Beginning of the End

"I can't believe you're turning against Shego and Drakken!" Ron shrieked in betrayed fury. "I trusted you!"

Kim hit the wall, feeling a rib snap, her shields flaring into the ultraviolet against the energies being unleashed. In places they were failing, flaring beyond the ultraviolet, black patches forming against the green energies that lashed at her. Shego and Drakken lounged on their throne, and the crowd, including Anne, Bonnie, and Monique (All in the abbreviated maid's dresses that they would have once despised ) cheered Ron and shrieked curses at Kim.

I have to kill him. The thought lay in Kim's mind, one last draught from a bitter cup she'd thought she'd long since drank to its dregs. Her sword once again clashed against his, leprous green and black flaring with the argent energy shrouding her weapon.

Another blow, and suddenly overload and failure alarms were starting to scream in her ears.

And then a great silence seemed to fall as the doors to the chamber...vanished. Light blazed and the crowd, Ron, even Shego and Drakken flinched away from that terrible light, uncomprehending.

And Samael entered.

Kim blinked, and then was almost blinded. The power that enshrouded It, Glory and Might brought to life.

This can't be Samael. It...He wasn't like this when he left.

The crowd fell silent in terror before It, some literally collapsing before that bright and terrible glory.

"Enough." Samael said, and Kim suddenly fought the desire to fall down herself, nearly blinded by the light, remembering why in the old tales, when such beings had come among man they had had to always preface their words with the simple statement: "Fear Not."

"Enough." Samael repeated softly, and suddenly Kim remembered what It had been sent to do.

No. "Fear Not" really wasn't appropriate for this day.

"Your time." It said to Shego and Drakken, suddenly looking small, children sitting on thrones too big for them, "Is ended. No matter the outcome, your reign will end by the dawn. I-"

"No it won't!" A voice shouted, and Samael turned to look at Ron, his power flaring around him, leprous green and black, twisted energies making the very air scream around him.

I didn't have time to look, but that...is wrong. Kim thought.

"Did you do it, Samael?" She asked.

"Yes, Creator."

Then Ron struck at the power, and hit him. The room rocked with the sound of a giant gong, but Samael was unmoved. Then Ron struck him again, and again and suddenly there were little scatters of dust falling from the chamber.

He's going to bring down the entire building... Kim thought, moving up, but Samael stopped her with a single gesture.

"You will harm your masters." Sameal said softly.

"Not as much as you-arrrrggghhhhh!" Ron struck again, face suffused with murderous, mindless rage. This time, Samael stepped back, one pace, and the room shook again, the air glowing where the interaction between Ron's power and Samael's had started to denature the very molecules of the atmosphere.

"Creator." Samael said, and then suddenly he struck Ron...and their was a hole in the arched ceiling where Kim's dearest companion had been cast out. "I will deal with him...I would not...lay that burden upon you. Not when you have so many more." Then, with a single wave, he smashed everyone else in the room, save for Kim, Shego and Drakken into unconsciousness, and was gone.

"Looks like your bodyguard is gone, Kimmy." Shego drawled. "I Guess I'm going to have to beat you again."

You ended humanity, and that's all it is to you. A chance to prove that you beat me. A chance to eat all you want and bask in all the treasure you never could have made yourself.

An odd feeling struck Kim and she looked at her battle suit and made a decision. She touched a place on it, feeling the nanotech material obediently fall off of her, leaving her in her shirt and short, battered, but unbowed.

"Surrendering?"

"No." Kim's voice was soft. "But no supersuits, no magic, not this time. This time..." Kim smiled. "I take you down, once and for all, with my own two hands."

Because she had to. Before man had developed all the tools of glory, that had let him touch the stars...and then when Drakken had perverted them, cost him the very ability to see the stars, it had been the naked ape, shivering in the night. With only his will, and his love for his family, that he might see the next morning and save them from the terrors that lurked around.

And as it was at the beginning, Kim Possible thought, standing, no longer hurting, so it was now. Whether she died, whether only a burned out world was left to puzzle future visitors, she would remind Drakken and Shego why they had failed, and why only by slaying mankind's soul had they been able to claim a "victory".

"Bring it." The Last Champion of Man said.

Ron struck the ground, power gyring around him and turned to run back to Shego and Drakken. They needed him, to kill that betraying Possible cu-

But his path was blocked. Samael stood looking at him.

"You cannot defeat me." The being said softly, "And you cannot save your masters. Will you surrender."

Ron's answer was a wordless scream.

"I thought not." Samael said softly, sorrowfully. It was why, after all, that he had calculated the trajectory to land Ron behind Mt. Middleton, with the mass of the mountain between him and the city. The energies that were about to be released were...not healthy for most humans to be around.

TBC.