A Meeting of Tyrants

She knows this is not real.

But it is, in a way.

She fires the revolver for the sixth time, burying the last bullet into the head of the zombie. It still lumbers toward her, groaning with cannibalistic intent. She throws the useless weapon at it, and misses horribly. The blade is out next and she cleaves the thing in two as it lunges for her. It falls, but another rises to replace it, followed by another and another. Her back is against the wall as they close in, arms outstretched. They groan, gnash their rotting teeth, and stare at her with lifeless eyes. She strikes out to the left, then the right. Two bodies fall, headless.

The zombies press in.

There are too many.

She screams as they grab at her. Suddenly the wall explodes behind her. A glowing green aura of power and majesty stands where the wall used to be. A taloned finger points as a beam of plasma shoots forth incinerating her attackers.

"Move it, princess!"

She runs through the hole in the wall and trips over a dead body. She lands heavily into the next room, a simple bedroom, unfamiliar. She stands and turns around, Shego is nowhere in sight. She stares at the body and recoils in shock as she recognizes the horribly twisted face.

Ash.

His body is half eaten, the rest lying in a pool of dark blood and gore. She rails and screams in complete denial.

It does no good. The body is just a shell; that which gave it life has moved on. Tears stream down her face as a force moves her away from the body. Dimly, she realizes that it is Shego. Moaning and groaning noises fill the background as she is shoved into a hallway.

"He's dead," Shego says harshly, "There's nothing you can do for him, let's go!"

Shego grabs her and runs down the hallway, leading her along. She can hear the noises of the zombies behind her getting louder even as they run faster. Shego stops and shoves her through an open doorway. She loses her balance as she trips over a wooden chair and falls out onto the fire escape.

"Run!"

She stumbles down the ladder onto the street below with Shego following close behind. They run down the alley as more and more zombies rise out of the ground to follow them.

They run for their lives.

Her heart beats so fast it threatens to explode! She stops, making Shego stop.

"We can't stop," Shego says panting heavily.

She cannot reply, she does not have enough air to. She rests against a large tree, using every precious second to catch her breath. Shego does the same, resting against a large headstone. That is when they realize where they are.

A cemetery.

"Oh shit!"

Shego steps back from the headstone and looks around. The area is full of the dead and buried, headstones and monuments to the departed stretch out beyond where the eye can see. Cold dread grips her heart as Shego grasps her hand. "Keep moving!"

They run.

Shego screams as she is tripped up and falls to the grass. She stops and reaches her hand out toward her. Shego's eyes are opened wide in horror at the headstone in front of her. She helps Shego up as they stare at the headstone. It is a simple unadorned headstone with two names carved into it: Kimberly Anne Possible and Shego!

Gnarled hands burst up from the ground and get a hold of Shego's ankles as she screams. She grabs her arms and pulls as the hands drag her down into the earth. She pulls with all of her strength but it is a losing battle as Shego is slowly pulled into the ground, screaming in horror! She screams at Shego to fight back, to help in any way she can.

Her grip is torn away.

Shego's screams stop. The last thing she sees is Shego's emerald eyes hold hers.

She disappears into the earth.

She cries. She screams. Her hands tear at the ground in an attempt to dig for her.

Shego is gone. She is alone.

The moans and groans fall silent. Everything is silent and still.

They are gone.

She is all alone…

Shego stares at herself.

They are similarly attired, staring at each other with hatred and murderous intent. The other Shego is gaunter, ravaged by the remnants of whatever Umbrella injected her with. Her face is darker, paler, the lipstick and makeup running down her face in messy streams. Their fists clench.

"I'm not gonna end up like you," Shego says to the other.

The doppelganger smiles wickedly, showing the absence of many teeth, the others are rotting away. "Oh, yes you are. I'm making sure of that."

She calls the plasma to her, her fists glow with power barely restrained. "No! I'll find a way!"

She unleashes her fury. The doppelganger is consumed in the blast. Shego smiles in triumph, but the smile disappears as the blast does. The doppelganger stands there unharmed, smiling wickedly.

"Care to try again," it asks mockingly.

She roars as she draws all of her power into herself and expels it at the other. There is a terrific explosion but the result is the same, the doppelganger is unharmed. Shego feels the onset of fatigue as her breathing becomes labored. Suddenly, the doppelganger strikes, moving faster than the eye can see. Shego is caught in its iron grip and strains to break free.

"Struggle if you must," it says to her, "but it won't do you any good."

Shego screams in horror as the doppelganger's mouth splits open vertically, revealing a cone-like maw of sharp teeth. It pulls Shego's face toward its dripping maw as Shego's screams reach a new pitch of terror!

They wake up simultaneously. Shego's entire body shivers from the nightmare. Kim looks up into Shego's face seeing a momentary look of complete panic. She brings a hand up to her cheek to steady her. The panic disappears from her eyes, replaced by utter embarrassment as she blushes like mad. Kim could feel her face burning also as she offers Shego a smile to calm her down.

It works somewhat as Shego smiles back at her. She wraps her arms tighter around Kim and draws her into her chest. Kim locks her arms around Shego's back as she closes her eyes. Shego closes hers, letting Kim's warmth keep the nightmares at bay. They take solace in each other's presence as they fall back asleep.

Time passes as the girls get some much needed rest. But it is over all too soon. Kim and Shego are both roughly shook awake by an insistent Ash. "Wake up, gals! We gotta go!"

"Huh? Wha-?"

"Mmmm…not here, Kimmie…Uh, what?"

"MOVE!"

They jump! Ash unloads his Boomstick at near point black range at an oncoming zombie, destroying it. Kim and Shego grab the backpacks and draw their weapons.

Shego's eyes dart around in panic, seeing zombies slither through the broken glass windows. "Where's Shellhead?"

An echo of a cry gets louder and louder as the double doors burst open from the outside in, the fully armed and armored guard sails through, landing heavily and sliding across the floor landing at Shego's feet.

"Present…and…accounted for," he declares painfully.

"What the fuck?"

Ash helps James up who groans in pain. "New nasty," he replies as he doubles over in agony.

Kim steps in front of the trio, her blade singing as it slices through the air, keeping the zombies at bay while Ash reloads and James takes a precious moment to fight through the pain. Shego draws her pistol and fires at the zombies lurching toward them from behind the altar. One drops then another.

More fall through the windows and begin their unending lurch towards the living. "I'm open to suggestions," Kim yells as she slices a zombie in half.

The front doors fall off their hinges as a towering bald figure steps into the cathedral. He is dressed in a massive trench coat and dead, soulless eyes. A massive fist strikes out, splintering the wall, opening the entrance for an identical figure to step through. A lurking zombie is too close to the first figure. It reaches out, grabbing the zombie by the head and squeezes. KiGo and Company stare in stark horror not so much at the act, but the sickening, horrible sound like a slow-exploding melon as the figure completes its task.

"Shit," James exclaims in (almost) fear, "there's two of 'em!"

"Exits?"

"Not sure, Kim, "Ash answers as his eyes dart around.

"Aw, hell," James exclaims as he stretches his arms and shoulders, "Time to make one, I guess!"

He starts at a dead run and lowers his shoulder like a linebacker as he smashes through the wall of the cathedral. He barrels over a trio of zombies before stopping. His gun snaps out, swiveling into his waiting hand, it hums for less than a second as the barrels revolve then spew forth destructive energy at the zombies around him.

"What are you waiting for," he screams at the others, "MOVE!"

The trench coat-clad figures start to move slowly toward the trio, swatting away any zombie that lurks too close to them like flies. Each step they take echoes like a small localized earthquake. All three brandish their weapons as these new horrors approach.

James roars as he unleashes a barrage of fire through the opening he just made. The blasts hit the figures but only succeed in knocking them off of their feet.

"DAMNIT! WHEN I SAY MOVE, I MEAN MOVE!"

The rage in his command causes the trio to double-time out of there. James swivels his weapon around and fires, clearing a path through the zombie hordes. They barely realize that the sun pokes through the dark storm clouds in places as they run for their lives. James takes the lead, his gun spewing final death to the zombies as they move. From all of the buildings around them zombies burst forth from doorways, windows, even from high above, but at least those ones do not move anymore.

"I'm startin' to overheat," James warns as he levels the ground with suppressing fire.

"Fall back Shellhead," Shego yells above the fire, "We'll have to take care of it from here!"

"Roger that!"

His weapon stops and he flips it to his back where it clicks in place. He does draw one of his long, wickedly curved knives in case any get too close.

"Kim! Here!"

She tosses the revolver to the hero who catches it and pulls the hammer back.

Ash cocks his Boomstick as they press forward. The scene is apocalyptic in scope. Overturned vehicles choke the streets, some still in flames while others are burned-out husks. Shattered glass creates a new hazard which slows them down as they weave through the shattered remains of the city. Groups of zombies lurch this way and that, looking for more of the living to devour. The one thing that goes in favor for the foursome is that the zombies are relatively slow when they are far away and they are able to keep them at a distance, at least for now.

James coughs and doubles over in pain. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin', Red. You don't mind if I call you that do you," he asks in obvious pain.

"Sure," she responds somewhat at a loss.

"Suck it up, Shellhead," Shego admonishes, "We need to keep moving!"

"Right. Next time I'll let you go a couple rounds with a fuckin' Tyrant. I'd love to see what's left of ya after that!"

"What did you call it?"

"A Tyrant. Heard 'bout 'em in the Hive when I was still stationed there. I overhead a bunch of white coats discussin' 'em on break once. That started to get me thinkin' 'bout my career choices an' my shitty luck with 'em."

He opens his helmet and coughs again, spitting out a full mouthful of blood.

"Jesus," Ash breathes.

"It's nothin'," he scowls, flashing the trio with a deadly glare that freezes both Kim and Shego in their tracks, "Lay off! I'll be all right in a minute!"

"O-okay," Kim stammers taking a few steps back.

Shego regains her nerve more quickly. She steps right up to him and punches him across the face with all of her strength. The force of the blow staggers him but he rolls with the blow keeping his feet under him.

"Listen here, mother fucker! We don't have time for this shit! We need everyone alive if we're going to get anywhere! You're injured and need medical assistance!"

"Back off," he growls dangerously, blood dripping from his chin "I'm not stupid! But we can't stop while those Tyrants are on the loose! I got some high-grade medical stuff from Umbrella in my pack specifically for something like this and I'll use it when I get the chance. For now I need to stop an' catch my breath…" In a flash a knife was at her throat. "…so fuck off, bitch!"

I didn't even see him move! Shit!

"Uh, guys," Kim calls out, her voice full of dread and her eyes wide in terror.

"I hate to break up this little love fest," Ash says, his voice also reaching a high level of panic, "but we got company!"

Both Kim and Ash stare in the same direction: directly ahead. Impossibly, a car leaps from the street and flies into a building. Then another takes to the air and flies into a building at the opposite side of the street. Zombies go flying as do more vehicles. A bald figure, a Tyrant, smashes through a deuce and a half and then stops not even fifty feet away from the heroes.

"Shit," James winces as he shoves the mask back on and pulls the knife away from Shego's neck, "Get behind me!"

Kim and Ash rush to get behind the wounded guard as he swivels his gun to the ready position. The Tyrant takes a step forward.

"You know, now would be a good time to turn into that Bad Ass form of yours," James remarks to Ash.

"I don't know if I can while the sun's out," he says regretfully, "It's not like I can will myself to change it just happens!"

"Fuck!"

The Tyrant takes another step; its dead gaze focused solely on… Shego? James takes a look at the temperature reading on his gun and lets out a stream of curses as he unhooks it from his back. "Gun's almost ready. Here, take it," he says as he shoves it at Ash.

Ash grabs it and doubles over, clearly not prepared for the weight of the weapon. He sets the gun down and braces it against his knee as the Tyrant takes another step. James turns to the others.

"Time for some one-on-one action. I'll keep this mother fucker busy until the gun is ready. Ash when that readout there flashes green aim it toward the Tyrant and press this, got it?"

"Yeah."

"Right."

James draws his machete and knife and turns around to the approaching Tyrant. "All right, bitch! Let's do this!"

The Tyrant stops as its face moves to regard the challenger. James advances slowly favoring his right side as he moves. The Tyrant moves in. It telegraphs its attack as it raises a fist into the air and comes down. James easily sidesteps the slow attack as its fist smashes into the ground sending rubble out in all directions. In a flash, he buries the knife directly at the Tyrant's kneecap. Spinning, he lashes out with the machete slicing upward across the monster's back. The Tyrant does not register the pain, in fact, it does not register anything at all. James's mind comes to this realization as the hilt of his knife come into view.

"Aw, shit!"

The Tyrant backhands the guard with thunderous force, sending him flying into the side of a building. He slides to the ground, landing hard. The Tyrant moves in slowly, measured step by measured step. When the Tyrant reaches James he is already on his feet, his fists up defensively. The Tyrant telegraphs again and James ducks under the powerful blow. Its fist smashes clean through the building and James capitalizes by shoving a knee into its mid-section then bringing both fists down hard on its shoulder.

The Tyrant falls to one knee as it tries to pull its fist back out of the building. James uses the opportunity to send his fist into the side of its face and the Tyrant reels from the blow. Another fist to the face causes the same reaction but its fist dislodges from the building wall. The Tyrant attempts to backhand James again but this time he is ready for it. He ducks under the attack and uppercuts the Tyrant's chin using all of the strength that he has. He jabs with fist after fist into the monster's face then jumps back as its hands slam together on the spot where he just was.

The Tyrant takes its time to stand, towering over James. Off to his right James spies a fallen light post and runs toward it as the Tyrant follows. He grabs it and swings it like a golf club, smashing into the Tyrant's face. He raises the light post like a bat as the Tyrant's head rights itself to stare directly at him.

"Batter up," he mutters as the Tyrant lunges.

He swings. Crack! The light pole bends around the Tyrant's head, the momentum behind the blow throws off the Tyrant's attack as its fist lands next to the guard. He wrenches the light post off of the monster and swings again.

The Tyrant catches it with its other hand.

James strains and grunts in pain as he attempts to wrest the light pole free from the monster, but the Tyrant's strength is too great. In fact the monster wrenches the pole away from the guard. He stares dumbfounded at his empty hands then lets out an audible 'Oof!' as he becomes the recipient of a light pole swing. He flies into the side of an SUV, leaving a human-shaped dent in its side. His world explodes in pain as he falls to the asphalt. The Tyrant steps toward him as it lets go of the useless light pole.

James struggles to stand. What's keeping 'em, anyway? The gun should be fine by now! A massive hand grabs him by the neck, ending his internal questions. He is lifted effortlessly off of the ground and raised above the Tyrant as it rears its other fist. James takes the full force of the attack as he flies through two cars and a truck!

Damn! Why…why am I not…dead yet? Every muscle screams in pain as he forces them to move. The only way his legs support him is because of his armor. The HUD built into his helmet flickers erratically, disorienting him. He slaps the side of his helmet, an exposed internal wire give him a jolt, but the HUD clears up.

The Tyrant stands directly in front of him with both fists raised.

No! Not like this! The Tyrant's arms come down for the final blow. James reacts quickly diving underneath its legs and rolls as the fists destroy what is left of the vehicle that was behind him. James rolls onto his feet and stands. He assumes the linebacker formation and charges the Tyrant as it turns around. His shoulder smashes into the monster knocking it to the ground.

"Back off," Ash yells from both above and behind him.

James dives to the side as Ash presses the trigger. The barrels rotate and hum then destructive energy spews out. The beams hit the Tyrant in the back as its trench coat bursts into flames. Ash holds the trigger down until the entire Tyrant is consumed.

James looks up and sees Ash and Shego bracing his weapon on top of a blue Freightliner truck. Kim's head pops up behind them and waves at the guard.

"Up here," Ash shouts.

James hobbles over to the truck and climbs on. Shego helps him up and then dumps him on his ass after he reaches the roof. "Thanks," he growls weakly.

"Don't mention it," she answers darkly.

"We had to move," Kim explains as she helps him remove his helmet, "zombies appeared out of nowhere and we had to go."

"Yeah, we couldn't move very fast 'cause your 'toy' weighs a goddamn ton," Ash remarks.

"Hell, I thought you guys up an' left me," James says with a damn ugly smile.

"Tried it," Shego says nonchalantly as she glares at Ash and Kim, "sadly no one else went for it though."

"You guys are the best! Shego?"

"What do you want, asshole?"

"Sorry for drawin' my knife on ya like that. I guess things got a little heated there."

She shakes her head in disbelief and raises an eyebrow, "A little?"

"Now you know what happens when I get pissed," he says simply, "But don't worry, it won't happen again, boss."

Shego seethes in quiet rage, "See that it doesn't."

"Yes Ma'am!"

Shego turns away from James and sits next to Ash who strains to lift James's weapon. She grabs it off of him and lays it in her lap with minimal effort. Ash stares at her, shocked. "Damn! I didn't know you were so strong!"

"I used to be stronger," she mutters as she surveys the ground before them, "before this shit happened!"

Several zombies groan as they stumble around in various directions below them. The group is out of their reach for now. "I take it you don't wanna talk about it?"

"No more than I did already."

"Gotcha."

She sighs heavily. "Thanks though for deciding to stick with me on this. This is new territory for me. I'm not used to asking others for help."

"I hear ya. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Kim though. She saved my ass back there so where she goes I go." He lets out a defeated sigh. "This stuff ain't new to me, but I do a lot of runnin' and I'm tired of it! It'd be nice to actually go on the offensive for once an' take it to 'em! Especially since I found out Umbrella was using the Necronomicon in their early experiments to help create all this!"

"What?"

He nods. "It's true. The framework is there. I don't know how much of the Necronomicon they used but some of the secrets gleaned from that book were used. I have notes from Umbrella researchers stating that fact."

"Wonderful! Just fucking wonderful!"

"So in a way, I guess my battle is your battle too."

"I guess."

Their conversation ends and they stare out and watch the zombies shuffle and stumble below.

"Hey, Red? Reach around my side here and open that little cargo pack."

"Okay. What am I looking for?"

"You'll know it when you feel it."

She reaches around the injured guard and finds the little cargo box attached to his armor. She presses a button and the top pops open. She puts her hand in and grabs a small metallic tube and pulls it out. She shows what she found to James.

"Is this it?"

He nods then coughs, spitting blood. "Hand it over," he says when he is able to talk.

She does. He takes it and presses one end of the tube. At the other end a long needle shoots out. James looks at Kim. "Can you help me get this chest plate off?"

"Uh, okay."

He helps her find the hidden buttons to his chest plate and she pries it off after hitting the last button. She recoils in shock as she sees the extent of his damage.

His muscled chest is scarred and lacerated from many previous battles. Deep purple bruises mar the skin not covered in scars. "My god," she breathes.

"I have to tell ya, Red, it tickles a bit," he says forcing himself to smile through the pain.

"Now look away, Red. You're not goin' to want ta see this. This is gonna suck for me."

She takes his advice and turns her face away from him as he plunges the needle into his chest. Liquid fire courses through him as he grits hits teeth to prevent himself from screaming. The stuff does its work as the bruises slowly disappear, his internal organs right themselves and his shattered bones knit back into place. In a few seconds it is over.

He sighs as the pain disappears from his sides and chest. The scars from his old battle wounds still remain. "Much better," he says with a dreamy smile as he pulls the metallic tube from his chest.

Kim turns back around still horrified at what she might see. Her eyes widen in shock as most of the scars and all of the bruising is gone!

"H-how did…?"

He smiles a puts a finger to his lips in a hushing motion. He looks from side to side conspiratorially and leans in. Kim leans in to hear him.

"You wanna know where I got this stuff?'

She nods vigorously.

"Umbrella," he whispers then looks from side to side again and turns back to her, "I stole it!"

"You WHAT?"

He laughs and Kim blushes as she realizes that it is at her expense. "Messin' with ya, kid! I did get it from Umbrella, special hyper-healin'-techno mambo-jumbo. It was the last one I had so I need to be more careful from here on in. On the plus side there should be a pretty heavy stash of the stuff in the Hive once we get there. Who knows? It might cure your girlfriend over there."

"Sh-Shego? S-she's not m-my…girlfriend," she stammers as her face turns a deeper red than her hair.

"Oh," he says as the smile dies on his face and his entire demeanor deflates, "I'm sorry. I, uh, thought that…"

"No big," she says still blushing like mad, trying to wave it all off but the look in his eyes betrays some of his thoughts to her. What does he know that I don't?

He chuckles as he reads her expression, "I thought so!"

"Huh? What? What do you mean by that?"

"Nothin'," he says with a smile then puts his chest plate back on.

He and Kim stand up and move over to Ash and Shego. James puts his helmet back on and asks, "What's the plan?"

"How far away are we from the Hive?"

"Further than where we were last night," James answers as he turns to Shego, "Give me a minute to get my bearings."

"The sooner we get this over with the better," Shego says morosely.

"I can't agree more," Ash adds.

"Got it," James says as he slides down the roof, "Let's go!"

Shego tosses his weapon down to him and he attaches it to its tether. Shego jumps down and he catches her. Kim is next while Ash slides down on his own. "Which way," Shego asks.

He points to the north, "That way."

KiGo and Company head out. They stop at the sound of grinding metal behind them. As one, they turn to look. The Freightliner lurches once, twice. Everyone gets their weapons ready as the Freightliner lurches a third time. The cab explodes as a massive form shears its way through.

"I don't believe it," Kim breathes.

Massive claws tear apart what is left of the cab. A charred, hulking monstrosity steps through the destroyed truck. "Is…is that…?"

"I dunno, Shego. It looks almost like a Tyrant, but bigger."

"Meaner too," Ash adds.

The monstrosity's eyes lock on Shego. She can feel its gaze pierce through her as her legs refuse to move. It takes a thunderous step toward them.

"Your turn for a throw down," James says to her, but she does not answer.

It takes another step; small cracks appear in the asphalt where its feet land. Its massive arm reaches out to Shego, impossibly long thick claws point directly at her.

"Options," Kim asks fearfully.

"Fight or flight," James answers as it takes another step.

KiGo and Company take a step back. "Who votes for fight?"

No one answers. The monster takes another step closer.

As one they vote…

"RUN!"

Shego's scream prompts everyone to action as they turn tail and run. The charred Tyrant follows moving faster than before, its thunderous footsteps keeping pace with the strategic retreat. Kim and Shego are in the rear of the foursome and they both realize it is gaining on them as they feel its hot fetid breath at their backs. Kim and Shego split direction, Kim going left, while Shego splits to the right just as massive claws tear through the ground where she just was. It turns to the right to pursue Shego.

She weaves through cars and somersaults over another as she runs across the street. The charred monster swats the vehicles away with minimal effort. Shego leaps over the last car, landing on the opposite side of the street. A pair of zombies stumbles out of the entrance of the building she is next to, moaning and groaning as they approach her. She turns to run down the street but three more zombies come out of the side alley, blocking her. The charred monster approaches from the street overturning the vehicles in his way as if they were toys.

A gunshot rings out as one of the zombies in front of her falls. Shego chances a look across the street and she sees Kim on top of a car with her arms extended, the revolver smoking in her hand. She fires again and another zombie falls.

To add yet another complication thunder rolls overhead as the last vestiges of sunlight are blotted out by heavy storm clouds. Shego flips over the last zombie, kicking its back as she rolls on the street. The force of her kick sends the last zombie crashing into the pair behind her. They fall in a heap of thrashing limbs as the charred Tyrant arrives at the street. It does not bother to step over them it steps on them, making a sickening crunching sound as it does so. Shego is up in a heartbeat and runs down the street as fast as she can.

The monster closes in as another peal of thunder shudders across the sky. Her guard suddenly appears in front of her, the Gatling gun pointing directly at her!

"GET DOWN!"

She leaps forward, sliding on the broken street pavement as he fires. Beams of fiery death blaze an inch above her nose as her sliding stops. The beams hit the monster directly in the chest stopping its forward momentum. James pours on the fire as Shego rolls out of the way. The monster is forced to take a step back from the assault. It brings its massive claws to its chest which deflects the beams!

"Hey! No fair," James complains.

The monster takes a step forward. It begins to rain. Shego runs behind James as he continues to fire. The Tyrant takes another step. Kim leaps over the last car, landing next to Shego. Ash fires his Boomstick at the monster with no effect. Kim fires her pistol with the same results.

"Are we ever gonna catch a break," James asks rhetorically.

The Tyrant now stands in front of James and lashes out with a clawed hand. He takes to the air and smashes through a building across the street three stories up! Ash fires point blank into the monsters face as Kim and Shego retreat. Hell, there isn't even a bullet hole! The monster opens it mouth revealing sharp fangs in its maw. Ash thrusts his Boomstick in it and presses the trigger. This time the monster reels back flailing its arms as it staggers. Ash cocks the gun again as the Tyrant rights itself. It takes a step back as Ash fires again.

Kim and Shego hide behind an overturned vehicle on the street as they watch Ash. Their guns are out and they fire for all the good it will do. Lightning flashes followed by the rumble of thunder.

Ash keeps up the pressure as the Tyrant staggers back. He fires again and again until…click. He presses the trigger again. Click! He stares at the gun in disbelief! The Tyrant rights itself towering over him. Shit! I'm…

His thoughts are interrupted as the Tyrant punches him. Ash flies and smashes through a car several yards in front of Kim and Shego.

"NOOO!"

Kim drops the pistol and draws her blade, leaping out from behind the vehicle.

"KIM! What are you doing?"

Kim does not answer as she runs at the monster that just killed her friend. No! No more! I won't lose anyone else! She leaps and screams as she brings her blade to bear. The face of the monster turns up to her as she slashes. The Tyrant staggers back, one clawed hand clutching at its face. Its eyes were slashed completely open from her attack as its other arm flails about wildly at its new attacker. Kim flips backwards as an arm gets too close, smashing the ground where she had stood. She flips back again landing on the hood of a car as both of the Tyrant's hands smash the ground close to her.

Shego watches in mute horror at the spectacle of Kim leaping and dancing around the monster. Kim! Get out of there! You don't stand a chance! I…I caused this! Kim…I'm so sorry! I…I killed us all! All she can do is watch as Kim leaps over the Tyrant but she can tell from the trajectory of the leap and the position of the Tyrant's raised arms that the end would come when she lands. She has no way out! Shego tries to scream a warning, but her words get caught in her throat. The scene plays out just as she imagined it: Kim takes to the air, slashing her blade across the Tyrant's eyes. Its arms are already raised in the air, poised for the final strike. Gravity takes hold of Kim as she lands just as both hands of the Tyrant come crashing down directly on top of her!

A roar explodes in front of Shego as does the car several yards in front of her. The explosion obscures the ending of Kim. At that moment Shego regains control of her voice. A wail of sorrow starts from the depths of her soul and travels through her entire being before escaping on her lips, overtaking the peal of thunder that shudders across the sky.

This is the end. I don't care anymore. There's nothing to live for anymore. The one person in this life I've ever cared about is gone. She shuts her eyes tightly as another roar echoes across the street. You've won Umbrella, I give up. Take your prize monster, I won't struggle. The dust settles from the explosion. Shego cannot bear to look but she owes it to her nemesis to see her one final time. She forces her eyes to open and then they go wide in shock!

Ash, only bigger and more monstrous looking, strains against the charred Tyrant. He holds an arm in each hand. Kim, still alive, sits directly below him staring in fearful awe at Ash.

Sh-she's alive! "Kim! Get out of there," she screams through tear-filled eyes.

Kim hears her as she rolls out of the way. She gets out just in time as the Tyrant stomps down where she sat. Ash roars and pushes against the Tyrant even though the monster is taller than him. The Tyrant is forced back a step as Ash changes tactics and pulls the Tyrant toward him. The monster is not ready for the change in momentum, the strength of Deadite Ash is enough to lift the Tyrant off of the ground and it throws it across the street. It smashes into the same building that it sent James into. Ash roars a challenge as he stomps over to the building.

Shego runs out from behind the overturned vehicle and over to Kim who has taken refuge behind another vehicle. "Kim! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Let me see you!"

"I'm okay," Kim says calmly as Shego inspects her.

Finished with her initial inspection her gloved hands grip either side of Kim's face, forcing Kim to look at her. "Look at me," Shego commands, "Don't you ever do that again, you hear me? I…I thought I lost you again! Don't ever leave me like that again!"

Kim is taken aback by Shego's utterly serious expression. "O-okay," she says sheepishly, feeling more like she had just gotten scolded from her mother than anything else, "I'm sorry, Shego. When I saw what it did to Ash I got so angry! I…I don't want to lose anyone else."

"I don't want to lose you, damnit! I thought that point was made clear last night!"

"Sh-Shego?"

"Don't. Leave. Me. Again. Understand?"

The presence of Shego this close made her blush despite the titanic battle going on around her. In the distance Ash flies back onto this side of the street smashing into a building a few buildings up from them. He bursts out of the building, roaring and raising his fist as he runs back across the street. Kim and Shego pay no attention to it as they stare into each other's eyes.

"Understood," Kim sighs, her voice full of emotion.

"Good."

Lightning flashes as the eyes of the red head go wide in shock as Shego unleashes the repressed passion she has for the girl. Kim accepts it all reveling in the moment. Behind them it is the Tyrant's turn to smash into the building. It steps out flexing its claws for a new attack, but the building behind it had suffered too much structural damage and it collapses on top of the Tyrant!

A peal of thunder rumbles as Shego releases Kim from her kiss and pulls her to her body, covering her as a massive cloud of dust and debris from the collapsed building covers them both. Ash lets out a long roar of triumph that slowly changes to a more human-like yell.

Kim and Shego dig themselves out of the rubble both thankful for the torrent of rain as it washes the concrete dust from them. Ash walks over to them; his clothes are in tatters but still useable.

"You okay, Kim?"

She could see that his knees were wobbling and his voice sounded weak. "I am," she says to him, "Thanks to you."

"You're welcome," he says simply then passes out.

Kim and Shego run to his unconscious body and try to wake him. The do not notice as James steps out of the building, a legless zombie clamped to his armored shoulder, trying in vain to bite through. He walks over to them and surveys the destruction.

"What'd I miss?"

Kim and Shego look up to him at first their expression are happy in the fact that he is still alive but they quickly turn to horror as they point to the half zombie hanging onto his shoulder. "Oh, that? I found a pet."

James grabs it and throws it to the ground. He holds it down with his foot.

"Hungry, aren't ya boy?"

The zombie just continues trying to chew through his armored boot.

He looks at Shego "Sooo, can I keep him boss?"

Shego pinches the bridge of her nose, "No, you CAN'T keep it. Jeee-sus. You're almost as bad as Dr. D…"

"Sorry boy," he says apologetically to the now twice dead zombie as he crushes it's skull.

Ash slowly comes to. James and Shego help him up. "We'll need to get started before the zombies start comin' out of the woodwork," James states.

"Don't forget that there's another Tyrant coming after us," Kim reminds the group.

"Right, an' there's no tellin' how many more are crawling around here."

Ash rummages through the rubble and is pleasantly surprised when he finds his trusty Boomstick. "I'm ready," he says convincingly.

"We'll stick to the roads an' avoid the zombies where we can, we're faster than 'em anyway. Maybe we'll find a pawn shop on the way or somethin' so you all can replenish your ammo. How 'bout you Shego? You ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready, Shellhead. Lead the way."

"This way."

James and Ash lead while Kim and Shego walk behind them. Kim smiles and blushes slightly as she feels Shego's hand take hers and squeezes it gently. The rain continues to pour down the dark sky illuminates intermittently with flashes of lightning followed by rolls of thunder, but with the simple act of Shego holding her hand a feeling of safety washes over her. From the side of her vision she can see Shego smiling at her. She returns it.

Behind them, several streets back, a horde of zombies lurch and stumble toward them.

A/N: Here's a new chapter boys an' girls! Only one this week tho, we just got back from our muse huntin' so we didn't get much done. Sorry!