Dark Retribution

by Sestren NK

Story II of the Dark Nemesis Trilogy. Using mind control to make them fight to the death failed. I survived, but what must be done requires for the manipulation of everyone I know. No one will see it coming. KR.

21. 20: Abhorrence

Chapter 20: Abhorrence

Before we start, any and all similarities to characters, groups and other real life entities are purely coincidental. Duh. Have fun with the rest of Val's rant, including more weirdness, sliding on the rating, and more stuff that'll mess with your head if you choose to believe it.

I know I went a little low with a specific joke last chapter, but when just about every girl you meet is open about such information, the disturbing feeling is haunting. Well, for me anyway. Again, my apologies to anyone offended. On with the show.

---

"No way, that has got to be a fake."

"Read the date, K. Long before you started high school."

He was right. Upon further inspection, Kim realized that the card was identical to a real CIA identification card, even if she and Ron went there once. It wasn't a pleasant experience as she remembered, due to the people working there refusing her help because of her age. It didn't help that Ron was beating the heck out of the snack machine because it ate his money.

It was authentic all right.

Val continued. "You two started in the second year of middle school on your own free will. But unlike everyone else, you weren't hired out by anyone, you didn't have a boss or anything, and you didn't even need to fill out a resume. But guess what? Every other person in the field had to, except for yours truly."

"Get to the point, Val," Kim demanded.

His attention was on Ron. "I started out much younger than you. In fact, my martial arts abilities weren't there for show, it was because my father and grandfather wanted our family to mean something, since my father was a bit of a lowlife. So my grandfather took me out to train all over the world, and my abilities caught the attention of some black suits. They thought they found the 'second best' of teenage warriors. I quickly grew to become more powerful than many martial artists of the world, my skills in infiltration were second to none… so they said, and I had the reflexes of a jaguar. They took me in and trained me further, which they would soon later regret. Three years later, at fifteen, they unleashed me into their world to get a piece of the action. I was just some young agent, no more than a weapon with hand strings attached. Just like you, Kim, I wanted to help people and live a normal life. But unlike you, I had to keep my identity in the dark."

"Secret Identity thing, huh?"

"Of course, to protect those I cared about, something I figure you would have seen to protect your family and friends. But before I went out there, I was given a partner; the best there was in the industry, only a year older than I was. She was pretty, young, feisty, extremely intelligent, and far more skilled than I'll ever be. She was everything you are, and a hell of a lot more, Kim. Everyone knew her by her codename, 'Sapphire Cypher', but I knew her by her real name, Enya Fayce. Together, we took down threats much worse than everything you've dealt with, thwarting maniacs who couldn't figure out the puzzle on the back of the cereal box. Enya and I took down drug dealers, weapons smugglers, sex offenders, prison escapees, the worldwide mafia, and we took back stolen weapons and even destroyed some if they were in the wrong hands. We were the best there were at the time, but we didn't exist. Our existence was never known to the public, and we were worldwide. You were taking down evil babysitters while Enya and I were taking back recovered nuclear warheads. She wasn't a hero by your standards, but she was the best there was, and I didn't even know her for a full year. Everything I know - martial arts, technology, hacking, weapons, vehicles, explosives, tactical maneuvers, stealth infiltration and assassination, everything people in this world want to know, but are too lazy or afraid to pursuit - was taught to me by a high school student who didn't officially exist. That shouldn't be a surprise considering we had a fiery cheerleader at the same age saving the world from all sorts of World Domination issues."

"So where is Enya now?" Kim asked.

Val stood silent for some time before continuing, ignoring the question. "It was only a little over three years ago that we received an assignment that would change everything. Because of the 9/11 threat still causing panic, a bunch of media bias bull from outside America, and political parties acting like a bunch of drunken frat boys fighting over the last beer or sorority girl who had been dead for the last hour, we actually received an order from one of the big wigs as opposed to 'The Bosses'. We were planning to invade Iraq for various intelligence purposes, but the story being delivered to the public was WMDs, which was also the story being delivered to the troops. They had everything planned out, though – look for WMDs in an invasion, and whether we find them or not, turn the country into a democracy. Unfortunately, you can't inform the public the latter as a reason for invasion. You have a bunch of people who don't know the ins and outs causing a violent up rise. They needed to make sure they weren't making a mistake, and they didn't want the enemy to find out, either. So they needed an agent and a soldier. Personally, I declined, but Enya didn't. She was orphaned on 9/11, and she was prone to vengeance, wanting to get her little hands on any terrorist involved. They allowed her to do everything but take part of the Afghan War, but they wanted her to take part in this."

"So you went…" Kim guessed.

"I was in no position to restrain her. She never got anything she wanted, she just followed orders. The government gave her everything, but to her, things like money meant nothing. So, we packed up, and landed on the border near Iraq. We were ambushed right as we landed, and I didn't even have to hand her a weapon before she was off, bathing herself in their blood. I wish more women would react the way she did when she was called an 'infidel'. Unfortunately, it didn't last long, as someone launched a missile that struck between us. Believe me, the rest wasn't pretty. If you thought those pictures from the detention cells were bad, what they did to us was pure torture. We weren't POWs, we were hostages. And before you even think about it, there is no Geneva Convention there, and it's pretty obvious no laws, rules or morals of war apply. They didn't demand information, they did it for fun. They enjoyed all of it, especially on Enya's account. Finally, after five weeks of that hell, they placed us under a camera and put gunman behind us. One had a sword."

The couple really didn't like where this was going.

"They had all left the room to make sure there was no support team for us, but Enya had the strength to speak, something I could barely do. She told me that she was known not to work well with others, and there was a reason she didn't find someone else. She liked me. She liked me liked me. But unlike me, she didn't join of her free will. She wasn't American, so her parents trained her to be a weapon, and sold her to the land of the free. Want asylum? Bring a powerful weapon. You would think it was a sick act, but she did it willingly. She wanted to give her parents a better life, even if she had to die, and she learned to fall in love with our country, but she hated those who run it…"

Kim groaned. "Tell me this isn't some crap about the president. I've heard it so many times I'm growing sick of it."

You would too if you were called in for an emergency just to find out you were duped to join some protesters. It also didn't help that more often than not, it wasn't something Kim or Ron found protesting about, not when other people in the world really needed them.

Val shook his head. "Not at all. But anyway, she told me that she knew she was going to die, but she wanted me to move on. She was in love, but death was entreated as well. To her, one life ending would mean one life living. Now that her parents were dead, she had no one to go to. I was her only partner, and she told me that at first, with how unshaven I was, she wasn't sure if she had a respectable partner, but it turns out I respected her as a human being more than her parents did, and she loved them much more. She was a good friend, but I wasn't going to prevent her from making a decision and going with it. But the moment didn't last, as those barbaric heathens came back. I'm sure you remember those pieces of footage on the news where… well, you already know. So we spoke the lines given to us at gunpoint, and those sons of bitches promised that they'd let us go. But afterward, they put the knife up to Enya's neck and were ready to carve away. I could remember her last words: 'Fight well'. It was a code we had. My response to that would have been 'Die Beautiful'. And she did, but not as I would intend. She managed to bite the knife and use it against the guard, killing him, grab his gun, and shot three of them in the crotch. The place instantly turned into a hellhole, but armed with only a gun. She probably killed about twenty of them before I witnessed one bullet make its way through her skull. Her death was quick and probably painless. She wasn't going to give those assholes the glory of her death, not without taking out some of her own. She fell in a gunfight, but not before she fired one more round that hit my handcuffs. Whoever was still alive would have her way with her, but not on my watch…"

"You can't be serious, Val," the auburn-headed captive said with clear disgust in her voice.

"I don't pull this stuff out of my ass, Kim!" Val yelled, but slid his finger across the scar that covered his forehead and left eye. "How else do you explain this battle wound? Or did you think it was some act of self-infliction in high school?"

Kim couldn't answer that.

"So how did you get out of that one?" Ron asked.

"Enya taught me that if you had to run from a fight, it was best if you could still take names. Dying for the name of millions is one thing, but dying while taking down millions is something else. To her, escaping without taking any of the enemy down was the way of a coward. I had already killed several people in my life, and I had just turned sixteen. The most important person in my life died before my eyes, and those terrorist dogs only bloodied her body further. What they don't tell you on the news is that these guys drink the blood of their victims, but I wouldn't allow for it one bit. So, with my handcuffs broken, they had no idea that I was going to give them the ride of their life. At first, you might think she left me to die, but she wanted me to finish the real job, and she knew I was capable of doing it, more than she was. I managed to snap the executioner's neck and stole the sword, and I gave them the worst death they could imagine. There was a reason that tape was never shown, because I killed all of them, and I didn't do it quickly, either. I hacked off every one of their limbs, from joint to joint, and I let them bleed to death. They were screaming, but I didn't feel any shame. I finished it off by shredding their heads like salad. I wanted any other terrorist bastard that was going to enter the room to see what was coming. Unfortunately, I had strict orders to return immediately, and like a puppet, I followed them without asking."

Kim and Ron were speechless, and perhaps queasy.

"My sentiments exactly. My orders were to see if that area had WMDs, and I told the government that they did, the whole region. A few months later, the invasion began."

Kim was appalled. "So you lied to them?"

"Lied to them? Don't be a fool! Every one of those demon terrorists are a weapon of mass destruction. Of course, as an observer, I wouldn't expect you to know any better."

"So you're blaming the administration and taking revenge on them?" Kim guessed.

"The administration of the president? Hah! Administrations are only so temporary, but everybody else, senators, congressmen, judges and the like have been there for ages, generations even. Administrations have little to do with anything these days. It grows less with each presidency."

"Okay, really sad story…" Ron commented. "But I wanted to know how you went from one side to the next."

Val sighed. "Well, I returned to America with Enya's body, and I was given all of her belongings; money, medals, weapons, and personal belongings. At first, I thought that I had no right to try to change her mind about choosing to die, because she always knew what was best for herself and anyone. But later, on the way back, I got dangerously depressed. I felt that maybe I should have done something against her own will, and maybe we could survive the hell together and still complete the mission. I felt that I not only failed her as an apprentice… a partner, but as a friend. So, I talked to my superiors, The Bosses, about taking a break, but they were more concerned with mission details. They didn't give a damn that one of their best was lost, they didn't care that a friend died. The only thing that they gave a damn about was the information I escaped with. Out of all the people in the government I had to work for, I got two of the most heartless people in the industry. I never thought two sen-… The Bosses could actually work in there. They didn't work there so they could help people; they were more focused on their power and ego. These were the kinds that exercised their so-called power by whining and bitching about everything that was going on inside and outside the country, but contributed to absolutely nothing to help stop it. They didn't care that Enya was dead, and I could see it in their eyes why that was. They hated the girl, and she sure as hell hated them back. She followed orders from two people she despised the most, and only because she could turn the mission into something that would benefit people. Often, we would go out into poor countries and hunt down slave owners, but Enya would usually give all of her rations and water to poor children. Sometimes she forced me to do the same… well, frequently, but she fought for what she believed in, not to be a tool of the government, one that didn't know she was fighting for the people. She sat through many lectures, was often blamed for things going on, yelled at for 'jeopardizing the mission' when she did nothing of the sort. Those two assholes gave her hell. And you know what they did other than their 'professional' work? The Bosses spent taxpayer's money to get themselves drunk beyond belief and hire prostitutes, only to be on the news the next day exercising their power by complaining, and a lot of money went to the news networks to make them look like the good guy. That's something Enya deserved to be known as, as well as the best there ever was."

Kim shook her head. "Surely they would've been caught by now – 'The Bosses'."

Val was quick to counter. "Not when your family's name is a legacy and the other is a feminazi, well-trusted by everyone in the UN."

Kim had two names cross her mind, but she noticed that he didn't name names, and for a reason.

Val sighed as he continued. "She was actually the most pessimistic human being on earth, but she was the greatest; a true friend, a better mentor than even Sensei. She didn't get a funeral like I did, and she deserved it better than I did. I wanted to get away for some time, and they didn't want me to. She had left a will behind, only confirming further that she specifically wanted me to have everything that was hers. It also said that if she wanted her remains to be spread across the sea near her home, and I was more than honored to fulfill that wish. But the way it was worded, it was like she completely anticipated her death. Turns out she wanted me to use that as an excuse for me to get away from everything; since that was the only reason those grave robbers would allow me some free time. Instead of returning immediately, I found someplace in Kentucky to stay in, some trailer park trash place that's the last place you want. I continued to become more depressed, even becoming a chronic alcoholic at sixteen."

Ron sighed. "Dude, you know what they say – it only gets you more depressed."

"That was the point. Unlike the puppets in teenage society, I didn't drink to become accepted, to be cool, or some pathetic attempt to be mature; I did it so I would become so depressed that I could put a gun to my head. Alas, it never happened, but I wanted an escape, and I even built a small shrine of her things to honor her memory. But one day, where a clip of ammo would be in her favorite assault rifle, a book fell. Her diary. I knew she was smart, but the details were haunting. It consisted of nothing but angry thoughts, hatred towards humanity and those who truly controlled the people, including some extremely deep thoughts about life, even some… disturbing thoughts about me… probably something you and R- Scratch that, definitely something you and Ron have had thoughts on."

Kim blushed in embarrassment, but Ron had other things on his mind.

"Dead at only sixteen… wow."

"A month away from her birthday, no less."

"But isn't something like that illegal, having a teen soldier be in terrorist locations without warnings?" Kim asked. "Everything you just mentioned breaks so many laws…"

"Absolutely, but The Bosses could rewrite laws exclusively for themselves, and even those who can work for them, but Enya and I had no such interest. She knew her politics a hell of a lot better than most of those politicians who refuse to shut up on TV. They put her in a war situation because they feared she was too powerful, much like a fiery cheerleader I know today. But as I went deeper into her diary, there were sketches of things our enemies would just die knowing about those who really control our country's state of mind… I didn't want to believe it, but I did my homework and it was all true. She wanted vengeance against some specific powerhouses, and that was why they wanted to put her up against a heartless enemy. She already had an IQ well over 210, one point less from your techno wizard Load. So, depressed, frustrated and scared of what they would have done to me, I quit like a coward and ran…"

Kim caught onto something. "But that doesn't make sense. Stuff like that shows when you head to high school, but you look just like an average guy… minus the scar and build."

"Getting there. Included in that diary were top-secret details on how to destroy The Bosses if I ever got the will to fight against them. But she didn't die wanting me to destroy them, she wanted me to move on and try to live a normal life. But of course, you couldn't do such a thing unless there was a way to remove those painful memories, so included was a map for that very purpose. The map led me to Austria, where they had a machine that would 'erase' parts your memory. A more appropriate term would be Memory 'Block', and I used it. It required nanomachines to be in your bloodstream for it to work, but I already had those injected when I was partnered with her. I didn't want to remember any of this, and we both knew that if I could live a normal life, I had to block out my memory of her. I wanted to live a true normal life, and not with the knowledge of everything I've seen. Think about it, live a normal life when you've seen death at fifteen? So once I had the memory block, and with the help of some of the good people inside the government, my existence as Valve Dive ceased to be, and I found myself starting a new school year in the halls of Upperton High as a sophomore. No knowledge of Enya, my former work as CIA and PHRND, The Bosses, not even my martial arts or weapons proficiency. Just a regular guy with a scar on his face from a 'car accident'."

Kim tried to take it all in. "And that's when you met Michelle."

Val growled at the name, now remembering it. "Correct…"

Kim shook her head. "So that explains why you never defended yourself or fought against those who made your life miserable… somewhat. But that makes things even more confusing. If you said you didn't know your martial arts abilities, everyone who did wrong against you still suffered right after high school."

She sighed as she realized Nev's information on Val wasn't exactly accurate. "Never mind."

Val seemed to disagree. "No, you were getting there. I'm sure Nevren told you that my ancestors practiced witchcraft that almost quadrupled the effects of Karma. That part is definitely true, at least to the best of my knowledge."

"So why was it when we met you that you knew everything about your martial arts?"

Val jet out a weak chuckle. "The batteries on the nanomachines started to finally die after I graduated, since most of those in the government require a cleansing and reinsertion every two to three years in their nanos. I'm no exception. But everything didn't come back in one day. My fighting capability was the first thing to return, shortly after I graduated a year earlier than everyone."

Kim groaned. "I so don't understand nanotechnology."

Val smiled at Kim's confusion. "You see, memory block is a digital medium, almost like holding specific memories in folders. When things are hidden and recovered, it's not exactly scrambled and random data. Vaguely putting it, you usually remember moments in life in categories, and that's how the memory block does its job. It found my memories on Enya, any and all things related, including battle experience, training, infiltration, weapons and martial arts training, my knowledge at the CIA and PHRND, The Bosses, affiliates and enemies, etcetera. Every person, location, event, state of mind and physical condition I experienced in those years were 'blocked' out. However, you could choose an exception, provided you have what it takes to bribe the scientists. The one thing I didn't block out was my obsession for the ultimate challenge, hoping that would aid me in life. I figured if you could crave a challenge at school and a job, you could achieve much in life… Funny, even though I tried to block out who I really was, including my past, I quickly became obsessed with the 'new' powers that were coming back to me after graduation. I still turned out to be an asshole, an arrogant one at that, seeking fun at the expense of two other teenage heroes, just because their affection for one another became their prime weakness, and it cost me a damn hand."

"I get it…" Kim thought out loud. "That explains why your background information was so limited to us, because you told Nev the information about yourself with most of your knowledge blocked off. But when we fought you, the electric shocks must have destroyed the nanomachines and reversed the mind block. It wasn't the real you we were fighting…?"

There was a brief moment of silence before someone would talk.

Val chortled to himself. "Amazing that we first met in such conditions, isn't it? Enya and I had heard so much of the world famous Kim Possible, and I wound up meeting the girl, only to fight her out of anger and jealousy. Incredible, isn't it?"

Kim would've rubbed her forehead if she could move. "This is just beyond anything on the weirdness scale. But something else still bugs me…"

Val crossed his arms. "Name it."

"Why did you really save us? Was it shock therapy like Ron said, was it because you were coming back to your senses? I can't crack it."

Val took the moment to pop his neck in a few places. "Probably both. Have about ten or twenty thousand volts of electricity go through your body, and giving you memories you once forgotten. It could have been an act of mental instability, and perhaps not. Don't get me wrong, I remember our encounter perfectly as if it were yesterday. But like I said, you were just supposed to believe I wanted you dead. If you were to ask me this several months ago, I would've told you that I only fought you just so I could tell myself I defeated the great Team Possible. Had I won the battle, the same results would have occurred. I'd take the fact that I beat you two to the grave, while you two escaped and dealt with your own problems. But since I lost, proven completely wrong that your relationship wasn't just a pretty little drama rebound from the drone, grade A material in disguise, that wouldn't be just reason for you two to die. Honestly, even now, I find it hard to explain. I don't just kill for my own selfish ambitions, you know. I'm not that undignified. If there's one thing I learned from our previous encounter, it was that not all couples were worthless people just exposing every single one of their vulnerabilities. Back in high school, people got together for the most shallow or idiotic reasons. I was probably the only guy who believed in love, that emotional feeling that warms your blood by holding someone you care about, and knowing they feel the same for you."

Kim had to ask, with curiosity in her eyes. "We taught you otherwise?"

"No. You only taught me that there were exceptions to the game. You hear more about rapes, teen pregnancies, murder, divorce and STDs than love stories that aren't in the movies. Then again, what do I know about 'love'? I convinced myself I really fell in love with a nice girl in high school, and we both changed horrendously at the same time. She lost herself, and as a result, so did I. I only blame her for everything about love being a good thing. But now that I've seen you two, the phrase 'results may vary' applies here."

It was weird for both Kim and Ron to hear these kinds of words from someone who masterminded a hellacious trip around the world, while suspended by wires on a demolished floor.

Kim sighed. "So instead of leaving everything behind and starting all over again, you still decided there was still a fight to be fought."

Val just tilted his head as he continued walking around the room. "That was the one thing I did not anticipate from the Memory Block. You would think that your enemies would be kept tamed by the government, but when you wake up from a long slumber, you find out that they're already well on their way to real world domination! And the best thing? Nobody has a clue. And we're not talking about just ruling over the world and having everyone bow down to you… no, it's far worse than that. Even if I wanted to run away, there would be no point. You see, when you enter the business, Kim, it's a one way trip. You're trapped, and you'd better play by the rules if you want to live. Even after I left Yamanouchi after Sensei's rejection, I was often attacked by former-heroes-turned-mercenaries. The legacy of a hero lasts forever, but the hero him or herself does not. Often, they'll go insane from the gifts given to them, whether it's power or abilities. Or perhaps they find out the truth to what they've really been fighting for and lose it. Most are just people who got bored of the business and want to challenge you to a one-on-one duel because they want to see who's the best. There's a catch, however. This isn't a sparring match or a game where you honor your enemy. They want to kill you or be killed by you. It's not for personal gain, or for sport, it's a death wish. I killed many people in such fights, as did Enya, but as you can see, even though I told myself I wouldn't hunt down someone for the thrill of a fight, to kill or be killed, you can see I've broken that promise. That's what interested me in you at first, Miss Kimberly Anne, and I see you have the same thrill in your blood."

Kim almost laughed. "What, you're telling me down the line I'm going to become like that? So not!"

"Going to become like that?" he cackled. "No, not at all. News flash, Kim: it's already happening! You won't go down without a fight, you won't let someone else be better than you, and you have to get your villain. I was the exact same way. You also love challenges, and it won't be long before you become jealous at who's number one, the top of the food chain, etcetera. Or perhaps you already are."

"Whatever. I know I'm not going down that road."

Val wasn't buying it. "I told myself the same thing, but I can see it's already in you, Kim. I'm not telling you this to provoke you. I'm telling this to you because you can't see it or you're CID."

"Clearly in denial…" Kim guessed. She still wasn't too good with acronyms these days.

Val continued. "Think about it; the beating you gave me when I put Ron under mind control for the first time, when you knocked Shego into the Bueno Nacho HQ Communications Satellite Tower, several fights with those Ice Shadow posers, the fight with the Fafnir, and lastly, the fight with the Hind? You had the exact same thrilled look written all over your face. The blood was in your eyes, and the curve was on your lips. Your face reflected so much vivacity. Everyone loses themselves in the adrenaline rush, and you are no exception. You weren't doing any of that because it was necessary or because it was the right thing to do, or that it had to be done. You were getting a thrill out of it. Don't bother denying it, because you smiled, and you know you did."

Ron noticed Kim had her head hung. She couldn't counter it. She didn't realize it at the time, but knew Val was telling the truth.

"You know, K, no one but you is preventing yourself from being a lethal killer, and you have everything it takes to be one. You've tried to restrain and hide the 'drama' for so many years, but it caught up with you on Prom night, and more so on this current mission. Now, you've tried to bottle up any kind of grief and hatred you've had toward anything since, and that's coming back to you as we speak. There's a hidden hatred inside of you, Kim. You nearly killed Shego that one night, and the smile you had on the news was a clear indication that you enjoyed it."

Kim sighed. "That was the footage that got you interested in coming after us."

Val smiled at her. "Disappointingly, I was treated to a teenager in love, but as I soon found out, you had no less hatred than I do, and no less powerful. You see, we really are alike. We're determined as hell to finish what we start, everything needs to go our way, we take names, we love challenges, and we both save the world in our own ways. Heck, even I don't care about things like money. I am everything you are, and you are everything I am. You are the hero of light, and I was the hero of dark. The only fact is, Kim, darkness exists without the existence of light, but light cannot exist without darkness. If you don't get your head in the game, if you can not prepare yourself for the supernatural, forbidden sciences and technologies; the very things you could never imagine to exist - even in your wildest dreams and nightmares - you won't last for a second in the real world. You are indeed powerful, worthy of your popularity and status, but you are not without your insecurities; the one fatal flaw that will destroy you. A war isn't coming, Kim. It's already here, but you're not ready for it. And let's face it, you both still have your fears, and we all know that fear is the mind killer. You'll run into millions of people, heroes and villains alike, who know no fear. Such a trait makes them invincible, almost immortal…"

Ron scoffed. "'Hero of dark'?" It was clear he wasn't paying attention much to every word.

"Not every hero thrives on mercy, philanthropy, and pacifism," their host replied calmly as he kept his eyes glued on Kim. "I will admit; you're one of the few who lives entirely what you believe is right. You've kept your body pure, you haven't tried experimentation with dangerous substances… Hmm… With that said, I take my word back on you being a tool. You haven't sold yourself out to popularity, and you weren't so concerned with fitting in or was desperate to. Nice work."

"Thank you," Kim said with no amusement.

"You're welcome," Val warmly replied. "But you're a rare breed of heroes, Kim. I just wonder how long you can last. You couldn't kill a child that wasn't human, but you could kill an old rival, a woman in a Judgment, and someone armed with a Hind. If you look at the ratio, Kim, you'll be a killer in no time. But Stoppable… my, he's a pure one. His mind is still like an innocent child, ignorant of everything the world has to offer… but thanks to the cliques at Middleton, I'm pretty sure he knows there are such things as ungrateful people, rude people, stupid, ignorant, rebellious, annoying… news flash, kids, it exists in the real world. And Kim, I hope you thought it wasn't over with Cousin Bonnie. If she could send your esteem to the ground with a few words just about cheerleading and school, you haven't truly met anyone yet. If you remember, I was treated like Ron in my high school years, and Enya was as well in her middle-school and early high school years… what was there, anyway. Guess what? We were both seen as a threat. Ron was able to restrain himself with his optimistic view of life, but such things got you stressed out, and would bother you for days. But to no surprise, you tried so hard to hide it. The truth is, you hold grudges just as I do, Kim. You have the anger and hatred deep inside of you to become a powerful threat. You know, I also read in Enya's diary that I was partnered with her because they thought I was an equal danger as she was, at least in terms of physical prowess. She was targeted to be destroyed, as was I, and no doubt about it, you too, Kim."

Ron grunted. "How come I'm always left out of the picture?"

Val chuckled. "Oh, you're not. As a matter of fact, I've seen the Nail of the Dragon. That move is only built up by your own rage, and you must have a hell of a lot of it if you can do it without suffering a concussion."

"Nail of the Dragon?"

"Nail of the Dragon, a lethal foot stomp that can destroy anything in its path."

"Not ringing a bell."

"Your skin turns into another color while you send your foot downward to destroy the ground?"

"Nuh uh."

Val groaned as he had to swallow his pride. "That Akira-style move where you turn blue and slam your foot and everything goes boom boom."

Ron's eyes shined. "Ah, yeah, that one."

Both Kim and Val rolled their eyes.

"Well, that move can only be performed by controlled anger, making it obvious that you too have a bad side. But unlike Kim, you won't deny it and you can control it. You won't deny any of your flaws; you accept them. You're also aware of them in combat, as I've seen and experienced before. And I saw what happened when you took out the Stealth Series Mechs."

The last of them.

"You mean when I got this strange feeling and went berserk?" Ron asked.

Val nodded. "That 'strange feeling' as you put it, is a rare moment where your own martial arts capabilities take over your body."

Kim didn't know what to make of it. "This I gotta hear."

"I will warn you, it's weird," he joked.

"Weird me even more already."

Val took the moment to pause. "Actually, so far the real reason for it remains unexplainable, but some of the most experienced martial artists in the world sometimes feel possessed by their own abilities, sometimes controlling their actions or generating an urge to fight. There's no official name for it, while I use the term "Blood Berserker Rage," since it happens to me often. It didn't happen in our last battle, so pray that it doesn't this time. And before you get any ideas, it wasn't mind control on Ron earlier."

"But I've never felt anything like that before…" Ron finished. "Not during any of our battles…"

"Since the Mystical Monkey Power in you is in your blood, it could have increased the adrenaline level to a high extreme, although that's little more than a hypothesis than anything. It might not even have anything to do with it at all. Surely you've seen the term "Blood Rage" be used just about everywhere these days: Novels, video games, movies, card and strategy games, fanfictions, and fan art even. Word even says that there are times where the victim never recovers from that state, but they usually die shortly after due to their heart and brain not being able to keep up with their dangerous blood pressure. While we're on the subject of rage, although yours is also dangerous, as demonstrated earlier tonight, it's nothing compared to Kim's. You may actually prove to be a better hero. Your skills have actually seen excellent progression since the day you two got together. I bet no one in high school would expect you to evolve so quickly after high school."

Kim had no idea if Val was being honest or was just tugging at her nerves, since most of the bad guys these days tried to make it sound like Ron was superior and that she was nothing. He clearly caught a glance of her face.

"You know how I know this, Kim? This entire exercise was nothing more than a test, to see how easy it is to destroy you through your mind. Ferno and Yori were brought in – as you guessed – as a way to throw you off. Both pretty, both lethal, but like you, not without their own weaknesses. Ferno's stubborn and runs into the line of fire, while Yori's prime weakness is her own emotions, constantly questioning them due to the fact that she was raised to fight and be calm, but not to love. Poor fool was raised in another world than ours, free of technology and politics, the things that make this world go round more and more by the day. You had heard of blood being drained only in the movies, but I did it to the Forefathers to distort your perception of reality. The same was done with the Bio-Mechs, and also because I had further knowledge of your opinion of artificial humans. The syntho-drones were disgusting, even before you knew you were dating one, and the Bio-Mechs were the next level… yet at the same time, completely obsolete. Ron's played so many games and watched so much TV such things don't really shock him, but you're another story."

Much like Ron, Kim was only paying attention to keywords in Val's rant. "Wait? What? You sent obsolete mechs after us?"

"I predicted that you and your team would find out their weakness, and in reality, they were no less destructible than the syntho-drones. Yes, I didn't expect for them to succeed in killing you at all, even though they were programmed to destroy you, beat you to a bloody pulp, and even ensure nothing was left, not even a blood stain. I even messed up on the programming and told a few to eat you after they were done, but one of the other teams handled them. But you managed to defeat them all too easily. And to think that the communist militaries of the world believe they can simply order the best soldiers in the world from a catalog… foolish men. Our technology is good, but we're not at the level where we can digitize human souls into them, and that's why they fail. It's not the construction of the body, nor the knowledge and experience that allows one to succeed in battle, but the spirit."

"Wise words – maybe you should heed your own advice," Kim rudely replied.

Val was quick to brush her comments away. "I lost interest in the project, knowing that right now we couldn't succeed. Over forty years of research, testing, development and execution – destroyed within a couple of hours. Any other method than using you to destroy them would have been too expensive. Besides, I thought you would enjoy the challenge of it."

"Enjoy fighting for my life? No thank you. Let me see if I've got this: You mass produced them only for us to destroy them?"

"No, they were mass-produced from a long time ago, not just recently."

"You said Nev didn't deliver the right story on them, either…" Kim realized.

"Right. You see, the artificial human soldier project, as it was known as back then, was just a smoke screen. If word leaked to the public, people would buy it and accept it. Back then, the concept of cloning was only in novels and low budget science fiction films. But it didn't start out as some cloning project in all reality. The real purpose of it was to find a way to merge technology into human bodies."

"What? Oh, that's just gross."

"You're really not a fan of humans not born by nature, are you Kim?"

"No way whatsoever," she quickly confessed.

"Then you'd be surprised by what some… 'Ancient Records' indicate."

"Ancient records?"

"Yes. We're not talking about cavemen; we're talking about the first real humans on earth using biological technology on their bodies, becoming demigods."

"I haven't read anything like that in the history books…" She was quick to change her tone into a sarcastic one. "But I'm guessing that's something hidden from the public as well, huh?"

"Quite," Val replied humbly. "Could you imagine if such a thing went public? Eh, I'll get to that later. At the time of its discovery, hiding it was done to prevent the hippies of the late 60's and throughout the 70's from inflicting self-torture in an attempt to do such a thing. Oddly enough, many teenagers and adults were reported of trying to shove pieces of metal into their skin, most who died from lead poisoning, yet the records had no relevance in it. You see, Kim, the government has found records

of intelligent existence much earlier than what you know as the earliest, but they aren't as dated. As a matter of fact, they're practically in mint condition."

"So why do you think it's much earlier?"

"Because what they were made of. It took the team several years to translate the text on the organic rock, which still hasn't been officially identified and named. Several relics were collected to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and the story was astonishing. It told of a time where ancient beings, incredibly intelligent and peaceful, ruled the world in absolute tranquility. There were no wars, there were no such things as anger or hatred. It was a pure paradise. They were also able to craft anything they could with technology, which is far more advanced than everything we see today. But technology wasn't used for entertainment; it was used for the most cleverly designed buildings and to help people. There were no such things as the entertainment industry. No celebrities, no pop stars, no politicians, none of that. It was true peace, and technology was actually born into the beings, allowing them to perform things we dream of. They could fly, they were capable of superior strength, they could travel halfway around the world in seconds, but they didn't concern themselves with such things. They used their fused technology to help each other, hunt, build homes, and such."

"So it was some kind of blissful society."

"Indeed. They even indicate they worked with God himself, but he abandoned them when they became aware of the power they wielded. Once the first being was killed, everything went to hell, and it wasn't long before everything was destroyed, except for forty relics, clues as to the ancient civilization. They destroyed themselves and the entire planet. There's even a theory at the labs that indicated they blew a chunk of the earth off and that formed the moon, but that hasn't been proven."

"If what you're saying is true, then why has something like that been kept out of the public eye, even now?"

"Are you serious? We already have enough problems with human evolution, not to mention mentioning God or a greater power involved offends half the human population. The last thing we need on this planet is another religion, especially one that tells the story of humans and machines being one. The public wouldn't understand it at all, not to mention they'd kill to find the relics, the only pieces of their technology left. For ages, scientists throughout the millennia have tried to duplicate it. Eventually the US Government took over in an agreement with the Japanese after WWII, trade deal after the Manhattan Project. Both the Japanese and the Americans did whatever they could to discover the secrets of the ancient technology and unleash them to the world, the project being named: 'Deus ex Machina'."

"God from the machine…"

"Even today, no one has succeeded. However, the lore's story tells that if we become too powerful, if technology evolves into the single greatest power in the world, we will repeat history by destroying ourselves with our own technology. But the effort continued, until a year or two before the Gulf War. The government wanted the scientists to shift projects to create the ultimate soldier, since simply injecting them with a steroid-like chemical called "Celphius" resulted in poor hand-eye coordination, stomach problems, and massive itching between the toes and fingers."

Ron intervened. "Was there ever a cure for that?"

"Other than not to take it, no. You've heard of Celphius?" Val asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Nah, I just get some people telling me I have bad hand-eye coordination and I still have a lot of bad itching between the toes and fingers."

Kim took over. "So they just did it without asking?"

"Pretty much. When you think you're an ace with technology, you want to be able to create the next ultimate life form, to play God. Sure, they tell you they want to do it to understand human functionality better, as a ways to emulate their functions, and to cure the worst diseases and save people, but that is no more than an excuse for the public to buy. The same technology has evolved more rapidly in the last forty years, even being used in the Bio-Mechs that you killed, even on the Judgments that you fought. However, work on duplicating the ancient technology has almost ceased lately, moving onto another department, now with geeks instead of old men who don't know how to handle a computer. The lore warns of creating and opening Pandora's Box, but even with the technologies of today, it'll be a while… I'll give it about five more years…. August 2010."

Kim kept quiet. "I have a hard time believing any of what you just told me. How would you know something like this?"

Val pulled out another identification card out of his pocket, this one also with his picture on it. Valhalia E. Ryan: PHRND.

"I'm the last living member of the former Pseudo-Human Research and Development team, but I quit the same time as the CIA."

Kim was familiar with this, "The PHRND? This just gets weirder by the second."

"Oh, members of the PHRND aren't the only ones who know this. Seeing the Nevren's a cyborg, he knows of it, too."

"He can't, not if he thought the project began in a war period."

"You're wrong. He actually has a huge collection of books that contain leaked information about the ancient legacy. He just doesn't know there's a connection between the two."

Kim remembered. In his old lab in Lowerton, Nev had an odd collection of books pertaining to ancient technology. She also caught a small glimpse of a library in his new lab.

"So someone leaked it? I thought the PHRND went down."

"Hey, KP, how come you know of it?" Ron intervened.

"My dad mentioned them a few times when he vented about work," she replied calmly, as if she weren't being held captive, "Apparently some members were interested in using some of his technology for unnamed projects. After that, I heard their funding was taken and they were no more. But that was… not even a month ago."

"That was the cover story." Val continued. "The Bosses recently killed the rest in a failed attempt to find my whereabouts… Idiots. I still know how to use the technology effectively, as you can see by my arm…"

Which they couldn't since he was wearing a trenchcoat, and all the smoking holes were everywhere but the left arm.

"But the mechs were already a lost cause. You may think because they were created from the latest technology that they would prove to be more powerful, and that's what caught Elurt's attention. But even you know that the desire for too much power is a deadly flaw."

"Well put. Again, you should heed your own advice," Kim retorted.

"Perhaps you should heed a bit of your own," he groaned. "Before, you've told Ron not to be dramatic, not to think too much, get his head in the game, calm down, and not to worry. In this entire exercise, you've been extremely dramatic, you've given yourself migraines just thinking about what was really going on, you didn't get your head in the game at all, you were hardly calm, and you worried yourself to the point of losing consciousness! If you thought that was bad, that was nothing compared to the hell Enya and I went through, and you're more pissed off than I ever was."

"You think maybe it was because you weren't aware that she cared for you until she was at death's door? Don't you think things may have been different if you became a couple?"

"Bah, earth to Kim, she died before we could even reach that level!"

"That's not the point! What I'm saying is that maybe if you two did get together somehow, maybe you would know why I'm so pissed off right now."

"Oh, I know exactly why. Perhaps you didn't realize it, but I've also been spying on both of you ever since you got the call about Elurt, the mission where you two got into your first fight."

"Did you plan that one out as well…?"

"Oh, not at all. In fact, I was extremely surprised. That was the only thing that was clearly out of my power. I didn't even expect Elurt to escape, not that it changed much."

"If you didn't expect him to escape, then why did you decide to have a short alliance with him?"

"I had some unfinished personal business with the old man, but for this whole thing to work I needed someone with a huge wallet. So, I hid my identity and confronted him with a deal he could not refuse…"

---

Three weeks prior to Kim and Ron's arrival in Thailand.

Elurt was celebrating another betrayal of one of his former colleagues. Now his estate, business, and money were all his, thanks to an assassination by one of his Hands, A.

So now he was celebrating with some fine wine in his room, while his syntho-drone Hands were sitting around in clear boredom. But the party wouldn't last long, as a transmission came shortly afterward.

"Sir, we have an intruder on the base!"

"Identification?"

"He's wearing a mask!"

"Well, his fault. Kill him!"

"Sir… Attack team has already been dispatched! They've all been taken out!"

"What? How?"

"I don't know… he's not human… he doesn't have a scratch on him!"

Machine guns going off in the background could be heard.

"He's deflecting our bullets! We can't stop… no… get away… get away… GYWAAHHH-"

The transmission went dead.

Elurt slammed his walkie-talkie into the ground, which caught the attention of his loyal bodyguards.

"Find him! Kill-"

Everyone froze on sight. Whoever their intruder was had already made his way into the weapons storage room and already had a knife at Elurt's neck, using him as a shield from the Hands. He allowed Elurt to get a glance at him – a gas mask with long blonde hair.

"That's not a very nice way of treating your guests, is it?"

Elurt was trying to break free, but the intruder's grip was too strong. "Who… who are you…?"

"A name means nothing."

"Fine… then what is it you want?"

"A partnership."

The hands lowered their weapons, the same time the intruder released Elurt.

"Well…" Elurt coughed, "You've proven yourself quite well…" He quickly pulled out a semi-automatic machine gun and pointed it at his guest. "But we're not hiring."

He slowly walked aside as not to get in the line of fire from his Hands, who had already raised their machine guns. The intruder didn't appear to be surprised, afraid, fazed, nothing.

"Fire!"

With that, they all unleashed a barrage of bullets, but the bullets somehow didn't strike their target. He was doing something to block them out, but he was too fast – he was breaking the visual boundary. When it was all over, he stood with a sword in his hand and several rounds in front of him. He didn't have a scratch on him.

Elurt actually shrieked, but it was broken off when his head was suddenly engraved into the wall and had a sword at his throat.

"I didn't ask for a partnership – I demanded it. You don't have a choice here."

Elurt could barely talk. "Fine… list your demands…"

Finally, he was released and fell face first onto the floor.

"Demands? This isn't what you think it is."

"Then what is it?"

"I have an offer you cannot refuse, Frederick Elurt."

The tall man appeared to be fazed by the fact that this person knew his name, even though this place couldn't be found without that kind of information.

"I will give you the entire world."

"And that was it?" Kim asked.

---

"I had to persuade him that with his money and my 'cunning mind', that it was no impossibility to do such a thing," Val replied as he pointed both fingers at his head. "Kill several economic mob bosses, and let him take control. He bought the story too easily. With that kind of mind, I'm surprised he graduated from college. People become more intimidated when threatened by someone in a gas mask and a fake dirty blonde wig."

"And let me guess, your demands were only me, Ron, and the money to do everything you needed."

"Since he had no interest in either of you and he was more of a saver than a spender, it was not his place to protest. But after he agreed, I was in charge of the arrangements. And since his drones did their best to defend him…" he spoke sarcastically, "I upgraded them to Bio-Mechs, but he got the Basic Package. As I anticipated, you two showed up a couple of weeks later, and since his drones were still intact, I gave him the advanced package. That explains why they were more powerful in your second meeting. And the fool never kept himself in the loop…"

"Okay, another question… What was up with draining the blood from the Forefathers?"

Val tapped his foot briefly before answering. "Well, if you were paying attention to the story of the Ancients, I was still trying to see if there is a way to merge technology into humans, or the other way around. Not that I expected it to work, but one of the theories of old co-worker Sam Johnson was that if you put the blood of a highly-intelligent person into the mechs, the genes inside would merge with the AI system. Seeing as those Forefather bastards were already a true threat, I decided they would all make perfect guinea pigs, and I put their blood into Elurt's Bio-Mechs. Sixteen dictators, sixteen mechs. As you can see, Johnson's theory was way off. Blood doesn't just merge with electronic brain circuitry. I tried a reversed procedure with Nev's battle suit, and that was no more successful. We can do it to repair and replace body parts and limbs, but we cannot use human blood to duplicate or simulate mental thinking."

"And what happened to him?"

"Found in a harbor with cement boots, courtesy of The Bosses."

Ron cut in this time. "So the whole Bio-Mech project wasn't exactly popular with the big wigs in the government?"

Val shook his head. "Apparently not, but like I said before, it's not the big wigs in the government that were responsible. Again, the higher-ups knew nothing of this. It was just the people in the middle – the ones who crave the power more than anyone else. There were a few… very few who were in the middle and actually did care about the people."

"You're talking about Goldman, aren't you?"

He wasn't surprised that Kim knew of the ingoing and outgoing communication from the tower earlier.

"Yes. He was an old advisor of mine. He was also around when Enya was killed, and he was the only one I knew in the government who cared. Unfortunately, he wasn't in any position to do anything about it, and it wasn't because he was black. He's actually one of the few who doesn't throw the word 'racist' around faster than a drunken slut at a frat party. It was because he wasn't an agent or a soldier; he wasn't a pawn of theirs. They tried to turn Enya into a puppet, they tried to turn me into one, and unless you change your life, Kim, no doubt about it, you'll be turned into nothing more than a pawn, either. Same goes for Ron. And once that happens, there will be no escape. Even if you try to run away from it all, one day you and Ron will be sitting at home with your children only to have armed gunmen break into your home, just to use your services, and at the exchange of the lives of your family members. You may believe that you're in control of your destiny, but believe me when I say that you cannot escape the path you've gone on. It only gets worse and darker from hereon out, Kim."

Kim actually blushed at the thought of a family, and Val even mentioned Ron as the husband – and kids!

Val splashed some of the rain water on Kim's face to grab her attention again.

"It's happened to me various times; no doubt it'll happen to you, either."

Kim was becoming convinced of Val's story, but tried not to show it.

"The nanos in Ron? The fake nukes?"

"The nanomachines were an experiment for my own purposes, but the fake nukes…?"

"Where are they?" Kim snapped.

"Four key structures on the world. Washington, Paris, London, and the new heart of our great country, here."

"What? HERE?"

"Did I not just say that? You've heard Ferno say that the crime rate had been growing at a ridiculous rate. Soon it'll be too much for her to handle alone, and she might not even live through it. Right now this city has minimal influence from The Bosses, but it will come in time. Better to take care of it now than allow such a beautiful place to turn so vile. At the same time, I'll take out the Bosses, London to make an impression internationally, an-"

"You don't even have to explain France," Kim murmured. "But why stoop this low? I mean, not even Enya would want this!"

"SHUT UP! What the hell you know?" Val yelled. "You know nothing of her dying wish!"

Kim unintentionally did as she was told.

Val was breathing heavily at this point. "Enya's dying wish was that The Bosses all to be exposed. The only way to accomplish such a difficult task would be to do something extremely drastic, something no one would ever be capable of covering up. No, I wasn't going to life a happy life for just myself, I'll do whatever I can to bring order to the world and expose The Bosses and everyone else like them fro who they really are… To expose the truth of what's really going on, I can't allow for The Bosses or anyone else in the government, no matter which country they're part of, to cover up the truth from the people anymore. Even if I have to destroy several lives, the people – both wise and idiotic - must know. You can't cover up several deaths at one time, no matter how hard you try."

"That's insane! You're going to slaughter innocent people!" Kim cried.

Ron cut in. "You're going to take your revenge on the world because your mentor died? One falls, and everyone else must die?"

Val slyly turned his head, smiling with pure hatred.

"Nice quote, but this is no mindless slaughter. You know full well that to achieve true peace, sacrifices must be made. You're probably not surprised I also have a hatred for humanity itself…"

"Because of high school, I'll bet."

"Indeed. I'm not just concerned with taking revenge on those who were responsible for Enya's death, the ones in true power in this country; I'm more concerned with those who live in it. If there's one thing high school taught me, it's how people work. You don't learn that kind of stuff as an agent."

"What's your point?" Ron muttered.

"You'd be surprised how little people change from high school graduation to elderly age. As a matter of fact, politicians of all sides are really very similar to high school students. Not even graduates. Think about it. Many people want a new order where there is no order, they voice out their opinion without doing an ounce of research on the subject, looking like a damn fool. And even if they do, they twist the truth so it's easier for them to believe, and spread the word. They complain about things they're responsible for, they always want to develop their own rules, they're quick to judge people and actions without knowledge of their reasons… if one exists. Take censorship for example. We've all heard the argument that no one wants to see censors on violence, sex and language on television. They always say "I can decide what my kid watches." But there's two problems with that. One, the majority of those teenagers who say such a thing aren't capable of making safe decisions for themselves, thus making them anything but qualified, and secondly, the sentence starts with "I". What about everybody else? Of course, they don't care. Even I'm not that selfish."

"Oooookay. So what's the connection between that and politicians?"

"They do it reverse. Look at a politician and study his body language in his rants. Does he really care about the people, or is he trying to score political points? Have they done their proper research, do they have evidence, or do they look like they read something from the back of a cereal box? Do they speak with passion, or hate, and why? Do they feel strongly about an issue, or is it an act? What about the words they use? Is there any real reason to use hate as a means to score political points? To think such hypocrites want to run this country, and here I thought that in high school, my generation would cause the apocalypse."

"That's cool. Great, so we know you hate politicians and high school. Whoopie…" Ron retorted.

Val went on with a disgusted look in his face. "And college itself is hardly that different. Most of those places are infested with those who never take life seriously, and they never will. And to think that some people do whatever they can to get into such a place, or to even afford it, and the ones who have made it in do nothing but destroy their lives. People die young from substance and alcohol poisoning and wish to fight those who wish to do something about it. And the reason? Because they don't want people to limit their so-called freedom. Such people don't deserve the right to think for themselves…"

Kim caught onto this. "So you're saying that even with the freedom we have in this country, people still want more. Too much of a good thing is just that: Too much."

"And it sure as hell isn't free. Too much freedom isn't democracy or liberty, it's anarchy. The old fossils in the government want it, teenagers and college students want it, and the children are too young and innocent to even know. And sadly, as they continue to grow, they'll be influenced by such things and will be no different. Generation will repeat generation. Oh, some people don't even deserve free speech or freedom at all, because they're too stupid to even use it for the better. That's why this country was founded in the first place, so that new ideas that would help the people and the world would actually be put to use, and not to be blocked out by some selfish blowhard who doesn't like the idea because he loses some of his own control. Amazing how the tables have turned. Today, we see people using their freedom as excuses to kill, use others, destroy them, and fulfill their own selfish desires by breaking every moral code and rule in the book. They call it 'expression' or 'exercising their freedom'. Exercising your freedom to destroy this world further while getting a rise for you and only you… that is no different than abusing it… And to think that those who really want to make a difference for everybody are a pathetic fraction of the population… No matter where you rank, from the little people to those in the government, every human exists with the same flaws. They all want their beliefs to be the primary belief system, no matter how good or evil it is. They all still have that lust for power, and more of everything they take for granted. We take so much for granted these days, yet people still want more. They want to be able to protest against what's best for them, what protects them, no matter who's watching. Not to say that protest is bad, but lately they've been exercised more for sport than a real cause. They just want the attention for themselves. No one cares about the next generation, the babies and children. It's all about them and them alone, and if someone tells them what to do, they instantly become hateful. So what do they do? Mindlessly bash the wrong politician, and not the one that isn't different from high school students, probably the ones that annoyed the hell out of you, Ron, and me."

Both Kim and Ron's eyes narrowed.

"You see, The Bosses and most of their political friends believe that two kinds of people exist in this world. Pawns and Players."

"Followers and Leaders," Kim guessed.

"I on the other hand also believe there are two kinds of people in this world…"

Kim guessed this one as well. "People who want to help others, and those who want to help only themselves."

"Very good, my dear. You're figuring these things out."

Ron butted in. "So wait, you feel that those who are selfish to the core are ruining this planet…"

"…and those who want to help others are becoming an extinct breed? Oh, I've seen enough through the halls of the Pentagon and the halls of Upperton High to know what I'm talking about…" Val spat with disgust and anger.

"So that's what the nukes are for, huh? You're going to slaughter millions with nuclear weapons?" the red-head asked.

"The very weapons we as humans created? I would do it differently if I could. If I was capable of filtering out all of the self-centered people and those who are truly ruining the country and the world, I would flick them off the face of the planet forever, without a second chance. I don't care if it means millions or even billions… I'd be doing this world a favor…"

Kim couldn't believe her ears. "Nuclear weapons won't solve anything! The only thing that's going to happen is real chaos! You're going to initiate the third World War from it!"

"Initiate?" Val asked calmly. "There's already a war, Kim! Oh, but as an observer you would understand nothing…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"When you've been in as many fierce fights as I have, you know what it's really about. You see, society views war as two categories: Those who live and those who die. Me on-"

"Fighters and Observers?"

Since Val didn't give any hints, this actually surprised him.

"Lucky guess," Kim smiled. "But you're wrong. I'm not an observer. Seriously, I think I know what you mean. There's those who actually fight in action, and those who watch at the sidelines. I guess you're right about some things we have in common…"

"Yes. We both fight so others don't have to, but we're easily criticized by everyone. I know you have been heavily criticized by the top names in news because they think it's horrible for a little girl to be out saving the world and putting her life in danger everyday. But what do they know of your work, Kim?"

Kim sighed. "Nothing. If only they knew that I'm going out there and saving people so they can go home and sleep at night safely without worry… the real inside view than from just the outside…"

Val shook his head. "But they never will. They don't know what it's like to be in battle. Yes, people live and people die, but every day hundreds of children are born, and with an expiration date. On the other hand, millions of people die from natural causes, or suicide that isn't intended to take down others. It's only human nature. I no longer fear death, but so many people, including you and Ron, do. But everyone draws out their own conclusions by just listening to a five-minute special on the radio. What do they know about the intensity of battle? Do they care and understand our reasons? Anyone can say they do, but they only lie to themselves based on their limited knowledge of anything. They don't know how we as warriors think at all, not if they simply watch a ten-second clip from the news. Who are they to talk? It's not pretty, but you know, neither is life. It's dangerous, but so is going out alone at two in the morning. Only when the battle has come to an end does the real problem occur."

"Post-traumatic stress disorder?" Kim guessed.

"Exactly. Do you know what causes it, Kim? Because your mind is not occupied with the concept of pure battle, it wanders off into dangerous territory. But not everyone goes through it, as many who are wounded in battle, some with their own limbs; they wish to return to the battlefield, sometimes even if there is nothing to fight for. And you know what else, Kim?"

"Not everyone who wishes to fight needs a reason to. It's another story given to the public. I've heard."

"Quite right. Many of us cannot stop fighting… I cannot stop fighting. But once this is over, I'll probably be considered the worst of the worst; a terrorist and a war criminal."

"So why don't you?" Ron asked. "I mean, go back to battle in wars? Dude, if you fought the right fight, you could be like a war hero."

"Bah!" Val spat with anger. "There's no such thing… we go to fight, and we are hardly honored for it. Medals, awards, rewards and fancy buttons are nothing but decorations to me. Even if we believe we're fighting for a cause, people spit at us and instantly blame us for ceasing world peace. Idiots. There will be no such thing as true peace… a world without war… as long as there are human beings existing on this very planet… No matter your race, gender, beliefs, religion, age… we're born cursed… The only time we'd be honored as fighters is when we're worm food. Besides… I have more important matters to deal with than to fulfill my own desires. I still have unfinished business with The Bosses."

Kim was trying to struggle out of the wires. "Everything you've said isn't just The Bosses and their buddies, it's everyone!"

"That's where you're wrong, Kim darling… Do you have any idea what The Bosses have been really been planning since my retirement?"

Kim was about to open her mouth, but her lips moved to Ron's words. "No."

"World. War. Three. Do you want to know how they would achieve it? They were going to use the exact same weapons I used against you. Nuclear weapons for every capital in the country, the other Judgments-"

"Other?" Kim interrupted.

"Didn't anyone tell you? There are five in existence."

"What? Where's the last one?"

"Actually, it was supposed to be in an underground hangar near here, but it's gone missing."

"Damn…"

"So they would fight with nukes, other Judgments, their own army of Bio-Mechs, as well as their own political power. Right now they are already very close to achieving chaos, manipulating and controlling the masses through the media. They have used all of the current events to create an unregulated power struggle, already creating a civil war of ideals, beliefs, religion and morals. And they stage everything like a drama so that the people believe they're the ones responsible for their own thoughts toward such situations. What's amusing is that all sides accuse another of wanting to start a socialist society, when they're actually doing that themselves. Politicians like The Bosses aren't satisfied with the power they wield, even being able to break the ways of this country by destroying the legacy of our true founding fathers. Their vision is no longer being honored, and it's showing by disbanding some things like the Ten Commandments, The Pledge of Allegiance, and they've already had their eyes on the Declaration of Independence - the very things our founders believed in. The objective? A change in the world order: True freedom, one without rules, laws, limits, restraint or balance; chaos. People want to think that this country needs to break its traditions, to move on. The truth of the matter is, the wishes of our founding fathers, no matter their thoughts on politics or religion, must continue to exist, or the country will fall into chaos, and the world with it once it spreads like a virus."

"There's no way that can happen."

"You're wrong. They're also the reason other countries hate us, and through once again, proper manipulation through the media. Even if people caught on, they would use any and all mediums in pop culture to keep their thumbs on everyone. If they can use the media to make people loathe this country faster than Paris Hilton going for a spot anywhere in the media, they can manipulate them again to think the opposite. You see, Kim, even if people believe they are the ones in control of their choices, beliefs and opinions, usually it's by someone else's doing. Those who actually do have the mind to think for themselves, they're growing short in number by the day. The Bosses will use this influence to throw the world into the third and final World War. Governments will fall like dominoes, the people will fight amongst themselves, teenagers against adults, the selfish against the selfless, religion versus religion and politics versus politics, technology versus technology, everything. It's all been staged; Today's current events, pop culture, stories in television, movies, video games and books. Even celebrities, not that anyone cares and they're already worth nuking… Everyone's learned to hate something they don't believe in, and they'll be used like puppets. When it's all over, the earth will be no more than a desolate and chaotic planet. We'll go back in time to the days where technology did not exist. Only the survivors - leaders - will be able to shape the future."

"So now you're going to fight against them."

"Just as Enya would, but admittedly, less brutal tactics."

"Less?" Ron asked, surprised.

"Quite. One of the things The Bosses never discovered from her were plans to sabotage a space shuttle and arm it with a laser powerful enough to destroy half the planet with one blow. She only would have done it if things got out of hand, and she could have succeeded. She was willing to destroy humanity in order to save it. If there were survivors, they would be the good people who would know best for the planet, and not power hungry moguls like The Bosses or those who live only for themselves and their greedy ends. As for me, I just need for them to be exposed."

Ron shook his head. "Wait, wait wait, you think by your whole sad story about Enya that you have the right to do this?"

Val shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. Everything I told you is in no way a means to rationalize my actions or to justify my cause. If I succeed, I don't expect for anyone to forgive me. I don't need your sympathy this time. I'm not doing this just to get revenge on Enya, but rather to do the things people prevented her from doing. The world is already starting to fall apart, from society to economics, and I'll have to take out whoever I can to prevent the plans of The Bosses and all of their colleagues to come true. I would rather destroy the entire planet than to allow people live under their rule like some communist empire. To destroy the Bosses and their legacy is doing humanity itself a huge favor, a race that hardly even deserves it. If many have to die, so be it."

"And nukes are the only way?" Kim asked.

Val turned around as if ignoring her, then shot a glance at her as he tilted his head back toward her.

"It is in our nature to destroy ourselves."

He then pulled out what appeared to be the detonator, with a radioactive warning symbol on the back.

"Well, what's more important to you, Kim? Saving the world, or… saving the world? It all depends on what you choose; life or death!"

Toying with her, Val tossed the handheld device up in the air like a pen, allowing it to spin several times before he caught it and flipped it into the air again.

"Val, don't! I'm serious, don't! Ron! Do something!"

"I'm no less helpless than you are, Kim!" Ron cried. "Oh wait, Rufus! Rufus!"

The shaken mole rat popped out of Ron's pocket, shaken but alive.

"Sic'em!"

Val didn't seem impressed. "You never learn anything, do you?"

Kim and Ron watched Rufus do several consecutive backflips before he landed on the floor, almost losing his balance from dizziness. He also did some kind of karate pose to provoke his opponent, then began to charge. Everyone's eyes widened when Val cleared his throat and started…

No way, he wasn't.

Singing?

"Rock-a-bye, Rufus, in the tree top… When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come Rufus, cradle and all…"

Rufus went from running to instantly fainting, rolling into a ball and right into Val's boot. He picked up the sleeping mole rat and petted him in his hand – with his metallic hand out of all things.

"Old habits die hard, hmm? Did you forget already, or did I fail to mention that I've done all my research on both of you? I know all of the details of your life, private, school, missions, likes, dislikes, personal desires, ambitions, school records, military records, background information, ancestry, even the certificate of ownership that Stoppable has for Rufus here. Did you think everything that's happened so far happened by chance?"

Kim let out a frustrated groan.

"With the way you've been acting, Kim, you came up here not for the sake of duty, but for your own retribution for everything that's been going on. You won't be saving the world long with that attitude."

Kim blinked, "Since when could you sing?"

"Hah, I'm a lethal martial artist, a former agent for the government, I can pilot any military vehicle handed to me, and you haven't even seen me with weapons… does singing surprise you so?"

"Actually, yes. Yes it does. Despite that reality's betrayed me over and over again, that just did it. I wouldn't be surprised if this was some kind of 'Happy Birthday' celebration, and all my family, friends and enemies came together, because that's just how messed up everything's been!"

Val wasn't like Drakken in the karaoke bar. His singing voice was no less powerful than his regular voice. It was just as powerful as Kim's. Add that to the list of things they had in common. Just be glad we won't be seeing him in a cheerleading outfit anytime soon.

"You can blame those elementary school plays for that…" Val excused.

He tossed Rufus aside like garbage, right into what appeared to be just that – a scrap heap full of metal. But it wasn't part of the Hind or the building. Kim instantly recognized it as most of her equipment, but all of it was destroyed, taken apart piece by piece. Much of Ron's equipment was also thrown in there as well, including all of the weapons they brought with them, excluding one of Kim's handguns and Ron's sword.

"That's right. There's all of your equipment. Every one of your gadgets, weapons and suits have been completely dismantled, except for one of Kim's guns and Ron's sword, and now the mole rat. You won't be able to put them back together even if you try, so don't bother."

This had much more of an affect on Kim than Ron, since she relied on most of that equipment for both personal and standard mission use, not to mention how long they've been with her.

Even though Val mentioned that one lethal weapon for each was left, he had a trick up his sleeve in case they tried to use them. He had one weapon hidden on him just in case, but he looked like he was going to be true to his word – even if he had a left arm that was anything but human.

"Our last fight was not a true battle due to what was just mentioned. This will be strictly be a fight to the death."

"A fight to the death?" Kim asked. Why?

"If everything so far has been covered up by the many governments of the worlds, there's no doubt that they'll be able to cover up the Hind and probably even the larceny of the nukes. If all else fails, the one thing they won't be able to cover are the deaths of everyone's favorite teenage heroes, not if I leave enough evidence behind that leads to the Judgments, the Bio-Mech project, and everything The Bosses funded. With all your fans, no doubt they'll hunt down the truth, especially your families. I'd rather not have it come down to it, but I'll kill every other teenage hero out there if it means exposing them for what they are. Everything I just said also goes for you, Ron, so don't think I'm going to go easy on either of you. I will destroy The Bosses and their legacy by any means necessary!"

"So you did bring us up here just to fight!" Kim yelled as she struggled with the wires.

"Yes, but I also figured it would be rude to just destroy everything without giving you a heads-up. I'd rather have you die knowing you tried to do something, than failing to do a single thing about it. We will see if light or dark is a deciding factor in saving this world."

Kim grunted and thought in desperation. "Just stop while you can! Ron and I can take care of The Bosses! Just leave it to us and we'll find a way an-"

"HAH!" Val growled. "You're so predictable. I just knew you were going to say that. But I can't let you get near them. At all."

"What's the reason this time?"

"Let me put it this way; there's no way in hell you'll be able to set a foot near them if you can't defeat me."

"And what makes you so sure I can't?" she challenged.

"Your so-called Kimposure." he quickly replied. "If you cannot learn how to maintain it given everything you've gone through, you are worthless and your cause is lost. However, I have been proven wrong in the past…"

"Ever think this is one of those moments?" Kim smiled with a sly curve in her narrowed eyes.

"Key word being proven, Kim," he mock-lectured. "Prove me that I'm wrong, and let me see what you are really made of…"

Val made a tossing motion with his arms, and both Kim and Ron were suddenly released. He wasn't surprised one bit to see that after untangling themselves, they were anxious to get up and ambush him, just to get the detonator away from his hands. Despite that they were slipping on the wet floor, they approached much faster than he anticipated.

Just as Kim's fingernail was an inch away from the detonator, Val released a kind of spinning kick that sent one leg high in the air, like a round blade, knocking Kim back where she started. As for Ron, Val released his other leg in the same motion, knocking him straight into Kim. If you could trace the motion on paper, it would come out to a perfect circle.

He crossed his arms as he landed on the edge of his toes. "A decisive battle is the only way, you two."

But his finger was nearing the button.

"If you two are just going to use desperate moves, there's no point in a final duel." He actually sighed like a sad child. "How disappointing. I suppose I'll just blow the nuke and go down in history higher than a stoner at Ozzfest."

But before the two could get up, a clicking sound echoed the room. Val hit the detonator.

…

…

…

But nothing happened. And for some reason, his face was calm and humble. Kim and Ron could hear something go off, but it sounded more mechanical than explosive. As their eyes went back to their adversary, they witnessed as he crushed the device in his hand, dropped it, and smashed it further with his boot. He also moved his foot back and forth to make sure there was nothing left of it than scrap metal.

He shook his head and laughed. "Doesn't this remind you of a previous experience, Kimberly Anne?"

Neither she nor Ron answered.

"To make an excellent bluff, you need to have all of the cards up your sleeves."

Kim had actually never told Ron about the warehouse battle, with Val bluffing that he injected him with some deadly virus.

Then it hit her, he actually did it this time. That alone should have made it obvious who their final opponent would be. Kim groaned in thought.

Back to the real problem, Val's mockery didn't ease their suspicions. He did something, but they didn't know what. He decided that since the two were released, he no longer needed his trenchcoat, removing it and giving the two a clear view of how built he was, but also where he had to rip some skin off and with several cuts from the Hind battle. Also, instead of having a left cybernetic hand, he had a left biomechanical arm. Kim had a hard time buying his story about being one of the lead mechanics in the Bio-Mech project, but seeing his arm was enough to confirm it.

"The rules for our final duel will not be the same as the last time." He started to sound more excited by the word. "This last battle will strictly be a duel of hand-to-hand combat. There will be no weapons, no gadgets, no battle suits or any of the equipment you're used to. Your only allies are your abilities and surroundings. Don't bother going to that scrap heap, as there's no way either of you will be able to put anything together at all. You'll need your techno wizards for that one. What I did just now was activate the timer for the nukes. Once the nanomachines in my own body see that my vital signs have died, the nukes will be disabled. But if you don't kill me within one hour, it's game over for all of us, and there are no continues."

One hour.

Kim and Ron got into their respective fighting stances. Val on the other hand didn't even need a stance. He just lent his hand outward, gesturing the two to bring it on with the fire nearby reflecting from his eyes.

"Ron, if anything happens to me, don't let him get away."

"Kim, you just heard him, it's killed or be killed."

"It's not going to come to that. No one is going to die tonight… Scratch that, no one else is going to die tonight. He's bluffing."

Ron was skeptical. "I hope you're right. Ready?"

Kim didn't answer immediately, smiling with one green eye and one orange eye from the fire.

"I've been waiting for this for some time. You bet I'm ready."

Her tone changed when she looked into his eyes.

"This one's for you."

The couple winked at each other before they both charged. Side by side, their arms and legs moved in unison, one moving just like the other's reflection. Val let out a satisfied smile as he started to slowly advance forward.

"I've been waiting for this moment… I'm going to enjoy it!"

All of them simultaneously let out battle cries as thunder and lighting collided in the storm, Kim and Val's being the most fierce.

"Come on, you two… show me what you've got!"

And they were both more than eager to accept his challenge.