Retribution 2022 #2
February 28
West Hollywood
Nate's House
----------------------
I arrived at Nate's and he was waiting on the porch for me. I only saw his car in the driveway, so I assumed Carissa was at work.
“Hey bro... what's with the warm reception?” I asked as he handed me a Coke.
“Devin is taking a nap, so I figured we'd talk out here to not wake him up.” Devin was five and should have been at school.
“Why is he home, is he sick?”
“He said he had a stomach ache this morning.” Nate shrugged.
“Aw. I hope he feels better.”
“If he doesn't by the morning we'll take him in. So...” Nate sat in one of the chairs on his porch, and gestured to the other one for me to sit. I did, then opened the Coke he gave me. Hey, it's better than beer. “You sounded.... weird, on the phone. What's going on?”
“Weird is a good word. I'd have said confused or maybe even mindfucked, but weird works.”
Nate sat back a bit, and his expression changed, it almost looked like recognition, or realization.
“What happened?”
“Tommy wants me to marry him.” I sort of cringed after I said it, waiting for Nate to.... I don't know. Laugh? Immediately say that was crazy? Shake his head? He did none of those things. Instead, he grinned. What?
“I wasn't sure he was gonna go through with it.”
“Excuse me, what?”
“He, uh... spoke to me about it, a few weeks ago.”
“You're fucking kidding me.” Weeks?
“Nah, the whole internet article business really got to him, he didn't like the idea of anyone thinking you're not solid.”
“He actually said that to me.”
“There's the whole, he's madly in love with you, part, too. So don't go thinking it's just a means to an end to shut people up. Trust me, I grilled him on that.”
I had to grin, Nate was always protective of me in that way, after I was nearly raped as a teenager by a friend of his. “I'm sure that was fun. I assume he passed your interrogation.”
“Flying colors. I told him if he went for it, I approved. His main concern was how you'd take the idea. I said if he'd asked a year ago, it wouldn't have been a good idea at all, you'd have probably disappeared. But now? You've grown a lot, you're almost a different person, as far as opening up to people goes.”
“So you encouraged this?”
“I didn't discourage it. I'm not in your head, I could never be sure what you'd do. I was just fairly sure you wouldn't flip out and ghost him.” Nate eyed me oddly. “You didn't ghost him, right?”
I laughed. “No. I mean, he only just asked earlier today. And I left the house, I needed to process this shit on my own. But I realized I couldn't do that, I don't trust myself. So... I called you. I need your input.”
“Well, my first thought is that it's a good sign that you're not planning to move out and cut off all communication. He was really afraid of pushing you away.”
“I can't blame him for that, I was so... skittish? Skeptical? No... wary. At first. But I didn't freak out when he asked me to move in, so-”
“That's why I was fairly sure just asking the question wouldn't send you on your way.”
“Okay, that tracks. But I don't know what to do, Nate.”
Nate shook his head. “I can't tell you what to do.” I groaned. “I can't, especially not with something like this. But maybe I can help you sort things out. What does your gut tell you?”
I put my hand over my knotted stomach. “Nothing yet, it's still doing cartwheels. Besides, since when has my gut reaction to anything been healthy?”
“Hmm. I see your point.”
“That's why I don't trust myself.”
“Okay. Let's break this down then.” Nate got up slightly and tuned his whole chair to face me. “You're happy with the way things are now, right?”
“Yeah, absolutely.”
“I thought so. It's been almost three years now. You already live together. You work together, both in SCW and at his gym. I know you help at the club, too. Now, don't get mad at him, but he explained to me about your, uh... agreement?”
“Please, everyone knows that now thanks to the internet.”
“Right. Anyway, he told me he didn't want to change that, just make things more concrete with you.”
“He made that clear earlier.”
“Okay, so I'll ask you this. If you accept, what really changes? Other than legal status and your name? I mean, I know you hate your name, so that's a good change.”
I sighed, staring at the Coke in my hand. I had only had one sip, I wasn't what I was really thirsty for, but I knew Nate would give me a beer at 3 in the afternoon, knowing I had to drive home. “You make it sound like nothing...” I looked up. “But it's really everything, the definition of what we are.”
“Does that matter if you love him?”
“I do love him. But it's not that simple, not for me. I wish it was, and that I could just agree and things would be perfect. But you know better than anyone else that my life has never gone that way, and I'm not convinced this would turn out any different.”
“Never gone that way? I'm hurt.” Nate put a hand over his chest. I squinted, I didn't get it. “Coming to this family worked out, didn't it? You let us in and we didn't turn on you.”
“Oh... well, that's true. Okay, most things haven't gone well.”
“Has Tommy ever betrayed you yet?”
Well... there was the whole Trios bullshit, but that had ultimately proven to be a massive misunderstanding, and it turned out he had good intentions, so in the end, no. There was the shit with Coral, but that was Coral's fault entirely. So... no.
“No...”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
“Handcuffs.” I hadn't meant to say that out loud, but I couldn't take it back.
“Come again?”
“You know, like my statue. For the prop contest.”
Nate thought about it a few seconds, remembering. “I see... you don't want to be tied, or locked, down.”
“Yes. Exactly. It sounds crazy but that piece of paper feels like a padlock.”
“You're not locked down now, and you said he made clear he didn't want to change that, so-”
“Okay but that's now. What if afterwards he changes his mind and I can't do anything about it but be forced to agree and-”
“Wait wait wait.” Nate held his hand up, shaking it, stopping my rant. “Do you really believe that will happen? Or is that just some kind of fear response based on past trauma? What are you really afraid of losing? Cause I don't think it's freedom.”
I sat back, looking at him as if he was a different person. “Are you a fucking therapist now?” The worst part, was that as soon as he asked what I was really afraid of losing, I knew exactly what it was. The realization hit me hard.
“No, it's just something I've heard Carla's therapist ask her during family sessions. It seems to to work to help her figure things out.” Carla had lost her parents at a young age, been molested by a foster father – the same one who had raped me as a teenager. That was how she came to stay with Nate and Carissa, by meeting me through our social worker. She was still a teenager herself, sixteen now I think, and she and I shared a lot of the same hangups and triggers. I saw why Nate thought something that worked for her would work for me. It did... but I couldn't tell him what came to mind. It scared me too much to put it into words just yet.
“I guess I'll have to think about it then, cause I don't have an answer for that.”
“Bullshit. I know that look on your face. You do, you just don't want to admit it.” Dammit! I did call him to talk about this because he's known me longer than anyone I know, and knows me better than I know myself. But fuck. I just looked at him, there was no use denying it. “It's hard accepting something you've been afraid of your whole life, isn't really as terrifying as you always believed. But you're the strongest person I know, so-”
“Oh fuck off.”
“Seriously. You are. By the time we met when we were kids, you had already survived things that break adults.”
“Those things are why I am how I am now, I wouldn't call that a strength.”
“The fact that you recognize it, want to change it, and work towards that, is absolutely a strength. There was a time you wouldn't have asked anyone shit if someone proposed, you'd have just.... I don't know, moved across the country. Again... I can't tell you what to do, just give you my perspective. But to me, the fact that today you didn't immediately say no means something. At least I think it does.”
“Maybe you're right. This is what I came here for, to try to see things from a different perspective, cause I know mine can be clouded.”
“Did I help?”
“Yeah... yeah, you did.” I gave him a grin, and finally felt like drinking the Coke he gave me. Luckily it hadn't gone warm yet.
“Did you make a decision then?”
“No... there's one more thing I need to work out. But I promise you helped me get to that point. Thanks, you're the best.” I set the half-drank Coke down and got up. Before Nate could try to stop me, I leaned over to give him a hug. “I have to go, I promised Tommy I'd be home tonight.”
“Okay, but... what else do you need to-”
“Don't worry about it, I'll figure it out.” Nate sighed. He knew that was my code for 'it's none of your business, bro.'
“Okay. Drive safe.”
I gave him a mock salute, then blew a kiss before going down the steps and back to my car. I watched Nate pick up the soda cans, he gave me a wave before going inside.
I started the car to get the AC going, but before taking off, I pulled out my phone and typed out a text.
[I need to see you. Are you in or near LA?]
Normally I would get a reply within a few seconds, but I waited two or three minutes. Just when I thought he wasn't going to answer and I put the car in drive, my phone dinged. I kept my foot on the brake to read it.
[No. But I can be. After Breakdown?]
I replied immediately.
[Perfect. Friday night?]
[Yes. See you soon.]
Relieved, I put my phone down and took off, headed home. Nate did put a lot of things into perspective, but I couldn't give Tommy an answer yet... not until I talked to Drake.
March 4
Los Angeles
Hotel
-----------------
When I got home from Nate's place, Tommy asked if I was okay. I said yes, I had just gone to see my brother. He didn't say one word about what he'd asked me earlier in the day. I knew he was purposely trying to not pressure me, and I loved him for that. We had dinner, discussed SCW shit, some Ante Up things for the coming week, and plans to go back to NYC after Retribution to check in on how Micah was doing. We went to bed at a normal time, had sex. Everything was as if there wasn't a large question mark hanging in the air.
Breakdown wasn't anything special for us, I made my intentions clear. This bitch Crystal decided she wanted payback on Tommy for something from October, whatever. He'd take care of her easily, we were both sure. Selena decided on the Double Jeopardy matches – I was starting off with Holly Adams and Brittany Lohan. Selena gave reasons for why she wanted Autumn and Kim Williams in her ring, but I had a suspicion there was another reason. I'll talk about that later though.
We got home Friday afternoon – the flight from Seattle wasn't very long. As I unpacked and then changed, I started to get nervous. It was completely ridiculous, I shouldn't be nervous going to see Drake. But I knew what was on my mind. I put on tight dark blue jeans and a black long sleeved t-shirt, with my leather jacket over it, complete with boots. Tommy had asked me where I was going dressed up like that. I told him I was meeting Sydney in West Hollywood for dinner, as I hadn't really spent much time with her lately. I felt shitty for lying, but I didn't think he'd understand if I told him what I was really doing, even if I tried to explain it. Maybe I'd confess afterwards, if it went well.
Drake and I had agreed to meet at an out of the way hotel in Los Angeles, it was easier that way for him, rather than having him drive up Santa Barbara after flying in from Vegas. It seemed fair for me to drive a little after he took a flight. He'd texted that he already checked in and all I had to do was meet him, and gave me the room number. After I knocked, Drake let me in, and as the door shut pulled me into a hug. That surprised me, he didn't usually greet me that way, but it had been several weeks since I'd seen him. Also, no one was around to see, we were alone in a room. After a few moments, he stepped back and held me by the shoulders, looking at me.
“Is everything okay?”
“It's good to see you, too.” I smirked.
“Of course, I'm glad to see you. But you said you needed to see me, I got the impression something was wrong.”
“Honestly? I'm not sure. That's why I needed to see you.”
“I admit I've neglected SCW events, what happened?” He looked me up and down again, as if assessing my physical well being or something.
“I'm fine physically, it's nothing like that.”
He visibly relaxed, and let me go. “Then what is it?”
“I just needed your thoughts on something.”
“Alright.” He walked over to the chair in the room and took a seat. I sat across from him on the end of the bed. “You have my undivided attention.”
“Tommy wants to get married.”
Drake blinked a few times, I've rarely seen him surprised by anything. “That is the last thing I was expecting to hear. What did you say?”
“Nothing yet. I needed to talk to you first.”
“Why would you need to do that?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
“Enlighten me.” There was a curious look on his face, like he had an idea and was waiting to see if he was right. I had hoped I didn't need to spell it out, but it seemed like this whole thing was an exercise in making me put uncomfortable things into words.
“Fine... I need to know what you think. He says he doesn't want anything to change, we would still see anyone we want. So, I need to know if this would change anything for us. I mean, me and you.”
“I see. May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why offer marriage if there will be no exclusivity?”
“You'd have to ask him that for a real answer... I'm questioning the whole thing myself. But, if I had to guess... he understands that I need my freedom. I tried to do this the normal way, and it didn't work. It's only fair that he gets the same privilege.”
“That seems logical I suppose. It just seems unnecessary to change the status of your relationship if nothing actually changes.”
These questions and statements made me think that Drake didn't like the idea of me and Tommy getting married at all. “He says that since the internet shit made it known to the world what we do, we'd be making it clear that despite that, we're for real. We choose to be with each other over everyone else. The only thing that changes is the ambiguity of our relationship, and my name.” Putting Tommy's words into my own to explain, made me feel like I was already defending going ahead with it, even though I hadn't decided yet if I wanted to or not. I was starting to believe what I was saying, and that made the nerves come back.
“I've long been aware that your name has been a burden for you. Having a different one, by choice, would likely be refreshing for you.”
I nodded, the more I thought about that part of this whole thing, the more it appealed to me.
“Tommy did make a selling point out of that.”
“There are many valid reasons why you would choose to accept his proposal, and if you do respond with a yes, I will respect that. That said....” Drake paused, and closed his eyes for a second, it seemed like he was debating how to word whatever he wanted to say. It wasn't helping my nerves. “If that turns out to be the case, I feel it best if you and I cease our physical relationship.”
Fucking dammit. “I see... so everything changes. Got it.”
“Not everything. Just the one thing. Sharing without clear boundaries is one matter, you being deeper tied to another is something else. What if I were to someday become involved with someone I want to make that kind of commitment to as well? They may not understand the arrangement. It's simply easier for all involved to end our tryst now, when it's less complicated.”
I shook my head, this was the exact opposite of what I wanted. “That doesn't make any sense. The same situation could still come up with you and someone else, if Tommy had never asked me to marry him. Would you still call this off in that case?”
It's not often that I see Drake at a loss for words, but in that moment, he was. After a long few seconds, he finally replied. “I can't answer that, I don't deal in hypotheticals.”
“So, no. Then why-”
“I have another question for you, and please be honest.” I gave a single nod, waiting. “Are you basing your answer to Tommy on what I say to you?” It was a huge part, but I wasn't sure it was a good idea to admit that. When Nate asked me what I was really afraid to lose... this was it. I hesitated, unsure how to answer. Drake knew me well enough to know what that meant, though. “Your hesitation is your answer. I would ask you not to do that. You should do what makes you happiest, regardless of me. I do appreciate that you considered me in weighing your options, but I do not want to be the reason you decline, if everything else spurs you to accept.”
Fuck holding anything back at this point, I had to speak up. “You know what? Maybe I'm just greedy. Honestly, I don't want to say no. But I don't want to lose you, either.” The act of saying both of those things out loud made me physically shake from the anxiety of admitting both. I couldn't remember the last time I felt more vulnerable.
“I'm not sure what else I can say to you, Kandis. I can't change how I feel, the concept of being second to another man's wife is not an arrangement I can envision myself in.”
When he put it that way, I couldn't blame him, in a way. Girlfriend who fucks around and wife who fucks around are two different things, despite the way Tommy and I didn't see it that way. Most people did. Including Drake. I cursed myself for not seeing it before, until just a few years ago he preached purity and restraint. I changed that when I 'broke' him, I convinced him that indulging in 'temptations of the flesh' as he called it, wasn't dirty, but in fact healthy. Of course he would think that being involved with a married woman wasn't something he could do. But... I had broken him before. With enough time, I was confident I could do it again.
“Okay. I guess I'll have to respect that.” Drake nodded, slowly. He didn't seem happy about it. “Let's say hypothetically, I say yes. Would you be willing to wait til we're actually married to end this? Sort of a... compromise?”
“I think that would be fair.” He replied immediately, and that gave me hope that I would be able to change his mind before the time came. Assuming I accepted, anyway. “I do want to make it clear to you that regardless what does happen, I am always your friend. We were friends long before anything physical occurred between us, and will remain so even after it ends. We've been in a place of rivalry before, and I don't like that place. That is one thing that will not change, no matter the circumstances. ”
“I didn't much care for being your adversary, either. You can't get rid of me this time.” I smirked.
“Good, as that is and never will be my intention.”
“I never doubted that.”
“Have I helped you come to a decision?”
“Not yet. It's a lot to think about, for a lot of reasons. But I will let you know when I do.”
“Alright.”
“For the rest of the night though, I don't want to think about it. I'd rather spend time catching up, it's been a long time since the last time we were together.” I reclined a little bit, leaning back on my hands on the bed. Drake stood up and moved to stand in front of me. I looked up, already knowing what he was going to do. I knew that look in his eye well.
“That... is a much simpler request.”
Drake then leaned over me, grabbed my face with both hands, and kissed me. In seconds I had pushed myself all the way up onto the bed, a few more seconds later every stitch of clothing between us was gone, and the rest of the night was as if the previous conversation hadn't happened.
Making up for lost time is one of my favorite things, especially when it's with one of my favorite lays.
March 8
Santa Barbara
Valentine Home
--------------------
The night I spent with Drake hadn't really made my choice for me. The conversation simply gave me a mission in the case I did say yes. I was about ninetey percent sure of my intentions, I just had to make sure to find a way to have everything I wanted. I refused to give up anything. I had negotiated a countdown of sorts – I had time to change Drake's mind. I hoped that the two rounds of sex – one that night and one the next morning before I left to come home – had moved the pendulum slightly to my side. The first round had been rough, almost ravenous. The morning one, less so. Rather, more indulgent, slow paced. Both were incredibly satisfying. When I got home Tommy asked me how Sydney was and I had almost forgot my cover story, but caught it quick enough that I'm sure he didn't notice. I made a promise to myself that eventually, I would tell him the truth. I just couldn't at that moment.
A few days passed, and while I was almost sure what I wanted to do, I was still afraid to put it out there. I knew everything it would mean, how it would affect more than just me and Tommy. I held back out of fear that the changes would be too much, or that I would start to regret it or change my mind,. I didn't want to have to back out, I knew that would break his heart. That was the last thing I wanted to do. And yet....
The Tuesday night after I saw Drake, Tommy and I were in bed. I was on top of him, riding us both to euphoria. He grabbed my ass hard, pulling me down harder, and we both moaned and grunted at the same time, trembling with the climax. Coming down, I started to catch my breath as I slid off and to Tommy's side. He turned to me and rubbed my face, grinning.
“That was a champion caliber performance.”
“Champion, huh?”
“Just getting used to calling you what you'll be soon enough.”
He sounded so confident and so certain that I was going to leave Retribution as World Champion. There was no doubt in his words or on his face whatsoever. He believed in me. In that moment, I believed in myself, everything he'd tried to tell me. About my ability, about our relationship. All of it. This was the moment and I had to seize it. I pulled him down to for a kiss, then pushed him away enough for me to sit up.
“This might be a weird moment for this, but I think I'd better do it now before I lose my nerve.” Tommy looked at me warily, I didn't give him time to ask what I meant. “I have an answer for you.”
He sat up to match me. “Just so we're clear, you're talking about marrying me?” It was a fair question, neither of us had said one word about it since the day he asked a week prior.
“Yes, that.”
“Already? That was quick...” There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. Did he expect me to take longer? Did he think I was saying no? Or....
“Fuck... don't tell me you changed your mind, just as I was about to say yes...”
“No, I didn't... wait. Really?” That was it. He expected me to say no.
“Really. Yes.”
Tommy smiled and kissed me. “That is not what I expected you to say, I have to admit.”
“I didn't expect to, either. But a few people helped me sort through the mess in my head.”
“Let me guess... your brother and your cousin?”
I took a deep breath. I couldn't go into this with even a small lie between us. “I have a confession. I didn't go hang out with Sydney.”
“No?”
“No... I saw Drake.”
He nodded, I couldn't read his expression. “That makes a lot more sense.”
“Are you mad?”
“No. I can understand why you didn't just say that in the first place, it might have been taken the wrong way.” I just nodded. “But I get it, I do. Obviously they both helped.”
“They did. They were two completely different conversations, obviously, but... in their own way brought me to the conclusion that I didn't want to say no, I was just afraid to say yes.” I had no intentions of telling Tommy any details about my talk with Drake, it had undertones I didn't think he would care for and now wasn't the time to dig into that. Tommy said nothing, just waited for me to continue. “I just had to be shown that I was being irrational. All of the bullshit we've been through... I don't need to list it, you know... we came out of each thing stronger. If any of those things had been anyone else, I'd have cut bait and run. But not you. Everything about this whole relationship has been unexpected. From the first night I spent with you and answered a real question, right up to now. I've never expected to trust anyone that fast, or as completely as I do you. I never expected to love anyone, or be loved. I never expected to choose to stay with one person permanently, even when given the option not to. I always come back to you though, because you make me want to. Saying yes is the best way to make sure that you know I'm always going to... no matter what, or who, else happens.” Tommy smirked at that last line. “And that goes for you too, not just me.”
“I had no doubt that it did.”
“So... I guess what I'm rambling far too much to say is, I'm letting you lock the handcuffs. But I'm keeping the key.”
Tommy reached up and held my face with one hand, making sure I was looking directly at him. “Understand something, babe. There is no key. They don't lock. You open and close them anytime you want.”
I nodded, and he kissed me. I can't say I had no fear at all anymore, I didn't think that was going to go away for a while, if ever. But it had died down to a small voice in the back of my head, instead of a scream.
“You know... I'm really looking forward to having a name I'm proud to use.”
Without bothering to say anything else, Tommy just kissed me again. I pulled him down to me, and he started running a hand down my body, we were still naked from having sex right before this conversation. As he pressed into me though I felt that he was ready for another round. I grabbed the hardness that was jutting into me and squeezed.
“Damn, again?”
“As you can tell, I'm extra motivated.”
And he was. All night.
ON CAMERA
Inside an Ante Up training ring, Kandis sits in a corner on the middle turnbuckle. It's clear she's taking a break from training, as she's in gray tights and a match sports bra, her hair tied up into a messy bun on top of her head, with some strands having come loose, a few stuck to her face with sweat. She's looking down at her hands, fingers laced together, clearly a lot on her mind.
The scene is a far cry from many of her other promos, which featured her in bed, in a pool, or in one memorable case, the backseat of a 'borrowed' Escalade. She's often been accused of not taking wrestling seriously due to her enjoyment of showing herself off, posting pictures on Twitter, and in general loving to have fun with sexuality. The last few months though Kandis had made a point to downplay that side of her personality, at least in public. She hated that the general public didn't comprehend that she could enjoy showing herself off and be serious about her career at the same time. Instead, she kept the pictures to a minimum, created videos that were just of her sitting in an undisclosed location and speaking, and she made sure through her actions every week that everyone knew she was dead serious about getting what she deserved in SCW. Not taking no for an answer. Not taking anyone's shit. Running down and even hurting those who fucked with her. Her attitude shift was the epitome of 'fuck around and find out.' Think she's only in this business for attention? Watch. Think she isn't serious about being successful and getting everything she's worked for and earned? Watch. Believe that she doesn't belong simply because of a few key losses, overlooking all of the wins and championships?
Fuck around, and find out.
Kandis looks up, as focused as she's ever been.
First of all... let me get one thing clear right from the jump, just so there's no misunderstandings about anything.
I don't give a fuck about integrity.
Why should I? Why should I give even a half fuck about the integrity of any of the titles, or SCW itself, when SCW has rarely shown any integrity towards me? I've been busting my sizable ass here for years, I came in from Emerge in 2018, looking to make a bigger impact on this business, have a larger stage to show the world what I'm capable of. I was jerked around for a while until I spent one night with Tommy Valentine. What was supposed to be a one night stand three years ago... turned into the greatest tag team SCW has ever seen, and the real power couple around here. Since we've been a couple and a team, we've seen other couples and teams come and go.
Kandis ticks off fingers as she names names.
Bree Lancaster and Blake Mason. Sienna Swann and Chris Cannon. Regan Street and Selena Frost. Autumn Valentine and... well, everyone she ever dated or teamed with. Jordan Majors and Cookie Dreams. Lucas Knight and Christy Matthews. I mean, I could go on, the list of split couples and tag teams in just the last three years is as long as my list of fuck buddies.
Yet Tommy and me remain.
Shaking her head, Kandis scoffs a little, the kind of amusement that comes with a frustration so deep all you can do is laugh at it.
That never stopped anyone in charge around here from jerking us around, though. Through the Tag Title Hot Potato trick Autumn and Christy played years ago, to making us wait for months to get another shot, while we watched the Tag Division start to swirl the drain, to us having to just attack everyone who even looked at us crosseyed to prove that we were fucking serious about getting what we deserved.
But it's even deeper than that. All the while, Tommy was getting other opportunities. Adrenaline Title shots, TV title shots, World Championship shots. Me? I was thrown a few bones here and there, but it was clear that everyone in charge in SCW always saw me as the lesser half of this team. I mean, look at the long list of people who have taken the book here and then did nothing with it to give me any kind of showcase! Mr. D, Sasha, Katya, the Board when no single person was in charge, Cian O'Dwyer. In fact, the only person running things in SCW who's seemed to have finally seen my worth and recognized that I've been shortchanged for far too long... is Shaun Cruze. A man who's nephew I basically derailed his little comeback tour and removed all signs of his brother's influence and legacy at the wrestling academy his brother started, that is now owned by Ante Up. And this man... the one out of allll those names who should harbor the most animosity towards me, is the one who added me to this clusterfuck, because he realized that I'd been fucked around enough and deserved a chance to prove to the world what I've been saying for years.
I don't give up.
I deserve better.
It's pretty sad when a man who's been GM for a cup of coffee has shown me more integrity than this entire fucking company, since I got here over four years ago.
So you're all gonna have to fuck off and get over it when I tell you I don't give a fuck about integrity. Selena Frost and Glory Braddock made a big deal about their matches. Seriously pissed the first one got ruined, they were determined to have the match with the most integrity of all time! No cheap shots! No cheating! No one trying to hurt the other! It made me fucking sick.
Kandis puts a hand to her throat, as if she was actually nauseated for a moment.
The whole thing is made worse by the fact that Glory was gifted a one on one match with the champion, but me? Here comes that integrity again.... sure Shaun Cruze recognized I was long overdue my chance, and gave it to me. Except it's in this clusterfuck known as Double Jeopardy, where I'm gonna have to fight through two other bitches first, to get a crack at the championship!
Nevermind the fact that I've worked harder and been more straightforward than anyone else in this thing. Kim Williams doesn't even want the fucking title, she apparently wants to copy Giovanni Aries' stunts with the United States Championship a few years ago, thinking that desecrating the belt is gonna ruin it's legacy or take it out of the picture entirely. I always knew the woman was crazy but this is a new level even for her.
Then we have Autumn Valentine, who by the way is a fucking disgrace to that name... who bitched and whined so much about not pandering to enough fans to get the End of the Year title shot, that she was gifted this chance just shut her the fuck up. I told everyone then and I'll say it again... I'll never pander to anyone or beg to be gifted anything. I've earned my place in this match, and I'll dare anyone to try to prove me otherwise. Autumn and Lexy and anyone else who kisses her ass might try to claim she earned it by being TV Champion for seven or eight months. But that doesn't scream World Champion material to me.
It screams mid-carder for life.
She's beat every mid-carder there is, and a few washed up veterans who were looking for one last run. Oh and before anyone throws the fact she took the TV title from me to start that historic reign... I'll remind you that she did so because the Golden Boys and their bitch interfered and attacked me, and Autumn took advantage. She didn't actually beat me. Just so nothing gets twisted here.
Tired of sitting in the corner, Kandis gets up from the turnbuckle and leans back on the ropes.
But, chances are I'm not gonna fight either one of those bitches, because let's be real here... Selena Frost is gonna put them both away, probably without breaking much of a sweat. So I'm gonna turn m focus to the two bitches in my ring.
Yes, I said my ring, and that's because I'm going to own it as soon as the bell rings. We have two veterans, one who blew every World Championship chance she's had so far and was still gifted another one, and the other who was obviously added to the match just to teach Kennedy Street a lesson in not demanding things you don't deserve. Not that Brittany Lohan deserves a shot either, but at least she has the pedigree. She's not called the War Machine for nothing. I watched her in other promotions around the country kick so much ass, it was inspiring. She might be the only woman I know who's as strong or maybe stronger than I am. Problem though... is that Brittany's motivation is gone. Brittany was being paid by Kennedy to care, but now that Tommy ran Kennedy off, there's no reason for Brittany to care about anything anymore. Sure, maybe they made a deal to get rid of Kennedy together, it was obvious that she was working Brittany's last nerve. But without Kennedy, either her money or her annoyance to inspire action? Brittany is just another washed up veteran trying to make one last run... and that shit isn't gonna happen on my watch.
Kandis steps away from the ropes and starts to pace in the ring, now she's getting worked up.
Holly, Holly, Holly. I know... I just know that this bitch is gonna be screeching from whatever rooftop or stage she has her bullshit Holly Hour set up from about how she pinned me last week.
Kandis pauses her pacing for a few moments to give sarcastic applause.
Congratulations Holly Adams! You won a triple threat match that meant nothing. You found a moment to take advantage of and you suck in behind Autumn and you got me. There's no debating it, there's no twisting it. You did. But here's the thing... you have a serious problem with picking up wins when it counts. You did one time, I'll grant you that, because you were Adrenaline Champion for a while. But you failed pretty fucking hard in that Chamber when Jordan Majors kicked literally everyone's ass and took that title. Since then you've won matches, sure... but the ones that count? The one you begged your followers to vote you into, the one you tried every trick in the book to win... twice! You still couldn't win. You can cry and whine all you want about how you should be the World Champion, but everyone with eyes and common sense knows better, because we watched the fucking matches, and you were fucking beat. I'm not sure where all this supposed controversy comes from, and I think everyone knows that Selena Frost is not one of my favorite people by a long shot... but the only thing controversial about those matches is how you tried to twist everything to your advantage, even Kim's random interference, and then pitched a hissy fit worse than Owen Cruze last year when none of it worked.
Kandis stops pacing again to face the camera, hands perched on her ample hips.
Just like I know Holly is gonna try to make a huge deal about pinning me last week, I also know that she's gonna hurl every insult she can think of at me, about my looks, my lifestyle, my fashion choices, anything she can grasp straws on. But I want Holly to know this... none of it is gonna bother me in the slightest, because I don't even listen to anything she says. Hearing her screech on TV is bad enough, I have zero reason to subject myself to any more of it willingly. Not that I've ever cared what anyone has said about me, but I hear that throwing insults is Holly's thing, since she believes she's the most beautiful and sexy woman in the world, and the rest of us are just scrubs with too much makeup. If that's the case though, please tell me why I'm the woman with a real man, and several more on call at my whim, while she's the one flaunting a man on TV who probably isn't even a real lover?
That's what I thought.
But, that's the lowest I'm gonna go, I don't need to insult other people to make myself feel better. I do my insulting and exposing in the ring. Both Holly and Brittany are gonna find that out real quick once the bell rings. I know they won't make it easy. Brittany has power and it'll take a lot to knock her down. Holly will be running around throwing every trick she can think of at the wall to see if it sticks. But none of it is gonna work. Holly didn't prove I don't belong, she pissed me off! There's a whole list of people who pissed me off and found out the hard way how dangerous that is for their careers. Holly's quest to become World Champion... ends. Now.
Kandis punches one palm with the other fist, punctuating her words.
Once I own my ring and go to the finals, we'll find out the answer to a question that's been asked for a long time. Who's better in a one on one situation.... Kandis, or Selena?
Kandis holds her hands out, palms up, and pantomimes a balance as she speaks both names. She then starts the pacing again as she continues.
Selena was given the chance to choose who she got into the ring with, leaving me with the other dredges. Selena and I aren't strangers by a long shot, go back and look at the wars me and Tommy had with her and Regan over the Tag Team Championships. I'm not just saying that to establish history, I'm making a point here. Selena has been in the ring with me. She knows what I can do. She knows how strong I am. Shit, she felt it just a few weeks ago when I dropped her with a Starmaker just because I wanted to. She stood in the ring in front of all five of us and the world and gave her reasons for choosing Kim Williams and Autumn Valentine, but I'm not buying that shit.
Stopping to face the camera once more, Kandis smirks, full of condescension.
Selena wants to hold that championship for as long as she can, and she's banking on Holly or Brittany taking me out before I get to her. In other words... the bitch is ducking me.
Kandis shakes her head again, this time amused as fuck.
I'm sure she was happy as shit that I got tossed into this mess instead of being given the same consideration, the same integrity that was shown to Glory Braddock. But in the end it's not going to matter, because the finals of Double Jeopardy? Are going to be me versus Selena Frost. There's no doubt in my mind. And when it comes down to just me and her, after the other bitches have been made to go to the back after losing... we'll find out once and for all who the better woman is. No tag partners, no Trios bullshit... just me and her, and both of us throwing everything we have at each other.
Here's the thing though... and I hope you're listening, Selena. The difference between you and me? Is this integrity you keep insisting you have and want to uphold. All integrity is... is a limit. You don't have the ovaries to do whatever it takes to keep that championship around your frosty little waist. You're more than likely capable of it.... you just won't do it. Because you refuse to do anything that might undermine this ideal you stand up for.
Kandis gets closer to the camera, creating something of a close up.
I don't have limits.
I have goals, and there is nothing I won't do to reach them. You've seen first-hand what that means in a tag match, with titles on the line. You've seen what that means when someone got on my bad side and they needed to be reminded not to fuck with me. Now... you're about to find out first-hand, with just you and me in the ring... exactly what 'fuck around and find out' means.
You've had your moments, Selena. I am way past due for mine! At Retribution.. I'm taking my moment, I'm taking the World Championship. And there isn't a single one of the five of you who can stop me.
Kandis glares for a moment before putting her hand over the lens. A second later, her palm clicks to black.