Over the Hill, or, Chapter 3 Finale

If you asked Beatriz Lótus, she would tell you that age is irrelevant in wrestling. And who could blame her for saying that? Since she was eighteen she has stepped toe to toe with the best in CMV, and the now-nineteen year old has racked up records, titles, and impressive victories in less time than many of her opponents took to even get in this company. Sometimes it’s even hard to blame her for her excess of self-confidence. But even if age isn’t a factor in being successful, experience definitely is. Being in CMV for nearly two years now, she thought that she was ready for anything. She didn’t know how it felt under the spotlight, though.

Because, in her own words, most of those two years were spent scraping for whatever opportunities management would give her, alongside her Otranto stablemates. Lótus has been adamant in saying that “the higher ups” didn’t want her to have big moments. Whether that was true or not, tonight she is inside Heathrow Airport. CMV returning to London for one of their biggest shows of the year, for the first time in nearly a year after they put on one of the best events in the company’s history, that’s a big deal. A big deal that leads to a week of media appearances, talk shows, meet and greets, all of that. For the first time, Beatriz Lótus is a part of it.

Sure, she’s not making it to the same talk shows Chris Diamond and MORGAN will be on. Nonetheless, this is better than nothing. A nothing that she got used to. A nothing that inspired her, that gave her the fuel to get in that ring and be what she was never supposed to be. Now she stands where she wanted. Has she reached her goal? Is there no more fire inside of Beatriz Lótus after seeing herself in one of the Fortune posters?

For a woman who has main evented Shockwave, beaten and teamed with Ashley Rayne, pinned Amber Reed, almost defeated the Killjoy Club by herself, all in the last two months, being unsatisfied is a bold way to feel. Her goal was never getting her name out there. Her goal is to become the Women’s World Champion. Everything that Lótus has done up to today has been to make that happen, and when she steps into the ring to face Ellie Quinn inside a Steel Cage, she can get a title match. Can she beat Amber Reed in a real one on one? Can she even last that long and make it to wherever that match could happen? It’s not about hypotheticals right now. She has a chance when she gets into the ring in London, and that’s everything she’s focused on at this moment.

It’s a turbulent week for The Renegade. Two days before the pay per view she makes an appearance at a press conference at that very arena. For the most part, it’s nothing spectacular. One question sticks out to Lótus, however.

She’s wondered why too. Lótus has blamed that fact on Amber Reed’s dominance of the company, but the truth is she doesn’t get why there’s people on her side now. CMV needs a hero. That much is true, but she doesn’t want to be a hero. She doesn’t think she can be a hero and do what she wants, in the way she wants. Lótus would like to say that she doesn’t care about how people view her. Going out there and hearing her name chanted, seeing kids wanting to be just like you…?

Still, it’s not about that, right? She can’t afford to get distracted, not when she’s THIS close to becoming something. Besides, if you get deemed a hero, that just means you don’t deserve it. That you haven’t worked hard enough. It’s what she was taught two years ago.

And then she gets a text.

Speak of the devil.

One day before Fortune. Lótus finds herself frozen in front of a door. How could she? She’s made all these improvements in her career, even just since the start of the new season, but is she the same inside as she was a year ago?

At Fortune, live from Mexico, Lótus walked out on Otranto and left them in silence for months. She went to visit Violet and Ivy afterwards, to talk through their differences and make a quicker return to CMV. She couldn’t get through the door, though. She still doesn’t know why. She just couldn’t.

It’d definitely be a better experience than whatever she’ll have when she sees her mentors tonight. Things have changed between them. Lótus single handedly ended Otranto, she hasn’t even seen those two in months. Why would Violet want her to come over?

Lótus hesitates. She could be doing something more useful to prepare for her match, something less worrying. Yet, what she has become in CMV also baffles her. What’s behind that door, as harsh as that meeting might be, is something she’s familiar with. Two people that she spent months on the road with. How bad could it be?

She rings the doorbell, and Evans welcomes her inside. Warmly.

Violet’s cheerful demeanor doesn’t really ring throughout the house as Lótus walks in. Ivy is on the couch, lacking any desire to see the woman who put her out of action. It’s hard to blame her. Ivy was, for all of Otranto’s existence, much nicer to Lótus than Violet was. The bond that they created while teaming together was strong, and it played a part in getting Lótus back to action last year. Beatriz’s actions showed that Ivy’s efforts were all for nothing.

Violet sits down next to Yvonne and directs Lótus to an armchair facing them. She takes a while but obliges. Lótus isn’t intimidated. Well, even if she was she would never admit it. She is confused, however. The atmosphere in that living room doesn’t change. Their cat jumps up onto Lótus as if it’s trying to cool down the tensions.

Violet smirks.

The attempts at small talk feel incredibly awkward to Lótus. As hard as she’s trying to maintain a normal conversation, things will never be the same between them. Ivy is an example of that. She’s completely silent, which is something shocking.

Violet smirks once again. She obviously expected the conversation to get there eventually. Maybe it’s why she wanted it to happen in the first place.

She pauses to take a sip of the tea resting on the desk in front of her. Lótus doesn’t break eye contact.

Beatriz seems intrigued at that last phrase. She doesn’t need Evans to be caring about her. Lótus looks over at Ivy, who is still expressionless. She clearly isn’t as forgiving as Evans.

She gives Beatriz a faint facial expression that tells her all she needs to know. Lótus can be cutting most of the time, but she got some of her attitude from Evans. It’s hard to beat her at finding just the right words to make someone be honest. Lótus thought that she had figured out her mentor, and yet it came right back at her.

Violet doesn’t break her composure, and that angers Lótus.

Lótus stands up and faces Evans, who also gets in her face but still is seemingly trying to pacify the situation.

Ivy stands up and gets between them, standing over Lótus. She uses the height difference to her advantage, finally ready to say something.

Lótus advances onto Ivy and tries to provoke her, but the taller woman just stands back as she gets shoved. Violet goes to separate them.

Lótus staggers back and makes her way out, looking at the two Otranto members. There’s no reconciliation to be done tonight. Not anymore, at least.

Hours remain before Fortune begins. The fans start to make their way inside the arena for one of the biggest nights in wrestling, the streets surrounding the venue are buzzing, full of posters and promotional artwork for the show. Beatriz Lótus is backstage, warming up in the locker room even though it might be a little early to do so. It seems like all the talk about how nothing else mattered apart from this match was something she really did believe.

A journalist approaches and asks her about tonight’s match. The same question she’s answered a million times in the last week. Whether she feels the weight of the moment or not, she won’t say it out loud. But she keeps her composure for a moment. When she talks, she switches up from the tone she’s had in all these media offerings.