Glow: i had fun with this chappie. I hope you enjoy!
Viv: and now, the moment you've all been waiting for, CONFRONTATION!
Verdana: geez, what is up with the hyperactive people?
Jordan: In case you are wondering, Odd's still in the hospital for his safety. You, never, uhh, know what could happen the next time...
Glow: Go away! They want to read the Chapter!
The gang followed Verdana down the main street of the small village. She walked confidently, yet alert. The rest of them trailed along trying to mimic her posture and confidence. They approached the platform that sat empty at the moment. "Manuel, come out and play!" she called out at the silence.
Then from nowhere, the Shadow's voice came cackling maniacally "Then play with my toys first, little sister!" On all sides, viruses rose up from the ground like the undead. At least that was Odd's impression, reminding him of a movie he'd seen that was like that. Almost everyone had more or less the same idea. Verdana just took a tally of who was there.
CHEV and her group were there, along with X.A.N.A. and SIRS. There were many other viruses that she knew, but she wrote them off a minimal threat. "Oh, and little sister, just to make it more sporting, only CHEV, EROX, LEGE, ABRO, XAT, SIRS, and X.A.N.A. will fight you."
Verdana pretty much took out CHEV and her gang single-handedly, especially because she had a lot of pent up anger at them. SIRS and X.A.N.A. were a little less easily taken care of, but the rest of the gang was on it. "Oh brother!" she called out in a sing song voice. "Do come down from your hiding spot ya big coward! Besides, the blood you took from us on our last encounter won't help you and those monstrosities of yours to catch us. My blood's changed, and so has yours!" There was no response from The Shadow. "I expected my brother to do some stupid things, but I never thought you were a frightened, yellow-bellied coward, afraid of his little sister. Doesn't that usually work the other way?" she taunted.
"Alright, I'm here." the Shadow said as he appeared on the platform. "Why did you make me promise that, huh? If you hadn't, you'd be dead right now." he started out at a whine and progressed to a snarl.
"Oh, that promise. I remember that like it was yesterday. Good thinking on my part, eh?" Verdana shot back.
Flashback
Verdana and Manuel were playing out front in their garden. This neat little garden belonged to a neat little white house in the in-between zone. Somehow, a virus appeared near them. Verdana slipped behind her brother in a curious but wary manner. Manuel just watched the approaching form. When it became clear that this new being was a threat, Manuel went crazy. Verdana watched, shocked at her brother's brutality, as he maliciously mauled the virus into pulp. Finally, it was destroyed and Manuel returned to Verdana. He reached out to hug her and tell that it was all right, but she backed away from him "What is it, Indi?" he asked, sounding worried.
"Promise you won't ever hurt me, Manuel, promise!" she said in a frightened voice.
"I promise that I will never hurt you, or cause you to get hurt, Indevrigo." he promised sincerely. Verdana ran and gave him the hug he wanted.
End Flashback
"Yes, but it was bad for my ambition. You know what Grandfather did to us, our family!" the Shadow snapped at her.
"You're the one who killed them!" Verdana screeched at him. "And you broke your promise! You hurt me when you changed sides!"
"Why won't you just join me?" the Shadow asked frustrated.
"Because I don't want to!" she screamed at him, eyes flaming.
"Then I'm sorry to do this sister!" he spat the last word.
"You're just an egotistical, stuck up, pig!"
"Stupid little brat!"
"Deluded, pompous, selfish, pretentious, self-centered..."
"High and mighty, spoiled, ungrateful..."
"...untrustworthy, impossible, insufferable bastard!"
"...pigheaded little asshole! And at least I'm not repressed!"
"Oooh! I'll show you repressed!" Verdana threw an extremely powerful deep purple energy bolt at her brother. He barely had time to counter with one of his black ones. She kept pushing him and hurling insults.
Odd looked up from his fighting for a moment and saw this. He cracked up laughing so hard. To Jordan who appeared next to him, he joked "This puts a new meaning to sibling rivalry!" Then, X.A.N.A. appeared in his view. With something that could be considered an evil smile (if he had a face. The emptiness had just rearranged itself into that sort of smile-ish thing), he got Odd good.
"Payback, you worm! I'll make you pay for what you put me through! SO GOOD-BYE!" X.A.N.A. cackled cruelly, then zapped Odd one more time. Odd flinched as it hit him. Verdana was watching and saw him disappear.
"No, Odd!" she cried. Her worst nightmare was coming true. SIRS took out Viv, the winged girl vanishing before her eyes. Aelita was tangled in single combat with X.A.N.A., but even with her new, and powerful weapon, she was losing. Suddenly, he hit her with one last shot and she vanished. Jeremy, surprised and sad, lowered his guard and he was hit. His shield shattered and he disappeared. Ulrich and Yumi were trying to double team SIRS, but failing miserably. They were being slashed at. Yumi was the first one to fall. Ulrich stood over, protecting her. But it wasn't enough, and SIRS destroyed them. They vanished too. OSTA ran and hid, trying to avoid getting hit by stray blasts. X.A.N.A. took out Jordan.
Verdana stared in shock as her friends were eliminated one by one. Then she turned her anger on her brother, nearly overwhelming him. She removed one hand from the stream of energy and blasted X.A.N.A. into oblivion. "That was for my friends! And this time, stay dead!" she said with venom. The Shadow pulled away and managed to send her flying off to the side. Then he de-virtualized and went back to the real world.
"Coward! Come back and fight!" she shouted at thin air. When nothing happened, she turned on SIRS. As she watched, something flickered in his eyes. They momentarily turned back to the way they were before, frightened. Then they went back to being the Shadow possessed type. She wondered if he had allowed his body to be taken over, but not his actual programming. It was an unusual idea, but it explained everything perfectly. Verdana came up with a crazy plan. Leaping at him, she hit him with a stream of energy.
Glow: EVIL CLIFFIE!
Viv: Enjoy weeks of torment, waiting to find out what will happen! Are they gone forever? will they survive? Will we get coffee priveleges back? only you can help. Tell The rest of them to GIVE US BACK OUR COFFEE! And perhaps, the next chapter will be out sooner...