"Hey, what's this?"
Victor was the first to notice the device, shaped like a half-sphere, on the table. He picked it up. Kim walked over to him.
Victor fiddled with it a bit, and opened a small flap to reveal a set of buttons.
"Lemme see that," Kim said. Victor complied. "It appears to be some sort of recording device."
The buttons further confirmed it, each marked with one of the universal symbols for play, pause, stop, rewind and fast forward.
Kim pressed play.
The device projected a holograph. The figure that was shown almost caused Kim to drop the projector.
Shego! How...?
The figure, however, differed from the Shego Kim had once fought in one, important way...
She's a robot...
Shego's form was accurately replicated, down to the trademark green and black uniform and poufy hairdo.
"Hi there, Kimmy," the figure began. "It's been awhile."
"And yes," Shego continued, "it's really me. You see, a good while back, I had Drakken implant my brain into this lovely metal body. Of course, I've still got my glow power, courtesy of a piece of the comet in here," she said, gesturing towards where the heart would be in a human. She lit up a hand to demonstrate.
"I suppose you're wondering why I sent you this message. Don't worry, Princess, all will be clear in due time. In case you haven't guessed, I'm the one who tipped the Glows off about Mikka."
Charri clenched a fist in an unconscious gesture.
"We can chat more in the Imperial City. I'll be waiting there. You're headed there anyways, if I know you at all. You always have to go and try to save everyone, don't you Kimmy? I'm rather looking forward to it."
Shego smiled, and the recording ended.
"She's back..." Kim murmured.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Charri asked. "We've got to get to the City!"
---
That was almost too easy, Shego thought. All she'd had to do was ask a Glow who was heading back to the Imperial City to take her along, and they'd agreed readily. More than readily, even.
Now Shego was in. All she had to do was wait for Kim.
She knew that Kim would find a way. The dream that she and her brothers had shared so long ago made her sure of this.
My brothers. Heh, I haven't thought about them for a long time...
It had been so easy to convince Hego and the others to 'let time take its course' and to 'let the people handle it themselves', assuring them that 'a hero would rise'.
She had suspected that Hego had been leaning this way already. So much the better.
They'd never suspected her plan...
Pathetic.
That single word she thought encompassed her feelings on two things: her brothers' gullibility, and the fact that she found herself missing them.
I don't care about them! I don't!
"I don't," she muttered to herself. Only the bustling noises of the City came as response.
Making sure her hood was on, Shego strode off.
---
The original plans of the Resistance had to be greatly accelerated.
Victor and Yavin managed to rig up a portable communications system, and were now working on disabling the City defenses. Meanwhile, the others were on their way to the City gates.
There was no noise apart from the whooshing noise of the hovercar, 'borrowed' from a Glow who'd gotten careless. It was a patrol car, which kept anyone from asking questions or attempting to stop them.
Kim couldn't help but smile at the memory. That had been the first good fight she'd had since awakening, and it had been a challenge: this Glow's powers had to do with manipulating red energy balls. Her smile faded as she reflected upon how many more would follow. But now, this wasn't just about saving the world. It was about saving Mikka, too. The world was a big place, and almost an impersonal thing... but this was rescuing someone she'd come to know.
She shook herself, as if to shed any distracting thoughts. She had to focus.
Charri stopped the car. "Everyone out. We're walking from here."
It took about fifteen minutes to get close to the City gates. Then they waited.
---
Mikka fought.
Not to escape; she'd tried that already. The walls of her cell were of a material which somehow resisted her psionic assault.
Mikka fought to live.
They weren't actually going to kill her, true. But these psis the Empire had sent planned to alter Mikka's mind in such ways that it would be as good as the real Mikka dying.
She batted off another probing tendril of psi power.
Get away from me! she screamed mentally.
You can't win. You're already starting to tire, came a reply from one of the psis.
I will win! You can't take me!
Dearie, came a different mindvoice, You know that you will eventually exhaust yourself. Why don't you just let go? This voice was gentle, insinuating, venomous.
I can't let go. My family needs me.
---
"Okay," Victor's voice came over the small device which Kim had dubbed 'Kimmunicator 2' or 'K2' for short. "We'll have the security down in just... about..."
The gate opened abruptly.
"Now."
The four girls rushed in, trying not to be spotted by any of the residents. They ducked into an alley.
"Okay, here's the plan..."
Kim was cut off by a voice she knew all too well.
"So, Kimmy, you finally made it," said Shego. "Whatever took you so long?"
Author's note: We've topped 1000 hits! Yahoo!