Statera vs. Twisted & Sadistic vs. Light in the Darkness

[Braddock]

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September 23rd, 2023
Charlotte, NC
Off Camera
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So far Glory Braddock’s quest of earning a tag team championship opportunity, and thus a shot at completing the Supreme Championship in SCW, has been so close but still so far away. In the tag team turmoil on Breakdown, Braddock and Lohan came up short in their bid to become number one contenders. Twisted & Sadistic have not let this setback keep them down. In fact, they are already preparing for another opportunity to step up and put themselves in contention for the SCW World Tag Team Championship. In an unexpected turn of events, Ace Marshall vanished and will unlikely be able to attend Apocalypse. Now it seems as if the tag team championships are yet again in turmoil as Ravyn and her new partner, Syren, are set to defend against The Alloccos. With new champions and challengers in place, Apocalypse will also crown new number one contenders. Twisted & Sadistic, Bree and Datura, and Light in the Darkness will all vie for an opportunity to face the champions. The old saying is that ‘where there is chaos there is opportunity’, and perhaps Glory Braddock and Brittany Lohan can take advantage of this chaotic new opportunity, under lucha libre rules, to get an opportunity at the SCW World Tag Team Champions, whomever they may be after Apocalypse concludes?

Braddock plans to prepare in earnest for this opportunity, beginning next week as she spends the entire week in Birmingham, England with her “uncle” and trainer Blake O’Malley. Blake has been a wise voice and guide for her in the past and has a good reputation for preparing his trainees for chaotic scenarios, the type of chaos that can be expected when facing the likes of Statera and Light in the Darkness in a lucha libre rules tag match. If anyone can get The British Bombshell prepared for Apocalypse, it is Blake O’Malley; thus she will be heading to England shortly. Before she can make that trip, she still has business to take care of in the United States, namely in Charlotte, North Carolina, the corporate headquarters of her company Glorious Golden Enterprises.

Under normal circumstances, Glory Braddock would just simply entrust the run of her company with her corporate president, her longtime friend Francis Taylor. Lately, however, Braddock has come to distrust her friend’s judgment. It all started when Francis decided to organize a partnership between GGE and a wealthy English investor known as Melody Murphy. Melody is well known to both Francis and Glory; the three women were the best of friends once upon a time and they went to school together. They were the tyrannical bullies of the school, they terrorized the school and the other kids. Braddock’s unexpected and unplanned pregnancy during her teenage years led to Francis and Melody turning on her, betraying her. Glory found herself as the one being bullied, as the outcast, as the outsider. That was nearly two decades ago and for the most part everyone has moved on. Glory and Francis, in fact, have been on friendly terms for many years now. But Glory took the betrayal of Melody the most personal and she has found it very difficult to forgive her. The added surprise that Melody has begun dating Francis’s brother, Glory’s best friend Matthew Taylor, has further created skepticism and confusion in the mind of The British Bombshell. She is convinced that Melody is bad news for Matthew and that she is just using him. The evidence is there; Matthew has already told her certain secrets about Glory Braddock, secrets that Melody has used to mock and tease her, to try and provoke her.

What is Melody’s game? What is her agenda? If she really wants to do business with Glory, as she claims, then why mock her future business partner? Does Melody have ulterior motives? Glory still doesn’t trust her and intends to try and find out as much as she can about Melody and her motives before she lets this business deal go through. Which is what brings her to the Charlotte headquarters on this day, one day before she is to make the flight to England. Today is supposed to be the day that their business partnership is finalized. The British Bombshell isn’t quite sure that she will let this happen. Not yet. The British Bombshell is walking the halls of the Charlotte offices of GGE. Glory is dressed nicely in a pink two piece jacket and lace dress with matching pink high heeled leather pumps. A warm, friendly smile is etched across her face. The British Bombshell approaches her secretary, a young lady with black hair who is stationed in front of the conference room. Her name tag, “Bailey” is on her jacket. The secretary is dressed in a navy blue suit skirt outfit.

“Hi, Bailey.” Glory says with a friendly smile on her face. “How are you?”

“I’m doing wonderful, Ms. Braddock. How are you?”

“I’m great, thanks.” She points to the conference room. “Have Francis and Melody arrived yet?”

“Yes.” Bailey nods her head. “They are waiting on you.”

“Perfect.” Braddock winks. “Thanks, Bailey. I don’t think this meeting will last too long.” Glory then proceeds to walk on past Bailey and into the conference room. Immediately upon entering the large conference she spots Francis and Melody at the far end of the room sitting at the end of the ovular/egg shaped wood oak desk sitting in comfy leather rolling desk chairs. Sitting in the middle of the desk is a man in a gray suit. As Glory approaches, both Francis and Melody rise up from their seats. Francis is wearing a black and white professional looking skirt suit combo with black high heeled pumps. Melody is wearing a gold pencil skirt, a white silk blouse, and gold open toed high heel pumps.

“Glory! You’re here!” Francis says happily. She wants a hug but Glory instead offers a handshake. Francis chuckles somewhat uneasily and accepts the handshake instead. Braddock then turns to offer the same handshake to Melody.

“Nice seeing you, Melody.”

“It’s nice seeing you too, Maria.” Once again Melody uses Glory’s middle name, the name she used when she was one of them. A name she would rather not acknowledge any longer. Braddock lets it pass and shakes Melody’s hand. The man in the gray suit approaches. Francis steps forward and motions towards him.

“Glory, meet Derek, he is the attorney who will hopefully make this deal a reality.” Francis smiles as Derek extends a hand to Glory.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Braddock.”

“Nice to meet you, Derek. I trust this won’t take too long?”

“It shouldn’t, Ms. Braddock.” Derek responds, shaking his head.

“Yes, our girl Glory here is a busy woman. Not only is she a successful business woman but she is an active professional wrestler.” Francis quips. Glory nods her head.

“That’s right, after this meeting I’m planning to catch a flight to England. My husband is already there.”

“Planning to train with my man, Maria?” Melody says with a knowing grin. Glory rolls her eyes.

“Hardly. I am going to be spending most of my time with my husband Kurt and with my trainer, Blake O’Malley. I have a lot to prepare for this coming week, a match that is very important for me. So as I said, I hope this doesn’t take too long. So if you don’t mind can we please get down to business?”

“Of course.” Derek says as he motions for everyone to sit down. Francis and Melody take their seats. Glory sits down next to Francis and Derek passes some documents down the table to each of the three women. “This is a copy of the agreement, these are not official, just copies that each of you may keep. I have the official with me that we shall sign shortly. Contained within are the terms of the agreement. Ms. Murphy will invest millions of dollars into Glorious Golden Enterprises and the GGE may use those funds however it sees fit.”

“Seriously? That’s it?” Glory furrows her brow out of curiosity and confusion. “She gives us millions of dollars of her own money and we can use it for whatever we wish? No questions ask, no strings attached?”

“Correct.” Derek, the attorney, answers.

“Well forgive my skepticism but in my experience there are always strings attached to every deal.”

“You can read the terms yourself, Ms. Braddock.” Derek responds. “There are no strings attached. Your company may use the money however you see fit.”

“Why would Melody just give us a blank check?” Glory asks, still pressing the issue as she isn’t convinced of any of this. It just sounds too good to be true.

“Don’t be like that, Glory.” Francis pipes in. “Think about it, you are a very recognizable name in professional wrestling and in business. Melody loves what our company does and believes in our causes; health insurance for all, modeling, she’s even warming up to the idea of the wrestling business.”

“Dating Matthew may have had a bit to do with that.” Melody says with a wink.

“And with this money we can expand, we can grow our corporate empire, Glory.” Francis says with a big grin on her face. “Think of all that you can do with that money; you could grow your father’s wrestling school exponentially, you could guarantee the survival of your cousin’s modeling agency for decades to come, and so much more.”

“And no strings attached?”

“None.” Francis replies, shaking her head.

“It does sound like a great deal.” Glory admits.

“So do we have a deal then?” Francis asks with a hopeful smile on her lovely face. “Can we sign the documentation and make this partnership official?”

“No way.” Glory says, pushing her copy of the paperwork away from her and back towards Derek. “No deal.”

All three individuals in the conference room are dumbstruck by Glory’s response but most especially Melody Murphy, whose money is supposed to be invested. Her jaw nearly hits the floor when she hears that Glory is rejecting the offer. Everyone thought that this was a done deal. But the majority owner of the company has just put a halt to this deal. After several seconds of awkward silence, Francis Taylor speaks up.

“What’s wrong?!” She exclaims. “This is a perfect deal! No strings, no fine print, nothing sinister! She’s literally giving us her money to do with as we see fit!”

“That’s just the problem.” Glory rises up out of her chair and approaches Melody, who also rises up out of her chair. “I know you all too well, Melody. And I know what kind of person you are.”

“I am a businesswoman who wants to invest in your company.” Melody answers back sharply.

“Maybe you are? But you are also someone who I cannot trust, someone I do not trust, and I cannot and will not do business with someone I cannot trust. You see, Melody, I don’t know what your game is, but I know you have an agenda, despite what you, your attorney, and what Francis are all saying, I know that this isn’t some blank check. There are strings attached. There is no such thing as a deal with no strings attached.”

“Glory, listen to reason…” Francis tries to interrupt but Glory stops her immediately.

“I’m not sure I trust you either. You may be in on this too for all I know.” She turns her attention back to Melody. “You tried to destroy me once, I won’t let it happen again. And I am sure you are using Matthew. I don’t know why, I don’t know what reason you have, but someone like you doesn’t date a good person like him. But I can’t control what Matty does. If he wants to get hurt by you, that’s on him. I will not have a part in it, or any of this.”

“Glory!” Francis exclaims. “You’re being unreasonable!”

“No, Francis, it’s ok.” Melody responds. Then she turns her attention back to Glory Braddock. “I get it, you don’t trust me. And I understand why you don’t trust me. I thought we had already been through this but if we have to go through it again then fine.” Melody sighs. “I apologize for mistreating you when we were kids. I apologize for bullying you. But I have changed and seriously,” she points a finger at Glory “you should consider moving on as well.”

“Like Matty apparently has?”

“Yes, precisely.” Melody answers. “Matthew has moved on. He accepts that people can change, that I have changed.”

“Bullshit.” Glory snaps back with venom dripping from her voice.

“You’re being unruly!” Francis argues back.

“Stay out of it!” Glory warns her again. “You were just as bad as Melody. You treated me as horribly as she did. You even bullied your own brother back then. I thought you had changed but now I’m not so sure.” Braddock takes a copy of the business arrangement and then slams it down on the floor. “THIS deal is over…it isn’t going to happen, at least not until I know damn well where everyone stands…” she points a finger at Melody “...especially you. You can keep your blood money until and unless I AM ready to accept it on MY OWN terms and if you really are sincere about wanting to invest, then you will wait. You will work with me on my time and on my terms. If you’re not sincere then stay the hell out of my life.”

And with that Glory Braddock turns and starts storming out of the conference room, leaving all three individuals in a stunned silence. Braddock exits the room and steps out into the hall where she passes by the secretary, Bailey. She looks at Bailey and smirks. “I told you it wouldn’t last long.”

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September 26th, 2023
Birmingham, England
Off Camera
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Its been several days since Glory Braddock blew up in the business meeting that was supposed to finalize the deal between her company and Melody Murphy. That deal never went through due to The British Bombshell intentionally torpedoing the deal, intentionally sabotaging it due to her distrust of Melody Murphy. Melody was a vile, heinous human being when they were kids at school and she has seen no evidence that she has changed. What surprises her most is the fact that Matthew Taylor, one of her many victims in school, now dates her. Glory is convinced he is just being used, she just doesn’t know what her agenda is. Nevertheless, she refuses to play a role in it and refuses to work with Melody Murphy. Now that she has, hopefully, put an end to any future partnership with her longtime former rival, Glory Braddock can put her entire focus on the most important task at hand and that is earning a shot at the SCW World Tag Team Championship.

Apocalypse is coming up this Sunday, October 1st in Nashville, Tennessee and Glory Braddock, along with Brittany Lohan, will face arguably two of the most formidable tag teams in the SCW tag team division, Bree Lancaster and Datura as well as Light in the Darkness, in a lucha libre rules match to determine the next challengers for the SCW World Tag Team Championship. Braddock and Lohan already beat Light in the Darkness, and Statera already beat Twisted & Sadistic, yet both arguably come with asterisks due to the fact that the teams were fatigued heading into the match due to the ‘luck of the draw’ rules of the Tag Team Turmoil. No such excuses will be allowed in this case. All three teams will be fresh and prepared. Once and for all the better team will be decided and Glory will do her very best to make sure that team is herself and Brittany Lohan. To do this she will be spending the vast majority of her time with her new trainer, her ‘uncle’ Blake O’Malley. O’Malley isn’t really her uncle by blood or even by marriage, but he was a close friend of her father, Glenn Braddock. Blake was always around Glory when she was growing up. He was around so frequently that she began thinking of him as an uncle. So who else but her ‘uncle’ should prepare her for this very important match?

The British Bombshell finds herself in front of a heavy bag at Blake O’Malley’s gym. She is dressed in purple workout shorts, white sneakers, and a plain white top. Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back. Blake stands a few feet away, watching as she lays into the bag with vicious rights and lefts. Blake is wearing gray sweat pants and a matching gray shirt. A stoic gaze is upon his face as he judges his charge’s performance.

“Good…now mix the shit up a little, throw some kicks…” upon hearing his command, Glory starts throwing a few quick kicks at the bag “...remember, do not get into too much of a pattern. Do not let your opponent start to predict your every move.”

“Britt and I have been at this tag team scene for a long time, mate.” Glory says in between punches and kicks, beginning to ‘mix it up’ as Blake instructed. “I’m sure there’s plenty of tape on us and our opponents can learn everything about us.”

“This is different.”

“How?” Glory asks after delivering a roundhouse kick to the bag that knocks it back. She steps out of the way to avoid it flying back into her face. She approaches Blake who motions for her to step forward.

“This isn’t your traditional tag team match. Under normal tag team rules, quite frankly, I’d think you’d be wasting your damn time here with me. You and Lohan are good, you are damn good as a tag team. But this is lucha libre. This is a whole new animal.”

“Hey, nothing I can’t handle.” Glory says with a playful grin.

“Don’t be too confident, Glory. You and Lohan aren’t the favorites here, at least not in my opinion. A match like this favors Amelia Blythe and Lizzie…Lassie…Luzzie…

“Luz.”

“Yeah, her. Whatever. Point is, Light in the Darkness are the clear favorites as this is their type of match. Plus you have the added pressure of the fact that Datura and Bree already beat you once.”

“Technicality.” Glory says with a frown. “We had already wrestled twice before. They were fresh.”

“A loss is a loss no matter how it happened.” Blake points out. “Excuses don’t look good on a future Supreme Champion.”

“Fair enough.” Glory sighs and nods her head. “So what’s next?”

“Next we’re going to work on speed, specifically how long can you keep up with working a very fast pace. Understand that with the whole ‘tagging’ rule thrown out the window, that means this match will no doubt be a lot faster than usual. So what I want you to do is go to that treadmill across the room and put it on as fast as it will bloody go and run as long as you can.”

“Seriously?” Glory seems dumbfounded by this instruction. “No sparring?”

“Sparring can come later. Speed, long lasting speed, is most important. So get to it and…” Blake stops and shakes his head. Something is clearly wrong. Glory turns around to see what has happened, what got his attention that bothered him so much? Then she sees it, or rather she sees him; she sees Matthew Taylor entering the gym wearing denim jeans, black boots, and a black t-shirt. He is glaring angrily.

“Bloody hell…”

“Yeah, I should have seen this coming.” Glory answers. Then she turns back to Blake. “Do you mind giving us some time alone?”

“Sure.” Blake turns and walks away just as Matthew approaches. Glory was so focused on Apocalypse, so focused on trying to earn a tag team title shot, so focused on completing her quest to become Supreme Champion in SCW that she completely forgot about this ghost from her past rearing its head. Matthew and Glory are friends, sure, but just a few days ago Glory told off Matthew’s girlfriend. She should have known that this was a possibility. But she didn’t consider it.

“Matty…what can I do for you?”

“You came to Birmingham and didn’t expect me to confront you about what you said to my girl, to Melody?” He sounds incredulous.

“I was kinda hoping to avoid this, yeah.” Glory shrugs her shoulders and smiles sheepishly. “I mean, I have a big tag match with my mate Britt coming up and I need to be ready. Dealing with soap opera love and the restless bullshit isn’t gonna help me right now.”

“Sorry, but you’re going to have to take some time out of your so-called ‘busy’ schedule to talk to me.” Matthew says matter-of-fact. “You were rude to Melody and I want to know why.”

“What do you want from me, Matty?” She shrugs her shoulders. “You of all people should know that I do not trust her.”

“But you two were getting along great!” He exclaims. “At least I thought you were, but then Melody comes to me crying after that meeting Saturday.”

“Crying?” Glory chuckles. “She’s an actress too.”

“You think this is funny?”

“No, I don’t.” Glory shakes her head. “I just think that you are a very confused individual and you are getting yourself into trouble being romantically involved with Melody Murphy. That’s what I think.”

“You’re joking? Right?” Matthew asks. Then he shakes his head. “You know what? I know what it is. I know what the problem is, Glory.”

“Do enlighten me, Matty.”

“You are jealous of her.”

“You think I’m jealous of her?” Glory starts laughing again. “Why the hell would I be jealous of a plastic Barbie like Melody? I have a family I love, a career, I have no reason to be jealous of her.”

“Then why did you talk down to her?” Matthew asks demandingly. “Why did you say those things to her?”

“Look…” Glory’s voice trails off “...I’m sorry, ok? I apologize. I am not apologizing for upsetting that twit Barbie rip off. But if I said anything to her that upset YOU, Matty, then I do apologize. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Then why did you say it?”

“Because I am worried about you!” Glory exclaims. “You should know better than to trust her. She was the leader of the clique, the clique of wealthy mean girls who terrorized the school, the same clique that terrorize and bullied YOU…and yet now here you are dating its leader. So yes, Matty, I’m sorry but I am worried about you possibly getting hurt by her.”

“I appreciate that you are concerned about me, Glory, but people can change and so has Melody.”

“I agree. People can change.” Glory nods her head in agreement. “People can change, and you are a fine example of that, mate.”

“What does that mean?” Matthew asks incredulously.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Matty. I was never going to bring this up but you stormed in here like an angry bull to confront me so you brought this on yourself. See, I know about how you have betrayed my trust. You told Melody all about the affair you and I had, when I cheated on Kurt with you. She knows about my deep love and affection for Aphrodite Noel, an affection so deep that I allowed myself to be adopted by her and become her daughter. That’s something few people know. Yet somehow Melody now knows.”

Matthew Taylor remains silent for several moments after bowing his head in shame. Glory continues to stare at him with her arms crossed over her chest. Finally Matthew nods his head and speaks. “Yeah, I admit, I told her a few things about you. Melody and I had a drink or…three, maybe four?” He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. “But yeah, I was drunk and we were partying and I guess my mouth got the better of me.” With that said, Glory Braddock rears back and slaps Matthew across his face.

“Damn right it did. You betrayed my trust, Matty, so don’t come barging in here and complaining about how I spoke to your girlfriend.”

“I…” he shakes his head “...I’m sorry, Glory. I had no idea Melody would actually bring it up to you.”

“What else did you tell her?”

“Nothing.” He shakes his head. “Nothing at all.”

“How am I supposed to believe that? You yourself said you were drunk. Maybe you said something and forgot?”

“No, no,” he shakes his head “I’m sure that was it. Nothing else. Besides, so what if she knows about you and Aphrodite? And Kurt already knows about the affair. It isn’t like any of this can be held over your head?”

“No, it can’t. And Kurt and I have resolved our problems a long time ago.” She points a finger at Matthew. “But now you betrayed my trust and that is a problem that YOU have to fix, Matty.”

Glory Braddock turns her back on Matthew, her longtime childhood friend, and walks away. She doesn’t have time for this, she doesn’t have time for someone who betrayed her trust and seems hell bent on potentially ruining his life by being with a con artist like Melody Murphy. If that’s who he wants to be with and be like, then let him. Glory has more important things to do right now. She has a tag team championship to win. She can no longer afford to let her so-called friend disturb her at this juncture. Still, it does hurt emotionally that this whole situation with Melody may have just cost her a close friend. Tears form in Glory’s eyes. She is grateful that her back is turned towards Matthew. She does not want him to know how sad she truly is.