==========
February 5th, 2020
Portland, Oregon
Off Camera
==========
Chicago, Illinois at Day of Infamy was when Marie
stamped her ticket to a Trios Tournament berth via winning an eight person tag
for her team. Not only did she earn a guaranteed spot in the Trios
Tournament but she also became a Team Captain due to winning the match, thus
earning her the right to draft one of her tag team partners. She took
full advantage of the first ever Trios Tournament Buy In, and now she would
have a say in just what her Trios Team would look like. The responsibility was quite overwhelming.
Trios only comes once a year and is one of the many
unique events that Supreme Championship Wrestling puts on. The winning
Trios team will each get a contract allowing them to book any match that they
want. Marie is a student of the game but
it doesn’t take much research on behalf of The Phoenix to figure out just what
a Trios contract can do. Two of last year’s winners, Glory Braddock and
Kellen Jeffries, utilized their Trios contracts to significantly shake up the
SCW World Championship picture, both times causing a title change. Marie knows that if she can earn a Trios
contract and that if she uses it wisely then she can finally get what she has
been after since signing with SCW…
...the World Championship.
Yet as tempting as it is to be selfish and focus on
her own desires, Marie realizes that selfishness and greed has caused her a lot
of trouble in the past. Jones has changed her allegiances multiple times,
siding with the sleaziest of con men and con women, all in the name of
furthering her status and championship goals. It was her identical twin
sister Kimberly Williams that showed her the error of her ways, it was Kimberly
who showed her that her true loyalty should lie with those who truly cared
about her; her real family and friends, not with some powerful people making
big promises that they could not keep.
It was again that voice of wisdom that helped Marie
make her decision here tonight in Portland, Oregon. The Woman Scorned,
who everyone perceives as a crazy lunatic, is the one who knows Marie better
than anyone else and who talked Marie out of her first initial pick: Sienna
Swann.
Sienna would have been a perfectly logical pick,
having won multiple world championships in the company, and like her or not
being one of the best wrestlers in the company, but Kimberly knew that even a
temporary allegiance with Sienna would turn out just as bad as Marie’s
allegiance with Syren turned out. Neither could be trusted, both were
only looking out for themselves, and Kim knew that just as Syren betrayed
Marie, Sienna would betray her as well.
Marie offered the spot on her Trios team to her twin sister
instead. Yet again this would have been
a logical pick. Marie and Kimberly are
former SCW world tag team champions and former GCW world tag team
champions. That experience and the mere fact that they are identical twin
sisters would have given them a clear advantage.
Again, Kimberly said no. Kimberly did not
want to steal Marie’s spotlight, nor did she want to take a spot away from
someone else. Kimberly had all that she wanted; a sister, a family who
cared about her...oh and the United States Championship was kinda nice too…
Kimberly’s selflessness amazed Marie, and The
Phoenix knew at that time that she needed to model herself after her twin
sister. She knew that she should be selfless and offer the spot to
someone who deserved another chance to maybe, with Trios, retake the top spot
in SCW. And so she offered that spot to Owen Cruze.
The backstage area of the Moda Center in Portland,
Oregon is busy with activity. Breakdown has just concluded. Wrestlers, referees, and other officials are
packing things up and getting ready to leave for their hotels to stay for the
night before taking the next trip. Marie was not scheduled for
competition tonight and thus was already dressed in her typical attire which
consists of a black skirt that stops just at her knee, black high heel leather
pumps, a red blouse, and her signature black leather jacket. Most
everyone she passes along the halls of the backstage area are all busy trying
to leave for the night, preparing to leave for the hotel, get some quick sleep,
all before leaving for the next stop, the next Breakdown. Marie, has a different plan in mind.
She needs to speak with someone very important to her.
She needs to speak with her sister.
Jones is walking cautiously, looking around
carefully and trying to play close attention to everyone around her and all of
the surroundings. She knows her twin sister quite well and she
half-expects The Woman Scorned to jump out of some dark corner and scare her in
typical Kim fashion.
The Phoenix is surprised to find Kimberly sitting
on a large equipment storage box. The SCW United States Champion is
wearing black denim jeans, black leather boots, and a black crop top. Her
long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length. She has her SCW United States Championship
title belt draped over her right shoulder. Kimberly waves playfully at
Marie.
“Hiya, sis!”
“Kim…” Marie’s
voice trails off, for she is unsure of how to respond. Lucky for her, the
typically talkative Kimberly takes control of the conversation.
“Nice pick there with Owen Cruze! He’s a real
hunk!”
“A hunk?” Marie
shakes her head vehemently. “No! It had nothing to do with that!”
“Suuuure it didn’t,”
Kimberly winks knowingly “that’s what we’ll tell Peyton at least.”
Marie sighs as she approaches the large storage
box. Kimberly takes the cue and immediately hops down, joining her twin
sister on the floor. It is almost like staring into a mirror, except that
they are dressed very differently from one another.
“I chose Owen because he is a good competitor, he
is amazingly talented and seemingly a natural for as young as he is. It
made perfect sense.”
“Oh I know, babe. I’m just teasing you!” Kimberly
gives her sister a playful shove.
“It should have been you, though.”
“No it shouldn’t.” Kimberly
says pointedly, sharply even, as she shakes her head.
“But we’re sisters. We’re supposed to stick
together but I ignored you, I left you out and now I feel terrible. I
feel so guilty.”
“You shouldn’t. You’re right, we are sisters,
but you have already done so much for me. Life dealt me the shittiest of
hands, Marie, and as a result I seemed destined to spend the rest of my waking
life in a mental institution. But you gave me a chance, you helped me
through the darkest periods of my life. Were it not for you I would still be locked
up. Instead here I am, a former SCW
World Tag Team Champion,” she pats the title belt that currently
rests upon her shoulders “and the reigning, defending, undisputed, SCW
United States Champion of the Woooooorrrrrld!”
“United States Champion of the World?”
Marie says, tilting her head to one side, staring at her skeptically.
Kimberly chuckles.
“Was it too much?”
“Just a little.” Marie
answers.
“Sorry!” Kimberly
says, smiling sheepishly. “But still, you have done a great deal for
me. And I appreciate that.”
“I could have given you more, though. If you
were on my Trios team…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. We could win it
all. But that’s not the point.” Kimberly
shakes her head. “I do not want to be selfish and take that spot away from
someone more deserving than myself. I already have a division I have to
take care of and quite a hefty standard to live up to now that I am the United
States Champion.” The Woman Scorned points a finger at Marie. “But you,
you still want to be Supreme Champion. Right?”
“Uh-huh…” Marie
nods her head.
“Well with Trios you can do both in one swift
stroke if you wanted. Maybe more!
You can do anything with that contract!
You just needed to draft the right person to help you get there, and the
best thing is that not only did you find someone who was capable of helping you
win this thing, you found someone who deserves this opportunity just as much as
you do, and damn sure more than I do.”
Kimberly is referring to Owen Cruze. He is a
former SCW World Champion who lost the title all too soon after having to
defend it in an elimination chamber match at Under Attack. After being in
the world title discussion for a hot minute it seemed as if he was beginning to
fade away from the picture. With a Trios
contract, Owen can instantly insert himself back into that spot. Is he
deserving? Kimberly certainly thinks so,
and Marie would be hard pressed to argue against her. A few moments of silence
pass before Marie leans forward and embraces her identical twin sister in a
tight hug.
“If only everyone on this planet were more like
you…”
“Huh?”
Kimberly breaks the hug and stares incredulously at Marie. “You mean if more
people were stabbing and stapling lunatics?”
“No, not at all.” Marie
smiles knowingly. “You’ve already let your guard down. I know that
underneath that harsh exterior lies a wonderful, caring, human being, someone
who selflessly puts others ahead of herself. You’re a good person,
Kim. Don’t let anyone tell you
otherwise.”
“No. I’m a traitor. Bree says so.”
Kimberly says with a mock frown on her face. Marie just rolls her eyes at
the mere suggestion.
“Who the hell cares what Bree thinks?”
“Sienna?”
“Fine. Who the hell cares what Sienna
thinks?”
“Chris Cannon?”
The Phoenix cannot help but laugh as her twin
sister continues to frustrate her. “Stop. You know what I
mean. You know exactly what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do. And you’re a good person too,
sis. But you still gotta prove it to some people, y’know?”
Jones sighs as she nods her head. Kimberly is
right, of course. Not everyone trusts
her yet, despite her recent change in attitude. Marie doubts Owen trusts
her, for it wasn’t long ago that Jones was just another pawn of Syren who
assisted Syren against Owen. While Marie, the Team Captain, has given
Owen an opportunity to be on a Trios team and win a Trios contract, will he be
ready to trust The Phoenix when tournament time rolls around?
“I know.”
“And then there’s The Wild Card...and I don’t mean
me, by the way, I mean Marie Volcano.”
“That’s Maria Vencejo.” Jones
answers with a smirk.
“Yeah, her too!” Kimberly
says, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Now I don’t know Maria at all, but
Owen, you can potentially patch things up with him. And considering he
was your pick, you probably should try and earn his trust.”
“So you’re saying I should talk to him?”
“Duh!”
Kimberly says, smacking Marie in the back of her head. “That’s what any good
Team Captain would do!”
Jones pauses for a moment to consider Kimberly’s
suggestion. Would Owen be willing to listen to her? Would he be willing to forgive and
forget? The Phoenix isn’t sure but there is only one way to find
out. Jones nods her head.
“Yeah, I’ll text him right away. We can set
up a meeting.”
==========
February 15th, 2020
Austin, Texas
Off Camera
==========
The hotel lobby is classy in the most unclassy way
possible. It has all the corporate taste for opulent items without the
slightest touch of personality - those little out of sync items that makes
decor "human." The deep brown floor shines as well any polished
glass. There are flowers, beautiful, the perfect shade of orange to compliment
the woody hues and creams. On closer inspection their stamens have been pulled
to prevent even the pollen disturbing the perfect sheen on the mahogany
pedestal tables. The floor was tiled in fine marble, which made every step
echo. A chandelier made rainbow colors dance across the luxurious lobby.
Embroidered silk sofas surrounded a large, flat-screen television. The twin
doors that led into the lobby were a pristine white with golden handles. The
desk was made of amber-colored wood and a green granite top. Exquisite
paintings hung from the rich, red walls. Even the door hinges were engraved
with swirls and elegant designs. The domed ceiling rose at least 100 feet high.
Sitting comfortably on the luxurious, expensive
sofas is Marie Jones. She is staying here tonight for the SCW House Show
in Austin, Texas at the Frank Irwin Center. But before she leaves for
that event she has another appointment she must make. It is also an appointment that she knows will
be challenging.
“Marie?”
The voice is a familiar one and does not startle
The Phoenix. It is the voice of Owen Cruze and she was expecting him, for
she set up this meeting. She knows it will be difficult. Owen does not trust her, nor should he. Marie has a reputation for switching
alliances on a dime. It is a reputation she hopes she can shed, one she
hopes she can get rid of. But to earn
Owen’s trust and maybe even the trust of the wrestling world, she will have to
work very hard. But the hard work is needed if she expects to win Trios,
and the hard work to earn the trust back and to go on and win Trios starts now.
The redheaded Boston native stands up as Owen
approaches, getting closer and closer. She extends her hand, offering it
as a sign of peace. There is some slight
pause, perhaps reluctance? Marie cannot tell by his look. Nevertheless the pause is not a long one as
eventually Owen accepts her handshake.
“I’m glad you came.” Marie
says as she motions to the sofa she was just sitting on, indicating for Owen to
sit down. Owen nods and finds himself a seat. Marie sits down next to him. A sigh escapes her lovely lips. “Honestly,
I wasn’t quite sure you were coming.”
“You did pick me for the Trios Tournament.”
Owen points out. “I am kinda surprised, to be honest.” Marie nods her
head in agreement.
“Yeah, well, I have my moments where I surprise
people. This was one of them.”
“Can I ask you something first?”
Owen asks. Marie nods her head. “Why not Kim?” Jones immediately
chuckles at the question from Cruze.
“I had a feeling you were gonna ask that. I
have a feeling a lot of people are gonna ask that and I may even catch a lot of
flack from the legions of Kim fans out there for not picking my sister.
It’ll make me feel even worse than I already do for not picking her, that’s for
certain.”
“Then why didn’t you pick her?” He
asks.
“Kimberly didn’t want it.”
Marie states flatly. “Before I even had any chance to think about my
possible picks, she told me not to even consider her, all because she didn’t
want to take the opportunity away from someone else.”
“Wow…” Owen
seems genuinely surprised to hear this about a woman who most of SCW know as
being a raging lunatic “...that’s unexpected.”
“Yes, well no one knows Kimberly like I do.
Let me tell you, that is definitely Kim.
Kimberly is a selfless person. And I wish I could be more like
her…” Marie’s voice trails off.
“Was she your first choice?” Owen
asks. Marie shakes her head.
“Nice try. I’m not answering that. It
doesn’t matter anyway, the point is that you and I are partners and we need to
work on trust.”
“Fair enough. But if that’s why we’re here,
where is Maria Vencejo?”
“We need to learn to trust Maria as well. Can
we trust her? Not sure. Can we work with her? I think we
can. But before we deal with her, there
is something you and I need to clear up.” Marie
points to herself and then to Owen. Upon thinking about it for a moment,
Cruze nods his head in agreement.
“Yes, I agree.”
“Owen, I chose you as my partner because I respect
you for what you have had to endure in your short career, for what you have had
to put up with against the likes of The Beauty Factory and Infamous and
others. I know what it’s like to deal with that crap, Owen. I also know what it is like having to deal
with the pressure of carrying on a famous family legacy. And…” The
Phoenix sighs, this is becoming difficult for her “...you have handled the
pressure a hell of a lot better than me.”
“Huh?” Owen
isn’t quite sure he heard Marie right. The Phoenix continues…
“We all make mistakes. We all make poor
decisions from time to time because no one is perfect. But when faced
with having to carry on the Cruze family mantle you have far more good judgment
calls than bad. You have done far better at dealing with the pressure
than I have. But me?”
Jones shakes her head. “I folded under the pressure. I could not
handle being in the shadow of my mother, of Angelica Jones. I ended up
making terrible decisions, terrible judgment calls, all in the name of getting
a shortcut to the top. One of the worst judgment calls I made was siding
with Syren, thinking that she would take me where I wanted to go. Instead
of proudly carrying my family’s mantle I allowed myself to be used as a pawn
and I did exactly what I was told, I was a foolish soldier doing what I was
told when I slammed that cage door onto your face when you were facing
Syren. So I apologize for that, Owen.
Anything and everything else I may have done, I apologize.”
Owen was definitely not expecting this. He
thinks over what Marie just said before nodding his head. “I accept your
apology, and I appreciate you saying all of that, but if you want to turn over
a new leaf, if you are truly going to seek redemption, is your plan to find
everyone you wronged and apologize to them to like this?” He smirks
knowingly. Marie just chuckles as she shakes her head.
“God no! I needed to do this face to face
because we are tag team partners and we need to work together in order to get
through Trios successfully. As far as everyone else…” she
sighs deeply “...I understand and accept the fact that it will take a long
time before I earn everyone else’s trust. But I am determined not only to
earn their trust back but also to proudly carry my family’s mantle, only I will
do it the right way, without taking any shortcuts. I will earn it.”
==========
On Camera
==========
The SCW logo flashes upon the screen.
“Haunted” by Taylor Swift plays in the background. Then we cut to a
standard gray backdrop. Some of the
cameras and lights are in the shot, oddly and strangely enough. There is
a brief wait of several seconds, but not too long, just long enough to build up
anticipation. The wait ends when Marie
Annabelle Jones, The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling, enters the scene
from stage right. The Phoenix is wearing a long ankle length black skirt, black
high heeled pumps, a red blouse, and her signature black leather jacket.
Her long gorgeous ginger red hair hangs unrestrained and straight down to below
her shoulders. Her nails, both finger
and toe, are painted a bright red color.
With the SCW’s yearly Trios Tournament on the
horizon and Marie Jones finding herself in the rare position of being a team
captain, one would expect her to be absolutely thrilled. But The Phoenix
knows of the seriousness, the gravity of the situation that she finds herself
faced with. Thus instead of a happy
smile she glares stoically, emotionless into the camera. Eventually the
music from Taylor Swift dies down and when it does The Phoenix begins to speak.
“This past Friday was Valentine’s Day. It is
yet another holiday that has become immersed in commercialism and consumerism,
just another excuse to spend money and buy things. You should want to
love your friends, family, or your special someone all of the time, not just on
one particular day. Yet maybe for one
day, just one day on the calendar, it is ok to stop and think about those we
love, those we care about, and let them know just how much we care about
them. In a way, that’s how I think about The Trios Tournament. Let’s face it, this one singular event causes
its participants to become hyper competitive.
People put so much effort into this and why not? If you win then you get that so-called golden
ticket, an opportunity to book any match you want at any time. It is
quite the reward, quite the powerful tool if you have any specific goals in
this business and me, you know damn well what my goals are.” Marie
nods her head. She holds up two fingers.
“I am two championships away from Supreme
Champion. If I win the SCW Adrenaline and World Championships then I will
become Supreme Champion. And with
a Trios contract, a right to book any match I want, I can easily make that
happen. But you should always be competitive in the wrestling
industry. You should always want to
compete and prove yourself inside the squared circle. Someone like me, I
am always competitive because I have the shadow of the Jones family always
following me, I know I have to live up to that high standard of wrestling
greatness. But I don’t want to be just a clone of my mother, the great
Angelica Jones. No, I want to be the
FIRST ever Marie Annabelle Jones. I want
to start being remembered and recognized for my own feats and accomplishments,
and the Trios Tournament can go a long way to accomplishing that. So yes,
of course The Trios Tournament brings out the competitive side of everyone, it
SHOULD bring out the competitive side of everyone.”
“What can be said about The Trios Tournament that
hasn’t already been said before? It is all true and it all bears
repeating, because everything that you have heard...everything that you are
going to hear from me and everyone else in this tournament...it is all
true. The Trios Tournament can make dreams come true. The Trios Tournament is a once in a lifetime
opportunity. How often do you get the
opportunity to make your dreams come true all in one night? The Trios
Tournament can do all of that and more.
While that’s what most will probably focus on, I have to admit that The
Trios Tournament is so much more than that.
The Trios Tournament is so much more than just a golden ticket to
whatever the hell you want.”
“Events such as The Trios Tournament is what makes
wrestling, and SCW specifically, so great. There’s the obvious, the fact
that it tests the wrestler’s endurance.
To win that golden ticket and make your dreams come true you have to win
three times in one night. That is a difficult feat for anyone. But you also have to work with people you may
not have wanted to work with, you have to get along with people you may not
like, all for the sake of achieving the common goal of winning this Trios
Tournament. Now people will be touting their experience as a tag team
expert, there’s even one Trios team that actually has a consistent team on
it. I could boast about my tag team
experience like some will in this tournament…”
The Phoenix pauses before shaking her head.
“...but I won’t. I won’t do that because
while this is about teamwork, endurance, and yes even the golden ticket that
makes dreams come true, there is still one glaring elephant in the room that
I’m sure many will overlook; but it is not something I will overlook.” Jones
pats herself on the chest.
“The responsibility. In previous years luck
played a major role in determining the outcome of the tournament. If you
got put on a team with lousy partners you were just simply out of luck. If you got put on a team with partners who
refused to work with you, refused to get along with you, then you were just out
of luck and your Trios dreams were over. This year some aspect of that
luck has been erased due to the fact that team captains were allowed to draft
one member of their team. And yes, it is
a very humbling experience for me to be one of the first eight team captains in
Trios Tournament history. And knowing the responsibility, the pressure
that lies upon my shoulders, it is a massive weight upon my shoulders, because
not only am I responsible for my own fate in this tournament but you can argue
as the team captain that I am now responsible for the fate of my tag team
partners, Owen Cruze and Maria Vencejo.” A
smirk slowly forms upon Marie’s formerly stoic features.
“But I am prepared to take on that
responsibility! I am prepared to work with Owen and Maria, and let me
tell you what, I am proud of this team! We may be different in our life
stories, our backgrounds, and the paths that we have taken in our wrestling
careers, but one thing that we all have in common is our desire to win, our
desire to compete and prove to the world that we are just as good as anyone
else on this roster! As different as Owen, Maria, and myself may be, we
do share the common desire of winning The Trios Tournament and taking that
golden ticket and making our own individual dreams come true. We’re also not intimidated by anyone else in
this tournament.” The Phoenix defiantly shakes her head.
“It doesn’t matter if you are an icon like Selena
Frost or Regan Street, it doesn’t matter if you are The Best in the World, and
it definitely doesn’t matter if you are the devil himself. Speaking of
Damian Angel, you are a le…” Marie
stops herself suddenly and then shakes her head
“...no, you are not a legend. The better word
for you is infamous. You are infamous in SCW and I am not referring to
the crazy clan of lackeys that Syren surrounds herself with. The things
you have done in this company are horrible, and I shudder to think of what you
could do with a Trios Contract. This team, OUR TEAM of Owen, Maria, and
The Phoenix will make sure that you do not get that opportunity. It’s a shame that stopping the likes of you
has to come at the expense of two deserving athletes like Peyton Rice and
Alistaire Allocco.”
“Alistaire, Glory Braddock and I are distant cousins,
we are family, so I feel it necessary to apologize for what she did.
That’s not what this family is about.
She does not represent this family and she definitely does not represent
me. I do not think you are naive for
wanting to win the right way; as a matter of fact, I admire that trait.
But as good as you are, Alistaire, I know that I am better, and I know that
Owen already proved he can be better because he ended your world championship
run. So sorry, Alistaire, but you cannot
stop this team I helped put together.”
“Then there’s Peyton Rice. You had quite the
battle with my sister in Emerge and you have held your own quite well in
SCW. Many look at you as the future of this company and I would not
disagree with that statement. I do
respect you, Peyton, you and Alistaire both, and you deserve better than
Damian. You both deserve better.
But I am not about to step aside willingly to allow you two to have this
spot. I have worked my ass off for years
and I have had three opportunities at the SCW World Championship only to come
up just short. I know what a Trios contract can do for my world title
aspirations, aspirations that I’m sure Owen and Maria share as well, and none
of us are going to step aside.” Marie
smirks knowingly.
“But knowing you two, you wouldn’t want us to step
aside willingly. You want a fair fight and so do we. And we’re going to give you that fight, we’re
going to give everyone we encounter in this tournament a good fight. We
are prepared to take this fight to anyone and everyone in this tournament so
that we can shock the world, win the whole thing, and make our dreams come
true. So just as Valentine’s Day is a day when the world decides to be
hyper-romantic, this Sunday the locker room of Supreme Championship Wrestling
will be hyper-competitive, eight teams all gunning for three golden tickets but
only one team can have them.” Jones
points into her eyes.
“And if you look into my eyes you will know that I
mean it, that I am deadly serious when I say that I will do everything I can,
that I will fight with an intensity you have never seen before, for
myself...for Owen...for Maria...all to help make our dreams come true.”
“Haunted” by Taylor Swift resumes playing.
Marie begins to exit stage left. The
scene fades to black.
