A/N: To keep the T rating, I must inform readers that there will be some graphic violence at the end of this chapter. So, everyone has been warned.
Chapter 12: Final Conflict
During the time Merrick was watching the video, Kim and Ron along with Dr. Drakken and Professor Dementor released every single scientist except one who was shot to death by the Sons of Rah for trying to escape. The problem was still how to get this many down two flights of stairs. Kim tried several times to reach Merrick, who she still thought was Cleburne, but she never got in touch with him. Not knowing what else to do, Kim decided to put the care of five scientists a piece between Ron and her. Dr. Drakken and Professor Dementor got the job of watching four a piece. They decided to move down all together. They made it to the first set of stairs without any trouble. While the group walked by the two men Kim and Ron struggled with, there came a large explosion that rocked the entire center, causing an alarm to sound.
"Oh great. Shego decided at the right time to set the bombs off," Kim said while she got back up from the rumbling and motioned everyone to continue on. The group made it to the next set of stairs and headed down to the fourth floor.
After Kim and Ron led the group through the many corridors, they came back to the door that would lead them into the large room. While Kim started into the room, she heard all kinds of footsteps coming from the door on the other side of the room. When Kim heard this, she back stepped into the corridor where everyone else was. While Kim was getting out of sight of the doorway, she saw shadows of several men in the corridor on the other side.
"Ron, we got a problem," Kim said as she knelt by the door.
"What's wrong KP," Ron asked before he heard what the problem was.
The same footsteps were heard coming into the large room.
Shego had already planted all the explosives before Kim and Ron had the last scientist out. She ran back up to the balcony, but she couldn't find a way back up there. While Shego looked for a place to get back up to the balcony, she heard heavy foot steps walking up to a door by her. Before Shego could react, the door came flying at her. She flamed up her hands and punched the door, sending it flying in every direction. While Shego looked through the broken door, she noticed something was standing in the door way that looked like it was twisting the hall like Cleburne did to the clouds.
Shego turned her head to one side and asked, "Cleburne?"
"No dear child, he won't be joining us," said a hissing voice.
"What! Warwick? What have you done with Cleburne," Shego stammered out while she looked terrified.
"I just let him have what he wanted, but I'm not finished," Warwick said while he rushed Shego and grabbed her by the throat.
Shego fought Warwick, clawing and blasting him, but nothing worked.
"Why are you doing this," Shego asked while she continue to struggle.
"Dear child, it's easy to figure out. It's for people to bow to me like the god I am. I want the world. If I can't have it, then I will burn it to the ground," Warwick explained while he reappeared.
The second Warwick reappeared, Shego stopped fighting and reached into her backpack, pulling out the detonator for the C-4.
As Shego moved the detonator into Warwick's eyes, all he could say was, "No," which Shego replied back, "Doy, yes" before she clicked the C-4's off.
The explosion was so massive it sent both Shego and Warwick flying against the wall.
When Warwick got up, he said, "No! All that time and money. You! Your gonna die now you stupid bitch," while he bent down and picked Shego back up by the throat before he started to squeeze the life out of her.
Shego, still dazed from the blast, didn't try to fight back, but was limp in Warwick's hand.
As Shego's eyes started to roll into the back of her head, she thought she heard a calm voice saying from behind Warwick, "Put her down, Warwick. I won't ask you again."
"You're kidding, Cleburne. What could you do now," Warwick said while he increased the grip he had on Shego's neck.
A soft growl was heard behind Warwick before the same voice said, "My name isn't Cleburne. It's Merrick."
"Merrick? What is that the name for next week," laughed Warwick while he turned with Shego still in his hand and saw that Merrick had no mask.
"No, Warwick, its not. It's the name my father, the man you killed here, gave me," Merrick snapped as he went into his Hap Ki Do fighting stance.
"I killed your father? Now I really will have something to laugh about and you quit hiding that face. No matter, you're a fool! I could crush you like nothing now, which I should have done earlier. So I fix that mistake now. I'll kill you first Merrick like I killed your so called father, then deal with this one afterwards," Warwick stated while he dropped Shego and charged Merrick.
While Shego was laying there, gasping for air, she watched Warwick charge Merrick.
She whispered, "Merrick," as if the name stuck in her mind before she slipped into an unconscious state.
Merrick didn't turn and run nor tried to brace for Warwick. He just smiled while Warwick struck him, sending him flying across the room and crashing through several barrels. Warwick laughed at striking Merrick, but stopped laughing when Merrick stood back up among the barrels with his suit on, as the fire from the explosion blazed behind him. This look of Merrick was eerie, as if a demon with red eyes was coming out of the fire.
"What!? It can't be. I stopped you from doing that! How is this possible," Warwick stated nearly in a fit.
"You were right Warwick. I never had the fifth phase, but where are we now. Wouldn't be too hard to have that fifth phase, would it,"Merrick said in his choking voice while he lowered his eyes at Warwick and they glowed bright red before he added, "Now, Warwick. What am I to do about you? I made a promise to a little girl long ago I rip you limb from limb if you didn't leave her alone!"
"Little girl? Little girl? Umm, don't remember her. Oh wait! Was it the one you shot? That was a classic. I still like to see you try," Warwick said while he started to laugh again.
"I shot her by accident. I was trying to kill you, which now I will do," Merrick said while he charged Warwick, who was surprised by this and tried to punch Merrick, but Merrick caught him by the arm and slung him across the room.
With Warwick out of the way at the moment, Merrick ran up to Shego while he deactivated his suit. When Shego was helped up, she realized, as her senses came back, that the Merrick was helping her up without his mask on."Cleburne, you never needed a mask to hide your face," Shego said in a weak voice.
"Thanks Sheila, my real name is Merrick. When we get out of this, I'll explain everything. Can you walk?".
Shego nodded slowly her answer while she continued to feel dizzy.
Merrick eased his grip on Shego and stated, "We're about out of time. Get going and help Kim and Ron get the others out of here. Head down the hall and take the stairs to the right. They'll get you to the fourth floor."
"Why Merrick? I can stay and help you," Shego said still in a dazed state.
"No, Sheila. This I have to do on my own. I won't be able to handle seeing you get hurt. Besides I made a promise to Shelly to do this and I plan to or die trying," Merrick said while he walked toward Warwick.
"Shelly? Ok, I don't think I be much help anyways. Everything's still foggy to me, besides I think I got a broke rib maybe more. Please, Merrick, let's just get out of here and leave this place," Shego said while she slowly walked through the door Warwick and Merrick came in at.
She turned and watched Merrick for a second before she slipped down the hall after she saw he was not leaving with her.
"No, Sheila. I have had enough! Warwick," Merrick said while he walked toward Warwick and turned his suit on.
"So...you do have a fighting spirit. Good let's see what you really got," Warwick said as he stood back up.
"This fight you will not win, Warwick," Merrick stated and before Warwick could respond, Merrick rushed him and had him by the throat.
Merrick looked Warwick glowing eyes to glowing eyes while he picked Warwick up off the ground. Merrick's eyes flashed and he slung Warwick again across the room.
"Ooo, Merrick where have you gained this strength. Now your ready to fight the real me," Warwick said while he got back up and brought out his whip.
He lashed at Merrick with it, who caught it in one of his hands and Merrick said while his eyes glowed to the point the floor was bathed in red, "I get it from being sick of you trying to hurt people I care about!"
After Merrick' statement, he ripped the whip out of Warwick's hand, causing sparks to fly from Warwick's hand. While Merrick held the whip in his hand, he sighed before he threw the whip across the room. While the whip clattered behind him, Merrick stared at Warwick with eyes seemly to burn with a red fire before he raised a hand, motioning Warwick to bring it.
Warwick went in a rage and charged Merrick, who stood where he was, watching Warwick come at him. Right as Warwick was about to strike Merrick, he flipped kicked Warwick in the head, causing Warwick to flip over backwards and land right on his head and shoulders. Warwick laid there for a second, looking up at the red-eyed demon he had angered, circling him, like a wolf ready to rush in for the kill. Warwick started to feel a fear he had never felt before while he stood back up.
"Look, Merrick. Surely we can work something out," Warwick stated while he continued watching Merrick circle him.
"No, you will never see the sun rise again," Merrick said while he stopped where he was and stared at Warwick.
"We'll see about that" Warwick screamed while his fear turned to anger and he charged Merrick again.
Right as Warwick neared Merrick this time, Merrick sidestepped him and grabbed Warwick by the arm while he went by him. While Merrick started pulling on the arm, he put a leg into Warwick's side to give him leverage. After a second of pulling on the arm, Merrick felt it give and with another hard yank, he ripped the arm off of Warwick's shoulder. Warwick started screaming in agony while he grabbed his shoulder with the missing arm while blood poured out of the socket. While he staggered about, Warwick turned to see Merrick pulling back his own arm like a club and struck him in the head with it. On impact, Warwick fell to the ground while still holding his shoulder and felt one of his legs being raised in the air and he looked up to see Merrick pulling his leg up.
Merrick drew back a fist and punched the side of Warwick's knee, snapping the leg into an odd angle. Warwick watched as Merrick twisted the broken leg all the way around and yanked the leg loose at the knee, sending blood spurting up. This new pain caused Warwick to cry out in a piercing wail.
Merrick walked to the side of Warwick during these screams and stood over Warwick with Warwick's own leg still in his hand. Warwick stopped wailing and started moaning from the terrible pain he was feeling while Merrick stared down at him.
After a moment, Merrick said in a tone unlike his own while he dropped Warwick's leg, "I want you to beg for mercy, Warwick."
"Never! Not in a million years will I beg to you," Warwick hissed while he continued to whimper from the pain.
After Warwick's statement, Merrick drew up a leg over Warwick's head and shook his head while he said, "Fine by me" before he brought his foot down as if he was going to stomp Warwick in the head.
Before Merrick's foot reached Warwick, Warwick said, "Please no, Mer..." and he was silenced by Merrick's foot slamming into his head, flatting it, and burying it into the floor.
While Warwick laid there, his suit deactivated and showed the mess Merrick did to him.
Merrick just looked at Warwick for a second before he said in a sad choking voice, "Not even your death can heal my wounds."
After his statement, Merrick turned his back to Warwick before he deactivated his suit and ran down the hall Shego went down.
While he ran, he pressed two fingers to his temple and said, "Everyone do not say the call sign. Repeat. Do not say the call sign."