~ | ~ HALO ~ | ~

HALO member “1 Shot” Leona is sitting alone in her locker room, pulling off one of her arm sleeves slowly, with great effort as though she were pulling off a piece of her skin. But the pain from doing that would be like a flick to the arm compared to the pain of losing tonight.

She keeps her head down, eyes locked on the grimy floor. Her breathing is ragged, each inhalation made with great effort. She’s physically sore and exhausted, but she’s still alive. She manages to get the left arm band off and clenches it in a shaking fist.

When she starts to speak, it’s through grit teeth, and her words come out in almost a growl. She looks up and her piercing stare conveys her pain and her anger–her frustration and her sadness. It tells a story more powerful and moving than words ever could.

“1 Shot” Leona speaks anyway.

LEONA: Do you know what failure feels like?

She opens her hand and lets the arm band drop to the ground.

LEONA: It feels like somebody takes your heart, rips it right out of your chest and–

She lifts her leg up, then forcefully brings it down onto the sleeve.

LEONA: Yeah… it’s a little something like that. There’s no worse feeling than losing to somebody than you know you can beat. When a victim is left in front of you at point blank range, and the bullet fired from your gun still misses its mark–that’s when the doubt slips into your head. And you start to wonder if you’re as good as you thought.

She takes in another deep breath, then lets the air hiss between her teeth as she lets it out.

LEONA: I knew I was putting a target on my back the moment I decided that I was going to align myself with the likes of Brett Angel. Looking at everything he’s done before my name was on anyone’s lips, you could easily think that I was just trying to ride his coattails. But I’m smarter than that. Because I knew that more than anyone else on the roster, Angel needed help. More than even he was willing to admit. Joining forces with him meant starting even below the bottom rung of the ladder. I was ready for that fight. I was ready to prove that I was going to be the one to take women’s wrestling to heights that were never thought imaginable. I was never given that chance.

She removes the sleeve from her right arm and throws it on the ground.

LEONA: My problem had nothing to do with skill. Sure I lost every now and then. I’ll never claim to be perfect. But I made damn sure that each and every time I stepped foot in that ring I left my heart in it when I walked out. It sounds cliche, but it was the way I operated, to never stop fighting until I had nothing left to give. My problem is that this company found their darling and never looked back. The rags to riches fairytale that they were determined to shove down everyone’s throats. Each and every week it was Jade Dynamite this, Jade Dynamite that. And pretty quickly women like “1 Shot” Leona were an afterthought.

She runs a hand over her hair.

LEONA: Do you know how many weeks I came to the arena early already in my ring gear just to find out that I didn’t have a match? Because we had to get our daily dose of Jade Dynamite. Oh, but it was all okay, though. It was fine, really. I told myself that my time will come, if I was patient. They tried to “make it up” to me by putting me on the house show, and I appreciated it, I thought it would be my chance to work my way up if I had to and show that I could hang with the other Vixens. But then I showed up to arena and told that I’d be wrestling before half the fans even got there in five minute matches to “warm them up” before the big boys got there.

She breaks eye contact with the camera, her voice itself nearly breaking as weeks of withheld emotion threaten to come bursting from within the surface.

LEONA: Do you know what it feels like to be told you aren’t good enough? They tell you things like that and laugh by just barely giving you the chance to prove them wrong. The biggest slap in the face of all was when they they decided that nobody was good enough to fight Dynamite, so they threw us a bone and slapped together another belt to keep all of us lesser ladies occupied. A belt that I won, but then the company decided that I needed to defend days later, on a house show. After Rose Punish–who somehow showed that she deserved to wrestle me between losing to me at the pay per view and that match–after she beat me, it was conveniently decided that I would never wrestle for that belt again any time soon.

Fury engulfs her as she rises from the bench she’s sitting on and raises her voice, her words teetering on the verge of being shouted out.

LEONA: I was the FIRST champion. The very FIRST! Only thing is that I had such a pathetic reign that I’ve already been forgotten about. Every time I get angry, I’m told that Brett Angel is doing well enough for all of HALO. Every time I tell them I want to fight, I’m thrown in a tag team match that means nothing at the end of the day. I’ve grown to love CJ like a sister, but we don’t fight for the same thing. She’s happy just to be here with her friends, but I need more than that. I NEED the big matches, and the titles and the fame and the recognition and the RESPECT, all of which I’ve been denied because I don’t fit their image of what an UnMatched Vixen should be, not like Jade Dynamite.

Fury gives way to passion as her voice starts cracking.

LEONA: But I thank all the fans out there who remembered me and appreciated everything I’ve tried to do since I got here, enough to vote me into that gauntlet, but I need to be honest. Getting voted into something just isn’t the same as stepping into that ring and earning for yourself. I stepped into that ring feeling like I didn’t deserve to be there, but I promised myself that I wouldn’t go down without a fight. Come on, now, we ALL know what that was. Just another way to showcase their darling champion, even if it comes at the expense of everybody else. Because that’s all UnMatched is now: Jade Dynamite and everyone else and that doesn’t make for a division worth a damn. She's done great things for that title, and I'm willing to admit that she's one hell of a wrestler. But now she's starting to believe her own hype, and this company is bending over backward for her.

She takes a step closer to the camera.

LEONA: After everything I gave, I know I’ll be back where I started: showing up to arenas ready to fight only to be told that I don’t deserve to compete with the rest. From day one people had me written off as a “female Cyborg” and the company followed suit. There’s a fundamental difference between us: I’m a lot more patient, but I get a lot nastier when that patience wears thin.

She stops there and lets her words, their meaning and their intention linger in the air for a few seconds before turning and walking out of the frame. The camera pans over to the side to show CJ Havret standing there with gifts in hand for her HALO stablemate. It looks like she was planning to surprise Leona, but was caught up in the promo, while Leona was too into what she was saying to see there was someone else in the room. Havret looks emotionally distraught and the sadness is palpable when she speaks so softly it barely qualifies as a whisper..

HAVRET: Lee…

Anger abruptly flashes across her face.

HAVRET: How could she do that to my friend?

Havret dashes to find… someone before the video feed cuts off.

LEONA: Again!

“1 Shot” Leona’s voice echos in the large room before the picture even fully comes into the focus. Once we get a clear shot of her, the fury on her face is clear and you can feel the anger oozing out of her. She’s seated at the circular table along with Brett Angel, Osiris and CJ Havret. Her previous outburst and the next are punctuated with huge slap when her palm strikes the wooden table.

LEONA: Again! We get swept under the rug by this company. And for who? A woman who’s never been here before, one who just got back from vacation? Then we have the woman who made a name for herself by winning MY title. Oh, and let’s not forget that we’ll also have the privilege of watching seeing Dirty Diana wrestle. How many times have I kneed her in the face and BEATEN her, only for them to shine the spotlight on her even more? Maybe if I showed a little more skin and acted like a no class, uneducated, filthy excuse of a woman to the point of wearing no shoes, to please all the neanderthals with fetishes out there, I’d be where she is.

Those last few lines catch Osiris’ attention and he nods along as a picture forms in his head.

OSIRIS: Now there’s a thought. You sh–

Angel clears his throat loudly, cutting Osiris off who earned himself a death glare from Leona.

ANGEL: Look Leona, it just feels to me that you’re getting a little too angry about this.

Now it’s Angel who Leona is staring daggers at. Osiris sinks lower in his chair while Havret seems too caught up in whatever picture she’s drawing to notice the tension that’s suddenly thickened in the air.

LEONA: I’m sorry, Angel, when I said that “we” were getting swept under the rug, I meant the three of us. Not the darling World champ.

Angel takes the title that was lying on the table and places on his lap, out of everyone’s sight.

ANGEL: You think they just handed me the title?

LEONA: I know that since day one you’ve been treated like a star. That means that you don’t know a damn thing about what any of us are going through.

Angel looks like he’s about the shout in response but he clenches his jaw instead and bites his tongue. Leona doesn’t let the silence in the room remain for long.

LEONA: The times you’ve had this company actively disrespectful are so few and far between that it’s laughable, Angel.

ANGEL: My name is Brett.

Leona ignores him.

LEONA: Because for the second-straight week, I’m the after thought. Thrown into yet another meaningless tag team match on the house show and against two meaningless opponents. And to add insult to injury of course Jade Dynamite just has to show her pretty little face. Looks like NXT can’t bare to go a single week without its special champ...shame they don’t feel the same way about you–Angel.

ANGEL: For an opponent so meaningless, she sure did beat you pretty handedly.

HAVRET: At least we’ll be wrestling together, Lee!

Osiris chuckles.

OSIRIS: Yeah, Lee. Lighten up a little and look at the silver lining. We’re all together as one big dysfunctional family and that’s all that matters in the end. Even if we all know that the only reason why Blizzard purposely lost his title is because he was scared to get into the ring with me.

Havret’s eyes fly open wide.

HAVRET: Do you really think he would do that?

OSIRIS: Why not?

ANGEL: Because that’s the worst plan imaginable.

OSIRIS: Just think about for a second before you throw water on the flames. Blizzard made his challenge thinking he was all big and bad until I showed up on the block and then the boy realized that he got a little carried away. So what does he do? He throws the match against that other guy knowing that he’d get a rematch and take the title back and then call off the open challenge because it applied to the last title reign.

ANGEL: That just sounds like a bit of a stretch to me.

OSIRIS: I’d be impressed by the genius of the plan if it wasn’t screwing me out of a title reign.

Havret seems genuinely upset about Osiris’ revelation. She stands up with a look of determination on her face.

HAVRET: I’m going to talk to him about this.

Leona looks concerned.

LEONA: What do you mean “talk.”

HAVRET: He can’t do that to my friend! I’m going to get Jade too.

LEONA: Leave Jade alone.

HAVRET: What about…

Osiris puts an arm around Havret’s waist and gently pulls her back down into her seat, and the picture she was drawing catches his attention.

OSIRIS: Better than anything that painted-up freak Gerald Foster has ever done. Museum quality, my left nut. Now this is something worthy to be put on display. Hell, I might even hang this on his locker room door to show what REAL art looks like. If you’ll just excuse me for a moment…

Osiris gets up and leaves the room with the picture in hand.

At the conclusion of their match on Episode 42’s house show, HALO members “1 Shot” Leona and CJ Havret are spotted backstage chatting away. Havret is chatting excitedly to her friend who’s listening while she dabs off beads of sweat with a cloth. Havret rushes off to go fetch something leaving Leona briefly alone in the hallway.

LEONA: You know, Jade, a part of me liked it better when you were just a pretty face who graciously accepted everything this company spoonfed you. But then there’s that part of me that likes to laugh whenever those lips do part because that guarantees that I’ll be in for a good laugh. Now you’re trying to act tough and pretending that you did this all on your own.

Leona starts using an impression of a sweet, innocent voice.

LEONA: “Oh, this was so, so hard, guys! Nobody likes me! This company didn’t want me! Insert forced explosive pun here!”

Her voice returns to normal.
LEONA: Girl, would you give me a break? Come on, now. So maybe it wasn’t so easy for you to get here. I can imagine all the nails you broke along the way. Tough times, huh? Well imagine how I felt knocking on this company’s doors for two years, waiting for them to let women through the door. Watching month after month as Cyborg took CMV by storm and dominated every chance that he could, listening to him tell me day after day once he became general manager that he’d get be here. Then he was gone.

Her expression hardens.

LEONA: Then I took matters into my own hands.

She pauses for a moment to let that hang in the air.

LEONA: I worked just as hard, if not harder, than anyone to get here, and I’m not gonna let the likes of you tell me otherwise. You wanna talk about me earning TV time? There’s a thought. You might have a point there! Wait a minute...wasn’t that me that spearheaded the group that won Stable of the Year? I guess that wasn’t enough to earn TV time.

She pretends to mull something over, then snaps her fingers as a thought pops into her head.

LEONA: Hold on. Remember when I beat Diana so bad she ended up in the hospital, or really any time I’ve beaten her only for her to have the screen time and title shots thrown at her disgusting, bare feet? That’s not enough to get screen time, myself. No, guess not. I think I got it: Remember when I made history as this company’s first Intercontinental Champion? Not even that was enough to get little ol’ me on TV–nah had to make my title defense an afterthought on the house show.
The right side of Leona’s lips forms the slightest of smirks.

LEONA: I hope that clears up how ridiculous everything you say is. You’re nothing more than a teenage brat rebelling against daddy while still using his credit card. You’re a champion because of how badly the powers that be want that to remain reality. Yet to keep acting like you’re the victim, while stepping on everyone who’s really helping make the Vixen’s division what it is today. You want to bring up Angel as if that’s supposed to cut me deep? Let’s talk about how many times he was stripped of the title for no reason or constantly forced into title matches on short notice. Better yet, let’s talk about the triple threat match he lost to belt to Nick Starr to on his first title defense. Hell, what about Nick Blake and that fatal four way? Or even sweet little Cassie Maverick inside of that Hell in a Cell. Meanwhile, they’ve been holding your hand, squeezing every bit of that title reign as they can.

She has to bite back a laugh.  

LEONA: And don’t even start with that sham of a gauntlet. And just like clockwork, this company is holding your hand tight leading into your next title match. I hear the whispers of how it’ll be HALO wrestling for a chance to fight you. But I care too much about CJ to put her through that, and I know she feels that same. I guess that’s the drawback of friendship, Jade, you actually find yourself caring about other people’s feelings–not that friendship is anything you’d know about lately. I guess that title belt is enough to keep that other side of the bed warm, huh?

She bites her lip to keep herself from saying something she might regret.

LEONA: There was a time where you were tolerable, but that belt got to your head. Even if you beat me or CJ, we’ll still have each other to lean on. But the day you lose that belt, you’ll truly be nothing. If you’re so many months deep and you’re still not getting the respect you think you deserve from your peers or the fans, imagine how the world will celebrate when you're finally put down. When you lose the title you'll truly be alone and then we can put these dark days behind us.

Havret rushes back into the frame and surprises Leona with a hug before the video ends.

In this online exclusive video, World Champion Brett Angel is sitting in his locker room backstage with a bottle of water in his hand, a towel draped over his neck and his precious title lying across his back. After the surprisingly quick victory over Nick Starr earlier in the night, Angel is silent, thinking long and hard about everything he’s done and had to go through to get to this moment. Finally, he looks up, a cut under his left eye leaking blood, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

ANGEL: Nick Starr, my friend, what you saw the other night wasn’t hesitation; I wasn’t scared of you. Oh, no no no. It was just then at that moment, something crossed my mind when I looked at ya with my title wrapped firmly around your waist.

Angel takes the towel and wipes away the blood from under his eyes without looking away from the camera.

ANGEL: See Nicky, it was at that exactly moment where this little feeling they call pity filled this old shriveled up heart of mine. Cause it was right then that I mind up my mind that you were NOT going to walk out of TakeOver with the World Title around my waist. And that meant that your career had to end.

He chuckles softly before placing the towel back around his neck to keep the sweat from dripping down his back.

ANGEL: The funny part is, it was a career that you made off of my name when you pinned me to win this very title after going through hell in a tournament. Sure, it stung knowing that I wasn’t the champion anymore, but I respected what you were able to accomplish that night. I harbored no ill-will against you.

Looking down at the title now, Angel reminds himself of that moment, where he lost it and thought he’d never work his way back here again.

ANGEL: You threw that respect outta the window when you tried to be cute and send a little message by taking something that didn’t belong to you. I don’t know what Johnny Sampson is getting at, making me the terror of NXT, forcing me to fight to keep my title at the expense of another man’s career, but I would have gladly given you a shot without you worrying about if you had a job at the end of the night. But that’s not the way the cards were dealt, and I’m sorry kid, but I’m at the point now where I’m not letting go of this title without a bloody, physical fight that leaves everyone involved in the hospital at the end of the night.


Angel is silent for a long time.

ANGEL: It could have been just a match, between two of the best this company had to offer, showing why were in that position fighting for the most prestigious title in the company. That couldn’t be the case no more after the stunt you pulled. You tried to get inside of my head, after we shook hands, after I made up my mind and decided you were different from the rest. Nick, you tried to give yourself the mental edge, but you just pissed me off. Look where that got you.

He sighs and runs his fingertips along the front of the World Title, letting those fingers rest on the letters etched into the nameplate that spell out his name.

ANGEL: I would sit here and talk about how excited I am to face another colorful character at iMPLOSION, because I know personally how winning the Royal Rumble can change your life...but unlike my old pal DSD, I’m not foolish enough to look past UnChained, because that Elimination Chamber has a knack for shaking this company down to the very core. And I’ve accepted that I might not even make it to Implosion as champion. Inside of that Chamber I expect to be pit against five of the best, five hungry men who are willing to sacrifice it all to hold this title.

In Angel’s eyes is the sad kind of happiness where he seems as though he’s resigned himself to something huge.

ANGEL: I’m going to fight those five tooth and nail until the bitter end when only one of us remains standing. And if it so happens that that man isn’t me...I’ve made up my mind about something. After what I’ve done to Byron Elliot and Nick Starr, it’s time to make things right, and now I know how. So if Brett Angel doesn’t leave the chamber as champion…

He smiles weakly.

ANGEL: Then I guess that’ll be all she wrote for ol’ Brett.

After dropping that bombshell, Angel chooses not to explain himself further. He rises from his chair and walks out of the frame.

When UnMatched returns from a commercial break, former World Champion Brett Angel is shown standing in the middle of the ring receiving a thunderous reception from the crowd. Nearly everyone is on their feet, applauding and soon a “plase don’t go” chant breaks out deeply moving Angel.

He eventually raises a hand to silence them, and out of respect they start calming down, giving  Angel a chance to speak.

ANGEL: Now, I’m not one for goodbyes, not since I was robbed of my chance to say it. But just walking away without a word didn’t feel right. Not after everything I’ve been through. Not after everything WE’VE been through. Still, I’m not a man of many words, and honestly...there’s nothing left to say. Nothing except: thank you. Thank you for believing in me when I doubted myself.


The applause swells up again. It looks like the fans are about to start chanting again, but Angel cuts them off.

ANGEL: I know a lot of you don’t want me to go, but I made a promise that I would play by the same rules Elliot and Starr had to, and I didn’t get the job done. But to be honest with you all, this is for the best. I tried to hide it, but I’ve been in pain. I’ve been hurting. And after going at it non-stop for years in all kind of matches to make Rosemary’s dream come true, my body’s been telling me it’s time for a break. I know for a lot of you, I’m a lot more than I deserve to be, but at the end of the day I’m only human.

He pauses for a moment to let that line sink in.

ANGEL: The reason why HALO isn’t out here with me, is because this isn’t really a goodbye. I won’t be gone forever. But I don’t know when I’ll be back. I’ve done all I that I could for Rosemary, more than anyone ever thought I could. I need time to figure out what I want, what I want to fight for, and I don’t know how much time that will take.

With that said, Angel lowers his microphone and exits the ring after bowing to the crowd. He exits the the ring and starts walking up the ramp, with the applause growing louder with each step. Once he reaches the top of the stage he turns and mouths “thank you” before UnMatched fades to a commercial break.

Later on in the show, the other members of HALO are spotted backstage before Leona and Havret’s tag team match. Leona has a smirk on her face as she shines the Intercontinental Championship draped across her shoulder.

LEONA: Hey, Osiris?

OSIRIS: ‘Sup, girl?

LEONA: Help me out with something, would you?

OSIRIS: Okay, shoot.

HAVRET: Ha! I see what you did there!

LEONA: Who’s the first ever Intercontinental Champion?

OSIRIS: You are.

LEONA: Who’s the first ever two-time Intercontinental Champion?

OSIRIS: You are.

LEONA: Who won the first ever Elimination Chamber with the Intercontinental Championship on the line?

OSIRIS: You a--did.

LEONA: Right. Me. Not Dawn Bryan. A Dawn Bryan who sounded mighty confused about why it was MY hand being raised in victory. A Dawn Bryan who can’t wrap her pretty little head around why waist this title was wrapped around.

Leona chuckles while shaking her head.

LEONA: It’s easy to understand why things played out the way that the did, darling. See you were concerned about making the highlight reel, about showing off, but in all your theatrics you forgot that you had to get the job done. You went and tried to make yourself look good with all those eliminations, but you forgot to get rid of the one woman worth a damn.

Leona takes a step toward the camera.

LEONA: You got outsmarted. You got outwrestled. You got outplayed. And now you’re angry because it you got embarrassed on such a grand stage. You talk about keeping titles warm, but each and every woman who touched this belt did so knowing that it was a matter of time before I took it back and picked up right where I left off. If you want to take a shot at me, then make sure you don’t miss or we’ll just end up with the same result.

HAVRET: She beat you with a dragon screw! It would have been so cool if your neck snapped when it hit the ropes…

OSIRIS: Easy Ceej, last thing we need is anyone getting hauled away for manslaughter. Prison ain’t the fun and games Orange is the New Black makes it out to be.

HAVRET: Did you see the new trailer?

OSIRIS: You best believe I was the first to after what Piper pulled...

Their conversation fades as they walk out of the frame.

LEONA: With Angel making a martyr out of himself, I know a lot of you are wondering what’s next for HALO. Hmph.

HAvret
Leona
Osiris

Halo is alive and well, and without me having to worry about Angel’s feelings, it’s time for us to head into a different direction. We’re all on board with it. HALO as you THOUGHT you knew it is about to change.

With that said she walks off.

As the celebration of the New Intercontinental Women’s Championship comes to a close, Leona is left in the ring with CJ Havret cradling her head in her lap as the sold-out crowd watches on. Moments later Osiris, a loser tonight as well, joins his female companions with a microphone in hand that he gives to Leona.

LEONA: So the cat’s out of the bag, huh? Old fragile Leona came into this match with one good arm and she paid the price for her stupidity. I guess there’s no hiding it anymore. I didn’t just come out of that Elimination Chamber with the belt wrapped around my waist...it came with a cost...but that was my burden to bear. I don’t make excuses for my failures. One arm, two arms, no arms, I was NOT the better woman in this ring tonight. And that’s been the story for a long time now.

Leona pulls herself to her feet.

LEONA: I’ve been hurting since that chamber, and CJ’s been worried half to death about me since that chamber, always putting her friends before her, never once leaving my side. Implosion’s getting closer and after tonight, none of us have anything to show for that. We’re getting close to our one-year anniversary, and we’re worse off than we started. When we first came here we had the hype and we had the momentum...and we had Angel. Without him we could still be strong, but without him we’ve been left behind.

Leona, Osiris and Havret exit the ring and start walking up the ramp.

LEONA: If we make it back to NXT, I promise we’ll do right by all of you.