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Valley hadn’t forgotten about Alicia. In fact, she was give a harsh reminder of the redhead every time she tried to breath too hard and her ribs shifted. It wasn’t quite as bad as the last time she’d wound up in the Scissor Queen’s leggy clutches, but she’d be feeling the pain for a week. At least. She just had to pray she’d be good before Avalanche.

Despite that worry, though, she was still hopeful that she could pin Chris before her other opponent could interrupt. Those hopes were dashed were dashed when she felt rough hands lifting her up off of Chris’ body.

It was a small miracle that Valley got her arms up in time to block the kick to her ribs. It was the one thing that saved her, and even so, ‘saved’ felt like it wasn’t quite the right word. She still wound up getting kicked so hard she lost her breath and wound up flopping to the floor like a dead fish. Her ribs were still hurting, but she guessed they were better than they would have been. The difference between ‘painful’ and ‘excruciating’.

But she could still move. Somewhat. What was more, her legs still worked, which gave her a quick idea when she looked over and saw Chris getting scissored in half. She couldn’t save her fellow blond from that crushing grip, but she could take advantage of it.

Valley gritted her teeth and rolled over to the opposite side of Chris’ body, then slid her own legs into place around the Phenom’s chest. She crossed her ankles and locked in a bodyscissors of her own, sealing Chris’ fate - but, more importantly, ensuring that she’d have some part in the end. Half a win was better than none at all.

Alicia’s attention was not on Valley after she’d dealt her that kick, preferring to concentrate instead on Chris. Chris, who was potentially the more dangerous threat and who she had a chance to either eliminate or wear down significantly.

Focused though she might have been on Chris and her twin locks on the big blonde, Alicia just couldn’t miss Valley’s intrusion – not least because the sudden appearance of the other blonde’s legs got in the way of her properly twisting that Kimura. Abandoning it with an irate growl, the Scissor Queen took her frustration out on Chris’ already bruised belly, her thick legs swelling further as muscles defined themselves.

Slipping Alicia’s bodyscissors wasn’t going to be easy for the Phenom, and that was putting it mildly, but there was at least a small chance if Valley had gone for Alicia instead. With Valley now adding to the weight and pressure, it was just a matter of time.

At the same time, Alicia had already been guessing her fun was over given the noises Chris had been making. She’d been holding on but the redheaded scissor specialist was confident the time she’d had left could be measured in seconds. So it wasn’t the match ending. And it certainly wasn’t who won a friendly match – Alicia wouldn’t really have minded if it had been a real AFW match.

So she was hard-pressed to explain why she was more than a little angry at Valley.

She shouldn’t have been but… Something about the veteran’s action didn’t sit well with her. Ironically, she’d actually have preferred for Valley to just go for her.

As it was, she felt oddly cheated and the glare she threw Valley across Chris’ body spoke volumes as to how little she liked this.

Somehow, she doubted they’d switch to a one on one after this but she intended to push for it regardless.

Alicia wasn't the only one unhappy with how this was turning out.

"Ahhhghh, mother of God!" she howled in distress and agony as the duel holds settled in on her.

Alicia's legs were already crushing away at her midsection, and Chris knew she was probably in danger of getting a rib cracked. But then, Valley's legs were compressing her chest with their own scissor hold, making it hard to breathe, while adding to the feeling of being stuck in some weird version of a car crushing machine. There was no way she could make it out of this!

Taking her right hand, Chris tapped it repeatedy against Alicia's thick leg at her midsection, signalling her surrender!

Valley - and the referee and the crowd and maybe Alicia, too, since she couldn't really see her all that well at the moment - all winced at the blood curdling scream coming from Chris’ mouth, echoing through the room as her mighty lungs bellowed. As a friend, it was heartbreaking to hear, but it had to be done. The sooner they brought this to a close, the sooner Valley could end it and the less she’d have to worry about dragging this out.

It was over soon enough, too, thank God. Chris tapped. Chris had to tap. There was no other choice. Before she could even finish htting Alicia’s thigh, Valley let go of her hold, slid out and popped up to a crouch, giving her friend some space...and to make sure that Alicia was doing the same. She’d come to trust the Scissor Queen since that little thing with Gallium, but even so, it never hurt to be diligent.

Especially with that icy glare on Alicia’s face. For someone with fiery hair, she could put on a look that chilled the bones. Valley gave her a quick, apologetic shrug, a little puzzled by the stony reaction, but she wasn’t about to press it much more than that.

Alicia heard the shriek of agony the duelling scissors tore from Chris but, unlike Valley and the crowd, there was no wincing to be found on her features and no empathy in her heart. This was half of what the redhead lived for, having her opponents between her thighs and squeezing until they submitted frantically.

Like Valley, she’d been anticipating a rapid tap – unlike Valley, part of her couldn’t help but be disappointed it was already over.

Like all big men or women, Chris was just fun to squeeze. She could take more, though as things had proved not as much more as Alicia might like.

As soon as she felt Chris’ hand on her thigh, the sound like the blonde’s hand hitting solid concrete or something very much along those lines, Alicia relaxed her hold. Her ankles came undone and she scooted back, releasing the bone-breaking pressure she’d been applying to the amazon’s abdomen and floating ribs.

The big redhead was every bit as fast as Valley in doing so, meaning that the two ‘surviving’ fighters were left crouching either side of Chris’ body. And if the little shrug made any impact on the British woman, it didn’t show in her face. Her glower as icy as before, Alicia merely tapped a finger on her breastbone before jabbing it at Valley. Her intention couldn’t have been any clearer and the fans surrounding the ring burst into a quiet cheer at the prospect of the match continuing.

Amidst it all, the big redhead continued to stare the veteran down, waiting for her decision.

Not that Valley ought to need the gesture – she and Alicia had enough history that the blonde ought to know. But Alicia wanted to make sure that Valley had no excuse here.

If the blonde was going to try and weasel out of a fight, she was going to have to do it to her face.

Once free from both pairs of strong legs, Chris gave out a long groan of relief and rolled to the ropes. Using them as handholds the Californian made her way back to her feet and then staggered into a corner.

As far as she was concerned, this match that wasn't a match ended the moment she submitted to the crushing double team scissor hold. But when she turned her attention back to the other two women she found them staring each other down. It looked like things could get out of hand if the situation was left as it was, especially with the crowd cheering it on.

"Ooof..." she grunted with a hand on her ribcage. "I don't know about you ladies, but that was more than what I bargained for when I agreed to do a meet and greet. I could really go for a drink. I know a place that pours a decent Old Fashioned that's kind of close...."

Alicia was just as quick to let the hold go as Valley was, something that she was certain Chris’ ribs would be eternally grateful for. Her friend was a mess, wrecked between the two of them, but it was hardly a bad mark on her. If anything, it was a testament to Chris’ dominance - alone, she might’ve been more than either of them could handle. When they’d focused on her, they could take her down, but even then she’d still managed to give some impressive offense.

But one blonde was down, now. And the way Alicia was looking at her, she clearly wanted to go for two, as did the audience.

So, now, Valley had to make a decision about sleeping in this bed she’d so neatly made.

She had a title shot coming up. Her first and maybe the last one she’d ever get. Her body was aching right now, but so far, it was nothing she couldn’t recover from in a week. Maybe two. More than enough time…

...but if she took on Alicia, that was up in the air. Maybe she could beat the redhead, of course. She’d done it before, albeit by a hair’s breadth. Win or lose, though, she’d be a wreck afterwards. Not in shape for the match against Alaina.

It wouldn’t be a popular decision, but she knew the only way to go, here.

”Sorry,” Valley held up her hands and shook her head, apology written across her face. ”I gotta go with Chris on this one. Calling it a day.” The predictable jeers came from the audience, and she didn’t expect Alicia’s response would be any happier. ”Any other time, sure, but Avalanche is coming up soon, and…”

While it was certainly rude, it wasn’t deliberate rudeness on Alicia’s part that she completely ignored Chris’ intervention. It was almost like a buzzing somewhere off in the distance as she stared down Valley, waiting for the veteran to make her decision.

Valley’s first word made it clear long before she said it straight.

The explanation didn’t do anything to make the kickboxer like it any more either.

And that was exactly what Alicia had expected, if she was honest, from the second she’d seen Chris tap out. That didn’t mean she wasn’t disappointed, a good deal more so than the fans. While this wouldn’t have replaced that one on one showdown she still anticipated out of the blonde, it’d still have been good fun and a nice appetiser while she waited. Instead, she was left with a curiously unfulfilled sensation and almost hungry for more action that wasn’t going to come.

She didn’t even have a match later to work out her frustrations.

The big redhead didn’t jeer or boo, like the audience did. Instead, she threw Valley Doll a sharp sneer as she rose to her feet. Then she spun on her heel and grabbed the ropes, about to slip through and drop to the floor.

It was up to the others if they took that as her leading the way to a drink or as Alicia ditching the pair of them. It was all the same to her, though the slight slump to her shoulders told its own story.

Catching sight of the sneer Alicia levelled Val's way, Chris wondered exactly what was the relationship between the the two women. If they were friends then this was a kind of friendship that she wasn't familiar with at all.

After she turned away, Chris turned to Valley, an eyebrow raised.

"So...was that a yes?" she asked her friend quietly. "And....if it is, are we going to be ok? I really don't want to be kicked out of one the few places I like to drink at...."