Family Matters: Part 1

  

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Off Camera

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The sounds of grunting as well the echoes of metal clanging and doors swinging opening and slamming shut are heard throughout an empty gymnasium on the outskirts of London, England in the famous gymnasium that plays host for the Braddock Wrestling School owned by the grizzled and usually angry veteran himself Glenn Braddock.  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.  The ring has black ropes and a black apron but the mat is a Carolina sky blue.  It’s empty at this moment but that changes when Glenn Braddock, wearing black sweat pants, sneakers, and a gray hoodie steps into the ring through the top and middle ropes.  The glare that is written across his face would kill most men and women, let alone scare them away, but then again, that’s Glenn’s normal look.

“Julia!” His loud, imposing, intimidating voice reverberates through the entire gym. “Where the bloody hell are you?!”

He leans against the ropes, staring at the entrance to the locker room area as he waits patiently for the arrival of his niece and student Julia Braddock.  And this student will be quite a challenge for the famous British amateur wrestler and Olympian.  Not that Julia lacks talent and ability.  Glenn has worked off and on with Julia for quite some time and thus he knows that she possesses the potential to defeat anyone she steps into the ring with.  Her match against Cassandra Mason proves that.  Despite the fact that it ended in a draw, the fact that she hung in there proved how game she was.  And she proved her mettle to the IWC brass because she is getting the chance to face a reigning champion in the form of Tina Valentine.  It may be a non-title match but Julia will get the chance to further prove herself in the eyes of IWC and its fans.

What makes this is a tough task for Glenn is rather complicated and hard to explain.  The truth is, ever since Julia began wrestling several years ago, her career has been a roller coaster of needless drama that has distracted her from reaching her potential and most of that drama started with and centered around one individual…

…Aphrodite Noel.

It all goes back to over three and a half years ago when Julia and Noel first met in the Southeastern Women’s Wrestling Conference, a regional federation owned by the now defunct Global Division of Wrestling.  Aphrodite Noel merely wanted to humble Julia Braddock into admitting that she, Noel, was the best women's wrestler in the world.  Julia Braddock was too proud to ever admit that and thus a heated rivalry ensued.  They fought back and forth, tit for tat, and if things couldn’t get any worse, management in SWWC thought it would be funny to randomly throw them together as tag team partners.

Everyone expected the pairing to last all of about a few seconds before it exploded but, much to the surprise of everyone, they managed to win the gold.  They even successfully defended those belts afew times.  Perhaps they could get along?

Not likely.  Soon after winning the belts Aphrodite discovered a nasty secret about Julia, one that Julia had been trying to keep from the world.  The truth is that being a Braddock carried high standards, especially when it came to professional wrestling.  Living up to the lofty Braddock standards of excellence put a lot of pressure on Julia, so much pressure that she could not take it anymore and resorted to drug abuse as a means of getting her mind off of her troubles.  The drugs, and her involvement with a gang that had supplied her with the drugs, was the secret Noel discovered.

That wasn’t the worst part.  Having to face up to charges of drug abuse was bad enough but Julia could have paid a fine, serve her time, and dealt with it.  But she never did pay off a debt she owed to the gang that had supplied her with the drugs and they were out for her head.  The danger Julia was in being in debt to this gang was the worst aspect of it, especially when Aphrodite found out about it.  Aphrodite paid off the debt Julia owed to the gang and helped rehabilitate her but she still knew the secret and now Julia owed Noel.

Big time.

Holding it over her head as a blackmail, Aphrodite forced Julia not just to admit that she was the best women's wrestler but also to serve her as well.  And Julia, not wanting to go to jail, and definitely not wanting to face the possibility of her wrestling career being ruined, had no choice but to agree to be Noel’s servant.

Now Aphrodite Noel, a self-proclaimed queen, had the undying loyalty of her new servant Julia Braddock.  Julia would try to resist, making things difficult for Noel.  Eventually Julia grew to accept her new role as a mere servant, accepting the fact that she would never escape, but Noel didn’t believe it.  Aphrodite wanted t o make certain that Julia would show no more resistance. Thus, wanting to make sure there would be no more resistance, Aphrodite had Julia sign a legal document making her, for all intents and purposes, a legal slave to Aphrodite Noel.

Aphrodite did eventually change her ways and allowed Julia to leave. They even became friends as Aphrodite allowed Julia to have her freedom.  Still, the legal document that Julia signed was in existence.  Aphrodite never tore it up and it was never reversed through any legal means.  Aphrodite Noel, at any moment, could call her up on it and make her a slave again.  Noel claimed she would get the contract changed but she never did. Instead she decided she wanted to become the same narcissistic queen she once was, and that meant forcing Julia into subjugation.

Since being a wrestler, Julia had been free, forced into slavery to Aphrodite, free again, and then forced into slavery again.  Only this time things turned out slightly different.  Some may attribute her change of heart and mind to Stockholm syndrome.  Whatever you attribute it to, Julia changed.  She began to blame her own family for her problems.  She blamed Glenn and Glory Braddock for putting so much pressure upon her that she felt she had to do the drugs.  She blamed Glenn and Glory Braddock for not being there for her, fighting for her freedom when Aphrodite blackmailed her in the first place.  She realized that Aphrodite was the one who cared enough to not just pay off the debt she owed to that gang, but to also put Julia through rehabilitation and end her drug addiction.  And so, upon Julia’s own request, Aphrodite did legally change the terms of the contract, allowing Aphrodite to adopt Julia and thus Julia became her child, Julia Alexis Noel.

Aphrodite Noel was the self-proclaimed Queen of Women’s Wrestling and Julia had become her daughter, a Princess.  Whereas before she had to serve Aphrodite Noel, now she was being served by others.  Julia reveled in the praise and glory that Aphrodite’s servants were forced to shower upon her.  She loved being waited on hand and foot and all she had to do was be a Noel.

The doors to the locker room area of the gym swing open.  Glenn watches as Julia Braddock emerges.  She is wearing red adidas windpants and a plain white t-shirt.  Her long blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back.  Glenn growls under his breath.

“About time.”

“Give me a break.” Julia says with a smile on her face. “You know it takes us ladies a little longer to get ready.”

“Get ready for what?” Glenn asks pointedly. “You’re about to freaking sweat!”

“Good point.”

Despite the smile on her face, a smile that seems to exude happiness and joy, there is still a sense of guilt that runs deep down to Julia’s core.  And that guilt doesn’t just deal with her near exit from IWC, a mistake that she would have regretted with all of her being, a mistake she only has herself to blame and can only thank her new agent, Dr. Henry Van Stanton, as well as her uncle Glenn Braddock, for being able to correct in time to get a new IWC contract, this time one to wrestle for the Uprising Brand.

This guilt has mostly to do with the dastardly things Julia Alexis Noel did before she came back to her senses.  She agreed to become Aphrodite’s daughter out of anger, anger at her real biological family the Braddock family.  So she was more than happy to assist Aphrodite in tricking and trapping her cousin Glory Braddock.  The trap worked to perfection and Glory was forced into the same agreement Julia was under: adoption.  Julia and Glory were no longer cousins, they were sisters; Noel sisters.

Julia was the first to come to her senses and she came to her senses when she realized that Aphrodite, her adopted mother, was treating Glory better than she was treating her.  She was playing favorites and doing many of the same things she had once accused Glenn and the rest of the Braddock family of doing.

So she sought out the help of Dr. Henry Van Stanton, who assisted her in legally escaping Aphrodite’s clutches.  Henry also helped Julia to make peace with her uncle Glenn Braddock.  Then Julia became instrumental in freeing Glory from the clutches of Aphrodite Noel, allowing the Braddock family, and Julia in particular, to move on from this trying and troublesome episode of their famous careers.

Julia Braddock steps up onto the ring apron, facing her famous uncle Glenn Braddock.  She smiles hesitantly, not knowing what he may have planned but she is prepared for anything.

“So, what do you have in mind for today, Uncle Glenn?”

“Tina Valentine is just as tough as she is annoying.” Glenn remarks. “So that means she’s tough as hell.  Your training this afternoon is going to take place in two phases.”

He holds up one finger. “First, seeing as Tina is the No Limits Champion, I am going to test your endurance against the usual weapons utilized in pro-wrestling; kendo sticks, chairs, trash cans, tables, the usual.”

Julia’s eyes grow wide. “Weapons?”

“Yeah, you got a problem with it?”

“Well, um, you do realize that this is not a hardcore match, right?  The title isn’t on the line.”

“So?!” Glenn exclaims loudly. “This is the Independent Wrestling Cartel.  Anything can fucking happen, especially when that crazy, unhinged bloody tart Tina Valentine is concerned.  You need to be ready for anything.”

Julia nods her head slowly. “Ok, fine, what else do you have planned?”

He holds up two fingers. “The second thing is some sparring.  And I have the perfect sparring partner.”

“Really?   Who?”

“Me!” Glenn exclaims. “When I say perfect I always am referring to myself.  Know that.”

Julia giggles lightly under her breath.  She really did miss the training sessions with her uncle, even if he can be slightly unhinged himself at times.  Glenn points with his right hand towards the heavy bag.

“But first I want you to warm-up on that heavy bag.”

Julia nods her head.  She hops down off of the ring apron and then turns around, walking towards the heavy bag.  Upon making it to the heavy bag she gets into a stance, waits a few moments, and then starts swinging with rights and lefts.  She even throws in a few kicks or two for good measure.  As she continues to deal out punishment to this heavy bag, she hears a loud thumping sound on the concrete floor.  She figures this must mean her uncle Glenn has exited the ring.  Sure enough, it isn’t long before she senses his presence near her, right next to her, even, as he speaks out.

“Where’s that damned Van Stanton?”

“Huh?” Julia can only utter that one word as she is trying to focus on the heavy bag.

“Where is Henry Van Stanton?  Your manager.”

Julia stops the abuse of the heavy bag long enough to turn and face her uncle.  She frowns out of confusion and shrugs her shoulders.

“I’m not sure.  Honestly, I was wondering the same thing but I thought you knew where he was so I didn’t ask.”

Glenn shakes his head. “That goof never tells me a damn thing.  You know that.”

“So if you don’t know where he is and I don’t know where he is, then where is he?  It isn’t like him to be late.”

Julia is beginning to get worried and the concerned look on her face tells that story.  Dr. Henry Van Stanton has sacrificed a great deal to help her.  He risked a great deal to help her when she really didn’t deserve any help.  She cares deeply about him and is worried about him.

“Am I late?”

Julia Braddock and her uncle Glenn hear the voice, the all too familiar voice of Dr. Henry Van Stanton.  They turn towards the direction the voice came from, which happens to be the front door, which has now opened, and they find Henry himself walking in.  As is per then norm when it comes to Henry, the good doctor is dressed in swanky purple pants, a purple tweed jacket, and a darker purple vest with a white button up silk shirt underneath.  A smug, confident grin is etched across his face as he stands there in the doorway, blocking anyone from getting in or out if they wanted to.

“Henry?  Where were you?”  Julia asks, the concern still expressed on her face. “We were worried.”

“Speak for yourself.  I didn’t give a shit.  I was actually hoping he wouldn’t show, so we could have some damn peace and quiet while we worked.”

Glenn growls.  Julia immediately gasps, shocked that he’s say that, and then she playfully and gently shoves him.  Henry, not offended in the least, just chuckles ever so slightly.

“Ah, well, sorry to burst your bubble, Glenn, but I’m here and, as it turns out, I AM going to interrupt your training session for just one moment.”

Glenn rolls his eyes. “Figures…”

“Oh don’t worry, Glenn…”

Henry pats the elder Braddock on his head, causing him to growl even moreso than before, but Henry ignores his angst as he steps over to Julia.

“…this is important and it will only take one brief second.”

He stares down at Julia who smiles back up at Henry. “Hi there, Doctor.”

“Greetings, Julia.  Are you doing well?”

“As well as can be expected, Doctor.”

Henry nods his head. “Ah, well, that is to be expected, isn’t it?  Things have been up and down for you like a verifiable roller coaster.   Only now do you have a legitimate chance of redeeming yourself.”

“All because of you.”

“Oh you give me too much credit.” Henry shakes his head. “All I did was create the environment for the opportunity to present itself.  You created the opportunity for yourself and now you will get the chance to reach out and take it.”

“And that will not be easy.” Julia answers back with a sigh. “I don’t have many friends, not after what I’ve done.  And my next opponent in IWC is a tough one.”

“Tina Valentine is tough, this is true,” a knowing grin forms on his face “but I think I know of someone who has some words of wisdom that may help you.”

Julia looks rather confused.  Whatever, or whoever, could Henry be talking about?  The blonde British beauty watches as Henry steps aside and motions towards the front door of the entrance (or exit as is their perspective).  She watches as her cousin, Glory Braddock, emerges.  She is wearing a stunning sheath dress featuring on-trend foil lace and curve-caressing fit, sweetheart neckline with gripper tape,  detachable adjustable straps, and hidden side zip closure, fully lined.

“Good God, Glory!” Julia exclaims with eyed awe at the beauty of her cousin standing before her. “You look…you look…”

“Stunning?” Henry offers.

“Yeah…”

Glory laughs ever so lightly. “Thanks, mate.  I’m going out with my husband, Kurt, after this.”

She motions towards the door with her thumb. “In fact, he’s waiting on me in the car.”

“Right, sure, but all this?” She motions to the dress. “You look lovely but it just doesn’t make sense.  It’s not…”

Julia shakes her head “…it isn’t you.”

“Glad you noticed, mate.  I was hoping you would notice, because I needed to make a point.”

Glory approaches Julia, the heels of her strappy high heeled shoes clicking across the concrete floor as she does so.  She stops, standing in front of Julia, and then places a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re not ready for Tina Valentine.”

Julia frowns. “What do you mean?  Of course I’m ready.”

“No you’re not.” Glory shakes her head. “The fact that you were unable to put Cassandra Mason away last week is evidence of that.”

Glory looks up at Glenn and smirks, then she looks back down at Julia. “My father, God bless his soul, doesn’t want to tell you that you are not ready for Tina Valentine.”

“Well he never thinks I’m ready.” Julia says sarcastically. “You know this.  Then again, that’s why I’m here, right?  So that Uncle Glenn can get me ready.”

“Oh I’m sure my father will get you ready physically.  In fact, if we’re just talking physically, you might be ready for her right now, but I’m talking about your physical game.”

Glory taps Julia on the top of her head. “I mean mentally.  You are not mentally ready.”

Julia shakes her head. “I really don’t like where this is going, Glory.”

“I know and I’m sorry but it has to be said.  I saw you on television last week and I see your eyes here tonight and I can tell you are not ready.  You’re bothered by something.  And I think I know what it is because it is the same thing that kept bothering me, that kept bugging me, eating away at my psyche.  It was bad enough that it kept me away from a wrestling ring and damn near caused me to abandon my own wrestling company, GCW.”

“What could be that bad?” Julia asks, her eyebrows raised slightly. “You are so strong mentally and emotionally, what could be so bad that it would nearly cause you to break?”

Glory smiles knowingly. “Just like Henry said earlier, you give me too much credit, mate.  Truth is that we are all human beings and we all have our faults and our weaknesses.  For me it was my own Braddock pride.  I honestly believed nothing and no one could ever get to me.”

“But Aphrodite did.”

Glory nods her head. “Bingo.  She got to me and I was helpless to do anything about it.  I needed you and Henry to help me.  And not only did she get to me but she’s still there.”

Glory taps herself on the head now. “Right here, in my head, stuck there forever.  And the proof is in the pudding with what you see before you.  Inside of a wrestling ring is the only time you’re guaranteed to see me in pants.  I rarely wear pants anymore outside of a wrestling ring.  I wear dresses, skirts, and heels. I’m a feminine girly girl.  I am not the tomboy I once was.  That is Aphrodite’s doing.”

“If that’s the case, then you should see a psychiatrist.”

“I did.” Glory says, nodding her head. “But she did no good.  In fact, she starting to do more harm than good.  So I stopped all sessions and noticed that things began to get better.  I am a beautiful woman, is it so bad that I dress like one?”

Glory sighs. “Anyway, that’s how I reconciled what happened between us and Aphrodite Noel.  And it isn’t obvious with you, seeing as I was the only tomboy in our family, but you still haven’t reconciled what happened to us, to you.”

Julia looks away from Glory and then bows her head in shame.  Glory pats her on the back to comfort her.

“It’s my greatest fear…”

“What is?”

Julia looks back up at her cousin with tear filled eyes. “You were strong. You always were.  And yet she managed to get to you mentally and affect your psyche.  My greatest fear is that, seeing as I am weaker than you, and seeing as I am alone in IWC against people like New Eden, Monarchy, and so many other threats, that one of them could easily get to me in much the same way.”

Julia embraces Glory. “Princess Julia was a monster and I don’t want that monster to ever return again!”

“It’s ok, mate.  It’s ok.” Glory pats her on the back as she hugs her tightly. “First of all, the truth is that you are stronger than me.”

The hug is broken and Julia looks up at Glory incredulously. “No I’m not!”

“Yes, you are.” Glory nods her head. “You were blackmailed, you did not willingly give in.  But me, I gave in all too quickly.  She got to me all too quickly.  When the offer was given, I was all too eager to become Aphrodite’s daughter.  But you lasted much longer than me and YOU saved ME.  And as for being alone…”

She nods in the direction of Henry Van Stanton, then motions to Glenn Braddock, finally she motions towards herself, smiling the entire time.

“You have Henry, you have my father, and you have me.  You have the strongest support system anyone in IWC could possibly have.  The impact Aphrodite had upon me was is that its making me wear heels more often, but I think I can live with that.”

The two women chuckle but Glory then taps Julia on the chest. “The affect its having upon you is that it’s causing you to lose confidence in yourself.  Do not lose confidence in yourself.  No one would want that.  Not even mother.”

Julia frowns. “Don’t you mean Aphrodite?”

“My biological mother is Mary Ford, yes, but she’s done some things that have caused me to lose a great deal of respect for her and caused me to lose a lot of that love I once had for her.”

“So much so that you’d rather disown her?”

Glory nods, tears now forming in her own eyes.  “Yeah…”

“What did she do?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.” Glory remarks, wiping tears from her eyes. “My point is that you need to reconcile what happened so that you are no longer thinking about it and that you regain your confidence.  Otherwise, you’re sunk.  You can’t go in against someone the caliber of Tina Valentine without confidence in yourself or the match is over before it even begins.”

Julia nods her head. “Yeah, right, I’ll…I’ll do my best.”

“Good, that’s all I ask.” She nods at the heavy bag. “Now get to work before Godzilla Braddock gets you.”

Julia chuckles at Glory’s nickname for Glenn. “Right…”

Julia begins to smack the heavy bag with rights and lefts and kicks.  Meanwhile Glory and Henry walk over to Glenn Braddock.  They take him aside, walking over to the ring where they are just outside of earshot from Julia.

“You damn near told her.” Glenn remarks, growling angrily.

“I know.” Glory says sadly. “I should have told her.”

“No, you’re wrong.” Henry looks at Glenn. “He should tell her.”

Glenn shakes her head. “You’re crazy as fuck.”

“No, he’s right.” Glory chimes in. “Julia deserves to know the truth and it would sound better coming from you.”

“Too bad, I’m not saying a damn thing.” Glenn snaps back at them both. “Everything has been fine with this secret remaining a secret for this long and it will remain a secret so help me God.”

“You had better consider changing your mind, my friend.” Henry remarks as he steps in between him and his daughter Glory. “Your daughter and I may respect your wishes for now but you never know when we’ll decide to spill the beans.  Besides…”

Henry leans in to whisper into Glenn’s ear “…who is to say it has to come from us?  There is another who knows and she doesn’t approve of how you’ve kept this from Julia either.”

Glenn Braddock, the grizzled veteran who scares off cheesy Japanese monsters with an icy glare, goes pale white in fear for perhaps the first time in his life.

“I can’t…”

“You can.” Henry states. “Or else…”

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Glenn Braddock

On Camera

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I hate losing.  I loathe it.   I also hate nationalistic Americans who think they’re all that and a cup of fucking tea but that’s a different story.  You know what else I loathe?

Whiny little brassers who can’t seem to get over themselves.  I loathe whiny little bitches who think they need their hand held throughout their entire life instead of actually doing something for their own damn self.

I’m looking at you, Tina Valentine.

You are a real piece of work, you bloody tart.  You have been ever since you came into this damn company.  You’ve been an annoying nuisance to every single person you have encountered.  You’ve been so annoying people have left because of you.  And now there’s the fear and prospect that you might drag someone equally as annoying, namely that little bitch Myra Lynwood, into IWC with you?

God I hope she stays where the hell she’s at.

My niece will be nicer to you than I will, but let me tell you a hard truth that she won’t tell you.  At Uprising, she’s going to plant her foot so far up your ass you won’t be able to walk straight for the next two weeks!

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Henry Van Stanton

On Camera

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Hi there, Tina.  I’m The Doctor.  Dr. Henry Van Stanton, to be precise.  I am Julia Braddock’s manager.

I do wish that her return to IWC had went better than what had actually happened on last Uprising against Cassandra Mason.  Nevertheless, we live and learn and Julia has learned from her mistakes.  Not only that, she has done her homework on you and she is ready for anything and everything you may very well throw at her when you two face off on Uprising.

You may be a dirty player at times and you have a very dirty mouth on you…seriously, how do you eat with that thing…but I trust that deep down within everyone there is some good and I echo my client’s sentiments.  I hope you and her can have a good, honest, fair fight at Uprising.

Just remember Tina, do not underestimate Julia.  You may be looking past her towards Alana Starr or towards the Last Stand Rumble.  Do not make that mistake.  If you do, Julia will defeat you.

Actually, scratch that.  Make that mistake.  Please.

See you soon.  Geronimo.

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On Camera

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The camera rolls and we see the ever so lovely vivacious blonde known as Julia Braddock.  The blonde waves at the camera, smiling broadly from ear to ear with a grin that seemingly cannot be taken off of her face. Her body is framed beautifully in a cute floral print sun dress that stops just above the knee that shouts her femininity to the world, her long silky blonde hair hangs down to shoulder length. Her lovely feet are encased in strappy sandals with a two inch heel. The niece of the legendary British amateur wrestler Glenn Braddock sits in a plush black leather chair, her right leg crossed over the left. Her hands are folded up in her lap in a ladylike fashion.

“Hi there, Tina,” she waves politely at the camera “are you ready for Uprising?”

She laughs lightly. “I know I am.  I mean,  I was honestly shocked to see that I got booked against you for the next show.  You are the reigning No Limits Champion and, despite what some may say, you are definitely hardcore and you are definitely worthy of that title.  You’ve earned that and every other championship you’ve won in this company.  Facing you will be an honor.”

“I also realize that facing you will be a great challenge.  After all, you are guided by some great, if not somewhat manipulative and villainous minds in the game in the form of Kloe Masters and Myra Lynwood.”

Julia smirks knowingly. “Well, you are guided by Kloe, at least.  Myra, on the other hand, is a different story.  When I look at you and Myra, what I see reminds me of my former relationship with Aphrodite Noel where she once controlled me like a puppet master and I was the puppet.”

She points into the camera. “You are the puppet, Tina, and Myra is the puppet master.  She pulls the strings and you dance.  She says jump and you ask how high.  You have no brains any longer.  You have no will any longer.  Her brain is your brain.  Her will is your will.  You can’t think for yourself.  No matter what she says, no matter what she does, you just take it.”

“I agree to a point that someone like Myra was needed.  You were having episode after episode over twitter and other social media.  It was becoming quite embarrassing.  You complained about how people insulted you and called you a hoodrat but, the truth is, you brought it all upon yourself.  Yeah, you do need guidance of some sort.  And perhaps Kloe is the person to do that for you.  But Myra?”

She shakes her head. “You could do so much better than her.

“Nevertheless, you’ve made your decision.  You have chosen your career path and you will pay the consequences of your choice, just as I have paid the consequences of the decisions I’ve made in the past.  Decisions, horribly mistakes, that I have made over the past three and a half years.  I am trying to make up for those mistakes here and now with this run in the Uprising Brand of IWC.  But you?”

Julia sighs and shakes her head. “You seem to be making the same old mistakes you have always made your entire career.”

“Now I may have said some harsh things, but make no mistake about it, Tina, I recognize how good you are.  I realize how talented you are.  I know you are the No Limits Champion for a reason and I am not going into this match thinking she’s just some hoodrat that I’ll walk right through.  This will be tough, for the both of us, and I hope we can have a good, honest, clean match with the best competitor winning, and if that person is indeed you, I have no problem raising your hand in victory, if you can do the same for me if I win, because you had better believe, Tina, I am going to do everything I can to defeat you and win on Uprising.”

“And if you continue acting the way you are, if you continue to follow this path you have created for yourself where you are seemingly being torn in two directions, one of Kloe and one of Myra, then you will eventually collapse.  You will come apart at the seams and there will be no repairing you.  Or you could make a decision that even you realize that you will have to make eventually.  That decision being, which person do you trust more with your career; Kloe, Myra, or yourself?”

Julia shrugs. “Who knows?  Regardless, of your decision, I will do my damndest to make Uprising hell for you.  I will do my damndest to give you the fight of your life.  And who knows, maybe, just maybe, I might pick up a big win over the reigning No Limits Champion and potential future world champion?”

“What a feather that would be in my cap, eh?” She winks at the camera. “See you soon, Tina.”

The camera fades to black.

 

vs. Salinas and Frost

What started out as a four way is now, for all intents and purposes, a triple threat.  Victoria Salinas, Selena Frost, and yours truly, Julia Braddock.

There are days when I question why I even bother coming in to work.  I busted my ass so I could put forth my absolute best effort against Orlando Cruze and what happens?  Oh no…my uncle gets taken out, I’m not able to make the match, he wins via forfeit.  I guess it does keep me from looking weak or some shit like that, but I would have preferred to have gone down fighting than to have lost my tournament match the way I did.  That’s just how we Braddocks are.

Now I’m in a three way against Victoria and Selena and after what’s been going on, what with the lame tournament elimination against Cruze, my uncle being taken out by New Eden, Monarchy involved in every aspect of IWC, New Eden involved in every aspect of IWC, this chick named Infinity getting involved in my business for God knows what reason, well to be quite honest ladies and gentlemen, it has sapped all of the motivation out of me.

For a brief moment I even considered not showing up to RIOT.  Victoria wants Selena’s head on a platter.  I personally don’t give a crap about Selena one way or the other.  So let Victoria have her fun one on one.  But then I remembered just who I am…

…I am a Braddock.  We never back down from anything, no matter what the challenge, no matter how motivated or unmotivated we are.  We are committed to wrestling and we always live up to our commitments.

So Victoria, Selena, I don’t have much to say except I’ll be there with bells on, ready to bring down the house and steal the show.  I’m ready to do my level best to give the fans of IWC a night they’ll never forget…

…only to probably have it ruined by another random stable run in by Monarchy or New Eden or both…

Straight Talk

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Making Peace

Off Camera

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Julia Braddock has been shouting at the top of her lungs to anyone who will listen that her quest for redemption is over.  She is proudly declaring victory and proclaiming that she is no longer the pompous, arrogant Queen Julia of old, but she has regained her former self, she has once again staked claim to her Braddock heritage.  Julia has won championships before in her wrestling career, but reclaiming the trust of her Uncle Glenn Braddock and reclaiming her Braddock name and heritage is, quite possibly, among her greatest achievements.  She is quite proud of this accomplishment.

Unfortunately, Julia Braddock does not truly feel that she has achieved this goal.

This would be a shock for the rest of the world, for the entire wrestling world has followed Julia on her journey, a journey that included convincing Glenn Braddock and Henry Van Stanton that she had indeed changed and that she wanted to redeem herself.  It was a journey that included Julia battling the likes of Mason Van Stanton, Lukas Montgomery, and Silas Mason, all of whom wanted to try and lure her back to her old evil ways.  And after Awakening, when she defeated the combination of Lukas Montgomery and Mason Van Stanton, and then the following Riot when she added to her momentum with a victory over Emily Cage, Julia Braddock appeared to have shaken off the demons of her past and was ready to move on with her life.

Oh but appearances can be deceiving and they have been very deceiving when it comes to the Braddock family.  It was deceiving in an ironic way, because while everyone was focusing on Julia Braddock, Glenn Braddock, the Van Stanton Brothers, Lukas Montgomery, and so many other factors that came into play in this multi-faceted journey, one big piece of the puzzle was ignored…

…Glory Braddock.

The irony lies not in the fact that Glory Braddock is, arguably, the most famous of the Braddock Wrestling Family, but more so due to the fact that this whole “Queen Julia Noel” situation was started as a direct result of jealousy that Julia Braddock felt towards her famous cousin.

Had it not been for that jealousy, had it not been for Julia and her jealousy, she never would have gone down that path that led her to the allegiance with Aphrodite Noel, that led her to becoming Queen Julia Noel, and eventually led to Glory Braddock being brainwashed into thinking she was Gloria Noel.

Julia does have other issues to deal with, namely her professional wrestling career that is blossoming.  Julia Braddock defeated Lukas Montgomery at Awakening, she defeated Emily Cage on Riot, and now she is scheduled to compete in the tournament to crown a new number one contender to the IWC World Championship.

Tournaments are challenging enough, add to that the fact that Julia Braddock will be tested like she has never before been tested as she goes up against Orlando Cruze in the first round.  Julia certainly has a great deal of momentum in her corner right now, with two big wins under her belt, but no doubt she is the underdog against Orlando Cruze, a self-proclaimed Icon of IWC, and she will have to be at the top of her game in order to defeat him.

That being said, one would expect Julia Braddock to be focused almost entirely on Orlando Cruze and, to be fair, her trainer and uncle Glenn Braddock does believe that training is key right now…

…and he has no problem letting her know it…

“This is a mistake.”

Glenn’s voice is low but firm as he says this to his niece.  They are standing outside of her cousin’s apartment in London, England.  The blonde is wearing a floral print sleeveless sundress with a gently pleated Empire waist that allows the dress to flow freely around her.  The hemline stops just above the knee.  Her feet are encased in high heeled sandals.  Her long blonde hair hangs freely to shoulder length.  The grizzled veteran standing next to her is her uncle, Glenn Braddock, and he wears blue jeans, a white button up shirt, and plain white tennis shoes.

Julia Braddock agrees with her uncle, to an extent.  She knows that being here in London, England as opposed to Japan is a mistake.  The travel back and forth will no doubt drain her and she knows this.  Being here instead of being in Japan is just handing Orlando Cruze yet another advantage he does not need.  But Julia Braddock feels that there is a far greater goal to achieve here, one that is far and away greater than potentially winning a world championship, and that goal is to finally, for once and for all, put to rest the issues between her and her cousin Glory.

“You’re probably right, Uncle Glenn.”

“Probably right?  I know I’m right!” He snarls. “You should be in Japan right now preparing for war with Orlando Cruze!”

“I know Orlando Cruze is tough…”

“He’s more than tough.” Glenn answers back. “He will easily be the toughest competitor you have had to face in IWC and I don’t say that just for shits and giggles, because you know how much I disdain that piece of garbage.”

Julia giggles lightly. “I never would have guessed that you don’t like him!”

“Point is that he is good and you need to be prepared.”

“I know he’s good,” Julia responds, turning her attention away from Glenn and back towards the apartment “but I also know that I need to settle things with Glory.”

“That’s my daughter in there.” Glenn says softly. “I can settle things for you myself, I can talk to her while you prepare for Cruze.”

Julia shakes her head. “No, Glenn.  I was the one who did this to her, I started this with my jealousy.  I need to finish this.”

The grizzled veteran stares at his niece, who stares right back at him.  Finally Glenn just sighs. “I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?”

“No, uncle Glenn, you’re not.” She says with a smile and a wink.

“Fine then.” He says, relenting. “It’s just…”

“What?”

“I worry about her.”

“Understandable.” Julia responds. “She is your daughter.  But she’s my cousin and I hurt her.  Now I’m going to try and fix things.”

With that Julia Braddock turns away from her uncle Glenn and begins to walk towards the front door of her apartment.  Once she gets there she wastes no time in knocking on the door.  The beautiful blonde stands and waits.  And waits.  And waits…until finally the door opens.  Julia sees Kurt Logan, Glory’s husband, standing there.  He wears a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans, and black boots.

“Oh, hi Julia,” Kurt sounds as if he was not expecting her “umm, what can I do for you?”

“You seem flustered.” She remarks. “Surprised to see me?”

Kurt grins. “Yeah…kinda…”

“Well, you aren’t the only one.” She remarks with a slight giggle, thinking back to her uncle’s criticism. “Is Glory available?”

“Yeah, she is,” Kurt answers “in fact, she just got back from therapy.”

Therapy.  That word causes Julia to wince in pain.  Glory Braddock has to go to psychiatric therapy in an attempt to undo the mental damage done to her, mental damage done in large part by Julia Braddock herself.  This is a painful reminder of why she is here, why she has to be here, to try and make things right between her and Glory.

“May I, ummm…” her voice trails off as she fights back tears “…may I see her?”

Kurt nods his head. “Yeah, sure…”

Kurt turns and motions for Julia to follow him inside the apartment.  Julia follows Kurt deeper into the apartment, deeper and deeper, until they get to the living room.  They step through the door and Julia finds Glory seated in the plush black leather sofa, smiling warmly.  The British Bombshell is wearing a pink sleeveless dress with a scoop neckline and a hem that stops just above the knee.  Her feet are encased in matching pink high heeled pumps.

Seeing Glory like this is enough to bring more tears to Julia’s eyes.  Before Julia can say anything,  Glory sees her, and greets her first.

“Oh, hi Julia!” She says, greeting her cousin with a polite wave.

“Ummm…hi...” Julia says uncomfortably.

“I will leave you two alone.”

Kurt responds as she takes his leave from the living room.  Once Kurt is gone, Julia manages to find the strength and courage to approach Glory on the sofa.  Glory is still smiling, not noticing the tears yet.  She motions for Julia to sit.

“Sit down!”

Julia nods and sits down.  Glory stares deep into her cousin’s eyes, still smiling, but that smile slowly fades as she finally begins to notice the tears.

“Julia, you’re…you’re crying…” Glory sounds confused “…what’s wrong?”

“You!” Julia exclaims, her tears rolling down her cheek like waterfalls as she can no longer hold back.

“What do you mean?  What did I do?”

“It’s nothing you did,” Julia assures her “It’s just seeing you like this…the pink, the dress…”

Julia shakes her head “…you hate pink, Glory, and you hate dresses.  At least, the Glory I knew hated pink and hated dresses.  This is not the Glory Braddock I know, this is Gloria Marie Noel.”

Glory frowns, shaking her head. “You’re wrong.  My name is Glory Braddock.  I’ve reclaimed my identity.”

“Maybe, but you don’t look like her.  And besides, I did this to you, I created Gloria Marie Noel.”

She bows her head in shame. “That’s why I came here, Glory.  That’s why I wanted to talk to you.  I was jealous of you and your popularity and success.  Wrestling came so easy for you that I guess it was just expected that it would come easy for me as well but it didn’t, and when it didn’t, when the pressure came, I took my frustrations out on you, I got angry with you and decided to make you pay for a crime you didn’t commit.”

Julia looks back up into her cousin’s eyes.  “I decided that as Braddock cousins you would always be the most successful, and the only way I would ever beat you was to sell out to Aphrodite Noel, to transform us both into Noel sisters so that I would be the most successful and most loved.  But I was wrong for what I did and I ask that you please forgive me.”

There is a tense pause as the two cousins stare at one another.  Julia is hoping that Glory will respond positively, that she will forgive her.  More tense moments pass until finally Glory speaks up…

“Yes, you and Aphrodite Noel did a number on my psyche with your mental attacks and brainwashing.  But I have been going to therapy, Julia.  And great progress has been made.”

“That’s…that’s good…”

Glory nods her head. “That is good.  And the therapy has helped me to realize and to accept who I am, that I am a Braddock.  But I want you to do me a favor, Julia.”

“Anything.”

“Ask me one question…ask me who my mother is.”

Julia blinks curiously. “What…?”

“You heard me, cousin.” Glory answers back. “Ask me about my mother.”

“Who…who is your mother?”

“Aphrodite Noel.”

Julia is shocked at first to hear this, but that shock quickly changes into a feeling of grief and sadness, even guilt as she realizes that she is the cause of this.

“Glory, please, I…”

“No, just shut up and listen!” Glory exclaims. “Your brainwashing worked so well that while a part of my mind, the logical part, tells me that my mother is a woman named Mary Ford, but that is a very small part of my mind.  The majority of my mind tells me that this woman never bothered to get to know me, she never tried to raise me.  My father, Glenn Braddock, raised me.   Now your brainwashing was so successful that I was convinced Aphrodite Noel was my mother.  But the therapy I have been attending has me in doubt, but that doubt is very small, because quite frankly Aphrodite Noel is the only mother I have ever truly known.  I love Aphrodite Noel and turning on her, betraying her, pained me.  I did it only because I love my husband Kurt Logan more and she was attacking him.”

Glory sighs, shaking her head. “Even mothers can make mistakes, I guess.  But because she attacked my husband, I will be estranged from her…at least until she makes peace with him.”

“But she’s not your mother.” Julia answers. “I brainwashed you, you said it yourself.”

“That’s right, you did brainwash me, at least that’s what I’m getting from the therapy.  I have doubt now, all thanks to the therapy.  I need therapy…” she points a finger at Julia “…thanks to you.  And you want to talk about seeing me like this?”

She stands up so that she can tower over Julia. “The old Glory Braddock is gone.  Too much damage has been done.  And if seeing me like this hurts you so much then I hope it serves a permanent reminder of what you did to me!”

Julia lowers her head, her crying renews. “I…I am so sorry, Glory…I really am.  Honestly, if I could fix things I would but…but…”

Julia sighs as she stands up “…but I can’t.  So I’ll just go.  I’m sorry for bothering you, Glory.”

Julia starts to walk away but Glory reaches over with her hand and places it upon her shoulder.  Glory spins her around and then wraps her up in a tight hug.

“Don’t…I’m the one who should be apologizing…”

“Apologizing for what?”

“Apologizing for blowing up at you.” Glory answers. “You were brave for coming here to try and smooth things over with me.  That shows guts and sincerity.”

“I just wanted to make things right.” Julia answers. “I just wanted to fix things.”

“And this is a good start.” Glory smiles warmly. “And another good step in the right direction is for me to forgive you…so Julia…”

Tears are now flowing down the cheeks of both women as Glory continues “…I forgive you.”

“I don’t deserve forgiveness.”

“What you deserve is irrelevant.” Glory answers. “You and I both should get a second chance, I think, and that’s what I’m suggesting.  We start over from here.  A clean slate.”

“Clean slate?” Julia says with a hint of a smile beginning to f orm.

“Yeah, a clean slate.  Does that sound fair?”

“Definitely fair.”  Julia answers as she wipes tears from her eyes. “Thanks, Glory…”

“Thank you, Julia, for making things right.  Now do me one more favor.”

“What’s that?”

“Beat Orlando Cruze, go on and win the tournament in IWC, and become world champion.”

Julia laughs. “You mean you follow my career?”

“Of course I do!” Glory exclaims. “Why wouldn’t I?  We’re family.  We are Braddocks.  I have done so much for the sport but now, now it’s your turn.  You are the major player in the Braddock family.  You are the one to carry the torch.  Go back to Japan and prove to the world that you are a world champion in the making.”

Julia smiles “…will do!”

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Straight Talk

On Camera

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The camera begins to roll and the scene before us is that of an empty gymnasium.  The walls are an off-white and the floors are a gray cement.  There are weights scattered all over the floor, a blue wrestling mat on the far left hand side, a heavy bag on the far right hand side, and in the center screen is a standard wrestling ring.  The ring has black ropes and a black apron but the mat is a Carolina sky blue.  It’s empty at this moment but that quickly changes as we see, from stage left, Glenn Braddock entering the scene.  He is wearing a gray hoodie, gray sweats, and white tennis shoes.  The grizzled veteran steps up onto the ring apron and then steps between the ropes, entering the ring.  He steps into the center of the ring and glares angrily at the camera.

“I heard a world title tournament is taking place and you had better fucking believe I have been busting my ass to get Julia ready, and you had better believe that Julia has been busting her own ass to get ready for this golden opportunity.  Getting a title shot is an honor and a privilege.  Title shots don’t come by every day and they are hard as hell to earn, so when I heard of this half-arsed little tournament IWC is putting on, I wanted to make damn sure Julia was ready.  And then I heard that my niece gets to face the so-called Icon in the first round.”

Glenn shrugs his shoulders. “I guess she should feel honored, right?  Privileged?  Shit, I don’t know about her but I can tell you that the only feelings I have right now are complete and utter bloody disgust at my blood having to face a bald-headed egomaniac like that.”

His eyebrows narrow in a hateful glare.  Those eyebrows, you could take bottletops off with them!  The veteran points a finger at the camera, directly at Orlando Cruze if he is watching.

“If you want to throw around nicknames like The Icon then allow me to inform you of who the fuck I am.  I am Glenn Braddock and when I was wrestling they called me Britain’s Best.  In my career I lost only one damn time.  And if you want to talk about being a man, then I could tell you about how little chrome-domed boys like you have it easy, how you are pampered with your lap of luxury, your money, and how you don’t know what it’s like to struggle.  You’re competing in a tournament to decide a new number one contender?  Bloody hell, Cruze, I competed in tournaments galore, but the difference is I fought anywhere from six to nine times in one night whereas you are fighting just once every other damn week.”

Glenn shakes his head.  “I could say all that but I refuse to do like you and put the spotlight on myself like some egomaniacal piece of garbage.  I am going to let my niece, Julia Braddock, take the stage.  I am going to let her to tell it to you exactly how it is.  And boy, let me tell you, you are not going to like what she has to say, and you are not going to like it when she pins your bloody ass to the mat to defeat you, humiliate you, and advance in the tournament.”

The elder Braddock turns and heads towards the ropes.  Once again he steps through the ropes, onto the ring apron.  Glenn steps down and then makes his exit stage right.  Then, from stage left, we see the lovely Julia Braddock approaching the ring.  She steps up onto the ring apron and then steps between the ropes and into the ring.  She heads to the center of the ring and turns to face the camera.  We see that she is wearing blue jeans, high heeled silver sandals, and a black t-shirt which reads “Pipe Bomb Queen” on the front in purple lettering.  Her long blonde hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.

“Thanks, Uncle Glenn!” She winks at the camera. “That was just an absolute wonderful introduction!”

Julia uses her hands to model the shirt she is wearing. “You see this shirt, Lando?  This shirt was a gift to my cousin Glory Braddock…you remember her, right?  The woman who you forced Brittany Lohan to team up with back in Motor City Underground, not because you thought they’d make a great team, which admittedly they did, but only because you thought it’d be funny as hell to see them implode?  But yeah, that Glory Braddock, this was her shirt and it was a gift to her from one of her best friends, Jackson Adams.  One thing Glory was infamous for during her pro-wrestling tenure was her venomous pipe bombs and Jax thought it was appropriate to gift her this shirt to remind the world who the pipe bomb queen really was.  So I thought that it was appropriate to wear this shirt, because right here and right now, a new queen is about to be born.”

She smirks knowingly. “Pipe Bomb…”

“Now Orlando, you are supposed to be the good guy, you are supposed to be the one the fans look up to and cheer, you are the hero who fought valiantly against the evil Cindy Todd and who will no doubt continue the fight against other evils in IWC.  You are supposed to be the good guy, the hero, that f word that I am not supposed to use!”

She chuckles lightly, shaking her head in disappointment. “I’m not so sure, Lando.  I mean, does a good guy, does a hero, say that they are the only single solitary male wrestler for any of the Triad to get excited about?  Does a good guy, does hero, does that naughty f word bury every single male athlete in all three Triad federations?  What about Andre Jordan?  He has been dominant in the Evolution title picture and had a good run with the tag titles.  Are you saying he’s a nobody?  A nothing?  And you know, you may not guys like Chris and Scott Cannon, or Luckas Knight.  You may not like them and hell, I would agree with you that Monarchy tactics are not right.  But what you cannot do and should not do is deny their ability inside of the ring.  You can hate William Mason all you want for whatever reason you want, and you may be right, but to deny that he is a future world champion is wrong.”

“I think Ethan Von Aaron is among the most perverted piece of crap pigs that I have ever been unfortunate enough to meet.  But he’s a former champion, Lando.  You cannot deny that the man is good in the ring.  You cannot bury all of these athletes, whether they are morally good or morally bad is beside the point.  You cannot bury them and burying them is not the action of a hero, it is not the action of the good guy, and it damn sure is not the action of an Icon…”

Her face grows much more serious “…those are the actions of an egomaniac and quite frankly, Lando, if you’re going to act like that and talk like that, then maybe you should join your wife Taylor in Monarchy, because the way you and so many others fault them for talking and acting is the same way you talk and act.”

“You ARE a great athlete, Orlando, and I am indeed honored to get to face you at Riot in this world title tournament.  But the difference between you and me is that I refuse to bury you.” She shakes her head. “That’s the old Julia.  Queen Julia would have buried you, and I would have plenty of ammunition to do it too.  I mean, you love to bring up how you built IWC, but let’s not forget that you also were responsible for building that resounding success that was Motor City Underground…”

Julia sighs “…yeah, I could bury you on that history, but I am not going to do that, because you are a great athlete, you are a former world champion, and I look forward to matching wits against you.  I was trained by the best wrestlers I know, my Uncle Glenn and my cousin Glory, and I am excited about testing myself against one of the best to ever come out of IWC, because I know that if I can defeat you, then I can defeat anyone that comes my way in this tournament.  I know that if I can make it past the famed Icon, then I can make it all the way through to the finals where I will win it all and go on to compete for the IWC World Heavyweight Championship.”

“You see, Orlando, this is the part where it is MY turn to be just slightly arrogant, but not overly so.  The fact is that I just completed a redemption journey.  I fought my way back from the darkness and into the light once again.  I’m sorry if that sounds cheesy but that’s just how it is.  Now I am embarking on a new journey and that journey is to continue the Braddock heritage of winning and being champions.  My journey started with a victory over Emily Cage,  it continues with this tournament and continues with you…”

She points a finger at the camera “…you, Orlando, you and me have a date with destiny and that date is Riot.  Only one of us will advance in this tournament.  Either you will advance and continue in your ridiculous quest to prove you’re the only real man in the Triad, or I will advance and continue the proud Braddock heritage and become a world champion.”

Julia winks at the camera. “Good luck, Orlando…you’ll need it…”