At the realization of being tracked by Solace's mother, her father has no choice but to break his daughter's heart in order to finish the mission. With sorrow in his eyes, he gazes to Solace who is looking at Frankie's stuffing hanging from her unicorn's throat.

Daddy: Baby, we have to leave Frankie here... I'm sorry...

Solace: No!

Daddy: We have to go! Solace! Move!

Solace watches her father toss Frankie into the helicopter away from where she can reach and he pulls her out of her seat as she struggles to grab him.

Daddy: I'm sorry baby! I really am!

Solace: Frankie!!!

He runs from the helicopter with Solace over his shoulder and enters the small plane that is awaiting them to board. Streams of tears flow over her cheeks and she looks at the helicopter that Frankie is still in, abandoned. Her father buckles her and himself up and he signals to take off.

The vehicles surround the chopper and from the passenger side of the first black car, Solace sees her mother, in gown and heels, climb out and rush to the helicopter's door.

Mother: They aren't in here!

Her Driver: That's where the GPS says!

Her mother holds up the unicorn, stuffing pulled out from it's neck, and they all turn their attention to the plane that is beginning to roll away from them down the runway.

Mother: Stop them!

The drivers from each of the cars jump out from their seats, guns aimed at the plane, and begin to fire. The sounds of ricocheting bullets chirp off of the plane's body before her Mother becomes hysterical.

Mother: Stop shooting you fucking idiots! That's my daughter in there!

She watches the plane leave the runaway and enter the air, unable to do anything more to stop them.

Her Driver: What should we do?

Mother: Be patient. I'll find her. I won't stop until I do.

She watches the plane disappear into the dark night sky.

Mother: Mother fucker. You're going to wish you didn't pull this shit, Ekon.

She turns from the sight of the plane and moves towards her side of the vehicle.

Mother: He's gonna fucking regret it!

In the plane, both Solace and her father were starting to calm down. All of this excitement had exhausted Solace, and like any child during high-stress events, she was quickly asleep on the flight to wherever it was they were headed. Her father watched her sleep for the first time since before the bitter divorce, and although Solace's choice haunted her, her father never took it personally. He often wondered how the lawyers could sleep at night even suggesting, and furthermore, going forward with letting a little girl choose between her mother and father. He was more than happy to ease her pain and he would never, ever, hold that against her.

She, on the other hand, could never forgive herself. The guilt and pain she had caused her father would haunt her day and night just as it had since making the hard choice. She looked at her escape as a second chance to make things up to her father, and even though he didn't require it, she would make him the center of her universe from this moment on.

When she woke up, it was still nighttime, but it was hours later.

Solace: Are we safe, Daddy?

Daddy: Yes, my love. I will always keep you safe.

Solace: What about Mommy? Won't she come for us?

Daddy: Don't worry about a thing, baby. I got you.

Solace knew her mother had connections to some bad people. Her Brother, for instance, who she said was from the hood, she would often speak of, and how he rolled around with some real baddies. Solace had seen the darker sides of her mother even directed at her and she wouldn't Miss her Fury.

Solace and her Daddy had time to catch up on that long flight. He had some connections of his own, in fact, the people that helped him extract Solace from her bedroom were his contacts based out of the Palestinian village of Atara. The mishap at the runway cost the helicopter operator his life, but her father said it was all part of the job description sometimes.

Solace was just glad she'd no longer have to read about Wonder Woman or Osira. The misunderstanding of what makes a woman truly powerful is not what Solace would consider her mother, and since it was her mother who recommended those books, she would reject them entirely.

Her Daddy spent some time mourning the loss of his operator, who he would go on to call Shawn. When asked how long before they would arrive, he said it would be a while... and that first they'd have to land the plane to refuel in Germany, some town named Warstein.

Daddy: I'm sorry about Frankie, Sol.

Solace: He was my favorite.

Daddy: I know baby. Let me tell you a story that might make you feel a little better. When I was young and first in the military, I was stationed in Qatar. Disallowed from getting mail from my Momma due to security and all I had was her necklace I would keep on me. It was almost like, she was there with me as long as I wore it. Well, we would search local farms for hidden opium operations and, heavens to Betsy, one time, a Granger pulled a machete on me... right to my neck. All I could think about was my Momma and how I wished I could just see her one last time before I'm done in. That machete was pushed so hard against my throat that it cut the necklace right off, and I felt like I lost my Momma. They took me prisoner for almost two months before the U.S. military got me out of there and out of that damned country. I got home, I hugged your grandmother as hard as I could, and I never looked back... You see, Sol... That necklace, that was just a temporary bandaide for the real thing...

Solace: Did you worry you would never see her again?

Daddy: Of course, baby. But you know, if you want it bad enough, nothing is impossible. You got a goal? You can sit and do nothing... or you can Travel, erase your doubts.

Solace: I never felt that way about Mommy.

Daddy: Your mother's behavior would make a great Docudrama... "The Real Life Cruella D'ville"

Both Solace and her Daddy begin laughing at her mother's expense.

Daddy: That ain't right. I shouldn't disrespect your Mommy like that in front of you.

Solace: She did you wrong, Daddy.

Daddy: I know baby. But that doesn't mean she ain't still your Momma... look out the window...

Solace looks where her Daddy is pointing.

Daddy: You see that tall black building over there?

Solace: Are we landing?

Daddy: That is called "The Kieran Hotel" and my company built that. The wealthy owner of that complex insisted on incorporating Over a Ton of obsidian just to coat the outer-layers.

Solace: I guess that's... interesting.

Daddy: I made that up. I just wanted to see if you believed me or not.

Her father laughs and she joins in with him. She missed him greatly.

Solace: I'm sorry, Daddy....

Solace begins to cry against her attempt to resist it.

Daddy: Hey now, why the waterworks? Sorry for what baby?

Solace: I'm sorry I hurt you!

Solace breaks down into a sobbing mess and her father moves from his seat to sit beside her, embracing her in his arms. He uses his large fingers to gently move her chin up to look at him.

Daddy: Don't you dare beat yourself up. You didn't hurt me, baby... those lawyers did. Your mother did. Everyone except you. I could see it in your eyes that you were scared and that's okay, Sol. You don't ever blame yourself for what happened back then.

Solace: I wish I could take it back. I wish I could go back in time and just pick you instead.

Daddy: All that matters is the here and now, my baby. I'm gonna take care of you now.

Solace: I'm gonna take care of you, Daddy.

Daddy: Hey, we're gonna take care of each other. Okay?

Solace: I love you, Daddy...

Daddy: I know you do, Sol. I love you too.

The plane touches down on the small runway to refuel, and from there, Solace and her father would begin their life together, finally reunited; finally how things should have been from the beginning.

---

THE PRESENT

Solace takes a deep breath. The stress is starting to weigh down on her as she watches and listens to her competition's promos.

Stay the course. Stay focused. Don't let anything shake your confidence. She repeats it over and over until she believes it. It usually works but she's never been in this kind of tournament before. This wasn't a house show... it wasn't a circuit organization... this was millions upon millions of people watching her either make a name for herself or crashing and burning.

If you were to ask Solace if she was good under pressure... she wouldn't have an answer for you. She certainly is able to get the job done, even on the razor's edge, but her weakness is multi-tasking. Her laser focus can cut through steel, but it's tunnel vision, anything from the peripherals can easily throw her off her game; something she has struggled with her entire life.

She was open about this and felt that if her enemies knew the weakness, it would only motivate her to over-come like a trial by fire. This fire was hotter than she anticipated... she had prepared, or so she thought but realizes now that to succeed... she'd have to evolve. Would she be willing to make the sacrifice? Could she allow herself to transform into the threat she'd have to be in order to win? Was she going to take on a moniker just to fail at its execution?

With a sigh... she opens her eyes to see herself in the mirror... she looks into her own pupils, the brown iris that matches her father's, and stiffens her upper lip.

"They won't expect me... they can't predict me... they're not going to see me coming..."

She thinks to herself.

"It's time I stop being so god damned nice."

"It's time they see who they are actually dealing with."