Renewal: Part 1

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February 29th, 2020

Boston, Massachusetts

Off Camera

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Marie Jones was disappointed when her Trios Team of Owen Cruze and Maria Vacenjo were eliminated in the first round of the Trios Tournament.  It was a big disappointment, especially after the momentum she had built up from defeating then reigning Adrenaline Champion Gavin Taylor and then going on to Day of Clarity and qualify to become a Trios Tournament Team Captain.  Winning the Trios Tournament would have been the ultimate feather in her cap, but it was not to be on that night.

Still, all was not lost.  Marie’s performance in recent weeks must have impressed someone in SCW, maybe even Sasha D herself, because on Breakdown it was announced that Marie would face Jordan Majors and Asher Hayes for the SCW Adrenaline Championship.  One of the two championships she still needs in order to achieve her Supreme Championship goal is now within her reach.  She has her opportunity and it is coming at Retribution.

Before then she has an obligation to her family; her and her sister Kimberly have been invited to visit their aunt Kayla Jones-Snow.

The house is one of those ones rich people buy when they get paranoid about having too much money.  It belongs to their aunt, Kayla Jones-Snow, and Kayla has come from a meager, poor upbringing.  Kayla only came into such wealth thanks to her own hard work and dedication as a fashion model, professional wrestler, and then finally cemented herself into this luxurious lifestyle by marrying into the wealth of Trenton Snow.  Kayla may know how to get by on less, but she prefers the best.

It's like a fortress, tall gates with more security gadgets than a military compound.  Ivy and ferns grew through the crevices of the old winding stone path, which led directly to the colossal structure. The mansion loomed proudly behind creaky iron gates, flanked by rows of skeletal trees crowned in crimson, swaying gently to the chilly autumn wind. At its threshold stood the delicate marble fountain, the soft gurgling of the clear water melodic as it resonated in the surrounding silence.  The manor walls sprang from the soil like the very dirt insulted them. Such ornate sandstone was too pretty to touch the earth, indeed it was fancier than many a palace. The windows were oversized, mullioned and almost cathedral-like.

It's nascent stone walls were a pale grey and were barren of the moss or ivy that clung to the walls of the older homes in the village. It's large oak door was double wide and was sheltered under a wide porch supported by stone pillars. The driveway was grandiose, sweeping into a wide circle in front of the dwelling with an ornate fountain in the center.

“Aunt Kayla sure does like the finer things in life, eh Marie?” Kimberly says with a hint of a chuckle under her breath.  The United States Champion is not used to this type of luxury.  She was born into hardships and remained in hardships.  Even after she earned enough to pamper herself, Kimberly Williams chose to remain down to earth, realistic; she chose to remain in the hardships she grew up in, to serve as a reminder of where she came from.

Walking side by side with Kimberly is her identical twin sister, “The Phoenix” Marie Annabelle Jones.  The Phoenix can only nod her head in response as she gazes upon their aunt Kayla’s magnificent estate.  Marie is not one to judge and she could not judge even if she wanted to; Marie, much like their aunt and their mother, enjoys the finer things in life.  This may be a little over the top for Marie’s tastes but still, she is used to this luxury while Kimberly is not.  Marie was also born into hardship but unlike Kimberly and Kayla, she never had to really fight to overcome her hardship.  Her mother, the matriarch of the family Angelica Jones, helped to bring her out of the abyss and into a nice lifestyle.  

“Sooooo what do ya think she wants?” Kimberly asks curiously.  In a show of true honesty Marie just shrugs her shoulders.

“I’m just as lost as you, Kim.”

Kayla Jones-Snow hasn’t exactly been the family type lately.  She has been sticking to herself and focusing upon building her own brand.  The “Need More Kayla” hashtag is constantly being floated around social media.  Kayla is constantly trying to shove her image down everyone’s throat.  To be perfectly honest, the rest of the family is somewhat embarrassed by it all.  Still, she is family, and if she wants to speak with them then the identical twin siblings will oblige.

The Woman Scorned, who is out in front, gets to the front door first.  She notices a red button and smirks eagerly. “Oh it’s a big red button!  I always wanted to press a big red button!”

Kimberly turns to face her sister. “Can I press it?”

“Sure, why not?”

Kimberly claps her hands with glee as she presses the button.  It turns out it is a call button and a few moments later the sisters hear their aunt over an intercom. “Oh, hi there sweeties!  Wait just a second…”

Kimberly and Marie exchange curious gazes, shrugging shoulders.  They wait a few moments but the wait is not long before the large front doors open and Kayla Jones steps outside to greet them with tight hugs, first to Marie and then to Kimberly.  After the hugs are finished the greets them with a seemingly sincere grin.

“I am so glad you two made it!”

“Well it isn’t like we got anything better to do, right Marie?” Kimberly says with a wink and a half smirk.  Marie also seems to detect a hint of sarcasm in her twin’s voice.  She makes a mental note of it as she nods her head in agreement.

“That’s right, I’m sure you two have such busy lives, both of you, with your careers skyrocketing the way they are!” Kayla gushes at her nieces just like any proud older relative would. “So I don’t want to keep you too long.  “Let’s go on back to the pool area, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

Kayla turns and begins to walk away from the door and motions for Marie and Kimberly to follow.  Kimberly seems skeptical but Marie is intrigued.  The Phoenix wants to know what this is all about.  She follows Kayla and thus The Woman Scorned follows suit.  Kayla leads them around to the back of the large estate where there is a swimming pool and patio area. The patio has born so many summers, echoed our laughter and supported the children's running feet. Her appearance is of an old rock, so much lichen has grown, dappling her regardless of any shade. Soil gathers between the stones, bringing slim wands of green each spring.

“Sit!  Sit down, please!” Kayla motions to several patio tables and chairs gathered around the swimming pool.

“Can I swim?” Kimberly asks with a smug smirk upon her face.  Ever the jovial one, Kimberly would of course be the one to ask the silly question.  Kayla just chuckles in response.

“Sure.  But you’re not exactly dressed for it.”

“Skinny dipping!”

“Kim!” Marie exclaims loudly.  Kayla just laughs, as does Kimberly.

“Oh give her a break, Marie.  I’m sure she was joking.” Kayla looks over at Kimberly. “You WERE joking, right?”

“Who knows?” Kimberly says with a knowing grin.

Kayla pauses for a moment to consider the possibility.  Kimberly has been trying to prove that she has reformed but still...this is Kimberly...thus it may be best to play it safe.  Kayla shakes her head.

“In that case...no, no skinny dipping.”

“Darn!” Kimberly remarks, feigning disappointment.  Marie rolls her eyes.  The Woman Scorned takes her cue to sit down in one of the green patio chairs.  Marie sits down next to her.  Kayla is the last one to sit down.  Kayla attempts to put on the front from earlier, the happy look, the joyful look.  A warm smile forms upon the redhead’s face.

“Well like I said, I am so glad you came.  It isn’t often we get to bond, you know?”

“We’ve all been busy, Aunt Kayla.” Marie points out.  Kayla nods her head in agreement.

“This is true but most especially for you two.  Don’t think that I haven’t been keeping up with your successful wrestling careers.” Kayla seems to beam with pride as she points to Marie. “You are only two championship wins away from Supreme Champion in SCW, correct?”

The Phoenix nods her head in confirmation.  She won’t say it but she is somewhat surprised that Kayla knew all of this. She thought Kayla would have been too caught up in her own world to notice what the rest of her family was doing.

“Which two do you need, Marie?” Kayla asks.

“Adrenaline and World.” Marie answers quickly. “I have a chance to win the Adrenaline at Retribution.”

“That’s great news!” Kayla exclaims. “I’m sure you’ll do great!”

A butler emerges from within the house out onto the patio.  More than likely this is a butler, for he is carrying a tray of three glasses and each glass appears to contain red wine.  He approaches the patio table and places each glass down, one in front of each of the three Jones women.  Kayla looks up at the man and smiles.

“Thank you, George.”

The man, George, nods, and then turns to make his exit.  Marie takes her glass of wine and takes a sip.  Kayla does as well but Kimberly ignores her glass.  Kayla then looks over at Kimberly, she points to the glass. “Want some wine, dear?”

“Not really.”

“Suit yourself.” Kayla takes another sip of wine. “But you, Kimberly, you really have made me proud.  You defeated Bree Lancaster to become SCW United States Champion!”

“And I’m gonna beat her again at Retribution.” Kimberly states definitively, with utter confidence in her voice.  Kayla smiles, ear to ear, seemingly very happy with what she’s heard.

“Good, that kind of confidence is what you need to succeed, and I am glad that both of you are confident enough in yourselves to succeed.  And that is why I wanted to speak with you today.”

“I don’t quite get it, Aunt Kayla.” Marie remarks curiously.

“Talent and confidence can only get you so far in this business.  Our cousin Glory is learning that right now.  Your mother and I had to learn that lesson the hard way early on in our careers.  But now look at us, look at what your mother and I have achieved.  And as for me specifically, I know I can still wrestle.  I know I have a few more good years left of active competition…” her voice trails off as she takes another sip of wine.  She sighs before shaking her head.

“...but I also recognize that my time as an active competitor must end soon.  No one can wrestle forever, but I still want to give back to this business, I still want to contribute and make an impact in some positive way.  That’s why I’ve become the public relations manager for your sister Kelly.”

“How is that going, by the way?” Marie inquires.

“Oh she seems to catching on to the business very quickly!” Kayla says, clearly proud of her own achievements with Kelly McBride, the youngest of Angelica’s children.  Kimberly smirks, seemingly more skeptical of the child’s progress.

“How about her actual wrestling?” Kimberly asks with an arched brow. “Because, y’know, last I checked this was still about WRESTLING?”

“Angelica is still working with her on that.” Kayla points out. “But like I said, there is more to this business than just wrestling.  And that’s what I wanted to help Kelly with and that’s what I hope to help you two with.”

“So you wanna be our public relations manager?” Kimberly asks, almost instantly breaking out into laughter. “That’s rich!”

“Kimberly…” Marie can sense her sister getting angry and attempts to calm her but Kimberly is having none of it, vehemently shaking her head.

“Seems like everybody and their man-whore of the day is getting a movie deal these days, gonna get me and Marie a movie deal?  Or a commercial deal?  How about a fashion line, huh?”

“All of that is possible, but…” Kayla shrugs her shoulders.

“I don’t want to sound disrespectful but to all of that all I can say is bullshit.” Kimberly retorts angrily. “If I wanted to be just another character type I would stick to being Crazy Kim.  But I already proved that there is more to me than just that.  And if I did what you’re suggesting, I’d prove to be a hypocrite.  So no, I don’t want anything to do with this.” Kimberly looks over at Marie and sighs.

“I can’t speak for my sister though…”

The Phoenix must admit that working with her aunt does sound promising.  Kayla has lots of connections and could help advance her career.  She seems sincere about wanting to help.  But Kimberly raises some valid points as well.  Marie is torn, but she does know that she needs more time to think.  She looks back at Kayla.

“Can you give us some time, Aunt Kayla?” Marie asks. Kayla nods her head.

“Sure.  Take all the time you want.”

With that, Kayla Jones-Snow gets up with her glass of wine and makes her exit.  The sound of a shutting door signals that Kayla is gone.  Immediately Kimberly takes her own untouched glass of wine and downs it all in one big gulp.  Kimberly slams it down on the table and smirks.

“That was good!”

“Kim, can we talk?” Marie asks. Kimberly frowns.

“Sure, but you’re not seriously considering her offer, are you?”

“I don’t know yet, Kim.”

“Why?!” Kimberly asks with shock upon her face.

“We’re both on our own unique paths of redemption, Kim.  You, you’re trying to prove that there is more to you than the psychotic crazy Kim that everyone knows and loves.  That’s admirable and, if you ask me, you’ve succeeded.  The world knows that there is more to Kimberly than just bloodlust and violence and crazy antics.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, babe, but I am pretty sure I have more to prove.”

“Regardless, you’re doing damn good right now.  And I am on a path of redemption too.  People out there still don’t trust me.  I had to convince Owen Cruze in the lead up to Trios that I could be trusted.  Maybe Kayla can put me in touch with some charity work I can help out with?  I don’t know?  But some good PR is exactly what I need right now.”

“And that’s what you want to do, then?” Kimberly asks. “You want to buy your redemption by throwing money at charity?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s exactly what you said.” Kimberly smirks knowingly.  Marie sighs out of frustration.

“Look, I do think she is sincere about wanting to help.”

“I want to believe you, Marie, I really do, but I know fakes when I see them.  I fought one at Day of Infamy, gonna fight her again at Retribution.  Our aunt and Bree are like the same damn person.  Two peas in a pod.” Marie watches her sister seemingly stew in anger at thoughts of both Bree and Kayla.  Marie thinks about what she is to do next when a sinister grin forms upon Kimberly’s face.  Marie knows that smile all too well.  Her sister has an idea.

“What are you thinking about, Kim?”

“You want to go down this path of redemption with me, right?” Kimberly asks.  Marie nods her head slowly, as she isn’t sure where the ever devious Kim is going with this.

“Yeah…”

“Then let’s do some redemption.  But not for this family, the Jones family is obviously doing pretty damn good!” Kimberly motions to the large home and pool “Let’s explore our father’s family.”

“Kimberly, you know how I feel about our father.” Marie says slowly with a note of uncertainty.  Kimberly nods her head.

“Yeah, and I never liked him either.  You know it.  For a long time I was glad he was dead.  But is he really as bad as we are led to believe?  Even if he is, what about the rest of his family?  We know next to nothing about our father’s family…”

“For good reason!” Marie exclaims. “Because he…”

“Because he what?” Kimberly asks. “What did he do that was so bad?  What did he do that made him deserve to die at our mother’s own hand?”

Marie pauses for a long time, remaining completely silent.  Kimberly smirks. “Exactly.  You don’t know.”

“So what do you want to do about it?  And how would this help you and me?”

“If we are to grow and become better people, then we need to learn about our history and whether we like our history and embrace it or hate it and turn our back on it, we still must learn to accept that it is our history.” Kimberly holds out her hand. “So what do you say?”

The Phoenix stares down at her sister’s hand for a long tense moment.  Before she can answer Kayla emerges back outside.  The two turn to face their aunt.

“So, did you make a decision?” Kayla asks curiously.

“Yes, yes we did.” Marie remarks smiling at Kimberly and playfully winking.  “Marie decided that it was best for us not to work with you at this time and as for me, I’m going for a swim!”

Kimberly watches as her sister (pretending to be her) strips down to nothing but her underwear.  Kayla stares with wide-eyed, appalled, shock as Marie runs and then dives into the pool.  Kimberly laughs hysterically.

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On Camera

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We open in an exquisite looking living room with cream colored walls and carpeting that is lush and an off-white color.  A big screen television set is placed on a wall over a fake fireplace mantle.  A comfortable black leather sofa is a few feet away.  A few  moments later “The Phoenix” Marie Annabelle Jones steps into the scene from stage left.  The beautiful redhead is barefoot and wearing denim jeans, a black “Phoenix” t-shirt, and her signature black leather jacket.  Her long locks of red hair hang unrestrained to shoulder length.  A grin is on the face of the Boston native as she waves jovially at the camera.

“Such a nice place, isn’t it?  All of the luxury and beauty that money can buy.  Many in the world believe that money can buy happiness.  In reality, it can only buy temporary happiness.  All of these luxurious items, all of these gorgeous and fanciful things, these materialistic items will not be here forever.  They will be gone, just like we will be gone.  But memories last a lifetime.”

With a wave of her arm The Phoenix motions to her surroundings. “You’re used to this kind of lifestyle, right Bree?  This is you right down to a “T”.  Typical entitled wealthy brat who thinks she is entitled to everything, who truly believes that she doesn’t have to earn anything.  Care to answer me a question, Bree?  Just one; if money can buy your happiness, then why the hell are you wrestling anyway?  For that matter, why the hell are so many wrestlers these days millionaires?  Makes no damn sense.  But no one accused you of ever making any sense.  Just so long as it fit your narrative, the boring and oh so gimmicky Breemerica narrative, then that is all that mattered.”

“As my sister rightfully pointed out, it is a narrative that has been done before.  I’m actually surprised you haven’t been sued yet for gimmick infringement.  Not that you’d care, because you can just settle that lawsuit.  Bribe them to keep their mouths shut so you can continue your mindless Breemerica drivel.  But then you got caught, and it wasn’t just by my sister…” Marie smirks knowingly and points at the camera, at Bree herself.

“...you got caught by yourself.  You got caught making the one mistake so many successful athletes make; you started believing your own hype.  You created this own little make believe Breemerican World Order fantasy land and that’s where your head was at, that is where your mind was stuck.  Or to put it more bluntly, your head was shoved so far up your own ass you couldn’t recognize your own faults and weaknesses.  Still you would be formidable for any other competitor, but to someone with the skill and ability that my sister posses, you were easy prey.”

Jones nods her head. “That’s right, you were easy prey.  Despite your whining and moaning about how it was a fluke, how Kimberly is unworthy, or even better how she used that poor pissant Scotty to her advantage…” Marie rolls her eyes “...please, at least try to lose with dignity, don’t cry like a little bitch, even if you are a little bitch.  At least pretend to have dignity.  You are good at pretending, right Bree?  I mean, you pretended for a very long time that people actually gave a damn about your Breemerica crap.”

The Phoenix smirks knowingly.  She shakes her head. “No one ever gave a damn about your meaningless drivel.  You, you bought into your own hype and left yourself open to a competitor as formidable as Kimberly Williams.”

Marie snaps her fingers and the scene slowly changes and shifts.  We enter into a new scene.  We see a gym that is in disrepair and whose better days have long since gone.  The concrete floor is gray and the walls are painted an off-white color, at least the walls that still have paint on them, as most of the paint on the walls have begun to peel.  There is a standard wrestling set up in the center, weights scattered all over the floor.  At one of the far ends of the room is a red heavy bag.  In the background we see a standard wrestling ring.

“This is the reality of professional wrestling, not the garbage you spew out of your mouth.  This is where people like my sister have busted their asses week in and week out, training and losing sleep, losing time with their families, all for the hope of one day making it in this business.  Kimberly didn’t buy any memories like you did; Kimberly did it the hard way.  She earned it.  She worked hard, she trained, and she beat you fair and square in the center of the ring.  And not only that but she exposed you.  She exposed your weaknesses and now the world can see them too.”

“I know all too well about trying to take the cheap and easy way to the top, I also know about earning your opportunities the hard way.  I’ve done both.  I’m not proud of everything I’ve done but I know as someone who has been on both sides of this, that to truly make a name for yourself, to truly be remembered as one of the greats, you have to work hard and you have to earn it...just like Kimberly did.  And whether you like it or not, Bree, at Day of Infamy, Kimberly Williams was simply better than you.  Just like I will be better than you on Breakdown.”

“You see, you’re on a downward spiral.  You’re panicking, you are letting even the tiniest of jokes and mind games from my sister annoy you and throw you off.  You’re distracted.  But me?  I’m more focused than ever before on MY goal of becoming Supreme Champion.” She holds up two fingers.

“I am just two away from achieving that goal; the Adrenaline Championship and World Championship.  I am focused, but can you really say the same thing?  Or are you still allowing yourself to be driven absolutely insane by my sister’s jokes?  Or are you still living in this fantasy land you’ve created for yourself, surrounding yourself with these false narratives, the same false narratives that have been tried and tried over and over again by people way better than you?  Because if you’re not willing to face reality, then you will get beaten yet again...on Breakdown...by The Phoenix.”

The scene fades to black.