Yin, Yang, and Maj were climbing their fifth elevator shaft, or was it their sixth. Either way they were making some progress. Unfortunately they were running out of time. Yin guessed that they only had two hours left, if that. Each shaft only went up so many levels.
"How are you holding up?" Yin asked.
"Considering what I've been through in the past ten hours, I'm fine," Yang said, stopping to rub his eyes.
"Let's hope this is the one that leads to the control room," said Maj.
Yin nodded. She reached out and opened the elevator door. The corridor was different from the others. Instead of metal, this one was carpeted and there were paintings hanging on the wall.
"Uh, hmm," Maj grumbled, looking around. "Do you think this is a trap?"
"No," replied Yang. "We're close."
Yin nodded and walked to the end of the corridor. She tried the door and found it locked. Yin smiled and kicked the door with everything she had. The door flew off its hinges and to the other side of the room.
They entered and smiled. They had finally found the control room. Yang immediately began shutting all of the traps down and searched for a way out.
"Anything?" asked Maj, coming up behind him.
Yang shook his head. He typed frantically and a countdown appeared on the monitor. "We only have five minutes to get out of here," he said.
"Good news is that Bane decided not to detonate over a populated area," said Yin, staring out the window.
Maj ran over to her. "Where are we?" she asked.
"My guess," Yin supplied, looking at the expanse of water below them, "the Atlantic."
"Then Bane could be in Manhattan, taking the baby as we speak," said Yang.
"I've already thought of that," said Yin. "I don't think that is the case. Not yet, anyway."
Yang banged his fist on the control panel. "I can't delay the countdown and I can't find us a way out." He banged his fist again.
Yin straightened. "Yang, do that again."
"Do what?" Yang asked.
"Bang your fist," Yin told him. "Hard."
Yang brought his fist down on the panel again.
Yin smiled. "So much for knowing all of my moves," she snickered.
"You have a way out?" asked Maj.
"Yes, I do," replied Yin. "Cover your ears."
Maj and Yang covered their ears and watched Yin step away from them. She began to twirl her staff. Faster and faster she twirled it until it became a violet disk. The sound that it made was deafening. Yin pulled her arm back, pouring her energy into the staff, centrifugal force moving it to the ends. Yang and Maj cringed at the sound. A moment later there was the shattering of glass.
Yin stopped twirling her staff and smiled. "There's our way out," she said. "Let's go!"
The three of them jumped and flew away. Seconds later the airship exploded.
"Good thinking, Yin," said Maj.
"Now let's stop Bane," Yin growled.
The three of them began to fly back to Manhattan.
"This is going to be one heck of a fight," said Yin as they approached the shore.
Yang nodded in agreement.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Maj.
"Plan?" Yin asked.
"Of course," said Maj, slapping her forehead. "What was I thinking? With you there never is a plan."
"This time there is," Yin said.
"Okay, what is it?"
"Fight to the death," Yin replied. "We're pulling out all the stops on this one."
Maj let out a shuddering sigh.
"He's here!" Yang warned.
Bane appeared in front of them. "You don't quit, do you?"
"Nope," replied Yin.
"I overestimated you," Bane said. "I won't make that mistake again."
"Maj," Yin said.
Maj's body began to glow and she transformed. Her hands turned into claws, wings sprouted from her back, and her ears became pointed. She roared, the sound echoing for miles.
"Our turn," Yang said.
Yang's body erupted into crimson flames and Yin's turned so blue that it looked black.
"How cute," Bane said. "Now I can kill you all."
Maj drew her sword and charged Bane. Bane dodged and Yin and Yang came after him. The four of them became blurs to any onlookers who happened to see them. They were moving so fast and casting spells and launching attacks that it looked like a light show of some sort.
Maj was the first one to go down. Bane hit her with some sort of attack that sent her spiraling to the ground. Yin dove after her and managed to stop her descent before Maj smashed on the ground below.
"Are you okay?" Yin asked. Maj nodded. "Stay here!"
Yin leapt into the air and began fighting with her brother at her side. Bane dispatched them quickly. Yang landed in the water and Yin hit the ground hard.
Maj got to her feet and went after Bane, a jet of white fire emerging from her mouth.
"Yin," Yang called, getting up and running over to his sister.
"I'm okay," murmured Yin. "I've had worse hits."
"We can't do this by ourselves," said Yang.
Yin was quiet for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Then an idea occurred to her. "No, we do it together," she said.
"Yin, the three of us don't stand a chance," Yang said.
Yin shook her head. "I mean physically together."
"A fusion?" asked Yang. "It's only been done three times in the history of our kind."
"I know, but it should work," said Yin. "We're twins."
Yang nodded. He held out his hand. Yin took it and a bright light engulfed them both.
Maj took a hard hit and went down. Bane laughed. Suddenly, something struck him in the mouth, sending him reeling.
"How do you like that?"
Bane looked to see a being with a creature with a blue-black body with crimson designs. A pair of fiery wings kept it aloft and its violet eyes stared at Bane.
"What?" Bane whispered in fear. "A fusion? That's impossible!"
"Improbable," the creature said, a combination of both Yin and Yang's voices. "Not impossible."
Bane howled as he summoned his energy to destroy the siblings. The fusion of Yin and Yang was much quicker. With speed Bane had never seen from either sibling, its hand shot out and fired a bolt of energy. Bane went flying back.
"Mind if I get in on this?" growled Maj.
"We would be insulted if you didn't," Yin/Yang said.
Maj unleashed a fiery attack and Yin/Yang fired another bolt of energy. They poured all of their energy into the final blow. Bane shrieked as he was incinerated.
They landed and Yin and Yang split apart.
"You okay?" Yin panted.
"Yeah," Yang replied. "Maj?"
"I'm fine," she replied.
"What is this?"
Maj groaned, instantly knowing the voice. Maho and her apprentice were standing nearby. A portal closed behind them.
"Now you show up," Yin said.
"Yin Tale Teller de-Roux, you are under arrest for insubordination," Maho said.
"Oh, Maho, tell someone who cares," Yin said.
"That is no way to talk to your superior!" snapped Liam.
"The same to you, boy," Yang said, getting to his feet.
Maho gasped. "Captain Pyro!" she said, saluting him.
"Pyro?" Liam repeated. "As in Captain Yang Pyro de-Roux? You're related to Yin?"
"Well, duh!" Yin said. "Where there's a yin, there has to be a yang. Hey, Maj, can you handle this for me? I have some other business to attend to."
"Uh, sure," said Maj.
"Come on, Yang," said Yin, taking her brother's hand. "We have a lot of catching up to do."