Author Notes: Sorry for making you all wait so long. If you'd like, here's a link to a picture of Enda I drew. It's on my DeviantArt gallery, so please swing by and take a look.
End of Resistance
Chapter: Final
Was this what it was like? Cold rain returning Kim to that night on Middleton hotel. Surely this is what death felt like; numbing, cold and empty. Her limbs dead weight, her thoughts dulling till only the beating of her heart remained, and even that seemed to slow. Her worries, her responsibility, memories, dreams, life-fading like the light behind her eyes. And in the hazy blur of all that she once was, she could almost make out his face. Smiling, soothing and just as goofy as ever. The coldness gave way to warmth, like arms around a broken body and she smiled then; thinking of all the places to die, she was happy it was in his arms.
But then she woke up to quite an opposite reality. She was well, living…breathing for the moment. The impending battle with Enda loomed ahead like a midterm in a dreaded class. No way around it but through it. Worse part was Kim knew there was no way she'd be able to capture Enda. No prison could hold her either. No, this was a battle to the death and Kim had to fight it completely and utterly alone. There was one thing for sure; Enda had an advantage. Not in whatever physical and mental traits she had yet to revile, but in the fact Enda could kill without hesitation. Kim on the other hand…
"Kimmie?" Mrs. Possible stood at the door surprised. Kim had fallen asleep in Ron's room, hunched over, her head resting near his hand. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. After all, Kim and Ron never did anything to deserve this, yet it changed nothing. They were still just as inseperatable, in mind at least. In heart.
Kim sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. And that's when it dawned on her that this maybe the last time she'd see her mother. It was highly possible she or her mother or everyone would be dead this time tomorrow. It stopped Kim's heart. What does a person say in a situation like this? How do you say bye mom, I'm going off and I'll probably never come back? Or we're all going to die? She wanted to cling to her mother like she had when she was a child, to find a cover and hide under it. Do whatever it took to keep the rest of the day from coming. But she couldn't worry her mother. She bit her lip, swallowed hard and forced a grin.
"H-hey Mom."
"Sleeping like that is bad for your back. As much as I know Ron would appreciate you sleeping in here with him, I think he'd rather you not hurt yourself."
"You'll take care of Ron, right?" Kim was afraid to meet her mother's suspicious gaze.
"Of course I will, he's practically family. And even if he wasn't we'd offer the best care possible." Kim stood and grinned at the two sleeping mole rats on the bed, but her eyes still off her mother.
"Can I have just a little longer?" Mrs. Possible nodded to Kim's request and backed out of the door. She sat down again, taking Ron's hand into her own. Where were the words she had thought of? Where was her voice? It was never supposed to be this way. Their bright future seemed to crumble and now things were it's darkest. And Kim was so tired of crying these past days, but this was the last time she may see Ron.
She closed her eyes and imagined him as she remembered, preferring to talk to that image instead. In her mind they sat in their normal Bueno Nacho booth, Ron looked content with the empty naco wrappers that piled on the table. This scene, this ritual the two had Kim knew no matter her age she could return to, just like this. Just how they were-forever preserved in her memory. She imagined in her last moments she'd return to this booth with him, preferring her last thoughts and memories to be of this time. When things were perfect, so perfect she never noticed. Gently, almost hesitantly she took his hand, squeezing it both there and bedside. Neither Ron spoke, just one stared, the other just breathed.
"I-I don't know where to begin. I want to th-thank you for everything you've done for me." She forced back the tears, doing as much good as a chicken wire dam. "I'm not sure if-if you can hear me, but-."
Ron stood from the Bueno Nacho booth and sat next to her, taking her into his arms. Even if the embrace was just in her mind it felt real, yet empty, betrayed by the fact it was just a figment of her imagination. Then chased by the fact he'd probably never hold her like that again, never really greet her with that grin, or utter that joyous word she had come to love. Guilt that she had taken all the things he was for granted. All she had left from now till forever were memories. Not due to Ron's situation, but due to her own.
"So you're just going to give up? You're already accepting the fact Enda is going to win." Kim blinked at him in her mind. She didn't make him say that, yet she knew he was probably just saying something she was thinking. It was just her after all, it's not like Ron was really talking to her, and it was like playing with a Kim and Ron doll in a Bueno Nacho play set.
"That's not the Kim I know." Her Ron continued. "Right now instead of saying her goodbyes she'd be making plans or something. Nothing's impossible for a Possible, remember?" Yes. This was definitely a voice of her own talking thru her projection of Ron, trying to comfort and encourage her so she didn't feel so alone. And in a way it only proved to sadden her. Her mind was already trying to replace and fill that hole that seemed to have been ripped into her as well.
Kim opened her eyes, rejecting her own comfort, but taking heed to the words. True, Ron probably would say something along those lines. They can't just give up, not when so many people were depending on her. This wasn't a fight for her life it was a fight for their future…together. Looking at his face it was laced with fatigue. It was obvious Ron was just as tired of fighting as she was. Kim bent down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, blushing despite the fact he was unconscious.
"Wait for me Ron."
Kim arrived home soon after. It was empty and most of the furniture and items were picked up. But it wasn't the same. Like so much in her life it was torn down then replaced by a new scene, like how new skin covers a wound but forms a scar.
"Without a hero there wouldn't be villains…just change," Kim whispered as something Enda had said returned to her. The villains would surly attack more ruthless and this wouldn't be the first time that her family and friends were put in danger. She kept Middleton safe, and yet put it in danger as well just by existing.
On a shelf were pictures, the glass broken but the images intact. She picked up the larger one. A family portrait and among the Possibles sat Ron. She smiled at the image but the reality of her situation cut her smile down, like the over lying broken glass, spider webs of cracks blanketing the memory.
Just last week she could do anything and everything was fine, now everything was gone, everything had changed. Even if she were to stop Enda, could she go on being a hero if she always put everyone in danger? There would always be a fear in there now, deeply rooted that eventually she will be the downfall of all she loved. But she ushered the thoughts aside, placed the framed image back and marched upstairs to pack her gear.
Beep-bee bee-beep
"Any sign of Enda?" Kim plopped down on her bed, things finally gathered. She didn't even need to ask what the sitch was.
"You better get down to the hospital and quick. Monique is on her way to pick you up. " Just then there was the sound of a beep outside. Kim leapt down the stairs and out the house, jumping into Monique's car.
"Hold on, girl." Was all Monique offered as she slammed on her accelerator, sending Kim deep into her seat. "You won't believe this." She flipped on the radio, hardly letting up on the gas at all.
"-Is the worst I've ever seen," the correspondent exclaimed over the car speakers. "Firemen, helicopters, police, none of them can break through the flames. Water and other methods have had no effect. I can only wonder what is going on in the minds of everyone in that hospital. We can't see anyone-wait! From the air we can see on the roof is a lone woman. Is she going to jump? Standing on the edge now-no. We can't get any closer the heat is just awful. How can she bare it? I can see the tar on the roof bubble but she-."
Monique flipped off the radio, finally going as far as they could. For almost a mile cars, fire trucks and onlookers had gathered around the hospital. That is assuming the hospital was indeed there because you couldn't see it except for when the wall of flames danced out of the way. In moments Kim was there at the front of the crowd, looking on with the same horror. Next to her firemen pounded at the wall with hoses, from the air helicopters dropped gallons of water and powder, and as the correspondent had said, none seemed to work. The fire even reflected the water, as if it was a solid wall. It was smokeless and from what Kim could see the ground under it had long charred. These flames were being feed by something unknown. One thing was for sure, Enda was behind it. How was Kim going to get past it? Who knows what Enda was doing to all those people, including her mother and Ron.
"Oh, Kim Possible, am I glad to see you here!" The fire chief extended his hand, which Kim shook.
"Has anyone been able to get past the fire?"
"No. This is the weirdest fire I've ever seen. Water bounces off, no smoke, I-."
"Evacuate everyone."
"What was that?" He leaned closer to her, hoping he had heard wrong. Kim looked up at him, her eyes burning just as bright as the fire. Maybe it was the lighting but she looked so much older.
"Evacuate all of Middleton and now. I'll try and stop the fire and then you can save the ones in the hospital."
"Kim, I don't think one little fire is enough to evacuate the whole city."
"If you don't then everyone will die, I promise you that. The woman on the roof," Kim said pointing "will kill anyone she sees. You know I wouldn't tell you to evacuate unless it was totally necessary." She was serious, her eyes revealed all the fear that the teen hero could hold. And with horror he realized this really might be the end of Middleton.
He just nodded to her and ran in the direction of the crowd. Kim tried to get closer to the fire, the heat quickly becoming too much to stand. Arms coming up to protect her face she could feel her skin prickle but she had to keep going-had to push through. Hopefully it wasn't too wide. If she ran she'd be able to jump through the flames…or bounce off like the water had before. Either way she had to try. Everyone could only watch as she took a running jump into the heat. That was their hero, after all. It was Kim Possible. Nothing could touch her right?
She felt the heat cover her, feel it rip at her clothes, her flesh. Kim closed her eyes and wished for the other side.
And nothing remained.
Down in the massive basement of the hospital everyone huddled. The main electricity had stopped long ago and the backup was concentrated mainly on the temporary life-support they set up. Mrs. Possible studied some charts by a flashlight. Turns out if the fires weren't put out and electricity restored anyone on life support would die and the doctors would only have flashlights to work by. And even in the basement deep in the earth it was hot. Not like above where most windows broke from the sheer heat. No, down here was just sticky and getting worse by the second. What was taking those firemen so long?
"Dr. Possible!" She turned to the nurse that had rushed to her. "Kim's fighting that woman from the other night."
"That's my Kimmie, she always gets her man-err woman." But the nurse shook her head at this.
"It doesn't look good. She's burnt and from what I can see, she can barely stand. If-if someone doesn't help her-." Mrs. Possible stood immediately and rushed out of the room, only to be stopped by a different nurse.
"Dr. Possible!"
"I'm busy! Can't you see my daughter is in trouble?!"
"But ma'am, it's patient 778…Ron Stoppable..." Mrs. Possible stopped at this. The nurse seemed scared to meet her emerald eyes and looked away in shame. "There was nothing we could do…. He's gone."
"You survived. How delightful." Kim sneered at Enda and her spiteful words, taking the moment to spit out the blood that had gathered in her mouth. "Do you like my present? In little time this whole city and every person will be engulfed in hellish flame. And in their dieing breaths when they're screaming 'Why, oh god, why?' you can take comfort knowing all of them will be answered by your name."
Anger was stressed in every syllable of the sentence, hatred as intense as the fury of flame behind her. The sun was already setting, the fire glowing extra bright, sending shadows onto Enda's face that made Kim shiver. She opened her mouth to respond but Enda stepped closer, seemingly towering over Kim.
"Any other time," Enda began; her silver hair shinning in the firelight. "I'd engage in a well thought out dialog with you about motives and delusions, but instead I think I'll just kill you. How's that sound?" Kim stood, flinching at the burns and bruises.
"Will it make you leave? If I were to die here tonight, would you leave Middleton alone?" Enda backhanded Kim with such force to knock her back to the ground.
"No, this is more than a game, Kim Possible. There are no rules, no prizes for the winner. This is the end to your resistance!" Kim leapt up just as Enda was moving to attack and blocked the counterstriked sending Enda back a bit into the fiery wall, but the flames danced around her, as if caressing, kissing her skin. Neither her hair nor her clothes burned. The fire was embracing her as it's own.
"This is my element, Kim, you can't use it to hurt me. This is what I am! I'm the fire that burns and destroys like the emotions and thoughts of the human mind! Grandma made me special."
"What do you mean he's gone? Why didn't any one tell me that we had an emergency?" The nurse backed up and stumbled over a can. Dr. Possible was terrifying in the lack of light, and with her tone of voice.
"I mean he's gone, missing. Not here. I don't understand myself, he was just in a coma, and with that wound-." Was Dr. Possible smiling?
"Get some other doctors together and security personnel. We have to be ready for when he gets back."
She didn't feel the ground. Where white searing pain had engulfed her scorched back, Kim felt nothing at all. And like the rest of her body, there was no longer feeling, no longer that terrible pain that made her scream out. Chest heaving, she watched Enda tower over her. Enda herself had a good amount of cuts and bruises, but nothing compared to Kim's. Bending down Enda grabbed one of Kim's arms and dragged her across the pavement, scraping clean burnt flesh. Pain returned and Enda chuckled at the symphony of Kim's cries. Finally they reached the wall of fire that still encircled the parking lot, the fire reflecting Enda like a mirror.
"This is the end, Kim. I'm about to end your pain and you'll be with your sidekick soon enough." Enda bent down and pulled Kim to her feet, holding her like a baby to the fire. She had fought. All her life Kim had fought and now, now she could rest and be with Ron and the fire suddenly didn't seem so bad.
"Put her down!"
Enda dropped Kim to the pavement. Without turning to face the speaker she chuckled.
"You're like a cockroach, Stoppable. No matter how many times I squish you, you come back." Kim lifted her head to look up at him, his eyes focused on Enda. In them swam hatred, in his hands held like a bat was a metal pipe. He looked dangerous and not like Ron at all. Ron had on hospital pants, his shirt was missing and she flinched at the sight of the long stretch of stitches that laced his midsection.
Then he moved, the sound of a metal pipe sang in the air and Enda turned to stop it before it crashed against her head. She jerked it from him and batted him to the ground and hit him again in the ribs.
"What were you hoping to accomplish coming out here a fighting like this?! Look at that, you've already pulled a stitch." She spat at him and tossed the pipe letting it clang and roll across the parking lot. "Was it in the name of love? Why would anyone cheat death only to come out here and die? Most people who had their guts spilled onto a roof would just lay low till they're healed, but no! You come running out here as soon as you can stand. Stupidity, pure and simple."
"No, w-what's stupid is never knowing what love really is! You could never use me and Kim against each other because you don't understand what you're messing with!" She pulled him to his feet in a jerk of his arm then thrust him but inches from the flame.
"I understand everything. It's you who doesn't understand! I know everything, I can see everything!"
"See this, hell bitch!" Kim growled, slamming the discarded pipe against Enda's head, sending both Enda and Ron to the pavement. Finally…finally Enda was down. Kim then passed out, her body taken as much as she could.
Ron sat up and painfully pulled Kim closer to him, careful of her many burns. With horror he realized she was having trouble breathing and tears came unchecked as he moved her stray hair from her face. There was no way he could stand and carry her; no way they'd be able to hear him from the hospital. Ron then noticed he had begun to bleed and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and who knows if and when Enda would recover…after all the fires still raged. Kim's breathing was so shallow, blood of her own seeping from nose and mouth.
That was it; there was no other choice. He knew carrying her would worsen his wounds just as he knew he wouldn't be able to cheat death a second time. But Kim was dying. She had fought so hard and they had come so far. He took a moment and savored her beautiful face in the firelight, knowing it could very well be the last time he'd see it.
With great effort, past incredible pain Ron pulled himself to his feet and gathered Kim into his arms. Blood left him again even faster from his wound and he let it trickle from his mouth. Knees weak he did his best and slowly began his walk to the hospital. Each step was more painful than the last, muscles screaming for rest, body screaming for relief. But Kim was in danger, he had to make it, just as he fought death to come and save her. Once again-he thought with a smile-he had been the distraction. One last time for old time's sake. Finally his knees gave out and he fell to them stifling a cry of pain. Lightheaded ness then came and he passed out before he saw Dr. Possible run up to them both.
Jao: Tada! Sorry it too me sooooooo long to post this chapter. I'll have an epilog up soon. 50 reviews! Thanks everyone!!