! Mount Rushmore of SCW? Could easily be on it! A definer of the early age of SCW! Before ‘domination’ was even a word around here, you came in and made it one! You set the bar for what a ‘lengthy world title reign’ could be! You were already a legend when I first set foot into SCW ten years ago! The fact that ‘beating Xander Valentine’ remains one of the highest accolades when it comes to my rivalries? That’s how good you are, Xander! Cause no one really talks about me beating Syren or Cid Turner or Adam Allocco or Vixen Cain or Ace Marshall. No, people STILL, to this day, talk about that night the I beat Xander Valentine. That’s how good you are, Xander!

So… do you believe me now? That you have my undivided attention?

Taking a moment to stand still within the ring, Selena stares into the camera, to the man she knows is watching.

Because you’ve had it, Xander. You’ve had my attention ever since you started wanting your shot at the world championship again. You’ve had it ever since you called it and then danced around the mid-card, settling for feuds with the ‘knockoff version’ of the Brand and with Gavin Taylor, trying so desperately to get picked for the next world title opportunity while pay-per-view after pay-per-view passed you by. The whole time I was watching, Xander. Watching as you managed some solid victories and watching when you were bested with some loud defeats. Through it all, I was watching. Even when I returned and unmasked, you were there, right? I was aware of it – that I was shooting past you and Kandis primarily to take my rightful place as the SCW World champion. I was aware of it because I knew it would only be a matter of time before I faced you for this championship.

But let’s be real here, Xander. it’s not because YOU’VE been dominant, Xander, that you’re here for this match. Good as you are, powerful and dangerous as you are? Let’s be honest, it’s not because of you that you’re the next stop on the Devil’s road… she gives a wicked grin.

You’re here, Xander Valentine… because there’s nobody else.

You’re here, Xander, because I’ve beaten everyone else that was in front of you. I’ve kicked person after person that was in front out of the proverbial line… to the point where SCW threw you and Ravyn Taylor, who by the way has had one of the worst win-lose records this season, threw you two together just to try and find me a viable contender. That’s the real reason why you’re here in MY main event, Xander. Because there’s no one else.

And that’s because of me!

She grins wickedly. And that, Xander, is how good I am. That’s how good I have always been! So, now that we’ve got all of that out of the way – how good you are and how good I am – let’s talk about the mountain of crap you’ve been sitting on for some time. Selena quietly rolls her shoulders, seemingly making herself comfortable as she stands in the ring. This whole ‘new Xander’ thing. This whole ‘I’m not the same man I was five years ago’, right? That this is your moment to undo the past and make me accountable for what happened five years ago, right?

That’s been the focus, right? That’s all people want to talk about. That’s all YOU seem to want to talk about. So, let’s talk about it, Xander. And I mean, let’s REALLY talk about it. Where I actually get to talk about it without you interrupting me like you did last week.

With her hand, Selena runs it along her hair, expertly pushing her iconic braid over her shoulder to fall against her back. Five years ago, at Rise to Greatness, I beat you faster than anyone ever has. We all know it. The world saw it – I played it for everyone just a few weeks ago. I knocked you out, pinned you and shocked the world – shocked you, didn’t I? What was it? A minute? Two minutes?

But how exactly did we get to that moment, Xander? How did that match even happen? Because everyone here is SO eager to jump on the bandwagon and believe in you to be the one person to finally end ‘Selena’s reign of terror’ over the world championship picture, blah blah. Believe this little story you’ve made of ‘retribution’, blah blah blah.

But you go back five years, Xander… and you were the one with the reign of terror, weren’t you? Selena smiles knowingly. It was you that smashed Mr. D.’s skull into a car window, wasn’t it? You that attacked him again and gave him a concussion. It was you that came after me – the ‘prodigy child’ of Mr. D.. And why? Because you felt you were being overlooked.

You said it yourself, Xander, remember? You thought that this young, up-and-coming wrestler named Selena Frost was being poised to take your spot – your mantle - within the roster and you weren’t ready to – how did you put it – ‘give up your throne’?

You saw what I was becoming – what potential I had – and it surpassed yours. And your ego couldn’t take it, could it? Couldn’t handle it. Because rather than accept it, maybe even mentor this green wrestler of only three years, no, Xander Valentine sought to try and remove her from SCW permanently.

Selena tilts her head knowingly. Why do you think I rolled your eyes when you promised to ‘destroy me’ last week, Xander? Not because you’re incapable of it… but because I’ve heard it all before! The same old promises coming from a supposedly ‘new’ Xander? How many times have we heard that promise, Xander? How many times have you guaranteed my destruction, only to fail? Better yet, how can you say you’re any ‘different’ when you’re saying the same crap? Cause, where I’m from, if it looks like the ‘old’ Xander, moves like the ‘old’ Xander, and squawks like the ‘old’ Xander… then guess what? It’s the old Xander! And one that clearly hasn’t learned a damned thing.

Because then what happened, Xander? No no! Let’s pull the curtain back on history, Xander, since you started this. After that infamous night – after I made history once again – what happened? What happened after that night that ‘put you on borrowed time’? What did you do? Did you finally show me some respect for beating you clean? Did you acknowledge what I could do, the potential I had, and accept that, maybe, your time was up at being at the top of SCW? Did you finally ‘believe’ in Selena Frost?

A bitter chuckle escapes Selena. Oh no! No, you walked into the audience and attacked innocent people! there is a slight growl in her voice. Once again, your ego couldn’t accept the reality and you lashed out! You took out people that couldn’t fight back, just like you did with O. D.. Just like you tried to do with me…

Fast forward a bit, and I’m facing you again, this time under your choice of a Last Person Standing match, again, with your desire to take me out of SCW for good.

And I beat you again. Fast forward some more and, after finally beating me and taking the United States Championship from me – finally having your one official victory over me – and even trying to break me by calling me ‘The Shadow of SCW’, YOU challenged Regan Street and I to a handicap match, determined to embarrass me to restore what pride I had taken and try to force me out of SCW...

And how did that go, Xander? Once again, as seems to be the case, your ego bit off more than it could chew. And that night had you scrambling for an out and failing to find one, leaving you beaten, humiliated, and defeated in this ring – for a THIRD time.

Taking a moment, Selena smiles and gestures with a hand. See, Xander, our history started and has always been about you coming after me. Every confrontation between you and me? It’s been about you unable to accept that first loss. Unable to accept that a Snow Queen was more than a match for you. More than your equal. Unable to accept that I was your better – deserving of your ‘mantle’. And since then, while you’ve kept circling around coming back to me, I’ve taken SCW and my accolades higher and higher.

Your record as longest world champion? The one Syren beat? I beat that! Your number of championship wins? Passed that. Main-events at Rise to Greatness, beat you there. Awards? Tournament wins? I have done all you have done and more! While you… you have never stopped blaming me for your own shortcomings.

From you needing unicorns and colorful t-shirts to stay relevant here, to pretending to be an avenger for an Allocco – who STILL chose the man that ended his career over you, the man that wanted to avenge him! she laughs at that. Through it all, I’ve lived rent-free in that head of yours. That KICK has lived rent-free in that head of yours… another chuckles escapes her but Selena suddenly grows more serious.

But this is where my amusement over this whole thing ends, Xander. This is where I stop laughing at your antics and tell everyone the full truth… because you want to tell me that this is personal now? her tone grows colder, the humor now entirely gone from her voice. That after five years of trying to break me, trying to take me down, take me out of SCW, and reduce me from where I stood as ‘The Face of SCW’, now it’s suddenly personal because you’re a changed man and because I took something from you?

The Snow Queen’s jaw clenches. So, let’s talk about what you took from me… cold eyes glare into the camera.

Cause for weeks – that’s all YOU’VE wanted to talk about. What Selena took from you. Well, what did Xander take from Selena, huh? Let’s talk about that! Let’s talk about how you went after my family with a sledgehammer and smashed the side of my tour bus… a growl escapes Selena. Let’s talk about how you took a camera to my home in Manhattan, where my children were sleeping! LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DID TO MY SISTER!

With a cold glare, Selena stares right into the camera. You say I ‘shortened your career’ with a match YOU made happen, Xander? You are the REASON Regan Street, my sister, cannot wrestle anymore!

You want to say that now it’s personal, Xander? It’s ALWAYS been personal to me. It’s ALWAYS been personal! You are the reason the Hellcat cannot be here by my side now as I make history as the only person to headline Rise to Greatness four times in a row! You are the reason she never got the ending she deserved here! Why Frozen Hell never got a second chance to become tag-team champions. You took her career from her and you took my sister from me, Xander! And every time I see her, every time I visit her, I see the regret in her eyes. I see the pain there – the sadness that she could never headline Rise to Greatness. That she couldn’t finish her career on her terms…

But you want to tell me week after week – to play with this little game - that I took something from you!?

She tilts her head, her tone dropping back to its cold bitterness. You want to say YOU’RE the one getting revenge? You’re the one getting retribution? You’re the one that’s got a receipt on ME? Xander, there’s not a receipt long enough to match the one I’ve got on you! And all that I’ve ‘taken’ from you, Xander, has been a long and arduous process of paying you back from what you took from me!

And in just a few short days, Xander, I’m going to take the last thing that’s left for me to take! I’ve dwindled your records and accolades to ‘average’ compared to mine. I’ve redefined what it means to ‘dominate’ this sport and dominate as the world champion. I’ve taken your spot on Mount Rushmore and, soon, while you’ll have a little plaque in the Hall of Fame, there will be an entire wing and a statue dedicated to my time here – homage to the way I changed the game! And this Sunday, Xander, I’m taking the one thing from you that I haven’t yet. The one thing I still have a receipt on for you.

Because you denied my sister her career’s end on her terms. This Sunday, I am going to deny you the same thing! Because we’ve all heard it, the inevitable rumor that this is it. That Xander wants ‘one more title run’ before he retires, quite possibly at RTG…

It’s a noble ending, Xander. Under the spotlights, under the main-event on the greatest show? The world title on the line. It’s almost perfect… but not for you.

No, Xander, it’s not meant for you because you don’t deserve that ‘happy ending’ after all you have done. The choices you have made. Because you chose this life. You chose to live by taking and ‘executing’ and destroying people’s lives… this is the consequence. Because I am going to deny you your ‘warrior’s end’ and replace it with ‘An Unbelievable Main-Event’! I am going to take you down once again and I am going to leave you in your mountain of crap and lies.

And I am going to have the main-event that belongs to me! The main-event that I earned. That I deserve! The main-event that is perfect for me, for this world title, and for all of Supreme Championship Wrestling!

Removing the title from her waist, Selena looks at it for a moment. This coming Sunday, Xander, is not about one match that lives rent-free in your mind. It’s about all the matches. It’s about all the history. It’s about all we’ve taken from one another. It is the end of OUR story. And it is the truth that I have become the woman, the main-event, the legend, the very thing that you always feared I would become – the very thing you refused to acknowledge me as.

More dominant that you.
More skilled and tougher than you…
More Xander Valentine than you!

A wicked grin breaks across her features. This Sunday, Xander, what you feared would happen five years ago will be proven true in a battle that will take everything from both of us! But where you haven’t changed a bit… I have.

I brought back the piledriver and spiked Polly Pignotti with it.
I took down Kandis and Scott with title shots to their skulls!
And when you gave me the chance to strike you down… I took it!

All to prove this point, Xander. That you’re not the one who’s changed. The same thing that’s driven you all these years with me, that’s made you do all you’ve done, is still there: your ego! Your ego that refused to accept me as your better. The same ego that’s missed all the signs I put in front of you. The same ego that could have destroyed me when I turned my back to you a few weeks ago and dared you to take me out of SCW – the chance you had… the only chance I would give you… and you were too egotistical to take it!

Selena grins knowingly. Because that is what it will come down to, Xander! Your ego will not settle for anything less than my absolute destruction. Your ego will not settle for anything less than taking everything from me and putting me on the shelf like you did Regan…

Me? I just need to beat you. And I don’t care how. I don’t care what I need to do to make that happen. I don’t care how I get my shot. I will take it and use EVERYTHING I have to get that knockout shot on you again and beat you once again!

Your ego will not settle for such a simple, close way out, Xander. It will demand more and more! And sooner or later, your ego is going to cost you. It’s going to demand too much and when that happens, that will be my chance. And when I have that opening… like last week, I will not hesitate to use it. This time, however, you won’t be able to see it coming… and you won’t be able to stop it.

Slowly, the world champion scans her gaze around the empty arena seats. Enjoy this, SCW. Because this may be the last time we see Xander fight here again. And you enjoy it, too, Xander. Because it’s the last time you’re ever getting close to me and the world championship again. It’s the last time my name is going to be tied with yours, Xander. The last time my career will have to be tied to the deadweight that is Xander F’N Valentine…

Selena moves to the middle of the ring, taking a second to gaze down at the title she holds.

I protect what’s mine, old man. Including my RIGHT to the greatest main-event in SCW’s history! And when that is all said and done, Xander… As you are escorted out of MY ring and you look back at me, and all that was taken from you by me BECAUSE of you and your ego… you will have no other choice but to do what you should have done five years ago… Believe it!

With a grin, Selena lifts up her hand, her eyes still on the camera, as she points to the Rise to Greatness sign! Whether you and all of London want to… or not!

The camera stays on this stunning display of prediction – one that the Snow Queen believes is already set in stone – before the shot fades to black.