==========
February 8th, 2021
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========
Stupid and foolish, that’s how “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock has been feeling ever since losing the SCW Adrenaline Championship at Last Grasp of Reality to Shilo Valiant. Braddock knew that she easily could have beaten Shilo one on one, she knew she could have easily beaten Dylan Howell one on one, but she had to “play hero.” She had to beat them both at once. And just as it appeared as if she had them beaten, Shilo snuck in the back door and pinned Howell to become the SCW Adrenaline Champion. Glory was never pinned nor was she made to tap out, but under triple threat rules, which is what Braddock wanted, what she had asked for, what Valiant did was perfectly legal. And now she has lost her championship and there is nothing she can do about it. Nothing except for redemption. She can make up for it if she can convince Sasha to give her a one on one rematch against Shilo for the SCW Adrenaline Championship.
Poor judgment and poor decisions have been the thorn in the side of The British Bombshell as of late, and not just within the boundaries of her wrestling career but also her career as a businesswoman as well. It was Braddock’s decision to turn to the criminal underworld in order to maintain power in her company. It was Braddock’s decision to do business with the likes of Meagan Collins, Mason Van Stanton, and the Alan family. All of this nearly led to her and her company’s collapse. These recent string of bad decisions is partially why Glory Braddock relies less and less upon her own judgment when it comes to her business. The British Bombshell has put Francis Taylor in charge of nearly all operations within the company. Taylor is a woman who grew up in business. The corporate world is all she knows and thus Braddock has almost always rubber stamped every single decision she has made with the safe assumption that Francis would know better than her.
Yet this one recent pitch from the president of her company has Glory hesitant. Francis now wants to buy-out the modeling agency currently owned and operated by Glory’s own cousin, Kayla Jones-Snow. Getting into the modeling industry is one thing, Glory can understand the logic behind that; but buying out her cousin? Kayla has always loved the modeling industry for it was how she was introduced to professional wrestling, it was what ultimately saved her life. Kayla loves modeling and would do anything for her modeling agency. But lately her agency has seen a serious downfall in terms of finances. They are barely keeping their heads above water and Francis Taylor sees this as a perfect opportunity to buy them out.
It certainly seems like the perfect time to buy out this modeling agency, but is it the right thing to do? The old Glory Braddock would have bought out Kayla without batting an eye. But Glory is trying to be a better person. She cares about right and wrong and definitely cares about family. She wants to help her cousin, not hurt her. So before she signs off on anything Francis wants to do involving a potential buy-out, Glory wants to seek further counsel from Kayla Jones and find out exactly what it is Kayla wants from her. What does Kayla want Glory to do?
This is what brings Kayla Jones-Snow to Miami, Florida on this day. Glory hopes to find out more from Kayla Jones about her failing modeling agency and what she can do to help her. This is supposed to be mostly a business meeting but the good thing about doing business with family is that it provides an excuse for Glory and Kayla to bond. Glory was never very close with her cousins, Angelica and Kayla. Angelica and Kayla’s mother Kelly and Glory’s mother Mary were sisters, but they spent most of their adult lives on opposite ends of the ocean. Kelly raised Angelica and Kayla in Massachusetts and Mary raised Glory in London. They knew about each other but they never grew very close until Glory debuted as a professional wrestler in 2008. Angelica and Kayla’s careers had already begun years earlier but once all three were active wrestlers, then they began to spend more time together. Distant or not, Kayla is still family and Glory will do anything to help her family.
The two cousins are walking side by side down the beach of Miami. Glory is wearing a pink two piece bikini and sandals. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length and she has sunglasses shielding her eyes. Kayla is wearing a red two piece bikini and sandals. Her long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length and she, too, is sporting sunglasses over her eyes.
The sand is softly golden with just the right comforting warmth. To rest on the beach feels like a cosy hug, one only matched by the sunshine filled sky. The beach stretched out alongside the water, these constant friends chattering as the water comes in her reassuring way, as if her joy is to soothe the sand. And in her wake she gives the chance for life, for the rock pools to refill. While this appeals to Glory, her cousin appears to be troubled. Kayla isn’t vocal about it, though. Glory’s suspicions are based solely upon how quiet her cousin has been. Kayla typically loves the beach. She typically loves the ocean. Yet here and now on Miami Beach, Braddock finds her cousin strangely silent. As they walk down the beach, tourists of all sorts enjoying the sand and the waves, the only marker of time today is the sun above, the moments savoured by the waves that wash the sands in white lace.
“This is what I love about Miami!” Glory says beaming from ear to ear, hoping to make some conversation with Kayla who, up until now, has been rather quiet.
“The tourists?” Kayla quips with a hint of sarcasm. It isn’t what Glory wanted but it is a start.
“God no. Hell, I can do without the tourists. I meant the beach. Isn’t it grand?”
“I suppose.” Kayla says with a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders. “But if you live out here wouldn’t you get tired of it eventually?”
“Never.”
“You’ve spoiled yourself, then.”
“Look who’s talking.” Glory says, winking playfully at Kayla. The redheaded Boston native cannot deny it. She snickers and finally nods her head in agreement.
“Yeah, I suppose we’re both a little spoiled.”
“Well you’ve more than earned your right to spoil yourself, love. So by all means, enjoy your time here. Enjoy the fresh air. Enjoy the beach, because even though you may deny it, I know you’re loving it right now.”
Kayla laughs very lightly and nodes her head. “Yeah...this is great...thanks, Glory.”
With every step the sand shifted. With every motion forward there was some backward and down, just like walking in fresh fallen snow. Yet unlike the crystalline blanket of white bequeathed by the winter time, the fine grains under foot give the female warmth from the sun’s rays. And despite the rough and tough front she puts on, even Kayla has no choice but to admit that she is enjoying this; this beach atmosphere has finally cracked through Kayla’s rough exterior and is making her happy. That alone makes this trip worth it in the eyes of The British Bombshell.
Like their sky-bound benefactor the sand is a faded yellow, as if the sunshine itself is trapped inside these unmelting crystals of silicone and oxygen. Despite the heat these cousins find themselves frozen in place once their eyes take in the ocean. The waves roll in white tipped, spreading themselves like fine lace over the beach after they crash in their soft way. There is nothing noisy about them, yet they have sound. Glory takes in a deep breath and lets it out, smiling pleasantly.
Braddock lays out her beach towel, as does Kayla. The redhead Boston native is grumbling the whole time and Glory does hear it, she can’t help it, but she ignores it. Obviously Kayla is still slightly bothered. Braddock can only hope that the waves, the sun, and the atmosphere will eventually make Kayla feel better. Glory lies down on the towel and smiles pleasantly, making sure her sunglasses are propped up nicely on her head, shielding her eyes from the sun. Kayla does the same next to her but she doesn’t look nearly as comfortable as The British Bombshell.
The waves are neither the gentle kind that roll up the beach like a overflowing bath tub, nor the crashing kind that turn murky with golden swirling crystals. They move with force but die within a few feet. From them comes the salty smell, that fragrance that conjures fishing fleets and nets of sun-bleached blue cord hanging out to dry. With browning legs curled underneath, dusted with sand like flour on bread, she sits close to the lapping waves. They feel warm and cool, like tea that's been forgotten and returned to. Her fingers wriggle in the water, in these lips of the ocean as she sings. The cousins just sit there in silence, listening to the song of the ocean in silence, until finally Kayla breaks the silence…
“I’m sorry, by the way.”
“Sorry? For what?”
“Last Grasp of Reality, losing the Adrenaline Championship. You haven’t exactly been on a winning streak lately.”
Braddock sighs deeply. Kayla is right, Glory’s been on a run of bad luck lately. At her peak she was both the MWE Riot Champion and SCW Adrenaline Champion simultaneously. But then she lost both of her championship belts in the span of about a month. Braddock blames herself for the defeats. Whether or not it is entirely her fault is irrelevant, she still blames herself. She gets that guilt trip from her father. But she does have a chance to turn things around. She was asked by Selena Frost to team with her for the semi-finals and finals of the Tag Team League on Breakdown.
Selena Frost made the semi-finals with Regan Street as Frozen Hell. But then Regan was taken out by Xander Valentine. Braddock is no stranger to Regan. They were tag team partners once before in the 2019 Trios Tournament. Now with Regan out of action Selena needs someone to step up and take Regan’s place. Braddock views this as yet another opportunity at redeeming herself for past mistakes and poor judgments. The Best in the World can step up and fight alongside The Snow Queen to try and win this tag league, and maybe in the process Glory will get back to her winning ways.
“It’s ok, mate. I’ll be fine.”
“I don’t believe you.” Kayla says with a smirk on her face. “You’ve never been one to take losses that well. From what little time I spent with your father, neither did he.”
Braddock chuckles. “Fair enough. Losing does sting, and losing championships sting even worse. But I’ll bounce back just as I always do. Maybe I’ll even bounce back as soon as this bloody tag league comes to its conclusion.”
“I don’t follow you.” Kayla furrows her brow in confusion. “You’re not in the tag league.”
“I wasn’t in the tag league until someone needed my help.”
“I heard Sienna and Regan were both out of action. I’m pretty sure you and Bree burned those bridges so that leaves…” Kayla’s eyes grow wide as Glory nods her head “...Selena?”
“Yes.”
“I’m gonna tell Angel. She’ll freak.”
“Why?”
“Angelica never liked Selena. Don’t ask me why because I never really understood.”
“Angelica is going to have to get over it because Selena needs help and one thing that I can tell you about Glory Braddock is that I anytime someone needs help I never refuse. Unless it’s a complete stuck up bitch like Bree.”
“Bree isn’t that bad.” Kayla retorts. Glory rolls her eyes.
“Of course you’d think that, mate. Wouldn’t be surprised if you cheer for her over me.”
The cousins share a laugh. Kayla shakes her head. “Not a chance. You’re my pick for this one, Glory. Always.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kay.” Glory sits up and turns to look at Kayla. She notices her cousin staring blankly up into the bright sunny sky. The Boston native doesn’t even notice that Glory is staring. “But what about you?”
“Huh?”
“What about you? We’ve talked an awful lot about me, mate, but what about you? How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” Kayla says quietly, unconvincingly.
“Fine, is it? Let me be more specific then; how is the modeling business doing?”
“Do we have to talk about this?” Kayla asks with a deep sigh.
“I suppose we don’t have to but I thought that’s why you flew down here to Miami. I thought you wanted to talk business. That’s what you told me over the phone anyway.”
Kayla sighs again out of frustration. The redhead sits up and turns to face her cousin. “You’re right. Of course you’re right but it just hurts, you know?”
“Why does it hurt?”
“Because I was hoping to have good news. I hoped that I could turn this whole situation around and tell you that I didn’t need your help. At the very least I had hoped that I could come up with some options or some other source of income but I cannot find anything. I’m out of options, Glory. The fact is that my modeling agency is going belly up and I can’t do a damn thing about it.”
“Look, I know how hard it is to ask for help; believe me, I used to be among the most stubborn about asking others to help me. So I understand the pride aspect; I also understand the desire to fight for something you love. I had to fight tooth and nail to keep my own company alive and in my hands. So I do know where you’re coming from, mate. That’s why it was agonizing for me to try and decide if I wanted to take Francis ‘s [Taylor] advice and buy out your agency. She wants it for the money, to expand our power.”
“And you?”
“I want to help, Kayla. That’s what I want. You clearly need help. So this my offer; I will offer to buy you out...but I will keep you in charge of the modeling agency.”
“What about Francis?”
“She can deal with it or kiss my British ass.” Glory says with a grin. “You would have full authority over the agency. Technically I still have to sign off on anything you want to do but just like with Francis I’d be little more than a rubber stamp. You’d have free reign to continue to run your modeling agency PLUS you would have the full finances and resources of my company at your disposal.”
The British Bombshell gazes deep into her cousin’s eyes and she can immediately tell that Kayla is still uncertain of what to do. Glory cannot blame her, either. Despite how good this deal sounds, Kayla would still be in charge in name only. Glory Braddock would be the new owner, Glory Braddock would still have final say. Technically, legally, it would no longer be Kayla’s baby and just as a mother feels responsible for her children’s well being, Kayla feels responsible for taking care of her modeling agency.
“I’m still not sure, Glory. I appreciate the offer, I really and truly do, but I just don’t think I can give up this dream of mine.”
“I do understand, mate, but you also need to learn the lesson that I had to learn and that’s that sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to keep your dream alive. I want to help you keep this dream, this modeling agency, alive, but I’m not sure you can do it in your current situation.”
Kayla sighs and nods her head slowly, realizing that her cousin is right. “I know…”
“So what can I do for you, Kay? I just want to help so if it’s money that you need then I’ll funnel money into your agency and…”
“No.” Kayla shakes her head. “Absolutely not. I do not want any blank checks from you, Glory. I have had to take care of myself damn near my entire life and I can keep on taking care of myself now.”
“So there’s nothing I can do to convince you to let me help?” Braddock asks. Kayla responds by shaking her head.
“No.”
“Fine. I respect you wanting to take care of this yourself. Francis and Kennedy may not like it but they’ll just have to deal with it.”
That last line from Glory Braddock immediately sparks the interest of Kayla Jones. She turns a curious gaze at her cousin, arching her brow. “Wait...did you say Kennedy?”
“Yes...Ronald Duane Kennedy to be more accurate...he’s some bloke I met a couple weeks ago. Apparently he’s a friend of Francis [Taylor] and wants to work with her on this buy-out. It was quite annoying, actually. Francis just assumed I would sign off on whatever hair brained scheme she came up with, and to be fair I probably would have signed off on buying out a modeling agency had it not been yours.”
“Did you know?”
“Know what?” Glory is puzzled by the question. She is also concerned by the look of anger beginning to form on her cousin’s face.
“Did you know about RDK?”
“RDK? He says everyone calls him that. So you know of the bloke then?”
“Know of him? Glory, he works for my modeling agency. He works in finance. He is a big reason why my agency is facing a serious financial crisis, all because of the mistakes he has made. I thought they were just innocent mistakes, even the mistakes began piling up I was willing to give him a warning and a second chance, but now I hear this?! He’s been talking to YOUR company president?”
“I honestly had no idea about RDK’s connection to your agency, Kay.”
“You’re not lying to me are you?!” Kayla appears furious and nearly paranoid. That’s understandable considering that one of her employees may have been working behind her back. Glory responds by shaking her head.
“I didn’t know anything, love. All I knew was Francis had heard about your agency’s financial problems and wanted to use the opportunity to buy you out. When I found out about your problems I wanted to see how I could help, and if buying you out would help then I would do that. If there was another way I could help I would do that. But the point is I just wanted to help you because you are family.”
There is a long tense pause as Glory and Kayla lock eyes. Slowly Kayla’s angry gaze seems to soften. Finally the redhead Boston native breaks her silence. “I believe you, Glory. Sorry for doubting you even if it was for just a moment but you can’t imagine how I feel right now. I gave Kennedy a chance. He had nothing going for him after his wrestling career went belly up. He couldn’t hack it in the major company’s and he ended up barely making ends meet in the independents. I gave him a chance to get his life back on track and he stabs me in the back when the next good deal comes along?!”
Braddock looks over at her cousin and clearly Kayla is upset. The feeling of betrayal is washing all over her. The British Bombshell then decides to give Kayla one more offer. “Kayla, it’s obvious that RDK is trying to muscle you out. And we’ve both been played for fools in this by RDK, maybe even Francis and you can believe that I will talk to her about this soon. But in the meantime you and I need to fix this. If I let you try and handle this on your own then you know RDK will continue to sabotage your company from within...assuming that’s what he’s up to…”
“I KNOW that’s what he’s been up to.” Kayla says in a low growl.
“...right, so you could fire him now but do you have time to salvage things on your own? The damage may already be done.” Glory holds out her hand offering a handshake. “Let’s go into this business together, yeah? I will buy you out but I will let you remain in charge of everything, just as I explained earlier, with one exception…”
“What’s that?”
“...RDK is not coming with us into the merger. And I don’t care what Francis has to say about it because this is my company and my money, so if we do this deal then Kennedy is not going to be involved.”
Kayla looks down at Glory’s outstretched hand and then looks back up at Glory herself. Finally Kayla accepts the handshake. “Deal.”
==========
February 9th, 2021
London, England
Off Camera
==========
Learning of how Ronald Duane Kennedy, the man who prefers to be called RDK, was involved in the downfall of Kayla Jones’s modeling agency was certainly troubling for Kayla’s cousin, Glory Braddock. Buying out the agency was all the idea of Francis Taylor, the president of Glory’s company. And Francis had supposedly wanted this man, this RDK, to be heavily involved in running the modeling agency after the buyout. Learning of this is troublesome in many ways, but the biggest cause for concern is the fact that this man could have intentionally sabotaged the modeling agency hoping to eventually gain control of it with Francis Taylor’s help. That does sound like it could be a conspiracy theory and for the sake of Francis Taylor, Glory hopes that this is just a wild conspiracy theory. She hopes that Francis isn’t scheming behind her back the same way RDK has potentially been scheming behind Kayla’s back. Still there is great cause for concern even if the conspiracy theory proves to be false. If it is false then that means Kennedy is just plain incompetent when it comes to matters of business and does Glory Braddock really want a man like that running her new modeling agency?
What to do in this situation became very clear for Glory Braddock as soon as this new revelation came out into the light; this modeling agency has always been her cousin Kayla’s dream and Glory just wants to help keep Kayla’s dream alive. Yet she is certain that Kayla’s dream will always be in jeopardy so long as RDK is involved. So the buy-out will happen, only Kennedy will not be coming along for the ride and Kayla will remain in charge. Glory hasn’t had time to officially notify Francis of this and, to be perfectly honest, Francis can be kept in the dark for a little longer. After all, Francis kept Glory in the dark about RDK’s involvement, thus it is only fair. Besides, The British Bombshell has another stop to make and that is to her home of London, England.
London always seems to call Glory Braddock back home whenever a crisis arises, no matter how big or small, arises. Now this may not be on the crisis level, but Glory needs to make certain individuals aware of the coming situation. This merger with Kayla’s modeling agency will bring about major changes to the company as a whole and Glory wants to inform all of her business partners, and the first to be informed will be Randall Williams, the man in charge of operating her wrestling school in England. Glory will also use this trip to England as an excuse to visit her sister.
Julia Braddock is Glory’s sister and they have had a strained, roller coaster of a relationship almost their entire lives. Recently they have tried very hard to repair the bridges that both of them have burned. They have tried to rebuild their once broken relationship and for Glory, who feels the biggest weight of guilt for the damaged relationship, coming together with her sister is a very important dream of hers.
Currently Julia Braddock is without a true permanent residence, ever since she had to abruptly break ties with her former agent Mason Van Stanton. The sleazy agent used a loop hole in her contract to take possession of her home in Raleigh, North Carolina. Julia had nowhere else to go except to stay with her few friends, family, and loved ones willing to take her in. Glory has two homes, her permanent residence in Miami, Florida plus a place in London where she stays whenever she is in England on business. Glory offered her the place in London but instead Julia opted for the other Braddock homestead in Southampton; the place where their father Glenn Braddock lived.
To call it modest would be an overstatement but Glenn Braddock never lived the extravagant lifestyle that most celebrity athletes preferred to live. Call him cheap, call him frugal, or just call him down to earth, but Glenn’s way was his way and he lived it. Julia chooses this place to live in order to keep herself grounded. And it is here at the old Braddock homestead where the siblings are having dinner.
Calling it a dining-room was somewhat misleading. It was a room. They ate in it. That was all. In it stood a cheap ikea table that rocked when you leant on it, two old white chairs from the thrift store and a pair of thread-bare orange curtains that let the heat escape in winter as easily as if they were not there at all. The light bulb in the center of the room was bare and hung down on it's white wire, adding to the meager ambiance of the room. It was the kind of room you ate Kraft dinner in washed down with own-brand pop. The British Bombshell sits as this table dressed casually in denim jeans, black boots, and a purple t-shirt. Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to past her shoulders. A few moments later her sister, Julia, emerges carrying plates with their dinner. The dinner isn’t much and certainly isn’t the grand meal Glory Braddock is used to but she anticipated this from her sister. The meal consists of a sandwich for each of them.
“Hope you don’t mind the meal today, Glory.” Julia says with a knowing grin on her face. “This sandwich isn’t exactly the luxury we’re used to, right?”
“It’s fine, love.” Glory answers as she watches her sister place one sandwich in front of her. Then Julia sets down the other sandwich on the table before sitting down across from Glory at the table. Glory has a glass of water and Julia is drinking an energy drink.
“I’m glad you agree.” Julia chuckles. “Or at least you’re pretending to agree.”
“No, seriously Julia, this is fine. I may live the luxurious lifestyle now but that doesn’t mean I forgot where I come from.”
“Maybe you didn’t forget but I did.” Julia says as she drinks some of her energy drink. “And maybe that’s what got me into some of the trouble that I was involved with in recent years? Y’know? With Mason Van Stanton?”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself for that one. Anyone could have been fooled by his lies.”
“I shouldn’t have been fooled, though. I should have known that his agenda is and always has been to hurt our family in any way he can think of; so of course he would try to drive a wedge between us. And that’s why I needed to stay here in this simple place in Southampton rather than your palace in London.”
The British Bombshell rolls her eyes. “I’d hardly call it palace.”
“It’s certainly nicer than this dump that dad lived in though, am I right?”
Glory smirks and nods her head in agreement. “Yeah, I suppose it is.”
Julia reaches out and offers her hands to Glory. Glory takes Julia’s hands and Julia squeezes tightly. “I’m sorry for letting Van Stanton’s influence drive us apart, Glory.”
“I already told you that you have nothing to apologize for, mate. Besides, you’re not the only one at fault here. We both have made mistakes that have damaged our relationship. I’m just glad that we have made been able to fix it.”
Julia pauses momentarily. She takes her hands back and then takes another sip of her drink. “Yes, I suppose we have definitely made some progress.”
“Progress? I think we’ve done more than that, mate. I think we’ve done a pretty bang up job.”
“Maybe. I mean, I certainly trust you a lot more now than I once did. That trust you lost when you had me committed to a mental asylum…” Julia lets those stinging words set in for a few moments before smiling broadly “...you earned that trust back.”
“I still feel guilty for that, y’know? I tried to destroy your dreams all so I could selfishly hold onto mine.”
“There’s no need to feel so bloody guilty over that, mate.” Julia chimes in. “You’ve made peace with me, I trust you again. Sure, you’ve made mistakes but you’ve already taken great steps to make up for those mistakes. I’m sure Kayla would agree.”
The British Bombshell cannot stifle a smile. Julia can certainly read her older sister like a book. Glory did tell Julia all about her plan to buy-out their cousin Kayla’s modeling agency, but not as some hostile takeover but more of a way to keep Kayla’s dream alive and give her dream a chance to flourish even if it is under the flag of Glory’s company. One of many things Glory wants to do to make up for her past.
“What sparked that idea of going into modeling anyway?” Julia asks, her question immediately sparking Glory’s attention. “I thought you would have had enough of modeling after your brief involvement with The Beauty Factory.”
“I don’t care one iota about modeling, if I’m honest with you. And if I’m even more honest, then I should tell you that this whole modeling thing wasn’t even my idea to begin with. It was Francis’s [Taylor] idea.”
“I assume she saw a gold mine and went after it?”
“Right. But that’s how Francis is; not me. I wanted to help Kayla. She is family, after all and she was in trouble. So I’m providing her company the resources necessary to continue.”
“And that’s why I trust you again, because that right there proves to me that the old Glory Braddock has returned. It shows me that you have...for the most part at least...rediscovered who you really were. That stuck up brasser who ran with Sienna and had me institutionalized? That wasn’t you. It never was you. The Glory Braddock I know, my sister, she helps people. And it’s good to see that you have found her again...mostly…”
The British Bombshell should be pleased with this comment but she cannot help but be bothered by the noticeable qualifiers Julia placed with them. “Mostly?” “For the most part?” Glory doesn’t particularly like this. She takes a sip of her water and tilts her head to one side, staring her sister down for several seconds. “What do you mean by that?”
“What?”
“Mostly?”
“Do you really want to go there, Glory?”
“I think we should.” Glory says plainly before taking a drink of her water. “I’ve been bending over backwards to try and repair this relationship. I’ve done everything I can think of to make this right between us. I thought we were good…”
“And we are.”
“...but you just implied we’re not done?”
“Yes, because we’re not.” Julia says with a coy smile. “At least, you’re not done.”
“What does that mean?”
“Eat your sandwich and listen for a moment, ok?”
Glory rolls her eyes but does oblige, taking a bite out of her sandwich as she listens to her sister speak.
“You’re honest with me. You’re honest with your friends and the family. Hell, you’re clearly honest with all of your fans because they believe in you again. You even won over Selena Frost. Obviously Selena Frost saw the change in you, otherwise she would not have trusted you to have her back on Breakdown in the conclusion to this tag team league. But despite all of that there is still one person you are not honest with.” Julia points a long slender finger at Glory herself.
“You. You are not honest with yourself, Glory.”
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?! Of course I’m honest with myself!”
“Hush now!” Julia says pointing at Glory. “Finish the bloody sandwich!”
“Fine.” Glory sighs before continuing to munch on the sandwich. Julia grins as she continues.
“Remember that dad’s dream was to compete in the Olympic games a wrestler? But he never achieved that dream due to an injury ending his career. Dad had to live vicariously through us, through you and me. I have held a recognized world championship just the one time but you? You have held a recognized world championship fourteen times. Now you are operating your own promotion, you operate a wrestling school, both under the umbrella of your company which is about to take on modeling as another avenue. All of this while still maintaining your schedule as an active wrestler.”
“Are you suggesting that I’m overextending myself? Because if you are then you can stop that argument right now. I’m sick and tired of hearing it.”
Julia shakes her head. “Not at all. You are taking on the world and I know you can do it. I know you have the tools and resources to do it. But you are not taking advantage of all of the tools and resources at your disposal. There is an entirely different side of you that you can tap into and if you do that, you can take on the world and win.”
“You’re speaking gibberish, mate.” Glory chuckles as she takes another bite of her sandwich.
“Let me compare it to my own journey, because the fact is that our paths haven’t been all that different. When I got out of the mental hospital, I struggled to figure out who I wanted to be. There was a part of me that still felt a strong attachment to the Chastity Noel identity. But another part of me wanted to return to being simply Julia Braddock, not just because of your threats to institutionalize me again but also because I did feel somewhat guilty about abandoning dad’s legacy…”
Glory scowls and then pushes her plate of unfinished food away. “We’re done here.”
The British Bombshell rises from the table and exits the dining room. She assumes Julia is following but doesn’t really care at this point. Glory enters the nearby living room, which is just as shabby as the rest of the house. Glory sits down on a dusty couch. As Glory expected, Julia is right behind her. Julia sits down next to her on the sofa and wraps an arm around Glory’s shoulder.
“We’re not having this conversation.”
“I thought we were being honest with one another?” Julia asks.
“And we are. And I’m honestly telling you that we’re not having this conversation again. I already told you that I would not judge you for your relationship with Aphrodite [Noel]. I told you that if you wanted to be her daughter that was fine. I even agreed to play along with it and occasionally visit the two of you. But that’s where it stops. I am not like you, Julia.”
“That’s why you’re not being honest with yourself because face facts, Glory, you and I are the same. We have the same mother who abandoned us after divorcing our dad and our dad was never a true parent, he was more of a coach than a parent. Not a criticism of him, that’s just who he was. But that’s also how Aphrodite managed to mess with our heads, she gave us the one thing we never had...a mother. It started out through manipulation, psychological attacks, and blackmail, we were forced to be her daughters. But you cannot deny that eventually we both grew to accept it and wanted to be her daughters. At that point there was no going back for either one of us.”
“Speak for yourself. I went back. I found myself again.”
“There you go not being honest with yourself. Try and be honest with yourself, is Aphrodite really a bad person? She gave me self-confidence that I never had before. And do I need to remind you where you got that corporate knowledge from?”
“I got it from Aphrodite but…”
“But nothing. She taught you how to be the businesswoman you are today, just as she gave me the self-confidence I have today. All she wanted in return was a family, her dream was to have a family and you nearly destroyed that.”
The British Bombshell sighs and nods her head. “I know but she still has you so she’s fine.”
“Everyone has a dream, Glory, there’s nothing wrong with dreams. And you’ve always been one to try and help others achieve their dreams. Dad’s dream was to make the Braddock name popular worldwide and you gave him that. You are helping others achieve their dream to become wrestlers with the wrestling school. Now you’re trying to help our cousin keep her dream of managing a modeling agency alive and in the process you will help other models keep their dreams alive. And I know you said you don’t want to hear it but the fact is that you will be overextended if you do not use all of the tools you have available to you.”
“You think Aphrodite can help?”
“Our Mother can help, yes.”
“You have no idea what you’re asking of me.” Glory shakes her head. “I went to a psychiatrist for this and I am still not one hundred percent better but I am almost there. I almost have her influence out of my head. Going back to visit her with you for YOUR sake was risky enough but I did it to repair this relationship. Now you’re asking me to…”
“...I’m just asking you to help fulfill someone’s dreams. That’s all.”
“That’s all? Sounds like a mountain of a task, mate. And I’m not sure I’m up for it.”
==========
February 10th, 2021
London, England
Off Camera
==========
It may not look like much, but this small, run down looking gym on the outskirts of Southampton is quite a well known venue. This is the gym that hosts the Glenn Braddock Wrestling School. Glenn opened this school shortly after suffering a back injury during a wrestling match that ended his in-ring career for good. But men like Glenn Braddock were addicted to the sport. They cannot be separated from it, and thus to feed his addiction he opened the school with the intention of training and preparing the next generation of wrestlers. Glenn Braddock would pass away many years later and thus it is no longer owned and operated by late, deceased Glenn Braddock. This school is now owned by his daughter Glory, and is operated by Randall Williams with the assistance of Glory’s good friends Sophie and Mark O’Brian. And it is this venue that The British Bombshell finds herself on this Sunday afternoon. The previous day Glory spent with her sister, Julia. It was a long, enlightening conversation and yet Braddock still feels as if she has more questions than answers when it comes to her sister and their relationship. Glory believes that the relationship is solid, she believes that every bridge that was once burned to a crisp has been fully repaired. But Julia insists that Glory isn’t being fully honest with herself. She warned Glory that if she did not tap into every tool in her arsenal, if she did not utilize all of her resources, then she may not succeed, that may eventually fail.
There is a ring of truth in what Julia had to say; Glory’s plate is quite full as a full time wrestler and a businesswoman. Glory had hoped that delegating authority to people she trusted would allow her to be a businesswoman and an active wrestler at the same time. But just last week Glory learned that by delegating and not being very active in her business could lead to some consequences. As it turns out Francis Taylor, the president of Glory’s company, was planning the buyout of Kayla’s modeling agency with one Ronald Duane Kennedy. Kayla is convinced that there is foul play afoot at least from RDK’s standpoint and perhaps even from Francis herself. Nevertheless, Glory will now own a modeling agency with Kayla at the helm, not RDK, and should she be more involved? Should she tap into this knowledge given to her by Aphrodite Noel, a woman Glory once considered her “mother”? The last time she tapped into that knowledge it turned The British Bombshell into a person she absolutely hated. It turned her into a monster. Thus Glory is hesitant to tap into that side of her personality ever again.
Still, it is something to think about, but something to think about another day. For now she will let the Braddock Wrestling School know of the future changes coming to the company. In the spirit of Glenn Braddock himself, who was a rough, grizzled veteran, the gym and school itself are both dirty and look rather run down. In contrast, the office for Glory Braddock is quite nice. The desk is a luxurious looking oak desk, the concrete floor is still there but the office is decorated with photographs from her days as a wrestler. Two fancy, tall bookcases are against a wall and two large green plants are near the window. The British Bombshell is wearing a royal purple velvet skirt that stops just above the knee and a sleeveless white blouse. Her long gorgeous blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length and she is standing perched atop matching leather high heeled pumps.
The door to her office slowly creaks open. The British Bombshell looks up to spot two individuals making their way inside her office. One is a black haired female dressed in black denim jeans, black boots, and a plain white top. The other is a massive well built muscular figure with stringy long hair wearing torn denim blue jeans, brown boots, and a gray top. These are the two closest friends Glory Braddock has, her two closest advisors; Sophie O’Brian and her brother Mark O’Brian, the tag team known more popularly as Total War. Braddock smiles at her childhood friends.
“How are the lovelies?”
“When you say ‘lovelies’ do you happen to mean the students?”
“Of course.”
Sophie rolls her eyes. “You are far too happy for my taste, Glory. I preferred you when you were moping and dwelling in your own self pity.”
“I love you too, Sophie.” Glory says with a wink. “Now how are those students?”
“Most have been sent home for the day. Randall has rounded a few of them together for...the talk.”
“My favorite part!” Glory says, grinning from ear to ear. ‘The talk’ refers to the final lesson, it is a tradition began by Glenn Braddock himself and one that is continued by Glory. She always flies in to give all new graduates ‘the talk’ which is a simple message about great power and great responsibility. It wasn’t a rip off from a comic book character quote but the message is similar in the mind of Glory Braddock. Sophie O’Brian always interpreted it differently. Instead of great power and great responsibility, Sophie interpreted it as justification for the use of total war. This is why Glory always does ‘the talk’ herself in person and does not allow Sophie to do the speech.
“I assume you’re ready to deliver the speech?”
“Always.”
Suddenly there is a loud banging at the office door. Sophie scowls, upset by being interrupted. “I told these foolish children not to bother me when I entered this office.”
“Maybe I need ta put my foot up their ass?”
“For once in your lifetime you actually have a good idea my simpleton of a brother.” Sophie smirks devilishly. “Make it so.”
Braddock sighs and shakes her head. “I have to veto that one, mate.”
“Bloody hell…” the loud banging continues “...listen to them?” Sophie complains.
“My rules.” Glory answers before motioning to the door. “Go easy on them, Mark.”
“Spoil sport.” Mark growls. He approaches the door and swings it open violently. Mark, for as big as he is, is surprisingly nearly bowled over when Ronald Duane Kennedy comes storming in with an angry glare on his face and a determined stride in his step.
“We need to talk!” Kennedy says, walking right up to Glory’s desk and slamming his fists down. Glory stands up and confronts him. But before anything can be done, Mark grabs him and spins him around.
“You may wanna think about what yer about to do, pal.”
“I can say the same to you, you dumb overgrown ape!” Kennedy shouts. “My suit costs more than your education. Although come to think of it, that’s probably not much considering you HAVE no education.”
Sophie gets into this next and stands next to Mark. “Mind saying that to me as well, mate? I do not believe I heard you.”
Glory Braddock can sense that trouble is brewing. Mark and Sophie are fiercely loyal to Glory and will defend her, she knows that they are only trying to protect her, but Glory knows she cannot afford them to cause a scene with RDK. The British Bombshell sighs and points to the door.
“Mark, Sophie, I can handle this.”
Sophie stares curiously at Glory. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Fair enough. We’ll be right outside the door.”
RDK and the O’Brian siblings stare daggers right through each other as Sophie and Mark approach the office door and exit. Sophie shuts the door behind them. This now leaves Kennedy and Glory alone in Braddock’s office to do business. The British Bombshell attempts to be polite as she motions to a chair by the desk.
“Have a seat, Mr. Kennedy.”
“RDK!”
“Whatever. Just have a seat, please?”
“I’d rather stand!”
“That’s your call. I’d prefer to sit.” With that Glory pulls her comfortable black leather swivel office chair out and sits down. She stares up at RDK who still has hate in his eyes. Glory can safely guess that this has to do with the modeling agency but she plays dumb for now. “What is this about Mr. Kenne...excuse me, RDK?”
“You went behind my back!” He shouts in an accusatory tone of voice. “I had the deal of a lifetime planned for your company and you went behind my back?”
Braddock sighs and nods her head. “If you mean that I am buying out the modeling agency owned by my cousin then yes, I am. The deal isn’t finalized yet but it will be soon enough. I’m not sure what you’re so upset about. You wanted me to buy them out.”
“Yeah, but I was supposed to be in charge of it! But now I’m hearing that this deal is off if I’m hired?!”
“Ah and now we get to the heart of the matter. You see, RDK, I would have considered you for a job with the agency as soon as I took control. I may have even given you a promotion. But I only power and authority to people I can trust. Francis Taylor is my company president only because I trusted her. Now to find out she withheld certain information from me makes me unsure if I can trust her, I will have to have a long talk with her sometime. And as for you? Well I know that I cannot trust you because you withheld some very important information from me. You didn’t tell me that you already worked for my cousin’s modeling agency and that, intentional or unintentional, you still bear much of the responsibility for why her agency is failing right now.”
“What’s the problem? The only thing that matters is that I can get the job done.”
“The truth is important, RDK. The truth matters and you were lying to me.”
RDK rolls his eyes. “Fine, you want the truth? Kayla has no vision; none whatsoever. I had many great ideas for how to push this agency forward but she ignored them all. She shot me down each and every time. And yeah, it made me angry.”
“Angry enough to sabotage her agency?”
“Look Braddock, I did my job. I did the job that Kayla Jones hired me to do.”
Braddock chuckles. “A lawyer’s dodge. Nice ‘non-answer’ there RDK. So you did your job? That either means you did sabotage or you were incompetent and piss poor at doing your job. Either way, you’re not someone I’d want on my team.”
Kennedy is fuming by this point but Glory sticks to her guns. He tries to compose himself with a deep breath. “Y’know, maybe we got off on the wrong foot? I admit I may have been a bit dishonest but I didn’t actually lie. All I did was leave out the part about working for Kayla. In my defense, you never asked.” RDK holds out his hand, offering a handshake. “Just shake my hand, Glory. We can still do this, ok? You buy out this agency and put me in charge of it. Your cousin is so much older than you, she’s washed up and done for. She has no idea what modeling these days is about.”
“And you do I suppose?”
“Damn right I do. I can make your company tons of money if you listen to me. Do not make the same mistake Jones did.”
The offer is out there with the outstretched hand, but for Glory the decision is an easy one. She immediately shakes her head. “Sorry, RDK...but I will always stand by my family.”
“So you’re sticking with Kayla?”
“Yes.”
Kennedy angrily points a finger at Glory Braddock. “You will regret this! You and Jones both will regret this!”
And with that RDK turns and storms out of the office. As soon as he is gone Sophie reenters the office. Mark stands guard right outside, watching as RDK storms away in a huff. Sophie then shuts the door.
“I heard that buffoon. What is this about modeling?”
“It’s what I was hoping to talk to you and Randall about, actually. My company is buying out my cousin’s modeling agency.”
“Will this impact us any?”
“I doubt it. Although it is conceivable you may get a model or two interested in transitioning from modeling to wrestling once they find out who exactly they are working for now. So you may get some new students. But outside of that, I doubt this impacts you much at all.”
“Will that bloke be a problem for you?”
Glory ponders Sophie’s question for a few moments. She sighs and nods her head. “I’m afraid so.”
==========
Boston, Massachusetts
February 10th, 2021
On Camera
==========
The scene opens inside of what appears to be an empty arena. It could be arena anywhere in the world but in this case it is the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Our camera scans the area for signs of life but there is no one. A wrestling is set up in preparation for the Breakdown event to be held tomorrow. The arena is empty, still dark with barely enough light to make out that this is an arena set up for a professional wrestling event. After a few moments of wait the spotlight turns on and shines down upon the wrestling ring. Glory Braddock is standing in the center of the ring wearing a little purple dress that hugs her every curve and matching purple high heeled patent leather pumps.
“This is Boston, Massachusetts...this is the TD Garden where Breakdown will take place tomorrow night. I know this area well, for my family calls this place home. Just as fans would give me a warm welcome whenever I would wrestle on my home soil of London, England, the fans would always give Angelica and Kayla Jones a thunderous applause each and every time they set foot inside this arena. They’ve had many great memories here in this arena, as have I. As a matter of fact, I made my professional wrestling debut here in this very arena in 2008. Global Division of Wrestling was hosting a one night single elimination eight person tournament to crown a new International Champion. My dad, never a believer in the art of doing things ‘the easy way’ negotiated a deal for me to debut in this tournament, replacing one of the eight competitors who failed to get medically cleared to compete. I was meant to be filler. I was meant to just be an opponent. My job that night was go in, look impressive but take my loss and accept the paycheck. But those are the dreams of the mediocre and I always sought out the best, the biggest, the brightest of dreams. So I fought my ass off all night and ended up winning that damn tournament.”
“Ever since then tournaments have always held a special place in my heart. Just look at the previous two Trios Tournaments as an example of this; I won in 2019 with Regan Helms and Kellen Jeffries, then I won it again in 2020 with Ace Marshall and David Helms. Tournaments of all shape and size hold a special place in my heart and despite the fact that I did not sign up for the Tag League initially, I have been following it very closely. I watched teams like Owen Cruze and Aaron Blackbourne fight through every heartbreak and setback, fight like hell even when at the end of the day it didn’t matter. I watched teams like Chris Cannon and Lucas Knight come out of nowhere and become World Tag Team Champions in this tournament. And after all of the ups and the downs, after all of the bloodshed, the action, and the drama, we have arrived to the semi-finals and finals. And I can honestly stay that every member of every team that has made it thus far, who will compete in this very ring tomorrow night, has worked their ass off and earned the right to be here.”
Braddock pauses dramatically before shaking her head. “Except for me. The easiest, simplistic way of putting it would be to say that I’m just along for the ride. Regan was taken out by that bloody giant tosser Xander Valentine and now Selena needs a partner. As good as The Snow Queen is even she knows that she cannot go it alone and win it on her own. So she pulls a name out of the hat, happens to be The Best in the World, and so here I am, by luck of the draw, in the semi-finals of the tag league and with an opportunity to earn a tag team title shot and I didn’t even have to do anything to get that far.”
“Then again, if you really do think that, then you may very well be a simple minded fool. Because it isn’t as simple as that. For starters, Selena knows that it would take someone really damn special to replace Regan as her tag team partner. Selena knows that to get through Cookie and Jordan, a team that at one point were the juggernaut of this tag team league, it would take a herculean effort but to then go on and defeat either The AC Unit or Bree Lancaster and Andrew Raynes, that would take a very special effort from some very special athletes. Selena has fought everyone that there is to fight here in Supreme Championship Wrestling and she has battled me on more than one occasion. We fought against one another in tag matches and in singles action. Hell, I recall our encounter at Cold Blooded rather well and I’m sure she does too. She knows just how good I am. She knows from first hand experience that when people call me the Best in the World, it isn’t entirely hype.”
Braddock points towards her own eyes. “Selena has also gazed deep into these eyes recently and has seen that I am a changed person. She sees the will to win, the determination, the renewed heart and soul that I now have, a heart and soul that will not let me die, that will NOT let me quit. So it was a very easy decision for The Snow Queen to make when she called up The British Bombshell and asked for my help. And who am I to refuse this great opportunity? And it isn’t a great opportunity just for the obvious reason...I mean, yeah, Selena and I can end up number one contenders to the tag titles. We could go on and defeat Suited and Booted and become World Tag Team Champions, a championship that Selena has been itching to regain ever since Cannon and Knight took them from Frozen Hell not too long ago. This opportunity is about more than the championships to me, because to me this is an opportunity to repay a debt.”
“See, Regan had my back in the 2019 Trios Tournament. We fought like hell and won that Trios alongside Kellen and were it not for Regan, I probably would not have won that tournament, I would not have had the Trios contract that allowed me to insert myself into the SCW World Championship main event at Rise To Greatness. But then shortly after my failed cash in I turned my back on everything Regan and I fought for. Now with Regan out I can now fight for her, I can fight for Frozen Hell and make up for my past sins.”
“But first thing’s first, and that is Jordan and Cookie. You two were the unexpected stars of the tag team division. I doubt anyone took you seriously until this tag team league began but then when you started gaining victory after victory over each and every team in your way, you earned their respect. People questioned whether the Psychonauts could even be stopped?”
Braddock smirks knowingly. “But my partner, Selena Frost, she knew that she and Regan could stop you. And they did stop you. They would have stopped you again had it not been for Regan’s injury. Now it’s my job to step in and make certain that the Psychonauts do not make the finals. You are both inspirations to this business, you are both what wrestling is all about, the competitive spirit and drive to be the best, but unfortunately this just isn’t your time. The spotlight belongs to The Snow Queen and The Best in the World and we are not about to let go of it without a fight.”
“The finals of this tournament is another challenge altogether, because at least two of the teams will have to wrestle twice. I know Selena and I can compete twice in one night because we have both done it before. We have both competed in one night tournaments where our endurance was tested to the limits, whether it was a singles tournament like my debut or any of the two Trios Tournaments here in SCW. We have done it before and we can do it again. It’s just a matter of who we face.”
The British Bombshell chuckles. “Asher! Mate, how the hell do we end up in one another’s orbit all the bloody time?! I kinda hope AC Unit wins, just so we can fight for the millionth time, just for old time’s sake. Then again, do we really want to get people talking? Besides, there is another prize I’d love to get my hands on and that is currently possessed by the reigning World Champion. Regardless of what happens next week in Ace Marshall’s Trios cash in...thanks again, by the way...a pin fall victory over Bree would instantly put me in the conversation. But Bree is smart, she picked one of the best partners she could find. Trust me, I know how good Andrew Raynes really is; as he is a former champion of the company I own. But as good as he is, and as good as Bree is, they’re still no match for the combined dream team of Glory Braddock and Selena Frost. So here’s a spoiler for you lot; Breakdown tomorrow night, we will beat the Psychonauts, we will beat either the AC Unit or Team Hate Bree, and we will win this whole damn tag league. And Selena and I aren’t doing this for the belts, we’re not doing for the glory...pun intended...we’re not doing this for ourselves. We’re doing this for Regan.”
Braddock shuts her eyes. “Sic Semper Tyrannis…”
No comments:
Post a Comment