Kim Possible: Biohazard
(A/N: Fourth up today. It's a breather chapter, until the end…)
Sacrifice
The survivors sat quietly, no word passing between them. They looked quietly up at each other and looked around at the injured and out of commission. Ron, Hego, Shego, Hirotaka, Gemini, Camille, Fukushima, and the Wego twins were unconscious with no signs of waking up any time soon. Mego was the only Team Go member still standing, barely standing. Ned was shaken and shell shocked, but focused enough to participate in conversation. Falsetto was exhausted but still going.
After a long moment Ned asked, "You think Fukushima was on the level. You know, when he was murmuring about the cure being where Monkey Fist saved him? He was delusional, but what if he was right?"
"Then we need to get it. It's our last hope," Falsetto replied. Mego was looking exhaustedly at his siblings. If anything happened to them… he shuddered at the thought.
"We cannot. We have lost… For one to go out there now… It would be a suicide mission," Yori gravely declared. "It is only a matter of time before we all fall."
"We could just hang ourselves," Drakken mused. The others looked at him in horror. "What? I have the vines to do it!" Drakken defended.
"Ah canno' believe tha' actually sounds like a plan," Killigan said, burying his head in his hands.
"There must be some way…" Monkey Fist mused, pacing restlessly. Right now, of course, he couldn't think of anything.
They heard zombies banging at the walls to the secret passage entrance and exit. "How much longer can Go Tower's defenses hold?" Will questioned miserably.
"I… I don't know…" Mego tiredly replied. "We've never had to use them in… in a situation like this." He pulled up a computer on his watch and tapped a few buttons. He suddenly sobbed and covered his mouth, shaking his head in denial.
"How bad is it?" Betty questioned gently.
Mego got a hold of himself and answered with a laugh, "Drakken's onto something with the suicide pact. It would be better to just hang ourselves and get it over with. These defenses, at the current rate they're falling, won't last through the night. All hearts dropped.
KP
There was absolute silence. "If there's anything we want to say to anyone, I take it it's now or never?" Ned asked, but he already knew the reply. They didn't speak. None of them did. After a moment, Ned said, "I really have no confession to make… There's never… never really been any reason to say anything. The one I could have given a confession to is infected… I just wish the others were here."
"It would hardly matter," Monkey Fist stated. They all knew he was right.
Mego suddenly bent down and kissed Shego's cheek softly. The others started. Mego went on to kiss Hego's head, then the Wego Twins. Pulling back, he said, "I'm a sorry excuse for a brother, I know that. I'm narcissistic, conceited, and I care only about myself. You… you were all nothing to me. So many times I left you all to die for the sake of saving my own skin… Sure I came back, usually, but still… You guys never gave up on me. Not even Shego. You never hated me. You always forgave me. I cared more about the fame than the heroics. I despised being under Hego's leadership. I hid behind you all so often, letting you get the worst of what was happening to us…but through everything, when all was said and done… Just know that I love you… All of you… And I'm sorry… I would die a thousand times over for each of you if I knew it would make you safe again. Even for you, Shego. We were always so much alike, weren't we? Sarcastic, disdained authority, cared more about fame or riches than being heroes, cared more about ourselves than others. Gods, I'm so, so sorry, to all of you. I've failed…"
All eyes went to Killigan. Killigan was silent. Finally he said, "Ah have nothin' t' say. Ma only regret es tha' we did no' make it… tha' we could no' save the others."
It was Drakken's turn, apparently. Drakken pursed his lips and said, "Some secrets are better left secret… or not spoken at all." His eyes, though, were fixed on Shego. Killigan, Mego, and Drakken, if no one else, had an idea of what he meant.
"It's been fun," Falsetto offered. "Quite an adventure, although it didn't end the way it should have."
"We can't give up! There's a way out of this. There always is. We just need to think about it," Betty insisted, protectiveness for her family consuming her.
"She's right. Where there's a will there's a way; and we'll find it," Jack stated, seemingly intently interested in his nails. His mind was whirling a mile a minute, trying to figure out just what that way would be.
"I love you mom," Will quietly said. Betty felt her heart sink into her stomach. Tears burning her eyes she sat next to her son and pulled him close. It didn't go unnoticed by Jack that his son had avoided telling him that he loved him. He knew, then, that he had lost the child forever. Nothing would return his son to him. Nothing… That hurt him more than anything else. If only he had the time to make things right again.
KP
Most of them had separated now, spread throughout the passage. Drakken was lying next to Shego, his arm around her. He was asleep, beyond caring what she would do to him if she woke up and saw this offense he was committing. Killigan was snoring away, too exhausted and afraid to stay awake. Sleep was respite. Falsetto had that same idea, as he now slept beside Camille, his arm beneath her. The wolfhounds were snoring soundly.
"They have given up," Yori quietly said to Monkey Fist. She sat on a stair. He was perched on a roof beam.
Monkey Fist looked down at her. "They are not the only ones," he replied.
"And you as well, my lord?" Yori questioned.
"Can you claim to be different?" he asked.
"I cannot," she honestly admitted. There was silence a long moment. After a time she said, "Draw me up to you."
Monkey Fist looked down at her, trying to puzzle out her meaning. She looked up at him and stood, reaching her hands towards him, reminiscent of medieval paintings of mortal women reaching up to gods who had taken a fancy to them. He blinked and inwardly cursed the thought. After a moment he hung upside down and took hold of her arms, lifting her up onto the beam where he was perched. "It gives you quite the feeling of security, doesn't it? To be up high," he remarked.
"Perhaps that is part of it," she answered. His eyes widened as he realized what she had just alluded to. She looked at him and boldly stated, "When we are not enemies, I am safe with you." He said nothing a long moment. She leaned back against him, rather bravely she would admit, but she had nothing left to lose. He made no movement. After a time, though, he wrapped his arms around her midsection and leaned back against a post, closing his eyes and listening to her even breathing as she drifted to sleep against his chest. Soon enough he had joined her, and his dreams were filled with lotus blossoms and cherry trees. He believed he wouldn't half mind dying now, in this oblivious and dreamlike state.
KP
Betty and Will sat on the steps a little ways up the secret passage. Will's knees were drawn up to his nose, tears silently falling from his eyes. Jack was standing and looking out a viewpoint down at the hordes swarming below. They'd taken care of a huge amount of them, actually. There were only about half of what had been down there at first. Betty drew her son close and Will leaned against her chest.
"Mom… I don't want to die," he quietly said to her.
"I know, baby, I know," she softly replied, stroking her son's hair. Gently she kissed him. Jack watched silently, eyes narrowed. He turned back to look out on the hordes and scowled, teeth grinding together. "It'll be over soon…" Betty said reassuringly. Jack sharply looked over at them and began pacing, constantly shooting glares towards his family. Yes… it would be over soon all right… He viciously punched a wall, prompting the two to look over at him curiously.
He turned to them slowly and blinked, summing his loved ones up silently. Pain flickered into his eyes before he hid it once more. "I see my child…" Jack finally murmured.
Will and Betty exchanged confused looks then turned back to him. "What are you talking about?" Will asked.
"You asked me what I saw when I looked at you, not long ago," Jack replied. "I see my child. I see the little boy I conceived and brought into this world. I see the young man I live and breathe for… I see the son I would die for over and over again."
Will blinked blankly at his father, feeling tears burning his eyes. He looked miserably down. "Oh Jack…" Betty whispered, pity in her eyes.
"The cure is at the edge of the cliff, is it…?" Jack mused.
Instantly Betty stiffened. Will sharply looked up. There was silence. "What are you saying?" Betty finally managed to ask.
Jack looked up at them. Will's lips slowly parted as he began to catch on. "Jack…" he breathed, quickly standing along with Betty, who was pale.
Jack shook his head at them and walked swiftly by. As he passed, they followed. "I would sacrifice my life and all I had if it meant saving you two," the man stated.
"Jack, talk to me!" Betty shot! "What are you planning? What are you doing?" All at once he spun and took her arms, kissing her lovingly.
After a moment Jack pulled away and stated, "I still love you. I only wish I could have one more night at your side. I wish we had reconciled. I wish we could have grown old together."
KP
"Jack, talk to me!" she screamed, terror overwhelming her.
"This ends here, love," he stated, kissing her once more. She almost fainted on the spot, eyes filled with dread.
"No… no, you can't…" she breathed, shaking her head in denial. Now there was no question of his plan. "No, no, no, don't do this to me," she begged, closing her eyes tightly as tears began falling from her eyes. "Jack…"
He turned to his son, releasing his wife's arms. Will was gaping at him in horror, pale. Jack met his child's eyes a long moment. Finally he said, "I love you more than you can possibly begin to imagine, know that… And… And I understand if you don't believe me, but I mean every word of it."
"J-Jack…" Will began, feeling suddenly terrified. He felt like blacking out. Jack turned and began walking away, wiping away a stray tear. "Jack!" Will called. Betty was sobbing, covering her face. Jack never stopped. "Dad!" Will screamed, racing after his father.
Jack turned and gasped as suddenly Will threw himself into his arms sobbing helplessly and holding him as tightly as he possibly could. "Will…" he began in shock.
"Don't go! You can't go! No! I won't let you!" Will sobbed desperately. Jack was stunned. All at once he was wrapping his arms tightly around his son and burying his face in the boy's hair. "Don't leave me, papa, please!" The boy was near hysterical.
Jack closed his eyes tightly. Oh gods, why now? Why did he have to make this all the more difficult now? "Oh gods, Will, don't," he pled. "Not now. Not here."
"I don't want you to die! I don't hate you!" Will insisted thorough his sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. I love you! Dad, please, I love you. Don't go. Don't leave me and mom." His whole body was shaking with his tears. Jack could take it no more. He broke down weeping and kissed his child's head lovingly.
"Forgive me," he begged desperately. "Oh please, please forgive me." All at once he pulled free of his son and bolted before he could completely crumble.
"Dad!" Will cried, running after him.
"Jack!" Betty screamed, chasing her husband along with her son.
KP
The others were awoken, even the injured, by the sobbing and screaming. Confused, they looked up, and in Monkey Fist and Yori's case down, as Jack ran down the stairs, pursued by Betty and Will. Gemini had only to look at his best friend's eyes to see what was happening. He paled and leapt up, crying, "Jack, don't!"
"What's he doing?!" Shego demanded, hardly aware of Drakken's arms holding her tightly and nervously.
Jack suddenly threw open the secret entrance door and darted out. The others went white, instantly catching on. "No!" they all screamed, staggering up, even the wounded. Before anyone could move the door was shut behind him. Gemini grabbed Will tightly when the boy tried to run out after his father.
"Will, stay put!" Gemini pled. He had to leap to catch his sister.
"Let me go!" Betty screamed. Gemini refused, instead pulling her close. Betty broke down, weeping into her brother's chest.
Will could only watch numbly after his father. "Dad…" he meekly said, voice breaking in misery.
KP
Jack ran through the hordes, dodging them at every turn. He didn't stop to fight. He hardly stopped to process their existence. He knew where he was heading and why, he knew it might as well have been a suicide mission, but he would not under any circumstance sit by and do nothing. He would not wait for the infected to slaughter his family and the other survivors.
He ran solely on adrenaline, tears threatening his eyes and regrets burning his thoughts. He was hardly aware of the infected ripping at his skin, trying to tear him to pieces. He didn't even realize how badly he was bleeding until his clothing was getting wet and red was staining his hands and blurring his vision. Strange. He thought he'd been doing better than this. Oh gods… forgive me William, forgive me Betty, forgive me Sheldon…
He spotted the device and leapt for it, seizing the concentrated antidote. He turned as the hordes closed in on him. He scowled and ducked, driving the container into the ground with such force that it veritably shattered. He felt himself toppling over the cliff with a group of infected ripping into him as they fell; he heard the zombies coughing on the gas that was spreading through the air. Only then did he let himself black out, surrendering completely to whatever fate had planned for him, be it death or a second chance. Somehow he doubted the latter, but it was never too late to hope.
