Selena Frost vs. Asher Hayes

[Konrad Raab]

SCW World Championship

2 RP Limit for singles

No word limits in play

Deadline: 11:59:59 pm ET Saturday, January 20, 2024

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: One of two. Makes references to Deanna’s past roleplays throughout this SCW season.

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.

The Witches of Alden

”Truth”

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhanttan, New York
December 14th, 2023
8:10pm

The house was nearly devoid of life. Empty and quiet if one stood within most of the rooms and floors. If, however, one strained their ears to listen from the front door, or perhaps even the top of the stairs that lead to the second floor of bedrooms for the family that, usually, lived there, one might be able to make out the quiet sounds of the television coming from the family room, maybe even see the glow of the screen spilling across the floor and into the neighbouring rooms.

Such ‘quiet’, however, was destroyed by the roar and scream that broke through the household, echoing through the very walls and into the house’s every floor. It came from the only person within, the platinum-blonde sitting on the couch, pale hands gripping and pulling at her iconic locks of hair in sheer anger.

“NO!” she screamed at the television, as if she could will the very reality she was viewing to shift and change to a more favorable design with merely a raised voice. “You son of a bitch! AHHHH!!!” She screamed again as she saw… herself… on the screen. That is to say, it was the footage of her entrance video that was being played as her theme song, “Kings and Queens” by Ava Max, played through her speakers – the episode of Breakdown (The final night of ‘Fatal Fortunes’) displayed live within her abode.

It was her theme music.
It was her entrance video.
It was her name showing up on the titantron. And her face. And her past. And her accolades. And her matches.

It was an indication that the Snow Queen was about to show up there, in San Jose, California, to wrestle. And here she was… on the other side of the fucking continent in New York!

They had done it… they had actually done it…

Another yell escaped Selena as she watched her theme and entrance video continue to play out towards the chorus, barely audible through the loud boos of the audience that seemed never-ending. She watched their boos morph to cheers as, of course, their ‘hated Snow Queen’ didn’t appear and she watched Deanna – her beautiful, precious wife’s face morph from excitement to confusion and… ultimately… disappointment.

It was too much, and Selena found herself leaping off of the couch, marching over to the television and pushing the power button angrily – using a remote didn’t seem ‘good enough’ in the moment – effectively ending her viewing of the Breakdown episode. She stood there, staring at the, now, black screen and her distorted reflection, her throat a little hoarse and her breathing rather deep for so minimal work. But her heart was hammering inside her chest, anger bubbling and raging inside her.

Ten years… Ten years and she had never pulled such a stunt in her entire career. Never ‘tricked’ the audience liked that or missed a show like that. Not since her old manager, Roy Veers, had fucked things up with her schedule and she had missed a house show in order to go on her first date with Deanna eight or nine years ago. She had vowed to never do that to the SCW Universe again – never allow her reputation to be so tarnished again…

And yet… SCW had made it so!

First, it had been that blasted video Deanna had shown her weeks ago, promoting her, then it had been her own bus showing up in California – how the hell had THAT happened?! – and now this…

What was SCW… what was CHBK… trying to do?! Guilt-trip her into coming back?! Threaten her decade of loyalty and putting her body, her very life, on the line – something few, if any, superstar could say they did for the sake of the company for so long – just to get her to return?! Were they THAT fucking desperate?!

Her feet were moving her before she realized she was walking, her breath uttering four-letter curses every step of the way as the young woman traveled through the hall, down the steps and towards… towards…

Sapphire eyes widened when Selena realized where her mind was subconsciously taking her. Even when she had realized it, she couldn’t stop herself as she opened the door to her office… stepped towards the bookshelf at the side of the wall, pulled at the hollowed faux-book of “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Anderson, heard the clicking of the gears being worked behind the shelf before the entire ‘shelf-wall’ unlocked, and pushed her way through the new opening and into her ‘secret den’. Turning on the light via the switch on the wall, her eyes met the collection of accolades, somewhat dusty due to the months of neglect, that filled the room.

Championships placed in cases on the wall.
Trophies of the Shot of Adrenaline and Best of the Best tournaments sitting in the corner.
Photos smattering every side of the room.
Large posters of Pay-Per-Views like Rise to Greatness and Taking Hold of the Flame that had her face on them.

A decade of defying odds… overcoming every kind of challenge… a decade of her life, filled with scars and injuries and so many concussions… it was all displayed before her.

It was a room she had avoided since she had left SCW back in late August. Even when she had fought with her wife weeks ago – Deanna walking out on her for the first time in their eight years of marriage – she had still not entered this accursed room. Yet, here she stood, looking at it all. Seeing her younger self in posters and pictures. So driven, so filled with purpose, so… happy.

She felt the tears stinging her eyes. Not because she longed for those days. Not because she wanted more of such things to fill the room… but because of one night… it all no longer mattered. Everything before her? It was just knick-knacks, dust-collectors, and scrap! Because no one would remember any of this about her. They wouldn’t remember how much she had given, or the scars that lined her back and sides from her matches. No… thanks to that blasted company – thanks to CHBK – all SCW would remember is her no-showing. All they would remember was how ‘good’ it felt that she was gone.

That would be her legacy. Not integrity. Not fighting for what you believe in. No… she would be known for running away and hiding from SCW – and the SCW fans were happy with that!

Angrily, she wiped at her eyes with her hand, shaking her head as she gazed around the room.

“Are you happy now?” the question whispered out of her, repeating in the dusty room. “Are you happy now?!”

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

VanHohenheim House
Maplewood, New Jersey
December 2nd, 2023
2:14pm

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!”

The last statement rang from Selena’s throat and filled the room, casting it into complete silence between the three women that stood there. She had long set her cup of tea down on the small table nearby, her sapphire eyes glaring at her target – her beloved redhead. And while her heart ached to take back the words she had just screamed, her head didn’t want to. Because it was true: she DIDN’T believe Deanna.

How could she? For months, the younger woman had tried desperately to get her back into SCW. Had tried trick after trick – from setting up fake news, to overacting and overselling her injuries at home, to downright fighting with her. Even now, how could Selena believe this was anything but that? She had watched the video of herself that had, apparently, aired on SCW Breakdown, promoting Fatal Fortunes – No, scratch that! Fatal Fortunes had been a mere footnote! her mind argued. The video had promoted HER. Only her. No other superstar, no titles, NOTHING but the retired Snow Queen! Promoting her imminent return to SCW… which was news to Selena considering she hadn’t made a phone call or sent an email of any kind regarding that! What else was she supposed to think than the loudest advocate in her return – Deanna – being behind it.

Still, as she stood there, watching the redhead’s jaw shake in emotional shock and her eyes forming unshed tears amidst the emerald orbs, Selena almost doubted her conclusions. Even so, she remained silent as Deanna wiped at her eyes angrily, sniffling a little as the United States Champion regained her composure. “Fine…” the redhead finally whispered. “If nothing has changed from the last time we spoke, I’ll be going.”

“Deanna… no.” Alejandra VanHohenheim, Selena’s mother, tried, the dark-skinned, white-haired woman pushing herself out of her seat and rushing to Deanna’s side. “Please stay and we can talk about this as a family.”

“No point.” Deanna replied, the bitterness clear in her voice. “Not like she’d believe me no matter what I said.” Those emerald eyes found Selena’s again, but the older Frost could not bring herself to budge. She didn’t want to give in. She was sick of entertaining this!

“She didn’t mean that!” she heard Alejandra cry out but Deanna was already on the move, marching back the same way she had abruptly intruded on the mother/daughter pair. Selena didn’t want to stop her – in fact, she was almost stunned by her lack of desire to do so. Instead, she turned herself towards the large window nearby her, just in time to see her wife outside. Quietly, the platinum-blonde watched as Deanna marched over to Selena’s motorcycle, staring holes into it, it seemed, before the redhead suddenly pushed it up and kicked the kickstand out from under it, letting it tip and crash onto the concrete of the road. Even Selena could hear it from inside the house.

Enraged, Deanna turned to stare at the window and Selena saw her eyes: saw the hurt and so much more within them. Yet, she didn’t look away. She couldn’t. Nor could she rush out and talk to her wife. She just… she could only watch as Deanna finally got into her car – well, their family car – and drive away. It was only when she was gone that Selena felt herself exhale, releasing a breath that she did not realize she had been holding, a pale hand reaching up to place itself against the cool glass of the window.

“Are you happy now?”

The voice, a mixture of disappointment and admonishment, came from behind her, causing Selena to steal a small glance towards it. Alejandra stood here, her hands on her hips. Unlike Selena, who wore dark, black jeans and a maroon, flowing long-sleeve ruched v-neck blouse, Alejandra wore a dark-green sweater and beige pants, the warm colors contrasting the cold glare she was giving her daughter.

“Don’t start with me.” Selena warned.

“Oh, I’m starting with you.” The older woman spoke back. “How could you say that to her?”

“Because it’s true.” Selena huffed, turning away from the window to move further into the room. “What else am I to think, mother? Hmmm? Tell me!”

“You could have been patient with her-“

“I HAVE BEEN PATIENT WITH HER!” the daughter fired back angrily. “For MONTHS, I have put up with these ‘attempts’ of hers! All these tricks and games of hers! All the while, I’ve begged and pleaded with her to let this go! To let me retire! She wouldn’t listen! She wouldn’t stop!”

“Can you blame her?!” The question came so quickly that it threw Selena off into silence, but prompted Alejandra further. “Any idiot can see you’re miserable!”

“I’m not miserable!” Selena refuted. “I’ve been happy since I left! I’ve loved it, mother! The free time - time with the children. The chance to do other things, I…” she laughed. “I was thinking about auditioning for a community theatre’s show next month. Like on stage! Or learn a new language, like taking a class or something! I’m…” she breathed, which came out a little as a small laugh. “I’m not miserable. I just don’t need SCW – or wrestling - like everyone seems to think I do.”

Silently, Alejandra eyed her daughter before merely shaking her head. “Who the hell are you trying to convince?”

Selena opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, her emotions a jumble that she tried to keep in check.

“If you were really so happy, Selena, then that video wouldn’t have bothered you at all. Who cares what SCW is doing? Who cares what they are promising? You’d have shrugged your shoulders and ignored it without a single care.” she pointed a finger at Selena. “But you do care. Deep down, you still care about it. About your reputation. About your time there. Deep down, you hate that things have gone this way, don’t you?”

“You don’t-“

“You think I don’t wish things had been different in my life?” Alejandra fired back, cutting off Selena. “I wish I had been there to protect your father from the Scythes. I wish I had been there to save him from the mine-collapse! I wish I had had the courage to just take him and run away together or face the DeCarlos and Scythes so that you would never have to. I wish I had never given you up and left you to Anastasia!” her voice had risen to the point that it was ringing within the walls, almost surprising Alejandra herself and causing her to quiet her voice as she continued. “There are so many things that I regret, Selena, especially where you and Jonathan are concerned. But I AM happy. Because I moved on and am doing all I can to make it up to him, to you… and to myself. I am trying to give life the best chance I have. You…” she shook her head. “You haven’t moved on. You haven’t let go of any of this. You’re still holding onto that anger and regret. You’re just trying to hide by pretending it’s not there.”

“I…” Selena’s voice shook a little as she stared at her mother. “No…I…”

“Have you even watched SCW? Or any wrestling?” VanHohenheim asked, tilting her head knowing at her wife. “Have you even spoken about it? With Deanna? With anyone?”

“I…a little…” Selena tried lamely before sighing, her gaze finding her feet. “No…”

“Why would that be if you had moved on? If you truly didn’t need SCW or wrestling anymore?”

Unable to keep her eyes on the floor, Selena jerked her head out to gaze at the window, focusing on her tipped over motorcycle. The vehicle had been a gift Deanna had given Selena when the redhead had been pregnant with their son, David, and Selena had just purchased their ‘Forever Home’ in Manhattan for her. The observant redhead had seen how much Selena had, silently, wanted the bike, able to read the Snow Queen better than anyone else, including Alejandra.

And if Alejandra knew her daughter well enough that she could deduce all she had… then so had Deanna – and a lot sooner at that.

“It’s too late.” Selena whispered in defeat, turning her head to gaze at her mother. “I couldn’t go back now even if I wanted to.”

“Why not?” Alejandra asked. “You said you were advertised? So, show up. Say you’re just keeping the promise-“

“And for what, mother?” Selena asked with a dark laugh. “Just to be booed out of the building again? Just to be vilified and hated for simply being me?” She felt something within her break, like a dam that had been erected bit by bit since she had left SCW months ago, finally bursting. “I did nothing wrong…” her voice shook and long-repressed tears came rushing to the backs of her eyes. “I didn’t lie or cheat or screw anyone over. I didn’t curse anyone – I FOUGHT for them… for all of them… and they still hated me… They still wanted me out of SCW for good…”

Slowly, Selena felt her head lower, her forehead resting against the cold of the glass of the window. “I… I gave them everything… and it wasn’t enough.”

She heard her mother behind her take a few steps forward. “There is nothing for me there now. Nothing to fight for.”

“Yet you still can’t let it go?”

Selena breathed. “No… I can’t…” she whispered, finally admitting it aloud to herself. “I… I tried. I tried to. I’m still trying to. I just… I need more time.”

“Selena…” Alejandra tried, but Selena jerking her head back towards her mother silenced the dark-skinned woman.

“Mother…” she started, shaking her head knowingly, her sapphire eyes finally letting her tears fall down her cheeks. “You don’t get it. O.….” She sighed. “O. was right. He warned me SCW was changing. I didn’t listen to him. He warned me the fans were changing… I didn’t listen to him. I just stupidly kept fighting with him and against the change until…” her voice trailed off, not wishing to remember the past year that had been a nightmare.

“And…” Alejandra whispered, reaching out to take her daughter’s chin within her fingers to guide Selena’s gaze back to her own. “What would he say if he were here now? If you told him all this?”

“I…” For a moment, Selena looked away, past her mother, as if she could conjure the old man right before her eyes like the ghosts that used to haunt her mind. Even after all these months, she remembered how he walked, how he talked. How he would keep quiet while someone whined and ranted and then he’d strip them bare with his logic and authority. Even that tilt in his head – like the one she could suddenly see in her mind’s eye – the creator of SCW looking at her with an ‘I told you so’ expression that shifted to one that seemed to scream ‘Grow the fuck up, kid’.

Closing her eyes, Selena sighed knowingly. “He’d tell me that, if SCW is changing, then I need to change with it. But…” she felt the familiar double-edged sword she had been battling far longer than she cared to admit to anyone. “That’s why I can’t go back.”

“I don’t understand. You can’t change?” Alejandra asked honestly, earning a knowing nod of Selena’s head.

“I know you don’t understand.” the platinum-blonde sighed, the same conclusion she had gone through over and over again rearing its ugly head. “And no… I can… but to change… I know that what I will have to become… I can’t be both. I can’t be that and who I am now.”

“You can’t be Selena?”
“No.” she shook her head sadly. “I can’t be Deanna’s wife.”

With a sigh, Selena pushed herself away from the window, opting to head out of the room, then out of the house, grabbing her helmet on the way out. She heard her mother following her as she reached her motorcycle. With a bit of lifting, she managed to tilt it back upright. Dusting her hands off, she brought her gaze around to see her mother standing there in the brisk cold.

“I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit.” The older woman tried. “I think you can adapt to this new SCW and still be Deanna’s wife.”

A sad smile came to Selena’s lips, the Snow Queen not bothering to correct her mother. Alejandra didn’t understand. Didn’t grasp the magnitude such a change would be and what it would cost. How could she?

Moving her leg to straddle her vehicle, Selena plucked up her helmet and adjusted it over her head. “Can you…” she sighed. “Can you look after the kids for the next few weeks? I just… I’m going to have to watch what SCW does… and I don’t…”

“I get it.” Alejandra nodded, reaching out to embrace her daughter. “You’ll figure it out.”

Selena said nothing, merely waiting for the hug to end before she revved up the motorcycle, shooting out onto the streets without looking back. I’ve already ‘figured it out’… she thought bitterly to herself as she took to the interstate. It’s just that nobody else really has… or knows what they are truly asking of me…

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

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhanttan, New York
December 15th, 2023
8:46pm

“Just what the hell did you think you were doing?” Selena barked into the phone as she paced around the trophy room, as she had been doing for the past nearly forty minutes. “Did you even consider how this would look on me?! On Deanna?!”

On the other side of the call, she could hear the grown man, Eric Anderson (their old friend and chauffer) shuffle his feet. It hadn’t taken much deduction for Selena to figure out how her luxury bus had ended up in California. There was really only one man that had the keys to it in the first place!

“I know that!” she heard the young man try. “But if you would just listen to me for half-a-minute…”

“I don’t want to hear it, Eric! You’re way out of line and you know it! First of all, that bus isn’t your property! Second, what good could you possibly do?! You show up, OF COURSE SCW is going to think I am there! If anything, you just made things worse for Deanna! Unless…”

The idea, like a defense mechanism, came to Selena and, despite herself, it formed itself naturally into the inevitable question. “Did she put you up to this?”

“NO!” Eric answered vehemently, almost sparking a spurt of respect and pride for the man within Selena. “This wasn’t Deanna’s idea!” he defended strongly. “I did this on my own! Because…because…”

He couldn’t finish his thought but Selena could hear it in his voice. A sense of nobleness. Of good intention… “Just like Deanna…” she sighed, realizing she had said the thought aloud and allowing her train of thought to be vocalized. “You see it too, huh?”

He didn’t answer immediately, which told Selena all she needed to know. Deanna had seen it, her mother had seen it, and even Eric could see it in the few visits she had had with him since the fall season. This wasn’t some desperate act to get his old job back as the Frost’s chauffer – anymore than it was her wife’s ‘desperate attempt’ to reform the House of Frost just to save her own career (she had already proven that she was better off with Selena there). No, Eric had clearly acted in a similar mentality as Selena’s wife had. Whatever his ‘rationale’ had been – sticking it to SCW management or trying to change the SCW Universe’s unexplainable hatred for Selena - his goal was simple.

To get the Snow Queen back into SCW. To make things right for Selena. To make her happy.

How could I have ignored this for so long… Her mind half-mocked, half-cried at her own stupidity. How could I be the only person that couldn’t face the truth?

“Look…” She heard Eric’s voice again from the phone. “I’ll pay for the usage, okay?”

A long exhale came from the platinum-blonde as she breathed. “No.” she replied. “I’ll cover everything you need, including your usual wages for the drive. Just get me an expense report when you get back to Manhattan.”

“You don’t have to do that. And I just wanted to…” Eric’s voice was suddenly cut off as the sound of footsteps was heard. There was a moment of silence – one Selena dared not destroy with her words.

“Is that Selena?” she recognized the voice instantly, her breath hitching in her throat as she heard the scuffling of the phone being ripped from Eric’s hands. “Selena?!”

Again, that voice. Deanna. The Snow Queen knew it anywhere. “Selena, is that you? What is going on here?!”

Selena opened her mouth to speak. To try and form some words – anything! – to leave her beloved. Do it! Her mind pleaded. Tell her she was right! Tell her you understand! Tell her something!

But she didn’t say a word. Instead, she merely moved the phone away from herself and slid her thumb over the screen to terminate the call. She stood like that for several minutes, her eyes locked on the phone – seeing her own reflection across the black screen.

“Are you happy now… mother?” the whisper came from her lips.

“Yes… I am.”

The voice gripped Selena as it slid over her senses, forcing her eyes shut for a moment and her hand to grip her phone until her knuckles turned white. There was silence for what felt like several minutes, Selena refusing to open her eyes despite knowing the woman was still there. Instead, she breathed in and out, trying to calm her fast-beating heart at the voice she had not heard in so long… Long enough that she had almost forgotten it. With one last exhale, the platinum-blonde slowly opened her eyes, her vision adjusting to the room and, immediately, finding the older woman standing about fifteen or so feet away from her, leaning against the wall by Selena’s tournament trophies, running a patient hand along the part-shiny/part-dusty gold of the ‘Best of the Best’ trophy. Her dress was long like the maroon, silk nightgown Selena wore, but was black with a lower cut in the V-neck. It was a dress where Selena’s was nightgown. The woman’s hair, not as long or platinum-blonde as her daughter’s, ran to just above her shoulders but had a natural curl that Selena’s didn’t have.

However, it was the woman’s eyes that Selena’s attention focused to. Eyes that held a hint of black makeup to make them pop, but it wasn’t that. It was the confidence they held. The power. The air of superiority the woman had exhumed through the majority of Selena’s life.

This was how Selena remembered her. As she appeared before her now.

“I am very happy, my dear.”  Anastasia DeCarlo smiled. “And very proud.”

“Well…” Selena sighed. “That makes one of us.”

Knowingly, Anastasia smiled at her step-daughter, tilting her head as if to study Selena like she always had. “Still needing ‘ghosts’ to get through things, my dear?” the question gave no answer, not that DeCarlo needed one. “Some things never change.”

Indignant, Selena huffed at the remark. “I haven’t ‘needed’ any of you since Malcolm died and-“

“A lady doesn’t scoff like that!” The command was crisp and cut Selena off immediately, the Snow Queen’s eyes going wide as Anastasia was suddenly in front of her, her darker eyes brown eyes glaring into Selena’s sapphire ones.

“Sorry, mother…” Who had said that? Selena realized with shame that it had been her, her brain falling into the automatic, programmed behavior that had filled her childhood as her step-mother had tried to mold her into the perfect ‘Snow Queen’. Angrily, the platinum-blonde shook the grip out of her system, stepping away from the apparition to move further into her ‘Room of Wrestling’.

“Who are you pretending for?” came Anastasia’s voice with the sudden question. “There is no one here. No one is listening in. Not Alejandra, not SCW, not Eric… Not Deanna...” Selena turned around to see the woman smiling knowingly at her. “You can admit to everything here.”

“What am I admitting to?” Selena asked, shrugging her shoulders.

“Well… let’s start easy.” DeCarlo teased. “Like the fact that you are the reason I am here now. That you needed me.”

Selena’s jaw clenched but she remained silent as she watched the woman she had known as ‘mother’ walk around the room. “Think about it…” as she spoke, her body seemed to shift and change, altering in voice and appearance as she spoke the names. “Whether it was Adrian Scythe, Dawn Lohan, or even…” she had changed into the familiar redhead Selena had just heard on the phone, causing an ache in Selena’s heart at the sight. “Or even Deanna…” just as quickly, the redhead shifted back into the smiling form of Anastasia. “You have brought us forward to say what you can’t say. To tell you what you can’t tell yourself. Because you lacked the courage to believe it.”

Again, Selena remained silent within the room, simply watching her stepmother move. Still, she couldn’t refute the woman’s words either. The silence lasted for a minute before a laugh escaped the older woman. “Is admitting such a simple, easy truth too much for you?” she laughed again. “Are you that weak?”

“No.” Selena shot back angrily. “I admit it. So what?”

“Good.” Anastasia grinned. “Now we are getting somewhere, aren’t we? So, admit I am here because you need me.”

“Fine.” Selena sighed. “I admit that too.”

“Good, girl.” Gods, Selena hated hearing that! How many years had she spent in Nome having that mockingly spoken in her ear by Anastasia? An empty platitude for simply obeying her stepmother. For doing as she was told, even when she tried so hard to rebel when she could. “Now…” she heard her stepmother continue.

“What’s the reason?” Selena asked at the same time as her past-tormentor, even tilting her head the same way Anastasia did at the same time, causing DeCarlo’s grin to widen as the pair shared an identical glance.

“Because you’re going back to SCW.” There was no guesswork in that statement like with Eric. There was no hypothesis laced with understanding like with Alejandra. There was no ‘hopeful prayer’ like with Deanna. This was cold…factual… certain. “You’ve known from the second you saw that video. The moment you saw how far SCW was willing to go to try and get you back. The moment you heard those hated boos from the audience at it. The moment you saw the hope in Deanna’s eyes when she showed it to you. You’ve known…”

Selena couldn’t say it right away, her eyes only able to study her stepmother studying her.

“And, like you said… like you’ve known all along… there is only one way that can happen.” Anastasia stated darkly. “Only one way for you to go back there and not be ‘thrown off’ by them again. Only one way for you to go back and not be destroyed by all their hatred again.” She stood up, glaring daggers at her stepchild. “And while you hate it-“

“While I hate it…” Selena whispered at the same time, stopping while Anastasia continued.

“It is the only way.” Anastasia breathed. “Accept it… admit it… that, after so many years of every soul in SCW predicting it would happen… finally grant them their wish and make it their nightmare.”

She drew closer to her daughter, leaning down to stare into her eyes. “If they see you as the villain in this new SCW…” reaching out, she gripped Selena’s chin, harsher than Alejandra had, and forcing it up to stare further into Selena’s eyes.

“Then the villain is exactly what you will become…”

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

The camera opens up to the interior of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York the site of the most recent episode of SCW’s Breakdown. The arena is empty but not because it is before the show begins… but after! Indeed, one glance and any audience member viewing this video can see the remains of discarded cups and food wrappers. Some cardboard signs litter the floor – it is as if a massive party has come and gone from the arena, leaving only empty seats and empty ring. The scene is silent for a moment before the camera spots the woman walking down the ramp and entering the ring via the stairs and ropes. Zeroing in, the screen suddenly shows, amidst the silence, the ‘Snow Queen’ Selena Frost. She wears the same clothes she wore during her brief segment on Breakdown, one that is, no doubt still on the minds of many of the SCW Universe, viewer and wrestler alike.

Standing within the center of the ring, the platinum-blonde takes a moment to stare down at her right hand, eyes transfixed on the dried blood that still colors her knuckles. Blood that is not her own.

As I was saying… before I was so rudely interrupted… She lifts her head, staring into the empty arena. Supreme Championship Wrestling… she gives the same pause she gave earlier tonight. Do you believe?

Unlike during Breakdown, the woman is met with silence this time around, a fact which causes a knowing smile to grace her features. Oh, that’s right… I already asked you that question, didn’t I? And you gave me your very clear answer… For a moment, the former world champion’s sapphire eyes scan the empty seats, as if she is remembering the deafening boos that had greeted her the moment she had stepped foot before the SCW Universe. Have I disappointed you fans? Am I not the person you want to see? Oh wait! I know!

Reaching into the pocket of her black, long coat, Selena pulls out an item, grasping it tightly before turning it out and presenting it to the viewers watching from their computers, televisions and smartphones. Would you rather I be wearing this? She turns the item, revealing the mask of Hakura Keitaro – the same mask she wore at the End of the Year Invitational event she won to cap off 2023! For a moment, Selena turns to gaze at the mask.

Quite the difference such a thing makes, doesn’t it? And I suppose it’s the been the biggest thing following me since I revealed myself at the first Breakdown of 2024. Not why I came back. Oh no, the question so many people want to know is why I chose to disguise myself to do it..

She continues to look at the mask for a moment before scoffing, turning her head to gaze at the camera while her arm lowers. You want to know why? Her eyes narrow. It’s because of you. Every single one of you.

Slowly, Selena begins to pace around the ring. See, CHBK may have been a lying little piece of crap throughout the majority of his life, one that I don’t trust in the slightest, but he spoke honestly tonight about what happened regarding all of this. Did I contact him privately? Yes, I did. Did I call him out on a ton of shit? Yes, I did. Did I make a deal with a man that I hate, which included a disguise and getting my rematch for the SCW World title? A dark smile forms across her face. You’re damn right I did!

The former world champion gives a shake of her head. And I’ll give Alex Desbourais the credit in this. He told all of you the truth. Why did I enter the Invitational? To prove a point. To prove that I can not only excel in this ring, but that I am still at the forefront when it comes to talent, power and skill! How many people did I overcome to win that event? How many foes did I outsmart and outmatch? Enough for SCW to agree that I was next in line for the world title – but I’ll get to that in a bit. Because the truth is, I could have easily done this as ‘Selena Frost’ instead of ‘Hakuri Keitaro’. I could have rolled in with the same old song, with Ava Max singing loudly, rolled right in with snow falling – all of it – and the result would have been the exact same. So why didn’t I?

Once more, Selena’s glare is right at her audience. To expose all of you.

Because while I was eliminating superstar after superstar and carving through the ranks of SCW, what were all of you doing, huh? What were the SCW masses doing as they watched this ‘masked man’ dominating SCW the same way Selena Frost did for years? she gestures towards the empty, trash-filled arena.

You were cheering. You were chanting. She smiles a wicked, mocking grin. You were believing! All in me. All in support of me! I outlasted old favorites like Angelica Jones and you cheered me! I silenced smart and hungry new faces like Ivory Plume and Jaina Lancaster and you cheered me! I stared down CHBK without saying a word and you all chanted for me!

Her hand slowly rests on one of the ropes, twisting it within her grip. And then, I rolled into the first Breakdown of 2024 and I knocked out the world champion with a single kick! I did what you all were begging someone – ANYONE – to do! Kandis sure as hell couldn’t do it! Xander’s too whipped these days with management to do it. But I did it! And you all CHEERED ME! You all couldn't get enough of me...

She slowly holds up the mask once more. And then I took this off… Her eyes shift down to stare at it for a long second. And just like that, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter what I did. It didn’t matter that, just like in the past, I had GIVEN you all that you had wanted. Didn’t matter that I had done what you asked. Your hatred rang through all of Toledo, Ohio!

The next line is a mixture of reflective and accusatory. All because of who I am. Slowly, Selena releases her grip, dropping the mask somewhere outside the ring.

Oh, you can see where I am going with this... Because I want to make it clear that I didn’t come back here for any one of you. Why the hell would I? When you hate not based on my actions but simply on who I am? You hate me simply because I am Selena Frost. You know what that is, SCW Universe? That’s prejudice! That’s bigotry! her words echo a little, venom laced in every word.

Truth hurts, doesn’t it? Well, imagine how I felt! Imagine how I felt when I realized that I had spent a decade of my life, of my career, littering my body with scars and fighting for integrity all for a bunch of people that are so corrupt! All for a bunch of people that are so simple-minded and fickle! Because you all judged me. You all hated me! And why?

Because, while I thought back then that we were alike, the truth is I am NOTHING like any of you. Any one of you, dealing with what I had to? Constantly harassed and questioned about their beliefs? With your own peers declaring ‘any day now, you’ll turn’ while facing insurmountable odds with the opportunity to take shortcuts? Any one of you, just like Asher Hayes, would have taken those shortcuts. Would have taken those handouts. Would have screwed over your own family and you KNOW it!

She shakes her head slowly. Not me. I didn’t. I believed in this place and I believed in all of you. I kept my word week after week, month after month, year after year… until suddenly, it wasn’t us standing side by side in the realm of integrity, was it? It was me being a looking glass into your own immoral, pathetic, sellout lives, wasn’t it? It was me being a standard of honor and nobility that none of you will ever hope to achieve, wasn’t it? It was me being the reality check that none of you wanted to face! So you gave up on it – gave up on me – and hated me for it. Hated me just because... I was better than all of you.

Even now, I exposed every one of you, didn’t I? I fooled you all by making you cheer me and then immediately booing me after revealing myself. You’re all embarrassed and you SHOULD be! Because I wasted a year of my life blaming myself for us coming apart in 2023 when, all along, it was YOUR fault!

Taking a breath, Selena seems to be enjoying admonishing the SCW Universe – wrestler and fan alike – as she shakes her head. You shouldn’t be booing me, guys. You should be THANKING me! You should be thanking me for coming back and knocking Asher Hayes on his ass! You should be thanking me for coming back when your ‘chosen people’ like Kandis couldn’t get the damn job done! You should be thanking me for coming back, SCW, when nobody has been able to step up to the main-event picture like I can! But no. Because I am Selena Frost, I’m the devil-incarnate, right?

She shrugs, her eyes fluttering down to gaze at the dry blood on her right hand. Well… that suits me just fine. If I am, indeed, the devil – a woman so despised that you’ll even cheer Asher Hayes over me - then I’ll be the best damn blue-eyed devil SCW has EVER seen! She lets the last part hang in the silence for a few seconds.

And since I am the devil and since we are on the subject of ‘giving thanks’, I’m going to now ignore you ungrateful lot and focus on someone that should be thanking me more than anyone else in SCW!

Asher Hayes…

Once more, the woman stares into the camera, but her expression is more amused than anything.

You know, Asher, for a man that claims to be ‘levels’ above everyone else, I expected you to be a little bit smarter than the fickle, prejudiced people you spoke to. I expected you to be a bit more… self-preserving considering the little ‘self-love’ sessions you have with your 'Kismet', especially after I knocked you out and showed just how easily it can be done!

I mean, seriously. I gave you the opportunity to speak your mind earlier tonight rather than simply knock you out again. You think I couldn’t just roll in and superkick your head off like last time? That I’d have any qualms rolling up behind you, waiting for you to turn around and then blasting you with another Glass Shard? But no, Asher, I wanted you to prove me wrong. I wanted you to show me something. Something to show me that you weren’t the same dumbass that ran his mouth last time we waged war. But instead, you try and goad me out? You try and hurt my ego? You tell me ‘I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve that. No one wants me here. Everyone would rather I die. My wife is hurting. I’m stepping on people’s toes. I’m casting people into my shadow’-

SO WHAT?! The question echoes loudly within the arena space.

You think I don’t deserve this match? So what? You think I’m cutting ahead and stepping on toes? So what?! You say no one wants me here? So what?! You think I’m hurting my wife’s career?! The woman scoffs, even giving a shrug before dropping her voice to a dead calm tone. So what?

How does that change the fact that you are facing me?! How does that change the fact that you are defending the world title against an opponent who’s accolades dwarf yours?! How does that change the fact that YOU OWE ME?!

Giving another shake of her head, Selena resumes her pacing around the ring. Because you like to talk about the past, don’t you, Asher? You like to tell people that SCW is ‘soft’? Not like 2007, 2008, 2009? Not like the ‘old-days’, right? Well, tell me, Asher. Those ‘old days’ of yours? Where the hell were you during them? Those boys you talked about? Xander Valentine, a man I’ve humbled on more than one occasion? Shawn Winters – the man that acknowledged me as ‘The Face of SCW’? Supposed ‘stars’ that were leagues above what SCW is now? Where the hell were you?

She grants a moment of silence, though no answer comes forward. Don’t remember? Probably don’t remember because of your drug-issues at the time, but let me remind you. Your whole ‘journey thing’? Your driving force for this ‘Kismet’ of ‘over a decade and some’? Was because you couldn’t CUT it back then. You couldn’t cut it back in your ‘glory age’ to become world champion. You were little more than a midcard filler. A guy that got stomped out for future legends like Shilo Valiant, weren’t you? A guy that, not in a million years, would be ‘the only choice’ for SCW to have as a world champion - as you have lately put it!

And for all those years of you coming and going in and out of SCW, we fast forward to 2021, 2022, you STILL couldn’t cut it, could you? You needed The Brand. You needed Holly Adams. You needed Cid Turner. You needed Giovanni Aries. Hell, Sammy Thomas Davies and Chlamydia were MORE successful and popular in the Brand than you! And you STILL, even with them, couldn’t manage anything more than being half-a-champion! she mockingly winces at that fact.

And that’s where your thanks needs to begin, Asher. Because I took all that away, didn’t I? I drove each member of The Brand apart by beating them. From Cid, to Holly, to Giovanni, to you. I beat them all over and over again, keeping that world title from them until, after exposing you and The Brand for the failures you are, they started showing their true colors just like the SCW Universe has now. They turned on you – the dead weight - and set you up for jail time, didn’t they? And that, Asher, was clearly the best thing to happen to you because when you came back from that, you were better! Not A LOT better, but still a smarter and better wrestler. You were able to win big matches like that triple threat last Rise to Greatness. You were able to be perceived as, at least, a ‘potential’ contender for the world title despite, ironically enough, not really earning it beyond attacking Kandis from behind – oh trust me, the irony of your earlier statements tonight isn’t lost on me.

But that all started with me. With me being the instrument of The Brand’s destruction and your subsequent freedom from it.

She holds up a finger to silence any argument, despite being alone. And it doesn’t stop there, Asher! Because let’s face it, you wouldn’t even be standing in the ring with that world title if it wasn’t for me. Think about it. I came back after four months away and got my rematch like that! She snaps her fingers, a smile on her face. Even with your ego, can you imagine what would have happened if I had done that the first Breakdown after Rise to Greatness rather than walking out of SCW? You honestly think YOU would have been considered over me? The guy that’s NEVER main-evented a Rise to Greatness? Never won a singles-tournament? Hasn’t held a singles title since what? 2020? 2021? You over the most dominant world champion in the history of SCW?

A quiet, short laugh escapes the Snow Queen, the woman clearly amused by such a notion.

Again, me walking away from SCW was the best thing that ever happened to you, Asher. Like turning over a stone and moving it out of the way, suddenly, all the little insects came scurrying up to fill the void. My absence in SCW left a hole in the world title picture so massive that even someone like you could scurry through and get their chance. A gap so big that someone like you and Simon Lyman could get TWO world title shots back-to-back, allowing you to LITERALLY throw one chance away! See it, Asher? The only reason you had the drive to get that title was because of me and the only reason you got to this point has been because of me!

And you are welcome! She smiles at her opponent before it slowly fades.

But… this is where things go downhill for you, Asher. Because that means – if I am responsible for your little success – that means that everything about it belongs to me. The title, your spotlight, your main-event status... your Kismet? It all belongs to me.

And I’ve let you have your moment in the sun. I’ve let you have your time. I’ve let SCW try and get on without me and, let’s face it… SCW – everyone in it – failed. Management failed, CHBK failed, the SCW Universe failed, Kandis failed, and you, especially, failed.

Even with Kandis trying to be the ‘favorite superstar’ that I was, she failed.
Even with Simon Lyman trying to desperately be ‘the hero’ that I was, he failed.
Even with you trying to desperately be the ‘dominant, greatest champion’ that I was, you have failed.

Even with all three of you and your massive egos, and Kandis’ massive everything else, even combined – none of you could fill the gap I made. Even combined, you couldn’t fill my boots. How else could I just walk in and retake my spot with so little opposition from anyone? Including the world champion?

Taking a moment of silence, Selena smirks before she adjusts her coat as she stands in the middle of the ring. Speakingof which, Asher, I now want you to take a long walk before you open your mouth again. I want you to take some time and really think. Because deep down, you know, I am right about all of this. You know that you owe me. And you know that this is a title defense that is unlike the others you’ve weaseled your way past. This is an opponent unlike any you’ve had to face this SCW season, and I include James Evans in that breath.

Because it doesn’t matter if they hate me. Doesn’t matter if you hate me. Doesn’t matter if I earned this shot. Doesn’t matter if you think one way or another about it. What matters is that I just need one kick and I will be taking that world title from you. What matters is that I am going to come into MY ring once more and I WILL land that one kick.

And you’re going to thank me for it.

I’m going to beat you and you’re going to thank me for it.
I am going to give you the kind of dominant display reminiscent of your ‘old SCW days’ and you’re going to thank me for it.
I am going to take your Kismet – MY world championship – and you’re going to thank me for it.
I am going to knock you back down to the mid-card, Asher, and you’re going to thank me for it.

She holds her hands out a little, as if in display. Because you’re not facing the ‘retread of retread’, Asher. You’re facing something else entirely.

And come Body, Heart and Soul – the Blue-Eyed Devil is coming to collect all of it… including what’s owed!

Believe it… a wicked grin crosses her lips once more as she holds up her blood-stained hand. Or not...

The camera focuses on Selena as it slowly fades to black, the segment coming to a close.[/color]

[Asher_Hayes]

OOC: 1 of 2, CD only for this one. Continues the story from the EOTY Asher rp.

The Dark of You, Part IV

[SnowQueenSCW]

OOC: Second. Makes references to Deanna’s past roleplays throughout this SCW season and immediately follows the first roleplay.

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.

The Witches of Alden

”Happy”

Frost ‘Forever Home’
Manhattan, New York
December 15th, 2023
9:01pm

"It’s not that easy.” Selena pushed herself away from her former ‘caretaker’ and ‘guardian’, the Snow Queen backing up from the ghost her mind had summoned in its anger/desperation mixture, yet refusing to look away from her.

“It is.” Anastasia DeCarlo replied, the black-dress wearing woman smiling simply at Selena. “Stop caring. Stop worrying what they think. Do whatever you want and whatever is best for you.”

“It isn’t that easy and you know it!” Selena snapped back, yet earned no readable reaction from Anastasia. “You’re telling me to turn on everything – and don’t give me that look!” she barked at the ghost. “That’s exactly what you are asking! I’ve spent a decade being called out on being ‘just about to do that’! Not just accept being hated. No! That’s not good enough!” the Snow Queen laughed bitterly at the woman. “You’re asking me to throw it ALL back in their faces! To make every single person pay for making me do this in the first place! For holding every person in SCW accountable for whatever part they played! You’re asking me to…to…”

“Yes?” Anastasia asked with a patient tilt of her head.

“You’re asking me to be you…” Selena slowly whispered out, the conclusion she had drawn long ago about returning to SCW no less horrifying to part of her as it was enticing to another part of her.

“I am asking you to be ‘us’.” Anastasia corrected mysteriously. “I am asking you to finally be the woman we tried for so many years to help you be.”

“Through torture!” Selena spat. “You wanted me to be another you! A remorseless monster! Focused only on whatever she wanted and on power.”

“In a world that was ready to chew me up and destroy me the moment I showed any weakness.” Anastasia calmly threw back. “Tell me I am wrong. You lived there. When you were the cold ‘Snow Queen’. The pariah of Nome! Tell me how that is any different from how I was?”

“Aside from the murder and destroying your own family?” Selena asked incredulously. “Oh, not much-“

“Perhaps.” Anastasia observed. “But face it. You were untouchable then. No one could faze you.”
“I was miserable!” Selena all but shouted back. “I was drinking my life away and deluding myself with a child made of snow! How is that preferrable to the life I have now?!”

“Because it was honest!” Anastasia finally shouted, effectively silencing Selena’s defiance. “Yes, it was delusional and destructive, but at least you were honest with yourself. You could ADMIT that you were drinking yourself into oblivion. You BELIEVED your snow child was real. Everything about you was honest. Painful and cold, but honest. Not like this… not like now.”

“I have been honest…” Selena tried but the response sounded lame even to her.

“Then why are you here, standing in this room… with me?” Anastasia countered with ease. “Because you haven’t been honest with yourself. You’ve deluded yourself into trying to be ‘the perfect mother’ and ‘the perfect housewife’ when that isn’t who you are. Deanna saw it, Alejandra saw it, Eric saw it… You are a fighter, Selena. You always have been. From the moment you were born, to when Gavin and his friends bullied you, to the town that hated you and your father… what is SCW now? More of ‘those’ people. More of the ‘haters’ that unfairly drove you to exile and isolation because you were what? Just someone that believed in something? Someone that honestly fought for those beliefs?”

While Selena refused to consent and admit to such thoughts, she couldn’t outright refuse them either. The hatred SCW had shown her since early 2023 till now… it still made no sense! Not even Sharper and Knots, veterans of the business – not even D. – had been able to make sense of it! It was unfair to a degree that could not be denied by anyone… and yes… it was so much like Nome had been. How she had been hated and vilified simply because she had believed in her father’s declarations of gold inside the mine he owned – beliefs that he had been proven RIGHT about!

“The Crazy Miner’s Daughter…” she wasn’t sure whether the whisper came from her or Anastasia. Maybe both…

That’s what they had called Selena. Everywhere she had gone in that small town, she was met with hatred and contempt. Residents would stare daggers at her when she went out and throw snide comments about her and her father while they passed. Gavin and his friends harassed her into adulthood and nothing was ever done about it no matter who knew about it. She had had no control over any aspect of her life…

She had needed to become cold. She had needed to become distant. She had needed to treat them as they had treated her…. It had been the only way she could possibly survive back then. She had embraced the nickname of ‘The Snow Queen’ – even when part of her had hated it - and become untouchable, even if part of her had still ached for love and a family. It had been a miserable existence and mentality, but one where she had been able to at least survive and function.

But that was the problem.

“I don’t want to merely ‘survive’ and ‘function’ like I did with such a mentality, mother.” Selena spoke, turning her gaze back over to her mother. “I want to thrive... I want to excel! I want to be…” she couldn’t put that last part into words because it was merely emotion. She wasn’t sure what to name it or identify it as. “More.” She settled on saying.

“Like I did.” Anastasia smiled knowingly as she stood before her stepdaughter, earning a cold glare from the young Frost. “You’ve lived the life of love, family, and being the best in the business. Now, you want both. You want the family but to be untouchable. You want the love but also the power, don’t you?”

It was enough for DeCarlo to sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. “Alright, Selena.” She acquiesced. “Answer me this honestly and I will leave.” Dark eyes bore into Selena’s once more. “We both know what you will be after once you go back to SCW. There is really only one place for you to go.” Her eyes narrowed, shooting straight to the heart of the matter. “The world championship.”

She didn’t need to say anything else but those three words. Because they were beyond true. This wasn’t like her past losses like with Vixen Cain, Ace Marshall, Cid Turner, or Adam Allocco. She couldn’t just return and ‘wait her turn’ or ‘take a roundabout way’. She had done that over and over again – her last one needing her nearly a year to reacquire the world championship. No… that would do anything. That would say nothing about her return. She’d be forgotten, dismissed… No, she needed to return and immediately target the world championship – leave no doubt that she was on the hunt. But… she had been gone for four months… the world title had changed hands already, may even change hands again before she got her shot. IF she would get her shot. “But…” she heard her stepmother call out, regaining her attention. “Saying you get your chance, do you honestly think you can beat Asher Hayes as you are now?”

No immediate answer came, which only further prompted Anastasia’s line of questioning. “You’ve watched him. How he cheats. How he lies. How he manages to break the rules and steal his victories. He will do all of that against you. Can you beat him as you are now? Playing fair? Willingly giving him that advantage?” Another tilt of the head. “And what if it’s not Asher… what if it’s Deanna?”

Selena’s eyes widened at the sudden switch in direction, earning a laugh from DeCarlo. “Oh come on! You saw her at Under Attack! Do you honestly believe that she isn’t a frontrunner for the End of the Year title shot? What if she does get chosen AND becomes world champion? Can you honestly return and go up against her right away? Can you fight her? Ruin her first reign that is making her career?” Dark eyes narrowed. “Can you, as you are, hurt her?”

No… The answer, to which question, Selena wasn’t sure, formed immediately in her mind, earning a knowing nod from Anastasia, as if the ghost had heard the very thought though it remained silent. No, as she was… Selena couldn’t harm Deanna. As she was… she couldn’t beat Asher Hayes.

Her last match proved that. She had, simply been, too thrown off – to the point even Knots and Sharper had noticed it. The fans hating her, CHBK (despicable shit that he was) as the official referee, and everything Kandis had said and done, making Selena focus wholly on the integrity of SCW? She had been nowhere near the level she had been at even at the beginning of the year. She had been off her game from the start, unable to dig as deep, think as quick, focus as hard. It had just been… too much.

If THAT was who was coming back to SCW to face the world champion – Asher Hayes or otherwise – her stepmother was right… Selena wouldn’t have a chance. Asher would cheat her out of the match. She’d have to quit if it was Deanna… her return would be an utter embarrassment if she came back as she had been back in July.

But what was the alternative?

“You’re forgetting one thing, mother, in all of this.” She whispered, her hand reaching up to grip a nearby shelf for a little support.

“Am I?” Anastasia asked patiently. “What is that?”
“Deanna.”
“I believed I mentioned her already-“

“No.” Selena barked back, turning to glare at the apparition. “I mean my wife. Not the SCW superstar. My wife, Deanna.” She took a deep breath. “Who I am – who I was – whatever!” she didn’t mean to yell that last word, it just came out in her frustration. “That is who Deanna fell in love with! The integrity. The passion. The beliefs of bettering SCW and fighting for all of those beliefs? That is who she fell in love with! That is who she wants back in SCW!”

“When you’re ready to be the woman I married… the woman I never stopped believing in… the woman that believed in doing good for everyone… why don’t you give me a call, okay?”

“She wants the woman I used to be. The woman that can’t survive in this new SCW. If I change that… if I change…” she shook her head, the certainty of her next words the driving force for her hesitation since day one. “She’ll leave me.”

The statement gripped at Selena’s heart, causing her to look away from her ‘visitor’, her eyes eventually finding the picture on the wall: Herself and Deanna at Under Attack last year, holding their newly won SCW World tag-team championship belts. She saw the smile on both their faces and the love in their eyes. How she longed to go back to that time, before it all had changed because of one stupid Trios-created match…

“There. I admit it, mother… Are you happy now?” she felt herself half-cry that last part. “I… I can’t be both.” Her fingertips touched the picture. “I can’t be what I need to be in SCW to thrive… and be Deanna’s wife… She’ll never accept me.”

“And where is she now?”

The question from Anastasia forced Selena to turn and, once more, face her, the younger woman feeling her stomach drop at the rhetorical question. The stepmother’s expression was far more knowing and calm as she merely kept her eyes on her stepdaughter.

“It’s too late now, and you know it, Selena. She’s already slipping away… and you’re already changing…” she gave an almost sad smile, as if part of her could spare her daughter the fate that was unfolding. “You just haven’t realized it yet…”


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

West End Bar and Grill
Manhattan, New York
December 9th, 2023
11:11pm

Selena quietly looked around nervously, unable to full appreciate the setting of the bar and grill due to her hoodie impairing most of her peripheral vision. Not for the first time that night, the former wrestler regretted coming here. No, this wasn’t some loud, obnoxious nightclub with blaring music like she used to go to with Regan Street, her sister basically. This place had some semblance of quiet and reserve to it.

Should have gone to Toni’s… Again, not the first time she had made that thought either. Of course she had wanted to go to her favorite restaurant, but that was precisely the reason why she couldn’t. Because it wasn’t just ‘her’ restaurant, but ‘hers’ and ‘Deanna’s’ favorite haunt. It was too full of memories. One of their first dates, the number of nights they had gone their to plan their wedding, anniversaries – the platinum-blonde had needed to clear her head! Not fill it with memories of a forgotten time that was slowly, but surely, slipping out of her hands.

Still, thinking of Toni’s had given her an idea – at least the last time she had been there, which was why she had hadn’t intended to be alone here. Casting her gaze up, the young woman spotted the thin, almost worryingly so, as she pranced and skipped and sauntered her way from the bar where she had ordered and gathered her drink until she was sitting opposite side of Selena at the table.

“I knew I was right about this place!” Stallis remarked with a grin, smiling in delight at her hooded company. “Ozzie’s been talking about this place for a while. Says it’s a real ‘boys’ club’.

“If you thought that…” Selena asked with a tilt of her head with confusion. “Why did you suggest it?”

“Oh… a few reasons.” The younger woman teased Selena with a flick of her tongue pointed her way. “Sometimes, I just like to get out and… be appreciated for how I look.”

The remark surprised Selena, causing the Snow Queen to jerk back a little. “Are…are you working or something, Stallis?”

Despite the implication of the statement, the blonde was patient as she shook her head at Selena. “No, I don’t do that anymore.” She reminded the former wrestler. “But I mean… sometimes I like to get noticed… in a good way.”

“What you mean like… hit on?”

A slight blush, seeming more of guilt than anything else, primed across Tallis’ features. “I…not in that way… I mean, yes that way but…” her eyes darted up to meet Selena’s. “I swear, I would never cheat on Asmodeus, okay? You know that, right? I love my Ozzie-“

“Stallis, calm down.” Selena urged reaching out on instinct to grasp the woman’s hands into her own. “I wasn’t implying anything like that, okay? And I’m hardly in a position to talk about that with how my marriage is going.”

“Still on the rocks?”

“We’re talking about you.” Selena remarked quickly, doing her best to instantly shoot down the topic-change.

The woman’s voice trailed off. “Right…” she whispered, her hands clumsily playing with her white, backless dress. “Okay…so… what I meant when I said that I liked to be appreciated for how I look – yeah, hit on – it’s just… well, you know what I am.” She shrugged. “And some days, it’s hard… you know… to live like that… see yourself as what you want to be? And it helps me to kind of… go out and be appreciated for it…”

It took a moment for Selena to put the pieces together from Stallis’ statement, but the inevitable “Oh… I see.” Eventually came out. Stallis had only truly attempted to embrace her life as a transgender-woman for the past two or three years. And while Selena thought she looked beautiful, and was sure Asmodeus (if he had half-a-brain) thought so, there was something to be said about strangers appreciating (or even confusing) Stallis as simply a ‘woman’ or ‘cis-woman’ as the terminology went. It wasn’t deception, Selena was sure, that Stallis was looking for, more acceptance that “she is a woman” kind of thing. In a way, Selena could relate to that. It had always felt different and, at times, more special to have SCW fans come up to her and say that she was ‘their favorite wrestler’ or that they had ‘this match’ of hers and that ‘it was their favorite’.

It felt good, so Selena could understand that in Stallis to an extent. But that was her career. This was Stallis’ very identity. Besides, it wasn’t like Selena was out to get any attention now these days. Yes, she still saw her action figures and some remnants of the days where SCW slapped her face on everything with its merchandising. Hell, she had seen her and Deanna’s faces, The House of Frost, on kids vitamins – THAT had been a surprise and a half for the couple! Selena had bought bottle of it, never used it, just to show Deanna that day! They had had a good laugh over it.

But be that as it may, there was no denying for the platinum-blonde that her presence in the world of ‘products’ and ‘celebrities’ was diminishing ever since she walked out of SCW and, for the first part, that had been great. She actually didn’t mind it. After all, she had wanted nothing to do with SCW after Rise to Greatness. Besides, it wasn’t like they had a lack of ‘star power’ without her! Kandis had been the world champion to start off the season and then there was…

There was…

Despite herself and the current discussion, Selena found herself actually wracking her brain for more examples. Yes, she didn’t really watch SCW or talk about it, purposefully, but she had sat through as an audience-in-attendance Under Attack (in secret) to watch over Deanna and that chamber match. So, she knew majority of the roster. But, even running through the card she had watched in her head, and every superstar that had been on it… few names popped up with equivalent ‘star power’ to her.

Sure there was still Syren but that woman was so outdated that it was almost a joke to associate her with the world title these days. At the rate she was going, Syren would never achieve ten wins in a row to be considered for the world title. As for the rest of her associates? Well, maybe Ravyn, but that was it. And then there was Bree Lancaster on a REALLY good day, sure! Then there was… there was…

No! That was it! There was nobody that screamed “SUPER STAR” like she had been. Nobody that had was a big name or a seller or anything compared to her time in the main-event picture. No wonder Asher can rant and rave like he can about being the ‘only choice for the world title’… She thought for a moment. Damn process of elimination. No one’s left except him!

But it wasn’t like it was hopeless! Because it wasn’t, Selena knew that! She had seen Deanna put on a hell of a show! Light in the Darkness – Fuck, Selena was so proud of them! – were tag-team champions at last! It wasn’t that there was no hope for SCW talent-wise. It’s just that SCW was in transition with this new direction, however fucked up it may be. And while the fans made no sense and she had no reason to trust CHBK, there was hope that the talent would rise up and get better. Deanna, Amelia, Luz, Cassie Wolfe, there were so many new wrestlers that could REACH the heights of superstardom someday. But now?

Giving her head a proper shake, Selena tried to refocus on the item that had been in front of her since she had sat down and ordered. The tall glass ‘stared’ back at her, the dark amber liquid undisturbed. It was hard at first, the guys standing at the bar, seeming staring in her direction, was a bit of a throw off, but she dismissed it-

“Selena?” Stallis’ voice, naturally light but a deeper tone than Selena’s, flicked in her ears, causing Selena to lift her head – when had she lowered it?

“Sorry.” She offered lamely, adjusting her hood a little. “I sort of got lost in thought. But I understand what you were saying about wanting some recognition. I, sort of, and I only mean sort of, can understand that. Career-wise, I’m kind of like that.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that.” Stallis remarked, tilting her head a little and resting her head against a supporting hand.

“About my career?” Selena raised an eyebrow.

“More about you.” Came the honest reply. “You sounded rather upset on the phone. Well… not upset just…”
“Desperate?”
“I was going to say ‘in need of a distraction’?” Stallis chose her words carefully, even speaking them a little slower, as if on shaky grounds. “This about Deanna?”

“No…yes…it’s about everything.” She sighed before she finally broke into an explanation. She tried to explain how SCW was still trying to get her attention with their videos and promotion. How she had forced herself to watch Fatal Fortunes, with her name being brought up at least once every half hour or so. How she had breathed a sigh of relief when the episode had ended and nothing about her had shown up after that. How she had then sent herself into a panic about the second/upcoming week.

“Maybe they realized their mistake?” Stallis offered with a shrug, earning a snort from Selena.

That idea was rich! Not that SCW was incapable of making mistakes, but rather incapable of owning up to it. There was no way they were going to tell the fans the truth.

“They won’t risk losing ticket sales.” Selena sighed knowingly. “They’ll probably hold off on saying anything until they have to.”
“Sounds shady.”
“What part of ‘Card Subject to Change’ sounds not-shady?” Selena raised an eyebrow.

A moment passed between the two of them, Stallis biting her lower lip as she tried to think of something to say. Selena’s eyes refocused on the beer mug.

“I have a question.” Came Stallis voice again. “You don’t drink-“
“No, I do drink.” Selena laughed. “That’s why I’m a recovering alcoholic. I drank too much.”

“Not clever.” Stallis pffted at the former wrestler. “I mean, you don’t drink alcohol now. So why did you order one?”

For a moment, Selena kept her eyes on the beverage in front of her, watching the liquid move only when something disturbed it nearby. Other than that, not a drop had been drank or spilled. A sad smile forming over her face, Selena lifted her gaze back up to Stallis.

“Honestly?”
“Yeah.” The thin woman shrugged.
“Because it’s the only thing I can control right now.”

She saw the confused expression form on Stallis fair features, causing a slight, understanding laugh to escape the Snow Queen before it faded away as she adopted Stallis posture of head-resting-on-hand. “Sounds lame, but I don’t… Nothing feels in my control again. I mean, it’s worse than when I was still a wrestler throughout the year.”

“When people were booing you for no reason?”

“That.” Selena sighed. “But now? This is worse. My mother, my friends, my wife, they all want me to go back to that place that I hate. And the place I hate… I mean, they gave a hero’s farewell to so many people like Owen Cruze. But they keep trying to get me to come back to. It’s like nobody can let me go… and now… now I am missing it too.”

“You miss being a wrestler?”

Selena nodded her head a little. “My mother made me realize it not to long ago. That I’m just as bad as they are because I care about what they say about me and what they do about my name and my legacy and…well, all of that… but I can’t stop them. I can’t control it. And I can’t control my family from not mentioning it. And I can’t change ANY of it… so… Zero control. All I can control is myself… so…” she gestured to the drink in front of her, watching as Stallis’ face suddenly lit up with understanding.

“You ordered the drink to put temptation on yourself… so you can chose to overcome it and control any cravings or slips.”

“Lame, I know.” Selena shrugged in mild self amusement/pity. “But it’s all I have right now.”

“You know…” Stallis reached over to sip her own drink, perhaps driven by Selena’s silent refusal to drink at all. “If I were you…” she cast an eye at Selena before backpedaling. “Sorry. You don’t want my opinion. I don’t know a thing about wrestling.”

“Oh, no please.” Selena smiled, a spark of amusement forming in her chest. “I would love to hear your opinion on this, Stallis. I mean it.”
“Really?” Selena almost giggled as she saw the smaller woman’s eyes just light up.

“You kidding? A sassy, take-no-crap gal like you? After the few weeks I’ve had? I NEED to hear this!”

Biting her lower lip a little shyly, the dark-eyed blonde suddenly shifted forward, leaning in. “Well! If I were you… I’d not wait for Deanna to come home! I’d roll right over to work for that second week of Fatal Fortunes! I’d march into the ring and tell them all to ‘suck it! And leave me alone!’ and then march right out, maybe even flipping off the crowd while I did it!”

The loudest snort came from Selena as the platinum-blonde half-laughed, half-choked out a response. “Oh my god…” she sputtered in-between her laugh. “That would be so perfect!”
“Really?!” Stallis asked in delight, earning another laugh from her old friend.

“Oh gods… can you imagine! Marching right past Deanna, right past Alex, getting in the ring and telling all of them to just stick it?”
“Well, I said ‘suck it’.”
“Fine…” Selena struggled to get the word out. “Suck it!”
“THERE WE GO!” Stallis cheered her friend, even adding a little ‘Wooo!’ at the end, earning a few errant looks from around them and from the bar-group.

“Yeah, they can ‘suck it!’.” Selena repeated, actually enjoying the notion.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

Selena could only nod at that. Gods, it sounded so wonderful. After all the months they had put her through? Throwing her off on her matches with their hate? Management doing nothing to help her but toss her into situations she couldn’t win. Agreeing to Kimberly William’s insane Trios match? Making it impossible for the House of Frost to retain their titles that way and sticking her with Ace Marshall? Making CHBK the official in a match that didn’t concern him? Gods, how Selena wished she had said so much more along the lines of ‘suck it’ when she had walked out. A long sigh escaped her.

“It’s too late for that anyway.” She looked back sadly at Stallis. “I’d probably just make things worse for Deanna if I did. She’s still there – they’re still her boss.”

“Oh yeah…” Stallis voice trailed off. “But still… I’d love to see you get all sassy and ‘zero fucks to give’ over there.”

Again, Selena smiled silently at that. It was so enticing an idea. What if she finally did it? For years, every person in SCW she had faced had declared she was just ‘a fake’ or ‘hiding her true colors’ or ‘fooling everyone’. What if she finally did it? What if she came back and just cared only about herself and her own path in SCW, letting the SCW Universe… ‘suck it’… if they had a problem with it?

“Ah…” she sighed. “I don’t think I could justify it in my head.” Selena finally answered. “I mean… that’s the real issue. If I don’t believe in something fully, how can I do it or be it, you know? I can’t just ‘be selfish’ or ‘be evil’ anymore than I can change the color of my eyes.” She sighed. “Guess that’s my curse, huh?”

Stallis was silent, slowly reaching over to take one of Selena’s hands into her own for comfort. Offering her friend a warm smile, the woman squeezed the hand gently. “You’ll figure it out, Selena. You just got to find a way to believe in it and be happy.”

Releasing a breath, Selena was about to speak before her eyes shot up at the movement caught in her line of sight. Before her, she spied the group of men that had been standing by the bar for the majority of time she had come here – eyeing her table… or eyeing her. Now, they were headed towards her. She did a quick tally in her head – three men, all rather large and clearly not seen a gym in years. One wore a trucker hat and a gray-blue coat. Another was bald and wore flannel and jeans. The third had more beard than face and some kind of Viking sweater that he had probably bought from some online retail store.

In the few seconds that they needed to walk across the room to her and Stallis’ table, Selena felt an old grip in her chest… like a painful Deja-Vu. The three suddenly looked like Gavin Scythe and his goons. And it was her Uncle Liam’s bar and- She suddenly gave a shake of her head just in time to hear Stallis ask what was wrong, the men reaching her and speaking before she could give an answer.

“Excuse me.” Said the bald one.

“Yes?” Stallis asked innocently. “Can we help you?”
“Yeah.” The man narrowed his eyes at the two of them. “Got a question for you. Bout who you are.”

Selena sighed. She should have known this would happen, even with her hood covering the majority of her face. Despite her fading popularity/celebrity status, she was STILL in Manhattan, the city where, only until this year, she had been heralded as some kind of celebrity, even getting a key to the city after her record-making world title reign. She was still in her home, where her popularity would still exist in some form. With a long sigh, she reached up and pulled her hood off from her head.

“Yes, I am.” She answered simply. “But I’m not really looking to speak with fans right now. My friend and I are just trying to enjoy a quiet evening.”

The bald man looked at her with a look of… confusion? “You a celebrity… or a porn-star or something?”

“A porn-star?!” Selena asked, a laugh of shock and even amusement, filling her. “With this body?” She asked. “Gods!” she laughed again. “Can you imagine?”

However, upon revealing her hair, the man with the trucker hat snapped his fingers. “Hey! You’re Selena Frost!” he said immediately.
“Yeah.” Selena sighed, almost in relief that someone had gotten it right. “And like I said-“\
“Fuck you!”

Selena’s eyes widened and she was stunned into silence for a moment before another laugh escaped her. “See? That’s more what I’m used to. Basically THAT, Stallis.”

In response, the dirty-blonde scoffed. “I think it’s rude.”

“Nah!” The trucker-hat wearer remarked. “What rude is not showing up to a show you’re called for! My two daughters are huge fans! Like huge! Posters and everything in their rooms! When they said you’d be coming back for Fatal Fortunes, I took them to Calgary to see it! You didn’t even show up!”

“I’m sorry.” Selena remarked, in slight surprise. “But SCW made a mistake. I’m retired. I have been for months. I’m sorry your daughters were disappointed, but that was SCW’s fault. Not mine.”

“Tell that to the thousand dollars I spent and the 30+ hours I had to spend listening to them crying about why their ‘queen’ wasn’t there.” The man spat.

“Again, I’m sorry…” Selena tried. “But I can’t control what SCW does with that. If you call their head office, maybe they can issue refunds, but… I don’t know.”

“Alright, everyone shut up!” the bald man remarked, regaining the attention of the crowd. “This not about some dumb ass travel or kids crying or whatever! This is about her!” he pointed a thick finger, not at Selena, but the other side of the table.

“Stallis?” Selena asked, seeing the woman’s equally shocked expression.

“What about me?” Stallis asked innocently. “I’m not a celebrity like Selena.”
“Nah, you’re not.” The man shook his head. “You’re not even a real woman, are ya?”

Stallis’ eyes went wide, as did Selena’s. “Excuse me?” Selena asked in disbelief. “Who the fuck do you think you are coming here and asking that?!”

“A concerned individual.” The man answered casually. “We’ve got a rule here against people like this one.” He pointed another damn finger at Stallis.

“What rule?” Selena asked, pushing herself out of her seat to stand and moving to stand between Stallis and that damn finger.

“A good one.” Came the simple response as the leader crossed his arms over his chest.
“Pfft… obviously not if you can’t even say it.” Selena countered. “And is this your bar and grill?” she asked.

No answer came, causing Selena to laugh. “Uh-huh. Can’t say what the rule is and doesn’t even own the place he’s trying to impose said rule.” She looked around. “Where’s the manager? Let’s hear his ‘rule’ about this.”

She felt a hand shoot out and grab her shoulder, gripping it hard enough to make her wince. “Selena!” Stallis called out, pushing herself up out of the booth. “Let her go!” She pleaded.

The man, however, kept his grip on Selena’s shoulder. “Take your trannie friend and get the fuck out.” He commanded in a whispered order. “This place isn’t for people like him.”

He gave Selena a shove, sending the Snow Queen towards her table, the former wrestler able to catch herself on the wooden surface. She felt it again… that anger and rage bubbling inside her. Just like the night she had stood there, defeated from Rise to Greatness, and hearing everyone boo her despite her best efforts. The day she had walked out on SCW… she had hated them all.

Kandis.
CHBK.
More than anyone else: the fans. The people that hated her for no reason other than who she was.

Like this man was hating her friend, Stallis, one of the kindest people – second only to Deanna. Stealing a glance upward, Selena saw the young girl reaching out to touch the closest arm of Selena, her once sparkling eyes holding now holding unshed tears.

“Can I…” Selena choked out. “I need to finish my drink.” She whispered, slowly pushing herself up a little. Tentatively, she reached her hand out to wrap her pale fingers around the handle of her mug. “You know…it’s a funny rule you have against transgender people…” she spoke slowly, lifting herself up to her feet. “I can’t imagine what you’d do towards gays and lesbians…” she lifted her head, seeing the smug smirk on the grin of the bald man’s face. “But then again, I can certainly imagine what a lesbian would do to you.”

The next part happened faster than a blink and it wouldn’t be till it was over that Selena would see it all in her mind. In a split millisecond, her hand, holding the mug of beer was flying and crashing, side-first into the man’s face! Immediately, the glass shattered, smattering shards and beer all over him. He had barely let out a cry before Selena was on him, pushing off the table to launch herself at the man. The two went falling backwards, but Selena stayed on, using the fall to throw her hand back and immediately, as they hit the floor, began landing her fist into the man’s face, the blood just now starting to flow out of the cuts formed.

She didn’t care if she got one punch in, or two, or a hundred in those precious seconds of shock from everyone else around her! She didn’t care about the consequences of what she was doing! She just wanted this man to pay!

Pay for his unwarranted hatred towards his friend.
Pay for trying to force them out of a place they had every right to stay in.
Pay for hurting Stallis!
Pay for his bigotry!
Pay for his prejudice!
Pay…Pay…Pay… Pay…

Pay…pay…pay…pay…

The voice, not Selena’s, echoed in her mind driving to keep attacking as long as she could, which wasn’t long until she felt two pairs of hands rip her off the fallen man, pulling her back further and further into the room. Only then did her eyes refocus and she was able to see around her fully. See the crowd that was looking at her. See the men holding her back but also holding her target back. The bald man’s face was covered in blood, to the point where exhaling through his nose would cause a fresh stream of blood to flow out of the nostril - probably a broken nose.

“YOU!” the bellow came from a tall, broad man with a shirt that had the “West End Bar and Grill” written on it. “Out! Now!” he shouted at Selena. “You’re not welcome back here!”

“HE HARASSED US!” Selena shouted back. “Him and his lackies!”
“I don’t care!” the man shouted. “I saw you attack him! Get the fuck out before I call the cops!”
“Hey! I-“ the bald man tried before a glare from the broad man silenced him.
“Shut the fuck up, James!” he ordered. “You’re lucky I don’t ban you too!”

Selena’s eyes widened, the pieces locking together. The manager was sparing them any further trouble by not involving the cops… but he knew this guy – this James – and was only punishing the instigator and bigot with a slap on the wrist while banning her and- Stallis… – quickly, Selena’s eyes scanned the room to find her friend standing beside her, the woman being one of the people pulling her back and towards the exit.

This isn’t right! This isn’t fair! Her mind screamed as she felt Stallis gently pulling her towards the doors. But when they reached them, however, the Snow Queen spied her right hand, gazing down at it to see the blood there – not her blood but the bald man’s. Feeling her jaw clench again, and that rage building in her, she suddenly threw her head back towards the interior of the establishment.

“SUCK IT!” she screamed as loud as she could before opening the door and slamming it shut behind her.

Outside in the cold air, she actually shivered a little, reaching up to pull her hoodie over her head. Immediately, she felt something wrap around her, seeing Stallis wrap Selena’s own coat around the Snow Queen’s frame. “Thanks…” Selena whispered. “I’m…” she stole a glance back at the building. “I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be…” Stallis smiled sadly, reaching out to wrap her arms around Selena’s frame. “This is just… how things are for people like us.”

“Why?” Selena felt herself ask, her voice suddenly shaking as the adrenaline was depleted, leaving her empty, exhausted… and hurt. “Why does it have to be this way?”

“I don’t know.” Stallis shrugged, her thin frame shuddering with quiet sobs as well. “But maybe it will change some day. For the better… where people like us can be happy.”

“Not…not…” Selena tried but her voice failed her, the platinum-blonde too exhausted to say what she was thinking. Still, as Stallis took guided them back to their vehicles, the thought stayed with Selena far longer than she cared to admit…

Not if I keep hiding from it…

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

Frost ‘Forever House’
Manhattan, New York
December 15th, 2023
9:33pm

”You’re already changing… You just haven’t realized it yet…”

Selena’s eyes remained fixed on the back of her hand. The same hand that had been smeared with blood of that bigot. She could almost see it in her mind’s eye. Almost recall the redness of it, how sticky it became in the cold as she walked to her car that night. How sticky it was when she got home and tried to wash it out. She remembered every emotion of that night: The anger at the unfairness, the protective nature she had for Stallis, the adrenaline to attack viciously… she remembered it all.

Yet, the one emotion she could not recall having for a second surprised it. It was one that, even six months ago, she would have felt regardless of the situation. Guilt. Shame. Embarrassment for acting so viciously, even if…

But she didn’t feel that way that night or even now. Not even an ounce. “Fucking bigot.” She hissed under her breath. “Threatening Stallis… he…” she turned her hand over. “He deserved it.”

Yes, he did… came the confident, proud voice in front of Selena, the young woman, standing in her trophy room, lifting her head to where her stepmother had disappeared, the black-suited man smiling proudly at her. “And you gave it to him, didn’t you?”

“Malcolm…” Selena breathed, gazing into the eyes of her greatest enemy… the greatest evil she had ever known. Malcom Scythe…

“Hello, my dear.” Came the accented, deep voice of the former mayor of Nome. “You’re almost there.”

“Almost there for what?” Selena asked, standing amidst the room of trophies and memories.

“Embracing the truth.” He replied. “That none of this – the people of SCW, the hatred… none of it has ever been your fault.”

The man was a far cry from the last time Selena had seen him: dead on a slab, poisoned by his own creation in Killjoy. No, this was Malcolm in his prime. The mayor of Nome, but also the hunter and master manipulator. The strategist. The man that had taught Selena so much in her youth…

“You know, don’t you?” he asked, keeping his eyes locked on Selena. “The only person that has been holding you back… has been you.”
“Me?”
He nodded. “All this time… you’ve kept blaming yourself for their hatred of you. You kept trying to excuse it or dismiss it. Or walk away from it. You never once truly blamed them for it. You never once held them accountable for it. It was all on your shoulders. Your war for integrity. And rather than let go… you held on to trying to convince them. To try and give them time to see the light…. But…” he breathed. “They are no different than that idiot that harassed you and Stallis, are they?”

“No, they-“

“They’re hatred is unfounded. Unfair. Based solely on your identity. Nothing more. No evil act. No evil word.”

Selena opened her mouth to speak. For so long, nobody could identify the reason behind the SCW Universe’s hatred of Selena (according to Deanna). It was a mystery, made no sense to the staff of SCW… but Malcolm was not so placid or caring whether his deductions hurt others. The truth was the truth in his eyes – always had been.

“They’re scum, Selena.” He stated simply and darkly. “Racists, sexists, partisans, all as worthless and pathetic as that man in the bar… and you know it.”

Unable to continue looking at him, Selena turned away, her gaze falling on a photo of her on the wall: Her holding up the world championship at End of the Year 2016, one of the greatest moments of her life. Her third-year anniversary. ‘The Year of Selena Frost’ – when she had believed so much in this business and its people – believed in SCW even when she hadn’t been able to believe in herself as a possible world champion.

“Let go of them.” She heard Malcolm implore. “Give them what they deserve…” he paused but was then suddenly, it was as if he was right behind her, whispering in her ear. “Your wrath.”

Again, Selena’s eyes fell down to her hand. It had felt so good to attack that man. To take his hatred and shove it back at him. To destroy him like he was nothing. Because he WAS nothing! What did he matter compared to herself and Stallis? Nothing.

And those people in SCW? Using her name? Promoting her with no clue? What did they matter compared to Selena and her wife? Nothing!

And the SCW Universe? Booing her? Wishing her gone from SCW? What did they matter compared to her work? Her integrity? The life she had earned through blood and tears and injuries?

“Nothing…” she whispered, looking up to see her own reflection in the glass picture… and the cruel smile that formed on it. “So who cares if they hate me? Who cares if they want me gone? What the hell can they do to stop me?”

Slowly, the Snow Queen pulled herself up, standing tall and gazing around the room. “Nothing…” she whispered, alone once more in her house. And yet…. It was different.

Everything now seemed to make sense. She felt the pieces of a plan forming in her brain. A way to get back to SCW, not just walk back in, oh no! That wasn’t good enough for what THEY had put her through. What they had caused in her own family.

SCW. The fans. CHBK.

No… simply walking in wouldn’t be good enough by a longshot! They needed to be exposed. They needed to be humiliated. They needed to pay… pay… pay…

Again, Selena’s eyes fell on the photo of herself. Her ‘anniversary event’…

Yes… it would be perfect… but she… slowly, Selena looked around the room again. The truth had not disappeared just because things finally made sense to her. No, the truth was still as strong as ever. And what she was becoming… what she was now thanks to Malcolm and Anastasia and the SCW Universe… she could not be and still be Deanna’s wife.

With a sigh, the Snow Queen got to work, spending the next three hours moving everything out of the trophy room, out of her bedroom, and out of her closet and stuffing them into the Jeep Liberty. By the time she was finished, midnight had come and gone but she was not tired. Rather, she did one last check of the rooms before she headed for the door, dressed now in a black suit like Malcolm had worn. It fit her well, she noticed. And yet, as her hand reached for the door…

She stopped, turning her head back to her home – her ‘Forever Home’ – feeling the ache in her chest at the decision she had made… perhaps was destined to always make…

With one last tear falling down her cheek, Selena walked over to the stationary table, grabbing an envelope and letter and writing a single sentence on the paper.

I’m sorry, Deanna… I can’t do this anymore.

Carefully, she folded up the letter and placed in the envelope, taking one last journey to her bedroom – THEIR bedroom – and placing it on the mattress.

Alone in the room, the Blue-Eyed Devil stared down at the letter.

“Are you happy now, Selena?” she heard herself ask to the empty room. Not yet… she thought to herself before turning away.

But very soon… I will be.

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

The Royal Letter

So, I imagine this is the part where I talk about the past, right? This is where I go on about my accolades. Being the last ‘great champion’ to hold the title, right? Breaking the ‘unbreakable’ in world championship reign-length, right? This is where I go on and on and on about ‘integrity’ right? That’s what everyone THINKS I’m going to talk about, right? Sure as hell seems to be what Asher Hayes thinks I’m going to talk about.

But if my actions over the last few weeks and my words from my last promo is any indication… it’s that first of all, Asher doesn’t know a damn thing about me. Second, Asher doesn’t have what it takes to push my buttons or pull my strings, and lastly, it’s that I don’t do things just because YOU people want them anymore. I don’t do things just because you people THINK I’m going to do them anymore.

No… no… no… I do things when I want to do them. I say what I want to say. I do what I want to do. And if you got a problem with that, well, feel free to interrupt me like Religious Wright did! See what happens! I dare you!

Besides, why the hell would I waste my time telling you all the truth? Why would I? All along, you people have proven that you don’t like the truth. You don’t want the truth. You can’t handle the truth. No! You rather lie to yourselves and dream about banging a slut like Kandis. Or that you’re chums with Kimberly Williams or that, even though you’re a selfish asshole, you can be worth a damn like Asher Hayes thinks he is, right? So why, with your heads so full of such delusions, why would I waste my time telling you the facts about me? So, I’ll spare me the effort and you the embarrassment of exposing your bias, shameful, prejudiced hate and instead, I’ll focus on what I am here to do.

So, Asher… how’s YOUR week been going?

I mean, did you take my request to heart? Did you go for that walk? Did you think about your words before opening your mouth? Did you consider what is happening in the next few days? Cause that’s all the time that you have left. A few days until Body, Heart and Soul. A few days until I walk in and, in my return match, I beat you to the ground and take the world championship from you.

And really… when you think about it, you got to appreciate the imagery of that, Asher! I mean, come on! First shot you got, remember? Apocalypse? You threw it away and stole the world championship from Kandis. You couldn’t beat her. You couldn’t pin her. Hell, you couldn’t make her submit. And by the way, for someone who thinks I don’t deserve this shot, pretty funny when you didn’t earn your second shot, right?

But that just makes this whole thing so poetic. For someone else to come in now that YOU’RE the world champion, steal your Kismet and walk away with it – albeit by actually defeating you rather than disqualifying themselves – that’s just gotta be the prettiest picture I can think of! We come full circle, don’t we? I get back the world title and you watch someone walk away with the title that ‘no one was EVAH gonna take from you’!

It is! It’s downright beautiful! Because I thought it was beautiful when you did it to Kandis! There she was, most arrogant bitch in the world because of one win, and you embarrassed her just like that. And now, rather than learn from that, here you are, being just as arrogant, just as stupid, that you don’t see that you’re going down the same path.

Oh but! But this is different, right? Asher is on a ‘whole ‘nother level’ than anyone right?! Asher isn’t in the same league as Selena Frost, right?

You know what, Asher? You’re right. You and I? We aren’t in the same league. We aren’t on the same level. Because I didn’t need over a decade to get to the top of SCW! I didn’t need a decade to beat everyone there is to beat, including you! I didn’t need a decade to prove that I am the greatest world champion of all time!

You know what I needed? One chance.

That’s all I needed. One chance in 2016 and I took that chance and I ran with it! I ran with it and I made a legacy out of it. And now? Ten years since my debut? You’re right, you and I can’t be compared. Know why? Cause in the time it’s taken you to win that title once, I’ll have won it SIX times!

Six times! Let that percolate in your brain, Asher! Six times of being looked down on and shutting that person up! Six times being told “I’m not good enough” and shutting them up! Six times of being told “it isn’t going to happen” and shutting them up!

That’s what’s in store for you, Asher, in just a few days. Not being ‘the only one’. Oh no no no no! You’re not the only one for the SCW championship! You’re the SIXTH one – as in the sixth time I’ve destroyed someone to become the NEW SCW World Champion!

Because you just don’t get it, do you, Asher? You want to look down on me, right? You want to look down on me, want to doubt me, say I’ve got no chance?

It’s cute.

But I’ll tell you the difference here. You look down on Kandis – a one time world champion? Look down on Autumn? Never won the title? Look down on Deanna? Two years in? Sharper and Knots would call that ‘arrogant’. ‘Underestimating your opponent’. Something like that.

You look down on me – you try and diminish me? You know what they would call that?

A mistake! A STUPID mistake!

Because all I’ve done is take from you, Asher. Right? Think about it! I took your stable, The Brand, from you and lead it on the path of destruction. I took your Co-World Championship status from you, remember? I took your ‘best friend’s’ and ‘meal-ticket’… I took his motivation – his reason for coming back to SCW – twice over and thus all your potential. I took and I took and I reduced you to, even now at your supposed ‘best’, you’re still just a Co… A Co-Male Wrestler of the Year, right? And then I came back and took your BS about being ‘untouchable’ and destroyed it with a single kick.

Oh yeah, you saw it coming right? You’re ‘that good’, right? Saw right through me, didn’t ya? So, why didn’t you stop it? Why didn’t you stop me from knocking your ass out with one single kick?

Because you couldn’t, Asher. You couldn’t stop it – couldn’t stop me – anymore than you could a year ago. Two years ago.

And that’s the difference, Asher. You’ve fought new champs and rookies. But someone like me? The Face of SCW? The Blue-Eyed Devil? Hehehe… You’ve never faced someone like me with the stakes this high before. You’ve never fought someone of MY level with the world title on the line. Someone that knows a world title match inside and out. Someone that has fought better liars and cheaters than you. Or do I need to talk about Holly Adams or Cid Turner again?

That’s what I asked you to realize. See, Asher, you want to talk about being ‘needed’ by SCW. Being the ‘most powerful’ of SCW. Being ‘The man at the top of the mountain’?

The truth is that you don’t really understand the first thing of any of that! Was it you, as world champion, that SCW promoted during Fatal Fortunes? Was it you that got their own commercial for it? You get mentioned when you’re there – on the show, that’s easy. I get mentioned and advertised and promoted even when I’m not there! Four months I was gone and not a show or a pay-per-view went by without someone talking about me. Without someone asking about me… even you! Hell, they fabricated a whole story about a video promotion and a ’staff member’s mistake’ because in reality? SCW NEEDED me back! SCW NEEDED it’s ‘Face’!

Not you… me.

Because I am the one that makes the ticket sales! I’m the one that puts the butts in the seats! I’m the one that carries this place on my shoulders and without me?! There isn’t a single person that can measure up! You know it! Simon knows it! Kandis knows it! CHBK knows it! Every board member in SCW knows it and those people in the SCW Universe, hate me all they want, they know it! Without me, there is NO star power in this company. There is no ‘superstar’ level. There is no ‘Supreme’ in SCW. Just you playing ‘championship wrestling’ and barely getting by with tights-pulling.

Am I wrong? Then why, when I demand a world title shot, do they just GIVE it to me after one match? Just to get me back in SCW. THAT is need, Asher. That is what it feels like to have SCW NEED you. You? Nobody’s going to care about what you want after this weekend! Cause all that makes you relevant will be gone!

Heh… “Man at the top of the mountain”… Asher, you don’t get it! I AM THE DAMN MOUNTAIN! I am the standard! I am the level that nobody can stay at! Ask Kandis! Ask Simon! Hell, get your answer when we’re done! Ten years, I’ve held this place up! Ten years, I represented a level that a few could maybe reach but NOBODY could stay at! And you think you’ve reached that same level because what? You’ve beaten some “Selena Frost-wannabees”, and yes, I include my wife when I say that!

You want to talk about levels, Hayes? Your little hill that you stand at the top of is eclipsed in the shadow of the mountain that I am, Asher! Everything that you do, I’ve done it and I’ve done it better! Every accolade you hold? I’ve held it more, longer and better! Every trick you can pull? I can do it better. Every strategy you can conceive? I can counter and do it better. Shoot, I can even beat up Religious Wright better than you can! Hell, I’m even better at being despised by these people than you are!

‘No chance’, you said? Asher, you’re the one with no chance. You’re the one that’s got no more tricks to play. You’re the one that’s got no more fresh lines, clearly, to say. See, you’re gonna need something along the lines of a damn miracle to put me down. Me? All I’m going to need is the same thing I needed just a few weeks ago.

Once chance… one kick.

At Body, Heart and Soul, Asher, you’re going to wish that I DID stay home. That I DID stay away. Because I am going to embarrass you. I am going to humiliate the ‘untouchable’. I am going to humble the supposed ‘best’ and show you the true difference in our ‘levels’. I am going to break you of YOUR beliefs, Asher! All your beliefs that you don’t deserve to carry, deserve to speak. I am going to shatter the arrogant and expose you like I have all the SCW Universe! And those fans you high-fived? They’re the reason you’ll no longer be the world champion!

Time’s up, little boy. Time for you to stop pretending to be the best and time for the real thing to step in… for the mountain to stand alone once more. And whether you see it coming or not… there won’t be a damn thing you can do to stop it!

Believe it… or not!

[Asher_Hayes]

The Dark of You, Part V