Chapter 29: Encounter! The Losing Battle!
Maybe this was a bad idea…
Seeing X casually thrown aside, Bonnie watched Xanthos approach her, grinning! He was excited about this procedure, too excited… It was almost as if he was getting off from the whole thing, like it was ecstasy to him! As if she wasn't freaked enough…
"There's no need to worry! This is only a quick, straight-forward procedure. But I should warn you, though. You may feel some momentary discomfort. It will be as if your entire body is being torn apart and reconstructed. But not to worry! That's what the restraints are for!"
'Torn aprart!' Bonnie shook her head. This has definitely past the weirdness factor and jumped right into scary! Just what was this man plan on doing to her? As she tried to break free, as she could do is struggle! From how tight the constraints were, she was surprised to still have circulation!
"It'll all be over soon… Once we're finished, you can put all of you past worries, all of your old indiscretions to the side." He grinned, showing a bit of teeth, "As by then, you'll become one of-GAH!"
Bonnie watched as the man was blown to the side by an electrical blast! X, having since recovered held out his hand, small currents of electricity still present.
"I'm not letting you do this…" He hissed, "It ends here!"
Recovering, Xanthos rose to his feet as his eyes narrowed, "X… Must you always stand in my way?"
"Must you always ruin lives?" Evading a pulse-like blast, X threw two ice-like daggers towards him, both blocked by two energy-like tentacles. Cursing to himself, X proceeded to dodge the tentacles as looked for an opening. Already Xanthos was proving himself to be quite a handful –and that wasn't even at his worst!
"Aww… Leaving so soon?" He taunted, "This is history in the making! You have a front row seat for this glorious moment! Don't you wish to become a part of it?" The tentacles continuing to hone in on the target, Xanthos turned to the struggling girl in the chamber, who make a futile attempt to free herself from the restraints. It seemed that the masked fool has gotten to her. Though try as she liked, there was no way to get out of them.
Landing on his feet after his evasion, X eyed the glass chamber with Bonnie inside. As much as he would love to end that bastard's existence, he knew that fighting Xanthos was foolish. Especially knowing who was at stake here. The tonfas forming once more, X made a dive towards the chamber. All it needed was one good strike for the glass to break. Hopefully none of the shards would hit Bonnie, but there wasn't any other alternative. For all he knew, Xanthos could have the whole place wired to activate at any moment. Strike after strike, X heard the sound of cracking. But from its untarnished state, it wasn't the glass! Not giving up, he increased his ferocity as the blows continue to hit the spot! Unfortunately, the only cracks that were made, if any, were those in his weapons. "Damn it, why won't it break!"
"Do you think you can break that container with those toys of yours?" Using his tentacles, Xanthos propelled himself towards the intruder, managing to tackle him to the ground. Rising, his arm morphed into a sharp, spike-like object as a downward stab managed to miss its target. "Persistent, aren't you… Can't you see that you're both outmatched and out-" He felt his legs taken out from under him, causing him collapse to the ground.
Rising from the sweep with a backwards flip, X landed a diving stomp onto the abdomen before following with a fist to the face. He grabbed him by the loins of his collar, "Give it up, Xanthos! There's no way you can win!"
Chuckling, Xanthos gave a soft smile, "You're right, X! Once again you've managed to foil my plans! You've overwhelmed me completely! It appears that I should rethink things through and change my strategy! More importantly, I should… evolve!"
'Evolve?' X didn't like the sound of that last word as Xanthos' smile gradually changed from a dark grin. Concern began to fill within as he then heard a loud scream!
"X!"
Turning back, he saw a purple gas beginning to escape from above in the chamber… "Oh no!" Before he could react, he felt a large surge of power launch him into the chamber. Followed by laughter, maniacal laughter…
…
"So Bonnie's here, too?"
"From what they were saying, it appears so." Tara explained to Hope, who was still trying to get the gist of everything that has happened. She turned over to see Ron and Josh looking over the unconscious cheerleaders. Poor Marcella, Liz, and Crystal… She didn't know what happened between them before they arrived, but it was something big. Hopefully they'd be okay.
"Great, all we need is Jessica and we'll have the whole cheersquad!" Hope shook her head, "Let me get this straight, Kim's a Mu-Type?" Her friend's nod was indication for her to continue, "Wonderful, just wonderful! Nearly the entire squad are now Mu-Types!" Wrapping the scarf tightly, Hope couldn't help but shiver within the cold. Speaking of which… "I can't believe he actually froze us in here!"
"Well he says that his friends will unfreeze the barriers when they arrive."
"And you actually believe that?" Hope threw her hands up at the situation. "I know that he's trying to protect us, but did he have to be a complete ass about it? I mean I'd expect this from…" Hope stopped, as if a memory was suddenly injected in her brain. "Let me guess, that was Zach?"
Tara blinked, shocked that she actually found out his identity, "…How did you-"
"…It's strange… I don't know how exactly, but when you think about it, you could see the similarities." She scoffed, "No wonder I felt like slapping him."
"I guess now all we have to do is wait…" As if on cue, Tara noticed smoke coming from the frozen door, "Which won't be that much longer!"
Within moments, the ice was completely melted as the door swung open! Four people entered, each of them unique. While neither of them was sure if they were to be trusted, Tara did manage to recognize one of them! "Hey, it's-"
Quickstrike was the first to enter the now-open room. "It's like X said! We have Mu-Types over here!"
Saber was next to enter as she saw the slightly-melting ice from the large wall in front and what was left of the wall near the door, "Went a bit far, did you X…"
Mindflare eyed the people inside, "Is everyone alright?"
Ron was first to answer, "Other than being trapped her with three potentially dangerous Mu-Types, we're okay."
Nodding, the black-haired man turned to Quickstrike and Machpunch, "Make sure the restraints are secure."
"What about Crystal?"
"Already on it…" Saber pulled out another nitrogen-filled ball. "You might want to step back." As soon as everyone moved out of the way, she pressed a button before tossing it towards the near-liquefied girl as the gas gradually froze her melting body in place. "That should keep her from leaking for the time being."
Watching a pair of specialized handcuffs placed on Liz and Marcella, Hope shook her head, not sure if she liked the idea of her friends being locked up like criminals. The fact that it was still freezing didn't help, even with Zach's…X's scarf. Why did she have to dress so revealingly… At least she actually had on clothes this time. She soon felt a heavy coat draped around her. "Huh?"
"Take it." Mindflare offered, revealing a black and yellow bodysuit. "You wouldn't want to catch cold."
"Thanks…" Hope quickly put on the coat, feeling at least a bit warmer.
"Hey Bossman, the girls are now secure!" Quickstrike secured Crystal inside of a large container as Marcella and Liz were secured in reinforced cuffs. "As long as we don't wake them, everything should be fine."
"Good, bring them back to the Ra Celsius." Mindflare turned to the others, "You'll go there as well…"
Hope raised a brow, "Excuse me?"
"This situation has become too dangerous to risk your assistance. I will not risk your lives in this situation."
"Wait a second," Ron objected, "We came here to find Kim!"
"She's with X. She should be alright!"
"I'm not buying! In a place where it's packed with Mu-Types, I'm not taking any chances knowing my best friend's in danger…And Bonnie, too… I guess…"
"Double for me!" Josh reminded, "I already nearly lost Kim once. I'm not going to abandon her during her time of need.
"Kim and Bonnie are our friends. I know that Hope and I don't really know the full extent of our powers, especially in my case, but Kim has always been there when we needed her. Now it's our turn to repay the favor!"
Hope nodded, "We're not as useless as you think! You can preach all you want about how it's better for us to stay behind all you want, but we're going! We have as much at stake here as much as you do."
Nodding, Mindflare closed his eyes as he took their words under consideration. Kim had some loyal and reliable friends indeed. All who would most likely die for her, if given the opportunity. He had to admit, he was a bit envious. "Saber…"
"Yeah…" She nodded.
"Escort them to the Ra Celsius. See that they don't get hurt!" He ordered, much to the dismay to the concerned party…
"WHAT!" Hope shook her head, "Didn't you listen to a word-"
"We have three unconscious and restrained Mu-Types that need to be secured back on the ship. Not to mention that you would be in harm's way…"
"So what are we supposed to do?" Ron spoke, "Just stand there while Kim gets hurt or worse?"
"Exactly," Josh added, "You really think I'm gonna stand by while my girlfriend-"
"I understand your concern, but I'm not going to have your lives at risk. You'll be better off at the Ra Celsius! Besides, we're going to need a few hands to carry those three back."
"So? Why don't you let Muscles over there handle that?" Hope pointed towards Machpunch, who responded with a glare.
"Machpunch and Quickstrike will be coming with me to assist X and Kim in finding your friend. Afterwards, we will continue our investigation."
"But-" Hope felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Hope, let's go…" Tara suggested. She could see that it was the best solution for all parties involved.
Eyes narrowed towards the black-haired Mu-Type, Hope shook her head, "Let's just get this done…"
"Josh and I'll carry Liz." Ron volunteered.
"Good! I'll transport Crystal." Saber turned to the girls, "That means you have the job of carrying Marcella."
'At least there was one good thing from this…' Hope turned to Tara, "Let's go…"
"As soon as they're secured on the ship, rejoin us immediately," Mindflare ordered.
"Got it…" She turned to the newly-recruited helpers, "Let's go, we have quite a distance…"
Watching the party leave, Mindflare turned to the remaining guys, "I'm sensing a horribly high level of energy. This can't be good."
"Looks like X and Girlie might've bitten off more than they can chew." Machpunch crossed his arms.
"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" As if to lead the way, Quickstrike speed off in search of the two with Mindflare and Machpunch following. Neither of them could be sure of the source of this energy signature. Was it Xanthos, or was it something else? Either way, it was best to reach them quickly before the worst came to fruition.
…
Dodging another plasma blast, Kim watched as she saw the fury in Shego's eyes. This wasn't the same Shego she had fought all these years! It was as if something came and possessed her!
"For months I've been waiting for this, and that's the best you got!" She heard her, not in the taunting manner she had come to expect, but from outrage. As if she was beyond angry at her performance. Her body engulfed, she knew that fighting her head on would be foolish, even with the suit's defensive capabilities. "Maybe now that you don't have someone covering for you, your flaws are now out in the open! You're scared, Kim! Scared that you never have a chance against me now that I'm going all out!"
Kim scoffed, "Going all out? More like a complete meltdown!" Quickly dodging another blast, "Maybe you're compensating for something! You are getting to that-"
"Shut up!" She spat, "I am sick of hearing that mouth of yours! I'll make sure that you'll never speak again!"
"Answer me this, Shego: Why are you even working for Xanthos! You don't seem to be the type who would condone this, even by your standards!"
"Don't talk to me like we're friends!" She snapped with another blast, "You don't' know a damn thing about me!"
"I know you're no monster!" Kim stated, "You're evil, but even you have standards you wouldn't cross! Not even you would condone something that is basically genocide all to appease some Mu-Type Supremacist!"
"Mu-Types… Mu-Types…" As if reacting to those words, the flame-like aura began to grow more and more before Shego let out a rage-filled scream! "I am so sick of Mu-Types! I'm sick of their existence, I'm sick of being around them, and I'm sick of you!"
Dodging another blast, Kim's arm morphed into a net as it caught one more before throwing it back towards Shego. "What do I have to do with your Mu-Type problem?"
"Don't play dumb, Possible! You're a Mu-Type and we all know it!" The villainess narrowed her eyes, as shock was shown on the redhead's face. "What's wrong? Didn't think I'd find out about you?"
"Here we go again…" Once again she would have to deal with someone who resented her, all because she was a Mu-Type. This was so starting to become a trend…
"For years I've tried to destroy you and you've always manage to gain the upper hand on me! It was infuriating! It was embarrassing that I, a villainess who prides herself on being the best, couldn't even defeat a schoolgirl like you! I knew that there was something suspicious about you! Maybe you were that special, I dunno… No matter how hard I tried, I could never beat you! Sure, I managed to get the drop on you, but you always come out on top in the end! But I never gave up! I knew that sooner or later, your luck would run out. And then, would I finally have the pleasure of ending your life!" Teeth gritting, Shego's hands balled up into fists… "Then they showed up…
"Drakken for some reason decided to align himself with Xanthos! Something about them sensing a kinship between them or some BS like that, I don't' care. It was then when we gained a few unwanted guests! And what was their job? Why to take care of you, of course! Apparently, Drakken now believed that I was now incapable of finishing you off! Saying some crap about how I've grown a special spot for you!" She spat in disgust, "Me, have feelings for you? Are you shitting me? Sure, I find you amusing enough to keep around, but seriously! I don't swing that way! So I had to sit on the sidelines while I watched those freaks basically steal my job, steal my glory! And you know what? They were actually close! For all the years that I've focused on eliminating you, they were about to do what I couldn't do within a few weeks! I mean, they managed to put the sidekick out of commission. Not like it was that hard to begin with! Then when I heard Kaiser and Caesar got arrested and locked up, that was when I knew that this was my opportunity! My one chance to make sure that I finished you off once and for all! And then to find out that you're a Mu-Type! All these years I was impressed that the likes of you were able to stand up to me, even be a match. Only to find out that you were a Mu-Type! The very thing that I despised! The very thing that threatened to steal everything I worked for!" She fired another dodged blast towards Kim, "From where I see it, I'm taking out two birds with one stone: Finally ridding the world of your existence, and to finally take out my frustration on the Mu-Types that threatened to steal my spot!"
Feeling the heat increase, sweat ran down from Kim's face down into the neck of her bodysuit. From all the hate, all the rage she saw in her eyes, Shego was dead serious! Kim saw her own resentment of Mu-Types through her. Had she really been that spiteful? Nonetheless, throughout this whole ordeal all she saw was the dark side of Mu-Types! All that she saw was the violence they caused, the terror and chaos they brought to the city! It was as if they were nothing but super powered monsters willing to hurt, maim, or kill just to fulfill their own selfish ambitions. But seeing Shego, who not only was not a Mu-Type but carried the same amount of resentment towards them as she did, as dangerous as the Mu-Types she resented, she wondered if she was hasty in her opinion of them. From what she's seen of Omega Strike so far – Machpunch to a lesser degree – they didn't seem to be so bad. Perhaps it was the person rather than Mu-Types in general who was a threat. Absolute power may corrupt absolutely, but it was ultimately the person who decided how much power corrupted.
Nevertheless, Kim knew that she had to take Shego down. Before she hurt anyone or even herself…
…
"No…" The gas continuing to pour within the chamber, X saw that Bonnie was holding her breath. Praying that none of it got inside of her! Seeing that he was running out of time, X grabbed his tonfas before making a quick dash towards the chamber once more! But before any contact with the glass was made, he grabbed from behind! Arms, legs, each of his limbs were bounded by a tentacle as their owner howled with laughter.
"The process has already begun!" Xanthos taunted, "Our friend can try as she may to avoid sniffing the gas, but she cannot hold her breath forever. She'll need air sooner or later and when that time comes…" He grinned, "Let's just say that what's in the air would be a moot point in her eyes!"
Struggling to break free, X mustered all the strength he could. Bonnie was already turning blue in the face as Xanthos' smirk grew wider and wider. Taunting his futile attempt to save her! With each limb held by a tentacle, he knew escaping this wouldn't be easy.
'…' Try as she might, Bonnie wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up! Her body was screaming for her to give in and breathe, but her mind screamed for her to resist all temptation, knowing what would happen. But would that fate be worse than death? Or would it be alright. Then again, was it even worth the risk? This whole thing was so confusing she felt she was using oxygen just from worrying…
"Just accept fact, X. There's no way you can stop the process!" Xanthos continued to taunt as X desperately looked for an opening. His arms and legs were bounded, but he didn't need both for this…
Within moments, the tentacles were sliced off as X landed on his feet. The blades still covering his arms, he utilized them to slice away more of them incoming his way. Seeing the gas only a couple of foot away from Bonine's head, he made a dash towards the container. 'Only have one more shot at this… better make it count…' The gas hasn't completely reached her yet, there was still time… 'Almost there…' At the speed of his flight, it should suffice to bust the container open and rescue Bonnie before any of the gas reached her lungs. He eyed the same area he was hitting before. Surely it should've managed to make some sort of damage. Ice forming around his closed fists, X eyed the designated weak point. Pulling the iced fist back, he prepared to make the strike that would decide Bonnie's fate. Nearing the point, teeth gritted as he unleashed a forceful punch…
"NOT THIS TIME HERO!"
"X!" Bonnie screamed, watching as X was blasted into a control console, not noticing the gas has reached downward. Throughout her confusion, the gas began to make its way through her nostrils as the girl coughed. It was no use to keep the gas from getting inside of her, all it matter now was to survive. However, her eyes began to become heavier and heavier as she felt all of her strength sap from her body, much to that sick monster's amusement…
"Fool…" Xanthos laugh manically, "Always a fool…" His laughter grew louder and more manic, as X slowly attempt to recover… "It's over, X! You've failed! You couldn't save the girl, just like you couldn't save that glorified corpse before! It's all fate, X! Pure fate! Bonnie was destined to be my lab rat for the gateway towards the future, just as Kristen was for me to do with her as I see fit! The war is coming… The revolution will not be denied, and when it's all over, Mu-Types will rule with me as its Supreme Ruler! "
Laughter entering his ears, behind X's mask laid angry eyes… Very angry eyes as a hand balled into a fist, shaking. "Monster…" The nerve, the sheer audacity of him to mention her name… After what he did to her, after what he made her into…
Slowly rising to his feet, he watched as that laughing psychopath gloated. There was no stopping it now. Bonnie got what she wanted. Hopefully it wouldn't ruin her life. X could feel the rage flowing within his body. Never had he felt this amount of hate, this amount of desire to kill as he did that night. By all rights he should've killed him then. He should've skewered that bastard when he had the chance. But Saber stopped him that night… She stopped him from crossing that line. As angry as he was with her then, as much as he wanted to strangle her, he understood why she did. This time though…
Saber was nowhere in sight…
Next Chapter: Having failed to prevent Bonnie from becoming a Mu-Type, X decides to destroy Xanthos before he could hurt anyone else. But what does he have in store for the Masked Elemental.
Chapter 30: Super Mu-Type! Xanthos' True Face!
