Kara watched in growing anger as the red car took every shot of the high powered cannons and still it drove onwards. Her eyes flicked to Drakken, who managed to shrink even further under her gaze.
“It is still coming, Doctor.” Her voice was cold, unfriendly, and almost feral. “I suggest you kill it. Now!”
“Yes! But it’s hard to-“ Drakken’s whine was cut off as an alarm began to sound and the status displays for the laser cannons all shot into the red. Kara stared, open mouthed, as every single defensive platform cannon went offline. On the view screen, replayed by the cameras not destroyed in the blasts, the smoking remains could be seen.
“NO!” Kara managed, her hands convulsing. “I have underestimated the power of Team Possible again!”
While Doctor Possible and Kim stared with relief at the sight of Mara racing towards the smoking ruins of the cannons, the entire Jade contingent, bar one, stared with loathing.
All Kara could do as, on screen, the car shot into the air, was watch. Watch as it drilled a hole into the reinforced steel of the hanger door, watch as it then blasted it inwards, watch as it shot through the hole with inches to spare. All she could do was watch and then once the car was inside and the cameras in the hanger began to show combat, was to turn to gaze at a humble Drakken with a terribly calm expression.
“So, it begins…”
Mara
With a squeal of rubber and brakes, the red car landed amid the various jets and hoverpods that Drakken and the Jade had stored. The rear brakes locked, causing Mara to skid sideways, crashing with full force into a jet. The plane tilted and fell as it’s landing gear gave way under the weight of the car crashing into it. As Ninjas, Troops and ground crew ran around the hanger bay, the chaos masked Mara roaring into the centre of the room. Coming to a halt with the hiss of hot brake pads, a panel on the top of her bonnet slid open. The glowing dome that it concealed rose into the air as it did so.
Realising that the car had come to a stop, the troops and Ninja’s approached Mara cautiously, drawing both guns and blades as they did so. The hanger henchman commander stared at the car and rose a open hand into the air. With a sudden motion, he closed it into a fist and his troops opened fire.
The bullets bounced off Mara’s armour as the henchmen fired, their armour piercing rounds bouncing off her sandwich of plastics and metals as though they were rubber. However, the storm of fire outside prevented Team Go from leaving the car. Mara’s sensors also picked up the Jade Ninja’s rising from the lower floor of the hanger, armed with rocket launchers. This was something she was about to fix.
Lockdown active! Repeat, Lockdown active!
With a whine of high powered discharge, the extended dome let off a flash of white light that expanded into a bubble of flickering blue sparks. None of the people firing at her had any idea what zero point energy was, or how it affected moving objects. However, it was the bullet’s reaction as they hit the glowing and expanding field that had the henchmen gaping as they learned a valuable lesson in physics.
Quite simply, as each lead slug hit the field, they came to a sudden stop and hung in mid air, a halo of the blue sparks surrounding them. Even as the commander gaped, he nodded at a Jade Ninja who raised his rocket launcher, firing off a round towards the car. To the horror of all the henchmen assembled around her, the warhead jerked to a stop in exactly the same manner as all the bullets, its engine spluttering and dying.
A quiet noise drew all eyes to the glowing dome that was projecting the field. With a sudden pop of expanding gas, a metal sphere flew into the air from a second panel as it slid open. Every single henchman watched it horror as it shot into the air. That was their mistake. With a blinding flash, the grenade exploded sparks of phosphorous scattering as it did so. Every single henchman and Ninja in the room let out a scream of pain, blinded by the flashbang grenade.
As the whine from Mara’s lockdown field vanished and the sound of bullets and rockets falling to the floor echoed around the room, the car’s doors slid open with gentle clicks. The moans of various blinded people were joined by the clatter of boots on concrete. Two of the hapless henchmen, fighting the purple spots in their abused vision, ran into something solid, yet warm. As their vision slowly returned, hands rubbing their eyes, the two henchmen realised that the solid object was actually a person, clad in blue and black. Both sets of eyes glanced at each other and then upwards into the feral smile of Hego.
“Gentlemen, I’d like to ask you something…Do you really think you can beat me? Now, if you were to help us then-” Hego broke off, sighing as they both desperately reloaded their weapons. “I see that there is no talking to you two… maybe your colleagues will help?”
Not giving them time to bring up their guns, the huge man swung both fists at each of them. The impact flung both men into the air, only for them to land on the wings of a stored jet plane. Neither moved, both knocked out cold, and Hego let out a cry of anger as he charged the remaining fifteen or so henchmen and Ninjas.
“Mego!” Hego called as he leaped into the air, bringing his fists together to impact the concrete in the middle of a group of terrified henchmen. As the impact smashed into the surface, the concrete cracked under the blow, the force of the backlash hitting the group like a sledgehammer.
As they fell unconscious, Hego glanced across to where Mego and the Wego twins were also running around, attacking the staggering henchmen and Ninjas. He waved both hands and raised his voice to get their attention.
“Team Go! Remember the plan! Mego, leave these guys to the twins and Mara! You and I have to get to the main controls!” His brother nodded, turning to the henchman he held tightly and ramming his forehead into the man’s nose. As the henchman fell, blood splattering Mego’s purple suit, he ran across to where Hego was busily dealing with another three henchmen.
“Mara! Where is it?” Mego yelled at the red car, whose own defensive systems had kicked in, the laser cannons converting to firing concussive bolts of plasma from her engine. “The main systems box for the door! Where?”
“The large white box right in front of you, about fifteen metres above on the left hand side of the door!” Mara yelled through external speakers, five henchmen falling in quick succession to her blazing cannons. “Hurry! I’m picking up incoming troops downstairs and in the corridors on this floor! If you don’t hurry up and get it open, we’re going to be overrun!”
Mego nodded and ran up to his brother. “Hego, box on the wall over there, the white one! Fifteen metres up on the left hand side… get me up there and I’ll handle the rest!”
His brother uppercut the henchmen in front of him and glanced over. “Not a problem. Need a lift?”
With a pop, Mego’s body flickered, dopplering and shrinking to the size of a small doll. As his brother crouched down slightly, Mego jumped into Hego’s held out fist. Cradling his brother carefully, Hego slid to his feet and gazed up at the white box on the wall. He had to make the first throw perfect or his brother would end up being knocked unconscious. The drop at his current size would kill him.
“Hego! Hurry!” The cry of both Wego twins made Hego glance around.
The twins each faced two troops running towards them, guns at the ready. As the cry for them to put there hands up echoed around the huge hanger, the two boys glanced at each other and grinned. With a pop, each replicated into fifteen identical versions of themselves and with a battle cry, jumped onto the suddenly terrified henchmen.
Confident that everything was in hand, Hego glanced down at Mego and nodded. “Ready?”
“Get on with it already!” Mego squeaked, cracking his tiny knuckles.
Nodding, Hego stared up at the white box on the wall and let everything else going on around him fade away. He concentrated on the target and only the target, the same method his sister had told him she used, before the bad blood between them. As the box focused in front of him, he hefted his shrunk brother and, with a smooth underarm motion, Hego threw his brother as hard as he dared towards the box.
As Mego threw flew through the air, he concentrated on nothing but grabbing the box. His concentration was broken by the whine of bullets suddenly flying past him as one of the final few henchmen noticed his small form. Unable to dodge the slugs, Mego silently prayed that his attacker was a bad shot.
The henchman swung the rifle barrel, trying to track the purple figure, as he flew across the hanger. Finally getting him in his sights, the henchman pulled the trigger, only for the barrel of the rifle to vanish under a blue glove and bend. As the henchman looked up into a face with no mercy, he felt a second glove fist into his tunic and yank him effortlessly to eye height.
Mego landed on the box and triumphantly shrank further until he couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. The only evidence that he was still around the main control box was a sudden set of sparks and the smell of burning silicon as he worked to sabotage the controls. Nodding with approval, Hego turned to the henchman.
“I really didn’t like seeing you trying to hit my brother… so here’s the deal.” The henchman licked his lips, only to gibber at the sight of his fellow henchmen fighting off what looked like sixteen identical people, and losing. Hego shook him. “Pay attention! Now, I want to know where our sister is! You can’t miss her! She’s been your boss for a while, but now that blue psycho has changed his mind and she’s now a prisoner. Green skin, short temper… wise mouth and a tunic like this one, only green. Seen her around?”
“Yeah… yeah I have!” The henchman gibbered. “In the main chamber… about to help Mistress Fang mind control Kim Possible! She’s mind controlled herself, so it was kinda cool considering all the rumours about them. So, it was coming to the end of our shift and we all decided to watch in the break room!”
“Thanks… a little more information than I wanted, but thanks.” As the main doors suddenly sparked and began to hiss open, Hego grinned. “Tell you what. As a thank you, I’ll make damn sure that I knock you out with one punch… I promise.”
“Wha?” The henchman managed, before a carefully measured blow form Hego knocked him out.
As Mego ran up to him, Hego glanced down and gave him the thumbs up. “Great work, bro!”
“What can I say? Other than yes, I amthat good!” Mego said, grinning widely as both brothers watched the Twins and Mara take out the remaining hanger guards. “Now, what’s next?”
“I think it’s time we let this Fang woman know who she’s dealing with.” Hego pointed up to the camera’s lining the room. “Though she’s seen us in action, I doubt she has any idea why we’re here. But we can change that…” Reaching up to one of the camera’s, Hego yanked the device and stared directly into it. “Listen to me, evil doer! Team Go and Global Justice are here! Surrender Kim Possible, Mrs Possible and Shego, unharmed. Then give yourself to us and we promise that you will have a fair trial!”
With that, Hego yanked the camera he was staring into, violently from the cables that tracked into he wall. With an explosion of sparks, it died. “Mara? What’s the word?”
“More coming from all angles… guys!” Mara shocked the team as her laser cannon fired a powerful burst at one of the doors, welding it shut. A few seconds later, all of them could hear the banging of various fists on the doorway. “That’s not going to keep them out for long, they’ll just end up using the main doors downstairs. Even if I do go down there on the lift, they’re too large to weld shut! Still, its bought us enough time for Global Justice to get here.”
“Plus, anything that helps us do our job here is a good thing…” Hego murmured, blinking as the hammering on the side doors increased. All of them could hear the “Better contract director and that Ninja lass, we need the backup.”
“Already way ahead of you Hego.” Mara commented quietly. “I just hope Ron and Yori know what they’re doing.
Doctor Director
Sitting in the troop transport chopper as it held at the edge of the known detection zone for Drakken’s systems, the head of Global Justice clenched her jaw and waited. All of those who had been able to had watched Mara’s daring and quite breathtaking high-speed attack of the hanger bay doors. Now, they all waited with baited breath for Team Go to succeed and open them.
For Doctor Director, the waiting was a two edged sword. While Mara remained inside the hanger, fighting god knew what with Team Go, that meant Ron and Yori would remain safely hidden inside the vents. If… when Mara and Go managed to open the doors, then that would signal them all going in, including the two teenagers. For all her calm demeanour, Doctor Director worried for them. When Ron had reported that Kim had been taken, and he himself had almost been wounded by the Jade, Betty Director had forced the ball of ice in her belly away and been what she always was, calm.
Now, as she sat there watching, waiting, she felt the ice form once more. What if Kim was dead? What if her lack of persuading Kim to give up the hero business had been her own arrogant failing. The ability to see a teenage tool and use it… like her brother would. The thought worried her far more than it had done before, but then Kim had never been in so much mortal peril before.
“Doc… this is Mara.” The hissing transmission echoed tinnily around the small helicopter. “We’re in and the doors are open. We need backup… repeat, backup!”
The sound of marines all loading guns and clipping grenades to their belts sounded around her as she stood. “Understood, Mara. We’re coming in.”
The flock of transports all moved as one, towards the steadily open hanger bay door. Everyone inside, the leader especially, knew that they could not, they would not, fail. Not when a young woman’s, someone who had helped others selflessly, life was at stake.
Jasmine
“This is Mara, Jasmine… Um, do you read?” The tinny voice coming from the radio clipped to a black ninja uniform, a Shinobi Shozoku, made two soft blue eyes slide towards it and gently pluck it from its holder. “Jasmine? Damn, I hope Yori was right about you and-“
“This is Jasmine… speak.” The figure remained crouched on the tree branch it had been using for the past few hours, and glanced down at the huge numbers of similarly clothed Yamanouchi students, fellow Ninjas and friends.
“Oh, right… the doors are open and though we’ve taken out five Jade Ninja’s I think you can bet your ass more are on the way… we need help! The GJ are already coming.”
“As are we.” Jasmine whispered quietly. As one, the figures below her stood and the sound of many blades sliding out of scabbards echoed into the night. “You do not need to fear the honourless blades of the Jade, for we are here to help.”
“Understood.” Mara’s voice echoed one final time and then the radio was silent.
Jasmine H’dara leapt down from the branch, both hands, one with only four fingers, absorbing the impact. If the fingers of that hand trembled slightly as the image of Shia whispered around her mind, it did not matter. She had a job to do… they all did.
Turning, Jasmine regarded the Ninjas around her and nodded with satisfaction as daylight gleamed from clean blades and reflected from determined eyes. “You all know what to do?”
They nodded, some giving a quiet “Hai.”
“Remember the plan, both of them.” Jasmine glanced at one figure and the other that stood quietly next to it. “Hirotaka, Brianna, you received Yori’s second instructions?”
Both Ninja’s nodded and Jasmine pulled the black hood of her Shinobi Shozoku down over her white hair. She drew her old blade, the one Sensei had, to her shock, quietly given back to her once she had returned to Yamanouchi after healing in both mind and soul. If the marking at the point where the grip met the blade pained her, it also gave her strength.
The name of the person inscribed next to hers was here and Jasmine lovingly, if sadly, ran her finger along the symbols that formed her name. Today, Yori had given her a chance to bring Shia back, and she would die trying. Ever since she had learned the truth about Shia and the horror that Yori had told her had been in the young woman’s eyes as she had run away, there had been no other option in her mind. If she could heal, forgive, and still love Shia, then Shia could come back to her, wipe the blood from her hands by being what she truly was… honourable.
“Then we move… and go to assist the Monkey Master and his friend, Kim Possible. Yamanouchi… move out!”
With a whisper of cotton and silk, the entire force moved as one towards the open hanger bay doors.
Kara
Kara Fang did not scream or shout when Mara shot through the door to the hanger bay, nor did she rage when the troops currently guarding the jets and vehicles were taken out by Team Go. The only sign of her anger was the way her hands slammed down onto the control panel next to Drakken as the camera’s showed the hanger bay door’s opening and Hego yanking the camera off the wall to stare into it. That was the only sign, along with a hiss from her lips and her eyes darkening to smouldering embers.
““Listen to me, evil doer! Team Go and Global Justice are here! Surrender Kim Possible, Mrs Possible and Shego, unharmed. Then give yourself to us and we promise that you will have a fair trial!”
“Oh hell… Hego?”Shego whispered the words as she heard her bastard brother’s voice echo around the main lair, unable to see his face, as Kara had not instructed her to turn around. She felt sick. “Oh… no! It can’t be them! Not again! Oh, Stoppable I am going to KILL you!”
As Hego droned on, Shego felt the world tremble as it had done all those years ago.
He’s helping to save my ass? No goddamn it! I won’t be indebted to that asshole! Not to him! He betrayed me, forced me to become a hero, to be something I wasn’t… and then fucked even that up! I refuse to owe him one for this, if he hadn’t done what he did to me, then none of this would have happened! Besides, if he’s working with the GJ then all the better. Kara is dangerous and I have Kimmie to think of…
But what would Hego demand from her for saving her life? He thought of him expecting forgiveness, or even her brother lording it over her, churned Shego’s stomach.
Damn, damn! I’ll just ignore him… that’s what I’ll do. He can gloat all he wants at his little sister, the one who ran away, getting into trouble with the people she worked with, I won’t let it affect me! Well, okay… if he gloats too long I’ll show him that having certain parts of your body on fire is not pleasant. But that’s all I’ll do… I’m not my mother and I won’t give him the satisfaction of ‘I told you so’!”
“Evil doer?” Kara’s hissed words made Shego come back to the here and now, a present where she had her fingers gently resting on a button that would rape Kim’s freedom from her. It was even more unpleasant than the memories of Hego’s betrayal. “This fool has no idea whohe deals with!”
“Alert!” The computer announced, making Kara’s hands curl into the plastic façade with rage and the front edge yanking up under the strain. “Military jet helicopters on approach… Defence systems destroyed… no response! Alert! Unknown force on foot making way to main hanger bay! Clothing suggests Samurai of unknown school! All security, report to main hanger! Doctor Drakken, suggest Battle-droids and Synthdrones be powered up!”
“Yamanouchi!” Kara muttered, glancing across at Shia who paled and shook her head. Her sister glared for a second and then glanced across at Kim and Shego. “Well, well. It seems Team Possible has powerful friends, Kim San. Shego’s brothers, oh yes Shego, I knew where you came from. I also knew that Kim would have Global Justice on her side, but Yamanouchi? Ron Stoppable must carry great weight to have Yori, Sensei’s personally selected student to take his place, on his side.”
Turning from the view screen, Kara glanced at the contingent of Jade Ninja’s and henchmen that filled the room. She narrowed her eyes, calculating the numbers available to her that would reach the hanger in time, and shook her head. She had to move them out of the lab if they were to protect her. The thought was unappealing, but she had no choice.
Sighing, Kara gazed at half of her fifty Jade Ninja’s and swept her hand over them. She did the same to fifteen of Drakken’s henchmen that also stood in the room.
“You, all of you I have just selected. You will report to the hanger bay. Defend Drakken San and myself from this strike team while we finish making Kim Possible and Shego ours.” As the various henchmen and Ninjas glanced at each other, Kara scowled. “You heard me! Move… now!”
As the forces filed reluctantly out under Kara’s instruction, Shia watched them leave and her eyes were narrowed in speculation. Her sister was many things. Assassin, planner and filled with an innate cunning, that had shown itself to Shia when she had learned the truth about who had killed her mother. However, the one thing Kara was not versed in was tactics. She had never been faced with, or had to plan for, an assault on a building with troops. Shia had.
To her, with all her training from both the Jade and Yamanouchi, and her experience, she felt that the battle in the hanger was nothing more than a distraction. Her reasoning was that though Drakken and Kara had little chance in defending the hanger and, subsequently, the whole lair from Global Justice and Yamanouchi, they had plenty of time before the force below could move up. If this was the main rescue force, then it was badly planned and Kim would be injected and taken before they had a chance to save her.
No… this smells of a diversion. A diversion that only I seem to have recognised.She gazed across at the form of her sister, muttering and pacing as she glared at the troops filing out, and then at Quia, who stood as close to Kara as possible. Wishing I were out of the picture, Quia. You followed Kara for years, helped train me and then watched as Kara took me as a bodyguard. Oh, you want my job, but you are not a tactical person. You are an excellent fighter, but not smart. No, you do not realise this either. Only I know…
“Sister?” Shia whispered.
“What?” Kara snapped at her without glancing back. Her sisters eyes were glued to the main view screen once more, lips set in a thin line at the people pouring into their secret lair. “Right now, Shia. Just be silent for once!”
To her shock, Shia remained quiet, despite the danger. Something inside, maybe the last vestiges of her personal honour refused to let her speak to her sister. To her horror, she found that Kara’s safety was no longer her driving force. Obedience to Kara as a leader, as one of her responsibilities.
Why should I be so surprised? She killed my mother… brutally, by all accounts.Shia thought to herself, wishing she could feel more compassion over an event so many years ago. Is that what I have been reduced to? I do as my sister says because she is my… Mistress in the Jade? Is that all she is to me now? No… She is still my sister and she had her reasons, however wrong they may have been, to end mothers life… end it and enslave me!
Shia blinked as Kim’s mother let out a gasp of pain and she glanced down to see her hands squeezing the redheaded woman’s wrists so tightly that they had gone white. She forced herself to relax, let go gently and turned away to study Kara’s tense form, ignoring the frightened expression in her captives eyes.
That was… rage at my sister? I… No, no! She did not enslave me! She saved my life!
“Yes, I let them take you, I had to work from a position of strength…”Kara’s words slithered through her psyche and Shia shivered.
She had her reasons!Shia thought desperately. I do not want to feel this anger towards my kin! Kara is all I have! I… I cannot, must not hate her! Yet I… do?
Shia felt the blood trickle out of her face as she thought the words, searched inside herself and found nothing but a hollow space where sisterly love had once been. Had it deteriorated so quickly upon learning the truth about her mother, about her own fate? Or had it slowly whittled away, as Kara’s growing indifference killed whatever Shia felt towards her.
I am lying to myself… I love her no longer! I doubt I ever will again! Oh, by the Jade, she is nothing to me anymore, other than duty!
Her mind tossed back the images she had long ago pulled from the online news services, remembered the blood, being locked in a cage, fed cold water, hay! Beaten. All Kara’s fault! All of it! Yet I stay, I do nothing to help Kim Possible, because of my oath! Is it enough to say that, to look up to that, to believe that?
“I have the Jade… it is enough.” Shia whispered to herself, so quietly not even Doctor Possible heard her. “I cannot blame that which fed me, trained and gave me purpose!”
The heat from the forge, sitting in the corner of the vast hall, was almost unbearable. Even as Shia, stared at it, anticipation on her face, she felt the restraining hand of Kara on her shoulder.
“What you pledge is yours and yours alone.” Kara whispered to her as they both watched the Jade blade master stoke the forge a little. Inside, the molten white blade shone amongst the incandescent coals. “It is your honour, and if you pledge it to me, then you know what you have to do to keep it, and in doing so keep your life.”
“I understand and I follow you willingly.” Shia gazed at the blade that would soon be hers.
“Good, then knee and recite to me your pledge in front of the masters of our order and the blade that will be formed from part of you, will be you. Swear to us now, Shia Fang!”
“I pledge to obey my Mistress, to follow her to death if need be. I pledge to obey every command, to do as is bidden and to never question what I am told. Her eyes tightly shut, Shia whispered the words that she had spent months learning and even more months understanding. Though they were simple, the meaning was far more complex. “My Mistress is the word and voice of the Jade, the soul of the Jade, the flesh of the jade and in turn is my father, mother, sister. I swear to uphold the ways of the Jade, to protect my Mistress against hersef and those who would harm her, on my honour and my life.”
She felt cold shears slice through her hair, the ponytail she had been growing for quite some time cleaved off. The hair was paced into her hands and Shia licked her lips. The ceremony was coming to it’s climax!
Her eyes snapped open as she felt a sudden intense heat hover a few inches away from her face. There, glowing a soft cherry red, the half crafted honour blade hovered in front of her, tighty gripped by the blade master in a leather glove.
“The blade has heard you, and through it, so have we.” Kara’s voice was breathy, almost dripping with anticipation. “Now, offer us a gift… The gift of your flesh and blood!”
Nodding, Shia held out the knot of her hair, head bowed, and Kara took it gently from her. The blond locks were placed into a red jade bowl, the symbols around Its edge almost gleaming in the flickering yellow light. With a smooth motion, Kara gently took the flask that a servant offered her and tipped it ceremoneously against the bowl. A thick, bright red, resin oozed from the flask, mixing with the blond hair. Kara nodded in satisfaction and gently placed the bowl on the table to the left of herself and her kneeling sister and soon to be bodyguard.
“You have offered flesh, and it is accepted. May your flesh, temper the hilt. For though the blade of any weapon is strength, without control such strength is wasted. In the jade, you are strength, but I am your control. Together, that is power. Learn from your sword every time you pick it up and wield it. Know that strength and control are power.”
Shia bowed her head. “As are all things for the Jade.”
“You have offered flesh, and it is accepted. Now, offer blood!” Kara whispered the words and Shia wondered if she heard her sister’s tone become lavicious. “Blood is life. For us, both life and blood are one. We spill blood to punish, give blood to rule. That is our existence, our power, and our name. Know us, fear us, and in your case, Shia Fang, serve us! For we are Blood Jade and you are ours!”
“I am yours, for now and forever.” Shia whispered, repeating the words drilled into her. Her eyes barely moved as the Grand Master himself stepped forwards and offered Kara a small ornamental dagger. He only appeared at special events, and the inauguration of a council bodyguard was such an occasion.
“Show me your loyalty. Offer life!” her sister hissed, the dagger gleaming in the yellow flickering flames.
Shia calmly rolled the sleeve of her ceremonial dress up to her shoulder and held out her arm, palm up, towards her sister and the quietly watching council members and fellow bodyguards. “I offer all.”
“That will not be required, but we take what we wish.” With a smooth and viciously fast movement, Kara slashed the dagger down against Shia’s arm. Once, twice, three times in quick succession. Shia never uttered a single whimper. Instead she stared at the cuts and then at the blood that trickled out and across her skin.
Another servant bowed before Kara and offered a second red jade bowl. Her sister took it gently and then held it under Shia’s bleeding arm, collecting a small puddle in the base. Once collected, she motioned to the servant who had held the bowl. The young girl kneeled and began to bind Shia’s arm with clean cotton.
“Blood is strength. This blood is yours, do you wish your blade to be bound to you and the life you offer?”
Shia nodded, flexing her arm. “I do, as it reminds me of my pledge as much as it serves it.”
“Then let the blade be tempered!” The Grand Master whispered from where he watched.
The blade master yanked the glowing white blade from the furnace once again and carried it across to the table where the two bowls sat. The table itself was unique in that it had a slab of pure granite running down its centre. The blade master gently placed the glowing blade on the granite and Kara picked up the bowl with Shia’s blood.
“Accept this gift and be tempered. Serve my bodyguard. Serve me!”
With that, Kara tilted the bowl and Shia’s blood trickled out to spill on the hot steel. With an acrid hiss, the blade spat as her blood splashed and coloured the metal. The iron in the haemoglobin was mingling with the steel and becoming one.
“The blade has been tempered!” Kara announced and she turned to the blade master. “Now, make it strong for my Jade sister, and for me!”
Hours had passed and now the blade shone, sharp and gleaming with deadly purpose. Symbols had been inscribed into the surface and now the wizened old man worked busily, fixing the blade to the hilt. Inside the wooden handle, the mixture of Shia’s hair and resin, with a final hardening compound, had been packed inside and now, as the old man concentrated and his experienced fingers moved of their own accord, Shia’s hair bound the blade to the hilt with incomprehensible strength.
Sister and sister watched the man work and Kara had finally turned to Shia with a smile. “Welcome to the family, sister. Serve me well, and let us be a power together.”
Shia had been only too eager to agree.
A sigh escaped the blond ninja’s lips, almost dreamy as she thought back to the times when it had all been so… clear.
The noise however, made Doctor Possible try to turn and stare at her in confusion. As she opened her mouth to ask a question, Shia clamped down and glared at the older woman, reminding herself to keep such thoughts private. The reasons were purely selfish and, Shia could admit, defensive. Kim’s mother had been right about Kara, about everything her sister was and had done. What would she do to the only other stable rock in Shia’s life? What would she see that Shia had not, when it came to the blond woman’s sworn duty to do right by the Jade?
I know now that it was on Jade orders that she died, but as much as I wish I could hate such an organisation, I cannot because I have done the same for them! How many lives have I taken, mothers, fathers for the same reason, the same goals? I follow orders now. I do as Kara says because she is my Mistress… nothing more!
A perverted smile tugged at Shia’s face for a second. She almost found it amusing how life had twisted to make her serve the very people who had killed her mother. How badly she had been bent to obey, to follow, and to never question. So, she did… and now she knew how twisted she had become. Unbidden, Shia’s eyes flicked to the redhead in her grasp, and the blond woman sighed, all humour gone.
Yet, I still find myself conflicted over my orders and maybe the orders to come… because of you and the love you show for your daughter. The same that I felt once from my mother. Yes, there is already too much death on my conscience.
Kim’s mother had gone quiet, not wishing to draw Kara’s anger at Global Justice and Yamanouchi for attacking her. A smart move in Shia’s opinion. Now, as she gazed at the woman, Shia had no idea what to do. If a rescue force attacked them, would she kill Doctor Possible? It would be Kara’s most likely order and one that Shia had no personal desire to fulfil. However, the truth of the matter was that she was still bound through her promises to the Jade.
She knew she would have to follow Kara’s orders or sacrifice her honour. Without honour, both in the eyes of Yamanouchi and the Jade, she might as well be dead. Indeed, the Jade saw honour and life as one and the same and Shia had believed it as well… and still did. However, deep inside. The words of Sensei, spoken all those years ago during happier times at Yamanouchi, still echoed inside her mind, planting tiny seeds of doubt even now.
“Honour is all well and good, Shia. It can be, for people like us, the essence of our being. It was the idea and belief of honour in a person that stayed a Samurai from being nothing more than a brutal killer. However, let me ask you this. If you lost all of the honour you cling to, and Jasmine’s life lay on the scales of balance itself as a counter. Would you tip the scales to gain it back? Would you sacrifice her, spill her life to quench your thirst?”
“I… I do not know. I have never considered such a question.”
“Ah, then I have given you something to ponder for a long time. Life is precious Shia. More precious than honour and if someone or something asks you to take life… how long before the scales tip and honour becomes worthless?”
Back then, Shia had no answer. Now, as she gazed at Kim’s helpless form, at her mother’s terrible strength of will, she began to wonder herself if the scales were tipping as well. If they tipped all the way, if her honour became tarnished though so much loss of life, was she worthless?
What do I do? When is honour, no matter the oath sworn on it and obeyed upon it, not a good enough reason to sacrifice innocents… the good? Shia blinked, trying to force herself into the here and now.No, I must not think these thoughts! I have no love for my sister and my belief in honour, the pledge I swore on it, is all I have left! If it is worthless, if I am wrong, then I shall soon find out… if my prediction of a smaller force is correct.
If the person Shia expected to be on the rescue team was there, she doubted that she, or her sister, would live through this. At the thought of all the misery she had bought people, most of all jasmine, Yori, Mrs Possible and Kim, Shia wondered if it would be a fitting end to die at the hands of those she betrayed.
Let the scales tip when my life is added, to balance them. If that is my fate, I accept it. I will not disobey my oath to the Jade, I will do as I pledged and follow Kara’s orders to the letter.
Shia moved Doctor Possible gently across to where Kim lay bound to the chair. However, I should at least attempt to warn Kara of another attack team.Shia felt Doctor Possible tense in her grasp. And I can ensure that as little innocent blood is spilled on her behalf as much as possible, for now. I will… deal with the other order when the time comes.
At Quia’s tracking gaze and raised eyebrow, Shia manacled Doctor Possible to one of the support pillars, close to Kim and Shego, and walked back to where Kara now paced. She glanced across at the wizened man. “I cannot protect my sister if I am bound to Mrs Possible can I?”
“No, I suppose not.“ Quia grudgingly agreed. A wise move, Shia Fang…”
“We are wasting time!” Kara snapped suddenly, and she waved a hand at Drakken. “Doctor, come! We have to inject Kim with Servus. It is time for Shego to fulfil the Jade plans and taste the revenge I have planned! Nobody will stop us, not even Global Justice!”
“Yes, Ms Fang…” Drakken whimpered, a tiny part of his mind realising that the woman he now worked with was maybe not as sane as he had initially thought.
“Sister, I need to speak with you.” Shia coldly and clearly told Kara.
“Not now!” Kara snapped. “I told you once, be silent!”
So, my oath is fulfilled.Shia thought, stepping back and nodding at Kara, as she ignored Quia’s amused huff of breath. You have told me to be silent, and I will be…
Nobody in the room, except maybe Shia, realised that every word was being heard by the very strike team that She expected to attack. Nobody knew that three sets of eyes watched them from one of the numerous and large air vents that were installed along the lower floor of the lab.
“Well,” Ron whispered to Yori, as both of them gazed at the half empty lair. “At least half of them left… that leaves us, what? Twenty five ninjas and about ten or so henchmen?”
“Hai.” Yori whispered, her chocolate eyes never leaving the form of Kara, except to slide across and gaze at the blond figure close to Kim and Mrs Possible. “Ron! I think Kara is getting ready to inject Kim! The battle below has aggravated her, as you said it may!”
“Ah, darn it.” Ron tapped the metal floor in front of him and both could hear Rufus’s huffs as he fought through both their clothing. He landed with a quiet thump and staggered to his feet, turning to gaze up at the face of his master in the cramped conditions.
“Uh huh?” He squeaked quietly, knowing how vital it was to remain as silent as possible.
“Ruf, we don’t have any time! Here,” Drawing the lotus blade from the scabbard proved to be difficult and both Yori and Rufus watched with worry as Kara strode across the room, Ron struggling silently. Finally he slid it free and with a quiet pop of displacing matter, the blade shrank to one that Rufus could easily handle. “Here buddy. Now, listen to me. It’s up to you to sneak over to where Kim is being held and cut the bonds on her ankles and wrists. We’ll create a distraction as much as we can. Okay?”
“Uh huh!” Rufus whispered, fixing his tiny eyes on Kim’s prone form. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt that the next few minutes would be the most important ever in his short life. He waved his free paw at the vent. “Open! Open!”
“Okay,” Ron slid the vent open slightly and Rufus slid through. “Good luck buddy!”
Falling to the floor with the tiny Lotus blade, the molerat glanced around from his position against the wall. Everyone was busy watching the main view screen. Sliding the sword between his teeth, Rufus began to slide along the wall towards Kim. He had to hope that the group of people that had arrived at the entrance to the hanger would keep everyone in the main lair busy.
Doctor Director
“First squad, flank left! Second squad, flank right and secure that doorway!” Betty Director snapped out the orders as her troops landed one after the other into the upper hanger bay, while Dash’s squad did the same in the lower. What met her eyes on the top floor was a huge Bay of smoking wreckage, unconscious guards and four people around a bright red car. With a flicker, the four became five as a glowing blue figure joined the others, sitting on the bonnet.
The banging coming from the main doors was loud now, and Doctor Director noticed that the only reason they had not been opened was due to the huge steel girder tied in a knot around the main hydraulic rams, preventing them from opening automatically. Even as she shook her head, the roar of high-powered cutting torches could be heard on the other side.
“Am I late for the party?” She asked, her tone dry.
Mara’s holographic form grinned. “Nah, the party’s just getting started, Doc. They tried to get the door open a few minutes ago, but Hergo took care of that until you could get here. Looks like we’re all in for a quite a battle!”
The head of the GJ nodded and raised her voice. “Troops! Defensive positions one!” As the marines rushed to find cover and load their guns, Doctor Director sighed. “Well, that’ll help protect us against the henchmen, but if we end up fighting these Jade, I can see us lasting a few minutes! My men are equipped to fight other soldiers, not fast moving shadows with blades! Where the hell are Yaman-“
“We are here Doctor.” A quiet female voice made Doctor Director jump and for the first time in her life, Betty Director bit back a scream of shock as a female hand landed silently on her shoulder. “We have been for some time, you just have not noticed us, as is our way.”
The sudden crackle of her radio made the one eyed woman glance down, away from the black clothed figures who stood around her. “This is Dash! Has anyone else met a squad of black clothed Ninjas? I mean, I just need to know if they’re the good guys because the way they just… appeared out of thin air is freaking me and my men out!”
Doctor Director clicked the radio on, her gaze never leaving the blue eyes that watched her with amusement. “Dash, this is Director… they’re ours. Take up positions and get ready for a battle.”
“Well, glad to hear it, considering. Okay, squad, take up positions! Sir, listen… we’ve just been examining the boxes down here. I think we may have a problem. Many of these are crates that carried armour plating, biosynthetic plasma… and what may have been advanced microchips.”
“Great… battle-droids and Synthodrones.” Doctor Director guessed. She sighed and shrugged. “Well, no time to worry now. We’re here, they’re coming and it’s them or us. I’ll be dammed in the Jade is going to have free reign in America! Dash… good luck!”
“I see Yori was right about you.” One of the figures, female and obviously the leader, softly told her. Suddenly, the female held up a hand and then clenched it. “Yamanouchi… move!”
“Hai!” The growled response came from everywhere, even along the walls and Doctor Director tried not to gasp at the sheer numbers of black clad figures that began to move. She only realised they were there because they were moving! She turned back to the three figures.
“Are you going to take up positions as well?”
“No, we have a second mission… a special one. Do not worry, my squad knows its job and will protect and assist you, Doctor.” The female pointed to herself and the two people next to her. “We have to go and assist Yori. As she asked us to back at the planning stage.” The woman bowed, followed by the two people behind her. “It will be, of course, your honour to let us do as we have been instructed.”
“It will?” Doctor Director replied, blinking. She watched as the three figures ran across to the vents set into the hanger wall and prised the cover off one. “Hey! What isyour mission?”
The male figure paused as the two women smoothly and agilely slid headfirst into the vent. He turned to regard Doctor Director and bowed. “We must see if the snake gifted with the name of Fang has two heads of evil… or one that is evil, the other misguided.”
With that cryptic statement, he too was gone, sliding headfirst into the vent. As Doctor Director stared after them, she heard Hego’s disbelieving voice.
“Where the hell did you dig this lot up from?” The blue haired man gazed about him at the black figures both crouched for battle on the floor and lying flat against the walls and support beams of the ceiling. “Who arethese people?”
“People who’ll try to stop the guys who can slice and dice us, while we help protect them from the guys who can shoot them to ribbons.” Doctor Director bit her lip as the main inner doors to the hanger began to rhythmically bang again. Nobody apart from the marines had been paying much attention to the cutting torches progress. Now, the doors shook under the blows, cut at the edges of the runners and hydraulic link points to the rams. They would soon collapse. She came to a decision. “Hego, I need you and your team to get down that elevator… and fast. I just realised, Dash is alone down there!”
“Hey, if we go, you’ll be alone up here!” Hego told her, blinking at the command. “What good will that do you if battle-droids start popping out?”
“I have Mara… Dash has nobody!” Doctor Director watched the doors begin to tremble. “Please! Go!”
Glancing at his brothers, Hego turned back to the one eyed woman and nodded. As one, the multi-coloured figures ran for the hanger lift, quickly vanishing to the lower floor. Crouching down, Doctor Director hefted her rifle and glanced across at the glowing blue woman.
“May I?” She asked, waving a hand at the car’s bonnet.
Mara glanced across and nodded. “Knock yourself out. I’m glad to be of service to the GJ.”
“Oh shut up.” Betty Director muttered quietly, cocking the rifle and resting it on the warm metal.
“You know something…” Mara whispered, crouching down next to her as the doors fell with a crash into the hanger, the huge numbers of Jade Ninjas and henchman, as well as Battle droids and synthodrones a mass of figures behind the settling dust.
“What?” Doctor Director whispered back, as both sides gazed at each other, waiting for the first shot.
“I’m scared…” Mara whispered. “Stupid, huh? I’m a machine… it doesn’t matter if I die, not like a human’s death matters.”
As the first shot rang out, followed by hundreds more that mingled with battle screams from both levels, Doctor Director swallowed. “I’m frightened too… and Mara, you couldn’t be more wrong about how much you matter. Now, lets kick some ass!”
Kara
Kim stared up at the oriental woman with loathing, even as she smiled down at her. The only thought that ran through Kim’s head, unable to move due to the paralytic, was how cold the smile was. All teeth…like a shark.
Almost tenderly, Kara reached out to stroke Kim’s hair and she leaned in close. “It is far too late for them to save you, Kim. By the time your friends manage to fight their way up here, you will be mine and all of us will have left by one of the various escape routes Drakken San has built into this lair of his.”
“Ghhrkk.” Kim managed, her eyes glaring at Kara with loathing.
“Probably…” Kara whispered, glancing up at Shego’s immobile form. “I think it’s time, Shego.”
“Yes Mistress Fang.” The green woman replied, while inside, she screamed in protest.
“No! This can’t be how it ends! Kim’s always been able to escape before! She’ll get free… it can’t end like this! It can’t!”
Kara smiled and glanced down at Kim’s terrified expression. “Goodbye, Kim Possible…” She leaned down and to Kim’s horror and a whimper, kissed her softly on the lips.
Kim’s mind had frozen with panic.Oh god… never felt so damn helpless before! Can’t even move my fingers! Shego, snap out of it! Something… please! I… I don’t want to become a mindless killer!
“No…” Doctor Possible whispered, her heart racing as she realised salvation was too far away to save Kim. Her manacled hands jerked helplessly against the pillar. “No… not my daughter…”
Shia gently placed a hand on her shoulder, letting it rest when Kim’s mother didn’t twist away. Closing her eyes, Shia felt something stare back at her in disgust, some part of her long buried under obligation to the sister she had loved and her duty to the Jade. Now, with the love removed, the weight of her duties was rapidly becoming insufficient to hold it back.
Nobody noticed the tiny figure creeping behind the chair.
Kara stroked the vial of liquid tenderly. “Hello, Assassin number one…” Turning to Shego, Kara nodded. “Now then, Shego. You may-”
The crash of the vent cover flying across the room and landing with a metallic clang on the concrete made Kara spin round in shock. All eyes swung to the bodies, one clad in simple black and the other in a suit that was so dark light seemed to fall into it, apart from the red stripe that ran down the sides. Both flipped smoothly from the air vent to land in a battle ready crouch. While all eyes turned to gaze at them, apart from Shego’s, only two did so with relief.
“Not today, Fangy!” Ron yelled at Kara, whose face twisted with a snarl of rage, her eyes burning with hatred. “Team Possible is here to kick your ass and save Kim! Booyah!”
“You!” The voice that slid from Kara’s lips was almost a feral snarl once more. “I know you! You’re the sidekick! That stupid blond boy, who can’t fight and is so mind numbingly useless that Kim has to carry you with her own abilities! You are pathetic and yet despite knowing this, you have come to rescue your friend. How… heroic.”
“You will show him respect, Kara Fang!” Yori snapped, her fans whipping out from their holders and fanning open to show the deadly sharp steel. “He is the Master of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar! The chosen one!”
Kara’s snarl slipped into an ugly smile as she took in the athletic body and heated face of Yori. “Well, well… look who’s here, Shia. One of your friends has come to play with you!”
Shia blinked as Kara glanced across. “Yamanouchi knew where we were and told Stoppable and his allies. How did they know I wonder?”
The bitter punch in Kara’s words hurt Shia’s heart, but the growing anger and dying love for her sister braced her against them. The blond ninja matched her sister’s glare and stood proudly. “Yet again, you attack my honour and my loyalty, sister! I have done nothing to assist them!”
“I see. If this is so, then how have they managed to find me?”
“Hey, you don’t need a mole to do that, Fangy.” Ron carefully concentrated his senses around himself as the Jade ninja’s began to circle. “You just need a rather cool car that can launch a semi-intelligent bug onto a fleeing hoverpod.”
“You… you tracked me here?” Shia closed her eyes, concentrated what little patience she had to calm herself. “I see. Shia, I apologise. Perhaps I can make it up to you, as we watch.” The Ninjas began to circle, Kara laughed. “Watching them rip you both apart will be a perfect starter to Kim becoming mine!”
As Yori backed up against his spine, Ron noticed one Jade ninja slowly moving into an attack stance. A gasp and warning tap against the back of his shin warned him that Yori had her own problems to deal with. Focusing, Ron called upon all the training Sensei had given him and slid into a subtle defensive stance.
Rufus
Rufus crept along the last few metres of wall between him and the chair holding Kim down. The huge form of Shego, standing motionless as she waited for an order, blocked Kim’s face from his view. The molerat had no idea if Kim had been mind controlled or not, he could only hope she was still free.
As he crept along, he recalled the last time the two women had been controlled simultaneously. Ordered to destroy him, Rufus had never felt so trapped when between Kim and Shego. Together, he admitted, they really were the perfect team. He knew, now, as did Ron that Shego had finally admitted that she liked Kim, loved her in fact. Rufus had always wondered about the subtle odour of pheromones that emitted from both women when they fought, taunted and grappled. Now he knew why.
Glancing back at his master and his potential mate, Rufus let out a tiny squeak, quickly muffled, as he saw the two of them surrounded by a steadily growing number of Ninjas, the henchmen hanging back to enjoy the show. Knowing that they were both buying him time, Rufus gritted is teeth and prepared to do one of the most dangerous things he had ever done… Run between the feet of a enslaved Shego, a woman who could easily crush him under her back and green boots.
Sliding the Lotus blade, the weapon shimmering brightly, between his teeth, Rufus fell to all fours and ran for his life. He had a mission and refused to fail his owner.
Ron
The Ninja moved like lightning, catching Ron off guard. Coming in low, he lashed out with his foot, trying to incapacitate the blond teen by breaking his ankle. Ron countered, his right foot catching the ninja’s left and knocking it away. However, the blond teen cursed as pain lashed up his ankle, the energy of the blow making its way up his leg. Limping ever so slightly, Ron wasted no time as his opponent fought to gain his balance.
Do this for Kim!”Ron thought.No more buffoonery this time! Trust in your training, everything Yori has taught you, Stoppable!
Taking a step forwards, Ron’s left elbow swung up and connected with the ninja’s mask. The crack of bone could be heard and the ninja fell back, hands tearing at his faceplate. Before Ron could catch his breath, however, a second and then a third stepped up and took their injured colleague’s place.
Ah hell!
Both attacked at once, one swinging in high, his fist making a beeline for Ron’s collarbone, while his partner again attacked low, trying to break the other shin. Ron ducked sharply, the fist missing him by scant centimetres, but the second catching him in the jaw.
Swearing, Ron concentrated and. with a burst of muscle power, he span into the air, body perfectly aligned into a smooth twist. The sweeping leg of the second Ninja passed through the air, exactly as his colleagues fist had.
Landing awkwardly on his injured leg and cursing again, Ron muttered and forced himself to his feet. As he did so, the blond teen felt the air rushing in front of a blow that was being aimed at him. The throbbing pain in his jaw hot-wired his reactions, and his arm swung up to block it before it could impact.
Without thinking, Ron reached deeply inside him and called on the reserves of the msystical evergy that Monty fisk had released all those years ago. The counter punch he aimed at the ninja who had bruised his jaw sent the attacking man reeling backwards, a crunch indicating he had broken the man’s jawbone in return.
“Damn, I changed my mind! Having monkey power rocks!” Ron whispered, feeling far more confident.
As another three ninjas moved to attack him, the blond teen wondered if the only reason he felt so confident was the young woman standing somewhere behind him. A woman who believed in him as strongly as Kim did, only for different reasons. His opponents drew closer and Ron backed up, bumping shoulders with something. For a second he tensed, until the familiar waft of soft jasmine slid over him. Yori’s scent. Feeling her shift, feeling her muscles bunch as she engaged her own foes, he knew she had his back.
Ron glared at the approaching replacements, felt the strange glow of courage ripple through him even though he knew he was going to get hurt, and beckoned with one hand. “Bring it on!”
Yori
Yori felt Ron bunch as he engaged one set of Ninjas behind her. Despite his American way of joking around, Yori knew that Ron possessed not only the training she did, but also a power she lacked. Even as she watched two ninjas circle left and right, their blades weaving in a dangerous circle, she listened to the sound of combat behind her.
As long as you believe and are confident in your abilities, Ron San, you will be formidable in combat and the Jade will never be able to defeat you.There was a sudden crunch of bone on bone, followed by a male scream. Definitely not Ron’s as it was incredibly deep. See? Believe in yourself, Ron. Know that I… I love you as well, so stay safe!
Yori’s chocolate eyes darkened as the blades swung at her. She judged her timing perfectly, ducking, rolling and sliding to her feet in one smooth motion as the shining steel whipped over her head, narrowly missing her hair. With a quiet sound, her bladed fans shot upwards and slashed in simultaneous arcs, cutting deeply into the thighs of the two who had attacked her. Blood spurted onto concrete as the two ninjas fell, their screams mingling with the ones behind her.
Another two ninjas moved to attack her and Yori slid backwards, bumping up against Ron’s spine as she did so. She felt him clench for a second and then relax, somehow knowing it was her. As she glared at the second pair who approached, warily watching the razor sharp fans that flicked across her muscular body, she heard Ron growl a challenge at whomever was attacking him. A smile flickered across her lips, as she knew that he was protecting her from a rearward attack.
Without a single word or battle cry, Yori sprang forwards once more. The first Ninja dodged her fans, trying to catch her with a slash as he spun behind her. Yori had anticipated this and she felt the blade whistle over her head as she ducked and spun on the spot. Her fans shot out once more and the ninja cursed in agony, the sharp edges cutting across his abdomen and leaving a deep slash of sliced muscle. Distracted as he was, he never noticed the young woman’s fist flying up in an arc to catch him under the chin.
The second ninja swung his blade down, trying to stab Yori while she remained in a crouch. He wasn’t even close to being fast enough. Yori felt someone behind her and she rolled to the left, her hearing picked up the faint whistle of something sharp cutting the air.
As Yori heard the blade hit the concrete with a metallic clang, she lashed outwards and upwards with her right foot. The jarring sensation of bone on bone, followed by the thud of flesh hitting concrete, confirmed that she had hit her target. Without a single glance backwards, Yori slid to her feet and quietly watched the scene in front of her as Ron fought his own foes.
Rufus
“Phew!” Rufus squeaked quietly as he leaned against the cold steel of the chair binding Kim. The last few minutes as he had made a mad dash between Shego’s booted feet had been quiet frightening. Now, he stood under the chair, the steel legs providing him both visual cover and protection.
The furious sounds of combat made the molerat glance across at Ron and Yori, both still fighting the ninjas that surrounded them. Rufus knew he had little time and taking a final deep breath, began to climb the metal base of the chair.
As he slid over the edge, the small rodent could see Kim’s bound feet, the huge combat boots obviously were hers. After all, the only other person close enough was Shego and she wasn’t bound to the chair.
“Payback time! Uh huh!” Rufus chittered, his eyes gazing at the steel cuffs binding Kim’s ankles to the chair. Something he would soon take care of.
Hefting the tiny Lotus Blade in his paws, Rufus jumped quietly onto Kim’s left boot and swung the blade with careful concentration at the spindle point of the cuff restraining her leg. The metal simply parted as the glowing blade struck it silently. The tiny clink of the restraining band itself hitting the metal as Rufus pushed it open, the only noise.
Quickly, Rufus hopped across to Kim’s other leg and slashed at the bolt there as well. The second band holding her legs to the chair sprang free and Rufus nodding in satisfaction as he slid the blade between his teeth once more and sprang onto Kim’s trousers.
The molerat felt Kim jerk ever so slightly, the only sign that she realised something was crawling on her body, due to the paralytic coursing through her veins. To reassure her, Rufus paused for just long enough to tap out his name on Kim’s skin in Morse code, something she had taught him long ago after her baby sitting attempt. He felt her relax suddenly and grinned, knowing the message had got through. Focusing on the tight fabric against Kim’s skin, Rufus began to climb once more, being as careful as he could with his claws.
Finally, he reached her midriff and jumped as quickly as he dared onto the left arm of the chair. Shego was still under mind control, he understood that quite clearly, and the last thing that Rufus wanted was to disturb the green skinned woman as she stared dully into Kim’s eyes.
Landing on her wrist, and feeling the flesh underneath tremble at his pinching claws, Rufus quickly slid onto the fabric part of Kim’s arm and quickly examined the cuff binding her to the chair once again. It was almost identical and the molerat quickly judged, aimed, and swung the Lotus Blade against the section of the manacle that ratcheted into the chair. As it popped open, he quickly yanked the metal up and away from Kim’s arm.
As quickly as he could, Rufus slid from the free arm and dropped clumsily onto Kim’s lap once more. He scampered across the teens body and leapt onto the final arm that held a bound limb, quickly slicing it with the Lotus blade and yanking it free.
That, Rufus thought quietly as he dropped once more onto Kim’s stomach, dealt with the restraints binding Kim. Now, as he gazed up at the gleaming collar, that just left the neck restraint and the needles, pumping whatever was paralysing his friend, in her body. However, that also meant exposing himself to Shego’s gaze.
The sounds of combat stopped suddenly behind him and Rufus heard the evil woman speaking to his master in amused tones. His time had run out and Rufus came to a split decision. It was a decision that risked his own life, but as he leapt onto Kim’s chest and began to climb as quickly as possible, Rufus shrugged it off. Ron and Kim had risked their lives many times to save him, it was time to return the favour.
Ron
It was Ron’s turn to go on the offensive this time. Moving like lightening, the blond teen leapt towards the closest ninja, grabbing the shocked man around the head and locking his arm around the ninja’s neck.
The second closest ninja, trying to find a position where he wouldn’t stab the colleague Ron had grabbed, never had a chance. Pushing off with his feet, Ron used the neck he currently held in a headlock as an axis. Spinning around the struggling man, Ron’s feet slammed into the back of the second ninja’s neck. With a cry, the ninja stumbled and fell to the floor, his Katana slithering along the concrete, out of reach.
Noticing that Yori had dispatched those fighting her, Ron swung his feet down and twisted his grip around the ninja’s neck. Motioning with his head, and receiving a smile and nod from Yori, the blond teen let go. With a backflip, Ron’s foot lashed out, catching the choking ninja in the chest with his full weight and momentum. The blow forced his opponent to stagger backwards, and into Yori. The young woman’s arm whipped out and the ninja staggered into it as though it was an iron bar.
The final Ninja was far faster than his colleagues, and Yori had barely time to shout a warning.
“Ron! No!”
Her cry made Ron turn, but far too slowly. The shining sharp steel of the ninja’s katana slashed out and the blond teen staggered backwards, gasping in agony as the razor blade glanced across his forehead. Blood oozed in a thin bead down his face, blinding him, and Ron knew he was in trouble.
Unable to see as he wiped at the blood trickling into his eyes, Ron couldn’t defend himself and the ninja launged, sensing his opportunity. The blade swung at his midsection and Ron, blinking as his vision cleared, had no time to duck or dodge the blow. Yori was running to come to his aid, her face pale and frightened for him, but she was too slow.
Ron felt the blade impact and could only stare as the light reflected off the victorious eyes of his opponent. A gleam that was quickly replaced by annoyed confusion. The blade of the Katana, as it had impacted the surface of the suit Ron wore, had a problem. For something to be cut, a blade must be able to generate friction to cut. The suit fabric across Ron’s chest was formed of an intermesh of incredibly strong polymer, bound to titanium molecules and plates of a flexible monofilament based material.
Slipperier than Teflon, the blade had no point to bite, no place to generate friction and begin to cut into the material. Though the energy of the impact staggered Ron, making him take a few steps back, the blade skittered harmlessly across the slippery surface of his battle suit. The ninja stepped back, eyes narrowing as both teen and opponent stared at the unmarred black surface.
“Oh yeah, these suits definitely rock!” Ron whispered, grinning. Adrenaline pouring into his body at the relief of finding himself alive.
The Ninja moved quickly once again, this time trying to swing the blade at Ron’s neck, a harder target but the only part of his body that lacked protection. This time, however, the blond teen was ready for him.
Ron’s right arm swung up to block the blade’s impact, the Katana once again skittering across the monofilament panel that it met as it bounced off him arm. With the immediate attack blunted, Ron stepped forwards into his foe and gripped his clothing. With a quick twist and an application of weight, the ninja slammed onto the ground, the air leaving his lungs. Ron, towering above him, quickly slammed his foot against the ninja’s thigh, making his leg slam against the concrete. Ron ruthlessly brought the same foot down with full force against the inner thigh and there was a quiet snap. The ninja screamed hoarsely as he writhed, clutching his, now, broken leg.
“Enough!” Kara’s voice snapped out, making the next group of Ninja’s pause and back away from the two teenagers as they slid back to back once more. Kara, her face a picture of annoyed frustration, gazed at the two of them, arms crossed over her breasts. The only sign of the rage she felt, the slightly tremble in her shoulder muscles.
As Ron and Yori both turned slightly to swap quick glances at each other, the unspoken question between them each asking if they were all right, Kara’s voice lashed out with venom.
“You think your stupid heroics will save anyone here today? How dareyou come here and assault my troops. For that, you willdie…” Kara began to rant, drawing a worried gaze from Shia as spittle trickled down her sister’s chin. “You, or your pathetic allies, cannot stop what is happening here! Kim Possible is mine! Shego is mine! You will never free them from my grasp!”
Ron gazed at Kara with loathing and faced her directly, Yori gently brushing his arm as she moved to cover his back from attack. “You talk big, Fangy. Yet everything you’ve done has been pretty much for nothing. Yori and I can handle the remaining ninja’s in here. You do know that, right? Global Justice and Team Go are attacking in the hanger and will be here sooner or late….”
“You think they can stop my Jade?“ Kara began, only for Yori to interrupt her.
“They may not stop the Jade ninja’s, Fang. However, they do not need to… Yamanouchi is here, as well you know. Compared to us, you and your puppets are nothing!” Yori’s words were calmly spoken, but Ron felt the anger that she suppressed so often make her muscles tremble.
“Big words for a Jade reject!” Kara snapped, making Ron blink and gaze back at the chocolate eyes of Yori. “I wonder if anyone knows yourpast, Yori… Nobody finds Yamanouchi by accident it seems. What happened to you I wonder? What sins do you hide?”
Yori stared in shock and anger at Kara’s gloating face. Memories of her past, of regrets and foolish choices, welled up and then pushed away.
“You would try to turn Ron against me? I have never joined the Jade… ever!” Though Ron heard the vitriol in her words, he couldn’t help but feel that Yori was holding something back. However, he put it to one side. Now was not the time and the stricken glance that Yori gave him, one filled with distress, made him feel protective towards her.
“Give that up right now, Fang.” Ron turned back to the Jade leader and shook his head. “That’s not going to work, Yori gained my trust years ago. Besides, you have more important things to do than try to make me question Yori’s loyalty!”
“Oh, like dealing with you and her? That will not be a problem!” Kara hissed, motioning behind her. As she did so, Quia yanked something from his belt and spoke quietly into it. “You wish to attack me here? Then see the true strength of the Jade!”
Both teens heard the stomp of feet on concrete as another ten Jade Ninja’s began to trickle in through the huge doors that lead into the main corridor. Kara smirked, as they both were suddenly back to square one, this time without the benefit of surprise.
“You see how futile this is? I hold all the cards here! Your pathetic team will never get to you in time and they will see the truth of attacking me when the first of them stumbles across your mangled bodies!”
As Kara began to laugh and the ninjas slowly circled around Yori, Ron glanced in desperation across at the chair holding Kim down. The tiny shape sitting on Kim’s wrist made him smile as his molerat slashed what looked to be the final restraint on Kim’s arms. With Kim free, Rufus climbed up Kim’s body, making Shego blink and as he watched, her head swivelled down.
“One problem there, Kara…” Ron told her, turning back. His confident tone made the oriental woman blink and then frown at his smiling face.
“What?”
“There are three of Team Possible not tied down in here… and one is dealing with Kim right now!”
Kara, her eyes widening as she realised that Ron was gazing behind her, spun. Her ponytail whipped violently around her face and the sight that met her eyes horrified her. The oriental woman’s face paled and she stared in disbelief. “Impossible! No… all my plans! No!”
Rufus and Kim
As his claws locked against the metal of the cuff and he hauled himself onto the metal, Rufus heard the whisper of clothe shifting slightly and he knew, before he turned around and gazed up into puzzled emerald eyes, that Shego was staring at him. He had little time, and wasted none of it.
“Hi hi!” Rufus chittered, hefting the Lotus Blade and swinging it down even as Shego opened her mouth to ask for instructions, the Servus nanites knowing that a Molerat should not be climbing over Kim’s body. There was the sound of metal meeting metal, and the locking portion of the band snapped under the Lotus blade’s cutting edge.
Even as Shego’s eyes went wide and she began to cry out for assistance, Rufus slid the blade between his teeth once more and leapt delicately onto her face. As the green woman’s body staggered backwards, Servus trying to see the creature that had jumped onto its body, Rufus scrabbled with his claws and vanished into the smooth mane of Shego’s dark hair.
“I’m being assaulted by a naked molerat…”Shego muttered, flushing in shame as her body flailed at the air and then slammed into one of the steel support pillars. “This is quite possibly the most embarrassing moment of my life…”
The gasp of horror from Kara however, made Shego forget any shame she may have felt as the sound made her glance up. Though her vision swayed wildly as Servus continued to try and apprehend Rufus, Shego clearly saw Kim staggering to her feet, free from the chair that would enslave her mind.
“Yes! Way to go, the vermin!”Shego cried in delight, the words echoing as loudly as she could, while she grinned from ear to ear. “Now, stay up Kimmie!”
Shego felt her heart flutter as Kim stumbled slightly and leaned against the chair. To her surprise, Kim was snarling. There was something about her slow ponderous steps. Even though drool ran down her chin, her eyes had nothing but clear rage and determination in them and each staggering step sounded like the foot of doom in the quiet chamber.
“Okay Kimmie, time to kick some ass… teach these morons what it means to be my nemesis, Princess!”Shego whispered the words, her eyes gleaming.
Kim almost seemed to hear her, the soft green eyes sliding to her face and the anger in them melted away to be replaced by something Shego never thought she would see… need. As quickly as Kim had glanced at her, she turned back to stare at Kara, who stared back, her teeth pulled back in a vicious snarl.
“Yuhh…” Kim slurred, slowly raising a finger and pointing at Kara. “Meeee… Muhyy fuuutt! yrrr ass!”
“You think you can stand there and frighten me?” As Kim had pointed at her, Kara’s hands had bunched into fists, the sheer pressure turning the skin white. “Look at you, Kim San! You can barely stand. Shia! Knock this American ‘heroine’ out and strap her back into the chair!”
“NO!” There was a sudden thudding of feet and every single eye in the lab tracked the whipping black blur of Yori as she backflipped over the two ninja’s that were in front of her and then rolled along the concrete to come between Shia and Kim. With a snap, her red fans extended and Yori held them defensively in front of her. “Shia, you will not reach Kim, and we have honour to deal with! You ran the last time we met, I will not allow you to do so again!”
“Oh, look at you, both of you! So busy defending your honor to each other, to the world. Honour means nothingit is power and the will to use it! That is why Shia will always do as Isay!”
Kara’s laugh was almost unhinged and Shia caught Doctor Possible’s eye. The redhead, still manacled to the pillar, sighed and nodded her head imperceptibly.
Yes, Shia… Kara is desperately close to the edge of losing any control she has left. All of this, the sudden loss of control, is enough to unhinge her completely.Straining against the binding metal, Doctor Possible turned pleading eyes to Shia. Help us! Come on, you can’t follow this insane woman… I don’t know about your faith, but Yori knows that this woman has no honour, Shia! If that’s all you care about, earn Yori’s respect and help us!
Almost as though she heard Doctor Possible, the blond woman shook her head slightly, regret in her eyes. “Whatever my Mistress says,” Shia slid her red hilted Katana from its scabbard on her back, and faced Yori with a nod. “Regardless, we mustanswer this challenge to Jade power!”
“Yes… yes!” Kara grinned and glanced across to where Ron was twisting desperately, trying to keep the moving groups of Jade ninja’s and the watching henchmen in his view. “While you kill Yori, I will deal with Mr Stoppable…”
“No!” Yori whispered, suddenly realising the mistake her rush of anger had caused her to make. “Ron San… Ron… I have left you alone, unguarded! Oh no!”
The young woman tried to shift to the right and move to help Ron, but Shia slid her blade out to block her path and she shook her head. “It is too late for that… I am, sorry… Yori.”
“Do not be sorry! Do your job and kill her!” Kara snapped, glaring at her sister and then turning to smirk at Ron. “It was not pleasurable to meet you, Mr Stoppable. And while I am sure Kim there would love to run to your aid,” Ron managed a glimpse of Kim stumbling across and falling against the pillar where her mother lay manacled, her eyes staring at his trapped form with anguish. “I rather think she’s going to have her own troubles to deal with in a second.”
“Damn it, Kara… give it up!” Ron snapped, his hands weaving in a defensive pattern to ward off the enthusiastic younger ninja’s. “You’re trapped… there’s nowhere to go, even if you DO take us all out!”
“Oh, no… there are plenty of ways to escape from here, Ron Stoppable. Well, plenty for me. As for you, I think our conversation is over.” Kara turned away, flicking her hand. “Kill him.”
Ah, crap…Ron thought, his body drenching itself with adrenaline.
As the sound of multiple blades being drawn echoed behind her, and her bodyguard stood silently facing off against a highly focused Yori, Kara glanced across at Kim and a slow smile crossed her face.
Ah, Kim… so determined and that is what I admire about you. Still, I have little time to fight you, and even a drugged Possible is not something I relish dealing with. Now, who to order to beat you into submission and manacle you once again. Quia? No. Drakken San? Ha! Oh, no… why do I even pretend to choose? For it to cause maximum hurt, it must be a soul-destroying choice. Easy.”
Kara’s gaze slid to Shego, whose body was still busy trying to track down the molerat buried in her long dark hair. A cruel smile flickered across her lips and she called out. “Shego, stop that!”
Kim managed to raise her head and stare in horror as Shego stood up, all thoughts of grabbing Rufus forgotten. She knew, with frightening clarity, that her body was in no shape to fight Shego. Though the paralytic was beginning to wear off, Kim knew that it wouldn’t be fast enough to stop Shego beating her unconscious and ramming her back into the chair.
“Shego, my little servant. Do be a dear and knock Kim Possible out, then put her back into the chair for me.” Kara watched as Shego gave a terse nod and she sighed. “Such a good girl.”
To Kim, as she watched Shego slowly approach, her booted feet moving with an inhuman regularity, it was painful to see. She clutched the pillar and willed the chemicals flowing through her system to leave, all the while watching as Shego walked closer and closer.
“Kimmie… run! She’s not going to stop until she completes Kara’s orders!” Kim’s tired eyes flicked across to her mothers bound position and she opened her mouth. Doctor Possible shook her head. “No time! Sweetie, you have to hide! I know you normally woudn’t even think about it, but you have to… GO!”
The crunch of Shego’s boots on some piece of glassware that had rolled off a table in all the confusion made Kim look up. She knew her mother was right, knew that she was in no fit state to fight Shego.
She lurched away from the green woman, ducking behind a piece of miscellaneous equipment, and fought to control her breathing.
Doctor Director
“Alpha team! Shore up the left flank!” Doctor Director, hair singed in places and her skin torn, bleeding, and as badly damaged as her combat suit, waved a hand. Her troops staggered and rolled across the confining space of the hanger in response.
A burst of fire screamed across the bay and the leader of the GJ watched in horror as one of her marines collapsed in a foaming, bloody, heap, his body armour too badly damaged to protect him.
As a medic ran across and began to drag the man backwards behind the pile of concrete rubble that the marines and many of the ninja’s from Yamanouchi were using for cover, Doctor Director gazed with hatred at the twisted metal the fire had come from.
“Dacowicz! Hand me a grenade!”
“Yes Sir!” a marine tugged one of the three remaining grenades off his belt and tossed it gently to his commander, before ducking behind the flaming wreckage of a jet to dodge a burst of rifle fire.
The one eyed woman yanked the pin free and threw it with all her strength across the hanger bay. The grenade bounced off a wall and fell behind the wreck of the helicopter, where the majority of the enemy fire was coming from. Spinning back behind a concrete support pillar, pockmarked with bullets, Doctor Director slammed her hands over her ears as the grenade exploded.
The rattle of gunfire faded away as smoke and dust drifted around the burning and twisted hunks of vehicles. Cautiously, the leader of the GJ poked her head around her cover and slid forwards, back pressed to the wall.
A few minutes ago, had it really been that short amount of time, the doors to the inner area of Drakken’s lair had swung open and all hell had been let loose. Bullets had pinged off Mara’s titanium mesh armour so rapidly that it had sounded to her as though a swarm of angry bees were on the other side of the red car.
She had used Mara as cover for most of the battle, firing her rifle from her bonnet as blatantly as she dared. Mara had joined her, firing her laser cannon at both henchman and Jade Ninja alike. It was surprisingly hard to give support to the squad from Yamanouchi, the black figures moving too fast and too similarly attired to the Jade, for her troops or even Mara to tell the difference. So instead, all of her troops concentrated on the henchmen, while Doctor Director could only hope that Yamanouchi were winning.
Eventually, after many Henchmen had fallen to her bullets, a few had realised where her fire had been coming from. A near miss with a rocket launcher, shot out of the air by mara’s cannons and blowing a fair sized hole out of the concrete floor, had forced Doctor director to roll across to a damaged forklift and seek cover from that. Mara had roared off, dodging both wrecked planes and those few undamaged by the combat. The only sign that she had still been fighting, and had not been blown into tiny pieces, had been the occasional explosion and roar of engine power.
That had been less than five minutes ago, it seemed far longer. Drakken’s troops had been the ones with better cover, and she had been forced to watch her troops slowly whittle away from the steady stream of fire and lack of cover on their side of the hanger. Oh, many had survived. The body armour that she ensured all GJ troops were equipped with had deflected most of the lethal shots. However, that did not mean that they had escaped injury.
Many were suffering cracked ribs, broken legs or arms, limiting their use in battle. Though she felt regret over their injuries, a leader always did, it was the ones who the armour had not saved that she truly suffered for. The ones who would not come back. The ones who had paid the ultimate price for justice, security, and the attempt to rescue a true heroes life. She could only thank whatever deity was listening that it had been so few.
As she inched along the damaged metal, her mind briefly slid to Dash and his troops. Was he facing the same number she was? Oh, they had all heard the detonations coming from the huge lift, and she could almost swear that part of the floor had lifted for a second and then settled back down. Apart from that, she had no idea.
Sighing, Doctor Director peered around the corner of her cover. She could only hope that they were having far more luck than she was. She wanted to comm them and ask, but her own safety denied that to her. Drakken, or whoever had equipped his henchmen with rifles, some sniper based, had stationed some on the walkway that ran along the hanger wall. They had already claimed one marine and injured two others. Now, she tried to get a bead on them.
She didn’t see the laser beam strike her chest until it was too late. The sound of a high powered rifle echoed around the open space and the one eyed woman sucked in the air to scream, realising the shot was meant for her. To her shock, there was no pain, no feeling of high tensile metal entering her vitals and ripping her life away. Instead, there was a loud whine of metal on metal, followed by the roar of high-energy discharge. Doctor Director fell to her knees, her eye wary and almost breathed a sigh of relief as a familiar shape slid out of the choking cloud.
“Gotta be more careful, Doc!” The sight of Mara’s sleek form made doctor Director sigh in relief. However, as she stared at the car’s bodywork, she began to notice the terrible damage Mara had sustained. The dents and scratches from gunfire were nothing to Mara, the gaping hole in her outer body panel, obviously left by some energy weapon, along with the rent of a missile impact on the rear of her body, made the leader of the GJ wince. As she shook her head, the holographic form of the AI appeared with an uncommon flickering.
“Mara, status?”
“Well, apart from bloody great big holes in me, and some internal damage my systems are working on to fix, I’m peachy. How about you?” The testy tone indicated that Mara was experiencing pain due to her injuries, something that Wade had decided to include so that Mara had a better awareness of her ‘body’. Sighing, the AI became all business. “Listen, Doc… those doors all these bastards came though. There’s a second set downstairs…”
“Yes, that was in the blueprint you gave us. So?”
“I’m worried.” Mara glanced over her own body at the doors. They had shut soon after letting the henchmen and Jade ninja’s into the hanger. “Hear that noise? The steady banging and whines? That started as soon as they shut, and my sensors are picking up some very odd energy signatures behind them.”
“What kind of-“
Mara stood suddenly, fear on her face. “Oh god! They’re moving… and I… I recognisethat signature!” Blinking, Doctor Director opened her mouth, but the AI turned to her, panicking. “Get the men! Get all of the men and get to the elevator, fight your way there if you have to… NOW!”
“What-“ Doctor Director managed to get out of her mouth, a tiny part of the questions running through her mind.
“There’s no time!” Mara whispered, her holographic image vanishing suddenly. “You have to get down one level! Get down there and tell Dash, Hego… anyoneto seal that lower door! Do you hear me? All the signatures are on this level, but I can pick up groups starting to make their way towards a second lift shaft! You have to go!”
“Mara, listen to m-“
With a hiss, the huge doors to the rear of the hanger began to rotate open and a bright light shone into the ruined hanger bay. Doctor Director winced at the bright light and shielded her eyes, trying to see past the blinding effect. Something was moving in there, multiple something’s… very large something’s!
“Move… move NOW!” Mara hissed, and reversed in a plume of dust.
It was the sound of a pair of huge metal feet slamming onto concrete that eventually made the one eyed woman realise what the huge shapes were. Massive battle-bots! Heavily armed droids, vicious in nature, which Drakken had attempted to build while Kim had been learning to drive. Kim had stopped him as always and Drakken had dropped the idea, obviously annoyed at how easily the first generation had been destroyed when comparing the cost.
Now, as she watched the gleaming black and blood red robot march slowly into the ruined hanger, she knew they were in trouble. As the henchmen all retreated behind it, and the fifteen or so more that stomped inside, Doctor Director knew they were in bigtrouble. Mara was right, she had to leave! Everyone had to leave or they would all die, quickly!
Ron
Ron ducked as a Katana shot over his head and countered by lashing out, upwards and outwards with his leg. He caught the ninja, one of a worryingly increasing number of them surrounding him, on the side of the head, knocking him out.
The triumph was temporary. Ron felt an impact in the middle of his back, staggering him forwards. Before he could compensate, he saw various fists, feet and a glint of metal heading towards him. His body screamed in protest as he managed to dodge the Katana blade and feet aimed at him, only for the air to leave his lungs violently as two fists slammed into his ribcage.
Staggering back, his eyes picked up the swing of another Katana and he clumsily ducked under the blade, trying to ignore the ache of his chest as he forced the air back into them. A foot slammed into his ankle, the energy behind it almost shattering the bone. Ron fell onto one knee, wincing in agony.
A foot slammed into the back of his head, the impact making him sprawl on the floor. Dazed, Ron fought to maintain consciousness as the delighted laughter of Kara mingled with the cries of fear from both Yori and Kim.
“No way… Not gonna fail KP!” He muttered, blinking at a metallic taste in his mouth. Siding to his feet, Ron spat blood onto the concrete and stared at the literal wall of Jade ninja’s surrounding him. “Okay guys… you’ve ticked me off enough that I’m going to show you why it’s not a good idea to piss off a master of Monkey Kung Fu!”
Smoothly, Ron slid into his favoured defensive stance. Legs loose and bent, body in s slight crouch, and his arms extended and the hands bent as well as dropped forwards. Anyone who noticed would have realised that Ron looked just like a monkey.
Concentrate!His mind whispered. Let the monkey power of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar fill you once again, flow through you and into the bodies of your enemies. Let the training Yamanouchi has given you be the conduit… and for god’s sake, make sure your belt is tight around the pants of the suit!
Taking a deep breath, even as his body instinctively rolled to the right to avoid a foot to the kidneys, Ron focused on the gift he had buried as deeply as he could. The familiar sensation of monkey power saturating his tissues made Ron smile. He always forgot how warm it felt, as if his body was sinking into a warm bath. Yet, at the same time, the power supercharged everything inside him… muscles, nerves, and sensation. Everything he was, would ever be, contained inside one body, one mind. It was exhilarating… it was power, and as Yori had told him days ago, it was his if he wished it.
Got to be careful though… one thing you learned at Yamanouchi is that it wears you out quickly. I’ve got to do this as fast as I can and try to use the power I have sparingly, otherwise I’ll end up too exhausted to raise a fist.
With the power flowing through him, his training moulded the raw energy and basic skills it gave him into art form. Ron glanced to the left as his skin picked up tiny air currents, disturbed by a fist travelling towards him. In defence, Ron held up his hand, palm open and the fist slammed into it and came to a sudden halt. The audible sound of bones snapping against the taut muscle of the teen’s palm echoed around the hanger and Ron looked up into his attackers pained eyes.
“Told, ya. I’m no mountain, but I sure as hell kick ass when I want to!”
With a sharp twist of his arm, monkey power saturating his tissues, Ron heard the audible snap of his opponent’s fore bone. The ninja screamed, long and gutturally, as he backed away from the teenager, who smiled a sharks grin in response.
Without a single worded challenge, three more ninja’s from the circle of ten surrounding Ron, rushed at the blond man. Ron met them head on. One of them managed to hit the blond teen, staggering him back a few steps before Ron could swing his weight to his forward leg.
Countering, Ron’s foot swung up and out, lashing viciously into the shinbone of the closest attacker, breaking it with another audible snap. That ninja fell to the ground, trying not to scream. The two ninjas of either side of the fallen man blinked as Ron leapt into the air.
The blond teen’s arms snaked smoothly around their necks and squeezed powerfully, choking them. While the gagging men supported him, Ron’s legs wrapped around the kneeling middle ninja and gripped him in the same chokehold. Hands slapped uselessly against the frictionless material of his suit for a few seconds before Ron finished his attack.
With a yank of his arms, Ron pulled all three Ninja’s off balance and his body weight yanked them towards the unforgiving concrete. All three faces impacted the concrete with the loud crack of bone, while the people he held onto cushioned Ron’s landing. As he rolled upright, the three ninjas remained unmoving on the floor, knocked out cold.
Another three attacked and Ron moved swiftly into combat with them, open palm strikes smashing into flesh and bone with the power of sledgehammers. Those he hit in the face did not get up, their eyes rolling into the back of their skulls as they fell soundlessly. The ninja’s were quickly replaced in the circle by more waiting outside it, but Ron merely stood and grinned. Cracking his knuckles, the teen slid into the same defensive Tai Sheng stance he had before and tilted his head.
“I’m game if you lot are… so, lets have the next lot!”
Yori
Despite the desperate situation that Ron was in, Yori forced herself to remain calm. He was well trained and determined, he had fought with her on the mountain when Monkey fist had captured her, and had defeated Fukushima in single combat. This was before his recent, and quite sudden, development of his monkey power.
Yes, he will be able to defend himself… I have to believe that! I must focus everything on Shia… everything! She is too dangerous to be distracted from.
Her thoughts were vindicated as a katana blade hissed out towards her with smooth power. Yori blinked and countered like lightening, her fans snapping out and deflecting the blade back towards its owner.
“Ah, impressive as always.” Shia’s voice held no taunting tone, nor did it have the excited tone Yori recalled from memories of many sparring sessions. Indeed, to Yori it was almost as if Shia had lost all hope, the despair trickling into her tone like acid. “I never could surprise you with my attacks could I?”
“You tried often enough.” Yori whispered. “Shia, don’t do this.”
“I have my-“
“Duty, yes I know. Honour, yes I know… and none of that makes sense to me.”
“Yes, I know.” Shia countered, wishing she didn’t sound so tired, of everything. “You do not understand as the honour given to me by the Jade is different to that given by Yamanouchi, You could never understand the difference, even I do not sometimes! All I can say is that you are an enemy of the Jade and therefore are my enemy. There can be no other resolution and there is a line drawn between us, Yori. I am bound to defend my Mistress, no matter my personal feelings! You wish to harm her and that I cannot allow!”
“Mistress?” Yori repeated and watched Shia blink and almost curse quietly. “No matter your feelings? So, no longer do you protect her because she is your sister then?”
“No!” Shia snapped, hefting her blade. “Conversation ended. Defend yourself!”
Shia’s blade lashed out once again, and Yori stepped back swiftly, allowing it to pass her shoulder and slightly send the other woman off balance. Her red fans snapped outwards and Shia was forced to duck and tilt her head to one side, letting the steel slip past her as Yori had.
Both steadied themselves and then lashed out with simultaneous kicks, the soles of a boot and soft-shoe bouncing off each other. As Yori stepped back to steady herself, Shia stepped forwards and both ninjas swung their weapons automatically in defence. Blade and fan let out a metallic screech as they scraped against each other and locked.
Despite everything that had happened to her, the dreadful truth she faced, even now through defending her mothers killer… her own sister, Shia realise part of her was enjoying this. For just a second, she remembered breathing in clean air, of listening to her opponent laughing as metal rang against metal in a slow lazy ballet. Of Jasmine’s grinning face, her applause, as Shia and Yori sparred again and again.
Lost in the moment, it was Yori’s foot slamming into her solar plexus that brought her back to reality as they broke apart with another screech of metal. While Shia flipped her Katana around so that its tip pointed directly at the dark haired ninja, Yori held one fan in front of her body, defending her vitals, while the second pointed directly at Shia’s throat.
“You have not forgotten… I thought you had forgotten our sessions.” Yori murmured, both staring at each other with respect. Shia sighed and shook her head and Yori let her fan drop an inch. “This is foolish… Shia. Your sister killed your mother!”
Shia’s eyes never left Yori’s, but the pain in them was clear. “Yes, I know she did.”
“So why defend her!” Yori couldn’t keep the bafflement out of her voice. “Shia, she may be your sister, but she murderedyour mother! I can understand not wanting… not being able, to kill her for that. Blood is blood. But there is no point to defending her against us, against justice and letting her take Kim Possible!”
“I have the Jade and I have my honour-“
“Honour is nothing when corrupted! Yours was corrupted long ago, by the Jade first and Kara second!” Yori raised her fans as Shia took an instinctive step forwards. “You were lied to, Shia! Lied to and that was not your fault! Listen to me, please! I want to help and-“
“You cannot!” Yori blinked at the lash in Shia’s tone, the odd emotion swimming in her eyes. Her surprise became one of shock as Shia lashed out, darting forwards with her Katana blade. Yori’s fan’s snapped out, catching and deflecting the lethal steel and she span to try and slash at Shia’s hamstring. Missing, both turned back to each other. “You cannot help me! Not the way you wish! Nothing can redeem me now because of what I am! I have killed, Yori! The woman standing next to Drakken is the reason I did so, my reason! She saved me, or so I thought. Despite I am a killer, I killed for what I thought was the right reasons!”
“Shia.”
“You cannot help me! You cannot take me back! You can’t understand! The only thing you can do is take my life!”
Yori stared in shock. You want me to kill you… but for what reason? Shia, honour means nothing if you are dead! It is nothing compared to the value of life!
“That is not my way. Nor was it yours once, and it could be again!” As Shia snorted and backed away, Yori persisted. “Cast off the Jade’s idea of honour, take up Yamanouchi and seek forgiveness!” Yori told her, watching her eyes for any realisation, any trace of hope.
“Shia, fulfil your oath to me and kill Yori!” Kara’s voice echoed in the huge room and Shia glanced across to where her sister stood, watching her with the same cold eyes as always. No love, in fact Shia could see it now, finally. All Kara’s eyes had in them, when she stared at Shia, was a greedy hunger. The knowledge that this woman would take life, do anything for her. Worse, Shia knew she was right. After all, it had been one command, the oath of obedience, which had made her sacrifice the love she felt for another. Though the thought sickened her, she would attack and Kill Yori.
“Honour is life to the Jade, my life is my honour. Understand that, please!” Shia whispered. “You heard my Mistress, her orders… and I will obey as I have come too far, been tarnished too much! So now you have one choice, Yori. Kill me, before I kill you!”
“Stop!” Yori cried, but Shia ignored her lashing out with a foot that the dark haired woman narrowly countered with a raised forearm. As Yori stepped back to give herself room, Shia swung her Katana in a powerful and violent arc. The steel blade hit the black cloth of Yori’s clothing and sliced into the young woman’s flesh. Screaming, Yori fell forwards and rolled, narrowly avoiding Shia’s blade as it swung down and slammed into the concrete where she had been.
I have failed, she is lost!Yori hissed, her fingers probing the neat slash across her back, dipping into the red blood that leaked slowly from it. Part of her still refused to believe that her old friend had hurt her this way, even while Shia struggled to wrench the Katana free. There has to be a way! There must be something I have overlooked… something!
Her thoughts were broken as Shia launched at her again, blade slicing the air. Yori was ready for her this time and ducked under the hissing steel and her arm bunched with muscle as she open fist punched Shia under the ribs. The blond woman’s hiss of pain whispered past Yori’s ear as Shia staggered backwards, her free hand clutching her chest.
To keep Shia off balance, the dark haired ninja lashed out with her right foot, the blow glancing off Shia’s left arm as she twisted around Yori, trying to buy time and find a weak point. Time that Yori refused to give her.
With a snapping hiss, Yori once again opened her fan’s, the red metal gleaming in the bright light of the lair. Twisting around as fast as Shia was, Yori took careful calculated aim and lashed out. Her fan blades hissed into Shia’s thigh, cutting deeply and the white haired woman let out an agonised cry. In response to the attack, Shia lashed out blindly with her blade and it slashed across Yori’s shoulder, a lucky strike. The blow had an accidental consequence, as it caused the fan that Yori was pulling back to fly out once more, catching Shia a glancing blow along her side.
Both women, moaning in pain at the damage they had caused, turned to stare at each other. Neither relished the idea of attacking, and especially killing, an old friend. However, as they both measured the other, watched as the blood trickled out of wounds they had caused, felt the conflict rage inside them at what they were doing, both knew one thing.
Neither would, or even could, walk away from the fight now. Blood had been spilled on both sides and the challenge was deadly serious now. Weapon’s drawn, Yori and Shia began to circle each other once again.
Kim
Kim leaned against the strange device blocking her from Shego’s view and tried to breath and shallowly as possible. She could hear the sounds of combat coming from the main lab area and bit her lip as a cry of pain, Ron’s voice, echoed around the walls. As much as she wanted to help, as much as every fibre screamed to go to the rescue, her mind overrode her desire.
The quiet thud of booted feet a few metres away from her made Kim bite her lip and slow her breathing. She still felt terribly nauseous and her muscles trembled as she fought to remain standing. Even as she tensed against the metal, her left leg went numb once again, before the feeling trickled back along with pins and needles.
Kim knew, had known when she had begun to dart behind the odd devices on this side of the lab, that she couldn’t fight Shego. It was so hard to match the green skinned woman normally, though she would never let her ever know that. Now that she barely had control and sense of her body the chances of matching, let alone beating her were minimal.
“Kim Possible.” Kim froze at the sound of Shego’s voice. She felt her heart leap into her throat as her green eyes flicked left and right, worried Shego had spotted her. “Kim Possible, come out.”
Oh god. Her voice is so… dead.Kim crouched slowly, trying to make as little sound as she could. Finally on trembling and dead limbs, Kim moved slowly to the edge of the huge device and peered around.
Shego stood glancing around with cold, hard eyes. There was nothing in the gaze of the Shego who had fought her. Even when they had come to blows, the green woman had always had a… anticipatory, no… a look of enjoyment about her. The woman trying to spy her now was less than human, because she… or the damn things raping her brain, didn’t care about emotion.
Servus scanned the area, full of large devices and decided that tracking Kim Possible down would be hard or impossible until the Jade Ninja’s were no longer in combat. However, the stress factors in Mistress Fang’s voice indicated an eighty seven percent probability that she wanted Kim Possible accosted immediately.
Unable to locate through physical search… initiate psychological attack.
“Kimmie… It’s me, Shego.”
“Oh god…”Shego whispered, trapped as always. “This is sick… just plain sick. Leave her alone!”
It’s not her… it’s not her! It’s the damn brain raping robots!Shivering at the tone, Kim clenched her fist and moved back behind the device hiding her. She would have given anything for a cure to the paralytic flowing through her system.
“Pumpkin?” Shego’s voice echoed the word dully, delving into Shego’s stored memories of their fights, taunts and, later memories, of hope. Finding the nicknames, it used them ruthlessly. “Princess, if you come out I can help them all… you do know that, yes?”
Her hand sliding to her mouth, Kim felt sick. I’m not going to listen. I won’t listen! Just think back to when it was so much easier. She was a villain and someone you hated, someone who would kill you if she could… not what she turned out to be… someone who turned away from good, because she was betrayed. No! I won’t think of her like this… like someone I could love! Someone I could save! I can’t! Not now!
Shego moved forwards, towards a huge device that Servus identified as a DNA scanner of some sort and pressed her against the metal, sliding along it.
“Pumpkin, becoming one with Servus? It doesn’t hurt. It is liberation from the pain of humanity. There is no worry, no panic, and no emotion… just obedience. Shego is now part of us, she enjoys being part of us. We areShego…”
“Liar”Shego muttered, pale in the darkness. She watched as her body swung around the huge device, only to find nothing there. “Keep moving Kimmie… keep moving and don’t believe this. Servus hurts! I don’t remember it because Drakken had me drugged up to the eyeballs, but considering all the whispered comments from his henchmen of me struggling like my body was on fire, it hurts… it’s probably agony.”
Kim’s voice echoed out into the lab, over the sounds of combat coming from the other end. “Don’t even try that, Servus! If it’s painless and Shego and you are happily joined, why did Kara keep laughing about ‘hurting’ Shego? What would be the point if she were an obedient slave? You’re the one controlling her, but I know Shego’s in there somewhere… and I’m going to try and free her. I promise!”
“Now that’s Kimmie. Smart and observant!” Shego breathed a sigh of relief and watched herself begin to creep towards another hulking piece of technology.“I always pick my nemesis, as well as my employers, carefully.”
Persuasion has failed. Adopt threat…
“If you will not come out, then that leaves your mother as well as your friends, Ronald Stoppable and the Yamanouchi Ninja, Yori, as the next subjects. If they survive of course.” Servus heard the gasp that echoed from behind another machine and began to move slowly towards it. “Ronald Stoppable is finding combat hard against so many Jade Ninjas and will soon fall without your assistance. Yori will fall at the blades of Bodyguard Shia.”
“No…” Kim whispered, Servus using it to judge and refine her position.
“Yes… and your mother will fall at our hands. She is chained to the pillar and we are strong. How difficult would it be for us to slowly choke the life from her body?”
There was a choked sob this time and Shego snarled internally as Servus began to walk across to the sound.
That is so goddamn low! I never threatened her parents! Not directly anyway. Okay, so there was the train thing, but Kimmie was there! Oh and her boyfriend, but considering that straight gal’s wet dream was a synthodrone, it doesn’t count! I’ve never even thought about using her parents this way!”
“Pumpkin? You know that we can do this. We will choke Doctor Possible and hear her gasp for mercy as-“
“NO!” The cry came from the right and Shego was unable to turn in time to counter. She felt a fist smash into her jaw and the world span. The counter blow never came, however, and Shego righted herself. Servus stared at it’s goal, standing a few metres away, body trembling at the effort to stay upright, the arm that had hit her shaking far worse than the rest of her. Even her eyelids drooped slightly, Kim fought to keep her eyes open.
“God, Kimmie… what the hell did they pump into you?”
“Leave my mother alone!” Kim managed, raising her fists despite the enormous drain of her willpower to do so. “Leave her alone…”
“It was always our intention to do so.” Servus replied, watching with clinical interest as Kim’s jaw tensed. “Ron stoppable will die, as will Yori. It is our Mistresses command, and it will occur. Your mother is not, currently, a target. You were our prime goal. Now you have revealed yourself, we will take you to our mistress, unconscious.”
Swaying, Kim tried to keep her eyes locked on Shego’s arms, but it was sohard to do anything at the moment. Because of this, the first blow against the side of her head almost seemed to come from nowhere. She stumbled, crashing into the device that had hidden her and falling to one leg.
“Kimmie!” Shego cried out, unable to help as her body slowly lowered its fist and walked forwards. “Stop! Stop it! Damn it, this is my body!”
Kim raised her head, blood trickling from her lips, in time to see Shego’s green booted foot swing up and into her abdomen. Despite her own determination not to scream, the pain ripped a cry from her lungs.
“Give in, Kim Possible. It is inevitable. You are weak and have failed everyone. Your mother, your friends… even this host. She is Kara Fang’s now, as are your friends!”
The words, so simple, had an unexpected effect on Kim. Spitting her blood onto the floor, the teenager struggled to slide to her feet and then raised her head to glare into Shego’s eyes. Something had happened to the teenager at the words and Servus backed away as her danger index began to rapidly increase.
Kim’s breathing was feral, adrenaline that she thought she had exhausted began to course through her body. Exhausted and half-paralysed muscles flared to life, the feeling returning in droves as she clenched her fists.
Shego, mom, Ron, Yori… Monique… Wade. I won’t let her have any of you! No more! It ends here!The words pounded through her skull, the idea of Kara owning everyone she cared for the trigger to the one thing Kim kept buried deeply whenever she was on a mission. It was not the lure of money or power for Kim Possible. Nor was it fame, or a desire to see justice be fulfilled as Doctor Director did. For Kim it was simple. She cared so deeply and because of this, she considered those in danger… hers. You are all mine, even Shego! Not hers!
“Shego is mine!” Kim hissed, lauching herself at the woman in question. “Mine! Not Kara’s!”
Kim’s fist slammed into the side of Shego’s uniform, making the green woman lose her footing and stumble. Another leg lashed out and slammed into Shego’s thigh, pulling an intake of breath that for anyone else would have been a scream.
“Ah hell… I’ve seen that look before and was thrown into a tower for my trouble. I am so going to regret this tomorrow, as long as Kim doesn’t kill me of course.” Shego muttered, trying to not whimper or curse at the pain in her abdomen and thigh muscle. “And I refuse to belong to anyone, Pumpkin. We survive this, we are so talking about that little comment. Hell, you’ve never even said that you love m-”
Shego broke off as a rapid blow to her cheek rippled pain across her consciousness. As Servus slid Shego to her feet and counter attacked, Kim dodged the fist that lashed out to catch her face and gripped it tightly. Twisting the captured arm around so that Shego’s body was forced to bend and twist instead of tearing muscle and breaking bone, Kim leaned down close to Shego’s face and stared into the dull emerald eyes.
Kim’s growing love for the woman surfaced for a second and she swallowed back a choke at the damage she was causing. “Shego, I’m sorry… I… I have to do this! I promise to knock you out, okay?”
Shego, gritting her teeth at the pain Kim was causing her, managed to grin in disbelief. “I have a choice Kimmie? How the hell can I say no?”
“You will not beat me.” Servus responded quietly. “I can take any damage you give to Shego’s body and still make her fight you. Break her arm, and she suffers while I fight on. You wish to cause her pain?”
Kim let go of Shego’s arm, only to bring her knee up into her stomach as violently as possible. “No. But, if it’s the only way to keep you from strapping me into that chair, and to free her, then yeah I will. Nobody deserves you… nobody!”
Servus rolled Shego across the floor and then lashed out backwards with a leg, trying to catch Kim in the stomach. Kim limped backwards, avoiding the blow, and in response kicked Shego again in the stomach, forcing her to roll once more.
There was no exhilaration of combat this time, not for Kim. In fact, with each blow she felt something deep inside crack slightly in sympathy. She knew, knew it was her love for the green skinned woman.
As Shego struggled to stand upright once again, something grey jumped out of the mass of dark haired and scurried across to the wall, while Kim stood, fists ready in a defensive pose. After a few moments, Shego managed to rise to her feet and turn.
“I have my orders… and while you fight me, Ron Stoppable is in mortal peril.”
Kim, ignoring the words, kept her eyes on Shego’s movements and noticed the slight tremble in her left arm. As the green woman jabbed forwards in an open palmed strike, Kim countered by dodging left and gripping Shego’s wrist, yanking her around. Her own fist rammed against Shego’s cheek, staggering the woman and making her fall. As Shego’s body fought to rise, Kim gripped her suit and yanked her upright.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered to the struggling woman, before smashing her arm as hard as Possible into Shego’s chin. The uppercut sent shockwaves up Kim’s arm and Shego’s head snapped back.
In the trapped recesses of her mind, Shego cried out in agony as the pain gripped her, huge greasy waves of it rolling across her again and again.
Panting with exertion, Kim staggered a few steps back, and glanced across to where she could see only brief glimpses of Ron’s blond hair as he fought what seemed to be a platoon of Jade ninjas. While she bit her lip and wondered if she could actually run to his help, her body beginning to complain about its level of exhaustion and injuries, Rufus ran away from the wall and swarmed up her body. As the molerat reached her shoulder, he tapped her cheek and the redhead glanced across with a smile.
“Thanks for saving me…” Kim whispered, receiving a shrug and grin from Rufus.
“No prob…” He squeaked. As he did so, a sudden movement behind her made him glance round and then squeak in alarm.
Kim turned in response, her eyes widening as she managed to catch a flash of green and black. Her fists raised slowly into a defensive position, only for her to stagger as a fist slammed into her solar plexus and a second one smashed into her own jaw. The world span and Kim tasted her own blood once more. Groggily she looked up and saw Shego standing there, blood pouring down her chin, bruises from their last fight peppering her green skin. The thief’s stance was slightly to one side and Kim realised that the muscles on the left side of her body couldn’t support her weight. As Servus made Shego take a step forwards, Kim could only wonder in horror at how much more punishment they could both take before one fell or even died.
“You cannot knock me out, Kim Possible. I am a nanonetic based neural network, designed for combat situations. Simple attacks such as this are irritating at best and can only incapacitate my physical ability. I cannot be rendered unconscious with normal levels of attack. Surrender or fall!”
Kim managed to force back a single tear as Shego stepped forwards once more, before raising her hands to fend off blows. As she felt her face heat at a well-aimed blow, and she managed to dodge the knee that shot up towards her crotch, Kim lashed out with her own fists and legs. Though Servus managed to avoid the punch, she felt her leg connect with Shego’s, making the enslaved woman back away slightly. Because of this, she had the advantage, but Kim found she had a problem. She was tiring rapidly once more, and the only thing she could do was something she barely ever did. Cry for help.
“Ron! Please… help me!”
Ron
Ron dodged another set of blows at his face and lashed out with an open palm monkey strike into the face of his opponent. Blood gushed as the ninja fell, clutching his face.
Feeling another creeping up behind him, Ron kicked out backwards in a banana strike, catching the ninja with his curving foot and sending him crashing into the ninjas surrounding him at the rear. The two who began to run towards him met his forearms as he stepped forwards and braced himself against the impact. To the ninjas who had attacked him, it was like running into a steel bar and they both fell to the floor, unconscious.
That was enough for the rest of them. In total, seventeen Jade ninjas had attacked one blond teenager, and only the teenager remained standing. The others lay on the floor out cold, some covered in blood and a few with limbs tangled in impossible angles, unless they were broken.
Turning and glancing around at the suddenly reluctant ninjas, Ron smiled. “Hey, Kara. Looks like your all powerful fighting force has changed its mind, eh?”
“Idiots!” Kara snapped angrily in response to Ron’s taunt, her attention divided between the blond teen and Yori and Shia’s fight. She watched in disbelief as two more attacked him while his back was turned to gaze at her, only for her well-trained and deadly forces to be tossed around like children. “Use your blades! Even a Monkey Master cannot defend indefinitely against those trained in their use! Not without an equal weapon! He is defenceless!”
“Yes Mistress Fang!” The ninja’s responded, drawing their blades. Kara’s mouth twisted as she heard Ron’s groan and then her gaze and attention turned to Shia and Yori. Both attacked and counter attacked, their weapons leaving bloody gashes across each other, but no more. If Shia did not begin to take advantage, then she would have to take a personal hand in their fight. More to the point, if Shia did not gain the advantage soon, then she truly would have to ‘retire’ her sister.
Finally her eyes flicked across to where Shego and Kim fought. She had been worried for a few seconds about that battle as Kim, even tired and with drugs pumping inside her, had managed to rally and fight back. Now, however, as she watched Shego deliver a punch that sent Kim reeling, it looked as if Servus was gaining the upper hand. More likely out of inhuman resilience rather than ability. Still, soon Kim would be back in the chair and Shego would inject her with her own Servus… ruining both their lives and making them hers!
Smiling, Kara turned to watch the fight continue between sister and foe.
Hope everyone is enjoying this, the final battle between Kara and Shego is coming… Ithink you're all ready for it.
Love, HobnobRev