"1 Shot" Leona

As an image comes into focus, “1 Shot” Leona’s voice can be heard just off screen. She’s whistling such a sweet tune, and, when she finally appears on the screen, there’s a pretty smile on her face. She has her hands behind her back, whistling and bouncing as she walks toward a wall in this room. On the wall is just a nail, dangerous if someone were to be thrown into it, sure, but unimpressive otherwise.


In the spot next to the nail is the Cyborg mask that Leona used to wear, her relationship with the former GM of Raw still unknown, a tribute, her way of remembering him is useless now that he’s back.


Leona moves her hands in front of her, showing the camera that she’s holding Ericka Matthews’ headband. Yes, the same Matthews that Leona defeated soundly on Intensity. Leona places the headband on the hook, then attaches a note under it that reads: Intensity 21. She smiles again before speaking, running her fingers along the top of the headband as she talks.


LEONA: A trophy. A reminder that the matches in between the championships matter.


Leona turns to face the camera with an infectious twinkle in her eye that boosts the spirits of all who look into them.


LEONA: If you told me when I was a little girl, when I watching as everyone got to go to the fancy restaurants for lunch when all I had was the sandwich and the box of milk that was one day away from going bad...if you told me then that I would have what I have now...I wouldn’t believe you. I’ve been so angry, felt so slighted and hurt and lost focus so many times that it’s hard not to feel like that little girl wouldn’t be disappointed in me. I’ve taken too many things for granted.


She tilts her head sideways in the direction of Matthews’ headband.


LEONA: Now I vow to remember the highlights...


Next she glances at the mask.


LEONA: And the low points. Every time they talk about the “curse” of the Intercontinental Championship it eats me up inside. Because it all began with me. I had a career-defining chance to set the standards. Instead I let it all slip through my fingertips. Never again. I’m coming to make things right, and I’m collecting my trophies along the way. The gun is locked and loaded; you don’t want to be the name I write on the bullet.


Leona walks out of the room and closes the door behind her. On the back of the door is a picture of Cassie Maverick holding the Intercontinental Championship that’s been X’d out. Next to it is a picture of Ashley Kelly celebrating with the championship with the title belt circled.

“1 Shot” Leona’s music brings this Intensity crowd to their feet. Just about everybody is excited to see what the former two-time--and the first ever Intercontinental Champion--is out here to do considering her match against Cassie Maverick, who lost that very title to Ashley Kelly last week, isn’t until later on in the show. Last week, as she hung the “trophy” she took from Ericka Matthews, Leona made her intentions known: she was out to right a wrong, gunning to have the career-defining Intercontinental Championship reign that she feels like she could.

Out comes Leona, soaking every last bit of this reception she’s getting, a smile on her face as she walks with a swagger to the beat of her music. When she does her pose on the stage (way better than Dirty Diana ever could, some would say) cameras flash, not just to capture the moment, but also to catch the new logo that adorned the bright blue coat: a bullet with the name Cassie written on it.

Don’t be the name that I write on the bullet.

Those were just about Leona’s words last week, though it seems that without even trying, Cassie has found herself with a target on her back. Unfortunate because she’s set to square off against a woman who doesn’t miss too often.

By now, Leona’s made it into the ring where she stands with a microphone in her hands. While she waits for the crowd to quiet down, Leona lifts the sunglasses from over her eyes and allows them to rest just above her forehead. Now we can see it: that look. She’s confident, and now we’ll hear it as she begins to speak.

LEONA: When I first came into this company, I burst down those doors and made my name known as part of HALO. And I miss those days. I miss Osiris and Ceej and Angel...is being Angel. But there’s something about having to fend for yourself, away from any allies or stables, that helps you learn who you are as a person. I saw that I was angry all the time and maybe said some things sometimes that I didn’t really mean, but failure couldn’t ever be an option. So all those matches where I just came up short ate away at me. They haunted me.

Leona pauses for a moment as if each and every loss began flashing through her head.

LEONA: But then I remembered something that turned it all around for me. I was a little girl, holding onto my mama’s leg with everything I had, bawling my eyes out because I came in second place at the science fair. Mama held me close and wiped the tears away from my eyes. She looked down at me and told me to be proud of the effort that I put in to get that silver medal. To hold me head up high as I looked at the other boys and girls who would have done anything to have what I did. She told me that it’s not always about winning and losing..it’s about winning and learning.

LEONA: What I learned from those two Intercontinental Championship reigns is to enjoy every bit of success that you have because it can all go away in the blink of an eye. Why? Because the women here are some of the fiercest and talented competitors in the business right now. You can beat one of them today, but the next time you cross paths with them, they’ll capitalize on any mistake that you make and take that win right back. I know that now.

The crowd cheers and soon break out into a chant of “1 Shot” *clap clap.* Repeating it until Leona’s forced to pause until they stop.

LEONA: But you know what I’ve learned since those reigns? That I’m even better than I was back then, and I get to prove that as I go head to head with someone who wouldn’t hesitate to say that she’s in a league of her own. Hell, maybe she is. Cassie Maverick has done more on both shows than I could ever hope to do making this match so important. Last week, Cassie came out here and said some pretty interesting things...“whores of CMV” I believe she put it. So I’m guessing it’ll sting a little more, Cassie, when this “whore” beats you and silences all the voices saying you should be next in line for a title shot.

Leona laughs at the thought and shakes her head.


LEONA: In the months that I’ve been back, I’ve lost just one match, but the spotlight was all on you, the pride and joy of the Fusion and Genesis roster who blessed us with your presence. We’ve never had the pleasure of meeting. Tonight I’ll gladly introduce you to the knee that’s broken noses, put people in hospitals, helped me beat women twice my size, and tonight it’ll help me beat a woman who’s only really half as good as she says she is. This is the knee that's helped me win the Intercontinental Championship two times, and I have my sights set on the third.

LEONA: When I’m done with you, Cassie, don’t be surprised when the next time you make the fans throw trash in the ring, there’s pictures of you mixed in with it. Cause when I take your spot in line, leaving you with nothing, all the hype and momentum that you had when you first came will fade. Then you’ll see what you’re truly worth.

Leona turns and looks into the hard camera as she oozes passion and desire to regain what was once lost so long ago.

LEONA: I don’t care how long it takes or who I have t go through; nobody is getting between me and that championship.

Leona drops the microphone signalling the end of all she has to say. Now she’s left with the task of backing up all those words and finding a way to win against a formidable opponent to bring her one step close to achieving her goals. She doesn’t seem at all worried, though, the cheering crowd just about unanimously in her favor is doing a lot to boost her confidence. She points her fingers at the camera, winks, then says “bang” as she pulls the trigger and the shows heads to a quick commercial break.

A video is uploaded later on in the week after Intensity goes off the year. As an image comes into to focus, we’re brought back into that same room we saw Leona in last week. “1 Shot” walks into the frame with Cassie Maverick’s cowgirl hat on her head and a smile on her face. She takes the hat off and places it on the wall and under it attaches a note that reads: Intensity 22.

LEONA: Not quite my style, but I’ll take it. Cassie, the thing about people like you is that the excuses are a dime a dozen; I can already hear what you’ll have to say about that match: “If it wasn’t for Ashley, I would have had Leona beaten.” No, Cassie. Ashley was doing you the favor by being out there because she gave you something you wouldn’t have had otherwise: the slightest leeway out of admitting that you just weren’t the better wrestler tonight.

Leona turns and runs her fingers along the cowboy hat.

LEONA: I told you from the start what I was going to do to you, and whether you want to believe it or not there would never have been anything you could have done about it. That bullet had your name on it and there was no dodging it. Ashley Kelly didn’t go out there for me or for you, she did it for herself. I know how this works. It doesn’t matter that I kneed you in the head so hard that you still haven’t woken up yet. Ashley’s presence left just enough room for doubt that I know I won’t get into that title match now.

Leona’s head snaps toward the camera, an intimidating look in her eyes.

LEONA: And I won’t let her get away with that. She may have slowed me down, but that title will be mine.

Leona walks out of the frame and the camera zooms in on Cassie’s hat, Leona’s latest trophy, before the screen fades to black.

After DSD’s match concludes, the cameras whisk the viewers away backstage to show Brett Angel wrapping his wrists before his upcoming back. Even from here the sounds of the cheering crowd can be heard, the masses delighted to just see Angel hanging around. Those cheers get even louder when none other than “1 Shot” Leona, the Seattle, Washington native, makes a rare appearance on UnMatched to treat the hometown crowd.

Of course, the people aren’t cheering just because of Leona; no, this is the first time that she and Angel have been spotted in the same place since the demise of HALO. Angel doesn’t even notice Leona standing there at first. He’s so busy prepping his ring gear and going over strategies in his head that the presence of Leona goes unnoticed for a while.

Not that Leona is much of a help. For all the time she stands there as if searching for the right words to say as if they’ve never met before. It felt like just yesterday these two would constantly get into arguments every time that HALO assembled. Perhaps the time apart has done what it could to quell the animosity between them.

Angel wrinkles his nose as he smells something, then his lips curl up into a smile.

ANGEL: That perfume…

Angel looks up, and his gaze lingers on her for a second before hopping off the crate.

ANGEL: Welcome back to UnMatched, Lee. A lot’s changed since you’ve last been here.

LEONA: Yeah, you’re not champion for once.

Angel laughs and takes a step toward Leona who doesn’t move.

LEONA: And it’s also just the two of us left.

Angel sighs. His smile’s gone.

ANGEL: You don’t think I miss them too?

LEONA: How can you miss people you didn’t care about?

ANGEL: Just because I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve like you do doesn’t mean that I never cared.

LEONA: So if it’s not on your sleeve, then where is your heart, Angel?

ANGEL: It’’s where it always has been...

LEONA: Locked in a box where you never let anyone near it or let anyone help you? Instead you keep chasing titles that you'll never be able to hold onto forever, so the happiness never lasts.

ANGEL: And you're any different? All you’ve been talking for weeks now is the Intercontinental Championship like you’re obsessed with it.

LEONA: So you’ve been watching me.

ANGEL: That’s not the point.

LEONA: I guess I’ll return the favor and watch you lose your match.

Angel chuckles as he starts to walk off. His entrance music can be heard playing faintly in the background.

ANGEL: I once heard that it’s not about winning or losing, but winning and learning.

He walks out of the frame leaving Leona standing there with her hands on her hips. Not about to let Angel get the last word, she yells out after him.

LEONA: And don’t call me Lee!

The cameras cut away from her and take us back into the arena as Angel makes his entrance.

In this online video exclusive, “1 Shot” Leona is shown wearing street clothes, pulling a small bag behind her as she makes her way out of the arena. She turns a corner and pauses in her tracks. The cameras zoom out revealing that it’s Cyborg towering over her.

LEONA: What do you want?

CYBORG: Now is that any way to greet me?

LEONA: What do you want?

CYBORG: Nice match.

LEONA: I wasn’t the one pinned. In fact I was the only one who tried to save the match while our esteemed Intercontinental Champion took a breather. Probably tired herself out from attacking me for no reason.

CYBORG: You haven’t changed.

LEONA: You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But I’m not the same person that was depending on you to get here. I made it on my own, without you, and I’m going to keep building my legacy...without you.

Cyborg’s expression, stoic as usual, doesn’t change as he regards Leona--a woman still broken up about the loss of HALO and Cyborg’s choosing running Raw over standing by her side, explaining the aura of anger and pain that fills any room she’s in, and why she’s hell bent on using that Intercontinental Championship to make her feel whole again.

CYBORG: You’re not getting rid of me that easily.

LEONA: You should’ve stayed gone.

Before Cyborg can come up with a response, Leona briskly walks by him and out of the frame.

The camera pans across the wall showing the mementos Leona has claimed for herself thus far. First the Cyborg mask that she once adorned in tribute of a man she apparently is no longer seeing eye to eye with. Next is the headband she took from Ericka Matthews after Intensity Episode 21. Beside that is Cassie Maverick’s hat taken after their bout on Intensity Episode 22.

Leona’s whistling is heard off screen, growing louder as she draws closer to this wall where she keeps her trophies. Draped around her neck is the feather boa Dawn Bryan struts her way down to the ring holding. The two time Intercontinental Champion, runs her fingers along the soft material as she eyes the blank spot on the wall the entrance prop is likely to be hung.

The lifts the feather boa and moves to hang it up, but then she catches herself and pauses for a brief second. She then shakes her head, mimics Bryan’s motion of twirling the feather boa above her head before letting it fall to the ground.

LEONA: No, this one doesn’t count, Dawn. That match was over it before it began. I guess that we were so caught up in trying to prove which one of us was better that nothing else mattered in those ten seconds. Still, you shouldn’t just leave your stuff laying around like that.

She tilts her head and gives a little mischievous smirk.

LEONA: At least, that’s what I’m choosing to believe Dawn. I’m going to take the high road, and against my better judgment I’m going to assume that you didn’t go out there and intentionally waste my time. Afterall, you were the one who threw me out of the ring to begin with, and you never seemed to be in a hurry to get back in. Maybe it’s all in my head, but the evidence certainly paints that kind of picture.

A well-timed pause here brings

LEONA: You did lose to Ericka Matthews, the very same Ericka Matthews that I beat handily. But we don’t have to settle for the transitive law. I pinned you for the Intercontinental Championship inside of the Elimination Chamber, and just a few weeks back, when it was just me and you in the ring, I beat you again. So you know something, Dawn?

There’s an intensity in her eyes joining forces with this reinvigorated confidence that guides her next action. Leona squats down to retrieve the feather boa, and, without hesitation this time, she hangs it on the wall, adding another trophy to her blossoming collection.

LEONA: If I had you that scared that you didn’t want to be in the ring with me for longer than five minutes, then I’m going to chalk that up as a win for yours truly. The bullet had your name on it and you ran before I even put it in the chamber. The ball’s in your court. The same goes for you Rachel Grant. The ball’s in your court to prove that you’re one of the best this company has to offer. I’m no fool. I know what it’s like to have to titles to your name, for your legacy to have nothing to write home about. I know how far that hunger and that drive can push you to make something of yourself.  And I know how much that desperation to prove to not the CMV Universe, but to yourself, that you’re good enough can eat away at you.

Her gaze softens as she considers the war she and her opponent are going to get into come Thunder and Tokyo.

LEONA: There’s this myth of momentum. This idea that you winning your match gives you an advantage. But that’s not how wrestling works. Just about every match is a clean slate, especially against somebody you’ve never wrestled before. As a matter of fact, we could even turn everything around--say that you winning your match makes you complacent and Dawn slipping through my fingers will make me work twice as hard to beat you when that bell rings. At Thunder in Tokyo we’re going to see what happens when a woman who’s never had it locks horns with a woman who lost it all.

She casts her gaze off to the side.

LEONA: When I was a little girl, once something was lost: a toy, a game, a crush, it was gone forever. Moments like the one I’m getting at this Pay Per View were few and far in between. I’m not taking you for granted, Rachel, but I don’t know when I’ll be in this position again. It's been too long since I've been this close to the gold; I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.

Her eyes snap back toward the camera.

LEONA: At least not without a fight.

She walks off, and the camera slowly zooms in on Bryan’s feather boa before the screen fades to black.

Leona hangs Rachel Grant’s leather jacket on her wall of trophies, steps back and admires the sight for a couple of seconds. Another woman put down; now she’s one step closer to the Intercontinental Championship.

LEONA: Rachel, you pushed me to the limit. In those minutes of non-stop fighting, we beat the living hell out of each other more than most wrestlers could do in an hour. But you made a mistake; you let your guard down and gave me an opening and I took it. I warned you Rachel. I said that I would do everything it takes to win that Intercontinental Championship again. And, yes, everything included damn near kicking your head off your body. I’m sure Ceej would’ve been proud. Your head bouncing off the steel steps on your way down was just a bonus.

LEONA: Now at Showdown, everything I’ve wanted since I came back is within arm’s reach: one match away. This is what I’ve been training for. This is what I’ve been fighting for. How appropriate now that the woman who stands in my way is someone that I’ve already beaten. Cassie, all I can say to you is that, next time I say that I’m going to cave your skull in with my knee, you should take it seriously. But forget that loss to me. I hope that losing that title to Ashley Kelly in the first place was a wake up call. I don't know why you left Fusion, and, to be honest with you: I don't particularly care. What interests me is the idea of you coming to my side of the fence thinking the competition would be easier. Clearly you know by now that that just isn't the case.

Leona looks over at Cassie’s hat that she took from her fallen foe weeks back.

LEONA: I’ve been thinking about this “curse” of the Intercontinental Championship--the one that started with me. And how every mention of it eats away at me. The very thought that something like it exists haunts me. Eventually I realized something. The Intercontinental Championship has been held by some of the best women in this company. Women who, win or lose, put their hearts into every match and stole the show every time they got into the ring. I’m tired of the belt being looked at as a joke, when that belt is one of the most prestigious titles in this company because it shows just how fierce the competition is in this division. You make one slip up: you lose. You let your foot off your gas for even a moment: you lose. You go into the match thinking you don't have to bother bringing your best...guess what? You lose. That’s how it should be.

LEONA: On the other hand, the Vixen’s Championship is about coddling the chosen one, the flavor of the month. Making sure they have a pretty face for the posters and the billboards. I didn’t see Jade Dynamite defend her title on a house show, of all places, days after she won it. I didn’t see her go to war inside of the Elimination Chamber against five of the most talented women this company has to offer. I didn’t see Kristin Page defend her belt in the season premiere, nor was she anywhere to be seen at Thunder in Tokyo. Not surprising then to see that two of the company’s darlings were granted the honor of being the first to main event a pay per view. When my match at Thunder in Tokyo ended in a draw, I was glad when it was restarted. There was too much on the line; I needed to prove to myself that I was the best and was worthy to challenge for that belt. At Contingency, they collected their paycheck and went home.

Leona is oozing contempt.

LEONA: The Vixen’s Championship is slowly becoming more of a prop and less of something worth getting into that ring and putting your career on the line to win. The Intercontinental Championship is where the workhorses go to showcase their skills, and to show that we’re here to fight. And the more people try to discredit everyone who holds it, and the more this company tries to sweep it under the rug: the harder everyone involved works and the belt always comes up smelling like roses. So Cassie, if you don’t feel up to par, if you're worried you won't be able to keep up, save me the time and effort and hand me the title. That way I can carry the torch and keep the bar raised high. If not, don't worry, I’ll gladly just take it from you at Showdown. I hope you got something new for me next time.

Leona runs her fingers along the top of Cassie’s hat as she walks out of the frame.

Leona is spotted pacing back and forth in her room. The camera briefly zooms in on the hook on the wall where a trophy from Riley Blaze would have hung.

LEONA: You’re either winning or learning….winning or learning. Now while I have my doubts about whether or not that was actually a rope break, something I learned long ago is the only thing I have to get me through this. When I was a little girl, I remember when some punk in class ribbed my brand new bow out of my hair and shoved it down the back of his pants. It was a pretty bow too.

She smiles wistfully as the memory fills her head.

LEONA: Weeks later I saw the kid again. Forgot his lunch money and was too embarrassed to let a teacher know. I didn’t have money to spare, but I had half of a sandwich that I told him I wouldn’t have eaten anyway. Don’t get hung up on the past, mama always told me. So I’ll let Riley have this. I won’t question the referee’s authority. I’m moving forward, and I have my eyes set on Showdown. I need that Intercontinental Championship back, and now I’m only one match away from doing again.

LEONA: I can look at Cassie Maverick’s proposition in two ways. Either she really wants to make it easy for her to lose that Intercontinental Championship, or she’s making it hard for me to win. If it’s the former, then I can respect that you’re laughing off the curse in favor of putting on the best match possible. But if it’s the latter Cassie, and this is your subtle admission that you can’t beat me one on one, then I guess that brings into question the kind of champ you are.

She chuckles to herself.

LEONA: But two other women, three other, four...five, I don’t care how many are thrown against me: I have my eyes on that title, and I’ll do anything and go through anyone to win. It. back.

She chuckles and taps Cassie’s hat on the wall before walking off.

LEONA: It’s been a while…

“1 Shot” Leona finds herself back in her special room--a place that shows signs of abandonment.

Dust

Cobwebs

What looks to be a roach skitters by in the background.

Leona traces her fingers along the top of the table HALO used to sit at and convene long before she repurposed the entire room to serve as storage for her trophies. She wipes the dust from her fingertips onto her blouse, her eyes now looking at all the items hanging on the wall.

Cyborg’s mask.

Matthews' headband.

Maverick’s hat.

Grant’s jacket.

And of course Dawn Bryan’s feather boa still on the ground where Leona dropped it ages ago.

Leona bends over to take the colorful fashion accessory in her hand and lightly strokes the feathers while continuing to look at her trophies--memorandas of a life seemingly lived so long ago.

LEONA: Funny how memory works. I thought this room was packed with toys taken from my conquests. Instead...instead I can count them all on one hand. Pathetic. But it’s all my fault, really. I was on the hunt. I was chasing the scent. I was one match away from taking back my Intercontinental Championship...then it all slipped through my fingers.

She lets the feather boa fall to the ground to emphasize her point.

LEONA: I was willing to sacrifice everything, and I lost everything. I was obsessed. And maybe in a way I still am. Watching all that’s become of the title since I lost it eats me up inside. I want it. I need it. But I’m smarter about it this time. This time, I’m not alone. In my time away I’ve learned about the wolf and the raven--how they work in harmony. The raven scouts the prey it’s too small to kill and that the wolf couldn’t find on its own. The wolf gets its fill and the raven gets to feast on whatever is left. It’s an alliance that helps them both survive in a world that shows no mercy.

LEONA: That's why HALO had to come back; there are few people in this world, much less this company that I trust...especially when I'm on the hunt. Now I'm flanked by the wolf and the raven, O and Ceej, with an Angel watching over us. I've got my finger on the trigger--don't count on me missing.

She looks right at the camera.

LEONA: The Spring of my resurgence is here--Winter won't be coming anytime soon. Don't be the name I write on the bullet.

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out some Polaroid pictures and a marker. She closes the door to the room to reveal the old pictures still hanging there: One of Cassie Maverick with an "x" over it and the other of Ashley Kelly that's been circled.

Leona draws an X over that photo of Kelly, hangs a new picture of Maverick, then draws an X on that one too. Finally, Leona puts up a picture of Fury making her way down to the ring at Implosion with the Intercontinental Championship wrapped around her waist.

Leona steps back and regards that shot for a bit, a smile on her face. She circles the Intercontinental Championship twice.

Without another word, Leona opens the door and steps through it. The camera zooms in on that picture of Fury and lingers there for several seconds before the scene fades to black.