Chapter 30:

She tried not to show any fear. She knew she had found him. It was the same vibe she felt when Mayor McDaniels was possessed. It was the same vibe she felt that day at school when she met Cole Magus for the first time. The hooded figure standing before her was considerably taller.

She knew it was Mabus. She wondered if he'd found another vessel. Even if he had it wouldn't sustain him for very long. She dared to approach and clutched the handle of the dagger preparing herself for an attack.

The figure moved slowly towards her. She didn't have to go far to find him. Mabus was hanging around the abandoned train station near Kenny's dilapidated house. She was shaking as she tried to maintain her grip on the blade. As long as she had the dagger she knew she could protect herself. She tried not to show any signs of weakness despite feeling drained. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to run. She slowly stepped back as the figure gradually approached.

Why's he not a kid anymore? It didn't make sense. The figure was an adult. It had to be Mabus. She wasn't dreaming and she wasn't mistaken. She withdrew the blade from its sheath.

Her heart jumped into her throat as she dared to take a step towards the figure. Her arm shaking as she held up the blade. "I can do this." She repeated this mantra over and over. "I can do this."

XXXX

"Where's the dagger?" Mysterion was searching for it. They had packed more bags full of salt and weapons and were preparing to search the town for the alien anti Christ.

"What?" She didn't need this. It was the only way to destroy him. Without the dagger he could find a way to regain the strength he'd lost despite a united planet. "It's here! It has to be."

"It isn't." I've looked everywhere." Human Kite couldn't find it.

"I can't find my gun." Barbrady looked through his kit and couldn't find it.

"Oh for the love of God!" She cried with exasperation. She didn't know how much more she could take.

"Doesn't the poser have it?" Pete was studying the occult books on Mabus so they had all the information they needed. She wasn't going in unprepared. "Last time I saw it the poser had it."

"Katherine!" She hurried upstairs to check on her. She was instantly suspicious because while it looked like Katherine was in bed asleep the dagger was missing. Her heart sank in the pit of her stomach when she pulled the blankets back and Katherine wasn't in her room. She had a feeling that Katherine had taken the dagger and went looking for Mabus herself. She was only a child and still weak from constant seizures and Mabus' latest attempt to probe her mind. She might be a good fighter and a decent hero but even with Mabus in his weakened state she was no match for him.

"We have to find Katherine now!" She hurried downstairs and informed her husband that she was missing. "I think she went after Mabus alone."

The Freedom Pals gasped with shock. Mysterion looked concerned. "Maybe this is what Mabus wants. I think this is a trap."

She panicked. "Katherine!"

XXXX

"What's wrong with her?" The Shadow asked when they noticed Barney the dog lying by the door. No one went near the dog as she let out a low threatening growl and beared her teeth.

"Even the cats are crazy." Pete and the Goth kids kept their distance from Katherine's cats. All three were unsettled. They stood at the door with Barney the dog with arched backs, hissing and growling. "What's going on?"

"What?" She sighed with relieve when Katherine finally arrived home. The kid tiptoed around the growling dog and hissing cats to get inside.

"Where in the hell have you been young lady?!" She was panicking and she was about to launch a search party to look for her. "I told you to stay here!"

"I'm fine." Katherine shrugged. "I got rid of Mabus."

"Hand over the dagger!" She wished Katherine let her take care of it. She didn't know for sure if Mabus had been destroyed, but she knew the kid wouldn't lie to her about it. She didn't have a reason to considering Katherine wanted him dead as much as she did.

"Okay." She removed both the dagger and the sheath from her belt and handed it over without complaint.

"What's with the outfit poser?" Pete asked Katherine as he kept his younger cousins safely behind him. Even the little children were unsettled.

"What?" Katherine looked irritated just because he'd asked. She hadn't even noticed her change of clothes, but Katherine was wearing a black military uniform with a Gua insignia embroidered on her sleeve. "I just wanted a change. What's the big deal if I change my clothes?"

She didn't know what to think. It could be a disguise since she just said Mabus had been destroyed. She was also confused because if Katherine were possessed like she suspected she was Mabus would not have easily handed her the dagger when she asked for it. Something wasn't right because usually the cats liked Katherine. Instead they huddled in the corner and continued hissing and growling at her.

"You haven't seen my gun have you?" Barbrady asked clueless. Even she wondered if Katherine had taken it to use as extra protection in case she actually found Mabus.

"Hand over the gun Katherine." She said sternly. She was relieved the kid was home safe, but what if she hadn't returned? She couldn't bear to lose another child after Mabus had taken one from her.

Katherine's eyes gleamed yellow and a smirk broadened across her face. "As you wish mother."

"Oh God!" Everything went black.

XXXX

"W-what is this?" It took a while for his eyes to adjust. It looked like the bunker he found with the Freedom Pals. He was locked in a cell dazed and confused. "H-hello? Mary? Is anyone there? What's going on?"

Fear overwhelmed him. He didn't know how he got there. He didn't know what had happened to his family. The last thing he remembered was Barney growling and asking Katherine if she'd seen his gun.

"Are the hybrids ready?" A soldier asked another. There were Gua officers everywhere. He recognised the insignia on their uniforms.

"The male needs DNA." A man in a lab coat approached his cell with a prepared syringe. Two male soldiers accompanied him.

He backed away from them as far as his cell would allow. They had him cornered. There was no way out. "It's better if you don't resist officer." The man in the lab coat injected him with an unknown substance. After the third injection he passed out.

XXXX

"Where are we?" Human Kite asked as he and Mosquito looked for a way out. There wasn't one. Not even a ventilation shaft they could crawl through.

"It must be another bunker somewhere like the one we destroyed outside of town." He noticed the other Freedom Pals looked nervous. The all knew Mabus had a vendetta against them for interfering with his plans to conquer the planet.

"Aw!" Toolshed groaned with frustration. "They took my tools. I can't break us out."

"They took all my phones." Toolshed and Callgirl couldn't use their powers since their weapons had been confiscated.

"This is it!" Wonder Tweak panicked. In his hysteria he screamed and pulled clumps of his hair. "This is the end. We're all going to die in here and he'll wipe out the planet! Argh!"

"It's going to be okay Tweek." Super Craig did his best to reassure him. They were all nervous.

"What the fuck happened?" The Shadow asked as he tried to kick the door down. Heroes with super strength were taking turns ramming the door. The cell was built to withstand force.

"Kitty tried to kill Mabus herself and she got possessed. That's what happened." He growled through gritted teeth. His blood boiled. Mabus knew she'd go after him alone. It was a trap.

"Bravo." Katherine emerged from the shadows applauding him. "Good detective work Mysterion."

He knew it wasn't her. Mabus had taken control of Katherine. Her eyes gleamed yellow and two Gua soldiers were flanking her. "What have you done with Kitty?"

"You haven't beaten me." A sinister smirk broadened across her face. "Numbers may be down but I can call in reinforcements from other conquered planets. Including Kokujon."

"You won't get away with this!" Mint Berry Crunch shouted at Mabus. He had come to Earth to get away from Mabus and the Gua who had already taken over his home planet.

Maniacal laughter reverberated around the dungeon they were imprisoned in. "I already took your planet Mint Berry Crunch and I'm not done yet! This planet is mine and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"I'll kill you!" He screamed at Mabus as his cheeks flushed red with rage.

"I feel nothing." Mabus was taunting them. "I can hurt the kid if you get in my way."

Professor Chaos blasted her before he had the chance to stop him. "Professor No!"

"What'd I do?" Professor Chaos stopped as soon as he sent Katherine into the wall behind her.

"God damn it Butters!" It wasn't Mabus talking. Somehow the blast allowed Katherine to regain control. "Watch where you blast next time!"

He knew it would be better to knock Katherine out. Dr. Timothy scrambled the soldiers' brains resulting in confusion.

"SUGAR RUSH!" The final blow from Captain Diabetes not only knocked the door over and released them from their cell, but knocked Katherine out cold when he collided with her.

"Now what do we do?" Wonder Tweek panicked. Kat might be out cold but they still needed to find a way to get rid of Mabus without harming her.