Foolproof!

[Carmen Rivera]

R E C A P --

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ღ If there was anything that Carmen Rivera hated to do in this world, it was lose. Losing was known to make the residential looney bird completely fly the coupe and insist that the loss didn’t happen. It even drove her to slapping her sister, her younger sister who she’d essentially raised from birth, directly in the face without so much as a second thought about it. But, last week? Last week was something truly phenomenal in Carmen’s mind. The “Championship Advantage.” Rarely mentioned, but it’s the golden rule that protects champions from losing their title by case of disqualification or count out. Carmen truly thought last week, she was going to keep her championship by walking out of the match and getting counted out. While she lost the match, she kept her championship, which was almost like not losing at all! At least, until that bastard, Johnny Diamond, emerged from the back like a weeble and demanded that Carmen proves to be a fighting champion and defend her title, AGAIN, against Borderland and Lively, in a Steel Cage match! Who the HELL did he think he was?! More importantly, why did he think Carmen had anything to prove to him? She was the brightest star on the show, the North American Championship title serves as testament to that. Why was he trying to rip her title off of her shoulder, and effectively make his show flatline? Lively was as over as a balloon made of lead, and Borderland? Well, there was simply an endless supply of jokes that could be made there. More importantly though? After last week, Carmen knew just how serious these boys were about dethroning the “Queen of North America” from her pretty throne. Not gonna happen! It was going to take resourcefulness, skill, and a little luck, but Carmen needed to scratch her way through this match and climb the cage. It was time to prove to these boys that women were truly the dominant sex, and there was none more dominant than Carmen Rivera.

S C E N E O N E --

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ღ Carmen grinned as deviously as she could, making her way towards the Overdrive Arena exit after very effectively making her point against Michael Harris. The “Greatest Ever” had found himself on the wrong side of a shot in the face from Rivera’s North American Championship as payback for him hitting her with the Brooklyn Knockout. As she returned to the back with a coy smirk on her face, she’d reached underneath her tattered, graphic top, to remove the tape that was ‘supporting her ribs.’ Clearly, all a fallacy. As the cameras caught up with Carmen, holding her North American Championship title on her shoulder, which had been bedazzled by the residential fashionista, the blonde gave some of her blonde locks a little tussle and proceeded to drop the medical tape on the floor.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it Harris? Ya’ finally did what everyone said you were incapable of doing. You finally won a match. And of course, leave it to me to be there to rain on your parade. Kind of like how you rained on mine when I won my North American Championship. What was that load of crap about ‘you aren’t allowed to win a championship until I do?’ Oh, that’s right. More mindless ranting from a mentally deluded person. Besides, I doth not have the patience to wait until the end of eternity."

ღ Giggling, Carmen paused long enough to raise her bedazzled title from her shoulder. She admired her reflection in the faceplate, checking her makeup on it. Pursing her lips then checking her teeth, she met her presentable standards, before placing the patriotic title right back onto her shoulder.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "While we’re on the subject of my North American Championship though, I shouldn’t waste time. Everyone’s wanted to know how I’m going to handle my upcoming championship defense. Apparently Johnny Diamond managed to find time away from calling a Celebrity Death Match and following the Terry Marvin: CAKE ALL DAY diet enough to finally make a match; and a shitty one at that. Can I just say what a load of total crap it is that I need to be in a match with these two again? How many times do I need to beat Michael Lively? I mean, congrats, he finally got a ‘w’ over me, technically, last week. I mean, I only needed to HAND IT to him, but it isn’t like he’s ever been capable of beating me on his own. How many times do I need to slap his disgraced ass around before Diamond finally gets the point? I AM BETTER THAN HIM. And as far as Borderland is concerned?"

ღ Scoffing, Carmen rolled her eyes and paused. She gave her head a shake from side to side, her hand gently fluttering on her chest where her heart would be located.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "That poor child can’t even win his ongoing battle with the English language. How does he plan on taking me out?"

ღ The pretend pity stops as Carmen places a hand onto the soft curve of her hip. Miss Rivera rolled her neck, giving the camera a glance that is as serious as a heart attack.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "I have proven to be the most dominating force on Meltdown, and contrary to popular belief, it is NOT luck and it has nothing to do with a lack of male genitalia. It has everything to do with the weakness of those who surround me. I feed off of it! Like a cannibal, like a PREDATOR, I WILL strike! While I may not be to everyone’s liking? You will respect me for everything that I have accomplished. I’m not some disgraced Hall of Famer, reduced to competing on the B-Show for a hope in hell of keeping relevant, and I’m not Shane Borderland, growing out my mutton chops and wasting my time here until I’m issued my competitor’s number to run the Triathlon in the Special Olympics. I compete at a level that is SECOND TO NONE, and I don’t need Johnny Diamond’s protection to do it like these two jokers! And the reason for that is simple: it’s because I’m the Queen. I’m HIGHER on the totem pole than Johnny Diamond, and I’m higher on the totem pole than these two luh-osers could ever even dream of being."

ღ Carmen snickered, declaring her words with every single ounce of resentment that she can muster up. Her eyes were sliced, giving her head a shake as she props the championship title on her shoulder, hoisting it a bit higher.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "If Diamond thinks for one second that his hatred for me is going to somehow get him to take this title from my hands? He has another thing coming. You see, I didn’t get this far just on my looks. I got it by having the brain power to back it up. I will be leaving Meltdown with MY championship, and I can say that without a hint of doubt. I have a grand master plan. You’ll simply have to tune into Meltdown and see. And chances are, if you’re tuning into Meltdown, you’re just watching for the parts when I’m on anyway. I am Meltdown. Diamond should really re-consider messing with me, and Lively and Borderland should really re-consider their celebration plans. They should stick to a bag of Doritos and a bottle of Jergens on their couches. They may not be champions, but they’ll have a good four way."

ღ The very catty Carmen pivots on her heels, sashaying away from the camera towards the parking lot. As the feed cut out, Carmen strutted towards her rental car, practically humming to distract herself from the inner-war waging on within her head.

I can’t believe Borderland. He’s so gross! Actually staring at my ass last week. Like he’d even have some kind of a shot with me.

Stop being so consumed with that. There’s something much bigger on the plate to deal with. Lively’s finally got some wind in his sails. He’s going to actually think that he’s cut from the championship cloth, and generate some momentum.

Please! If Lively was half as important as he thought he was, he wouldn’t be on Meltdown. Hell. I don’t belong on Meltdown now! Maybe I should just let him have the damn title anyway. The only thing it’s doing is shackling me to Meltdown when I know I deserve much better!

Well that much is obvious. Nevermind how good I look in shackles anyway. The point is, champions don’t let anybody have anything. If Lively was intolerable before he actually won a match for the first time in like, ever, he’ll be insufferable now that he actually assumes his stock has risen here in APW. What if he actually wins?!

That’s like Borderland scoring in the triple digits on an I.Q. test. Not gonna’ happen.

Regardless. I see why the theme of this match is ‘three’s a crowd.’ I shouldn’t even NEED to be defending my title. Diamond should be glad I’m willing to carry this piece of tin foil around and at least give it some meaning. That’s not something Evan Envi was doing. Not like it matters. This whole company is on his microscopic jock anyway. It’s disgusting!

Well, it’s at LEAST three against two. We’re so going to win anyway.

ღ That put a smile on Carmen’s face as she merrily grabbed her keys and unlocked the passenger door to her rent-a-car. Putting the keys into the ignition, she gave them a turn, firing up the engine. Pulling out of the parking garage, this scene faded to a close.[/size][/font]

S C E N E T W O --

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ღ As this scene drew to life backstage before Meltdown, we can spot Hannah Storm standing outside of the locker room of Carmen Rivera with a microphone in hand. Storm, clad in a purple, strapless mini dress with strappy, black high heels, has her hair styled in curls and gently pushed over one shoulder. Hannah speaks into the camera, ignoring the very blingy, ritzy, and downright ostentatious nameplate decorating the locker room door of the North American Champion, Carmen Rivera in the gaudiest fashion possible.

MISSHANNAHSTORM[/b] -- meltdown interviewer.[/color] "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Hannah Storm looking to catch a word with the APW North American Champion, Carmen Rivera, about her words after Overdrive. Carmen Rivera promised to reveal a ‘fool-proof method’ for making sure that she leaves Meltdown tonight as the North American Champion."

ღ The camera follows Hannah as she knocks on the door. Upon not receiving an answer, she calls out.

MISSHANNAHSTORM[/b] -- meltdown interviewer.[/color] "Carmen? It’s Hannah Storm. Is there any chance I can get an interview with you before Meltdown about your claims you made last week after Overdrive?"

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "Calm your stretch marks, bimbo! I’ll be out when I’m out!"

ღ Hannah frowned, looking down at herself, but her distraction is ended upon the sound of riiiippp! Hannah looks a bit concerned, at least until the door opens. Hannah’s eyes fly wide open, totally caught off guard judging by the look of pure shock on her face.

ღ There stood Carmen Rivera, wrapped from head to toe in multiple thick layers of bubble wrap which had been taped around her slender, tattooed frame, making her athletically crafted body seem much thicker and heavier than usual. To top it all off, the North American Champion wears a protective helmet atop of her head, secured under her jaw with a chinstrap. Hannah has to bite on her cheek not to laugh at Carmen, who at this point, thanks to the excessive padding, is incapable of actually wearing her title and is forced to carry it in her hands.

MISSHANNAHSTORM[/b] -- meltdown interviewer.[/color] "Wow. Um, do you mind if I ask, wh-what is all of this?"

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "Only the most brilliant plan that this company has ever seen!"

MISSHANNAHSTORM[/b] -- meltdown interviewer.[/color] "Please. Go on then."

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "Last week, I was chastised for walking out of my title match. I was ridiculed for doing exactly what every other champion would have done: keeping my title by any means. And how does Johnny Diamond want to repay me for doing that? He wants to put me in a cage match with two sore losers who want nothing more than to rip me to shreds. Or, in Borderland’s case ..."

ღ Carmen shuddered in revulsion.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "I choose not to think about what he wants to do to me. The guy is a total joke. A loser with a capital ‘L.’ The guy said that I was tied for his biggest threat along with Shadow. Anybody who sees a loser like Shadow as any sort of a threat is a total JOKE in my books. The only threat in this match is Michael Lively, and if I haven’t made myself totally clear in the past, I’ll make it REALLY clear now: no Hall of Famer should be on this show! Hell, I wouldn’t even be on this show if it wasn’t for the North American title keeping me chained here."

MISSHANNAHSTORM[/b] -- meltdown interviewer.[/color] "So, collectively, you find them as some sort of a threat? I’m just trying to see the purpose behind your ensemble. You do know that the only way to win this match is to escape the cage, right?"

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "No, Hannah, I’m suddenly a moron and don’t know how cage matches, one of the oldest types of wrestling matches dating all the way back to 1937 work."

ღ Hannah’s head dropped a little bit, in shame.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "So, Johnny’s way of making a match that I can’t escape from is to make a match that the only way to win is to escape? The biggest threat in this match is the cage itself, and if you haven’t noticed, I’ve fully prepared myself to be safe from that."

ღ She said, attempting to lift her arm up, with little success. Carmen makes her point known after some frustration by tapping her helmet-covered head against the wall.

CARMENMARIARIVERA[/b] -- queen of north america.[/color] "Foolproof! And while I shouldn’t want to keep this championship, in good consciousness, I cannot allow this brand’s fate to be in the hand of two of the biggest, most overrated losers that I have ever come to cross. It wasn’t ‘til last week Lively started winning matches, and Borderland? Well, he still doesn’t know what it’s like to win anything. He’s still in the process of ‘winning’ his High School Diploma, for God’s sake. Neither of them deserve to be champion, and neither of them deserve to be on the surface of my throne. I’ll be leaving Meltdown the exact same way I came in: as your North American Champion. All hail the Queen."

ღ Carmen declared, as she wobbled away due to the intense weight of the multiple layers of bubble wrap wrapped around her. Certainly drawing some eyes, it’s when Carmen turns the corner that Hannah’s flustered face finally releases itself, the interview practically bursting into tears laughing at the wicked woman’s new predicament. This scene fades to black.[/size][/font]

tagged: lively + borderland.
word count: 2500.
lyrics: "bad girl" - britney spears.
pictures: myself.
template: GODRIUS Exclusive.
notes: this one came out pretty quickly. i doubt i win this week, lol, the guys really brought it! hopefully this is at least a contender though. (: good luck guys, though i really doubt that you need it. enjoy.