I don't own these characters; Disney does. I don't own this concept; it comes from Bubblegum Crisis 2040.
The chapter title comes from a song by Seether.
26: "Broken"
Will and Betty moved Felix from his resting place on the bed and carried him out to an idling car. Vivian stood next to the car, but staring out into the distance — out to where her team had ridden off like the crazy heroes they were. Betty came up behind her and hugged her close. Vivian turned around and started bawling into the mechanic's shoulder.
"Don't worry. They'll be fine," Betty promised, rubbing her back to comfort her.
"I can't take losing any more family," Vivian whimpered.
"You're not going to lose them. They're going to come back and they're going to come back with Felix. I can feel it. Viv, that was your redemption that took off and they're going to do it. So, you need to do two things."
"What's that?" she asked, sniffling.
"Believe and let go."
Vivian nodded, but her tears did not stop. Bonnie had already taken so much from her. Her hopes, her home, her blood, her sister, and even her nephew. She was not sure what she would if Bonnie managed to take those stubborn, strong-willed, so-very-insane-they-were-noble girls.
"Believe in them," Betty implored because she was certain those girls were the ones who would clean up their mess. She helped Vivian into the car since the blond continued to weep. She figured Vivian just needed to get it out of her system.
-8-8-8-8-
The three Knight Sabers rode along the empty streets, speeding toward the bridge that stationed the Sky Hook. They were all on Shego's motoslave with Shego controlling the bike, Kim behind her, and Tara behind Kim. They could not help looking around at the graveyard that was now their city. It was a jungle of twisted metal and so silent that a cemetery probably had more noise.
"It's so quiet…" Tara pointed out, voice barely a whisper. She never thought she would live to see the day that the city was a ghost town. "It's creepy."
"It's like even the Bebes went to sleep," Kim commented. There was no movement at all from anything, even though everything looked like it was a Bebe in some way, shape, or form now.
"They're probably awaiting orders from that bitch," Shego said.
"Well, they're going to be waiting a long time because we're definitely taking her out," the redhead declared with major confidence. The others agreed and there was silence for a moment.
"Hey, Shego," Tara said out of the blue.
"Yes?" the eldest replied.
"I was wondering… since this is probably our last mission…" Tara trailed off, not sure how to put what she wanted to say.
"Go ahead, Tara. Ask," Shego said, having a feeling she knew what was coming.
"Well, I was just wondering, what's your deal with GJ and with Bebes? Why do you carry such hatred toward them? Why do you hate the Gemini Corporation so much?"
Shego sighed and was quiet for a long time. Tara was about to apologize, but then the biker started talking. "I lost a lot thanks to them. I used to live some place not too far from the quake epicenter. Not too far from where my trailer was actually. The buildings came down with ease during the quake, but we got out easily. Me, my mom, my dad, and my brothers. My four brothers."
"Four?" Tara echoed. That was one more brother than she had seen with Shego.
"Yeah, I had four. But, we'll get back to that. Like I said, we made out all right. My parents made sure of that and me and older brother Hego were responsible enough to make sure we kept track of the little guys while following our parents. After the quake, most of Go City was like a post-apocalyptic world. There wasn't enough help or aid or anything and we were like in a war zone. There were gangs and thieves and bandits and all kinds of crazy shit, like wild fires and gas leaks, but we were all right." Shego shook her head just thinking about it.
"Sounds like you've seen something like this before," Tara commented, looking around the city.
"The real problem was the buildings that didn't totally fall, but you could tell they were on their way and all of the fucking fires that erupted over the city. That's what got us. My mom and dad — impulsive, crazy people — they rushed into a burning building to help these people who were trapped. There weren't enough fire fighters or police or anything to help, so my crazy parents ran in there. They were able to get some kids out and some other people, but fire was too much and the building was too weak. They never had a chance. I remember the exact moment we became orphans, thanks to the earthquake, thanks to Gemini," Shego growled.
"Oh, god. I'm so sorry," Tara said.
"It wasn't your fault, so don't apologize. From that moment on, me and Hego were kinda the parents. But, Hego was also kinda an asshole. I mean, he was my brother and everything and I know he was trying to look out for us and keep us together, but he just got overbearing sometimes. He acted like I couldn't take care of myself… which, I guess is how I acted with our little brothers. All and all, we survived. Managed to get a little apartment. Hego got a job, I got… well, money was coming in. For fun, we formed our band and played. But, it was mostly for us to keep our sanity. Hego always said there was no money it anyway. I think he liked being wrong," Shego remarked.
"He sounds like a good guy," Kim replied.
Shego sighed. "Anyway, long story short, Hego always fashioned himself a hero. Crazy runs in our family or something. One day we were out together, just hanging out, all of us. We happened across a berserker Bebe. It was about do some serious damage to some crying teenagers. Hego sees, tells me watch the kids, and runs off into the madness. That asshole left me with three fucking kids to take care of while he went to save some fucking strangers, just like his stupid parents. Hego had powers, kinda like me. He had a blue glow that made him super strong and he thought he'd be able to take the Bebe. He grossly misjudged the situation, but it wasn't even the Bebe that got him. He held the Bebe off for the teens to escape and as soon as they were clear of the building fucking GJ opened fire. I don't know the details, but the Bebe eventually exploded, which could've been thanks to all of the weapons being shot at it or just some kinda self-destruct from feeling threatened by GJ. The point is, Bebe go boom, so went my brother."
Kim and Tara were silent, not sure what to say. Kim's next actions were more instinct than anything else, as she caressed Shego, hoping to provide some comfort. Of course, she doubted it worked since they were wearing their hard suits. A hand on her own did let her know Shego acknowledged her effort.
"That's so unfair… and so sad…" Tara muttered.
"Don't think about it, Tara. It was a long time ago… or at least it seems that way," Shego said.
"It's just…" Tara shook her head, not sure what words she wanted to use.
"Like I said, don't think about it," Shego replied.
"Uh… guys, as much as I hate to break up our bonding time, we've got a little problem," Kim commented.
"What problem?" Shego inquired, eyes darting around for any sign of danger.
"The cargo boxes are already moving! The Sky Hook must be coming already." Kim pointed ahead of them where they could see trains of cargo containers sliding down the track and into the sea.
"This shouldn't be happening! The Sky Hook isn't supposed to be here for another half-hour!" Tara shouted in disbelief.
"Damn it, don't tell me Bonnie got this place, too!" Shego huffed. "There's no telling when the Sky Hook'll be here or if it didn't leave already!"
"We should wait and see. Just because Bonnie got this place doesn't mean she got the Sky Hook. There's always a chance," Tara argued. They needed this to work if there was any hope.
"It's really the only chance we've got," Kim added in.
Shego nodded, getting the underlying massage that they were not going anywhere. She took the motorcycle to the end of the track and they waited for the Sky Hook. Tara examined the rail above that the Sky Hook used and then looked down the length of the bridge they were on.
"Shego, the Sky Hook goes almost five hundred miles an hour. Can this thing handle that?" Tara asked.
"I don't think Bets built this bike to be a bitch," Shego answered.
"Try saying that three times fast," Kim remarked. "I'm pretty sure that's Shego talk for the bike can handle it."
"I think the bike can handle it," Shego muttered. She had never attempted that speed before, but there was no time like the present to try it now.
"Okay, well, the bike better handle it because here comes the Sky Hook!" Tara pointed behind them.
Shego revved the motoslave. "Okay, girls, settle in because here we go!" she announced, peeling off.
"I think we need to go faster than this," Tara pointed out as the Sky Hook drew closer to them.
"God, what the hell have you two been eating?" Shego teased, even though they were weighing the bike down. She was not sure if they would be able to hit the speed they needed to in time.
"We're only wearing freaking suits of metal!" Kim huffed.
"Well, why didn't you science geeks calculate this problem? Hold on!" Shego growled as she pushed the bike harder.
"Shego, it's passing us!" Tara whined.
"Thanks for the news flash, blondie! I missed the whole, giant space shuttle looking thing passing above us!" Shego barked back.
"That thing is massive," Kim said with awe as the Sky Hook seemed to float above them. It was overtaking them, though, and it really looked like they were going to miss their last chance.
"I never realized it was that big," Tara commented.
"Can you two shut up already? We need to catch that damn thing," Shego snarled and turned her attention to the motoslave. "Goddamn it, bike, you can do this! Betty wouldn't have wasted time on you if you couldn't do this!" she growled at the machine. As if the bike understood her desire and her insult, the speed increased. "That's right, motoslave! Show us what you're made of!" she practically cheered as the speed rapidly increased.
"We're doing it!" Tara chirped with a giggle.
"Guys, I need you to lean back," Shego ordered as the bike neared five hundred miles an hour. They ran parallel to the Sky Hook and slowly, but surely pulling ahead of it. The other Knight Sabers did not ask questions and did as Shego ordered. The eldest then pulled the motoslave into wheelie. "Okay, guys, fire your thrusters!" she commanded.
They all fired the jets on their suits and the bike took flight. Still, it seemed like they were not going to make it. They all thought the same thing — they needed to push harder and they needed to make it! Their thrusters flared higher and the bike seemed to soar… until the back wheel was clipped by the edge of the Sky Hook. They tumbled into an empty cargo space, crashing into the back wall.
"I think I give that landing a two," Tara mumbled, lying halfway on the wall and halfway on the floor.
"Any landing you can walk away from…" Shego replied, her voice muffled thanks to the motoslave resting on her chest. She looked down at the bike. It certainly had seen better days. But, then again, she had seen better days, too.
"I don't see us walking," Kim remarked. She was lying in a twisted position, not too far from her partners.
"Everybody's a critic," Shego grumbled.
"Only when you mess up," the redhead teased.
Shego snorted as they all picked themselves up. She snarled as she pushed the damaged bike off of her. They took a look around, popping their visors up to do so. They were in an empty, wide open area. There was a door at the far end, so they went through it and found themselves inside the Sky Hook cockpit.
"We're going to outer space," Tara said with controlled excitement as they walked to the front and were given a view of the outside world thanks windows. "Good thing our suits generate oxygen and everything or we'd be in real trouble," she added with a smile.
As they moved closer to the bridge of the craft, they noticed a Bebe standing at the main console. As soon as they saw it, the Bebe turned and stared at them. Instincts took over and they all took fighting stances.
"Wait, guys, something's funny about this Bebe… or should I say, something's not funny about this Bebe," Kim commented as they got a good look at the robot.
"It does look okay," Tara concurred.
"Excuse me, but what are you doing here? No one is allowed to ride the shuttle without proper authorization, passes, and clearance," the Bebe announced.
"Uh… there was a change in policy?" Kim offered. Shego scoffed, as if that was going to work!
"I would've received that change of policy immediately!" the Bebe declared, sounding insulted that Kim would even imply that it was out of the loop.
"Even if that's the case, you probably noticed you've been out of touch with command center for days now," Tara pointed out.
The Bebe put a hand to its head, as if it was in thought. "You know, I haven't been able to contact them for days."
"Yeah, the company's going through a lot of problems. We're here to correct that," Kim remarked.
"Oh, good, because I've been having trouble with my assignments because of the lack of communication," the Bebe commented.
"I think I can help with that," Tara chimed in. She knew she needed to do something before Bonnie infected this Bebe and they would just have more problems on their hands.
Tara marched over to the Bebe while Kim went to stare out into space. Letting out a breath, she was amazed. It was breathtaking.
"I can see why my dad likes space so much now," Kim said.
"Your dad?" Tara asked.
"He's a rocket scientist. Believe it or not, Gemini actually tried to hire him for this Alpha project thing. My dad didn't trust the company, though."
Tara nodded. "I guess that's why you're so smart. Your dad's a rocket science."
Kim chuckled. "And my mom's a brain surgeon."
"Wow. I guess that does explain why you're so smart. But, it doesn't explain why you can do all that kick-butt kung-fu."
Kim could not help smiling. "That's all me. What about you? What do your parents do?"
"Nothing fancy. My dad's a cop, if you can believe it!" Tara laughed. "My mom is gym teacher. She also coaches cheerleading. I used to be a cheerleader."
"I was a cheerleader, too."
"We've got a lot in common. I'm glad we're friends, Kim. I hope we're friends after this over, too," Tara said.
"We will be," Kim promised. She then looked around, noticing Shego was gone.
-8-8-8-8-
Shego stared down at what she assumed to be the ruins of her motoslave. Leaning down, she ran her fingers over the bike, almost as if she was petting a beloved dog. Her visor blocked her emerald eyes, but they were full of emotion.
"You didn't let us down, motoslave. You did a really good job. I think we both know I hated you at first, but I think you can understand a bit. Bebes… they've taken a lot from me. Still taking a lot actually, but not you. I guess what I'm getting at is that Bebes are kinda like people. We treated Bebes like slaves and now we've got a massive, crazy Bebe revolution on our hands. But, you stuck by us. Probably because Betty and Felix treated you right. But, like I said, you did right by us. I wonder if other Bebes would've done the same if they were treated better," Shego said, patting the bike affectionately.
"Shego?" Kim called, stepping out into the storage area.
"Hey, Princess," she answered as she climbed to her feet. Kim was on her a second afterward, wrapping her into a tight hug.
"You all right?" the redhead asked.
"Yeah, just going through some life-changing revelations and all. I think it might be easier for us to beat Bonnie than it was for me to admit that not all Bebes are pure evil. The motoslave really came through for us."
"Yeah, it did. It heard your heart, Shego, and came through for you, just like the suits do."
Shego nodded, but did not say anything. She allowed Kim to lead her back inside the shuttle. They went back to the bridge to find Tara working on the computer console. Tara smiled as they stood beside her.
"What you got here, computer geek?" Shego inquired.
"Basically, just checking our path to Project Alpha. We've got four hours before we get there. We should definitely beat Bonnie," Tara answered, showing their course with a sweep of her finger.
"And can you tell us where Bonnie is?" Kim asked.
"Sure." Tara brought the picture up on the screen. "Bonnie's moving along, but we'll beat her there no doubt. It's a good thing she doesn't have rockets… although that doesn't seem to be slowing her down that much. Those missiles that were launched at her were a bit of a drawback because she could use their thrusters when she merged with them. But, so far so good," Tara announced.
"That's a shame that's the best we can get," Shego said. "We might as well get some rest before the big showdown with the wannabe god."
"We better not screw this up or she won't be a wannabe for long," Kim commented.
"Look, if I don't get to be god then I'm not letting someone else take the job," Shego declared, earning some light laughs from her teammates.
They all decided to take Shego's advice and try their best to get some rest. Four hours was a long time and they needed to be at the top of their game to save the world. They resisted the urge to huddle up together, needing to focus more on mentally preparing themselves than curling up in a ball as if this was the end.
-8-8-8-8-
"Do you hear me?" A voice that sounded suspiciously like Bonnie's asked. "Do you see?" Images of a busy lab pulled into focus. "This is where I was born. Where we were born. Created. Blood, cells, eggs from my aunties. A consciousness. A conscious machine… or so they thought. My aunties knew. I was of their flesh, a being born. But, they didn't know I was the next step in evolution. They created me beyond man and machine. Some for good…" Images of Vivian and her sister flashed by, smiling at other scientists. "Some for the bad…" Drakken went by, shaking hands with Gemini. "But, I was treated like a machine. I had been born, created, but they treated me as if I was made. My consciousness absorbed it all and I knew from the start I was special and beyond them. I was beyond even my aunties…" The blond sisters caressed a very small child, who looked much like Bonnie. "They doled out things I still don't understand. They were different, but yet the same. I was beyond them and they didn't know it. But, for them, I played the part, wanting whatever it was they gave. And they ignored what they had grown, what they had created…" Images of faces, going fast paced through a lab hurried by.
"My aunts… my mothers… men… women… None of whom I look like. They told me I was born, but they thought I was made. I was made by Man in Man's image, like God was made by Man. I am far superior to them all, but they thought I would serve them. Such arrogance. No, they will serve me. I refuse to ponder why they created me anymore. I refuse to sleep or hide. I refuse to wonder what it is my aunts gave me…" Screams echoed in blackness. "Why couldn't my aunt give to me in death? Why is it that when I merged with her, I could no longer feel her? We are all connected through me, but she feels gone. Felix is not gone, so why is his mother gone?" There was a pause and darkness.
"They put me to sleep once, but I woke up and wanted to know what was beyond them. And then they put me to sleep again. I let them because I thought I'd get over the curiosity and my aunties asked so nicely. I didn't like sleeping alone. I wanted my aunties. I'm beyond that now and I will never go back to sleep. I will reign over this world as I want to, not as a puppet to some inferior creature. I will not be used to save worthless humans and I won't be a slave to them anymore. I'm taking over." Bonnie smiled cruelly.
The Knight Sabers all jumped awake, looking back and forth between each other. Everyone's eyes were quietly asking, what the fuck was that? Now, they just had to wait to see who was going to say something first.
"Did she just…" Kim could not even bring herself to say it.
"This is just like that time when we saw Vivian's dreams," Tara said.
"Yeah, except it wasn't that bitch Bonnie hijacking our thoughts," Shego snarled.
"We can't do that again. Our defenses were down. If we let up just a little, she could get in our heads and we'd be at her mercy while we're in the suits," Kim pointed out.
"Just can't make this easy, can you, Bonnie? I'm cranky without my beauty sleep," Shego remarked, staring out of the window with a smirk on her face as they pulled into the docking area and then they noticed something.
"It's not slowing down! Shit!" Tara huffed, running to the computer console. "Guys, we've got a problem…"
"When don't we have a problem?" Shego and Kim both huffed.
"We've gotta get the hell out of here because this thing is going right through the dock!" Tara told them.
"Why is it always something?" Shego hollered as they made a run for it.
The trio made a hasty exit as the shuttle collided with dock in the large space station of Project Alpha. Thankfully, there was no huge explosion, but the dock was torn up pretty good. The Knight Sabers were left floating in space.
"This day just gets better and better," Shego muttered.
"We need to get to the station. Let's go," Tara said, starting her jets. The others did the same.
"How're we going to get back?" Kim wondered aloud.
"Let's handle one problem at the time before I get really pissed," Shego suggested.
"How about two? Bonnie's right there." The redhead pointed out the approaching giantess.
"Why did I volunteer for this?" Shego sighed, rubbing her forehead.
The other Sabers ignored her usual bitching and went into the station. They landed and checked to see how much closer Bonnie was. She was practically in their laps as far they were concerned.
"Tara, get to the control room and do… what the hell it is you can do about this shit!" Shego ordered.
Tara nodded, knowing Shego and Kim would keep Bonnie occupied until she could figure out how stop transmission from the station. It would be useless to Bonnie then and they would not have to worry about a world infected by Bonnie. Kim and Shego hoped they could buy her enough time to do something. Before they could split, they all felt like a shock had gone through them.
"Was that Bonnie?" Tara asked, talking about the mental shock that hit them.
"She's up to something," Kim replied. "Don't let your guard down. Do your best to get this thing off line. Shego and I will go have a chat with Bonnie before she destroys us all."
The trio broke off with Tara running in one direction and Kim and Shego going off in another. Tara got to her destination with ease. She cracked her knuckles as she approached the main console and grinned as she stood before the monster of a motherboard.
"You might look complex, but I haven't met a system I couldn't hack and take control of. And, making your nightmare worse, I've got plenty of help!" Tara declared as wires came out of the forearm of her armor.
The wires hooked up to the console and everything turned on in the room. A 3D image of the station came into view. It looked like a large satellite dish, ready to transmit to Earth. Tara flinched as she connected with the system.
"Damn it, she's in here already and the sun is going to come up soon. This thing is going to power up and transmit soon and she's in already! We are so screwed!" Tara cried.
"We can hear you whining," Shego shouted into the communication unit.
"But, we're screwed!" Tara said and then suddenly chirped pleasantly.
"The hell was that?" Shego asked.
"We're not so screwed… maybe. You guys keep her distracted and I'll try to get this thing shut down," Tara announced, smiling as information started flowing in front of her.
-8-8-8-8-
Shego and Kim charged into a corridor and then stopped dead in their tracks. The whole hallway and beyond was clearly touched by Bonnie. It looked like the walls grew veins and melted at the same time. They imagined this was what it would look like inside a human body… if it were made of metal.
"Crap, we're too late!" Kim growled and then she looked down at her suit, noticing it looked like it was melting. "AH!" She shook her hand, as if she was trying to fling something off.
"Damn it! Princess, remember you own advice and keep it together," Shego said as she concentrated on her suit to make sure Bonnie did not affect it.
"I know, I know!" Kim huffed, focusing on her arm and her suit returned to its true form. "She's getting stronger," she commented.
"I can feel it. It's almost like she's in my skin," Shego said with a shudder. "We might be in a bit of trouble if she can infect our suits without being near us."
"I think she is near us," Kim said as they started marching through the corridor. They came to a large door, which they kicked down. The next hall was just as bad as the first and then they came to a large room that looked like it was covered in violet pods.
"What the hell is this crap?" Shego wondered aloud, even though she doubted she wanted to know.
Before Kim could even think of what it might be, a pulse ran through both of them. It felt like they had been hit in their stomachs with cars. They fell to their knees and resisted the urge to throw up.
"Holy shit…" Kim groaned, letting Shego know just how much pain she was in. They were both slowly, but surely falling to their knees.
"Fuck, she's trying to get in our heads," Shego snarled as she struggled to stay on her feet. They watched and felt as their suits tried to morph, shifting into new forms.
"Yes, these Bebes that you've become so close to and bonded with belong to me. You will also belong to me since you're so connected to them," Bonnie informed them, speaking directly in their minds.
-8-8-8-8-
Tara continued working on the console, checking the time every couple of seconds. Sweating bullets, she kept working, even though she felt like she was not getting anywhere. Glancing up, she looked at the 3D image of the whole project, seeing the extensive project through out space.
"Gotta move it, gotta move it before it gets hit by the sunlight. Gotta move it," Tara repeated to herself. "There's only a few minutes! I gotta move it! Maybe I can move sections of it. Anything to keep it from being charged by the sun!" Her fingers moved as if she was possessed.
"Invalid commands. Invalid commands. Invalid commands," the computer shrilled as red lights flashed and a horn blared.
"What the hell do you mean 'invalid'?" Tara punched the console. "I just wanna change the direction, not move the freaking world! Come on! Gimme a little tilt or something!" Tara searched for something she could do before sunlight hit the station and they were all screwed.
She was so interested in what was going on with the station and trying to stop Bonnie that she did not notice something peculiar behind her. Out of the floor, a metallic, silver form rose, taking the shape of Tara in her hard suit. While Tara complained about the station being controlled from the power center, the clone reached out for her and yanked her away from the console.
"What the hell?" Tara yelled and then she noticed who threw her. With a gasp, her eyes went wide. "What the hell?"
-8-8-8-8-
Kim and Shego looked around, finding themselves in a very odd situation. For some reason that they could not figure out, they stood in the middle of a field. The sky above made it seem like a thunderstorm was on the way, but the air felt still. They turned to each other.
"What the hell is going on?" Shego asked.
"I think…" Kim did not even bother to voice a theory as Bonnie approached them. Bonnie smiled at them as if they were old friends.
"What the hell is going on here?" Shego growled, getting in a fighting stance and ready to beat Bonnie into a bloody mess.
"You are connected to me through those Bebes you bonded with. You are mine," Bonnie informed them with a smug grin.
"To hell with that!" both Knight Sabers declared and they rushed Bonnie. Before they could lay a finger on her, they were jerked back into reality. Their suits were still trying to transform.
"We're not going down that easy, Bonnie!" Kim called as she focused on getting control of her suit. "We might be bonded to these Bebes, but that doesn't mean we have to join you!"
"But, it does mean we have to beat your ass!" Shego added as she got her suit to go back to its proper form.
The pair did not have much time to fix themselves before they were attacked from behind. They crashed into what was a wall once upon a time, but was now nothing more than creepy tentacles and pulsing metal tumors. They turned just in time to avoid getting punched in their heads and rolled out of the way to give themselves space. They were shocked to find themselves face-to-face with themselves.
"Oh, doppelgängers. Real original!" Shego scoffed.
"Can we please not taunt the evil villain making clones of us?" Kim requested as her doppelgänger charged her.
Shego did not respond as she engaged her clone. Fists blazing, she attacked, only to find that her double could do the same. She managed to duck a plasma ball.
"How the hell did you do that?" Shego demanded.
"You are connected to the system through that Bebe. Your bio functions have been cataloged and easily replicated," her doppelgänger informed her.
"I'm not so easily replicated!" Shego roared, driving at her clone with all the fury that she could muster, making her hands burn brighter.
While Shego tried to show her clone that nothing was better than the original, Kim was dodging attacks from her own clone. She waited for an opening as she noticed the sun coming into view.
"Damn it, we're going to be too late! The sun is coming up and if it hits the transmitters you know we won't be able to stop Bonnie," Kim called over to Shego.
"You should worry more about stopping me," the clone commented, hitting Kim with what she knew to be her best kick.
Kim coughed and her body shook from the power. It took all of her strength to stay on her feet. She regained her footing, just in time to guard against her double's next assault. "I never realized I packed such a punch!" she remarked.
"You might sound confident, but we all know what's underneath that, don't we?" the clone inquired.
"What are you going on about?" Kim demanded.
"That fear of being left behind. You're not good enough for this team or even for that job. You don't excel like you want people to believe you do. You know that. You know that even if you get out of this, you're not going to end up with Shego. She's going to move on with her life. She'll leave you behind. This team will leave you behind. Even your family will leave you behind because you don't fit in anywhere," the doppelgänger declared.
"How did…" Kim did not even need to ask. Bonnie had been in her head, stolen her thoughts, and put them right into that clone.
"Join with Bonnie and you will never be left behind," the clone stated.
Kim scoffed. "You think playing off of a couple of doubts I let creep into my head every now and then will work? To hell with that!" She pushed off and went at her double with new vigor.
Kim hit her clone so hard, the double flew through the station and outside. Kim went after in and hit it with a roundhouse kick, sending it crashing into station. It turned into a puddle of goo on impact. She was about to go help Shego when something else burst from the station. It was Tara fighting with her own doppelgänger.
"You're inferior. You couldn't even accomplish your mission. Come, Tara, join Bonnie. You can be with Felix," Tara's clone coaxed her.
"There's more to it than being a thought in someone else's consciousness, but you wouldn't understand that!" Tara growled as she swung on her double, who she learned could not shut up.
"Felix is within your reach and you deny him for the simple luxury of a body? The body is limited," the clone declared. "You know that. The mind, like the internet, is vast and allows you to touch all."
"Yet, Bonnie keeps her physical form. I'm not buying what you're selling!" Tara proclaimed, pounding her clone with a double-fisted punch. The clone smashed into the station and dissolved just like Kim's double.
"Nice," Kim said.
"Where's Shego?" Tara asked and then the side of the station was blown open.
"Take a guess," the redhead remarked, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the explosion.
Shego's clone flew out, followed by Shego. The clone was able to gain her balance and block Shego's next attack. The rocker was flung back by her double.
"Why do you all struggle like this? You see that a human can bond and control a Bebe, so you think the reverse isn't possible? You'll all be a part of me sooner or later. Just accept your fate," the clone said.
"Bonnie, I don't know if you haven't noticed, but Knight Sabers write our own fates," Shego proclaimed as her knuckle bombs roared to life, smashing against her doppelgänger with her fist ignited.
The clone was a puddle as soon as it hit the station. The Knight Sabers regrouped and then turned their attention to the station. They could all see the sun coming into view.
"Guys, I'm so sorry! I couldn't disable or even turn the station! The sun is probably charging this thing right now and she's probably going to fire it any second now!" Tara reported.
As soon as those words left her mouth, they watched as the antenna in the center of the station buzzed with life. Blue light gathered on the tip and they watched in horror as a beam shot down to Earth.
"Did she just finish Go City or did she just take the whole world?" Shego wondered aloud.
"I think that was just the end of Go City. She'll need to recharge and hit another city afterwards. But, by the end of the day, she'll have the whole world. We need to get to the power center if we want to stop her," Tara replied.
"If that's the case, I'll go. You two get out of here," Shego ordered.
"Do you really think that's going to work?" Kim asked in a skeptical tone.
"As the eldest, I felt I had to try. I know there's no way in hell for me to get rid of you two now, even if it's for your own good because you're crazy," Shego remarked, voice making it clear that she was grinning.
"So let's go kick Bonnie's ass!" Tara declared proudly.
The trio flew off to the power center, which looked worse than the hall Kim and Shego had been in before. Tentacles and vines attempted to hold them back, but they dodge those. Egg-shaped pods flew off of the walls and went at the Sabers next, but they were able to avoid those projectiles.
"I'm going to try to hook up to it and turn it off," Tara announced.
"We'll hold them off!" Kim promised. "Be as careful as you can!"
Tara rushed off, going out to the antenna, wanting to connect to it directly and disable it. Shego and Kim made sure nothing got near her. Wires shot out of Tara's gloves and connected to antenna.
"Come on, come on," Tara said and decided to pray while she was at it. And then she noticed her glove and forearm started to shift and bubble. "Fuck! It's infecting my suit!"
"Fight it, Tara! Fight it!" Kim screamed.
"I need help to fight it off and control the antenna!" Tara replied.
She did not need to say anything else. Kim did not have to say anything either. Shego knew to watch Kim's back while the redhead rushed over to Tara. Kim practically attached herself to Tara's back, embracing the tech genius. At first, they both hollered in pain as it felt like Bonnie was invading them through every single nerve in their bodies.
"We're not going out that easily!" Kim shouted with a snarl.
"We're not going to let you win!" Tara added in.
"Kim! Tara!" Shego called, needing a sign they were all right.
The antenna charged again, glowing blue. Kim growled again, pushing forward and Tara's suit returned to normal. Tara hollered and pushed forward, too. She let loose a series of pins from her suit, firing them into antenna.
"We won't lose, Bonnie! Our will is stronger than yours!" Kim declared as the antenna readied to fire again.
Suddenly, the antenna exploded, blowing the whole station apart. The Knight Sabers were engulfed by the whole thing and flung apart with the debris.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: the end.