==========
May 26th, 2019
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========
The sun is bright and shining overhead on this
gorgeous day in Miami, Florida. The beauty of the day is just one avenue
The British Bombshell utilizes to try and forget about the problems plaguing
her. Another way to relax and gain some amount of comfort is to take a
nap by the pool in her home in Miami, Florida.
The blonde haired beauty is wearing a hot pink string bikini while lying
on a purple beach towel by the modestly sized pool. Dark sunglasses shade
her eyes from the brilliant rays of the sun.
It’s merely a temporary fix; a band-aid, if you
will. This, by no means, is a true escape from the problems that she will
eventually have to deal with. She knows that as beautiful as it is
outside, as calming as the wind is and as gorgeous as the pool happens to be,
she cannot just stay out here forever. To do so would be cowardice and
she is no coward. She is a Braddock and
she does not run from her problems.
She faces them head on.
Her problems are mounting; this whole ordeal seems
like it began ages ago when her daughter, Melinda Braddock, confronted her
about wanting to train to become a wrestler. It was a logical question
for the girl to ask of her mother, who had just recently come into ownership of
Glenn Braddock’s Wrestling School after he stepped aside. And it was Glenn who
trained Glory in the so-called “sport of kings”.
Glory would hear nothing of it. She refused
to allow her daughter to train to become a professional wrestler. Things
would only get worse from there; Melinda would get caught drinking so much
alcohol that she passed out dead drunk. Then Melinda attempted petty
theft from a hotel candy machine and now Glory suspects her daughter being
behind the theft of some money from a safe at the Braddock Wrestling School.
Police know that it was someone who already had
access, someone with inside knowledge of the school, and someone with
motivation. It made perfect sense to Glory.
What doesn’t make perfect sense to Glory is why her
daughter seems to be acting like this; Melinda seemingly went from a perfect
angel to a rebellious monster overnight. Those close to the family
suspect that she could be acting out due to the fact that her mother refuses to
let her become a wrestler. Melinda
certainly believes it. Even Glory
somewhat buys that line of thought.
Still, how can she get her daughter back? Not
this rebellious teenage monster, but her good girl, where is she and how can
she get her back? That’s the question.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Braddock is startled ever so slightly when she
hears the voice. She turns in time to see Kurt Logan, her loving husband,
swimming towards her. He grabs hold of the side closest to his wife and
holds himself up. Some water gets in her
face and she flinches.
“Careful, love. You’ll get my hair wet.”
“Oh really?” Kurt
smirks as he starts swatting more and more water in her direction. The
British Bombshell starts to squeal and giggle.
“Ok! Ok!
Stop!”
“Sorry,” Kurt
says with a joking grin “but you are at a swimming pool. You should
expect to get a little wet.”
“Fair enough. But you knew damn well that I
just wanted some sun.”
“You may want some sun but I think you could use
something else.”
“What’s that?” Glory
asks, her curiosity peaked as to where her husband is going with this.
“You need to relax.” Kurt
says with a wide ear to ear grin. “Enjoy yourself. Have some fun. You’ve been so down on yourself lately and I
can’t stand it. I can’t stand to see you like this, Glory.”
Braddock sighs and nods her head. The truth
is, she hates feeling like this just as much as Kurt hates seeing her like
this. But there isn’t much she can do about it; at least not until she
figures out what is wrong with Melinda and find a solution.
“I’m sorry, love, but this is a problem I can’t
seem to fix and it’s driving me batty.”
“Then let’s talk about the source of the problem.”
“Melinda?” Glory
asks, curiously.
“Bingo. She hasn’t been acting like herself
lately.”
“That part is obvious.”
Braddock retorts. “And it’s obvious why she’s acting out.”
“Really?” Kurt
asks, with a hint of skepticism.
“Of course. I won’t let her become a wrestler
and she’s all pissed off. So she’s taking it out on me. She has been taking it out on me ever since I
told her that she couldn’t train.”
“I doubt it’s that simple.” Kurt
says, shaking his head. “I mean, consider how she seemingly changed so
abruptly, as if it was an overnight change. She was a completely
different person within the span of twenty-four hours? No, it doesn’t make sense.”
“So what do you think it is, love?”
Glory asks, taking her sunglasses off and setting them aside.
“I think she is being influenced by something or…”
his voice trails off. Glory furrows her brow as she finishes his thought.
“Someone?”
“Maybe.” Kurt
nods his head.
“Normally I’d say you’re nuts.” Glory
sighs and shrugs her shoulders. “But unfortunately, it isn’t outside the
realm of possibility, especially considering Sophie has been hanging around her
lately.”
“I thought Sophie was innocent in all of this?”
“Sophie is innocent in the theft.”
Glory corrects him. “That’s not her style. But trying to manipulate
someone to do her dirty work for her, that would definitely be her style.”
“Well I wouldn’t rush to judgment, if you ask me.
I’m only offering my opinions.”
“Ok, in that case what do you suggest that I do?”
Braddock asks in an exasperated tone. “I need answers, mate.”
“I already told you what I think you need to do.”
Kurt says with a serious, stoic gaze.
“What’s that?” Glory
asks. She stares at Kurt and watches as his serious, stoic gaze turns
into a sly smirk. Kurt suddenly reaches over and snatches hold of her,
and pulls her into the swimming pool. Kurt pops up out of the water first
followed by Glory who is now soaking wet and laughing hysterically.
“You need to have fun!”
“Have fun?!” Glory
exclaims as she splashes water at Kurt. “Think this is fun?!”
“Of course!”
Kurt and Glory splash water back and forth at one
another, trying to enjoy themselves and, if for a moment, forget about their
problems. Those problems can wait until later. They can be dealt with another day. For now, if even for a short moment, they can
have fun.
==========
Several Hours Later
Miami, Florida
Off Camera
==========
As it turns out a little fun in the sun and
splashing around in the swimming pool was just what the doctor ordered, so to
speak. Glory Braddock was able to damn near forget all about her personal
problems for the rest of the day. She
was able to relax and simply enjoy herself; but more importantly, she was able
to avoid any and all distractions. God knows she cannot avoid anything to
distract her from her next major career goal…
...winning Taking Hold of the Flame.
She’s already made it known publicly that she
intends on entering and winning Taking Hold of the Flame, going to the main
event of Rise To Greatness, and ending the tyrannical reign of either Sienna
Swann or Syren to become a fifteen time World Champion, her first ever SCW
World Championship.
Braddock knows that she cannot get ahead of
herself. Winning Taking Hold of the Flame will be the first major
roadblock, the first major obstacle she has to overcome. She will have to
overcome a gauntlet of staunch competition, the fiercest SCW has to offer. She will have to be in her best condition.
Thus she has already arranged to begin training in earnest tomorrow.
But that’s tomorrow and The British Bombshell knows
that her training regimen will have to be particularly brutal and merciless if
she hopes to be ready, because Taking Hold of the Flame itself will be brutal
and merciless. She can hold nothing back.
Thus she and her husband Kurt have turned in to bed early tonight. Things are peaceful outside in the Miami
skyline. Things are peaceful inside
their bedroom.
Or at least, they were peaceful until a loud
banging sound causes Braddock shoot right up in the king size bed she shares
with Kurt Logan.
“What the bloody hell was that?”
She whispers silently to herself. She waits and listens intensely to see
if it sounds out again. Sure enough, another bang rings out in the
distance. She isn’t sure what it is but
she is definitely sure that this is coming from their home.
The British Bombshell swings her legs out from
underneath the comforter and over the side of the bed. She stands up and
quietly approaches the door. She opens
it and sticks her head out into the hallway.
She listens and hears more moving around. Braddock frowns as she
ponders her next move.
“Kurt!” Glory
turns and calls out to her husband, still in bed. He starts tossing and
turning but doesn’t get up. Glory calls
out again. “Kurt! Get up!”
“Huh?” He
sits up and notices Glory out of bed. “What are you doing up?”
“I heard a noise. Didn’t you hear it?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I didn’t hear
anything.”
“Bloody hell,” she
rolls her eyes “just stay there. I figure I know what this is all
about.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Braddock nods her head. “I’ll be fine.”
Glory exits the bedroom and enters the hallway.
She walks quietly as she can down the hall to her right of her bedroom
door. A few doors down and she reaches a closed door. The banging sounds out again. Glory
jumps a little as is startled by this but quickly regains her composure. She reaches out and pushes the door open.
The British Bombshell steps inside and switches on the light. Immediately she spots her daughter Melinda,
hanging halfway out the window.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed, Mel?” Glory
asks, her hands placed firmly on her hips as she stares at her daughter who
looks rather clumsy at this point in time.
“Mom!”
Melinda complains. “I was just…”
“You had snuck out and you were just trying to
sneak back in.” Glory sighs, shaking her head in
disbelief. “You’d have to be Brittany Lohan kind of good in order to pull
this kind of stunt on me, mate.”
“Just help me!”
Melinda exclaims.
“I should let you hang. But I’ll help you.”
Glory approaches her daughter and gets a grip on
the window in question. With Melinda and Glory both working together they
manage to get the window high enough to allow Melinda room to get back inside.
Melinda quickly scrambles to her feet and glares angrily at the window.
“Stupid thing got stuck.”
“Serves you right for trying to sneak out.” Glory
retorts. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“None of your business.”
Melinda snaps back.
“You are my daughter so it very much is my
business.”
“Whatever.”
Melinda rolls her eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me.”
Glory grabs her by her arm and turns her around to face her. “Tell me, what
were you doing sneaking out this late at night?”
“Like I said, it is none of your business!”
Melinda shouts.
“Geez, Mel.” Glory
sighs, shaking her head. “What has gotten into you? You didn’t used to
act like this.”
“What happened to me?”
Melinda asks with shock in her voice. “Look in the mirror, mom! You’re
what happened to me! You’re to blame for this!”
“So you’re still hanging your hat on the excuse
that this is my fault because I won’t let you be a wrestler? Is that it?”
“It’s not just that.”
Melinda shakes her head. “You won’t let me live my own life the way I want
to. I’m eighteen now, mom. In case
you haven’t figured it out, I am grown up. You should treat me like one.”
==========
May 28th, 2019
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. Only Glenn Braddock no longer runs this
school. It has been passed down
officially to his daughter, “The British Bombshell” Glory Braddock. Only
Glory isn’t too keen on trying to run it herself. She hasn’t been keen on trying to be an
official trainer of “the next generation” for quite some time, as she doubts
her own ability to adequately prepare them. Thus instead she convinced
her good friend Sophie O’Brian and Sophie’s brother Mark to run it for her.
Still, this school is nostalgic for Braddock.
This was the place where she spent her formative years learning her
craft. This is where she honed her skills and became the professional
athlete she is today, all under the tutelage of her father Glenn Braddock.
To this day when she needs to prepare, when she needs to train, this is
where she goes. No other gym suits
her. No other gym serves the purpose she
needs. Only this particular place provides the adequate tools and
resources necessary to prepare for any and all challenge that she may face.
And there is no bigger challenge than Taking Hold
of the Flame.
Glory will have to be ready for anything; she could
enter in at number one and have to go through thirty nine other superstars to
win it all. Or she may get real lucky and be the last entrant and only
have to face a bunch of already winded and fatigued superstars. Luck and endurance play a huge role in Taking
Hold of the Flame. She can control how much durability she has but she
cannot control luck, so she’ll have to hone her skills and make certain that
she is good enough that bad luck won’t cost her.
This is something she not only wants but something
she feel that she has to do, for herself and for SCW. She has to win.
So it’s no surprise that we find her here at her
wrestling school, by a heavy bag with head trainer Sophie O’Brian. Glory
is throwing rights and lefts at the heavy bag while Sophie watches on
stoically.
“Harder. Come on, Glory. Hit that bag
harder.” Sophie states in a calm yet commanding tone. “You
won’t win Taking Hold of the Flame that way. Trust me, I should
know. Unlike you, I’ve been in one.”
“I know, you love to remind me of that fact.”
Glory snaps back as she throws three more punches and then a kick for good
measure.
“You need to take them by surprise, mate.”
“Oh like how you threw fire at them?”
Glory asks with a smirk.
“Yes but I know you would never do that; little
miss goodie two shoes you are.” Sophie
sighs. “Besides, I already did that trick.”
Glory chuckles; sometimes she forgets that Sophie
was in SCW before she ever made it. Sophie never won Taking Hold of the
Flame though she did manage to have some small success in the company as a
former Television Champion. Glory hopes to do better than that. She hopes to become World Champion at Rise To
Greatness after first winning Taking Hold of the Flame. Still, as much as she enjoys her time with
Sophie, this doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel the same. And Sophie can tell.
“Ok, stop…” Sophie’s
voice trails off as Glory slows her punching and kicking to a halt.
“What’s wrong?”
“You.” Sophie
remarks. “Your heart just isn’t into this. What’s wrong, Glory?”
“I don’t know.” Glory
shrugs her shoulders. “But you’re right, I’m just not into this. I
don’t feel right.”
“Well you need to get into this and get into it
soon.” Sophie answers. “You need to be in top condition
if you hope to have a chance of overcoming these odds. Tell me, what is
your problem?”
“I don’t know.” The
British Bombshell repeats herself. “I think it’s daddy not being here.
You know? He’s always been the one
to train me but now that he’s finished training it’s different. It’s just
different without him.”
“I can make it very similar.”
“How?”
Sophie points to the heavy bag. “Get back to
work you lazy ass fucking bitch!”
Braddock smirks for a moment before unleashing a
hearty laugh. “He wasn’t that bad, mate!”
“He was pretty close.”
Sophie answers. “The only difference between how I’m training you and how he
trained you is he yelled a lot.”
The two women share a laugh. Glenn Braddock
and this very school that Glory owns and Sophie operates is where they first
met and bonded as good friends. Sure, they have had their differences.
What friends don’t have disagreements from time to time? But one thing that has remained steadfast is
Sophie’s consistent respect for Glenn Braddock.
He was Sophie’s trainer. But he is more than just a trainer to
Glory; he is her father.
Glory wanted him to be a father to her but she
always felt he was better suited as a trainer, or even a drill instructor, and
thus he always acted that way as opposed to acting as a father. This is
what she hopes to avoid between her and Melinda. She doesn’t want to become so obsessed with
wrestling that she loses the mother-daughter relationship they have. And yet, that seems to be exactly what’s
happening.
“Seriously, Glory.” Sophie
places a hand upon her friend’s shoulders. “You’ll be fine.”
“You think so?” Glory
asks.
“Of course. You’re the Best in the World and
you’re going to prove it by winning Taking Hold of the Flame.”
Sophie points to the heavy bag. “Now get back…”
“Clyde! Stop!”
That’s the sound of Mark O’Brian shouting at the
top of his lungs. Immediately this gets the attention of Glory and Sophie as
they turn to look at the wrestling ring where a student is on the floor, blood
covering his face and he appears unconscious. Clyde Sutter is standing
over the student and Mark O’Brian is shouting at him.
“I said stop!”
Mark places a hand on Clyde’s wrist. Wrong
move by Mark. Immediately Clyde knees
him in the gut, flips him over into a body slam. Mark scrambles up but
gets drilled with a lariat. Mark scrambles
to his feet and gets drilled with a big boot to the face.
“Bloody hell!” Sophie
exclaims. “Mark!”
Glory and Sophie rush over to the ring hoping to
stop Clyde but things are going too fast. Clyde scoops Mark up and drops
him square on his head with a pile driver.
Clyde stands over Mark with a sick and sadistic grin on his face,
satisfied at what he has done. Sophie and Glory slide into the ring. Sophie gets down to tend to her brother. Sophie then turns and glares up at The
British Bombshell.
“I told you that man was too dangerous!”
Guilt immediately sweeps through the heart and soul
of The British Bombshell. Sophie’s words hit home in a very real
way. Mark O’Brian is Sophie’s brother
and Glory’s good friend. Sophie had warned Glory that Clyde Sutter was
dangerous and that he could snap at any moment.
Unfortunately Braddock wouldn’t listen; she was too enthralled with
Clyde’s sob story to pay attention to the warning signs. But they had been
there all along. Now Mark is lying on the
mat, seriously hurt, and it all could have been avoided had Glory just
listened.
She could stand here and continue to feel bad for
herself but that won’t help matters. Mark is her friend and Clyde hurt
him, yet Clyde doesn’t even seem to care.
Braddock storms up to Sutter, getting face to face with him; or as close
to face to face as she can possibly get. Clyde Sutter is much larger than
she is. Braddock has to look up to him
and when she does she sees a strange, emptiness written across his face. It’s as if he feels nothing.
Nothing at all.
“What in the hell was that?!”
Glory exclaims angrily. The size differential doesn’t seem to bother her.
She just wants answers from this monster.
“Huh?” Clyde
blinks, looking almost as if he is confused, as if he just now regained his
bearings and returned to reality.
“Don’t try and sell me that garbage, mate.”
Braddock points over at Sophie and Mark. “Those are my friends, Clyde.
And you hurt one of them. Now you
shouldn’t be doing this with the intent of harming anyone, but you damn sure
better not do it to someone I care about or else there will be serious
consequences.”
“I don’t get it.” He
snickers and shrugs his shoulders. “Not like I did anything different.
You and Ms. O’Brian both told me that a wrestler is a weapon. I
took that seriously. I hurt a student
before and it didn’t seem to bother you. What’s different this time other
than the fact that I hurt your friend?”
The British Bombshell is taken aback by the words
of Clyde Sutter. To be perfectly frank, he is right. She could have stopped this when she saw him
hurt the first student but she didn’t. She passed it off as an
accident. Sophie had warned her then
about how dangerous he was but Glory wouldn’t listen. Braddock then catches
sight of Mark, still on the mat. Her eyes narrow as anger once again
returns.
“You don’t get it. I’m not sure you ever did
get it. What Sophie and Mark gave you at this school was power, a great
power. And with any kind of power comes responsibility.”
Clyde chuckles. “You just quoted Spider-Man.”
“Bloody hell,” Glory
rolls her eyes “you clearly don’t care. You never did and I was
ignorant for believing that you did.”
“What are you saying, Ms. Braddock?” The
large man snarls.
“What I’m saying is that you’re through.
You’re done. Clyde Sutter, you are
no longer welcome at The Braddock Wrestling School.”
The first reaction from the much larger Clyde
Sutter is an angry glare, almost hatred, written across his face. Then as
a few tense moments pass, the look of hate changes to a smirk. Another laugh escapes his lips.
“You haven’t seen the last of me.”
With that, Clyde turns and walks away. Glory watches as he steps through
the ropes and hops off the apron onto the floor. Braddock continues to
stare a hole through him until she sees him walk out of the front door.
Braddock immediately turns to Sophie and Mark, kneeling down to check on them.
“Is he ok?” Glory
asks.
“He’s responsive.”
Sophie sighs. “He wants to get up but I’d rather him stay down. He
should get checked for a concussion first.”
“Wise.”
“I couldn’t help but overhear what Sutter said to
you.” Sophie remarks. “You’d better be careful.”
“Yeah…” Glory’s
voice trails off. She realizes that she should trust Sophie’s judgment
more often. She was right about this, about Clyde, and yet Glory didn’t
believe her. At least she got rid of him now. The question is, has she seen the last of
him?
==========
Later That Night
London, England
Off Camera
==========
Rain pours down heavily from the skies above,
making it difficult to navigate the roads towards the Braddock Wrestling
School. Still, Glory Braddock has made this trip before many times during
her life both as a student and now as its owner, thus she has no issues finding
her way. This drive is like second nature to her. In the passenger’s seat
is her good friend and head trainer, Sophie O’Brian. Normally Glory wouldn’t be making this trip
back to the school. She always thought
returning late at night was unnecessary. It was Sophie’s idea to return
and check the school each night and as it turned out, it was a good idea. Sophie’s routine checks helped discover that
someone had stolen money from the school.
And ever since that theft was discovered Glory made up her mind to
accompany Sophie, at least whenever Glory was in London to oversee the school.
The stakes are higher now, though, as is the
stress, and perhaps that is why the ride has been quiet. Clyde Sutter,
for a second time, snapped and attacked someone at the school. This time it wasn’t a student, but Sophie’s
brother Mark, himself a trainer. Glory Braddock feels guilty over this,
because it was her poor judgment that allowed a dangerous man like Clyde to
harm her friend Mark.
“It’s not your fault, you know?”
“What’s that?” Glory
asks curiously.
“Don’t play dumb, Glory.” Sophie
retorts. “I know that you’re not dumb. You’ve been quiet, too quiet,
the whole ride to the school.”
“So?”
“You’re never this silent unless something’s
bothering you and it isn’t hard to figure out what it is.”
The British Bombshell sighs. “It’s easy for you
to say.”
“First of all, Mark is fine.” Sophie
begins. “He doesn’t even have a concussion.”
“Thank God.” Glory
answers back quickly. “But no thanks to me. I put Mark in that
dangerous situation.”
“Mark put himself in that situation. It was a
risk he was willing to take because he believes in your mission of helping
people, giving people the same skills that your father gave you at that school,
the same skills your father gave both Mark and me. Mark knew the dangers
going in.”
“Still, I could have prevented it had I just
listened to you.” Glory sighs. “You were right.”
“As much as I enjoy being told I was right,”
Sophie begins with a smirk “I have to say that it doesn’t matter anymore.
And no, it wasn’t your fault.
Clyde is a loose cannon. He could have hurt anyone at anytime.”
“Maybe, but I still feel horrible about it.
I’m sorry, Sophie.”
“Bloody hell you’re depressed tonight!” Sophie
exclaims. “If it helps you feel better, then I forgive you.”
“Thanks, and yes, it does help.”
Glory says with a smile.
Being forgiven does help a little, but the guilt is
still there. Thus the remaining car ride is just as silent as
before. It’s more than just the guilt,
though. Glory is calling her own judgment into question. She has made mistakes with both Clyde Sutter
and her own daughter, Melinda Braddock. It’s almost enough to make her
question why she continues to do any of this…
...but she casts those thoughts to the side as soon
as they enter her head. One thing that her father drilled into her head
growing up was a never say die attitude. When she’s down, she doesn’t
quit. Giving up would be too easy. She’ll find her answers, she will fix this.
She will fix all of this.
Eventually the car does finally come to a stop in
the parking lot. Glory gets the closest parking spot, near the front
door, for it is raining and neither she nor Sophie want to get too drenched,
though they know it will be nearly unavoidable.
“Ready to run?” Glory
asks, shooting a wry grin at Sophie.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Glory and Sophie open their doors in stereo and
bolt towards the front door. Glory has her key ready and sticks it in and
unlocks it. She shoves the door open and
she and Sophie immediately step inside.
“You picked a bloody good night to finally join me
on my nightly checkup of the school.” Sophie
remarks with sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“I can’t control mother nature.”
Glory answers with a wink. “Now let’s go and check on the safe first.
Let’s make sure the money is all there.”
“Good idea.”
Braddock leads the way, Sophie following closely
behind, heading towards the office. They walk past workout equipment, the
ring, heavy bags, and other tools and resources used by the school. As
they get closer and closer to the office they begin to hear noises. Immediately they stop.
“Did you hear that?”
Glory asks.
“Absolutely.” Sophie
motions to the office. “Sounds to me like it’s coming from your office.”
Braddock shudders to think what may await her in
her office. She thinks back to the first reported incident of theft and
remembers how the police blamed Sophie. This seemingly proves her
innocence. But then she thinks about how
she blamed Melinda. Glory hopes that
this will prove Melinda’s innocence. Glory wants to be wrong, she really
does, but she realizes that when she left the house she forgot to check and
make sure Melinda was still there.
Braddock and O’Brian steel themselves as they
resume their walk, though quieter this time, towards the office. As they
get closer the noises grow louder, seeming to indicate that Sophie’s guess was
right, that the noises were coming from the office. In a few moments they
reach the door and Glory grabs hold of the knob, turns it, and pushes it open. They step inside and Braddock’s eyes grow
wide as she spots her daughter, Melinda, barefoot, a black miniskirt, and then
nothing but a lacey bra covering her top.
She is sitting on top of Clyde Sutter, who is
wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
“Melinda!” Glory
exclaims. “What the hell is this?!”
“Mom! I can explain!”
Melinda scrambles to her feet.
“Go out into the main gym area. We’ll talk
later.” Glory glares at Melinda but Melinda nods and exits
the office. Sophie follows her to make sure Melinda is ok. Braddock then turns to face Clyde who has
also stood up. “Get your things and get the hell out of my school.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“The hell you didn’t!” She
exclaims. “You took advantage of my daughter!”
“Everything we did was consensual.”
Clyde smirks nastily. This gets under Glory’s skin. She wants to
choke him out but she realizes it’s best to restrain herself for now.
“Last warning, Clyde. Leave or I call the
police.”
The look upon his face is ice cold; borderline
sadistic. Glory doesn’t flinch, though.
She’s faced down worse than this. After a few tense moments Clyde
chuckles nastily and then turns and exits the office.
Braddock exhales in a sigh of relief that this
dangerous man has left. Still, the problem isn’t over. It’s only just begun as she realizes she now
has to deal with her daughter. Glory exits the office and finds Sophie
standing with Melinda. Braddock’s
daughter now has a sweater on. Glory
approaches the two.
“I’ll be outside, Glory.”
Sophie says as she turns and walks off. Braddock watches Sophie until her
friend is out of sight. Then she turns her attention back to Melinda.
“Care to explain what the hell this was all about?”
“We were just fooling around.”
“That’s obvious.” Braddock
rolls her eyes. “How long have you been just fooling around behind my back?”
“You know I am eighteen; it’s none of your business
who I date.”
“Quit giving me that eighteen year old crap!”
Glory exclaims angrily. “I’m sick of that cop out! How long have you
been seeing Clyde?”
Melinda sighs. “A few months.”
“Bloody hell,” Glory
rubs her forehead and temple out of frustration “it makes sense, then.
You really didn’t steal from my office. It was Clyde.”
“What?!”
Melinda exclaims.
“Yes, that’s how the wanker got access.”
“No! He didn’t steal a thing!”
Melinda pats herself on the chest. “It was me!”
“Don’t lie for him, Melinda.”
“I’m not lying for him!”
She insists. “Clyde and I like to go out partying at night, but we need
money. You won’t give it to me, obviously.”
“So Clyde put you up to it, then? Is that
it?”
“Damn it, no! It was all me!” Melinda
is growing angrier but Glory doesn’t seem to care.
“I told you to quit lying for him!”
Braddock reaches out and takes Melinda by her arm to drag her off but Melinda
in a maneuver that would make the expert of experts proud, takes The British
Bombshell down with a beautifully executed arm drag. Luckily, Braddock
landed not on the concrete floor but on a wrestling mat. Still, the shock of what she did to her own
mother stuns Melinda back to reality and she backs away with her hands over her
mouth.
“Mom, I…” her
voice trails off but she shakes her head as she finds her words “...I’m
sorry!”
“It’s ok, I’ve taken worse.”
Glory remarks as she pulls herself up. “At least you care whether or not you
hurt people, unlike Clyde.”
“Clyde does care.”
Melinda insists. “You just don’t understand him like I do.”
“You clearly don’t know the man.”
Braddock says with a disappointed sigh. “But that’s a conversation for
later. What I want to know now is who the hell taught you that move?”
“Huh?”
Melinda asks with a confused tone.
“That arm drag was performed brilliantly.
Hell, half of the students at this school can’t perform an arm drag
nearly as clean as this one was. So how’d you do it?”
“Um, I pay close attention to you, mom.”
Melinda says uneasily. “I study you, I guess.” She shrugs her shoulders.
Glory doesn’t buy it. The British
Bombshell shakes her head.
“No, you don’t get that good by studying tape.
Someone trained you. Who was it?”
Melinda stands there for a few tense moments,
staring at her mother. Finally she sighs and bows her head in shame.
“Matthew.”
Braddock narrows her brow. She knows who
Melinda means when she says Matthew. It’s none other than professional
wrestler Matthew Bowden, whose real name is Matthew Taylor, yet another good
friend of Glory Braddock and yet another trainer here at the Braddock Wrestling
School. Unlike Sophie, Mark, and Glory, Matthew never graduated from
Braddock Wrestling School. Glenn kicked
him out because Glenn didn’t believe Matthew took the business seriously,
whereas Matthew believed Glenn took it too seriously. Glenn was all about
winning whereas Matthew was all about having fun and experiencing a
thrill. Matthew finished his training
with someone who espoused a daredevil style.
Matthew Taylor continued to be a daredevil, both inside the ring and
outside, pushing the envelope and taking huge risks just for the thrill of it.
Never did she think he would take the risk of
betraying her. Matthew Taylor had been the one individual who never
betrayed Glory Braddock; until now.
==========
On Camera
==========
Sic Semper Tyrannis…
That’s my rallying cry; it has been for quite a
long time now. I’ve been saying that for so bloody long that hardly
anyone remembers what the hell it means. I can tell you this, it’s on the
seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
It’s battle cry that both heroes and villains have used throughout
history. Still, what does it mean?
Literally it means four simple words…
...thus always to tyrants.
I’m not going to take credit for inventing that
rallying cry. But that phrase does illustrate just who I am, what I do,
and what I am all about.
Who am I? My name is Glory Braddock. I
am The British Bombshell. Some say I am
The Best in the World. And I cannot stand to see tin pot tyrants throwing
their weight around and being a bully just because they think that they can get
away with it.
Syren feels that she can and should be at the top
of the mountain in SCW just because she’s Syren. Well I hate to break it
to you but it doesn’t matter if your name is Jesus Bloody Christ, you have to
EARN your way in this industry. So don’t give me any crap about who you
are and what you’ve done in this business.
Once I win Taking Hold of the Flame I’m coming for the champion and if
that person happens to be you then I’ll choke your happy ass out just as
quickly as I’d choke out a curtain jerker.
Sienna Swann thinks that just because of her looks
that she can and should be the best. Looks only get you so far,
mate. And it sure as hell doesn’t make
you a champion of the people. What you’ve made yourself into is little
more than Michael Corleone leading a mafia gang in the next Godfather film.
That’s what you and The Beauty Factory are; you’ve been reduced to a
silly little television trope. And if I
have to topple you after I win Taking Hold of the Flame, I will, because your
gang does not intimidate me.
That’s what I’m here to do with Taking Hold of the
Flame. I’m here to bring an end to the tyranny that has been running
rampant in Supreme Championship Wrestling. Ending tyranny is never
easy. Just look at history.
How long did Hitler have to destroy the lives of
anyone and everyone he came in contact with before his cruel tyranny came to an
end?
How long was Eastern Europe locked under the
subjugation of the Soviet Union?
Ending tyranny requires a great struggle and a
great risk. I’m willing to put myself at risk and I am willing to take
part in that great struggle if it means ending the tyranny and subjugation that
SCW is currently under. And that struggle that I have to endure goes by
one name…
...Taking Hold of the Flame.
It won’t be easy and I understand that. Those
tyrants will send their operatives out to stop me. I’ll no doubt
encounter them in the rumble itself.
There are also those who want to win the match for their own selfish
purposes.
Who can blame them? The winner advances to
the main event of Rise To Greatness to compete for the SCW World Championship.
Who wouldn’t want that?
Unfortunately for me to end the tyranny, I have to end their
dreams. I have to win Taking Hold of the
Flame. I cannot be stopped.
Plus there are still others who are deluded into
thinking they are the true heroes of the story. This is not unusual. Once again, look back at history. John
Wilkes Booth shouted “Sic Semper Tyrannis” when he shot and killed
President Abraham Lincoln. Booth was deluded into thinking he was doing
right when in reality he was doing the work of the devil.
Giovanni Aries and his Wonderland ingrates believe
that they are fighting a holy war against some nonexistent Lizard Kingdom.
They have been spreading their brand of chaos throughout SCW, making them
just as big a threat, just as much a tyranny, as the other two brassers I
mentioned.
Wonderland has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt
that they are not about freedom as they claim but instead they are about
control. They want to control lives or ruin lives through their own
unique brand of chaos. Now it appears as
though they’ve managed rope in poor Konrad.
Konrad, I hope you haven’t started to drink their
kool-aid, because that blue kool-aid will kill you, mate. But know that I
will not suffer the Wonderland to continue spreading chaos throughout SCW. It isn’t freedom, it damn sure isn’t right,
it’s just another form of tyranny. And I also understand that you are in
the Taking Hold of the Flame battle royal.
I sure do hope and pray that we can treat this as just two professional
athletes who want the same prize, and that is victory and to main event Rise To
Greatness.
But if you truly have thrown your lot in with the
likes of Aries and Angel, if you have joined up with the Wonderland, then take
my word for it Konrad, and you can take this one to the bloody bank: I will end
you well before their damn blue kool-aid can end you. Because I have
tried and tried to get through to you, I have done my damndest to show you how
tyrannical they are and how they are trying to control you and if you still
cannot see it…
...well I just give up. I give up because as
I said, I cannot suffer tyrants like The Wonderland to continue their reign of
terror. I will not suffer them or The Beauty Factory or Syren and her lot
to continue to run roughshod over this great company.
Why do I care so much? Because I have
to. My father trained me and raised me
with the belief that the fighting skills he taught me, the skills he gifted me
with, were not to be used selfishly. A wrestler is, him or herself, his
or her own greatest weapon; use what you know wisely. I have always interpreted that as meaning I
have an obligation to the wrestling world at large, to give back.
I intend to give back to SCW by bringing down the
tyrants who stand at the door, threatening its very destruction.
To the Wonderland and anyone who dares follow its
leadership, to The Beauty Factory and its self-absorbed leader, to that
egomaniac Syren, and to anyone else who dares try to stop me, know that you
cannot stop me. Know that I will win Taking Hold of the Flame. Know that I am going to the main event of
Rise To Greatness. Know these three
words, because these words will be the end of you…
...Sic Semper Tyrannis.
