Situated in a secluded, and small RV park near Greenville, South Carolina – Lucy had done her best to find as much peace and tranquility as she could over their last few days there. Run of the Mill loomed on the horizon and the UGWC World Champ knew that she was heading into something that was very, very far out of her wheelhouse. Something that she was certain a few, if not all of her opponents had far more experience in.

She couldn’t help but worry.

And a simple tweet from her boyfriend, the new number one contender to the very World title she held… stating that he was ready to face ‘whoever’ walked out of that mill with that title, it made that ball of anxiety in her stomach grow tenfold.

It was innocent. She knew it. Hell, the man began the tweet with ‘I know who I want it to be’, but Lucy could only focus on the reality that she and him had both come so close to what they’d worked so hard for… and Rogan came through on his end of the bargain.

But would she come through on hers?

“Penny for your thoughts, Lass?” Lucy glanced up to see him as he stepped out of the RV, a curious look in his eyes as she found her sitting beside a campfire that had long since gone out.

Lucy hadn’t even noticed.

She shook her head and smiled up at him as he descended the stairs. “Nothing different from the last time you found me lost in my thoughts.” She replied, shrugging her shoulders for good measure.

“You’re gonna do fine.”

Lucy rolls her eyes at his statement, the same statement he’d made countless times over the last few days, yet each time it did nothing to reassure her. That wasn’t on him. That was purely a Lucy problem, and she knew it.

“You keep saying it but I’m no closer to believing it.” She said quietly, tucking a wayward strand of long platinum hair behind her ear. “We both know this isn’t exactly my type of match. I’ve got a pretty good track record of getting my ass beaten to a pulp in these kinds of things.”

“Nonsense. Sure we’ve all taken our fair share of beatings in these kinds of things, but the one thing about you that I respect is that you overcome and you adapt.” Rogan nodded as he came to sit across from Lucy, “You might not feel like it now, but the moment you step in there on Monday…you’ll do exactly that.”

Lucy wasn’t in the position to deny him, again. She knew that Rogan MacLean saw things in her that she couldn’t.. or wouldn’t see in herself. And part of this relationship, and part of the growth she’s undergone over the last few years told her that she needed to accept that.

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Maybe I am.”

Lucy chuckled. “You know, you really are far too charming.”

“I don’t see a problem with that.” Rogan replied with an exaggerated wink which made Lucy groan, letting her head fall backwards in the chair. She sat there for a few moments, listening to Rogan chuckle to himself and for the first time in at least a few days, she felt relaxed. Run of the Mill wasn’t the first thing on her mind.

It was securely in second place, for the moment.

But even then, she knew she couldn’t forget about it forever. So after a few minutes, she sat back up and eyed the Dark Man up, garnering another curious glance from across the extinguished fire.

“What?”

“Wanna sit around for a few hours and watch some tape with me?” Lucy asked, climbing to her feet and approaching Rogan with her hand extended. Rogan took her hand without hesitation and stood.

“Let’s do it.”

 

I know I’m coming into this fight at a disadvantage.

It would be stupid to believe otherwise, and I’m not really the type of gal to assume anything is gonna go the way I envision it going.

You see, in my perfect world, I’d walk into the Mill and I’d stun each and every one of you with my brutality. I’d show the UGWC, and the world as a whole, a side of Lucy Wylde that no one ever thought possible. And in the end, I’d walk out covered in blood that wasn’t my own, with my UGWC World Championship.

But we all know that shit ain’t gonna happen.

What’s gonna happen is we’re all gonna hurt one another. We’re all gonna put it all on the line for the UGWC’s biggest prize, and as for who’s gonna walk out on top? Well, that’s the hard part. I won’t lie to any of you and tell you that you have no chance, because in matches like these… everyone has a chance. Everyone has a chance of being hauled out of there on a stretcher as well, but that’s neither here nor there.

I want to be the one to walk out the same way I walked in. I want to be the one to stand across from Rogan MacLean after all is said and done. I know that sounds crazy. But that’s what we’ve been working for over these last few months… And we’re so fucking close to reaching that goal, so damn close we can taste it.

So while the rest of you are fighting for the UGWC World Title.. I’m fighting for the opportunity to test myself against the one person in the UGWC that I KNOW has everything it takes to be a better world champion than I. A man that the rest of you have overlooked for YEARS, and I’ve known all along could be the best of us.

And no offense, but the rest of you aren’t meant to be facing Rogan MacLean for this title. I am. And I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to make sure that happens.

What are the rest of you willing to do to keep the Dark Lady from facing her Dark Man inside their Dark Tower?

 

It felt like hours.

Actually, it was hours.

Hours upon hours of tape, watching Travis Pierce, Dave Rydell, Holden Orson and Tempest at their most brutal. Rogan had fallen asleep about half way through, but Lucy remained enamored with what she was watching on the screen – Watching the past exploits of the men that she’d be testing herself against in just a few days’ time.

A lot of it felt repetitive, and there were moments when Lucy wondered if she were really out of her element in this match – but then she began watching Tempest. And while she knew that the other three men would give her as much trouble as they possibly could… Lucy knew that Tempest was coming into this match with a skyscraper sized chip on his shoulder.

Lucy shuddered against Rogan as she thought about what Tempest had said after she’d beaten him at Wrestlestock.

You’ve taken my moment again. You truly are my omen. This was the last time that I let you live in my head without charging you. Next time (and there will be a next time) I’ll be coming with the wrath equivalent to a thousand angry ghosts haunting the space in which you’re living

And then the image of him throwing that Rogan analog off of that building ran through her mind again and she shook her head, trying to focus back onto the screen. She needed to know what awaited her inside that Mill – She needed a harder glimpse into these three men, and the one Astro Creep that would be looking to not only hurt her, but take everything away from her.

The World Title being the lesser of those things.

“Oh, you’ve made it to the good part.” Rogan’s sleepy voice chimed in, filled with sarcasm as he saw what was on the screen.

Lucy nodded her head.

“This isn’t helping though. Like.. It does, but it also doesn’t. None of them are what they were in these matches… And some of them are more…”

Rogan sat up as Lucy pulled herself away from him and turned so that she was facing the Dark Man. “It’s never a bad thing to see what they’re capable of, but you’re right. That will only take you so far.”

“I’m like a fish out of water. I know I sound like a broken record, but you, Kyra and Ken won’t be there to even the odds this time. I mean, the odds aren’t gonna be fair to begin with but there’s nothing stopping Tempest from bringing his goons in from the get go, you know?”

Rogan took her hand and placed a soft kiss upon her palm. “But you’re forgetting that Dave, Travis and Holden aren’t going to let Tempest pull his bullshit either. He might wind up worse off if he tries anything like that.”

Lucy contemplated this for a few moments, finally relenting. “Okay, yeah. That makes sense. But…”

“But?”

Lucy shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Something tells me I need to be looking a little deeper into.. myself. Knowing my opponents is great, but I need to know what I’m capable of. I need to know that–”

“That you’re not a fish out of water. Then let’s find Lucy Wylde’s greatest hits, yeah?”

Lucy nodded her head.

 

I guess it’s time to give each of you a little attention so that none of you walk in thinking that Lucy’s overlooking you, huh?

Truth be told, I know that I’ve given at least two of you a hard time in the past, and you’d be justified in feeling insulted that I’d downplay you so harshly. Travis, I suppose I’ll start with you. I know I’ve said you were boring, that you’re a one trick pony and for the longest time I felt like I was right in my assessment.

But you showed me at Wrestlestock that there’s more to you than meets the eye. Sure, maybe you’re still a little one note – but aren’t we all? I mean we’ve all got our things.. You’ve got your little show, Dave’s got that broody grumpy schtick, Holden scoffs at everything and Tempest.. Well come on… Do I really need to say it?

And I’ve got relationship problems that derail every great moment that I accomplish. I’m a walking, talking dumpster fire.. So I have no right to label any of you. But let’s get back to you, Trav.

If there’s anyone that’s coming into this match possibly feeling the way I feel right now, it would be you. That’s not an insult, it’s an observation. You don’t come off to me like a man who knows what true brutality is, and sure, you’ve been in some crazy matches but you shy away from getting your hands dirty. Maybe not every time, but the one that sticks in my mind the most was your match against Alex Kiseragi way back in 2010… The Dragon Cage match.

The match in which Alex won, and took the Cross-Hemisphere Championship from you.

You had the option of dipping your hands into that glue, and into that broken glass… but you didn’t. I respect the fact that you wanted to rely on your wrestling ability. Hell, that’s probably what I would have done in your place… BUT do you ever wonder if your reign would have lasted more than a month if you’d have tried everything at your disposal?

I feel like that’s the theme with you, Trav.. When you’re great, you’re great. But when you’re faced with real fucking stakes… you shy away from anything that’s outside your comfort zone. That’s not gonna work on Monday. With people like Dave and Tempest out there… People like you and I… Who wouldn’t necessarily pick to use everything we can… they’ll eat us alive.

Just some food for thought, Travis.

I hope you bring the same fire that you brought to Wrestlestock, and I wish you luck, for what it’s worth.

Now Dave, you seem like the next plausible stop on this little trip. You’re another one that I’ve always given shit to, because I haven’t always thought of you as someone who could step up and put yourself into the World title picture. And I was wrong. I accept that.

You’ve worked hard to be here.

And unlike Travis and myself, I know that you’re more than willing to use anything and everything in order to get you closer to your goal. Normally, I’d look at that and I’d think it was cheap, because that’s not the way I do business. At least, that’s not the way I’d choose to do business if it were in my control. But here we are.

I know you’re coming in guns blazing, and I know you’re going to give me everything in your arsenal. I mean I saw that match with you and Donovan. I know that when you’re motivated, you could damn well walk out of the Mill with that title belt, and you’d finally be able to tell everyone of your doubters that they can all go fuck themselves because you finally made it back to the top of the mountain.

The only caveat to that is that you’re not the only one that’s motivated.

But you are the only one that could possibly rival Tempest when it comes to that chip on your shoulder.

It’s justified though. You’ve spent years being told you weren’t good enough, or that you were a joke. You’ve been the butt of more than your fair share of jokes over the years, but I’d venture to say that no one can doubt you now. You’re in the Mill, and they’re not. You’re coming for my title, and they’re not.

But what happens if you do happen to beat us, Dave?

Sure, you’ll feel justified. You’ll feel like you really showed everyone of your haters that they’re as stupid as you said they were. But when does the pressure really settle in? You know what I’m talking about. The pressure of holding this belt with pride and with determination. The pressure of an entire organization holding you squarely in their crosshairs.

You’ve never felt pressure like holding this world title. Sure the Conquest title has its own pressure that’s special to it – but we both know how that ended up. And I’m not saying this to insult you, even though I know you’re most likely going to take it that way. I’m just saying that this is yet another moment.. Another chance for you to make a play at the big belt and I don’t know if you can handle the pressure that comes with it.

Maybe you’ll prove me wrong.

Someday, I know you will.

I just don’t know if Monday will be your day.

I suppose we’ll see, hmmm?

 

Instantly, Lucy second guessed her own thought process. Rogan excitedly loaded up the first of what would be many of the most brutal moments in Lucy Wylde’s history, and Lucy wasn’t sure this was a walk down memory lane that she wanted to see.

“You know.. Now that I think about it… maybe–” But she was cut off by the sounds of a raucous crowd and when she looked up at the television screen, she saw a much younger her, standing across from a relic of Wrestling’s past. “Holy shit…”

“What?” Rogan asked as he brought himself back down beside Lucy, giving her a sideways glance.

Lucy was shocked that he’d found something from so, so long ago. “I… Where in the hell did you find this? Good God this was a lifetime ago.”

It was one of her very first matches in the CWA. Back when she was greener than the grass that laid beneath the RV they rested in. She was in a match against a woman named Wren Silverphoenix.. A woman that everyone had told her would rip her head off and shit down her neck without a single passing thought about it. And Lucy found herself fighting this woman for a championship that Wren had held for nearly a year at that point.

No one expected the new girl to be able to stand up against someone like Wren.

But as Lucy and Rogan watched… The match devolved into what Lucy could only describe as a street fight on steroids. Lucy slowly began to remember how she felt during that match, like she was fighting for her very existence. And when she watched herself swing a kendo stick, smacking Wren in the jaw, she groaned.

“Good God…”

All Rogan could do was laugh. “That was a nice swing.”

Lucy blushed. “That bitch wanted to kill me. She was fucking crazy. But we both know this is nothing like some of the shit that’s happened since I’ve been here in the Coalition.”

Rogan nodded. “So.. Onto the next?”

“I think so… Although…”

Her voice trailed off, and it stopped Rogan in his tracks as he moved to put another tape into the player. He turned his head and stared back at her, only to find her smiling.

“I appreciated the blast from the past. It’s nice to know that I’ve always had it in me… Even if that is a bit tame according to UGWC standards.”

Rogan smirked at her and returned to the task at hand. A few moments later, the two of them were watching something a little more recent – the match between herself and Gabriel Baal. A match that will forever live in Lucy’s memory as one of the best, and worst moments of her career.

Listening to herself screaming as she clawed away at Gabriel’s face and eyes, and the reckless abandon that she threw herself into him for that entire contest.

“You were in bad shape that night, no?” Rogan inquired, his eyes watching Lucy’s intently as she watched herself on the screen.

“I was in terrible shape. I’d just gotten out of that warehouse that Gabriel had sent me to. Come to find out I’d gone out there with a broken eye-socket. Not to mention everything else. But God damn…” She let out a gasp as past Lucy nearly got her fingernails into Gabriel’s eyes. “…I could have pulled his eyes out and I wouldn’t have thought twice. Fucking brutal. But not nearly as brutal as what Gabriel did to get me to that point.”

“Fair enough.” Rogan said, nodding his head. “I’ve got one more… I don’t know if you’re gonna like it though.”

Lucy wasn’t sure what he meant. But she motioned towards the TV anyway. “Maybe not, but we’ve come this far…”

 

Which brings me to you, Holden.

Popping back in to try once more for the big belt, huh? Granted, you’ve only had one shot before this one and it didn’t end well for you. Just a single blip in the history making reign that Travis Roberts had way back when.

My guess is that it bothers you.

I honestly wasn’t expecting to look back into the history of this belt and to only see your name once… as a statistic. Not even a former champion. I mean, it must bother you quite a bit for you to be willing to… scoff… pull yourself away from whatever it is that you’ve been doing for the last few years in order to insert yourself into this match.

But maybe it’s not a coincidence though.

I get the feeling this match means something to you. And I do apologize for my lack of knowledge when it comes to your exploits, Holden. No disrespect intended, but I never imagined I’d get the opportunity to face you, let alone face you for the World Title.

Yet here we are. Maybe your inclusion here shouldn’t be such a surprise to me, but the fact that Jet agreed to it based on the suggestion of our current Cross-Hemisphere Champ, it tells me that there’s more to you than I know.. But believe me, Holden – I might not know everything about you, but I’ve learned a long, long time ago to never assume that someone like you couldn’t come in here and shock myself, and everyone else by being the most brutal motherfucker out there.

Its just.. I know there’s one bastard out here that wants what I have more than you ever could.

Hi, Tempest.

So we meet again, huh?

I bet you didn’t imagine you’d be coming face to face with your Omen again so soon, did you? And I know that you’re ready. You’re more ready for this than you were for Wrestlestock. We’re walking into Tempest’s playhouse on Monday night, don’t think I haven’t thought about that fact every single day since I found out what my next defense held for me.

Don’t think I’ve forgotten a single thing you’ve said, or a single thing you’ve done since then.

You’ll think you’re haunting me. And for a while, you may have been right… But you see, that’s what’s different between you and I. You can’t get me out of your head. You spend every waking moment just waiting… begging for the moment when you can reconcile those moments that I’ve supposedly stolen from you.

I, however… See you for what you really are.

I know I’ve said this before, but everytime we come face to face, it becomes ever clearer. You’re blinded by your need to put me down that you’re willing to do anything and everything in an attempt to reside in my head just as much as I reside in yours. But look at all you’ve done, and all you accomplished was a momentary lapse for me.

All you accomplished was one night where I let you in.

But I’m always there… Inside your mind, and I’ve done that by just being me. I’ve done that by just being better than you every. Single. Time.

I know that bothers you. And I know it bothers you more that you want to believe that you’re going to maim me, you’re going to brutalize me.. And you’re going to hurt me in ways that I’ve never been hurt before… and then, then you’re going to take my world title.

BUT, deep down in the back of your mind, you know that that’s not a given. You know that you’ve not seen what Lucy Wylde can do when her back’s against the wall. You haven’t a single fucking clue what I can do when faced with pricks like you who think my mind is your playground.

Ask Gabriel how that went for him, huh?

Ask CJ Wylde how that went for him.

Ask any God damned motherfucker who toyed with my mind how things ended up, because it didn’t end well. And it’s not going to end well for you either, Tempest because while I’m not someone who chooses to use weapons.. I’m not someone who’s known for my hardcore prowess… I can guarantee you that I’m going to hurt you Tempest. The moment you tried to bring Rogan into this, is the moment you’re going to regret for the rest of your life.

Once I’m finished with you, you’re going to wish I were JC burning your house down again. You’re going to wish I were Seb… You’re going to wish I were the Final Girl…

Motherfucker, you’re going to wish I were anyone but THE OMEN…

And I can’t wait to show you the things you never thought I could do. I can’t wait to bathe in your blood and take what’s rightfully mine.

That goes for all of you.

Don’t fucking underestimate the Dark Lady because that’ll be the LAST fucking thing you ever do.

 

Lucy wasn’t sure what she was going to see when Rogan eventually pressed play on the tape player, but when she saw the OWF ring, and CJ Wylde standing within it… She knew immediately what she was about to see…

And it was perfect.

Rogan sat back down beside her and wrapped an arm around her as she leaned forward and watched her final match as Jenova… the anonymous woman who was out to take everything from CJ Wylde. No one knew who lied beneath that mask, all they knew was that she wanted CJ Wylde to suffer.

And suffer he did.

That match was one of the most beautiful moments in Lucy’s career. It was something she’d looked back on with embarrassment… that was until this moment. Now she looked back upon it with admiration… as she watched herself dismantle the man who’d wronged her. She tore him down, limb by limb.. And agonizing second by agonizing second… until she was finally ready to end it.

One…

Two…

Three…

But the match wasn’t even the best part.

No, no. It was the moments that followed when Jenova turned her attention to the bloody and beaten CJ Wylde and she forced him to look up at her through the crimson mask he wore on his face… and she revealed herself.

She revealed herself to him, and to the world…

“Wow…” Lucy said, watching CJ’s face as the realization washed over him, that the person who’d been torturing him for months… was none other than his wife.. The woman he’d claimed to love and cherish for the rest of his life… the woman who’s heart he broke… the realization on his face that HE created his own demise.

That he’d created Jenova.

And she’d destroyed him completely in that moment.

And that.. That was the most perfectly brutal thing that Lucy had ever… ever done.

Rogan didn’t have words. Lucy just stared at CJ Wylde’s anguish and pain until the screen finally faded to black… and Lucy smiled.

She smiled. A vicious, wicked smile that Rogan had never seen on her face before.

And she knew she had them all where she wanted them… Every last one of them. And when Rogan looked at her, he knew she’d figured it out too… And the Dark Man grinned.. That hateful, spiteful grin.

Their Dark Tower was close.. Closer than it ever had been…

The Dark Lady would not be denied.