Rival Angels

The fifth in a continuing series of one-shot fanfics.


The scars did little to mar her essential beauty. Indeed, many would say Athena Carter's scars actually enhanced her beauty, and she wore them proudly, although she was very tight-lipped about how she had obtained them. There was much speculation that before she joined Rival Angels, she wrestled in Japan in a promotion that was all Strong Style. Since it was common knowledge that she wrestled in Japan for a few years and often went back, more often than not resulting in a booking conflict between Rival Angels and the other promotion, the rumor was written off as truth and eventually incorporated into her character's story.

Krystin Moline was one of extremely few people who didn't know of "Cutter's" career, nor did she know what the actual woman looked like, so she was just as startled as anyone else who didn't know of her to see her scars up close and personal, as the two had a match one night. Athena, being far more experienced, easily won the match, and while it didn't sit well with Krystin, the scars all over her body told her she should let the loss go and move on with her career. In truth, "Cutter" wasn't a particularly violent or vengeful competitor, but she had tenacity and passion for the business. Any who sought to trifle with her was usually met with swift and brutal payback.

After a short rivalry, one that saw Athena dominating Moline again and again, although to the "Definition of Technician's" credit, she did win their second match, Krystin couldn't help but ask "Cutter" how she had come to obtain such horrifying and at the same time fascinating marks.

"Everyone tells me you don't like to talk about your scars, but I can't help bust ask: How did you get them?" she asked the veteran one night after a match they teamed against the Cat Girls and narrowly won. "I understand if you don't want to tell me, but I'm curious."

Athena stopped in her tracks. It was getting to be that time of year again, the anniversary of his death. The same thing happened every year. The day would come around, and if she didn't have to perform, she'd do nothing but drink to try to banish the painful memories. "I've never told anyone this, not even Gilbert," she said, her tone of voice giving away that she didn't want to say what she was about to, least of all to some rookie, but she knew in her heart that the sooner she told someone, the sooner she'd be able to begin the emotional healing. "I'm sure you've heard the stories by now, how I used to wrestle in Japan and how I'm a specialist in Strong Style." The look in her eyes then told Krystin the error she had made, but she also knew that like it or not, she'd get her answer. "It's all a lie. I wrestled in Japan, and I do compete Strong Style, but that's nothing compared to the things I had to endure before that." A fire ignited in her eyes and she clenched her teeth and fists.

"Athena...?" Moline couldn't bring herself to finish her new question.

"When I was young, my father abused me and my younger sister. Every night, he'd come home drunk, come into our rooms and beat us. And if we weren't in our own room, he'd beat us even worse." Her voice didn't break once, despite the tears flowing down her cheeks.

Krystin audibly gasped. She was genuinely shocked to hear this. "Oh, my Go- Athena, I'm so sor-"

"DON'T APOLOGIZE!" Athena snapped, wheeling around to face the other woman, pure hatred in her eyes. "It's not your fault, and there's nothing you can do to change what happened! My little sister... My little sister was..." And suddenly, her murderous rage was gone, replaced by despair. She fell to her knees, and between sobs, she managed, "My little sister was made to lay down on the stovetop while that bastard ignited it!"

Krystin was horrified. She'd heard the stories of child abuse victims, but she never thought it was that bad. Unsure if it was the right thing to do with "Cutter" in this state, but in an effort to try to help calm the other woman down, she placed a hand on Carter's back and began rubbing lightly. To her surprise and relief, "Cutter" didn't move but the heaving of her shoulders.

"Our neighbors heard the screams, and decided enough was enough. They called the police, but it was already too late... By the time they got there, Marsha was already..." She burst into tears again. She straightened up a little and managed, "The foster family they put me with couldn't understand my aversion to the father at first, but they treated me with love and kindness, and after a while, I came to regard them as my true family."

Krystin Moline didn't know what to say. Would it be proper to say anything? She decided to remain silent.

Athena stood then, wiped the remaining tears away, and straightened her shoulders. "These scars are my birthmark. The moment my father inflicted the last one on me was the moment the old, weak Athena Carter died. These scars give me strength, they are my shield against any harm anyone could ever hope to do to me, physical or emotional. I wear these scars with pride! There's nothing anyone can do to me that I haven't already survived..."


Every year, millions of children die due to the abuse and neglectfulness of their parents. This story is dedicated to the memory of those children.

That is a very powerful, emotional story. The real story obviously isn't their feud but Athena's childhood and loss of it.

albone wrote:That is a very powerful, emotional story. The real story obviously isn't their feud but Athena's childhood and loss of it.

Yes. You said when I first posted Athena's profile that she seemed pretty hardcore. Now you know why. She lost her childhood to an abusive father and decided she wouldn't let anyone else have their way with her again. On a side note, if you remember the story I posted for her and her manager, Gilbert, they were childhood friends, it was his parents who called the police.

And you could write it off as an emo moment that needed to come out if child abuse weren't something I was as passionate about as I am. My mom and I were talking about it earlier that day, and I decided that that was going to be the meat and bones of this story. It was going to be a story about Athena Carter and her scars, anyway. And it would have been longer, but I feel it was plenty long enough.