Before her arm's downward motion could begin, Shego found her wrist trapped in a vise-like grip.
"I said hold," said Starfire, "You have won the battle. Do not dishonor your victory by attacking a helpless opponent."
"Let go," Shego growled.
Instead, Starfire pulled her up to a standing position, which surprised Shego very much, not expecting this odd girl to be that strong.
"You want a piece of this too?" Shego challenged, yanking her arm away.
"If you desire combat with me, I shall grant your request," said Starfire.
Shego stepped away from the unconscious Jinx, and ignited her other hand. She took a combat stance.
Starfire moved away too, and her hands and eyes began glowing green. Shego's eyes widened.
"You control plasma too?" Shego asked.
"No, my power is converted sunlight, called starbolts by my people," answered Starfire.
"Whatever," said Shego, and held out her hands. A ball of plasma formed between them, and she threw it at Starfire.
The Tamaranian girl dodged by flying straight up, an action that surprised all the conscious witnesses to the battle.
"That trick isn't going to help," said Shego, who threw a plasma blast at her.
Starfire put up a green shield, and most of the plasma was held away. The heat did penetrate it, and Starfire yelled in pain. She flew higher, shaking her hands.
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the oven," smirked Shego, throwing another blast, which was dodged.
Starfire shot an eyebeam that caught Shego just below her collarbone and threw her back some ten feet. She followed by a barrage of starbolts that Shego had to scramble to avoid.
"Come down here and fight, you coward!" shouted Shego.
An angry look appeared on Starfire's face and she did just that, landing in front of the green-skinned woman and grappling with her.
Shego pushed, and Starfire bent backwards a bit. Thinking she was about to win, she smirked and pushed harder. To her surprise, the orange-skinned girl didn't move, but started pushing back. When she was upright again, Starfire took a step forward with seemingly little effort, forcing Shego back a step. Then she took another, and another.
Shego was pushing with all her strength, but could not stop Starfire's advance. The alien girl smiled. "I am stronger than I appear to be," she commented.
"So I see. Pretty good," Shego replied.
Without warning Shego ignited her hands, and Starfire screamed at the sudden fierce heat and let go, moving back several paces. Shego pressed her attack, throwing plasma that blasted Starfire back. She landed on her back and sat up quickly. Her hands were burned, but still usable.
Shego was advancing on her, but eyebeams to the belly stopped that. Shego was thrown away, but used her own gymnastics skills to land on her feet.
Starfire got up, and her hands began to glow again. Shego quickly formed a plasma shield in front of herself.
The starbolts struck the shield, and actually penetrated it. But so little energy was left Shego was being struck by little more than splashes of green light.
When Starfire paused in her attack, Shego dropped the shield and extinguished her hands. Seeing this, Starfire did also.
Shego ran up to Starfire and started throwing punches. Her hand-to-hand skills were better than Starfire's, and several blows got through. She added kicks, and made hard contact several times.
Starfire was forced into defense, and fewer blows landed. Shego pressed her attack, and Starfire's defense began to collapse.
Sensing victory, Shego paused for a half-second, which was all the time Starfire needed. She threw a hard punch backed by her Tamaranian strength, and hit Shego square between the eyes.
The blow threw her head back, and picked her up from the ground. Shelanded some six feet away and tumbled to a stop. She didn't move.
Starfire panted heavily as everyone ran up to her. Mrs. Possible checked Starfire's hands,then Jenny, and then went to Shego. She pulled out a cell phone. "She might have a concussion," she explained, and called for an ambulance.
kpkpkp
Jenny woke slowly, finding herself in her own bed. She hurt in several places, but overall was in good shape. She looked around to find Ron in a chair by her side, dozing. Rufus was on the pillow beside her.
She reached over and touched him on the knee, which woke him instantly.
"Wha-- Oh, Jenny, you awake?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah. Could you get me some water?" she asked.
"Sure. He filled a glass from a pitcher sitting on her side table, and gave it to her.
"I guess Shego won, huh?" she asked after a long drink and a sigh.
"Yeah. She was about to do something permanent to you, but Starfire stopped her. They got into a fight, and you should have seen it! It was badical! Starfire flying around throwing starbolts and eyebeams, and Shego dodging and throwing plasma. Wade got it all recorded," said Ron.
"What was Shego going to do to me?" asked Jenny.
"Well, she sat down on your back, and based on the position and angle of her hand, along with her plasma, Wade thinks she was going to damage your spine and leave you paralyzed from the neck down," he answered.
"And Star stopped her," said Jenny.
"Yep," said Ron, grinning. "Shego's on her way to prison. Drakken wasn't around, though."
"I'll have to thank her for that," said Jenny.
Just then Rufus woke up and gave Jenny a hug. "Okay now?" he asked.
Jenny patted the mole rat. "Yeah, Rufus, just a bit sore." She sat up, then tossed back the bedclothes. She turned, sitting on the edge of the bed.
The door opened, and Kim and Starfire came in. Starfire's hands were wrapped in soft bandages, and bruises were forming in various places.
"Friend Jinx, you are better, yes?" said Starfire.
"I'm okay, Star, thanks for saving me," said Jenny.
"We will resume our duel when we are well again," said Starfire.
Jenny shook her head. "No, it won't be necessary. I've decided to go back with you."
"WHAT?" asked Kim, Ron, and Rufus together, "WHY?"
"Kim, I've learned an awful lot about being good and being a hero from you, even if you didn't know you were teaching me. And one thing I've observed is that you always meet your obligations and promises, and pay your debts.
Remember when I first got here, I surrendered to you as a law-enforcement agent? And when Dr. Director said she could put me away to finish my sentence, I surrendered to her?" Jenny paused.
Kim reluctantly nodded.
"Well, I still have this debt over me, and I want to be free of it. I didn't worry about it when I thought there was no way back, but now there is, and I think it would be best for both worlds if I got it over with." she said.
"But there's no reason to," said Ron, "You never got to fight the duel with her."
"It's the right thing to do, Ron," said Jenny.
"I can't argue with that," said Kim. "Makes me wish you had been a worse student, though." She smiled wanly.
It was decided they would leave in a few days, so arrangements could be made, healing allowed, and goodbyes said.
A pall of gloom slowly settled over the Possible home, as repeated attempts to change Jenny's mind failed.
In the end, 'it's the right thing to do' was an argument with no good answer.