A/N #1: I'm terribly sorry for the obvious rush job on Chapter 7. I hope this makes up for it. And yes, I shall be revealing Athena's true identity (to the 3 people who haven't already figured it out…lol)
Veronica couldn't do it. Her love for Tim still burned too bright.
"Stand down!" she ordered to her dumbstruck troops.
"Explain yourself this instant General!" Athena screamed. The squad was highly confused at this point, as was everyone in attendance, except for Tim. "General Verdant, you are bordering on insubordination!" Athena said in her normal, eerily calm voice.
"My name is Veronica STAR, and I can no longer continue this charade. This woman is despotic in her rule and must be overthrown immediately!" She said into the nearest camera. Unknown to her, or to anyone, Resistance fighters were already stationed around the palace, waiting for a signal to begin the attack.
Athena walked slowly up to Veronica and slapped the taste out of her mouth. "How dare you question my reign, you insolent little slut!" Veronica held her cheek for a moment, and then threw a nasty left jab that caught Athena right on the chin. This started a giant catfight between the two. As they fought, Tim took the opportunity to cut the ropes binding his hand by rubbing them against the post. After seeing Tim free himself, A.J. gave the signal, and all hell broke loose. Amidst the gunfire and explosions, Athena and Veronica fought all the way into the gym, both ladies it seemed, (as far as Tim could tell with Athena anyway) were bruised, battered and bloody.
Tim didn't have to work hard to find them two. Their shrieks, grunts, and groans were more then enough to lead him to them. He found them and stood back and watched as the two literally beat the hell out of one another. Unbeknownst to all three of them was that Trixie had somehow snuck into the palace, and had made her way to the gym. She watched, hidden, as her former best friend and the ruler of the world fought like Ali and Fraizer.
Veronica had apparently gotten the drop on Athena, and was pummeling her into submission. "How do you like me now hoe?!" was all Veronica said as she continually tried to put her right fist straight through Athena's skull. Just when it seemed that Athena could take no more punishment, she was able to kick Veronica in the back of the head. This turned the tide of the fight. Athena mounted Veronica and began to pummel her in return. While she did this, her hood fell back around her shoulders, revealing her jet black hair. What the hell! Tim thought as Athena stopped punching Veronica, either out of exhaustion, or she had broken her hand.
Tim took this as a signal, and he rushed Athena from behind. He wrapped her up in a picture perfect tackle, driving her face first into the hardwood floor. He was trying to buy Veronica more time to recover. "Get off me Timmy!" she shrieked as she kicked him in the back and stood, her back facing him. He grabbed at his back and groaned in pain, watching her walk over to a wall and pulling a small knife from a shelf. Whatever she had in mind, Tim knew it wasn't going to be pretty.
Apparently, Veronica had recovered enough to see Athena grab the knife, because with a swift spin kick, she knocked the blade out of her hand. This resumed the already intense battle between the two. "You took his love from me bitch!" Veronica screamed, pointing to a flabbergasted Tim.
"You would never be worthy of him skank!" Athena screamed back as the two traded punches, leaving Tim even more confused.
The longer the battle raged, the weaker Veronica seemed to become, and the stronger Athena seemed to grow. "Come on Veronica, your supposed to be the best of all my soldiers, your not tiring so soon are you?" Athena taunted, watching Veronica gasped for breath.
"Go to hell Tootie!" Veronica yelled as she got fully upright. Why the hell did she call her "Tootie"? She's been dead for almost two decades! Tim's mind screamed. Veronica pressed forward, landing painful body shots, and a final right hook sent Athena sprawling.
"Get up Tootie! Vicky isn't here to protect you anymore!"
If you looked close enough when Veronica said that, you could see hellfire and brimstone in Athena's eyes. With the cacophony of the battle in the background, Athena growled, "Don't you ever, EVER mention that bitch's name in my presence again!" Athena lunged at Veronica, who just side stepped her. Athena crashed into the floor, growling and cursing even more. Veronica just grinned,
"What, the truth hurts doesn't it Tootie-Fruity? You can never get out of her shadow no matter what you do can you?"
This angered Athena even more. All the years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her older sister had taken its toll on her. For an instant, she was taken back to when she was a happy-go-lucky young girl, whose only care was trying to get Timmy to like her. But over the years, the abuse got worse, and without help from her mousey parents, Tootie toughened up, mentally, emotionally, and physically. In fact, her heart would've completely frozen solid sooner, if not for that Summer's night when Timmy told her that he did in fact honestly loved her.
"You stupid, spoiled, rich, popular bitch! You have no earthly idea of what I went through!" Tootie screamed.
"Your right, I don't. However seeing as how this is how you turned out, I'm glad I had the life I did!" Veronica shrugged. With those words, the fight once again resumed. Veronica had mounted Tootie, and was trying to choke the life out of her again.
Trixie, who had found a hiding spot, tried to get Tim's attention to tell him that Veronica was telling the truth, but was unsuccessful due to the amount of noise form the battle, as well as from the two fighting women in front of her. Goddamnit! I need to tell Tim! He needs to know! Trixie thought, but after considering her options, figured it would be best to remain hidden until the time was right.
The battle outside was almost quiet now, most of the fighting had moved either inside the palace proper, or either side had surrendered. All that remained in the gym now were the gurgling sounds coming from Tootie, the anger fueled insults from Veronica, and the shocked gasps coming from Tim. The fight had reached another stalemate, both ladies visibly shaken from this encounter.
"You know, while I was off in Europe, I would get regular updates from Vicky. The most disgusting thing was when he decided to take you on a date!" Tootie screamed at Veronica, who shrugged it off.
"Yeah, well at least I was there! It took almost two years for him to return to normal!"
"Yeah right, from what I heard, he never got over me." Tootie stated smugly.
Veronica nodded her head, then smiled evilly. "Your right, and I know from personal experience." Tootie cocked her head in amusement,
"Oh really? And just how is that Veronica?" The grin on Veronica's face had now spread from ear to ear, as she prepared to deliver the final blow.
"Because it was your name he moaned in our hotel room on prom night."
At first it didn't click, but slowly it hit Tootie. "Prom night…hotel room…YOU FUCKING SUCCUBUS!" she screamed, her eyes burning with intense hate and anger. Veronica just smiled as Tootie exploded.
"That's right, I got your man into bed. I got to admit that he was better then I expected, the only downside was that whole "moaning your name" issue, but I got over it." Tim just stood there in shock at what Veronica was saying. He still couldn't see Tootie's face, but very slowly it was sinking in (I.e.: denial) that Athena was in fact Tootie.
Tootie pointed a finger at Tim. "I can forgive him, because he was crippled with heartache, but I will NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" she screamed. Tootie lunged once more at Veronica, this time who didn't have time to side step. Tootie wrapped her hands around Veronica's throat, and drove her to the ground with as much force as she could. Veronica's head slammed violently against the floor with a sickening crack.
Tootie proceeded to slam Veronica's head repeatedly against the floor until a large pool of blood and brain tissue began to form below it.
"I HATE YOU! HOW COULD YOU TAKE HIS VIRGINITY?! THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE! BURN IN HELL YOU FUCKING BITCH!" was what Tootie screamed as she psychotically killed her most trusted friend. Veronica had been dead for more then five minutes before Tootie stopped, slamming it once more for good measure and knelt in her blood.
Tim stood, jaw hanging open at the brutal display. He watched as Tootie rose, her hands, arms, chest, face, and thighs were spattered with Veronica's blood. "He's MINE! You got that slut?!" she yelled at Veronica's lifeless corpse. To Tim's horror, she turned around and smiled a grizzly, toothy smile.
"Hello my love." was all that she had to say before Tim started to throw up. After all these years, she still looked almost identical to when he last saw her. The glasses were long gone, the braces removed, and it seemed that her eye color had changed to a deeper color, but it was Tootie. The hair, the face, everything screamed Tootie!
"Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my GOD!" Tim yelled as he sank to his knees before her.
"Yes baby, I'm alive." Tootie said, caressing the coarse stubble on his cheek. "I've waited so long for this moment." Tim jerked away in horror, not knowing what to even think.
"What's the matter my sweet? Don't you like me all grown up?" Tootie asked, her voice husky with a seductive tone.
Tim scrambled away from her, both in fear and anger. How could she do that to me after all that we went through?! his mind screamed at him. As she approached, Tim threw his hands up in a defensive position. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE NOT REAL! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" Tim screamed.
"Oh I'm real, and this is very possible my love." Tootie said calmly.
It's not everyday the love of your life rises from the grave, especially when they rule the earth. Give him time to settle down, he will understand. she thought as he backed further and further away from her.
To Be Concluded…
A/N: Read and review please. Coming up next: The final and ultimate Battle of the (former) Lovers!