Becoming the WZCW World Heavyweight Champion was everything Eve Taylor had ever wanted as a professional wrestler. That championship was the goal she had been striving to achieve since she started viewing the squared circle as more than a platform to re-launch her modelling career. She took the ring and the competition seriously and gave up all hope of wearing outrageous clothes for strangers with cameras. She traded the heels for the boots; the tiara for the headband. Eve Taylor, one of the best supermodels to grace God's green Earth, abandoned her quest to once again become a supermodel of the fashion world to pursue the World title. She dedicated her life towards being recognised as one of the greatest wrestlers to step foot inside a wrestling ring. This is despite never being interested in professional wrestling at all until the moment she accepted the position to become the Third Head of Cerberus back on Ascension 80 in 2014. Eve turned her back on Aubrey Sloan, the truest friend she had ever known and the person she loved deeply, to seize one opportunity at proving herself that she belonged in the business. Sloan was one of many people, both inside and outside the ring, that Eve has removed from her life to get to this position. The sacrifices she has made; the blood she has spilled; the effort she put in that has nearly killed her physically, mentally and emotionally just to be treated like a member of the locker room and eventually bust her ass to reach the status as leader by becoming the World champion... the 36th World Heavyweight champion and the 26th person in 10 years to ever hoist the title up high...
... and yet, winning the World title meant absolutely nothing to anyone except Eve Taylor herself. The designers and the agents that she waltzed by at the recent fashion show in Milan was merely a chance to get a couple of photos for the tabloids that would be showcased for one day as cross-promotional material. None of the major magazines published anything about Eve Taylor and her struggles to become World champion. All that was mentioned was the partnership between WZCW and the Fashion Industry because of Eve Taylor switching teams. The articles wrote off her accomplishments as a hobby rather than a career choice. And even when Eve Taylor showed up as the World champion to address the home crowd in the San Siro, the response of a hero's welcome was not the one she received. In fact, the adulation from the audience was seemingly dedicated to other fan favourites with the most notable being Tyrone Blades and Batti. Eve Taylor's opponent at Kingdom Come for the WZCW World Heavyweight Championship and a man with a massive history of being a horrible person was cheered MORE than the hometown hero who finally achieved her dreams. She was the underdog story of the century and she received less applause than the guy who was formerly a cult leader who attempted to destroy the very business Eve Taylor had poured her heart and soul into.
It boggled Eve's mind that Italia would respond to her that way. What did Eve Taylor do to Milan that caused the hurt and pain it has inflicted upon her over the years? Eve loses her family for following her dreams, is banished from the modelling world, and she receives a lukewarm reception upon her greatest victory: why? Why did Eve deserve this punishment? What has Eve Taylor done to deserve all of this? Why does the country of Italy and its people despise Eve so much that it is justified to treat her this way? Eve has reached the summit of two industries and represented her country proudly on the main stage but gets all of this as a reward?
Well, Eve began thinking of new questions to ask. Why should she take this abuse? Why should Eve put herself through this pain? Why should she care about Milan and its people? What the hell was left for her in this stupid country, anyway? It was the place of her birth, sure, but the family who brought her into this world stopped caring and exiled her by the time Eve Taylor started hitting puberty. The industry she left her family for threw her out onto the curb and now the people she represented were beginning to turn their backs on Eve as their country's champion. So why the fuck should Eve care about Italy any more? Apart from her memories, there was nothing left for Eve Taylor. Before heading to France for the next event, Eve decided it was time to take care of the memories.
Instead of taking to the skies to travel to Paris, Eve convinced her friends Stacey Madison and Selena Anderson to stay on the roads. Of course, Stacey was reluctant at first but once Eve mentioned she was paying for the limousine herself, she began to understand the need for Eve to delve back into the past and experience it with her. Selena was happy enough with the free booze. Eve was glad that her friends were very understanding of her needs, as long as they were travelling in style and on someone else's dime. But it wasn't something to get hung up on, especially since Selena and Stacey were the best two people in Italy currently. Plus, she wanted to show her best friends the memories she had acquired over the years before Eve removed them from her life.
Eve's train of thought stops as the limousine arrives at a very small industrial town in the countryside of Italy. She looks outside through the darkness of night to see a familiar two-story factory loft and she smiles. Selena and Stacey were more concerned about arriving in a seemingly untrustworthy place than the significance of this place. They began to question Eve about being here but Eve waved them off, getting out of the limo and beckoning them to follow. Hesitantly, they do so and sticking to Eve like glue as they ascend the stairs, entering the loft. It takes Eve a moment to get the key inserted correctly, as it is a rusty old lock, but eventually, the door clicks and it swings open.
Eve flicks on the light and walks in, placing the key down on the nearby table. Selena and Stacey are in awe of what is displayed. On the outside, the loft looked old and dilapidated but on the inside, it was clean and pristine as if the loft was finished construction and opened for use yesterday. In their awe, they gingerly explored the room to see a massive a wardrobe filled with expensive and memorable outfits and dresses. Make-up dressers with mirrors and lights, trophies and awards from past years and some glass cabinets containing Eve's greatest achievements. Selena and Stacey looked at each other in shock to see how much Eve had catalogued her life inside this loft. They both turned to Eve to say something but she interrupts them.
"I take it you like the place?" Eve smirked.
"How come you never told us about this?" Madison queried.
"Never came up in conversation. It's pretty great, huh?"
"There must be millions of dollars worth of stuff in here!" Selena exclaimed as she skips over to the wardrobe.
"And that's probably just inside this wardrobe. I've got some expensive memorabilia in glass cases. All of my magazine front cover shots from Vanity Fair and Metropolitan, all with my signature and a personalised message inside. A replica of the Eurasian title and the actual Elite Openweight championship WZCW gifted me for being the longest reigning champion, both also signed. I even have my first trophy I ever won for winning a beauty pageant back when I was 15. Signed, of course. I could sell all of these items to the right people."
"But you won't."
Eve paused for a moment. "It'd be smart to do so right now considering I'm the World champion..." Eve looks down at the World title that adorned her shoulder before proceeding. "... but this is my entire life right here in this loft. How could I give up all this?"
"Especially this wardrobe! I can't believe how much you've got here!"
Eve turns around to see Selena holding one of Eve's dresses up to the mirror against her body, attempting to imagine herself in it. Eve smiles.
"You can try it on if you want. That looks like it could fit."
"Shotgun!"
Selena scrambles to get her outfit off to put on the dress. Eve points out there is a dressing room off to the side as Selena has her pants half-way down her legs and her shirt stuck on her head with her arms helplessly lumbering in the sky. With her face covered, Selena attempts to navigate herself towards the dressing room and finds some difficulty by bumping into things. Eve shakes her head laughing. Stacey is embarrassed for her and ignores her completely.
Selena going through the clothes prompts Eve to search through the wardrobe and have a once over to rekindle some memories. The one which stands out the most is one of her Kingdom Come outfits: the dress and accessories that made Eve Taylor looked like a wolf. It was the Cerberus outfit she wore when she faced off against Ramparte and Flex Mussel in her first Elite Openweight title defense. She pulls the wolf head off from the shelf and inspects it.
"I remember this one. That look holds up on the replays."
"It was probably the best thing to happen from that match, honestly. I still cannot believe Flex and Ramparte turned their backs on me over a bloody title. I supported them throughout the reign as the longest Tag Team champions in history and they turn around to do this?"
"It's the nature of the beast, Eve."
"I know that. It is difficult to have friends in the wrestling business. Every person who I considered a friend is no longer one. Except for the two of you, of course, but neither of you are wrestlers. We aren't competing for the same goals. That's what makes this work. We can be friends forever and never step on each others toes. It's great."
"I was referring more towards Cerberus being a success-driven group rather than the wrestling business destroying friendships."
"Well, yeah, I guess..." Eve goes silent for a moment. "As optimistic as I would've liked to be about Cerberus, I guess it was inevitable. But still, it was heartbreaking. That feeling of having someone turn their back on you sucks. I've done it to others and watched them fall. I've felt it happen to me and went spiralling down. I just don't want it to happen to others, especially someone so talented and innocent as Batti."
Stacey rolls her eyes as Eve begins talking about this conversation again. Eve catches this eye motion and isn't too happy about it.
"I will keep talking about it because I genuinely believe that Tyrone Blades is going to hurt her someday, just like he did to you."
"How many times do I have to say it Eve? I turned my back on him for success, like you turned your back on Aubrey Sloan for success. We are the bad guys here."
"How long before Tyrone Blades turned on you for success? He's done it many times before that I don't even need to list examples. You've been here long enough to know his history. Hell, someone as child-like as Selena back there is willing to turn on Truman Harrys for better success. If she can do it, then everyone is capable of doing it for success."
"By that logic, Batti could easily turn on Tyrone Blades for success."
"Yes and that's what I aim to do. But not entirely like that. I just want to somehow convince Batti that Tyrone is a toxic relationship for her and he will hurt her. I want her to get out of that relationship and done by her own terms; ended on her own volition. She needs to be the one to break up and walk away with no harm done. If Batti wants to become a champion like me, she needs to clear her head. I walked away from Mikey Stormrage. That was the first of many steps it took for me to get to this championship. Batti needs to do the same and I want her to do it before Tyrone leaves her and messes with her head. She's too good of a wrestler AND personality to have something so psychologically damaging happen to her."
Eve steps closer to Stacey with the wolf head still in hand.
"I say this because I care. I want to do this because I care. Even though Batti was not an official member, she is Cerberus at heart. I still hold some form of allegiance to that name because it got me to where I was today. Even though Ramparte and Flex turned their backs on me, Batti did not do anything wrong to me. I want to view Batti as a friend and not as an enemy. I don't want to go to war with Batti if I don't have to because I respect her. She will one day become World champion and I believe I could be the one who loses to her so she becomes the champion everyone wants to see. I'm not stupid: I hear the crowds cheer louder for her than they do for me. She is the World champion everyone wants to see.
"However, until she gets rid of Tyrone Blades, she is not the World champion this company deserves. I am. And I'll be damned if I lose to her. Championship matches. Exhibition matches. Arm-wrestling matches. Anything. She does not deserve such a high distinction like defeating me, the 36th World Heavyweight champion, until she does what I know is best for her career."
Stacey looks away before turning back to shrug at Eve.
"You can't lead a horse to water and make it drink, Eve."
"But I can throw the water into the face of the horse."
Stacey looks confused. Before she can question Eve on that, Selena comes barrelling out of the dressing room, attempting to put the heels on but clearly having a hard time. Eve laughs at Selena and walks over to her, leading her to a bench to sit on. Selena sits down and Eve helps Selena put on the heel. Eve has a shocked look on her face. Selena worries.
"What is it?"
"The glass slipper fits. She is the one!"
Eve grabs Selena by the hands and lifts her up, turning her towards the mirror as she laughs.
"You have the same body figure I had when I was 19."
"19?! I'm in my thirties!"
"That's a compliment, Selena."
"Yeah, you do look good in that dress. I wonder if any of these still fits me. I should probably start re-wearing some of these outfits now that there is no bloody way I'm getting back into any fashion show ever after my stunt last week."
Eve started going through her wardrobe, flicking through all the cocktail dresses. Something that looked revealing and flirtatious, but also classy and elegant.
"Looking for something in particular."
"I am... hey, Stacey? From the men you've dated, what kind of bars would you visit if you were say... in Paris, and would they be fitting to have me in a dress like this?"
"C'mon, Eve! Don't do me dirty like that. I know the best bars in any country."
As Selena begins describing some of the bars, Stacey pipes up.
"Why do you need to know?"
"Something about a horse and water." Eve smirked.