Feast of St. Nicholas of Myra

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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Darkness has been a part of the life of Jessica Lasiewicz for quite a long time.  Ever since she was born she seemed destined to the dark side.  Her mother and father, Angelica Jones and Andreas Lasiewicz, were both very violent individuals who created a road of ruin in the world of professional wrestling wherever they went.  Young Jessica, all of her life, witnessed both of her parents destroy anyone and anything that stood in their way.  It really and truly left a bad taste in the mouth of someone who grew up with such a strong moral compass.

Which makes things all that much more difficult for Jessica.  The daughter of Jones and Lasiewicz does indeed have quite a strong moral compass, quite a strong sense of what’s right and wrong.  Her moral compass is so powerful that she would rather choose to join in the battle for good as opposed to a battle that might suit her material needs.  That has always been her nature.

Goodness is hard to come by in the rough and tumble world of professional wrestling.  In IWC it seems with every step forward the “good guys” take forward, they take two steps back.  It seems nearly impossible to get anywhere when you have the Sinistry, The Good Movement, and other groups jockeying for position, all the while the entire company is left to rot, to burn, to die.

Recently, Jessica Lasiewicz came into possession of a co-number one contender spot with Amanda Blayze to earn a shot at the IWC Queen of the Ring Championship against one Tina Valentine at the End of the Year Special.  Any normal wrestler would be jumping at the opportunity to compete for championship gold.  Any normal wrestler would love the chance to punch an annoying little bitch like Tina Valentine in the mouth.

Jessia Lasiewicz is NOT a normal wrestler.

The young Morning Star does not want to fight for the Queen of the Ring Title.  She has no desire to be wrapped up in this rivalry with Amanda and Tina.  There isn’t even one person in the entire company who seems to understand why she would feel this way.  Even her own father seemed to feel that trying to give up her title shot would be a mistake.

But for Jessica there are greater things at stake right now than a championship and those things are put in greater jeopardy  the longer she is distracted by Tina Valentine, Amanda Blayze, and the Queen of the Ring Championship.

What could be greater and more important to young Lasiewicz than a championship?

Family.

Jessica returned to the Independent Wrestling Cartel for one reason and one reason only and championship gold was not that reason.  She had already had a bad experience the first time in IWC and that bad experience did involve Tina Valentine, and she never had any intention on renewing that rivalry.  What Tina did since then was not her concern.  Jessica only returned to IWC and targeted the Good Movement because her sister, Marie Annabelle Jones, was a member.  Jessica wanted to drive Marie away from The Good Movement.  When she succeeded in doing that, she was finished with The Good Movement as far as she was concerned.  Tina and Amanda could beat the hell out of one another.  Jessica’s goal of driving Marie out of The Good Movement had been achieved.

But Tina wasn’t ready to let go of the grudge.  And what she was soon going to find out was that if you don’t leave well enough alone, especially when dealing with The Morning Star, bad things could happen.

Unfortunately Marie went and joined Silas World, which is far worse than The Good Movement in Jessica’s eyes.  Now she wants to drive her away from Silas World and yet she cannot focus on that while Tina Valentine is constantly getting in her business.

Her father and mother think she should focus on the championship, of course her fiancée Steven Bauer thinks she should focus on the championship, it seems as if everyone thinks that Jessica should focus on the championship and yet a nagging part of her thinks that it is wrong, that she should try and go down the path of righteousness.

Yet where has righteousness gotten her in the past?  Nothing yet.  Part of her contemplates whether or not she is really all that righteous after all when, in fact, she is engaged to marry Steven Bauer, a man who still has not received a legal divorce from one Tamara Todd.

Yes, Jessica has decided to put off the wedding until the divorce is finalized but still she feels bad about it and she feels even worse for what her future husband and brother-in-law Michael Bauer are doing right now in GCW.  Sitting back and watching this all happen, even if she is not actively participating, is hypocritical, isn’t it?

All of this working against her all at the same time creates the perfect storm of social and emotional disorder for young Jessica, enough that anyone can see why she wouldn’t exactly be the most cheerful of individuals to be around.  One can understand why darkness has been a part of Jessica’s life for so very long.

And yet that isn’t to say that it has to always be a part of her life.  In fact, plans are in motion, whether they be by human hands or by the hands of fate herself, that could very well change Jessica’s outlook on life permanently.

The young Morning Star has no idea what she is about to step into when she walks down the hall towards the women’s changing area at Cameron Indoor.  This is where she was told to meet her new friend, Candra Stevens, the captain of the Duke Blue Devil cheerleading squad.  Jessica is wearing tennis shoes, gray windpants, a white t-shirt, and her long black hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back with a hair tie.  She is carrying her gym bag with her as she rounds a corner…

“Jess, is that you?”

That’s Candra’s voice.  Lasiewicz notices that it comes from a half-open door, light is emerging from the crack.  “Yeah, it’s me.”

“Come on inside!”

Jessica shrugs and walks towards the door. She pushes it open and steps inside.  Once inside she sets the bag down and stares across the room to find her friend Candra staring at her with a wide ear-to-ear grin on her face.  Her hands are on her hips.  She is wearing her Duke cheerleading uniform, a one piece uniform which is mostly white in front and mostly blue in back with Duke written in blue on the front.  A blue ribbon is in her hair and the hem of the cheer uniform stops at her thigh.

“Glad to see you came.”

“What? Did you think I was going to skip out on our bet?”

Candra shrugs her shoulders. “Oh I dunno, maybe!”

Jessica tilts her head to one side, smirking. “Two things you need to learn about me real quick, Candi, and that’s that when I make a commitment I stick to it.  And besides, I don’t lose a bet and we made a bet.”

“Well I’m pretty sure you’ll lose this one.” Candra remarks with a giggle. “And when you do, you’ll be the newest member of the blue squad.”

“Blue squad?” Jessica asks curiously.

“Yuppers!” She says nodding her head. “Our program is composed of two teams, the blue squad and the white squad.  The blue squad cheers for home and away football games and men’s basketball, while the white squad cheers for home football and women’s basketball.”

Candra spins around three-hundred-sixty degrees, full circle, to face Jessica again. “As you can see by my uniform, I’m on the blue squad!”

Lasiewicz frowns. “So the blue squad wears the mostly white uniforms…”

“And the white squad wears the mostly black uniforms, no it doesn’t make any sense to me either!”

Jessica shakes her head. “Blue squad, white squad, it doesn’t really matter, because you can ask anyone I work with in the IWC and they’ll tell you that I don’t have a cheerful bone in my body.”

“And if that’s true then you have my word that I’ll take you out to dinner, anywhere your dark and depressing heart desires!”

“Gee, thanks.” Lasiewicz laughs lightly. “So where do we begin?”

Candra looks on with mischief in her eyes and a knowing grin on her face as she motions to Jessica’s gym bag.

“We start by getting rid of that, you won’t need it.”

“I won’t?” Jessica remarks with confusion before setting the gym bag down rather reluctantly. “Ok, but what will I need?”

“Just this!” Candra opens up a nearby locker and pulls out a blue squad Duke cheerleader uniform. “Voila!”

Jessica stares across the room at Candra holding the blue and white Duke Blue Devil cheerleading uniform.  Her eyes narrow as she stares daggers into the piece of cloth.  It is at that moment that she begins to realize the enormity of what she’s getting herself into.  And that realization is almost enough to break her…

“Hell no!” The young Polish woman shakes her head vehemently. “No!”

She turns and starts to walk away but Candra calls out after her. “Jess!  Come on!”

“I am not going to wear that stupid thing, Candra.” She turns around faces her, anger flushing red in her face. “I refuse!”

“You have to.” Candra explains. “The other girls are wearing them today.”

“Yeah, and I’m not them!”

Candra sighs. “Fine…I guess you don’t have to participate…if you don’t think you’re good enough then you don’t have to.”

The young Morning Star stares angrily at Candra, who just smiles back at her, and that smile is truly disarming.  Despite herself, Jessica cannot stay angry at her.

“Damn you and your reverse psychology.” Jessica marches towards Candra with a purpose and takes the uniform out of her hands.

“Chalk one up for the psychology program of Duke University!”

“Shut up!” Jessica snaps back. “I’ll be right back.”

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Jessica Lasiewicz

On Camera

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Right and wrong, good and bad, it seems as if no one really gives a damn about that in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.  The only thing anyone really cares about is power, gaining and keeping power through any means necessary.

It wasn’t too long ago that I earned a shot at the Queen of the Ring Championship.  I earned it alongside Amanda Blayze.  The problem is that I was not interested in becoming Queen of the Ring Champion.

Don’t get me wrong, the title is very prestigious indeed.  I am not trying to discredit that championship in any way, shape, or form.  But the simple fact is that there are things in this world more important than championships.  There are goals worth seeking, worth trying to achieve, that are worth more than any title you can win.

I tried to give up my Queen of the Ring title opportunity so that I could do something far greater than win a championship; namely fight the good fight, fight for this company’s very survival.  I wanted to fight for the company, not fight for a title, and so I tried to give away my title shot…that didn’t work.  I suggested making Amanda Blayze the sole number one contender…that didn’t work.  Hell, I even contemplated selling the damn thing on E-Bay.

Nothing worked.  So  here I am, heading into the End of the Year Special, still with a title shot I never really wanted in my back pocket, still scheduled to compete against Tina Valentine and Amanda Blayze for the gold.

But then my father gave me some real good advice, some advice I took to heart…

To go down the righteous path, you may have to leave a trail of ruin down another...

I tried.  I tried real hard to get rid of this.  But God would not allow this cup to pass from me.  Well not my will but His be done…and so you, IWC, you only have yourselves to blame.  You only have yourselves to blame when I win the Queen of the Ring Title, leaving both Amanda Blayze and Tina Valentine in ruin.  And you only have yourselves to blame, IWC, when I leave a path of destruction through the IWC Women’s Division.

You can blame IWC when I burn the women’s division to the ground.

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Scene 2

Off Camera

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Stepping out of a comfort zone is always easier said than done, but that especially holds true for Jessica Lasiewicz.  The entirety of her life has been filled with darkness.  She had to deal with both of her parents faking their deaths at different times in her life, she had to deal with their divorce, she had to deal with her half-sister Marie’s family coming after her and trying to kill her; one threat after another would come after her, and each one would get taken care of, but each one would leave a scar upon her soul.

One such threat was the threat of Golden Era, the tag team of Neil Newman and Kyle Butler.  Golden Era had harassed Jessica and her friend Summer Collins into accepting a tag team match with the stipulation that if Golden Era lost, they would leave the business but if Jessica and Summer lost, they would serve as their cheerleaders.  Golden Era won that match and, for a few months, Jessica was forced to be a cheerleader until she won her freedom by defeating Golden Era and thus nullifying the contract.  That experience left a bad taste in Jessica’s mouth, one she won’t soon forget.  And it is yet another experience that has left a scar upon her soul, one that may never heal.

It is because of that scar, that bad experience, that Jessica is convinced she will win this bet with her new friend Candra, and that she will never truly be a cheerleader.  It is only a matter of time before Candra has to buy her dinner.

But Jessica has to first actually give it a chance and, as per the terms of the agreement, Jessica has to try this out for a month before she can make the decision if she enjoys cheerleading or if she still hates it.  That means she has to fully participate in all cheerleading activity, including this one on this afternoon…

“I hate you.”

Jessica’s voice is low but menacing as she walks down the hall with Candra Stevens towards the main gym area.  Jessica is now wearing a cheerleading uniform that matches Candra’s.  Jessica is scowling while Candra has a smile that may have to be surgically removed.

“You’ll love it, Jess.” Candra says reassuringly. “Trust me!”

“Your idea of enjoyment and my idea of enjoyment are totally different.”

“Well we can turn around and leave, if you really think you can’t hang with us…”

Jessica turns and stares at Candra, though her angry glare transforms into a smirk. “Did I mention I hate it when you use reverse psychology on me?”

“At least once or twice!” Candra says with a wink as they make it to the end of the hall.

The two women step through the set of double doors that lead from the backstage area to the main gym floor.  Jessica feasts her eyes upon the scene before her; the entire cheerleading squad practicing their cheers and dance routines.  A group are doing flips and throws, others are practicing chants, but all are working hard, working their tails off in Jessica’s mind.  And this is to her surprise even…

One of the girls is thrown up in the air and is caught, but her skirt flies up slightly on the way down.  Another of the girls is doing a dance routine, and Jessica can’t help but notice how it makes her backside look.

Lasiewicz looks down at herself self-consciously and then shakes her head. “I’m sorry…”

“Huh?” Candra watches as Jessica starts to walk back out the double doors and into the backstage area. “Jessie, wait!”

Candra follows after her through the double doors, placing a hand upon her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“I look…” Jessica tries to look angry but she can only look a little sad “…ridiculous.”

“No, what’s ridiculous is you thinking you look ridiculous.” Candra smiles genuinely, sincerely. “You look great.”

“That’s not very good reverse psychology.” Jessica says with a light-hearted laugh.

“That’s because I’m telling the truth this time.” Candra responds with a wink. “Now what do you say we go back in there and introduce you to the rest of the girls?”

Jessica sighs and finally relents, nodding her head. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Candra leads Jessica back through the pair of double doors and back onto the main gym floor.  The ladies are still working on their individual routines and do not notice the arrival of the two newcomers.  Candra changes this with a loud, shrill whistle.

“Ok, girls!” Everyone turns their attention towards Candra and Jessica.  “I want everyone to meet Jessica…”

“…Jones!” Jessica chimes in, interrupting Candra. “Jessica Jones.”

Candra is only slightly surprised when Jessica chooses not to use her Lasiewicz name around the other girls, but she shrugs it off.  She doesn’t understand what it is like for Jessica being a student here at Duke University and a celebrity, a wrestler that is, for the Independent Wrestling Cartel.  She would rather it not get around, especially to any enemies she has in the IWC, about what she’s doing.

“Jessica here is thinking about trying out and wants to practice with us some.”

“That’s awesome!” One of the girls who was dancing earlier remarks as she approaches Jessica. “We could probably use someone like her, if she wants to try some of the dance routines.”

“I’m not sure, I just…”

Jessica’s voice trails off as she tries to turn the girl down but before she can get anything else out Candra shoves her forward towards the dancers.

“Great idea!” Candra laughs as she watches her new friend turn her head to her, mouthing the words ‘I hate you’, one last time before beginning what perhaps could be the start of something unprecedented…for her family at least…

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Angelica Jones

On Camera

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I am very proud of my daughter.  In many ways, she is a much better person that I could ever hope to be.  All I want is to be the best in this industry.  I want to constantly prove myself inside that squared circle.  That’s what drives me.

But that desire to be great isn’t what drives Jessica.  What drives her is a desire to fight for what’s right.  I wish I could be like that but I’m just not like her.  That’s just not in my personality.  She clearly gets that from her father’s side of the family but even he has his own selfish streak.  Who doesn’t have a selfish streak in them?

Jessica doesn’t have a selfish bone in her body, at least not one that I’ve seen.  She’s only wanted to help others.  She’s only wanted to do good for the industry.

Unfortunately everyone has a breaking point, even my daughter.

She has been pushed over the edge by the likes of IWC, The Good Movement, and Tina Valentine ever since she returned and yet she was still willing to give up her title shot, but no, the braintrust in IWC couldn’t even grant that.

Now all bets are off.

You see, there’s something she definitely inherited from me AND her father and that’s a dark side, a very evil borderline demonic side that, once unleashed, cannot be stopped.  A dark side that leaves broken bodies in its wake.

I call it The Dragon.  Lasiewicz calls it Morning Star.

Whatever you want to call it, it will be what guts Tina Valentine like a fucking fish and leaves her bloody maimed body in the streets.  It will be what leaves Amanda Blayze a broken shell of a person, a victim of the rage, a victim caught in the crossfire of The Morning Star’s wrath.

She did try to warn you, but now it’s too late.  The Morning Star is here and you are all screwed.

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Scene 3

Off Camera

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The raven-haired beauty known as Jessica Lasiewicz has just returned from cheerleading practice with the Duke squad, something she has been keeping quiet.  It’s all part of the bet she made with her new friend Candi, or Candra, who thinks anyone, even someone like Jessica who has had a rather bad experience, can be a cheerleader.  Jessica is convinced that this is a disaster waiting to happen and she’ll be proven right...and earn a meal paid for by Candi in the process.  These regular practices, though, are part of the bet.  She has to attend them and practice with the squad.

This particular night has tired her out more-so than usual and the sweat on her face tells the tale.  Jessica was too tired to change out of her cheerleader uniform and wore it back to the hotel but as she walks through the lobby, without a care in the world, she accidentally bumps into someone…

“Oh, God I’m sorry I wasn’t....” she looks up and goes wide-eyed as she sees its none other than Kyle Butler, her old sparring partner “...oh God…”

Kyle Butler stands in disbelief at the woman he sees in front of him. They had recently concluded a blood feud in another company Jessica competes in. Oddly enough it was over the cheerleading assemble Jessica is now wearing. Not the exact one. Long story.

“Um, hey Jess...” He scratched his head. “Wow...”

Lasiewicz considers running, or hiding, but decides against it.  Kyle has seen it all by now.  There’s no use trying to hide any of her dignity.  She just places her hands on her hips and sighs.

“Go ahead, Kyle.  Laugh.  Let me have it.”

“Me? Laugh? Not all at. I’m not dreaming, right?”

“No, you’re not dreaming.” She rolls her eyes. “I am here, of my own free will, dressed in one of these stupid as fuck eye candy suits.”

Kyle chuckles. “That’s the wrong way to look at it. Cheerleaders are an important part of the gaming experience. The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, they have become glorified eye candy. Only because they allowed the media and advertisers to use them for profit. Cheerleading in it’s purist form inspires the team, keeps the crowd engaged.”

“You sound like Candra…”

“I don’t know who Candra is, but great minds think alike. It’s odd seeing you in that. Pleasant sight, odd. After our history, I thought you’d burn the first cheerleading outfit you laid eyes on.”

Jessica smirks knowingly. “Yeah, well, there’s still time for that.  Candra is the captain of the Duke cheerleading squad.  She seems convinced that she can turn me into any typical cheerleader.  This is part of our bet.  After a month if I’m not convinced, she has to buy me dinner.  After a month if I’m enjoying myself...well…”

She laughs lightly, uncomfortable “...then you’re looking at the newest member of the Duke cheerleading squad.”

“For the record you are the best cheerleader I know. Ten times better than Summer was.” Kyle smiles.

She rolls her eyes. “Summer is a goof, even more of a goof now that she’s leading her own cult.  But Kyle, be honest with yourself, a cheerleader needs to be upbeat and happy.”

She shakes her head. “That is NOT me…”

“True. You got me there. I’ve never known you to sprout enthusiasm. Heh, I’m bias. Maybe you shouldn’t take my endorsement as gospel. And for the record, no one is more goofy than me. I cornered the market on goofy.”

“No, no, I want to take your endorsement and run with it.” She pauses momentarily, pondering her next words. “Honestly?  And I won’t tell Candra this, or anyone else, but I want her to win this bet.  I want her to prove me wrong.”

Kyle is surprised to hear Jessica say that. He places his hands on his hips. “Really now? Why’s that?”

“Do you think it’s fun being dark, depressed, and just all around unhappy all the time?  It isn’t.  It’d be nice to know that somewhere inside me there is an optimist, that somewhere buried inside there is a cheerful person.  I just don’t think that part of me exists anymore.”

She motions to herself in the uniform. “But if Candra is right, and I can pull this off, then maybe there is hope for me after all.”

Kyle nods. “I can agree with that. I don’t see it as dark and depressed. When I think dark and depressed, those characters you work with in IWC? I’d characterize them as dark and depressed. I’ve always viewed you as melancholic. Deep thinker like your father minus the...”

Kyle pauses, searching for the right words to say.... “minus the... quirkiness. Nothing wrong being melancholic. We are not one dimensional human beings. I do believe if you dig deep enough you will find that positive person. Unless you are a sociopath then there’s no hope.”

“I don’t think there’s any cheerfulness in the Lasiewicz bloodline, but then again,” she smirks “I am also part Jones.”

“True. Your mom can be charming when she isn’t threatening to end lives.”  

Jessica laughs out loud, her mother indeed is a bit unbalanced, she has to admit.  And Jessica also has to admit that she and Kyle haven’t really had a nice talk like this...ever…

“Kyle...why is it that I never saw this side of you before?”

“Part of it was because I was so consumed by Neil’s original vision for the Golden Era I lost sight of who I was. I was a coward, too. I never stood up to him when I should have. Professional wrestler was always been Neil’s dream, not mine. I only joined along for the ride because he is my best friend and I will forever view him as my equal. Only man in college not to defeat me. I couldn’t defeat him either. That’s besides the point.”

Kyle shrugs.  

“All came down to me getting lost in the original version of the Golden Era. It didn’t help I carried an unwarranted grudge against you. I was a jackass, plain and simple. I expected you to forgive me like Summer forgave him, I threw a major league tantrum. Neil was right in the end. I needed to move past all that. Now I can relax. Breathe. Be more myself.”

She kisses him on his cheek. “Well I certainly like this Kyle a hell of a lot more than that other Kyle.”

Kyle smiles. “Yeah, me too. I hope Candra wins the bet. Not because I want to see you on the squad. I do. If it means you finding that warm fuzzy positive center that will benefit you in the long run, I’m all for it.”

“Well, I do have one thing working in my favor, at least I am cheerleading for a team that gives us cheerleaders something to cheer for!”

“I’ll cheer you on. Not the school for obvious reasons. Roll Tide!”

“Yeah, well we’ll see about that.” She holds up eight fingers. “Eight and Zero!  Undefeated right now!”

Kyle chuckles. “You got me there.”

Jessica blushes. “Oh God, look at me, I already look like a cheerleader now I’m SOUNDING like one!”

“That’s progress, right?”

“Progress, yes...embarrassing?  Also yes.”

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Kyle Butler

On Camera

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ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL TIDE BABY.

Now that I go that out the way. I’d like to believe I know Jessica just as good as her sister, her mother and her father do. Rivals in professional wrestling share a unique relationship with each other. For the better part of two years Jessica and I shared a rivalry that ranks up there with the best in Global Championship Wrestling. All rivalries end. A mutual respect is formed. In many ways me and Jessica share a lot in common.

Passion for professional wrestling.

A never say die attitude.

Stubborn as heck.

Intense competitors.

And on our worst day, not all there mentally. That’s ok. You need to be a tad crazy to put up with the rigors of professional wrestling.

Tina can spew her ghetto verbiage.

Amanda Blayze can continue being, Amanda Blayze. I’m confident about one thing. Jessica will lay everything on the table. Think about it. She didn’t care about becoming a contender for the Queen of the Ring Championship, she won it anyway. Imagine, her, not caring about becoming champion winds up becoming champion. Amanda feels she has been screwed over time and time again, her motivation is there. Tina wants the belt to continue to brag to people she is the Queen of the Ring. There are female wrestlers on the planet better than her who should be called Queen, sorry, I’m a hater for not believing she is the best female wrestler on the planet, sorry Tina. Didn’t mean to “hate.”

The End of the Year Special will represent closure. I can guarantee one thing. None of the three women want to see each other in 2015. Jessica doesn’t want to deal with Tina ever again... I bet Tina feels the same, not sure about Blayze. Eh. That’s all I have to say. Maybe not.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL TIDE BABY.

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Jessica Lasiewicz

On Camera

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“December 6^th is the Feast of St. Nicholas of Myra.”

The iconographic image of the figure we all know and love as Santa Claus appears on the screen, only this doesn’t look anything like the red-suited white bearded fat jolly old elf we know.  Instead this man is thin, weary looking holding a staff, and looks like he just came off of a stain glass window of a cathedral.  From stage right Jessica Lasiewicz enters the scene.  The beautiful American of Polish descent, the young lady some call Lady Gambit, others call Morning Star, but who was born Jessica Corey Lasiewicz, is wearing denim jeans, black boots, and a purple t-shirt.  Her long raven black hair is left to hang unrestrained to shoulder length.

“Everyone has this false image of a jolly fat bearded man in a red suit but the truth is always stranger than fiction, isn’t it?”

She chuckles lightly.  “One such legend of the real Santa tells how during a terrible famine, a malicious butcher lured three little children into his house, where he killed them, placing their remains in a barrel to cure, planning to sell them off as ham.”

She points with her thumb to the St. Nicholas image behind her. “But good old Santa saw through the façade and thus resurrected the three boys from the barrel by his prayers.”

“Those kids were lucky.  Santa wasn’t traveling to the region to perform miracles or raise the dead.  He was traveling to feed the hungry.  He just happened to get caught up in something that should never have happened.”

A grin forms across her face. “In that way I can understand St. Nicholas, because I did not come to IWC for championship glory, I did not come for my own fame and fortune.  I came back for my sister.  I came back to watch her and protect her.  That’s why I came back.  That’s why I initially targeted The Good Movement.  And when Marie left them in the dust, then my dealing with The Good Movement was as good as over.”

She sighs and shakes her head. “At least it should have been over.  Yes, I had a Queen of the Ring Title shot in my back pocket that would guarantee me one more match against an old rival named Tina Valentine, but the white girl who wants to be black didn’t know when to stop.  She didn’t know when to leave well enough alone.  She continued to badger me, to harass me, over and over again…”

“…until I snapped.”

“The last time we met in the ring you got one over on me, Tina, granted I didn’t have my heart in the fight.  I didn’t have any desire to fight you that night.  But I wasn’t even planning on bringing that up as an excuse.  I was going to let you have your win and crow about it to the end of the age.”

She pointed a long, carefully manicured finger into the camera. “But you couldn’t leave well enough alone ghetto-wannabe bitch, and now you have unleashed an oncoming storm, you have unleashed a monster upon this company…”

“…you have unleashed The Morning Star.”

“You can take your hood and your ghetto and shove it up your ass because these eyes” she points to her own eyes “are the eyes of The Devil herself, these eyes have witnessed empires rise and fall in this industry!  The blood that runs through my veins is the blood of a survivor, a REAL survivor, the spirit that resides within me is The Polish Spirit…”

She points again at the camera as if pointing directly at Tina herself “…while you only have the spirit of a pathetic upper-class rich white girl pretending to be a black girl from the ghetto.”

“You should have backed down while you had the chance.” She shakes her head. “But now it’s too late for you, Tina, because I am going to do what everyone else in this company has been demanding to see for a very long time…”

“I’m going to kick your ass from one side of that arena to the other, I’m going to butcher your ass and send it packing back to the hood.  In other words, Duchess, I’m going to burn your mother-fucking kingdom to the ground!”

Jessica smirks. “I might get coal under my tree from Santa for that one.  Oh well!”

“Now for you, Amanda…”

The young Lasiewicz shakes her head and makes tisk tisk sounds. “I really feel bad for you.  I honestly do.  First Silas World and then Tina and her little Good Movement idiots and even Sinistry, all of them have tried time and time again to hold you back, to screw you over, to keep you down, and yet you keep fighting back, you keep coming back for more.  Despite all of their best efforts none of them have been able to stop you.”

“…but they’re not me.”

“At one time I would have been more than happy to have just let you had the Queen of the Ring Title.  At one time I would have been willing to work with you and beat up Tina and then just let you pin her and take that title, because I didn’t really want it…”

“…at the time…”

An almost sinister grin forms on her face “…but now things have changed for me.  Between Tina Valentine’s constant harassment and ghetto slang getting on my last nerve and the IWC braintrust refusing to listen to my simple requests to take away my title shot, the absolute worst in me has been brought out.  The part of me that even scares myself has been brought out into the open and that is bad news for you and everyone else in this company; because now I WANT that Queen of the Ring Championship, not for my own personal glory and fame because hell, I already am a former world champion…”

She shakes her head “…I want that Queen of the Ring Championship so I can take it and then mold the IWC Women’s Division into the image of The Morning Star.  And you are just standing in my way.”

“That’s why I pity you, Amanda.  The monster inside me has resurrected and it will reign down hell fire upon Tina Valentine.  Unfortunately, you are going to be right there with her caught in the crossfire, and so you too will be burned to a crisp, you too will be burned to the ground along with her stupid pathetic little kingdom.”

Jessica shuts her eyes. “Tina…Amanda…remember me when the end comes for you.  Dobranoc…”