Part 26: Broken Dreams In The Wind
The moon was high on the sky on the opposite end of the world, shining down on the great ancient pyramids that had made the country famous the world over. Such unique, wonderful sculptures created with the most primitive techniques and tools one could imagine, greater in scale and scope than anything any other humans would create for centuries to come. They were truly wondrous pieces of history, and a magical sight to behold...
Especially as the thick green laser sliced through the upper third of the pyramid, cutting an even line clear around it. Clover flew the helicopter around the pyramid, while Alex used her Compact Parasol Laser Source to cut slowly through the rock, careful not to linger too long lest she cut too far in. Lady Luna floated just beyond the cone with her solar powered jetpack, thanks to a newly installed backup battery, watching to make sure she didn't cut too deeply.
In a moment Lady Luna flashed them a grin and a quick hand signal, causing Alex to turn off the parasol. Clover turned the flight stick toward the pyramid as Lady Luna backed away from it. She signaled to Clover like she was landing a plane, directing her as she tried to lower the large crane they'd attached to the helicopter down onto the top of the pyramid. Alex sat down in the seat beside her, grabbing a headset and pulling it on.
"How you doing in there Arnold?" Alex asked.
"I'm working on it, this is delicate work. I'm trying to rewire a complicated one-of-a-kind anti-gravity system to respond to controls it wasn't designed to respond to, and give it a backup power supply it wasn't designed to accept. Give me a break here." Arnold snapped.
"Two minutes then?" Alex asked cheerily.
"Two days if we're lucky." Arnold replied.
"Well we're ready now." Alex said as Clover moved away from the pyramid with the top clutched in the copter's claw. She pulled the release lever, letting the triangle plummet to the sand far below with a horrendous crash. "And time wasted is lives lost."
"This isn't a negotiation, I can't possibly speed this process up. It's like trying to power a car with a AA battery." Arnold complained.
Clover grabbed Alex's headset from her head to speak into the microphone. "Fine, forget it. We'll haul it out and do it ourselves. I'm going in for the anti-grav device ready or not." Clover dropped the helmet and moved the helicopter back toward the pyramid, inside which they could see the technological machine shining in the bright desert moonlight. Lady Luna floated beyond the pyramid again, signaling them onward.
"Wait! You could damage it beyond repair!" Arnold insisted through the communicator.
"We can't afford to wait two days Arnold, Sam is in danger, and I'm not going to leave her there a second longer than I have to." Clover retorted. "We have to hurry."
"I think I know the perfect power source." Lady Luna said through her Earring Communicator. "There's no greater power than the sun. I can hook my jetpack into it to use solar energy."
"Did you not see the clouds on the other hemisphere?" Arnold demanded. "There will be no solar power there. Not to mention by the time we get back it'll almost be nighttime there."
"We stay above the clouds and do what we can." Lady Luna replied. "It's a lot better than hanging around here and waiting for you to finish tinkering with your rod." Lady Luna said sarcastically. Clover thought about it, and decided that she was right. If they could use the anti-grav generator, even temporarily, it could make all the difference in the world.
"Let's do it Luna. I'll pick up the generator, you make the modifications." Clover said.
"I knew you'd see it my way Starshine." Luna replied. Clover took the helicopter over the pyramid, taking the crane controls.
"Clover, I really don't think-" Arnold began.
"Nobody's interested in what you think Arnold. Sit back and let the experts handle this." Clover dropped the crane slowly, following Lady Luna's directions outside until she felt the slight jar of the crane making contact. Lady Luna made a few quick hand signals, and Clover closed the crane tightly, taking the helicopter higher into the sky.
The thick steel cable pulled taught, creaking under the strain, but soon the anti-gravity generator was pulled from its confines. The wires that hooked it to the panels inside snapped off as the helicopter rose, hauling the massive piece of machinery with it. Lady Luna hovered onto the machine and landed on her feet, her jetpack cutting off so she could remove it and begin wiring it into the machine. She sat down and wrapped her legs around it for balance while she worked.
"Let's get going then." Clover said.
"You can't leave me here, Clover!" Arnold shouted. He ran out of the pyramid, waving his arms up at them like an ant furiously waving its antennas. "Come get me!"
"Sorry Arnold, we can't land while we're hauling the generator, it'll get all sandy." Clover reached into the back of the helicopter and pulled out a small packet of Compressed Water Capsules, tossing them out the door. Arnold watched it fall with despair growing in his eyes. "Those will keep you hydrated while you look for civilization. In the meantime, we have a world to save." Clover turned away from the pyramid, flying our across the desert while Lady Luna tinkered with the generator.
"Clover! Cloooovvveeeeerrrr!" Arnold screamed angrily until they moved out of range of his Earring Communicator. They were on their way to get rid of Tim Scam and his sick army once and for all, all they needed was a little luck, and a little time. Thankfully, the helicopter they'd nabbed turned out to be one of the prototypes WOOHP had been helping the military build. Twin jets built into the skids gave it a massive speed boost, sending it barreling over the ocean faster than most jetliners could move.
Soon they left the ocean behind, moving rapidly over the American continent. Most of it was abandoned, with its people living in small pockets of civilization scattered around the land mass. Just like the rest of the world really, there wasn't a whole lot of 'civilization' left. Clover looked down as they passed over Beverly Hills. For just a moment she saw their old house, sitting in the middle of a field of sopping wet furniture and debris.
In a moment Clover's X-Powder began to beep, so she reached into her pocket and pulled it out, flipping it open in front of her. Sam's desperate and tear-streaked face illuminated the screen. "Sam? What's wrong?"
"We have big problems, Clover..." Sam replied shakily. "Is the plan coming along?"
"We have the anti-grav generator, but Lady Luna's still trying to hook up the power source." Clover told her. "Seriously Sam, what-"
"Get it working." Sam interrupted her. "We need to be ready the minute Scam decides to make his move... we need to put an end to this now. He'll probably strike one of the villages around Area 51. Contact me if you see anything. I'll keep in touch." And just like that Sam's face vanished. Clover stared at the screen in confusion. She looked almost like she was in a panic... but what could possibly panic the calmest, most levelheaded person she knew...?
The sun was still hidden behind the clouds, and a light drizzle had begun to fall as Mandy, Carmen, Stella and Gabby made it over the last hill to the human settlement. It was a small place that resembled a Native American village, with people of every kind working to provide for themselves and their neighbors. There were still scuffles between them and Scamlar disguised as WOOHP Officers, so that Scam could sweep in, destroy 'WOOHP', and let the village declare him their undeniable hero.
It hadn't been long since Mandy had left the hotel back in Japan. A day, maybe two... but she felt completely different somehow. She didn't let herself think about it though. She beckoned to the older women and walked down into the village with them following. She took out her X-Powder and quickly changed into a set of less conspicuous clothing before they reached the village itself.
People turned to look at them with suspicious glances, obviously paranoid from the regular attacks by 'WOOHP Officers'. But none of them moved to stop them as they made their way further into the small settlement, looking around for any place they could stay. Mandy was more interested in getting back to Area 51 and finding Brittany, but she wouldn't just abandon the women now.
A man approached them with a wary look in eyes. "I've never seen you around here before." He told them gruffly.
"That makes sense, we've never been here before." Mandy replied simply. "I'm Mandy Myers, these are my friends Stella, Gabby, and Carmen." The women smiled and waved as each of their names was spoken. "They need a place to stay, and I thought this looked like a nice place." Thankfully Mandy was well versed in the art of deception, because the place looked like complete crap. The man didn't seem fooled by her lie though.
"You'll understand if we don't believe you." He told her gruffly. "I'm going to ask you to leave once, if you don't we'll make you leave. End of discussion." He told her darkly. A group of people began to gather around him, tough looking men and women with angry expressions.
"Look, we're just innocent women caught off-guard out there." Mandy jerked her thumb toward the direction they came from. "We need a place to stay. We don't have any reason to want to hurt you except for you being totally rude." Mandy huffed. It quickly occurred to her that taunting the angry mob wasn't a good idea as they began to close in around her. She stepped back, bumping into Gabby and Carmen.
"Get out of our town, we have enough to worry about without dealing with new folks who want to suck up our precious little recourses." The man told her darkly. "I suggest you leave quietly, because I won't say that again." He clenched one fist and punched it into his other palm.
"Calm down... we can work this out..." Mandy tried to reason with him. Suddenly screams and shouts from the opposite end of town began to rise up in a chorus, drawing the villagers' attention.
"Damnit! We can't take this much longer!" The man turned to run to the other end of town. Mandy and the three women watched them go, then turned to look at each other.
"I suppose we should take the opportunity to leave." Stella said. "They might not like it if we're here when they get back." Mandy stared at her, then turned back to look in the direction the man went. Over the top of the small buildings she could see a hill, over which a sea of men in black suits were marching in perfect order, each holding a rifle aimed at the village. She knew they were aimed at the villagers... ready to kill them all. Scam would save them of course... but how many would die in the meantime?
She thought about what Brittany had said to her on the hilltop just the day before. 'You CAN be a hero if you try, and you believe in yourself.' It was the first time anyone had called her anything that wasn't either sexual or negative... Brittany had been a hero, and she'd wanted so badly for Mandy to be one too. She couldn't let Brittany down... whether she was alive or dead.
"You go find a place to hide." Mandy told the older women. "I have something to do." Mandy marched toward the approaching army, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a can of hairspray.
"Mandy?" Gabby watched her in surprise. Mandy didn't respond, walking away from them toward the soon-to-be battlefield. Brittany had briefed her on most of the gadgets she was carrying while they waited on the mountaintop, so she felt she knew what they all did. All she had to do was use them correctly. So she pulled out a small umbrella at the same time, carrying it over one shoulder.
She left the small group of buildings, pushing her way through the startled crowd of villagers to the front. "What the Hell are you doing?" The man from before demanded angrily.
"The best I can." Mandy replied simply, slinging the umbrella off her shoulder as the Scamlar Soldiers began to orient their weapons on the villagers. She pulled the can back and hurled it out in front of her as far as she could. It clattered to the ground uselessly. The villagers looked at her like she was insane, but Mandy calmly pulled a nail file out of her pocket, raising the umbrella high over her head.
"Everyone get as close to me as you can." Mandy suggested. The villagers looked puzzled and suspicious... but still moved a bit closer to her. Mandy pointed the nail file at the can of hairspray, watching the soldiers beyond it as they trudged onward. In unison they cocked their weapons, with such perfect coordination only one click could be heard on the wind.
As soon as the line reached the can, Mandy fired the Laser Nailfire straight at the can's top. It punched a gaping hole in the metal, and a powerful wind began to pour from the Tornado In A Can Of Hairspray. Instantly Mandy activated the All-Weather Umbrella, and a pink barrier stretched out to enshroud herself and the villagers in a protective bubble. With the entire can released at once, the winds around them became fiercer than any hurricane, howling like a furious monster awoken from a long slumber.
The villagers huddled together as close as possible as the winds ripped the very soil from the ground, hurling it high into the sky. The space around their pocket of calmness was a wall of dust and debris. They heard the sound of the buildings at the fringe of the small village being torn apart and flung high into the air amid the roaring fury. Mandy just watched the display, trying to keep her cool despite her furiously pounding heart.
The hurricane was fast and furious... but short lived. Very soon its energy was expended and the roar of the wind began to die down. The dust and debris that floated through the air slowly began to fall back to Earth, and slowly they were able to see beyond it in the dull gray light that filtered through the dark storm clouds overhead.
Bodies littered the field scattered amid the debris, unmoving. Mandy stared in awe while the villagers slowly began to laugh, one by one sending up a cheer while a few patted Mandy's shoulders.
"You did it girl!" The man who'd hated her ten minutes ago shouted in glee. "You did it! You beat them good!" He laughed. Mandy let the bubble disappear and dropped the umbrella, slowly realizing what had just happened. Could she have actually won...? Could it really be that easy? No way, it just wasn't possible. If Brittany couldn't bring these things down, she didn't have a chance. She'd bought them time, that was all.
Damn she hated being right. One by one the limp figures rose from the ground and turned toward them. The WOOHP Officer facades had been cracked away, their limbs twisted into unnatural angles as they climbed to their feet. Slowly the villagers noticed, gasping and mumbling in awe and horror as the Scamlar soldiers climbed to their feet, their limbs twisting back into place.
"They can't be human..." The man said fearfully.
"They're not." Mandy replied darkly.
"Now why would you go and tell them that?" Mandy looked up when she heard a helicopter and a sickeningly familiar voice above them. Tim Scam watched from a helicopter that had appeared above them, shaking his head. "I was going to spare them... well, some of them. But now that they know the truth, I'm gonna have to just wipe them out and start with the next town over."
"I won't let you hurt them!" Mandy raised her Laser Nailfile again, but a single gunshot echoed from the Scamlar soldiers. Mandy screamed in surprise as the bullet slammed into the end of the nail file, breaking it into two pieces and sending it flying to the ground. Mandy fell to her knees, holding her buzzing hand and trying to restore feeling to it.
"There's no hope for any teenage girls to stop me now." Tim Scam told her snidely. "All of WOOHP's little gadgets have been powerless against my Scamlar, and now that my greatest weapon is a reality, nothing can stand against me."
"You won't win..." Mandy growled darkly and climbed back to her feet.
"Oh, more cliché hero/villain babble is it? Well, I'm bored with that sort of thing after all this time. So I think I'll just have my Scamlar finish you all off now." Tim Scam snapped his fingers, and the Scamlar Soldiers behind the helicopter let out furious howls, rushing toward them. Their arms faded into liquid silver, reforming into razor sharp blades several feet long. The villagers screamed in horror and began to flee, but Mandy didn't move. She just stood to face the coming onslaught, determined to stand her ground and prove Brittany right. She couldn't let Brittany down...
The Scamlar closed the gap quickly, their blades raised above their heads. But suddenly a glimmering pulse hit the ground from the sky, narrowly missing Scam's helicopter, which swerved quickly out of the way to avoid it. The Scamlar nearest her swung at Mandy, trying to cut her down, but slowly they began to rise into the air. Mandy blinked in surprise, watching the entire Scamlar army lifted right from the ground like balloons. The shimmering beam pulled them into the sky slowly, until they vanished beyond the dark storm clouds. She felt the gentle pitter-patter of rain drops falling onto her.
"We did it." Sam's voice said from behind her. Mandy whirled in surprise to see Sam standing at the fringe of the small settlement, between two destroyed houses. "I knew the plan would work... but..." She approached Mandy, looking up at the helicopter.
"What's going on? What happened?" Mandy demanded.
"Clover's in the sky, she's using the anti-grav device to throw all the Scamlar into space." Sam replied. "Almost all of them..." Sam approached the still-hovering helicopter, from which Tim Scam was glaring angrily down at them. "You're holding out on us, aren't you, you sick bastard?"
"Well, Samantha, I guess reports of your demise were greatly exaggerated eh?" Tim Scam smirked. "You're not a bad actor, I must admit. I didn't suspect a thing, really. It's okay; I can make more Scamlar... better Scamlar. You just saved me from having to dispose of the old models." Scam knelt down at the edge of the helicopter as someone stepped up beside him. "I guess if you were there, you know what's coming. How anti-climactic. Fine then, if you're in such a rush to die, feel free." Suddenly the form leapt from the helicopter out into the rain, bringing one arm up behind it.
"What...?" Mandy gasped in horror as she watched Brittany fly through the sky. She wore no clothing, revealing the hideous bloody scratches and gashes that covered her body. Blood-red streaks ran down her cheeks underneath cold, lifeless eyes that barely moved as the machine did. Streaks of silver slid across her body at various points, running up her spine, across her breasts, and over her forehead.
"Look out!" Sam tackled Mandy from the side, sending them both hurtling to the ground right before Brittany could land on top of her. Brittany's fist plunged feet into the ground where Mandy had been moments before, sending up a wave of dust and debris. She stood up slowly and turned toward them, the rain-washing down her semi-metallic body in an increasingly violent wave.
"B... Brit..." Mandy stammered in horror. Sam pulled out her X-Powder.
"Clover, the big problem I told you about is out." Sam said quickly.
"We'll snag it." Clover's voice came back over the X-Powder. Suddenly the atmospheric shimmer from before returned, engulfing Brittany from behind. The metallic woman began to step toward them, but was suddenly dragged into the sky, her limbs flailing.
"Brittany!" Mandy screamed and tried to run forward, but Sam grabbed her by the waist, holding her back.
"Hold it! That's not really Brittany! It's a machine Scam made!" Sam shouted.
"Let go of me! Brittany!" Mandy struggled to get free, but Sam held her fast as Brittany slowly vanished into the clouds high overhead. Mandy stared into the sky against the rain, shivering in horror at what was happening. What on Earth was going on...?
"That is one ugly bitch." Clover commented as the machine was dragged up through the clouds by the anti-grav device. "Aw well, time to get rid of the trash I guess. Turn it around Lady Luna."
"Right." Lady Luna's voice came back. She operated the controls on the device, slowly turning it upward along with the new breed of Scamlar Sam had told her about. Clover had to admit it looked a lot like Brittany... but there was no way it could really be here. Alex however was shivering in the seat beside her, watching the figure floating aimlessly outside the helicopter.
"That thing is creepy..." Alex muttered fearfully.
"Don't worry, it'll be gone in a second. Get ready to reverse the device Luna, and we'll let this thing join its buddies, in five." Clover said in a businesslike tone. "One... two... three... four..." Suddenly something happened to the Scamlar copy. Tendrils of liquid metal flowed out of its back in every direction like a cloak of spikes before suddenly hurling themselves forward straight toward the anti-grav device. "What the...?"
Lady Luna screamed and leapt from the device to cling to the hook's rope as the tendrils plunged into it, sparks flying in every direction. "We're losing power!" Luna screamed as the device powered down. Brittany swung down below the device, holding onto it with her steel tendrils to keep from falling. The entire helicopter began to lurch downward toward the growing storm.
"It's too heavy, it's pulling us down!" Alex shouted.
"Then let it go." Clover quickly pressed the command to release the device. Lady Luna clung to the hook's rope as the device began to fall, but the Scamlar quickly pulled itself on top of the device and leapt off of it, flying toward them quickly. Silver tendrils shot out to wrap around the ropes so that it could pull itself up.
"It's coming!" Lady Luna scrambled to climb the ropes up to the copter itself. Alex ran to the side of the helicopter and fell to her knees, looking down to watch the blonde woman scramble up with the silver monster right behind her. Suddenly Brittany hurled herself up the ropes with a mighty heave, its tendrils wrapping around Lady's Luna's waist. She screamed and hung from the rope with a strangled cry of pain.
"I've got you!" Alex hung over the side of the helicopter and grabbed her wrists, trying to pull her up. Suddenly she found herself face-to-face with Brittany's cold, blood-streaked face. Alex grunted in pain as one metal fist slammed into her chest, knocking her across the helicopter into the far wall with a tremendous impact that tossed the entire vehicle to the side. Lady Luna screamed as Alex let go, sending her freefalling until she caught hold of the empty hook at the bottom.
Brittany slipped into the helicopter, the silver tendrils ripping into the steel as she turned her attention to the cockpit. Clover looked back, and screeched when a dozen silver tendrils shot toward her. She whirled out of the seat, flattening herself against the window, sitting on the console and bringing her legs up to avoid them. They plunged into the control console, sending vicious sparks coursing through it.
Warning lights began to flash as the helicopter started losing power, plunging down into the thick gray storm clouds below. Clover slid from the console and leapt at Brittany while the sudden darkness had her temporarily blinded, kicking her in the face. Brittany stumbled back out of the cockpit, but silver tendrils attached to the walls and ceiling kept her from going too far.
Alex's unconscious body wasn't too far away, but Clover didn't have time to do anything about her. Brittany swung one arm forward, a barrage of needle-like spikes shooting flying at her like bullets. Clover went into a deep splits, flattening against the floor until they passed. She rolled forward and shoved herself up with her arms, jamming her feet hard into Brittany's stomach. The girl didn't even budge, grabbing her ankle and yanking her up to slam her into the ceiling like a doll before dropping her to the floor again.
"Ugh..." Clover groaned in pain, shaking her head. She could hear thunder rumbling in the storm clouds surrounding the helicopter, a dull flash of light shining in through the windows momentarily. She tried to roll away from Brittany, but the metal girl grabbed her hair and yanked her back, wrapping one arm around her throat. Clover gurgled in pain as the arm instantly began to crush her windpipe.
She fought through the pain to reach into one pocket, pulling out a small white puffball. She slammed it hard into Brittany's side, sending a massive shock running through the metal girl's body. Brittany let out a startled, metallic sounding shriek and let go, stepping away from her. Clover fell to her knees for a moment to get her bearings, reaching into her pocket for another puffball.
"You like that? Huh?" Clover gasped painfully. She threw another puffball into the machine's face, sending another massive shock through her. Brittany stumbled back, furiously trying to cover her face with pathetic metallic groans. It almost looked like it was in pain... but it was just a machine, wasn't it? "Give this one to your creator when he sees you in Hell, you monster!" Clover hurled another one into her chest, sending the convulsing robot up against the back wall of the copter. She took out another puffball, but suddenly she felt the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.
Clover quickly grabbed Alex, cradling her in both arms and running for the door. She leapt out into the dark gray clouds. A pearl white flash split the clouds in two a split second later, striking the helicopter with a massive, blinding bolt of pure energy. The helicopter exploded in a shower of flames and began to plummetthrough the cloud. Lady Luna screamed from her position clinging to the bottom of the hook that had held the anti-grav device, her entire body convulsing as the lightning flowed through her with nowhere else to go.
"Luna!" Clover screamed. Lady Luna's scream faded and her hands went limp, sending her plummeting through the clouds beside the helicopter, her eyes closed and her body completely limp. Clover tried to move over toward her, but it was impossible to move through the sky with Alex in her arms.
They plunged through the bottom of the clouds, falling fast toward the ground. Clover watched Lady Luna for a few moments, then closed her eyes and reached back to pull the ripcord on her backpack. The parachute from her backpack's second pocket caught the air, slowing their descent while Lady Luna and the helicopter continued to plummet. Clover looked away, not willing to watch it happen...
The helicopter plummeted toward the ground with no sign of the metal monster Tim Scam had created. She opened her eyes when she heard the thunderous impact of the machine making landfall, a tremendous fireball reaching high into the sky despite the heavy downpour, with a blast that drowned out the simultaneous roar of thunder from the storm overhead.
Clover floated gently toward the ground, holding Alex cradled close to her chest until they touched down on the grass thirty yards from the fringe of the village. She knelt down to set Alex on the ground while she unhooked her parachute to keep from being dragged away in the storm winds.
"Clover!" Sam and Mandy rushed over to her, pulling Tim Scam behind them in handcuffs and ankle restraints, forcing him to either hop like a prisoner rabbit or be dragged along behind them. "Clover, what happened?" Sam asked worriedly as they approached Alex.
"I think she'll be okay, she got hit pretty hard." Clover touched the side of Alex's neck gently. She could feel a steady pulse... it didn't seem like she was in danger of dying. It was just a glancing blow. She would recover soon enough.
"What about Lady Luna?" Sam asked. Clover looked up at her from her kneeling position, then lowered her head and closed her eyes. She heard Sam sigh softly.
"Damnit..." Sam said darkly. "Well... it looks like it's over..."
"Over?" Tim Scam barked out a laugh. "You haven't won... my ultimate weapon can't be killed so easily. Just listen." He said with a grin. Suddenly an ear-splitting roar ripped through the sky, and all three conscious spies whirled to look in the direction of the burning helicopter. The mass of shapeless metal began to move, and suddenly split open from the inside. Steel tendrils lifted from the wreckage, pulling after them a grotesque husk of blood and flesh, destroyed beyond what one could possibly call a human form.
"Good God..." Mandy said in horror. She looked down at Tim Scam in amazement. "You really are a monster..."
"I am a winner my dear." Scam replied with a smirk. "Because nothing you can possible do could destroy my creation. Hehe... mwahahahahahaha!" Mandy socked him in the face suddenly, knocking him out cold on the grass. There were tears flowing down her cheeks, mixing with the heavy downpour of rain.
"You're evil!" Mandy moved to kick him in the face, but Sam grabbed her from behind and held her back.
"We'll deal with him in a minute. We have to finish off this monster first." Sam said.
"But it's..." Mandy began before she was cut off.
"No, that thing is not Brittany!" Sam shouted in her face. Mandy fell silent; the tears slipping down her cheeks. "It's not Brittany. That thing... is something Tim Scam created in the WOOHP weapon's laboratory. I'm sorry Mandy... Brittany's dead... I'm so sorry..." Sam squeezed her shoulders. "I know it's my fault for calling you two there in the first place... and I'll do anything I can to make it up to you... but we have to put this thing down... for the good of the world... and so Brittany can rest in peace." Mandy stared at her for a moment, then reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes and nodded numbly. "Clover, what gadgets do we have left?"
Clover pulled off her backpack to rummage through it. "Not a whole lot. Lip-Stick... HIGGs... hey, my mini Electro-Magnetron." Clover pulled out what looked like a powerful magnum revolver. "This thing doesn't like electric surges, so I think this should do wonders." She said.
"Yes, perfect." Sam grabbed the gun from her.
"But is it strong enough to finish it off?" Clover asked.
"No, but something like this will create a powerful electromagnetic field around it... and that would attract the electromagnetic energy from the storm." Sam replied. "But it looks like we only have one bolt, so we have to make sure our aim is good."
"I'll take it." Mandy snatched the gun out of her grasp.
"Mandy?" Sam blinked in surprise.
"I want her to rest... and I want her to know that she was right." Mandy replied. Sam and Clover stared at her for a moment before Sam nodded and stepped closer.
"This is the trigger that fires the bolt... press this button to activate the electrical surge." Sam told her. "Remember, you only get one shot. Make it count." Mandy nodded slowly. "Me and Clover will distract her and try to get her to sit still long enough to get your shot off. Don't miss your chance, we probably won't last long." Sam said. Mandy nodded again, and Sam turned to Clover with a serious expression on her face. "Come on, let's put an end to this abomination."
"We'll be right back, Alex." Clover patted Alex's cheek, then stood up and turned to march out across the field that lay between them and Brittany. The metal monster was moving slowly across the field, its human limbs no longer able to operate as efficiently as before. Mandy walked behind the two experienced WOOHP agents, holding the gun clutched in both hands as she'd seen in so many movies. The monster walking toward them barely looked like Brittany now, its flesh burned, seared, and smashed beyond recognition. But its violet eyes were still hers...
The rain was pouring down on them all, not caring who was on which side of the battle. As they approached the abomination silver tendrils emerged from its arms, spreading out like a cloak of daggers ready to skewer them at a second's notice. Mandy stopped moving and raised the gun, but didn't fire. Sam and Clover moved to circle around it in opposite directions, neither taking their eyes off of it for an instant. Brittany watched them for a few moments... then struck.
Silver tendrils lashed out in Clover's direction, but she whirled out of the way and leapt over them, landing in a crouch while Sam ran up behind her. Sam kicked Brittany in the back, but the machine stumbled only a little before whirling around, the silver on its arm shaping into a razor sharp blade. Sam barely had time to duck under the blade, kicking her in the stomach while Clover leapt at the back of her head, slamming both heels into her. Brittany stumbled and doubled over, but only for an instant.
Sam and Clover stood side-by-side as Brittany flung one arm forward, a row of razor sharp tendrils lashing out at the girls. They leapt through the tendrils carefully, then rolled in and both lunged into uppercuts at the exact same time. Their fists both struck home on Brittany's jaw, and she stumbled back, but within the second she lashed out with one arm, socking both girls across the face and sending them both collapsing to the ground. Mandy could only watch, the hands holding the gun shaking as Brittany approached the prone spies.
"Hey! Back off!" Alex shouted as she leapt suddenly into the fray, whirling in midair to slam her heel into Brittany's lower back. Caught off guard, Brittany stumbled forward, but the element of surprise was only a temporary advantage. She whirled and lashed out with both arms, but Alex whirled through them, planting several more punches to her abdomen.
Clover and Sam whirled to their feet and leapt in to help her, letting out howls as they slammed their heels into the back of Brittany's head. Brittany howled and whirled, one silver tendril coming less than an inch from plunging straight through Sam's stomach. She kicked Brittany in the chest at the same time as Alex tackled her from behind, slamming her shoulder into her lower back. Alex let out a feral howl with the effort of hefting the machine up on her shoulder off the ground, then slammed her face-first into the ground with a tremendous thud. Instantly Sam and Clover leapt on her, pinning her down.
"Fire Mandy!" Sam shouted. Mandy oriented the weapon on her back... and stared at her. Her head was turned toward her, her eyes shining in the blackened flesh of her face. Shining with the woman she knew was once there... the woman who saved her life and her sanity... the woman she loved. "MANDY! NOW!" Sam screamed.
Suddenly the silver tendrils lashed out in a wide circle, knocking all three girls to the ground. Brittany pushed herself to her feet with her tendrils, oriented on Sam and Clover. They tried to scramble away, but one tendril wrapped around each of their legs, hefting them upside down into the air. Alex ran up behind her with a furious howl, but the tendril holding Clover snapped back, hurling her into Alex. They both hit the ground heavily, groaning in pain.
Brittany hefted Sam into the air and slammed her down on the wet grass with a powerful thud. Sam howled in pain and tried to get up, but Brittany stepped on her chest, a set of small claws digging into her chest. Sam yelped in pain again and grabbed her ankle, trying desperately to push her off. The silver tendrils lifted into the air around Brittany, every single one oriented on Sam's head.
At last, Mandy steeled herself, blocked out her conscious mind, and fired the only steel bolt she had. It arced through the rain, plunging straight into Brittany's forehead with a sickening thunk. Blood spilled around the wound and Brittany stumbled back in a daze, moving off of Sam. Sam quickly rolled away from her as Mandy's thumb hovered over the activation button.
Brittany shook her head and looked up, seeing the bolt embedded in her forehead. One hand moved to pull it out... but Mandy closed her eyes and pressed the button. A metallic howl of agony floated through the air as the electrical power surged through Brittany's body. Her entire body convulsed and she fell to her knees, the ear-splitting, heart-rending metallic moan drowning out the thunderclap that sounded in that same instant.
Tears flowed down Mandy's cheeks at the sound of the screams, only to be washed away by the downpour of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky, drawn by the immense magnetic surge. It struck the bolt on Brittany's forehead, feeding into the power already flowing through her. Her scream intensified, growing louder by the second until suddenly her skin burst into flames. Even the silver Scamlar substance was scorched by the massive power that roared through her.
As suddenly as the strike had hit, Brittany scream ended. Her burnt and scorched flesh reduced to little more than ash that collapsed back onto the ground amid the scorched remains of the hardened Scamlar substance. The gun slipped through Mandy's fingertips and fell to the ground as she slowly approached the unmoving form, staring down at it numbly.
"We... we did it..." Alex was sitting on the ground, panting and holding her head. "We actually did it..."
"Without Scam to give attack orders, the rest of the Scamlar shouldn't present a threat. We can mop them up in our own time." Sam climbed to her feet and walked up beside Mandy, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Good job Mandy." Mandy turned to look at her, though she didn't really see her. She was still seeing the lightning flash...
"Hey, we got an audience." Clover commented. Sam and Alex looked to see that the villagers were emerging from their homes slowly, moving to the edge of the town to see what was going on. When they saw the girls they began to make their way over. Tim Scam was still unconscious on the other side of the field right where they'd left him, so several villagers went to fetch him.
"Is it over...?" One of the women asked. "Are the attacks over?"
"Yeah, there won't be any more attacks." Sam promised. Suddenly a cheer rose up from the crowd, a spontaneous celebration that had people dancing in the middle of the rain. It probably wasn't a good idea to dance in a thunderstorm, but they didn't care. An end to the attacks meant a return to normalcy... all the chaos was over... well the chaos of Tim Scam anyway.
"Sam...?" A woman breathed in awe as she pushed through the crowd. Sam's gaze quickly followed the voice, and she saw her mother standing at the edge of the small town. She was staring up at her in shock and surprise, her eyes brimming with tears. "They said... they said you were..."
"I'm fine, mom..." Sam grinned and ran across the field toward her, wrapping her arms around her precious mother. "I can't believe you're here... how...?"
"Mandy brought us here." Her mother said, squeezing her tightly. "I can't believe you're still alive... never leave me like that again..." Her mother told her. "Promise me. Please."
"I'll have to leave sometimes..." Sam told her. "There will still be conflicts... but I'll always keep in touch with you from now on. I promise you that." Sam told her. Gabby smiled and kissed her on the cheek before pulling her into another tight hug.
"Mommy!" Alex threw herself into Carmen's arms, hugging her tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay! I missed you!"
"I missed you too sweety..." Carmen told her. "I love you..."
Stella approached Clover with her arms across her chest. Clover watched her walk up with a curious expression on her face. "You makin' any money yet?" Stella asked casually.
"I'm lookin' into prospects." Clover shrugged coolly. In a moment however they both smiled and moved into a warm embrace.
Mandy watched all of this from the middle of the field, still standing beside the charred remains of her teacher and lover. The rain was quickly washing away the ashes left behind, but suddenly a soft wind picked up and blew across the field. Mandy looked down as a handful of ashes were swept up from the Scamlar substance, floating through the air in little circles around Mandy's body before slowly being carried up toward the sky.
"Thank you..." Mandy's voice cracked as she spoke, with tears brimming in her eyes. She waved after the specks of ash as they ascended in the air, flying higher into the sky than they probably should have been able. Mandy looked down at the charred remains in front of her. The battle was won... the people were free. Now was a time of celebration... but she didn't really feel like it. So she fell to her knees beside the remains and lowered her head, closing her eyes in deep thought. While the others celebrated, she meditated...
And the rain continued to fall.
TO BE CONTINUED
