Frozen

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Armageddon

"This is gonna be awesome!" Christian said with much vigor. He stretched a bit and studied the face of his friend and tag team partner. However, Jericho just didn't seem with it, still didn't appear enthusiastic about the match like he did. "Oh, snap out of it, Chris!"

"Christian, they're women... women."

"So?" The short-haired man shrugged. "They were bitches toward us... Didn't you feel stupid when they were hitting us the other week? And in front of the world?"

Jericho eyed him.

"Well... yeah."

"So - there you go," Christian replied. "They deserve a little payback."

The self-proclaimed King of the World stayed silent but still didn't seem convinced.

"The match is already set," his partner reminded him. "If we go out there and do nothing, Bischoff will be mighty pissed."

"Well, yeah, that's true," Y2J thought aloud.

Christian swatted him in the chest.

"So, that's that. It's settled. Let's just go out there and teach those broads not to mess with real men like us."

Jericho eyed his friend unsurely but followed him out of the locker room.

*

As she studied her reflection in the mirror, Trish felt somewhat sick to her stomach.

Her long blonde hair had been styled and slightly curled to perfection. She had on a brand new ring outfit in gold and black, and her makeup was flawless. She looked like a million bucks... but she felt downright awful.

It wasn't merely the fact that she was scheduled to face up against someone she'd loved. But she would also be facing two men. What on earth had possessed that slimy rat General Manager to enable such a match to even take place? She knew she was tough as nails, as was Lita... However, like it or not, they were still nowhere near as strong as the two men slated to be their opponents for the night.

She wondered where the redhead had gone. A few minutes earlier, she had excused herself, saying she had to do something. Lita hadn't returned to the women's locker room. Trish realized their match would be happening soon, so she decided to head out to the hallway to wait.

She was standing with her back against the wall, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the man who sidled up to her. Her gaze was down as her head focused on the upcoming match, and she nearly jumped at the sudden touch on her arm.

"Hey there, didn't mean to scare you. Sorry."

Trish sighed with relief and shook her head.

"It's okay, Rob. I didn't see you," she said as Van Dam studied her face. "I'm just a bit wrapped up in my thoughts."

"Understandable," the man said, giving her a sympathetic look. "But don't be too worried." He winked.

The little blonde found it impossible to smile in spite of his friendliness. How could she not worry, considering what type of match she was about to endure?

"That's easier said than done," she murmured. Her gaze dropped to the floor as the uneasy feeling returned physically in the form of her stomach churning.

"Yeah, well... you'll be fine out there."

She eyed him strangely, doing her best to resist the pout she felt coming. His overconfidence in her was a bit unnerving rather than flattering. Yes, she would probably be fine if she could just nail both Chris and Christian with her Chick Kick, but how on earth would that even happen? They were having a match together. The only way she could envision gaining the upper hand was if she and Lita could somehow double-team each man in turn, or else nail them when they weren't expecting it. The former couldn't possibly happen because the referee wouldn't allow it. And the latter couldn't happen because one or the other of the opponents would have to be on the apron and not legal in the ring - and the legal man would never let her or Lita get away with a sneak attack on his partner. It was hopeless, which was exactly how Trish felt.

She had no response for him this time, just a look from her despondent brown eyes. She sighed heavily and crossed her arms lightly over her chest.

"No worries," RVD said jovially, a bit too much for the blonde's liking. She wasn't getting his easygoing attitude, not this time. He came a little closer to her to gently brush her cheek with the knuckles of his right hand in an affectionate manner.

"Keep your chin up, Trish... And I'll see you out there." He winked again and left.

As Trish continued to wait for Lita, Van Dam's last few words didn't even click inher head. But she would soon realize exactly how significant they were.

Part 21

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