The Final Battle…
They have been running past corridors, hallways and rooms for over an hour. At each step new and improved horrors arise to stop them. The muzzle of Shego's assault rifle flashes as it chatters death to the swarm of zombies in front of her. Kim's automatic pistols sweep back and forth, spraying a pair of dark green lickers that stalk them from behind.
"How are we doing, pumpkin," Shego yells over the noise of her rifle.
"We've been better," is the reply in the space between pulled triggers.
The rifle bucks and jerks as she mows down the last few standing zombies. The spent clip is ejected and a full one is rammed into place just in time for her to pour on the fire into the next wave as they lurch around the corner. Kim does the same with her pistols and empties both clips into the stronger, deadlier lickers before they finally stop moving. She reloads again and turns around firing into the new zombie wave.
"How many more are there? We'll run out of ammo at this rate," Kim exclaims.
"I know," Shego yells back as she fires.
The last zombie falls in pieces from their weapons. Kim slides against one wall while Shego does the same on the opposite side. Their guns train around the corner and with a burst of speed they run around the corner, ending up at the opposite sides of the wall as they fire into the corridor. The Tyrant in front is forced back several steps from the hail of bullets, but its bulk shields the other five from their attacks.
"Shit," Shego exclaims as she slings the rifle around her shoulder and calls the power to her before the Tyrant can recover.
Her clenched fists glow green as a corona of fire forms around them. She bellows out a battle cry as she thrusts her fist out. A column of green fire shoots forth from each fist, consuming everything in the corridor and beyond.
Behind her and Kim a grate bursts open from the wall as a black licker bursts forth from its hiding place, landing behind Kim. Kim turns and empties the last of her pistols into the monster's face from point blank range. The bullets force the creature back a few steps but its tough hide absorbs the blows. Kim drops the pistols and draws her katana as it leaps at her, its fanged maw open impossibly wide. Kim slashes out in a wide arc, severing a clawed arm at the shoulder as the licker screams in pain then slams hard into the wall. Kim does not give it time to regroup; she screams as she brings the blade down hard, piercing the bone plate of its skull. It screeches and convulses and there is a sickening, long cracking of bone as she twists the blade. The licker ceases movement and she pulls the blade out. She sheathes the blade and picks up her pistols, ejecting the spent clips and replaces them with full ones.
Shego unleashes her wrath on the kneeling Tyrants, her face a mask of murderous rage! The wall of the corridor glow bright orange from the intense heat as her plasma turns the Tyrants into ash. She lets the power dissipate and admires her handiwork at the piles of ash before her.
"How are you feeling, Shego?"
Shego turns to Kim, flexes a clawed hand then clenches it into a fist, smiling wickedly, "I'm fine, pumpkin, just…fine!"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I haven't been able to let go like this for far too long! I feel great!"
Her heavy panting returns to a semblance of normalcy but her look of concern does not diminish, "Just don't overdo it, Shego. I-"
"Can it, cupcake! I got a list of fuckers that need to die screaming horribly for what they did to me! It's my turn!"
She unleashes another blast of plasma down the corridor, incinerating a trio of bipedal scaly brutes. Shego un-slings the shotgun and tosses it to Kim. "Use these," she says as Kim catches it, "They'll do more damage than those cap guns ya got."
Kim slings the shotgun over her shoulder then Shego tosses her the rifle. "Cover my back," she commands then dashes down the glowing hot corridor.
Kim is able to keep up with her even through the stifling heat. The corridor ends into a large room of polished metal flooring and walls. The ceiling rises high into the air capped with a massive loading crane. Massive metal crates and boxes are stacked neatly throughout the room. An open elevator shaft is at the opposite end of the room and other exits lead both north and south, leading to areas that are similar in appearance to the one they just entered. Growls and grunts echo from the other rooms. Kim swings the rifle back and forth, covering a wide arc in preparation for an attack.
"Where do we go from here?"
"We need to go up," Shego answers as she charges plasma to her fists.
"The elevator shaft?"
"It might be our only way."
More growls echo then the floor shudders from the sound of a titanic roar. The ground shakes amidst the sound of bending metal, and then it does so again. A massive shadow appears at the entrance of the room to the north a moment before a massive claw tears through the opening.
"What the fuck is it now?"
Another roar sails from the other room as another claw tears through the other side of the entrance. A massive bulbous mass of glistening, sickly brown flesh steps through the entrance, supported on large but impossibly thin grasshopper-like legs. An equally horrific head pokes through, a mass of eyes, wiggling tentacle-like protrusions, and large but sharp pincers focus on the pair. The pincers open, dripping green bile as it roars again.
"Holy shit!"
Moving faster that its bulk should allow the new monstrosity tears into the room, raising its long, clawed appendages at Kim and Shego as it charges towards them. They dive to opposite sides to avoid the monster's onslaught. It crashes into a large metal container, shearing it in two with its pincers. Kim rolls on the metallic floor and assumes a defensive crouching position as she brings the rifle to bear and presses the trigger. The rifle bucks and she has to fight it to keep it steady. A hail of bullets tears through portions of its pulsating mass, ripping holes into it. The monster roars in pain as green liquid and fist-sized white maggots fall from its wounds. Shego crouches in a defensive position also and she unleashes beams of plasma from her outstretched fists. Instead of aiming for its bulk she targets the monster's hind legs.
The stench of roasting flesh soon fills the air as the remaining legs are unable to support the monster's bulk. Its roar of pain changes to an ear-piercing screech as it crashes heavily to the floor. Kim stands up from her crouching position, switching to the shotgun as she runs toward the thrashing creature's front. The horrific face turns to her, its pincers opening wide as it lunges at her.
She presses the trigger twice at point-blank range. The head of the monstrosity splits like a melon being crushed by a sledgehammer, splattering the floor and the sheared container in gore. Shego takes care of the rest of the creature and the quivering maggots with her plasma, consuming it in green fire.
Kim steps back for the flaming creature, holding her nose to keep the stench at bay. She runs over to Shego and is taken aback at the murderous look on her face. Before she can say anything her attention is drawn to the other room as the growls get louder.
"Reload," Shego orders, "I'll cover you."
Kim complies wordlessly as Shego turns toward the sounds of the growls. A score of what could only be described as hulking snake-men lumber out from the other room, growling and hissing dangerously.
Her fists charge with plasma as the front four snake men charge at her. She roars a battle cry as she thrusts her fists out, beams of green plasma shooting out at the new monsters. The beams incinerate the front four and continue on to the others engulfing most of them. She targets the rest almost casually, picking them off with short bursts of plasma.
"Ready," Kim calls out as she hefts the shotgun at the ready.
Shego turns to her, "Let's go!"
The elevator is an empty shaft with the coiled cable dangling in front of them. Shego fires a blast of plasma up into the shaft and steps back. A few seconds pass then two flaming lickers fall past them, screaming all the way down.
"It should be clear now," she comments, blowing on a clawed finger, wisps of plasma blow off the claw and dissipate into the air.
Kim smiles, she's back, that's for sure! "I'll go first," Shego says, "Stay close, pumpkin!"
I'm sooo letting her take the lead here! But it's great seeing her back in her element. "Right," Kim exclaims, nodding.
Shego leaps for the cable, grasping it tightly. She starts to climb her way up, Kim jumps and climbs when Shego clears out of her way. They grunt in effort as the pull themselves up the slick cable further up into the darkness…and freedom.
Hive Reserve Helipad 3
The armored chopper lands and the squad of armed and armored troops exit in a sharp, efficient manner. The largest and most heavily armored trooper points wordlessly to two members of the squad. He points to the surrounding area and in silence they follow his orders, drawing their rifles to the ready as they form a defensive perimeter. The rest of the squad fans out, covering all directions with their weapons. The pilot kills the chopper but stays behind, ready to fire up their getaway at a moment's notice. The leader of the recovery team pulls out a black cell phone. The image of Trask Wagner appears.
"We have arrived and are getting in position," the squad leader says in a deep, digitized voice through his helmet.
"Good. The evacuation is complete. When you are through with your mission you and your squad are to rendezvous with us at The Fields."
"Understood."
"Godspeed."
"All clear," the other recovery team members yell as they report back.
The leader walks over to the massive vaulted doors that lead into the facility. He presses a button on the cell phone and presses it against the door. It magnetizes to it as he and the rest of the squad step back. A few seconds pass then the cell phone explodes in a blinding flash of light and intense heat. The smoke clears, leaving a hole through the thick door large enough for the squad to go through.
"Move out!"
Back down in the Hive
The hallway is choked with zombies. Kim hands Shego back her rifle and they empty clip after clip from their weapons into them. Arms and legs splatter against the walls as the zombie fall but still crawl toward them. Kim and Shego keep up the pressure until nothing else moves in the thin hallway. One of Kim's backpacks that bulged with ammo is now completely empty. They pull themselves out of the open elevator shaft and step into the hallway.
The hallway is lined with doors on both sides of the wall but they are all open and the furniture had been pushed up against the openings in an attempt to create a barrier from the horrors. Sadly, all of the barriers had been forced through and the bloodstains on the walls told Kim and Shego what the outcome was.
They make their way down the long hallway slowly. They cover and scan each room they pass and each room tells a story more horrific than the last. A mass of groaning bodies crawl towards them as they pass a small cafeteria, but Shego's assault rifle takes care of them quickly. Another zombie bursts out of a maintenance closet next to Kim and she slices the thing in half with her blade that she draws in one swift motion. They continue on and reach the end of the hallway. The elevator doors are open like the last but the cable had been severed several floor above them.
"There's a stairway around here somewhere," Shego says as she looks down the other intersecting hallways.
"Over here," Kim exclaims excitedly as she points her blade down the hallway to the left.
They run to the closed door with the inoperative EXIT sign above it. Kim leans on one side while Shego braces against the other. Shego nods at her and Kim throws the door open as Shego brings her rifle to bear. They are both surprised when nothing pours forth to attack. Shego enters the stairway first covering above then below.
"Clear," she announces.
Kim sheathes her katana and pulls out her automatic pistols. She tumbles into the stairway, covering the stairs below as Shego starts ascending.
Click-click-click-click! Several long, deep exhales follow. A slick, black Licker leaps to the platform below Kim, dripping a black, oily slime. It growls at her as its tongue twitches around its body. Two more appear, dropping down in front of Shego.
A Licker leaps at Shego with claws and slavering maw extended. The butt of the assault rifle slams into its jaw, shattering teeth and bone as it falls to the floor in front of her. She calls the power to her in an instant, covering her entire body in plasma. The wounded Licker's tongue lashes out but twitches back in pain from the intense heat. It screams in pain as it recoils. An evil smile spreads across her lips. The uninjured Licker paces back and forth above her, its head bobbing this way and that, attempting to gauge the right moment to strike.
Kim unleashes both pistols into the monster, knocking it back down the stairs several steps but doing little appreciable damage. The pistols chatter away in her hands until both clips are empty. Her pistols slam into her holsters and she draws her katana as the Licker regroups. Kim can hear the hisss of the black slime as it drips to the metal floor, causing the floor to smoke and sizzle. She kneels down into a perfect split, angling the sharp blade above her head defensively.
The injured Licker leaps up to the stairway above the uninjured one, avoiding the beam of plasma Shego fired at it. Her evil smile does not leave her face as she cocks her head to the side and powers up. Both Lickers leap at once.
"DUCK!"
Shego unleashes a wave of plasma from both fists as she drops to the floor. The plasma hits both of them as they sail past her. Kim does as ordered and she can feel the intense heat of Shego's plasma as the Lickers fly past her, a scan few inches from her face. The glowing, plasma-enveloped Lickers crash into the third.
Kim heaves herself up and flips backward, landing next to Shego as the Lickers…explode!
Shego reacts by generating a wall of plasma in front of them, keeping them safe from the spraying black slime. She lowers the plasma shield and turns back around. Kim stares in horror at the scene as the black slime sizzles and eats away everything it touches.
"That's…disgusting," she exclaims, making a sickly face.
"C'mon," Shego yells as she runs up the stairs.
Kim sheathes her blade and reloads her pistols as she runs after her, paying careful attention to steer clear of the sizzling black slime. They run past floor after floor until Shego stops and points at the closed door.
"This is it, princess, we're almost outta here!"
Kim's answer is her pulling out her pistols and then kicking the door open. She runs out of the stairway covering the area with her pistols. Shego shrugs off the shotgun from her shoulder and follows.
The area is a massive loading dock with stacks of wooden crates and large plastic barrels stacked throughout the area. Several staircases lead up to daylight beyond but throngs of hideous-looking brutes and Tyrants wander through the area. Kim stares in disbelief at the monsters wandering around but still has the presence of mind to duck behind a large stack of crates before she is seen. Shego follows.
"Things aren't looking good for us," Kim comments darkly.
"Do they ever?"
A mirthless smile crosses her face at the rhetorical question. Shego hands her the shotgun and a backpack of ammunition, "Here, take this."
Kim puts away her pistols and slings the backpack over her shoulder. She takes the shotgun and props it against a crate. Her gaze travels skyward as she notes the grid-like patterns of steel girders, support columns, and three large suspension cranes. Two of the cranes hold crates of freight while the other is empty. She pokes her head out from around the stack of crates to take in the rest of the area.
"You got a plan?"
"Not yet, but I'm working on it."
Shego draws her rifle. "Well I hope you get one quick, we're running out of time!"
Kim grabs the shotgun and backs away from the crates as she watches Shego do so. The crates shatter as a Tyrant smashes through. Both Shego and Kim fire at the monster, drawing the attention of the other creatures in the area. The shotgun bucks in Kim's hands but the shells unloaded in its face causes it to fall to one knee and the pair retreats as other Tyrants and several brutes close in on them. Kim looks up as they back away quickly. Directly above them is one of the suspension cranes loaded with freight. Shego starts retreating away at an angle away from Kim but a raised hand stops her. Shego gives her a quizzical look and Kim points up to the crane then pantomimes what she wants her to do. An evil grin spreads across her face as she catches on to what Kim wants her to do. She unloads the rest of her clip into the advancing monsters as they come at the pair.
Kim backs away, firing. The shells do some damage but it does a better job at angering the horrors advancing on them. Shego retreats faster than Kim does, getting into position as Kim keeps up the fire. Shego throws away the rifle after emptying the last of the clip and calls the power to her. Kim reloads and fires slowly, letting the monsters advance closer and closer.
Shego's fists glow with power as she turns her head skywards towards the crane now directly above Kim. A trio of Tyrants and several brutes close in on her, almost within arm's reach.
"NOW!"
Kim dives to the side as Shego fires at the tether holding the freight suspended above them. The tether melts and the freight falls, smashing the brutes and Tyrants. Kim continues to roll as shattered crates and barrels land and bounce around her. She rolls up to her feet and leaps over a rolling barrel then dives to the side, avoiding several more. She performs several more jumps and loses the shotgun in the process as she gets out of the debris field. She lands next to Shego in a defensive stance, breathing heavily.
"Not bad," Shego comments, her fists still glowing with power.
"There's still more to take care of," she pants.
The chattering of erupting gunfire from above causes them both to flinch. A familiar titanic roar makes the hairs on the back of Shego's neck to twitch.
"What was that?"
"Big. Fucking. Trouble."
Kim steps back in alarm as an aura of plasma comes to life around Shego and spikes energetically, causing the steel floor around her feet to glow hot.
"What the…"
"It's not me! My powers are reacting to..."
Another roar cuts her off. The echoes of several screams can be heard from above then the chatter of more gunfire. Kim flips backward as Shego's plasma aura flares, sending tendrils of plasma out in all directions, some striking too close to her for comfort.
Shego shakes her head from side to side violently as she wraps her arms around her own shoulders. She grits her teeth in supreme effort as she concentrates and the aura fades away.
Kim runs back to her and gingerly reaches a hand out to put on her shoulder. "Y-you okay?"
Shego flinches away from the contact, "No, stay back! I-I can control it but it's very hard."
Kim recoils her hand at her forceful outburst. Her look of concern is plain to see on her face as she sees streams of sweat drip down her thief's face. "O-okay," she says sheepishly.
A dark scowl covers Shego's face as she shakes her head. "I got it now, pumpkin."
Another roar from above followed by the screeching sounds of rending metal and small explosions. Kim watches Shego's face contort into a look of grim determination mixed with fear as she looks up. She sighs heavily, the strain in her voice heavy with internal burdens.
"K-Kimmie, I-I want you to do something for me."
Kim draws her blade in preparation for the inevitable conflict, "What is it Shego?"
"I…I don't know if you should stick close to me or stay as far away as possible. It's going to be hell up there. I can…feel…him! Please, whatever you do, stay away from that monster! I think it can…feel…me too. I…I don't know how this is going to end, Kim."
Kim ignores her thief's command to not touch her and places a soft hand on her cheek, "We'll get through this, I promise!"
Shego tries to flinch back but she loses herself in Kim's eyes which root her to the spot. "Y-you think so?"
Kim nods with absolute determination, "Yes."
The plasma-powered thief wants to take the girl in her arms at that moment and never let go, but the ceiling shudders violently followed by human-like screams and another ear-splitting roar. Kim breaks contact as the floor shakes. "Let's do this," she says as she brings her blade up, the steel shining when the flickering lights overhead catch it.
"All right, pumpkin, I'm ready!"
Most of the loading dock has emptied of monsters as they have made their way up to join the battle. Kim and Shego dash for a stairway and make their way up topside.
The scene before them is a warzone! A large group of men clad in armor and carrying powerful weapons have taken out all of the monsters that came from below. Both Kim and Shego stop and gasp at the monstrosity before them. A hulking mass of strength and power glows with plasma power like Shego, it rears bringing its massive arms up then brings them down, smashing the steel floor. The shockwave sends three armored people flying from their defensive positions.
A large, blood-red eye blinks and moves of its own accord on the monster's left shoulder. That shoulder is longer than its right, and both arms end in long, sharp, grasping claws. Its orbs for eyes glow green with power and its disgusting split maw opens, issuing forth a terrific roar. Black stringy hair clings to the top of its head it tufts and it turns toward Kim and Shego, dripping a mixture of mucus and acidic bile.
For the first time in her life Kim curses aloud.
"What the fuck is that?"
"Back away," Shego whispers dangerously as she calls the power to her.
The monster rears to its full height as its armored carapace gets pelted with a hail of bullets, but it pays them no mind as it takes an earth-shuddering step towards Kim and Shego. Kim takes a step back in mortal terror. The monster raises an arm across its chest and casually bats away a helicopter in front of it. The machine explodes as it breaks apart, sending flaming debris on top of several of the recovery team members who had taken cover on the other side of the bay.
Shego curses as she steps in front of Kim. That was the only chopper on this pad, they'll have to find another and quick! The monster gains speed as it advances, charging its massive claws with plasma. Shego roars as she extends her hands, unleashing a wave of green hell at the monster. The fury of her assault causes Kim to back away further from the intense heat Shego is generating. The wave of plasma hits the monstrosity with full force stopping its forward momentum as it howls in rage and pain.
"I'll finish you for the last time, fucker! This time there won't be anything left," Shego screams in rage as she runs toward it, her eyes glowing with the power at her disposal.
"Shego! No!"
Her warning falls on deaf ears as Shego leaps at the creature's face with a plasma-charged fist cocked back at the ready.
Kim dives to the right just as a hail of automatic fire pelts the ground where she was standing. She rolls and slams her shoulder into the side of an armored box as she hears the almost hollow popping sound of a grenade launcher going off. She rolls backward onto her feet and leaps back as the crate explodes, sending hot shrapnel out in all directions. She lands on her butt thanks to the shockwave and all of the wind is knocked out of her. She gulps air and jumps to her feet only to dive to the side as a recovery team member runs sideways to her, spraying the area with hot lead. She can feel the heat of the bullets as they wiz past her face. She lands and rolls behind the wall of a hangar for a second of safety. The wall gets pelted with bullets and the sounds of them ricocheting off the wall keeps her mind from focusing. Another hollow popping noise alerts her legs to react and she dives forward as a large chunk of the side wall explodes sending more shards of hot, sharp metal at her…
A massive thunder crack is the sound ringing in Shego's ears as her fist connects across the monster's split maw. She pushes off of the creature as it falls backward and crashes to the metal floor. She flips in mid-air and lands on her feet. She suddenly remembers a stupid anime she saw a few years back, and her mind says, fuck it! Why not? Plasma charges to her hands as she brings them both to her left side. A ball of plasma grows between them as she waits for the monster to get back up. It gets up slowly, shaking its head as it regains its balance. It turns to her and roars in anger. Its fetid breath is so forceful her hair moves like it would in a strong gust of wind. She grits her teeth in effort as she pours more power into the plasma ball. The monster flexes its arms in rage as it roars again and charges…
The buzzing in Kim's ears refuses to stop. For a moment she sees triple, then double, before her vision finally returns to normal. She moves her arms and legs and a sharp pain in her leg causes her to cry out in pain. She turns to look, seeing a long shard of metal imbedded in the back of her leg. She lets go of her blade and brings her leg up despite the pain. She closes her eyes tight and clenches her teeth as her hands wrap around the still hot metal. She cries out again as she pries the shard out. Luckily the shard missed any major arteries and did not go the whole way through. She rolls around and ties off her pants leg around the wound to staunch the bleeding. Ahead of her a figure moves through the smoke. Acting on pure instinct she throws the metal shard as hard as she can at the figure. It strikes him squarely in the chest. A surprised grunt issues from his helmet as the helmet dips in disbelief at the metal shard protruding from his chest. He falls. She should feel bad, and she does, but there is no time for her to feel remorse as she scrambles to the fallen armored figure and grabs his weapon, a loaded M79 grenade launcher. She can barely make out several more figures coming at her through the black smoke. She braces the launcher at her feet and points directly at them.
She presses the trigger.
The weapon bucks as the grenade shoots out. The shockwave of the explosion sends her sprawling backwards amid the death cries of her pursuers…
The squad leader watches the monitor as three more blips disappear from the screen. Losses were already heavy as his team was down to half strength. He turns to his aide. "Send in the RPGs."
Shego growls that grows in intensity until it is a full blown roar as she brings her hands to her front with her palms out. The ball of plasma turns into a massive beam of green energy as it sails over the short, deadly space on a clear trajectory towards the monster. The beam cuts through everything in its path, incinerating crates, equipment, and the bodies of the fallen both human and the recently risen alike. The monster tries to dodge the blow but the beam hits it in the shoulder with the eye. The force of the beam knocks it off of its feet and carries it backward before the monster twists out of the path of the beam. It skids several times before coming to a stop, grasping its injured arm and howling in pain. The massive eye is no more, ripped out from Shego's attack. The beam travels on past the landing pad and on towards Raccoon City. The beam ends, hitting a skyscraper. The first couple of floors explode in green flame and the damage is enough to topple the massive building.
Shego stands in place, breathing heavily. She can feel the power diminish within her but she charges her fists with plasma anyway. From off to the side of her she hears the noise of several explosions. She turns to look and her eyes go wide in shock as she sees three armored figures fire rocket launchers at her! She leaps as high as she can as the rockets zero in on her position and explodes. She lands roughly and turns toward them as two more show themselves and fire at the monster…
Kim sucks in breath after painful breath. In her blurry vision she can see the hilt of her katana and she grasps it. She uses the blade to help her to her feet as she looks around. Her head pounds, it hurts to breathe, and the buzzing in her head refuses to quit. She uses the blade to steady herself as she squints to see through the black smoke. She can see the troopers armed with rocket launchers, firing at Shego and the monster. Behind them is a building with a large satellite dish on top. Her gaze travels to the coils of large power cables that feed up through the building and into the dish. She looks down and marks out a path for herself, avoiding the rocket troopers and several other troopers armed with automatic rifles. She sheathes her blade, ducks down and heads towards the building…
The monster roars as it raises its claws and fires out streams of plasma at the rocket troopers. One smart trooper ducks, but another close to him does not. He explodes and the one that ducked screams in pain and horror as he jumps up and attempts to slap out the fire on him. Another blast of plasma ends his struggle. The monster growls and turns towards Shego.
Shego blasts an approaching rocket with a plasma beam. Another explodes close to her sending her flying to the side. She bounces hard on the steel and skids a few feet before stopping. She forces herself up, fighting through the pain that screams in her limbs. Dimly she can see the large blurry mass of the monster lumbering toward her. To the side she can make out a trooper reloading his rocket launcher. She turns back to the monster but her perception was off. The monster stands before her, growling menacingly. All of the air is forcibly expelled from her lungs as it backhands her. Shego takes to the air and slams hard into the wall of the building with the satellite dish and crumples to the steel below.
The rocket troopers fire in pairs at the monster. Impossibly it catches the rockets and throws them back at the dumbfounded troopers, destroying them. A wisp of charged plasma waifs off of its wounded shoulder as it lumbers towards Shego…
"The B-2 is entering the area. Commander, look! It's coming this way, sir," the aide exclaims excitedly as he points.
"We have what we need. Bug out," he orders as he closes the laptop and readies his assault rifle.
The rest of his troops double-time as they follow him out of the building. They stop at the entrance and point their weapons at the person in the opening.
Kim stands there, a rocket launcher prepped and read at her shoulder, her finger resting on the trigger.
"Drop the weapon and stand down," the commander orders.
"No one leaves here without us," she says dangerously.
The commander turns to one of his troopers, "We don't have time for this! You! Take care of-"
He does not have the time to finish as Kim presses the trigger.
The commander's eyes widen in disbelief inside his helmet as time slows down. He dives to his side and watches as the rocket flies right past him. It explodes behind him the blast of flame consuming him and the other troopers. Time speeds back up as he smashes through the window. The building is consumed in fire as Kim jumps backwards to avoid the shockwave and the fire blast. All thoughts of pain are dismissed as she draws her blade while still in mid-air. Her back slides a few feet on the steel before she comes to a stop and then she flips up on her feet.
The commander hurts! His cracked and partially melted HUD flickers as he stares at the charred remains of his laptop and the information he was sent to retrieve. He pulls his helmet off and throws it away in disgust. His entire troop was dead or dying, mostly by the damn girls, not the monsters. He presses a switch on his rifle and a wicked blade springs into place. Oh yes! The will both pay! Out of the corner of his vision he sees the redhead enter the ruins of the building. He ejects the full clip and wields the rifle like a bladed staff, wanting the satisfaction of seeing the life drain from her eyes before him. He rolls out to his side and assumes a crouching position until he is sure she is out of sight…
Shego slips in and out of consciousness. It does not help that the wall she rested against bucks from an explosion from the inside, but the outer wall holds. The jarring brings her back from slipping into unconsciousness. The aura of plasma suddenly comes to life around her with her calling to it. She can feel the power wane with each passing second as the serum within her bloodstream loses its potency. Her vision clears just in time for her to see the behemoth before her, a fist raised to strike!
She leans over to her side almost lazily, but she avoids the monster's attack as its fist dents the wall behind her. Muscles refuse to move but through sheer will she commands them to. She jumps, thrusting her shoulder into the monster's face. It staggers back one step and she unleashes fist after fist into the creature's face and midsection. It staggers back, roaring in anger. Shego steps back as well, crouching. The monster telegraphs its next clumsy attack, raising a clawed fist. She waits for the right moment leaping over the monster as its fist comes crashing down. Her feet land on its back and she kicks off of it as hard as she can, sending its face into the steel wall making a new face-shaped dent.
She regains control of her powers but it is taking more and more concentration for her to maintain it. Her clawed gloves charge with power as she waits for the creature. It growls and heaves, detaching itself from the wall. It roars as it turns, tendrils of plasma trailing off its claws and split maw. Shego rests her claws at her side as she regards the monstrosity, a small trickle of green blood falls from the corner of her mouth.
"Give me everything you got!"
It unleashes a titanic roar as it thrusts an arm out at her. A massive wave of plasma shoots from its claws and envelops Shego. She welcomes the power. She fights against the force of the wave to stand her ground but the power adds to her own, recharging her. She strains and grunts to keep her footing, even though she can feel her boots slide backward from the monster's forceful blast. The heat is almost unbearable and she can feel sections of her bodysuit tear off or burn away before the blast finally dissipates. The monster growls as it cocks its head to the side in confusion. An evil smile spreads across Shego's bleeding lips.
"Even with your upgrades, you're not so smart. Remember what happened last time?"
Charged beyond anything she has ever felt before, Shego calls all of the power to her. Her entire body glows with plasma! Lightning discharges off of her at various spots as her hair rises into the air from the charged plasma. Her feet lift off of the floor and stop as she hovers a few feet above the steel. She spreads her arms out wide as more electricity discharges around her plasma aura. Undaunted, the monster roars a challenge and charges the plasma into an aura around its massive bulk. Sections of the steel floor glow bright orange from the heat and several spots melt clear through from the plasma-charged titans as they square off...
The stench of burnt flesh and ozone assaults Kim's nose as she enters the building. The charred remains of the troopers disturb her to her core, but what other choice did she have? Her guilt disappears as a huge fist-sized dent appears in the wall that remains.
Shego! Need to help her, her mind snaps, burying all other thoughts and emotions. She grunts as she shoves aside burnt, twisted metal and other debris as she searches for a ladder and a hatch that leads to the roof. She forces herself to ignore the sharp pain in her leg as she leaps over more debris. Her eye catches the large power cables running along the ceiling. Most of the outer hard casing is damaged and melted in places but none of the internal wiring is exposed, so hopefully her plan will still work. The debris field is dangerous with twisted and sharp metal shards strewn throughout the floor along with overturned metal shelves and sparking exposed wiring from destroyed dedicated terminals and wall sockets. Kim steps lightly, avoiding the sparking wires and the sharp shards of metal as she makes her way deeper into the building. Another loud thud causes her to turn her head. A new dent appears in the wall, looking a lot like the face of the horrible creature Shego is facing.
A moment later another crashing sound causes her to turn around. The armored commander of the troopers stands in front of a window, his scarred face regarding her with murderous intent.
She brings her blade to bear and crouches slightly in a defensive stance. "I gave you a chance," she says to him grimly, "You chose-"
"Shut up," he says darkly, ending any further conversation.
He leaps over a large mound of debris, pressing another button on his wrist. A blade pops out into his hand and he lets the rifle drop to the floor. His sword is shorter than Kim's blade but his blade is thicker. He steps toward her confidently and stops several feet away from her. He brings the blade up to his face is salute then lowers it with purpose.
"We don't have to do this," Kim offers.
"I will make you beg for me to finally kill you," he says casually.
His stance does not register in her brain at the moment but then she does not have time to think as he lunges lazily. She bats the blade away to the side, bringing her blade back to its defensive position. His eyes follow every movement she makes, noting her stance and speed. Kim sees this as well, raising a warning in the back of her mind. He lunges again, slowly, lazily. His stance is sure, his poise perfect. She easily backs away from the attack. Again he watches her. She presses in with an attack, slashing her katana upwards at an angle. His feet stay rooted in place but he twists his torso to dodge the attack. Kim notes his movements: sure, confident, and economical in the sense that he moves just enough to avoid the attack.
This could be a problem, her mind warns her as she steps back and crouches in a new defensive position. He crouches as well aiming the tip of his sword at a point right between her emerald eyes. Then, moving extremely fast, he lunges at her…
Two beams of plasma meet in the space between the thief and the monster. The floor disintegrates from the heat that is stronger than the sun! The beams dissipate as Shego moves to the left. The abomination veers to intercept and plasma-charged fist meets plasma-charged fist in a thunder clap of force and power. Shego grunts and strains against the sheer strength of the monster as it issues a growl in return. They jump back as one then leap at each other again. Shego's claws score a hit across its chest as she ducks under its outstretched fist. She cores another hit across its maw with her other claws. She brings her arms in defensively as its other fist thrusts out, sending her sailing backwards when it connects.
She lands on her feet but the impact makes her skid on the floor for several feet, leaving orange-hot streaks in the metal floor from her aura. Moving faster than before, the monster charges at her, sending beams of plasma at her as it comes. She bats away the beams casually and leaps at the creature, connecting with a knee to its face. She flips over it, raking her claws down its back. The evil smile returns as she hears it roar in pain and rage. She kicks out with her boot and connects, sending the monster crashing to the ground. She turns and thrusts her arms out sending waves of plasma into the creature. Her smile widens as the monster's cries of pain increase in intensity. Despite its pain the monster rises and lumbers slowly toward her. Her smile darkens into a scowl as she pours on the power. Still it comes at her, trudging through the waves of plasma shooting from her extended hands.
She stops the barrage as the monster is almost on top of her. It telegraphs its move by raising a fist into the air. She braces her feet as it lunges. The wind is knocked out of her lungs as she catches its fist and strains against it. A low growl escapes from the monster's maw as it pushes forward. Shego's boots slide back from the force of the creature. Its fist is charged with power and she lets it feed her while she struggles against the creature's strength. Suddenly it grasps her with its other clawed hand. Shego cries out in pain as its massive claws clamp around her and then he tosses her away like a rag doll. The aura surrounding her protects her from the impact as she flies and melts through the wall of the hangar, the chopper inside it, the other wall of the hangar, and finally skidding to a stop on the other side of the landing pad. The aura disappears as Shego fights to stay conscious.
It is a battle she is losing.
She struggles to stand suddenly finding it very hard to do so as her muscles refuse to work properly. She tries again and fails. Then there is deep pressure all around her as she is lifted off the ground and tossed again. Somehow she has the reserves of mind to call the power to her once again as she bursts through the hangar again. She bounces hard on the steel and rolls across it, finally stopping at the wall she was at earlier, only this time she has made a new dent in the wall before collapsing into unconsciousness…
Kim is purely on the defensive. His strikes are fast and sure, and she is hard pressed to dodge and block the flurry of stabs, feints and slashes. He continues the relentless pressure forcing her back step by step. She grunts in pain as he scores a succession of quick slashes across her stomach, arm and knee. The cuts are not deep but the pain is distracting and the blood loss might become a problem later. His face is utterly impassive as he comes at her form seemingly everywhere. She flips backwards to disengage from him, landing somewhat unsteadily on her feet. She changes to a new defensive position, crouching down low, bringing her blade up to her face and parallel to the floor. He walks toward her calmly, swinging his blade down at an angle to the left and then the right. Kim chances a glance towards her back, noting the short distance to the wall. He is backing her in a corner.
He stops before her and his stance changes slightly. His feet no longer point at her but to the side as he switches his sword to his other hand and then lunges. Kim resolves to stand her ground this time, using the tip of her blade to bat away the flashing steel of her opponent. He comes at her again and again but she parries every attack. The style her opponent is using is not known to her but the movements are becoming predictable. He comes at her high then attacks from below alternating every third lunge or so with an angled slash, but always from his right.
She lets him go through his routine several times. Then he starts over again, his face still impassive. She slows down her parries ever so slightly giving him the illusion that he is wearing her down. With renewed confidence he continues his routine and then slashes at her from his right.
She bats the blade away and lunges at his weak spot: his right shoulder. He cries out in pain as her blade pierces his armor and bites deeply into his flesh. She twists the blade and pulls it out as he backs away, crying out in pain and frustration. He flips his sword to his uninjured arm and presents his non-injured side to her as Kim changes her stance as well. She bends her knees letting the tip of her blade face the floor behind her in the style of the classic samurai duelist. She recognizes the stance he is in and of the attacks he could bring to bear. She closes her eyes and shakes her head sadly.
"Stand down," she whispers pleadingly, "You lost."
"I told you," he hisses hatefully, "I am going to make you beg, you bitch!"
"Come then," she says calmly.
He charges at her and lunges knowing full well her stance, attack method, and the counter for it. She does not move as he attacks. His brain picks up on this a moment after she should have moved but he has committed to his maneuver. The blade strikes out as a feint then he brings it up quickly to protect his neck from the attack that never comes. As he is bringing his blade up she shoves the hilt of her katana into his stomach with all of her strength. He doubles forward as all of the air is forcibly expelled from his lungs. He loses the grip on his sword as he doubles over. The hilt connects to his chin next, snapping his neck back painfully.
In less than a second the fight is over.
She steps around him as he falls forward. Her blade flashes out, cutting through the armor, severing muscles and sinew in his arms and then his legs as she twirls around him in a dizzying display of speed and grace. Her blade returns to its sheath as he finally falls to the floor in a heap.
She steps over him, kicking him in the head as he stirs from unconsciousness. The stirring stops. She reaches the ladder, climbs up and forces open the hatch to the outside…
Shego is painfully brought back from unconsciousness as she slams into the wall, caught fast in the monster's grip. The missing eye on its shoulder is almost fully healed as it blinks rapidly. The split maw enters Shego's vision as it cocks its face to the side, its fetid breath washing over her. Shego's eyes flutter closed, unwilling to meet her death in its white orbs. The attack does not come. She opens her eyes weakly and meets its horrible gaze. Her brain screams at her to move as the intent in its eyes is not her death, but a fate infinitely worse! Her eyes widen in horror and she screams helplessly as it closes in on her.
"Hey!"
The head of the abomination turns skyward to the noise. Kim jumps from the edge of the building, hefting the sparking power cables in her arms. She lands on the monster's shoulder and screams as she shoves the sparking mass of power cables into the side of its face! The monster rears back and roars in pain and rage, releasing Shego from its grasp as Kim jumps off of it and catches Shego before she falls again. The monster screams and writhes in pains as it tries to grasp the power cables jabbed into its face. Kim wraps her arms around Shego and rolls to the side with her as a clawed foot stomps down a split-second later where they stood. Tendrils of plasma flare to life around the flailing, screaming monster. Kim hugs Shego tightly as she rolls across the floor, narrowly avoiding several tendrils of plasma that cut through the floor and beyond.
Kim rolls up to her feet, bringing Shego with her. Shego winces in pain as she feels her healing factor working in overdrive. The drawback is the power leaves her at an accelerated rate as her skin tone darkens and becomes more flushed. The green tint to her skin starts to disappear as Kim watches the process unfold.
"We need to keep moving," Kim exclaims in desperation, grabbing her hand.
"C-coming," Shego answers weakly as Kim almost has to drag her on.
The monster roars in pain as it pulls the power cables from its half-melted face. Kim and Shego duck behind the hangar as the monster sends beams of plasma through it, disintegrating their cover. Shego leans against Kim for support. "Hold me up," she grunts.
The monster howls in rage as the visage of her comes into its focus. Plasma charges around its fists.
"When I give the word, let me go," she orders.
"W-what?"
"Trust me, Kimberly."
The monster raises its fists at them and unleashes another barrage of plasma.
"Now!"
Kim releases her and at that moment Shego shoves her heroine backward, away from the deadly beams of plasma. Kim lands roughly as Shego spreads her arms out wide as the beams envelop her.
This'll be the last chance I get; she thinks as her body absorbs the power, recharging and healing her at the same time, I have to make the most of it!
It is a simple matter to call a slight portion of the power back now. She makes a simple shield of plasma in front of her. The beams arc away, striking the opposite sides of the landing pad. The beams stop coming and Shego drops the shield. The monster howls in rage at her and Kim. Kim gets to her knees but her gaze settles away from the monster. Further down the landing pad is another hanger, but this one has a working machine. She cannot hear it above the abominations cries of fury but she can see the stack of rags being buffeted by a strong wind.
"Shego! We have a way out!"
"Go! I got your back," Shego yells with renewed strength.
Kim makes a dash for the other hangar. Shego follows but slowly, keeping herself in between Kim and the monster. The pulsing abomination follows; slinging bolt after bolt at Kim and Shego, but Shego calls her plasma shield to her to deflect its attacks.
Kim stops at the side of the hangar now clearly able to hear the whine of the chopper engine through the incessant buzzing in her head. Her head pokes around the corner and she can see the pilot frantically completing his final checks for takeoff.
Kim turns to Shego. "We don't have much time, we need to move now!"
They run around the hangar waving frantically at the pilot. He almost jumps out of the seat from fear.
"What are you doing here? Who are you?"
"You're taking us out of here," Shego says darkly, showing him a fist charged with plasma.
He gulps and opens the doors. "Hurry up and get in!"
Kim enters the chopper and waves Shego in but she stops and turns to the wall as it melts.
"Shego! C'mon! We're leaving now!"
"No," Shego says quietly.
"WHAT?"
The wall continues to melt. The roar of the monster overtakes the whine of the engines. "Someone needs to deal with that thing or else it will just shoot you out of the sky," Shego says with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Kim gives her a look of sheer disbelief, "N…no! We're leaving together or not at all, that was the deal!"
Shego grabs Kim suddenly in an almost crushing embrace, kissing her roughly and passionately. A lifetime of regrets and words left unspoken are communicated through her kiss and embrace. Shego finally releases Kim as her heroine gasps for air. Shego's eyes bore into Kim's soul. She does not smile nor does she frown.
"Deal's off."
She shoves Kim into the chopper and slams the door shut. She taps hard next to the pilot and turns around to the melting wall.
The chopper lifts off of the ground as the monster bursts through the melted wall. Shego calls on the power and charges her fists with plasma.
"Final round, mother fucker!"
It roars at her, forgetting the chopper as it flies away…
B-2 Bomber 'Lady's Grace' – 35,000 feet above Raccoon City
Colonel Mark Grayson could not get his hands to stop shaking as the weight of the world pressed down on his shoulders and his alone. In a few seconds he would make the final maneuver and then his thumb that was hovering over the release button would do what his President, his Country, ordered him to. He understood the gravity of the situation. He knew what was at stake. He also knew that there never was a nuclear detonation over a populated American city. He never though in all of his twenty plus years in the Air Force that he would be the one fated with perhaps the heaviest burden any soul could bear. Yet, America has called to him, and he would heed the call…
Kim cries and pounds her fists futilely at the doors. Tears stream down her cheeks as despair, loss and anger all mix together within her in a raging torrent. She frantically looks around for a parachute but finds none. The pilot barks at her in a frenzy of fear but she ignores him until one of her automatic pistols falls out of its holster. She picks it up and heads towards the cockpit. She places the gun against his helmet.
"Turn around…NOW!"
Shego lets go. The internal barriers are lifted. All doubts, regrets and fears burn away like the plasma at her command. Well, all regrets except one. She leaps over its massive arm, raking her claws against it as she sails past. She takes to the air again the instant her feet touch the disintegrating floor. She comes in close, raking her claws at the horrid mockery of a face. Gore, mucus and bile splatter everywhere as she lets go…of everything!
She kicks one side of its split maw, cracking it, followed by a wave of plasma into what is left of the creature's face. She rides its massive body down as it crashes to the floor. Its claws flail about in a feeble attempt to defend itself. Shego will have none of it! There was only enough room on this earth for one such as her. She sat alone at her throne, and no…pretender…could be allowed to live in her presence. Her arms spread wide in horrible glory, allowing the pretender one last glimpse of true power. She leaps into the air as far above her the dot of a B-2 bomber briefly blots out the sun. She thrusts her arms out and screams as she unleashes…everything!
The blast hits the monster in the stomach as the force of the blow buckles the steel floor underneath it. The monster and most of the landing pad explodes, sending Shego sideways. The death cries of the monster fade as it fall to the floors below. Shego lands hard. The power is gone. She feels exhausted and…tired. Impossibly, from above her she hears the engine of a chopper! She forces an eye to open and the other opens in disbelief! The remains of the landing pad shudders and shakes from the continual structural damage as the chopper lands.
Kim leaps out, grabs Shego and drags her to the chopper. Shego cannot believe what her eyes are telling her! The scent is familiar, as are the soft but strong hands that lift her into the chopper…
B-2 Bomber 'Lady's Grace' – 35,000 feet above Raccoon City
The green light appears. He mutters a prayer for himself and the people below as his thumb presses the button. Missile Is Go, god help them all…
The chopper speeds through the air as Kim snaps her harness in place. Shego staggers back and forth as she tries in vain to gain a semblance of her balance. Kim reaches out to steady her as they both turn to the rear of the chopper then immediately turn away as a flash of light brighter than the sun itself bursts to life.
A moment later the shockwave hits. The chopper lurches violently as Shego falls against the door. The latches come undone as the door opens…
Time slows to a crawl. Shego falls out through the open door. Shego's eyes meet Kim's, wide in utter non-acceptance at her fate. Kim scream's Shego's name as she stretches toward her, her arm straining to grasp her hand as the chopper turns on its side. Their fingertips barely touch, and then Kim lunges with all of her strength.
Her hand grasps around Shego's and she holds on to her for dear life. The chopper wavers and leans to the other side as Shego now falls into the chopper. She crashes into Kim as they fall back. Kim's head explodes in pain as she smacks into the wall. Then her world goes completely dark…