Almost done! Indeed, soon the mayhem shall come to an end!
Again, I do not own any of these characters, in case anyone somehow missed any previous disclaimers.
Ch. 12: Ultimate Showdown
All attempted to shield their eyes from the blinding light that exploded in the dark room, like a million slivers of lightning circling the schizophrenic teenager. Not to mention, a tornado seemed to appear from nowhere, and the gusts of wind that ruffled the hair clothes of all it blew past carried with them an eerie, maniacal laughter. The heroes stood their ground, though feeling chills go down their spines with anticipation for whoever their ally will become.
It was still painfully bright, but all light seemed to focus on one specific bolt, which twitched and sparked around a boy with blue skin, red tights, and jet black hair. It finally settled in mentioned hair, and the boy smirked cockily as he looked toward no one in particular.
"Seriously, it's taking longer and longer for me to show up in these things." He remarked casually as he crossed his arms. "This is, what, the second to last chapter? I'm gonna have to call my agent."
"Wow…" Jenny said aloud, amazed by the confidence and…muscles of this new Dex. Danny had to blink his eyes a couple of times, understanding why Dex might not want to let this guy out. The way the young man's eyes darted to and fro behind their little black mask, Danny detected a hint of insanity.
Mr. Big did not expect Mr. Freakazoid to make an entrance without his command, so he found himself quite flustered. However, that one last act of defiance by Mr. Douglas pushed him over the edge. His finger hovered over the button which would send them all to their doom.
"Don't touch that dial!" Freakazoid commanded, like a bumper for a TV show. "I'll be right back!" He ran at the speed of light, straight up the wall and into the ceiling! Then he vanished, only leaving behind flaming skid marks.
"Hu-wha?" Mr. Big was again surprised that Freak could tell exactly what he was doing, even though they have not met face to face. He was getting notably angrier, steam shooting out of his ears, yet that anger was enough for him to bumble with the remote. "Where'd that freak go?"
"Where did he go?" little Dexter asked. "That was amazing! How did he manage to fit into the socket of that broken light bulb?"
"He did what now?" Buttercup wasn't sure she heard right. A science man, anything involving wires and light had to intrigue Dexter.
"He became pure electricity!" he exclaimed excitedly. "He's in the building's computer by now, he could control—" as if on cue, new lights in the display room flickered on, Jenny's powers were restored, but the ear buds, sadly, could not reactivate. "He could control anything…and come out anywhere."
Back in his office, Mr. Big overheard Dexter's explanation, and made no more hesitation. He held down the button, brought the mini-satellite to his face, and opened his mouth to speak, only to scream cuss words as Freakazoid burst from under his desk. The glowing wires below were torn asunder and hissing with sparks, and the blue boy materialized then sat like a monkey before his former "employer". "Yoink!" he said childishly as he snatched the remote, then crushed it with his bare hand. "No more mind control for you Mr. You need more fiber!" He lifted what was rest of the smashed wooden desk and smacked Mr. Big upside the head, causing him to fall out of his chair and hit the floor with a clang and a grunt. He stole the chair, spun around a few times, then made himself comfortable, his feet resting on Big's head. "Attention everyone." He declared, taking over the intercom, grinning like an idiot. "The Big Bad guy's kinda all out of his huffin and puffin, so all good guys feel free to whoop some asses, and all bad guys may run like little girls. That is all." He would have resumed tormenting his new victim, but after close examination, he discovered that Big wasn't going to get back up. He heard a few more groans and cuss words, but the so called fiend was completely immobile. Freak poked him a couple of times then scowled and prepared to leave. "You're no fun."
He's down? Was the unison thought, for heroes and villains alike. It was so hard to believe, the children weren't sure what to do. They could fight? They were safe? They had a chance? They could win?!
"You heard him." Echoed a familiar voice. Danny spun around to watch a gaping hole blast into one of the walls, then smile back at his old friend, Vlad Plasmius. Red ecto energy fading away from his fists, he brought them down to look down on children, invoking silent praise instead of the fear he was accustomed to. It felt good. He felt like a god. Danny slowly drifted up to the man, after looking more closely, able to adopt his look of determination he had been so close to losing.
"You came." He stated the obvious, since being so close to defeat, finding it hard to believe. "And by the sounds of it," Danny referred to the carnage that could be heard just outside, namely the screaming guards. "You kept your word."
"Why, Daniel." Vlad chuckled. "Was there ever a doubt in your mind?" Danny was relieved that Vlad didn't pause for his answer, because honestly, he did have his doubts. Instead, the older halfa offered his hand, which Danny gratefully accepted. "You probably have a lot of rage that needs to be dealt with." He replied with a fangy grin. "You've waited all this time, son, let's not delay this retribution any longer. Some well deserved pay back is due." Vlad bolted through the wall, phasing Danny and himself, and they had officially joined the battle.
Left to stare dumbly at each other, Jenny, Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup, Conan, and Dexter read everyone's expression, then charged through the door to finish what they started. The army of guards were dropping like flies. The gathered heroes made certain not to kill the soldiers, but did not care enough to avoid piling them like crumpled up balls of paper.
Besides Vlad, Jack orchestrated most of what was going on. He stopped a few soldiers with his sword and skill, but mainly had to bark his orders during Vlad's absence. Fleets made up of those who could fly and shoot explosions were sent to circle the dome and tear it apart inside and out. Soon the sky that floated over the Community was real, the business was exposed, and ready to fall apart. Jack made sure to locate the children and give them the task they were most suited for. Any guards who were feigning unconsciousness were made honest by little Conan, after he had been reunited with his trusty tranquilizer watch. Jenny helped carry the top of the dome away and blast it to pieces, Dexter deactivated weapons, and the Powerpuffs got to get rid of a little aggression. Buttercup most of all, not a surprise.
Freakazoid couldn't be caught, but as far as Jack was concerned, he was doing his job fine. True, he did more banter than fighting, but he was enjoying himself. Unfortunately his antics made him ill aware of any hunters that lie in wait. The guards were almost gone, but no one should rule out the scientists. They have nasty tricks up their sleeves as well.
Specs was furious. He gave half of his being to this company, and he couldn't stand to watch it fall in a matter of minutes! There were many to blame, his over confident boss, the clumsy guards, lazy Dr. Hoax, and he figured if he had to go down, he'd go down fighting. His pale knuckles grew whiter as he clenched a different kind of gun, one of the few weapons given to a scientist, usually useless against most opponents. It emitted waves of some kind, or a frequency, something that would make their personality driven computers explode if the need should arise. "Surely if it can put an end to my saucy co-worker," he growled out loud, aiming at the Freak and thinking about his cynical computer. He did the research, he's well informed about Freak's body, almost completely internet based. "It can end you."
"Not in this timeline." Called out a futuristically dressed woman. She held a simple ray gun, which was enough to turn Specs's little weapon to ashes. Specs slowly rotated his shocked little head to the red haired, divorced female, and her robotic companion who had no problem with tasering him.
"Ha ha! Aw, man!" laughed a certain red squirrel, his teeth closed on a cigar. He had stood on the side lines most of the battle, not interested in risking his lives until there were less guns blazing. He snickered again when a fat man and giant chicken rolled across his path, beating each other senseless. "This is some party, huh? Well, about time we take out the trash." He hopped into a cute little purple convertible, who happened to have eyes. He stood on the seat cushion, a frying pan held tightly in one paw, and a bat in the other, eyes blazing with the former horrors of war. Compared to that, this was a day at the beach. "Ready, Putt Putt?" he asked his comrade.
"Hot diggity!" The little car sped past the lab, the driver making sure to knock a few scientists' heads.
Meanwhile a small child in a white cloak tossed egg bombs at an oncoming array of guards, causing most of them to shakily trip over themselves because of the horrible foul odor accompanied with thick smoke, but a few kept coming. Two pink and green tigers appeared from behind the boy and tackled the remaining men, then promptly released them so they could run away screaming in terror, after their pants were ripped off. "Ha ha!" laughed young Timmy, pointing at the exposed underwear. "Good one guys!"
"Watch it kid!" shouted an older boy, leaping behind Timmy to face a cowardly guard who nearly ambushed the child. His single blonde braid and red coat flowing thanks to the recoil from a nearby explosion, his yellow eyes narrowed as he made one swipe with his hand, and the laser gun the man had locked fell from his gloves into two cleanly cut blocks of steel. The teenager displayed to the man his miracle of an arm, perfectly shaped into a dangerous knife that could easily penetrate his armor. It was enough of a warning to send the guard running, two tigers eventually at his heels.
"Thanks dude!" Timmy yelled.
"No problem." Ed replied, his other, normal hand giving a thumbs up.
"Oh, no, I need to get out of here!" Hoax cried, scrambling and jumping over fallen soldiers. Not carrying a weapon, no one paid much mind, except one who stood directly in his path. He ducked and jumped and did everything he could to get out of the line of fire, but there was no escaping this meeting.
"Hello, Jeff." Jenny said darkly, causing the human to jump back. The glow in her eyes was a bit sharper, pupils missing, soul piercing. Hoax detected a clench in her fists, the screech of metal. "You lied to me, all this time. You turned me into a traitor." She reminded him as she slowly approached. "You killed Zim. I'd ask you to say hi to him for me…but I'm not like that." Hoax trembled, almost whimpering, holding his arm over his head, as if it would block anything. But he sank into somewhat of comfort zone when XJ9 made known she had no intent to kill him, though would very much like to. He was not prepared for the very large welt he was to receive on his blonde head, nor did he suspect that after he'd fall to the ground, she would have kicked him mercilessly to the side to collide with an already crumbling wall. The rubble fell on a broken, but living man, who will be forced to spend the rest of his miserable years paying for his murder with solitary confinement and blood curdling nightmares. "And that'll make me more human than you'll ever be."
Bubbles suddenly stopped mid punch when she believed she heard a voice squeaking in her pocket. She dropped the guard and dug out her sponge friend, whom she held to her ear.
"What is it, Mr. Spongey?...Uh huh?...Uh huh? You're right!" she declared, letting her victim fall to the ground then zooming through the halls, looking for the infamous office.
"What are you trying to do?" Blossom interrupted, following after her.
"We need to find Mr. Big, Mr. Spongey says he could escape!" she insisted. The suggestion grabbed the attention of the other former captives, who certainly desired an audience with the madman, finally face to face. They abandoned their adversaries and joined in one big stampede.
"This way!" Freak called, zipping down a hallway. "I left him over here!" The friends tried to follow him as closely as possible, but his sudden movements and quick speed made it difficult. "I don't know what's the rush." Freak admitted. "He hasn't moved." Standing before the broken slider door, they all barged in and gazed at the mess Freak created, then the very still Mr. Big. By the looks of it, it seemed that he was…no longer of this world, that Freak may have been a little too rough. A chest wasn't breathing, and yellow eyes weren't even raised to gawk at the children. No plea for mercy, no speech that he would not fail, no banter. He lain on his stomach on the cold floor, one arm a bit more extended than the other, his faced directed toward his only escape, but unmoving, as were the hearts of his prisoners. If he had died, they wouldn't feel an ounce of remorse. He got what he deserved, which was just about to be said, had not Bubbles mentioned otherwise.
Bubbles leaned back toward her Sponge, and huffed with anger. "Yes he has!" She pointed at Big's head, which could be seen thanks to Danny's aura. It had the luster and complexity of cold hard metal. Mr. Big was a robot.
"What a rip off!" Buttercup snarled, stomping and thereby making holes in the ground. "The coward!"
"No way." Jenny couldn't tell herself it was true, not wanting to believe that someone so cruel and unfeeling was something of her kind.
"No, he's getting away!" Bubbles claimed, pointing at the floor, near the wall. "There he is! Quick, someone grab him!"
"What are you talking about?" Conan piped in, his less creative eyes unseeing.
"Hey, this head is open, and look!" Dexter ordered, taking out a magnifying glass. All looked back down at the lifeless robot, and saw that a compartment on the forehead was lifted open, and they all leaned closer for a better look. "This control panel is almost microscopic!"
"It's because he's a plankton." Bubbles cried. "A plankton!"
"A what? A plankton?" Blossom repeated. "Seriously, even during the most sincere times you have an over active imagination."
Bubbles dove at the floor, but seemed to miss whatever target she had aimed for. Whatever it was, it escaped through a crack in the wall. "Darnit, he's gone!" Bubbles hid her face in shame for failing, but what she did not realize was that no one could possibly be convinced that a plankton could be the brains behind the monster.
"You bet he is…" Danny stated coldly, kicking the hunk of steel over to get a look at his blank face. Was he disappointed he couldn't see his real face and pound it in? Of course, but he couldn't let himself be torn up about it. He had to take his victories where he could find them. "And wherever he is, he'll think twice before trying this again. There is no escape from what has happened here, and scum like him are destined to taste justice, one way or another. We will find him, and he will pay for what he's done!"
xXx
One more chappie!
