...I can't figure out anything witty to say. Except that this chapter will be done as well as I can.

Now, as you read this chapter, turn on some battle music. It can be any music that fits the mood. 'Numb', 'Breaking The Habit', and 'Session' by Linkin Park are good.

Ranma Higurashi: Okay!

almostinsane: I just figured it out. Were you really trying to hypnotize me?

nooneimportant: Hm...looks like you stopped at Chapter 6. If you liked that, you'll really like chapters 7-19.

Chapter 18: The Final Battle, Part 1

Numbuh 1 tried to run with the others, but he found it hard to keep on. He was looking behind himself the entire time, trying to see what Father was doing to Amber, and vice versa. But they had dissapeared into a whirl of fire. He couldn't see what they were doing.

He reached the Treehouse last. When he did, he was out of breath. "Okay," he said hopelessly. "All of you, get to MedLab. Whichever operative is the least hurt, tend to the others."

"But-what about you? What about Amber?" Leona looked worried.

"I'll call Global Command and tell them to get down here. To bring all the best operatives. We'll need all the help we can get. As for Amber..." He trailed for a bit. "She'll...distract Father. We'll go back to her in a bit." His words were heavy with regret. "Now...go."

"Yes, sir!" They ran to MedLab as Numbuh 1 called Moonbase.

"Numbuh 1!" Numbuh 86 shouted. She was in pajamas."You need backup?"

"YES!" Numbuh 1 shouted. "I need as much as you can give.Gather them on Father's lawn. You'll see why when you get there."

"Okay..." Numbuh 86 said uncertainly. "KIDS NEXT DOOR! ALL REPORT TO DOCKING BAY! MAJOR EMERGENCY AT SECTOR V!" She cut the transmission.

Numbuh 1 looked away from the now-snowed monitor. "Please, hurry." He shuffled over to Medlab.

Amber tried to go higher. Past the clouds, the atmosphere- anything to escape from Father. But Father seemed to be all-seeing. Every dodge she took, he would snap over. He seemed intimidating enough when she was in submission to him, but now he was invincible. Horrible. Unstoppable.

The battle was enitrely in midair. The skies were scorched red with the combined fury of the father and the daughter. The moon was directly overhead. It was midnight, but it looked like a sunset- intimidating, awesome, and way too red.

As the battle raged, Amber found herself weakening. She may have good on her side, but Father was more experienced with his powers. Amber had only found them yesterday, and in her undelightfulized state, she wasn't very in control of her flying. Her blasts and object control were still average, though. This gave her an advantage, as Father didn't have object control (why not? Don't ask me).

She punched. He dodged easily. She willed rocks to smash him. He melted them like candle wax. She blasted him. He absorbed it. It was like fighting Chaos in FF1. Way too frustrating for someone as impatient for freedom as Amber. She almost felt like giving up.

She also felt Father grabbing onto her ankle.

"Oh, hurry up!" Numbuh 1 said, banging on the keyboard. He was afraid. He had never confronted such a problem. What had started as a gesture of kindness to a friend had escalated into that freind fighting the one thing she was afraid of, everyone covered in their own toil, and, doubtless, big trouble with their parents. Parents that didn't understand.

"Numbuh 1!" Numbuh 5 said. She ran into the main room. "All pateints in MedLab and recovering. Is backup coming?"

"Yes."

"Mmm." She looked away. "Y'know, Numbuh 1?"

"What?"

"Well, y'know where I got the coordinates? For the breakin thing?"

"Uh, no."

"They were from Cree. She gave them willingly. But Numbuh 5's not too sure why. It could have all been a trap. My sis just don't help us like that."

"That IS suspicous," Numbuh 1 said. "We'll deal with it later. Right now, Amber needs us!" He snapped on an intercom. "Kids Next Door-and Michael, Daniel, Leona, and Lenny-BATTLE STATIONS! We're going back for Amber!"

Numbuh 5 smiled. "Said like a true kid, chief." She ran to take off her MedLab outfit.

Meanwhile, an entire battalion of Kids Next Door members landed on Father's lawn. As they looked up, they saw the losing struggle overhead. Their first thought?

"Who the heck is that?"

Bye! -SP