Changing Sides
CHANGING SIDES
Part Nine

By: Elektra

MONDAY NIGHT (RAW)

"I have a match with Ivory tonight, Jeff and Matt have a match with the Dudleys," Lita started as she spoke to Jericho, the Hardys, and Stephanie, "We expect some outside interference. If they knew we were training Stephanie…" she let the sentence trail off. She didn't have to say it. Everyone knew things would be worse if the Alliance knew they were teaching Stephanie how to fight back. Lita turned to Jericho, "Be careful in your match with Rhyno,"

"It's not a title match," Jericho replied.

"That's besides the point!" Lita said, "It's still dangerous! No doubt he's going to try to kiss up to his 'leader' by pummeling you,"

"No doubt," Stephanie agreed, "I have a feeling Austin is up to something,"

"When is he NOT up to something?" Jericho asked.

"This is different. He's been acting really cocky tonight," Stephanie replied, referring to the promo Austin had cut in the ring earlier.

"When is he NOT cocky?" Jeff asked with a smile.

"Maybe he's hoping Rhyno will take me out before the Pay-Per-View…" Jericho replied.

"Well, Rhyno would beat you to a pulp regardless," Stephanie said, "Just because it's YOU…"

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Jericho replied sarcastically.

"Guys… don't start. Not now." Matt muttered. Stephanie and Jericho glared at each other, then sighed and agreed.

Vince came up to the small group, "Is everyone ready?!" Mr. McMahon asked.

"As ready as we can be," Lita said, then headed towards the curtains. The moment her music hit, she ran down the ramp, enjoying the cheers from her fans.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't last very long.

***

The moment Lita arrived at ringside, Ivory jumped her from behind. The Alliance member went straight for Lita's knee, driving her own knee into it. Lita found the strength to get back to her feet. She retaliated, and quickly threw Ivory over the ropes.

While Lita was catching her breath, Ivory grabbed something under the ring and climbed back in. Before Lita realized what was going on, she felt a sharp pain in her knee… the one Ivory had been working on earlier. Lita then heard a sickening crack -- a painful prelude to her collapse on the mat.

Like a madwoman, Ivory pounded furiously on Lita's already destroyed knee with the object in her hand -- a tire iron.

"Who's going to train the billion-dollar bitch NOW!" Ivory shouted.

Lita would have asked Ivory how she knew about Stephanie's training, but she was too busy screaming in agony.

In what seemed like hours later, Jericho and the Hardys finally arrived and ran to their fallen friend's side.

Jericho grabbed Ivory from behind and pulled her off Lita. He then ungracefully tossed the Alliance woman over the ropes.

"Take a deep breath," Matt began as he knelt beside his girlfriend.

"It hurts!" she gasped, "God it hurts!"

"Shh… it's ok," Matt said as he grabbed her hand and put it to his lips, "Jeff's getting help… shhhh…" he brushed Lita's hair out of her face and wiped her tears with the back of his hand.

"Damnit!" Jericho hissed as he knelt on Lita's other side. "Someone should have been out here with her!"

Jericho climbed out of the ring to see how quickly the EMTs were coming, only to be gored to the concrete by a flying Rhyno, "The ribs!" Jericho coughed painfully, "Why does it always have to be the ribs?"

"CHRIS!" Matt shouted, but was pulled away by an angry Bubba Ray Dudley.

Jeff attempted to help his brother when he arrived with the EMTs, but the Dudley Boys were quickly assisted by the Alliance's newest tag-team, Kronik.

Jericho looked up from his spot on the floor to see that Rhyno's attack wasn't over. The man-beast had brought a sledgehammer with him.

Chris was too overcome with pain as Rhyno rammed the sledgehammer into his ribs to wonder where Rhyno had gotten the weapon from in the first place.

Jericho only knew one person who used a sledgehammer as his preferred tool of destruction… and right now, that man was supposedly rehabbing an injury --- suffered at the hands of Y2J.