CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The following week on RAW, the crowd in Hampton, Virginia was waiting anxiously. They hadn't seen or heard from, even via Twitter, the girls of DEAR for almost the full week. The only exception was on Friday, but all that was heard was that the girls would not be at SmackDown, as they were in grieving over something personal.
The crowd could only hope that DEAR would tell them what that something personal was. However, with the RAW theme song on the speakers, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole did an recap and update on the now-former Diva's Champion, Beth Phoenix.
"As mentioned last week, Beth Phoenix has been out of action for over two months now. This was caused, initially, by the girls now known as DEAR."
The TitanTron then began showing the match between Kelly, Beth, and Gail, going up against the Bella Twins and Melina. They showed Melina's injury, and then focused on Beth's attack. The crowd got a little more restless as they watched Beth being carted away on the gurney.
The next clip shown was of Beth Phoenix the week before, and they played most of her speech through. When she set down the Diva's Championship, the video faded to black.
The screen went back to showing Cole and Jerry after this, and Cole shook his head. "It's an awful thing that DEAR has done, and not only-"
The arena went to black then, and the only sound heard was a static for a moment. The next second, a bell tolled. The crowd started to cheer, recognizing the sound of the thunder which played next, and the choir that came in after the next bell's toll.
The Undertaker's theme was playing.
"Is that the Undertaker, Cole?! What's he doing out here?"
"I don't know, Jerry!"
The song continued for a moment until a silver spotlight came to the stage, and there stood a woman. She looked up, adjusting the black fishnet veil which was over her face, and it was shown that it was Trish Stratus. She wore all black, from her skirt suit to her pantyhose, to the black heels that she wore and the hat with veil on her head. She stepped forward, and out came the rest of the girls of DEAR behind her, all of them walking to ringside.
The six girls behind Trish were carrying a coffin with them, acting as pallbearers, with three girls to each side, all of them dressed like Trish but in different funeral clothes. Lita, Mickie, and Gail stood on one side, with Ashley, Candice, and Maria on the other. They reached the side of the ring, and as Trish walked up the stairs, the other six girls set down the coffin at ringside.
Trish stood above the coffin, on the apron, as Lita took the liberty of opening it. Inside of the coffin lay a figure, with a few flowers over the body, wearing a blonde wig. It took a moment to focus in on who was inside, but it was Victoria, with the Diva's Championship over her waist. She wore Beth's attire, and Trish let out a sob as she got into the ring, shaking her head.
Michael Cole couldn't help but comment during all of this, "Have they no shame? For the love of God, don't they have any shame, or remorse, for what they've done?"
The other six girls assembled behind her as the Undertaker's song came to an end. The entire arena remained in a deep blue hue as Trish took her place behind the podium which was set up in the ring for them.
Through Trish's fake tears, she spoke. "DEAR-ly beloved… we are gathered here tonight in Hampton, Virginia, to pay tribute to a special kind of woman. A kind of woman who comes along once in a lifetime, a kind of woman who leaves her mark on this company forever… but first, we're going to talk about Beth Phoenix." Trish took a moment to compose herself, and then broke back down in her fake sobs, turning to Lita at her very left and sobbing onto her shoulder for a moment, until Lita stepped up to take her place at the podium.
"Beth Phoenix had a great career, but she made the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She found out what happens the hard way when you get in the way of the Magnificent Seven, who are now Eight in her absence. Our motto is 'win by any means necessary' and if we have to break rules, break bones, or break skulls, we will."
"Here, here!" rang out from behind Lita, the other six girls nodding and wiping fake tears as the fans began to boo.
Chants of "DEAR meat!" began to rang out, and Trish stepped up next to Lita.
"Please! We're trying to bury a woman's career here, show some respect!"
Lita moved Trish back, allowing Trish to continue composing herself as the fans booed louder. Lita took to the microphone, speaking over them. "You're looking at history, and we're the women making it. Never before has a group of women wreaked such havoc in this industry. Beth was just one of the many to feel our wrath. Melina, Layla, and Eve Torres, they all still are feeling the power, on top of Beth. Our path of destruction will not falter, and will continue until we have mended the breaks in this place. Simply put, we're the best thing going today." The other members of DEAR in the ring nodded, applauding even, as Trish stepped forward, nodded that she was composed, and hugged Lita.
"That was beautiful, Lita," she muttered through fake tears. "Mickie, will you please step forward to lead the hymn?"
Lita and Trish stepped back into the line as Mickie came forward, humming a note for the other girls to follow and harmonize with. Then, she began to sing, a parody of Amazing Grace.
"O Glamazon, how much it sucked, to have had you here, you were a champ. Now you're a chump, and the title will come to DEAR."
The girls fell back into their fake sobbing, even Mickie shedding a fake tear which she wiped away, before Trish stepped up to take the podium again.
"That was beautiful, Mickie. I know Beth's in a better place now." Trish took a pause, looking down and nodding with the other girls as they followed suit. "But I just have to see you one more time."
Trish took a deep breath, and then walked to the apron, going through the ropes and down the steel steps until she was standing by the casket. She looked in at "Beth," and then reached in to grab the Diva's Championship. After a moment of silence from the girls of DEAR, while the crowd booed them still, Trish began to put the belt around her waist.
It's time to play the game…
Trish practically dropped the belt in shock as the lights went from the blue hue they'd been in to the green which signaled none other than Triple H, the brand-new Chief Operating Officer of the WWE. The other girls of DEAR walked up to stand on the apron, behind the coffin in which Victoria was still laying down, and behind Trish.
Triple H stood at the stage for a long moment before shaking his head. "You know, Trish, I'm not even sure what to say to you. My father-in-law let your little bitch squad get away with a lot from the moment you showed up in your all-black outfits and started demolishing the Divas. You've put a bunch of other Divas in the hospital, you've run absolutely rampant over this company, but he let you get away with it, because it was good for business. People were talking about the Divas again, watching the matches instead of going to the concession stand or the bathroom during them. Well, guess what, girls. Now I'm in charge." The crowd was cheering wildly, and Trish rolled her eyes, still holding the unfastened belt in her hands while the other girls came to stand on the outer part of the apron.
"You think just because of Beth Phoenix stepping down, that you automatically get the Diva's Championship for yourself? That's low, Trish, even for you. Think again. You, better than anybody, should know that titles are won in the ring, not just handed out like a prize. You want that Diva's belt? All you have to do is step into the SummerSlam ring and fight for it there, because there will be an open-invitational Diva's Battle Royal there to crown a new Diva's Champion."
Trish was now standing at ringside, screaming, "No!" and shaking her head as she held the title to her chest. The other six girls jumped down, and Victoria sat up. "This is mine! I deserve this! It's what Beth would have wanted!"
The crowd was cheering wildly at the sudden near-breakdown occurring in Trish, but Hunter Helmsley just laughed on the stage. "You want that belt, Trish? Go and get it!"
Later that night, after returning the Diva's Championship to Hunter at his demand, the girls of DEAR stood and sat around their personal locker room.
"You know what, I shouldn't even be upset? Only an idiot from the Diva's Army would dare to step into the ring with women such as us. Our moment of triumph is almost at hand, girls." Trish smiled, and the other girls looked around.
Maria especially looked concerned for Trish's sanity. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, that one of us." Trish motioned to herself, subconsciously, which the other girls ignored. "A member of DEAR. Is about to be the Diva's Champion."