Ace Marshall vs. Selena Frost

[SnowQueenSCW]

Project: Black Ice

”The Way They Held Their Eyes…”

About 21 hours ago
Nome, Alaska
July 19th, 2021
12:03pm

The first thing she saw as she opened her eyes was white. Stark white that reminded her of when her windows at home in Nome were covered in snow during a big blizzard. Snowstorms where the snow would grow so high, you could get snowed into your own house. The first thing she felt was a dull ache across her chest and face – oddly enough, it reminded her of being slammed into the ring, like with a flapjack move or something. Like her whole body had just been slammed into a surface with only a little give.

The first thing she thought was to close her eyes and listen to the sound of the snow falling – to savour the few things about Nome she actually loved. Things like the snow and the cold. Things that couldn’t possibly be the same in her home in Manhattan, especially during the spring season-

Spring Season… Manhattan… Deanna… The reality of Selena’s present and the last memory she possessed took hold and, like waking from a dream, Selena’s body jerked up, sapphire eyes wildly searching her surroundings. She could see the interior if the small car, she could see one of the windows, hers, was broken and her lap was covered with pieces of broken glass that looked more like shards of ice on her lap. Just beyond her, fully deflated, she spied the airbag that had cushioned her, but also packed the punch she felt in the front of her body. 

Still, with all this processed, the wrestler quickly turned to her right to see the redhead slumped forward, held in place only by the seatbelt wrapped diagonally across her torso. Like Selena, Deanna also had a deflated airbag in front of her but, unlike the older Frost, thank Odin, no broken class or anything.

Quickly, and with great care, Selena unbuckled her seatbelt and shifted herself over enough to the passenger side of the car to reach her wife. “Deanna…” she cried out, gently, but briskly, shaking her wife. “Wake up, De. Come on.” She tried, her eyes roaming over her beloved to check for any cuts or clear injuries. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a groan come from the smaller woman.

“Ouch…” the manager groaned in a daze. “Did I fall out of bed or something?” she opened her eyes and blinked a few times, her eyes focusing on whatever was in front of her. “Oh, did I fall asleep in the car-“ much like with Selena, realization quickly came, flashing before emerald eyes. “Oh crap-“ the redhead’s head jerked to the right. “Selen-“ her words died as Selena’s hands gently caught her as she turned.

“Easy.” Selena spoke as gently as she possibly could. “Easy, love. I’m alright.” She gratefully smiled. “Are you okay?”

For an answer, the redhead simply, and with understandable gusto, wrapped her arms around Selena, holding her tight. “What happened?” she asked, pulling away to look around the interior of the car as Selena did. “Did we crash?”

“Yeah.” Selena nodded her head. “Hold on…” 

Carefully, the Snow Queen opened her door to pull herself out of the vehicle, balancing herself as her running shoes found purchase in the grassy down hill of the ditch. Carefully, to avoid slipping, Selena moved around the vehicle to check the front of the vehicle as it dipped into the ditch. Kneeling down, she could see the front smashed into the ground, the metal warped and folded in some areas, shattered colored glass littering the ground around the sides. It reminded Selena of the glass she had found on her lap – casting a glance down to ‘dust off’ the few pieces that had ‘dug in’ to her shirt. 

Hearing the sound of a door opening and closing, Selena turned her head to see Deanna moving around the vehicle on the other side to reach her. “You okay? How long we’re we out?” she asked.

Seeing her wife fully now, Selena was quick to do a visual scan, grateful that there were no cuts or bruises on her body. They hadn’t flipped or flown in the air or anything. They had simply lost control and drove into a ditch, meaning minimal injuries. With a sigh of relief, Selena pulled herself to her feet.

“I’m fine.” She slowly checked the watch on her wrist. “I can’t be certain, but I think maybe fifteen minutes? Maybe less.”
“Wow...” Deanna nodded in understanding. “But what happened?”

“I think one of the tires blew.” The older Frost rationalized, moving back over to the front to check the front tire. “I heard a loud ‘popping’ sound before I started losing control.” 
“Okay, I’ll check the other side.” Deanna declared, jogging back to ‘her side’ of the car to investigate.

Selena, meanwhile, carefully inspected the front wheel. Sure enough, her eyes soon spotted the flatness of the wheel. “Okay, I found the-“

“Found the flat!” Deanna called out, surprising the Snow Queen. 
“Your side has a flat?” Selena asked, moving around quickly to Deanna’s side to investigate the tire the redhead was kneeling near to. Sure enough, like Selena’s, the tire was certainly flat. 

“What?” Deanna asked, but Selena’s thoughts were too loud in her mind to respond. Instead, she shuffled back on the balls of her feet, kneeling down to inspect the back wheel on Deanna’s side, followed by the back wheel on her side of the car. 

Both back tires were also flat…

That means… Selena could almost hear the red flags of warning that rose up in her mind as conclusions were drawn from what she had just observed. Quickly moving to the front of the car, she threw open her door and pulled out her purse from beneath her seat, which hadn’t moved much in the crash. She heard, rather than saw, Deanna do the same thing for her bag, while the Snow Queen quickly checked inside her own purse, pulling out the CZ 9mm Luger handgun. 

“Selena…” she heard her wife call out. “Why are you checking your gun?”

Selena’s immediate answer was the click of loading and setting the gun, ensuring the safety was still on before sliding the weapon into the pocket of her black pants – if things weren’t so strange, Deanna would have made a joke about the Snow Queen looking like a spy with that gun and the black pant suit she wore. Blonde… James Blonde… the redhead couldn’t help but giggle to herself, unable to stop herself from thinking of the pun.

Selena, meanwhile, finished digging out her wallet from her purse, throwing the purse and all unimportant contents back into the car. “Let’s move.” She stated.

“Wait…” Deanna called out as she saw her wife beginning to walk down the road they had been driving on. “What about our stuff?”

“Leave it except your wallet and ID.” Selena stated. “We have to move.”

Despite herself, Deanna did as she was told, retrieving her own wallet before rushing after her now armed wife.

“Selena…” Deanna tried, reaching out to take the Snow Queen’s free hand. “What happened?”

Taking a deep breath, the older woman squeezed Deanna’s hand protectively. “Deanna… all four tires of the car were punctured.”

The revelation seemed to surprise the redhead. Admittedly, Deanna was not a master of vehicles – she and Selena only possessing a slight amount of maintenance skill and know-how, as it were – still if what Selena said was true.

“So…you’re saying…”
The Snow Queen merely nodded, her concern now shared with Deanna.

It would have been one thing if only one tire had blown – maybe two, that was possible – but all four at the exact same time?! Not even Deanna believed that was possible. 

Quickly, Deanna cast her gaze back the few yards they had walked, taking in the wreck of the car in the ditch. “Did you find anything on the ground?” she asked.

“No.” Selena shook her head. “But we were out long enough for them to remove anything. Especially if it was something like a spike strip.”

Deanna had seen one of those in her time in Frankfurt – out of reach, of course. It was a long slab of foldable metal with spikes on it. Laid on the road, it could easily puncture tires as soon as they were driven over.

“So…” Deanna breathed, inadvertently drawing closer to her wife. “Someone spiked the road to cause us to crash…” she turned her head back to Selena. “Do you think it was Malcolm?”

Slowly, Selena shook her head. “He could have gotten us in Nome when we were in his office. Or have someone mess with our car while we were parked. I think…” she hated to say the next set of words. “I think it was ‘them’.”
“Them?” Deanna asked before her eyes widened a little in realization. “You mean that caller?”
“Yeah.” Selena sighed.

Again, Deanna cast her gaze back towards the ditch, then ahead of the pair to the long road that they were travelling. “What if they come back when they realize we’re alive?”

“That’s what the gun is for.” Selena admitted. “But…I think they know we’re alive.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.” Selena sighed. “But it’s just…I mean… again, I don’t think they want to kill us yet.”

“Selena…” Deanna tried to remain calm.

“I’ll explain.” Selena assured her beloved, understanding her growing anxiety. “This won’t sound good, but we both know that this person- he/she or they or whatever-“
“Okay, hold up.” Deanna held up a hand, though they continued walking down the dirt side of the road. “We need to give this person a name or something to stop this confusion.”

“A name?” Selena asked, somewhat perplexed.
“Yeah, so we can stop with the guess work.”
“Fine.” Selena shrugged. “You pick.”

“I don’t know? Buzzkill? Second-wedding crasher? Fun-smasher? Meanie? Killjoy?”

“Fine.” Selena laughed a little at a few of the ideas. “So ‘Killjoy’…” she playfully stressed the last name, trying to lighten her wife’s mood. “Wants to draw out some kind of suffering out of me. Killing me outright seems rather counter-productive to that end. I hate to say this but…” she sighed. “I think we’re just being messed with.”

“Messed with? Like Killjoy’s pranking us?” Deanna asked. 
“Well…kind of. I mean – middle of nowhere, no cell surface, we’re gonna have to walk for a while until we find a house – I’m sure. Rise to Greatness just a few days away.”

“Maybe ‘taking RTG’ from you before you could even be part of it is the-“ Deanna started before quickly shaking her head. “No, again, if that was the case, KJ could have made sure of that while we were unconscious.”

“KJ?” Selena asked.
“Killjoy. KJ’s my way of making them even less scary.”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Deanna.” Selena assured, pulling up Deanna’s hand to kiss the knuckled gently. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“It’s you that I’m worried about.” Deanna sighed.

“The important thing is that we’re okay. No injuries or anything. We just need to talk till we find a place with a phone. I’ll call Jean and Zoe and they can come pick us up.”

“Guess this means we’re gonna miss our spa day at Pilgrim Springs.” Deanna sighed. “So long ‘pampering’.”
“I’ll pamper you all you want as soon as we get to L.A., okay? That’s a promise.” Selena smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her wife’s head.

The two Frost wives continues walking down the road, keeping their eyes open for anything out of place or any sign of their ‘day-ruiner’. Occasionally, they would strike up a conversation, and Selena even ran through all the ideas for her first promo for Rise to Greatness with Deanna.

The hours passed as the pair walked, stopping only to rest once in awhile to rest their feet or walk to the country side of the road amidst the trees to awkwardly deal with ‘washroom woes’. Soon, the sun began to draw closer and closer to the horizon, turning into darker colors of pink and orange.

“Alright. Did you ever do an entrance with a maybe some armor?” Deanna asked, having, at some point, fished out her notepad and pencil and return to her ‘entrance ideas’. “Cause of the whole ‘Winter’s Knight’ thing?”

“Two years ago.” Selena smiled.
“Really?” the redhead pouted. “Damn. That was such a good idea, too! We could have rode a big white dragon!”
“Where would we even get that?” Selena laughed.
“Animatronics?” Deanna offered. “I mean, it’s the main-event, I’m sure management can splurge a little.”

Selena shook her head at her wife good-naturedly. It had been Deanna’s up-beat attitude, slowly replacing her anxiety over Killjoy as the hours passed, that had kept Selena from losing her mind. Even with Pilgrim Springs being closer to them than Nome based on the distance they had travelled by car, Selena still had no idea how much further was left, which wasn’t exactly pleasing considering that it was getting dark.

“What about you’re a queen and you’re riding a white horse instead of a white dragon?!” Deanna asked, a new idea hitting her.
“Pretty sure Kennedy would kill me if that happened. She kinda did it first.”
“Seriously?” Deanna huffed.
“Yeah, and apparently, it wasn’t really fun or easy to get that to work – not what you would call ‘worth the investment’.”

With another huff, Deanna scribbled out the sentence she had just written on her current page of paper before lifting her head and casting her eyes to their surroundings – almost as if she was finally seeing the time of day for the first time. “How long have we been walking?”

Quickly, Selena checked her watch. “You don’t want to know.” She replied. “How long have your legs been sore?”
“About the time we started talking about ‘vacation spots’ for post-RTG, I think.” Deanna shrugged.
“That was four hours ago!” Selena blurted out.
“It’s been four hours?!” Deanna’s eyes widened.

Two stopped walking, the frustration finally sinking in for a moment, causing both of them to grunt and groan in their own way.

“I swear if I ever see this Killjoy.” Deanna replied. “I am going to make HIM SLASH HER walk until their legs want to fall off!”
“And what?” Selena asked. “You follow them in a car?”
“Oh! There’s an idea!” Deanna brightened back up. “I drive and you keep that gun on them to keep them walking.” She gestured to the pocket that held Selena’s weapon.
“What if it’s someone in a wheelchair?” Selena teased, sticking her tongue out at her wife.
“Oh…” Deanna’s face fell a little. “Now I feel bad… maybe we just have them arrested then.”

Selena shook her head once more at the strange conversation that had begun between the two wives.

“Have you ever thought about why Killjoy is after you?” the redhead suddenly asked, drawing a few more words and ideas into her notepad.

“More often then I can say.” Selena shrugged. “I’ve run through every element of my past and I can’t figure it out.”
“No real possibility?” the younger Frost turned her head to regard her wife, who only shook her head in the negative.

“No. Too many possibilities.” Selena corrected. “I mean, maybe it’s one of the Dragon Slayers blaming me for Nicodemus’ death, or one of the Frostmere clan in the same way except in regards to Brachiss and DeWinter. Maybe it’s Castle’s wife or an associate of his? The DeCarlo family, the Scythe family-“

“I thought you thought-“
“That was Malcolm. But I have no idea who else could be involved in that inner circle. And then there’s my father – Donovan – I know nothing of his past. Maybe it’s someone tied there. Like I said, Deanna…” she shrugged. “Too many to guess.”

The shorter Frost nodded, only to stop as her eyes caught sight of something. “SELENA!” she called up, reaching up to stop the Snow Queen with one hand and point with her pencil and notepad. “Look! A house! With lights on!”

Following the woman’s direction, Selena spied the log cabin off to the side of the road, a long, dirt road linking it. Selena could see the wood of the walls, the red of the roof, even as the sun continued to set, and the windows that light from inside streamed from.

“Come on.” Deanna encouraged, retaking her wife’s hand and pulling her firmly off their current path and down the dirt road as it took a deep descent before rising back up to become a hill. 

“Shovelling snow here must be a pain.” Selena remarked, casting her glance across the dirt. “Same with lawnmowing.” 

“Least someone might have a landline phone if they live here.” Deanna encouraged as they reached the top of the hill. As they did, able to take in the sight of the house again, the smell of cooked meats of some kind wafted through the open windows and into their noses, causing Deanna’s stomach to growl.

“You better do the talking.” She remarked to Selena. “I might think too much with my stomach.”
Looking at the door, Selena slowly shrugged her shoulders. “That might be better than ‘hey! Let us use your phone please!’.”

Still, the Snow Queen stepped up onto the porch, her hand reaching up to rap her knuckles against the hard surface.

A few moments passed and the sound of movement could be heard, of a chair moving and steps being taken, growing closer and closer to the door until the doorknob shifted and moved and the door opened slightly.

In the dimness of the setting sun and the lights coming in from the house, Selena could see the white, thin hair of the woman that greeted them. She wore thick, white sweat pants and a gray shirt – Older mother, maybe…Grandma-ish. Selena thought. She looks ‘early grandma-ish’.

“Can I help you?” the woman asked, her voice gentle but held a strength that surprised both women – a contrast to the rather thin, almost frail, appearance of the woman’s frame.

“Yes.” Selena tried, smiling apologetically at the woman. “Our car broke down several miles back and we’ve been trying to find a place with a phone so we could contact someone.”

“Broke down, you say?” the woman asked, slowly closing the door for a moment. For that second, Selena feared the woman had just shunned them, but she then heard the sound of a chain being dragged against metal against the door, allowing the door to be open to its full range. “Come in.” the lady offered with a smile, allowing the Frost women to shuffle into the house.

“Thank you so much.” Deanna offered the young lady with a kind, sweet smile of her own. The house was simple yet, for lack of a better word, homely, the smell that had only been growing stronger the closer the Frost women drew adding to the homeliness. The floors were carpeted with a grayish blue, the roof was just tall enough so neither woman standing near the door could reach it, there was a small television off to the corner, and a blue-pink plaid couch near the television in front of one of the windows. Further in, Selena could just make out a kitchen around the corner, which the older woman had disappeared to.

“Oh, don’t thank me just yet, dear.” The old woman replied quietly from her location. “You may not like the situation.”

“Situation?” Selena asked as she moved further inside, her hand subtly grazing the pocket, allowing her to feel the hard metal of her gun tucked inside it.

“Yes.” The woman reappeared, holding a pair of damp cloths, which she handed to both women. Taking one, the light blue one (Deanna had a pink one), Selena felt the warmth from the washcloth and, without thinking, reaching up to wipe her face.

“First, how far have you travelled?” asked the woman as she stood there patiently. 
“Several hours.” Deanna answered. “A tire popped and left us stranded. We were coming from Nome.”

“I was afraid of that.” Sighed the woman. “Nome, by foot, is a good day’s journey. The closest place is Pilgrim Springs but that’s another few hours walk and you probably won’t be allowed in so late at night. I would offer to take you there myself, but…” it was at this point that the woman points a wrinkled to the large, thickly-rimmed glassed that hung by a ball-chain around her neck. “I’m afraid I can’t see very well in the dark.”

“That’s okay!” Deanna smiled. “We appreciate your kindness, but if we could just borrow your phone…”

It was at this point that Selena, having scanned the room, realized something peculiar. She had seen a television, a kitchen, and a hallway that she assumed lead to a bath and bedroom, but…

“I’m afraid there are no phones or landlines this far out. I don’t have much use for them anyway.” The woman confessed as Selena’s thoughts made the same conclusion. 

“I see.” Deanna sighed, her smile growing a little sadder before turning to Selena. “Should we risk just going to Pilgrim Springs? I’m sure they have a phone there-“

“I wouldn’t.” the elder lady tried protectively. “Wolves and coyotes take up quite a bit of this territory off the back. They can get quite frisky at night.”

The redhead searched her wife’s face, the Snow Queen merely nodding her head in agreement with the cabin-owner. Travelling anywhere in Alaska, especially in heavily unpopulated areas was just asking for trouble – a ‘camp at your own risk’ notion that Selena had to come to terms with throughout her life.

“So… what do we do?” Deanna whispered, perhaps in hope that she was not overheard by the wrinkled woman.
“You dears must stay the night.” She declared, immediately moving around the small house space, grabbing some plates and utensils from cupboards and drawers to set on the table. “I just made some dinner, and I’m always making too much! It be nice to not have so many leftovers.”

“Ah…we…” Deanna tried, only for a quiet hand to place itself on her shoulder, Deanna feeling the warmth of her wife’s touch through her shirt.

“I insist, dear!” called the woman from the kitchen as she continued to set up dinner. “And in the morning, I will drive you back to Nome!”

Quietly, the Frost wives gazed at one another, nonverbally communicating the situation before them, which really had no other choices available. The odds were high that, even if they managed to walk to Pilgrim Springs, that they would not be allowed in – assuming there were even staff there. And gods knew even if they did manage to get to a phone that Jean would be awoke by it and able to get them. And if anything went wrong, they’d be locked outside, in Nome. Compared to a night’s rest in a warm house, with food and a guaranteed ride back to keep them safe?

Selena merely shrugged her shoulders at Deanna, who sighed before smiling a rather tired smile. Turning around, she spoke loud enough for the woman to hear. “We thank you very much for your hospitality. Please, let us help you with anything you need.”

“Oh… well…” the elderly woman stuck her head around the corner, eyeing the woman standing behind Deanna. “You. The tallest one...”

“Hello.” Selena smiled.
“Can you reach up and help me get this bowl? That way I don’t have to use the step-ladder.”
“Certainly.” 

Carefully taking off her shoes and placing them near the door, Selena briskly moved into the kitchen area to assist the woman as required, Deanna following her. Together, the three women set up dinner, allowing Deanna to finally identify the smell that had been making her stomach growl – slowly roasted pork stew. 

“You seem to have quite the appetite, my dear.” The old woman, who had introduced herself as Rebecca, smiled in good nature.
“Yes, she does.” Selena smiled in agreement as she gazed at the redhead. “I find it rather unfair.” She added, watching as Deanna, not really paying attention to the discussion, helped herself to her third bowl of stew. “She can eat so much more than me and doesn’t gain a pound.”

By this point, Deanna had returned, her bowl full of stew, taking her seat beside Selena. “Sorry, what were you guys talking about?”
“The unfairness of high metabolism.” Selena teased.
“Oh, THIS again?” Deanna rolled her eyes. “Look, I didn’t sign for it, it just came with the rest of this package.” She gestured up and down along her body.

With a roll of her eyes, Selena turned her attention back to Rebecca. “Some people have all the luck in the genetics department.” She whispered.

“Speaking of which, my dear.” The kind woman smiled, taking a sip from her own. “I must say that your hair is one of the most unique shades I’ve ever seen – especially on one so young. It’s whiter than mine, and that is saying something.” She gestured to her free hand towards the white hair, only a tint of brown remained.

A tired smile came to Selena’s lips as she dipped a bit of toasted bread into her stew. “I get that a lot.” She replied. “Especially in Nome.”

“Oh, are you from there? I thought you were tourists.” Rebecca remarked.
Selena shook her head. “Spend most of my life there, could twenty plus years.”

“I see.” The host seemed to dwell on this for a moment before taking the sight of Selena’s hair again. “I’m sorry, child, but what was your family name again?”

In mid-chew of her bread, Selena slowly finished her mouthful, debating whether she should relay such information to a stranger. After all, it wasn’t like her family were popular in Nome… with a shift of her weight, she felt the weight of the gun press into her leg, granting a modicum of comfort to her. “My family name is Frost.” She replied slowly.

“Oh!” Rebecca smiled. “The mining family! Yes! Your father was a gold-digger, wasn’t he?”

A slight sputtering sound came from Deanna, who quickly dabbed her mouth with a napkin before turning to Selena. “Sorry. I have to keep reminding myself when people call your dad that – they mean a literal gold-digger.”

“Yes.” Selena replied to both women. “My father, for many years, sought gold in the caves of Nome.”

“Yes, I had heard of a family in Nome – woman of white hair like yours, I just couldn’t remember. I only go to Nome to collect groceries very week or two, so I only catch the wisps of news.”

“Why don’t you go down there more often?” Deanna asked curiously. “Visit friends or something?”
“I’m afraid I’m not quite welcome in that town. I visit when I must, but otherwise, I am not someone certain people wish to associate with.”

“Why not?” Deanna asked without thinking. “You’ve been nothing but pleasant to us.”
“Oh, you’re sweet, my dear.” Rebecca offered a grateful smile. “But it’s better for me to be here. On my own.”

Hearing those words, it was Selena’s turn to turn reflective, her eyes dwelling on the woman as she enjoyed her stew. Hated? Despised? Exiled, perhaps? This older woman was not welcome in Nome anymore than Selena had been years ago. For how many years did the supposed ‘Snow Queen’ retreat to her cave or her home near that cave, coming out only when utterly necessary? How many years did she only wish for the company of one or two people, only to be hated and abandoned by one and lose the other? 

Now, strange as it was, all Selena could see in that moment, looking at Rebecca, was a fate that very nearly was hers. A fate that could have been Selena’s own if she had not worked that night shift at Liam’s that night and seen the advertisement for the SCW End of the Year Event. If she had not scraped every last bit of savings she had for a plane ticket to the event…

Slowly, wishing to take as little attention as possible, Selena spied a glance at her beloved Deanna as the redhead delighted herself in her bowl of hot stew. It was SCW – being in SCW – that had allowed her to be seen by Deanna, a young girl as scared and alone as she had been, what would her fate have been if Selena had not been around? If Selena had not gone to SCW and, thus, gone to Kentucky and met her? Would she be alone too? Would she have found someone else? Someone that treated her like she deserved to be treated? Someone that would give her the life she deserved?

The young Frost wasn’t sure. She had done all she could to give Deanna that, but life was far from perfect – far from fair. Wasn’t that why they had ended up here in the first place? Because someone from Selena’s world – a world she still could not fathom the depths, the nooks and crannies, of… 

Perhaps Deanna may not have found love without Selena, it is possible, but neither, Selena rationed, would she have suffered because of those after Selena…. To suffer nearly two years in prison in a far away country, driven away from her children.

And what about Regan? Her sister? What if Selena had become this woman – like Rebecca? What would happen to her sister? Would Regan have turned? Would she have nearly killed herself just to beat Selena? Would she have become injured trying to do what Selena tried to do? The right thing? Perhaps she wouldn’t have turned, that was a possibility as well, but how much was it Selena’s ongoing ‘pragmatic nobility’? How much of it was Selena’s own example? So many people had called it brainwashing and Selena hadn’t believed it – she refused to believe it. She didn’t want to brainwash. She didn’t want to deceive. She wanted to inspire. She wanted to teach. But what if that inspiring… what if those inspired followed her advice, her example, only to be lead to ruin?

Could they have been spared such aches and pains, as Deanna could have been spared the aches and pains and terrors of Frankfurt, if Selena had just been as Rebecca was now? A recluse. Locked away from the world for the majority of her life? Kept hidden and away from anyone?

Her eyes refocused their sight as Selena drifted out of her mental ramblings. Her head had lowered a little in her thoughts, and she could spy her reflection in the liquid of her stew, slightly morphed and twisted by the slices of carrots and pieces of meat. Quietly, she stirred the contents with her silver spoon, watching them mix and float and sink and come back up.

“Is it not to your liking?” 

The question came from Rebecca, earning Selena’s attention, the younger woman lifting her head and offering her a smile at the resident’s concerned expression. “No, it is. Thank you.” Selena replied apologetically. “I just…sometimes… get lost in my thoughts.” 

The answer, compounded with the young wrestler taking a spoonful of stew, seemed to placate the older lady. It did not, however, stop Deanna from subtly reaching out to take Selena’s free hand into her own, giving a gentle squeeze of support. Stealing a glance towards her beloved, Selena offered the redhead a more meaningful smile, her eyes trying to convey the message of ‘I’m okay’. With a slight nod, Deanna joined her wife in eating in silence.

As the night wore on, Rebecca showed the guests to a spare bedroom. The size was much smaller than their home in Manhattan or even one of rooms in the Schonburg castle, but both Selena and Deanna were grateful for a place to sleep that wasn’t the floor.

“This was my granddaughter’s room.” Rebecca had remarked, beginning a bit of small talk that, ultimately, ended with her wishing the Frost wives good night before departing to bed with a cup of camisole tea. The shower they were shown was too small for two people, so Selena had gone first and now sat on the bed, her back against the headrest as she waited for Deanna to finish her shower.

Alone in the room, the Snow Queen took in the little details she could see with the lamp on beside her. The walls were wooden, the same stain-color as the rest of the house and the carpets flowed from the front door to every aspect of the house except the bathroom – for obvious reasons. Across the room, away from the bed, Selena could see a white, wooden cupboard with dozens of small books with colorful writing – various sizes and fonts playing across her vision and prompting her to push herself off the bed and quietly investigate, enchanted by the sight of the child’s belongings.

The cupboard door was not hard to open as it was not locked. It was like opening a little toy chest to the Snow Queen, which is what her eyes took in along with the books. There was a stuffed teddy-bear, one that looked like Winnie the Pooh, sitting in a corner on one of the shelves, a few letter building blocks, a spinning top. 

“Wow…not one Gameboy or anything.” Selena quietly, remarking on the age of the toys and books before her. Reaching out, she gently took the little Pooh bear into her hands, gazing down at the black, plastic eyes that gaze up at her. Once more, Selena’s mind wandered to the ‘what-if’ and the similarities she had seen between herself and Rebecca. 

Elsianna would have stayed in a room like this. she thought. With toys and books like these…

Except the platinum-blonde wasn’t sure which Elsianna she was referring to in that thought. Was it the daughter she had been reunited with, who had a favourite nutcracker named Sir Crackshell… or the Snow Child her shattered mind had created in the lowest depths of her life? 

In reality, it had only been her time in SCW that Selena had gained the resources needed to fight back against the DeCarlos and the Scythes, which had lead her to finding her real daughter – 

And what about Amiliah and David… Selena’s mind balked. It was a frightening realization, but one Selena could not deny. If she had become like Rebecca – an outcast to the end, Locked away as “The Crazy Miner’s Daughter” – then there was no chance David or Amiliah would have been born. Elsianna would probably have been thrown out of the orphanage at the age of 5 and lost to the system of unwanted children in Anchorage…. And all Selena, herself, would have would be her demons and her Snow Child.

Closing her eyes, Selena took a slow, staggering breath before opening them again, once more staring into the ‘eyes’ of the stuffed bear. 

“You have that same look you had at dinner.” Calming voice came from behind her, like warm water over a cold hand. Selena didn’t turn around immediately, but stood in place as she heard steps approaching her, warm arms wrapping around her from behind, and a head, with damp hair, resting against her shoulder blades. “I couldn’t tell if it was reflective or you were scared – I honestly thought it was both.” Deanna whispered, gently turning her wife around to gaze into her eyes. For a moment, emerald eyes fluttered down to observe the stuffed animal in Selena’s hands. Much like Selena, Deanna had been offered some sleeping clothes, track pants and a t-shirt, by Rebecca, which was more than enough for the pair. 

“It’s surreal, I guess.” Selena whispered, her eyes also on the bear. “Rebecca and I… I mean, this- all of this…” she gestured to the room and towards the door with her free hand. “This could have been me. If I hadn’t gone to SCW. If I hadn’t met you. If I never found Elsianna…” Careful, Selena removed herself from her wife’s embrace, allowing her to move slowly around the room. “I look back at all the things we’ve been through. And every one I think about, every hurdle in the road, I could have easy swerved off the path and ended up here – alone.”

Reaching the wall, the Snow Queen rested a pale hand against the wood, feeling the coarseness as she gazed out the bedroom window, her eyes taking in the hills and the road that seemed so far away from here – a different path entirely, she thought as she placed the teddy bear on the top of a nearby drawer.

“Eight years ago… I was alright with that. I was alone and I preferred it that way. I was drinking myself into oblivion with a fake family just to keep some semblance any sanity left in my life. I was fooling myself. But how easily could I have stayed that way?”

“You can’t let yourself be lost to ‘what-ifs’.” She heard Deanna say.
“But they’re so integral.” Selena countered. “Because I wouldn’t have bettered myself without you or SCW, conquering my addictions. I never would have been strong enough to truly free myself from my step-mother or Malcolm. I would never have been strong enough to stand up against my own family clan-“

Slowly, she turned back to face her wife, who had not moved from her spot in the middle of the room.

“Ignorance is bliss, I guess…” the wrestler quietly chuckled. “Because I never expected how much better my life could be with you and with SCW. And when I realized the similarities between Rebecca and me…and where I could have easily ended up, now knowing what we have – what we have gone through together.” Unable to stop herself, Selena shook her head, casting her eyes to the floor and slamming them shut to stop any tears that threatened to fall. Immediately, she felt her wife’s arms around her again, Deanna cradling Selena’s head into the crook of her neck.

“No one is going to take me from you, Selena.” She whispered, running a hand against the back of the woman’s head.
“But that’s what Killjoy wants…” Selena whispered, lifting her head to hold Deanna’s gaze. “You in prison? Today with our car – what if he wanted me to see this? What if he wanted me to see what I could have been without you? He wants to take all that away, and… he’ll do it by taking you away, I know it.”

“Why-“ Deanna tried to ask.
“Because he knows without you? I don’t… I can barely function.”
“That isn’t true.” Deanna shook her head. “You managed the last two years-“
“Because I was working to free you. I was working to getting you out, and I could visit you. That’s why he wants me at my happiest. Why he wanted me to reach a certain point, because with all of it gone…and only memories left of what I once had… like today, I’ll be knocked off our path and….” Sapphire eyes took in the room. “He wants me to end up here… like this – and I don’t know why.” Her head fell back into her wife’s neck, her body trembling.  

The couple stayed like that for what felt like hours, Selena’s frame trembling from quiet sobs. Why did it have to be so difficult now? Why couldn’t it have been easy like before? An enemy was coming to take something from Selena – one thing. A gold mine/fortune, loyalty, custody of her children. One thing! That was all! 

Like Rise to Greatness! her mind thought. It was supposed to be a battle with a winner or loser and something on the line. Something like her hair when she had fought Dawn or a title when she had fought with her sister against Valentine and Kandis – or when she had fought her sister! In the most basic form: Selena and Regan had all but killed themselves fighting one another merely because of their views of SCW and of one another. That was how it should be. Fighting for one thing – that’s how it was supposed to be this weekend!

But Killjoy had broken the rules. Or were there no rules to begin with?

Killjoy wanted Selena to have nothing – to take everything that mattered to her. And even that, Selena wasn’t sure what was meant, but it had made her question her role in fighting Ace Marshall as soon as she had become the World Champion! And it wasn’t fair! Why couldn’t she enjoy this?! Why couldn’t she savour this dream-fulfillment?! Why couldn’t she just show that she was one of the best in SCW? Why couldn’t she just focus on winning so she could have her moment in the ring with Deanna, holding the World title high, on the grandest stage? 

Because if she reached that level of happiness – Killjoy would act… and Selena had no idea how.

“What-ifs…” came the whisper into her ear, Deanna’s breath warm against the Snow Queen’s skin. “You have to stop thinking of what-ifs, Selena.” She spoke more firmly.

“I can’t help it.” Selena confessed, the shame lacing her words. “What if he takes you away from me?”
“What if he doesn’t?” Deanna countered.
“What if he hurts you?”
“What if he can’t?”
“What if I fail you and everyone else?”
“What if you don’t-“

“Please stop that.” Selena begged, shaking her head as she pulled away a little from Deanna. “I know what you’re doing. But I’m serious, De.”
“So am I.” Deanna replied, her hands tightening their grip on Selena’s forearms. “For every worse case scenario you can come up with, I can throw hundreds at you where that doesn’t happen! You think Killjoy is worried about what-ifs?”

Selena clenched her jaw and looked away, unable to keep the strong gaze in her wife’s eyes.

“You think Ace Marshall is worried about ‘what-if’s? Or Lexy?” Deanna pressed. “I get what you think about stuff like that. I do. I had a damn panic attack when I was in that car today. For the longest second of my life, I thought I had lost you like I had my parents.”

The Snow Queen closed her eyes at that. She knew, all too well, how the death of Deanna’s parents still haunted the redhead, Deanna only being a young girl when they had passed.

“I spent two years thinking about ‘what-ifs’ while I waited in Frankfurt, remember? What we would be doing if I wasn’t there. Would I be your manager like this? What about the children? I missed so much of their lives….” The younger Frost shook her head. “I can’t think too far in that direction, Selena. Neither can you. Because if you do, then you can’t be grateful for what we have. Look…”

Gently, Deanna held Selena’s arms out, allowing the two wives to inspect the other with their gaze.

“We’re not hurt.” Deanna started. “We came out of a car crash unscathed. We have three amazing children who can’t wait to see their mom wrestle for the first time in years – this will be Amiliah’s first time watching you!” she remarked, causing Selena’s heart to flutter inside her chest. “Most importantly, we’re together. Yes, there are risks. Yes, we’ve derailed each other’s lives more often than I can count, but has it not been worth it? To get here? To be at this point? Would you do it all over again if you knew that you’d end up here…” carefully, she raised one of Selena’s hands, pressing it over the left side of her chest, where her heartbeat. “With me?”

Eyes fixated on the end, Selena felt the strong beating of her wife’s heart before slowly nodding her head. “I would.” She whispered. “I’d do it all again and much worse if I could keep you with me, Deanna.” A sniffle-sob escaped her as she reached up to caress her wife’s face. “I love you so damn much.”

Reaching, Deanna pressed her hand against the pale hand against her cheek, turning into the touch of her beloved. “And I love you more than I can ever say.” She whispered. “So are you going to panic over these what-ifs? Or are you going to join me and enjoy every moment we have together – every moment this happiness lasts?”

Selena didn’t give an answer, but she allowed her wife to pull her gently towards the bed against the wall. The redhead shuffled back as far against the wall as she could to allow her wife room to snuggle close to her on the small bed (clearly meant for only one person). 

As for Selena, Deanna’s words drifted in and out of her thoughts as she felt her beloved fall asleep. She was certain, beyond certain, that she had more than enough reason to be worried about Killjoy – 

But one thing that Deanna had said that she could not deny. If she remained fixated on the what-ifs – things she could not control, then all she would be left with would be regrets if those what-ifs happened. Regret that she didn’t savour every moment, every second… 

Maybe that’s what Killjoy truly wants… She thought as her eyes grew heavy, the wrestler cuddling closer to her wife as she felt sleep take her. Her dreams will fleeting, images and faces she would not be able to recall…

But when she heard the sound of a gun cocking, her eyes flew open on instinct, wildly taking in the room that still was only illuminated by the moonlight coming from the window…

It wasn’t much light, but it was enough for her to see the snowglobe on the nightstand near her, the red curtains at the sides of the window… 

And the creature that was sitting in the rocking chair…. With the Snow Queen’s own gun pointed right at her…
__________________________________________

The Royal Letter

The camera opens up to a small office space. A desk is to the right, only slightly off camera. In the center is a black, faux-leather chair, to which the SCW World Champion sits. She wears a maroon t-shirt with pinkish-white snowflakes lying the left side of the shirt, and blue jeans with black loafers. The SCW World title rests in her hands on her lap.
 
What if… her voice whispers in the small room. It’s an interesting question that’s been running about in my head for most of my career. And during this time of year, I know it’s been ringing through the minds of every single SCW superstar. I mean, how many people were asking themselves: ‘What if I win the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royale?’. ‘What if I can headline Rise to Greatness?’ Selena’s fingers drum a little against the plates of the world title.

Recently, my wife gave me a little lesson in that line of thinking when it comes to looking back. She said that ‘if all you do is worry about what may happen, you’ll never appreciate what you have.’ her eyes lower down to regard the championship she holds.

And I’ll be honest with all of you, I haven’t fully appreciated being SCW World Champion. Of how I got here, of finally holding this title for the first time in four years. Truthfully, my mind’s been in a whirlwind regarding Rise to Greatness.

And that’s understandable, right? I mean, this is the time of year where you try even heard to go above and beyond your limitations, right? Where the bar is raised higher than ever before. Where the expectations are higher than ever before? It’s a night that comes by only once a year, like Christmas or Yuletide. It needs to be special, right?!

And I’m not Ace Marshall. I’m not going to simply pass off that responsibility to someone else. That’s not what you’re paying for. That’s not what you deserve, right? You didn’t pay to see Lexy Chapel say her name in a hundred and one different ways. You’re paying to see Selena Frost vs. Ace Marshall for the World title at Rise to Greatness, right?! Selena grins in excitement for the match.

And for me, I haven’t been able to fully appreciate that yet or maybe it hasn’t fully sunk in for me. Or maybe I’m worried that this dream of mine could all end in L.A., and I want to be ready to keep that from happening. To keep from having my third reign as World Champion be ‘just another short stint’ like Ace promised me would happen.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Selena holds up a finger, shaking the entire hand a little. But the thing is, I’m not here to talk about ‘what-ifs’ for this weekend just yet. My wife was right, those kind of what-ifs can mess with you as much as they can motivate you, and it is not something I’m ready to talk about just yet…

She licks her lips a little before continuing. But Ace and Lexy have been talking throughout this whole build to Rise that I don’t ‘respect Ace Marshall’. That I don’t revere him or praise him or hold him in the kind of ‘high esteem’ that he ‘deserves’. And you don’t know why that is, right Ace? she takes a moment to pause to let the question settle.

Well, Ace, I talked about the present we are in at this point in my last promo, so let me take a step back with you and look into the past. Lexy breezed a little bit on the supposed “YEAR OF ACE MARSHALL” that was 2017, but let me just give some details that she failed to mention...

2017, you won Taking Hold of the Flame. You eliminated me to do it. Remember? Funny thing is, though, you didn’t do it alone, did you, Ace? You were down on the mat and Cassidy Carter ran down to the ring, threw me off the turnbuckle, allowing you to throw me and eliminate me. 

That Rise to Greatness comes along, and you can check if you don’t believe me, you beat Kelcey Wallace – a hell of an accomplishment – except that, as Sharper made it clear, you, once again, had “a huge assist from Cassidy Carter to do it”. her free hand scratches her chin with her thumb.

Now, I’ll be honest with you, Ace?  I wasn’t thrilled that I was facing you four years ago. Just like I wasn’t thrilled that you had screwed me out of my chance to headline Rise to Greatness. I mean, if I could say that my first Rise to Greatness main-event was against Kelcey Wallace at that time? Damn wouldn’t that have been a hell of a first main-event for me? Or even a hell of a way to start the SCW season – and I wasn’t the only person who thought so, just ask Sharper and Knots. See, Kelcey wouldn’t need anyone to talk for her. Kelcey wouldn’t have needed to try and cheap shot me this entire time. That’s the level of greatness she brings. Someone like you needs to tell everyone how great they are. Someone like Kelcey gets TOLD how great she is… see the difference?

But that’s a ‘what-if’. And as you made so clear earlier last month, what-ifs are pointless, right?

The Snow Queen shrugs. But let me get back to you winning the world championship and, maybe, just maybe, you’ll start to understand my lack of respect for you, Ace. Because you did it! You became world champion that night, just like I became number one contender by defeating Vixen Cain.

And during that ‘break’, Ace, between Rise to Greatness and the new SCW season? Ohhh… Selena shakes her head with a knowing smile. All I was doing with my free time was going over those matches. I was digging through videos and notes and practicing in the ring… because I knew what was headed my way. I knew that I needed to be better than I ever had been in the past. I needed to be ready for anything! If you could beat Kelcey Wallace – then I needed to be at a level I had previously never thought possible! That’s how much being World Champion, being the best of SCW, meant to me. 

What did you do, Ace? 

Selena is silent for a moment, but her expression grows more and more rigid, the frustration and anger growing in her voice.

You went to the World Hazard Festival, the first wrestling show after Rise to Greatness, drunk off your ass. You, the new world champion, were supposed to wrestle and represent our company and you showed up drunk, not caring that you were, telling the wrestling world and fans to “go eff themselves” because you weren’t being allowed to wrestle your then-wife, Cassidy Carter. You, the World Champion, ended up thrown out of the arena on your ass.

A slow inhale and exhale of breath is heard from the current World Champion. I hold grudges, Ace. And I absolutely took that moment personally. That the company I loved was being represented, championed, and disrespected by someone like you. And ever since that moment I stood in that ring and watched you stumble and trip your way to it that night four years ago, I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth whenever I see or hear your name. Because I could have fought Kelcey Wallace the next Breakdown for the World title! I could have fought someone that gave a damn about how they appeared as the SCW World Champion. I could have fought someone that gave a damn about what being the World Champion meant! she scoffs.

You want to talk about a ‘lack of respect’, Ace? Take a long look in the mirror. Because nobody has disrespected me or SCW as many times or has horribly as you have – and that includes Asher walking around with a fake world title. Least we could ignore him. But if you can’t look in the mirror and see the reality without Lexy there to lie to you and hype you up… if that history isn’t enough reason for me to not respect you, let me ask you a simple question.

Where has your respect for me been all this time?

The Snow Queen tilts her head. You said it yourself, Ace. You and I have been in a number of fights together in your “YEAR OF ACE MARSHALL”. Can you tell me one time – one match between you and me - in which you didn’t rely on someone running down to the ring to save your ass? Hell, name ONE singles match where you pinned me.

Selena seems to wait for a moment, as if expecting an answer, before giving a shrug.

Cassidy Carter tossing me off the turnbuckle or choking me with her underwear, Vixen Cain kidnapping my friends, Alistaire Allocco distracting me so you could escape a cage – I could go on. For years, every time you and I have fought one on one, you have, every time, relied on someone to come out and get involved. Hell, you tried that whenever I fought Cassidy Carter, without fail.

But not once, Ace. Not one time, have you given me a fair match. Not once have you pinned me or made me submit to your ‘superior talents’. Not once have you given me ANY respect in this ring. Because if you did, it be just you and me. No one jumping in, no one running interference. No cheap tricks. You and me, beating the living hell out of each other for this title! she holds the title up before sitting back in her chair, a her free hand out to the side. 

Yet, you are slighted about my apparent disrespect? I find that laughable. Because here we are, four years later, and nothing about you has changed, has it? I mean, you paid off Gavin Taylor just last week to save you from Glory Braddock. You hit me from behind two weeks ago, tried to hit me with your tag-title belt last Breakdown, and I still can’t deal with you without someone like Lexy coming in and getting involved, can I? the frustration is clear in Selena’s voice.

And the reason that I bring all of this is up – well there’s a couple of reasons. The first is that it’s so damn hilarious in the saddest of ways. Because you come out and claim that you’ve ‘made the world title picture your bitch this year’. And why? Because you cashed in your Trios and made a gauntlet match? 

Ace, you can’t even wrestle me or Glory Braddock in a clean fight. You can’t even look at a table without getting nervous these days, but the SCW Universe is supposed to believe you ‘controlled’ the World title picture with one match? Selena shakes her head.

No, Ace. What you did was show that you, as I’ve said before, looked for the easy way out, like you always have. Because what happened in that gauntlet match of yours? You were the last person to fight in that match against the weary individual that’s left, Chris Cannon, Lexy strolls out on the your entry – Oh my god! Is she with Ace Marshall?! - And you hop in and attack Chris Cannon from behind, hoping for a quick finish. 

What was the plan, Ace? You couldn’t get a four on one or something for yourself approved by the Board of Directors so you made that match up? Or was the plan that you steal a win and then claim that you ‘beat all the best’ off the sweat and toil of the rest of us? Did Lexy know Syren would bail because she’s been in talks with her dad, leaving you prime and ready to fight whoever was left? A sad smile breaks across Selena’s face.

You wanna know how I know all that, Ace? Because I spent months dealing with the guy that taught Lexy everything she knows: The Canadian Heartbreak Kid. I recognize a Desbourais plan when I see one. The reason why it’s funny is because, even with that, you failed to capture the world title. What’s funny is that, your ‘claim’ is all you have left from a failed plan to try and get you the world title without much work. 

You didn’t ‘make the world title your bitch’, Ace. The world champion before your gauntlet match was a whiny brat that couldn’t do a damn thing without her manager helping her out half the time and, three weeks after your gauntlet match, the world champion was STILL a whiny brat that couldn’t do a damn thing without their manager helping them out half the time.

And just like with that, four years ago, you were a selfish, egotistical jackass that felt like he could get away with anything – take any shortcut or easy path. That you were “The King of the World”, like you said, right? Who could curse at the fans and do all he could to spite them and his fellow wrestlers. Four years later? You’re still that arrogant jackass looking for shortcuts. Still that guy that thinks he’s better than he actually is. Still that guy, talented still, but still needs someone holding his hand and saving his ass. Still that guy that doesn’t give a damn about SCW or the people or this match.

The Snow Queen gives another shrug. But you gloss over all of that with decrees of superiority. You think you’re ‘that damn good’ – heads and shoulders above us all. And you are a damn good wrestler, but I’m going to level with you, Ace.

You won one match. You did a hell of a job, regardless of the methods. And as I said last time, you earned the right to fight for the world title at Rise to Greatness. But, bottom line, Ace – realistically] speaking? You won one match.

I mean, that’s what you said about the royale, right, Ace? That it doesn’t matter ‘what you’ve been doing all year long. It doesn’t matter how you narrate your own sob story, it doesn’t matter what your brand is. It doesn’t matter what you want. You can tell the world whatever you want to tell them. It only matters if you win’. Your words, Ace…

So a guy who’s been ‘coasting through the year’ by his own admission and who manipulates a gauntlet match just to try and steal the world title can suddenly get the biggest payoff and spot on the biggest night of the year… all he’s gotta do is win one, single match…

A knowing smile breaks across Selena’s features. And doesn’t that just define Ace Marshall? The ‘get out of jail free card’. The ‘go directly to go and collect 200 dollars’. The shortcut, the easy way out. her serious expression returns.

Let me tell you why you’re wrong, Ace, and the biggest reason I don’t respect you. You think that, as long as you win these ‘big matches’, you’re all set. Long as you produce when it ‘counts’ for you, you can say you’re the best thing in SCW. That you’re ‘that damn good’.

Long as you get to these moments, you don’t care about the rest of the year, do you, Ace? You make it to the RTG main-event or win a Trios tournament here and there, you can say you’ve ‘already made it’! You’ve made ‘history’!

Reality: the second you believe that you’re so good you can be like that? That you don’t have to work for anything? That you can coast the rest of the year? That is the beginning of the end. Selena’s eyes narrow a little.

Lexy asked the question why, after all your accomplishments, why would I want to break this ‘passive Ace’, this arrogant ‘entitled Ace’ who half-asses it most of the year? Why would I want to push him further and face someone that could be way more than Selena Frost can possibly handle…

The Face of SCW smiles. Why, Ace? Because it’s also as Lexy said. Because the people deserve it. Because Rise to Greatness deserves it.

Because I deserve it.

The world deserves to see you become World Champion by actually being better than me OR… The world deserves to see me prove, once again, that I am better than you even when you’re ‘at your best’. Rise to Greatness deserves that level of skill, ability, and good, old fashioned giving a damn! her voice echoes a little at that last word.

And for weeks since Taking Hold of the Flame, Ace, I have tried to get that to sink into your head. I saved your ass from an Infamous beat down, I confronted you face to face. I stood toe to toe with you in the ring with no tricks. And each and every week, you have FAILED to deliver. You have failed to show me that things are different. That this is different. That YOU are different.

Because your bragging? Downplaying the unbelievability of this match? Cheating Glory out of a fair match? Cheap-shotting me? Coasting through the year until now? Trying to use the gauntlet match to steal the world title from a battle-weary Cannon by attacking him from behind? That isn’t what the World Champion does. she holds up the world title with her right hand towards the camera.

The world champion stays sharp year round.
The world champion steps up to EVERY challenge EVERY day. 
The world champion delivers not just one match but every single damn match and every damn show of the year!

Sitting back in her chair, Selena lowers the belt back onto her lap. You and Lexy. You think that you’re just going to roll right over me at Rise to Greatness, right? You’re already making the t-shirts and the catchphrases about ‘melting the Snow Queen’ – real original. You’ve got all the plans and people you need for ‘LexyMania’. 

But I’m telling you, Ace, that four years is a long time.

And while you haven’t changed in those four years, I certainly have.

Because, for those four years, and every year of my near eight-year career, I have been here, working day after day, show after show – you say I’m the “Queen of Spin” – that isn’t it, Ace. It’s not that I can ‘spin anything’. It’s that I’ve been here every day and every show without fail and I have tried everything to become better – to challenge myself – to see beyond people that were better than me. That talk better than me. That know how to get in my head – I’ve put in the years to turn my weaknesses into strengths and my strengths into greater strengths. It’s because for the last four years, I have never once ‘slacked off’ to get back to this point! This LEVEL! So when I see somebody using the same old lines that everybody else has used over and over again – I know how to deal with it.

Selena leans forward. And after four years, Ace, I know how to be a World Champion. I know how to beat a guy like you. I know what it will take to retain this championship at Rise to Greatness. And I KNOW that I can do it!

She points a finger at the camera. You? You THINK you’re that damn good because of one match. You THINK you don’t have work hard year round because of one match. You THINK that you’ll become World Champion because of one match.

This Sunday, you’re not going to have time to think. You’re not going to have time to plan. Until the bell rings to end the match, the only thing that will be going through your head, besides my boot? Will be you wondering who this unstoppable force is that’s demolishing you. Because you are expecting 2017 Selena Frost… 

But you’re gonna get the “Face of SCW” and The SCW World Champion. And THAT is someone that you can’t just slack off on, Ace Marshall. Believe it!

The camera fades to black on the world champion.