Empire
Chapter 5
Breaking Point
Kim and Shego both marveled at the city as they came closer to it. The buildings spanned high into the heavens. The streets were bustling with life. Men and women dressed in business attire, going about their daily routines. Some were oblivious to every thing going on around them as they gazed into their handheld phones like zombies. Kim and Shego were officially in Trinity City. A city so technologically ahead that it was a nerd's wet dream. Both girls continually watched their surroundings, knowing that they were in enemy territory. Shego slowed down and parked the car in a nearby garage. They were only a few blocks away from the OmniCorp. Building and already they sensed that someone was watching them as they got out of the car.
"They're watching us Kimmy." Shego smiled, almost as if she were happy that they were being followed.
"Do you want to wait for them to spring out on us or should we get the drop on them?" Kim whispered.
"Oh, I'm a bit tired of being ambushed by them. I think that it's time that we turn the tables." Shego smirked. Kim and Shego both walked towards a nearby stairway and headed down to the basement. They pushed open the door and quickly ducked down behind a parked car a few feet away. Only a few seconds had passed and they could hear someone opening the door. Their steps echoed quietly and both girls looked at each other and nodded. Both of them sprang out from behind the car only to find that there was no one there.
"I could've sworn that there was someone there." Kim looked around hoping to find someone running away, but there was no one.
"Where'd they go?" Shego asked. "We heard them getting clo… ahh!" Shego cried out as some unseen force struck her. Kim watched as some invisible force lifted Shego up into the air and flung her at a nearby car, causing her to leave a large impression in it, and also setting off the car alarm. Kim could hear the footsteps drawing closer and closer, but she couldn't see anyone in front of her. Kim raised her arms up and readied herself, but the invisible person was already upon her. Kim was struck fiercely across the face and under the chin. Kim looked up, dazed, her vision blurry, as she attempted to stand back up. Just as she wobbled back up she felt a sharp pain in her side, almost as if she had been kicked, and she fell flat on her face.
"Who are you?" Kim muttered. The young girl slowly raised herself up, but felt a heavy weight pinning her down by her back.
"Get off of her!" Shego yelled as she fired a focused blast of energy directly over Kim. The blast struck something, as the mass of energy exploded in midair. Shego ran over to where Kim was lying and looked around. Something a few feet away caught her eye. There was a pool of water that was mysteriously rippling. "There you are…" Shego snarled as she fired multiple blasts at the unseen person. Within seconds of hitting it, electricity could be heard and seen snapping and crackling, revealing the silhouette of a female figure. Shego realized that Kim had passed out from the one sided fight. She stood up, walking over to the knocked out female. Shego knelt down and examined the mysterious female.
"Let's see what we got here." Shego smiled as she turned over the girl. The female was dressed in a shiny black outfit, almost skin tight, and wore a black mask with dark goggles. Shego grabbed the top of the mask and pulled it off, revealing a beautiful blonde haired girl. "Not bad looking." She smirked. Shego couldn't help but to notice that the material looked nearly identical to Kim's battle suit. The only difference was that this one was black. Just as Shego sat up the unconscious girl, she awoke, grabbing Shego tightly by the wrist.
"I knew that you couldn't resist…" The blonde girl smiled evilly, as a powerful surge of electricity ran into every inch of Shego's body. Her face twisted in pain as the electricity traveled up her spine and into her brain, rendering her paralyzed.
"Who are you…" Shego muttered as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
"Name is Nikki." She replied. Nikki effortlessly lifted Shego up off the ground and carried her over to where Kim was lying unconscious and dropped her down next to her. "Now you two pretty girls wait right here. I have to bring my car around. I can't drag your sorry asses all the way to my lab, now can I?" Nikki laughed as she ran towards the stairway.
A few hours later…
Kim awoke to the sounds of computers beeping and machine pistons pumping back and forth. Her eyes had difficulty focusing and all she could see were various devices hanging from the ceiling. Kim attempted to move, but she felt large metal restraints hugging her wrists, legs and torso. She attempted to slip out of the restraints, but with little success as most of her strength was still returning to her. Deciding to conserve as much of her strength as she could, Kim remained still, examining the room, which was coming into focus. As she looked around the scene looked all too nostalgic. It reminded her of the numerous villains that had captured her and held her captive. Something felt different this time around. Kim could hear the sound of an electric tool buzzing nearby, suddenly it stopped, and she could hear someone walking up behind her. Helpless, Kim looked around frantically, and tried once more to pull her wrists free, but failed.
"Stop wasting your energy…"
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Kim demanded.
"I thought that you were gonna sleep through my whole procedure." Nikki walked in front of Kim and looked her in the eyes, all the while grinning. "But now that you're awake, I can have an audience!" she giggled. Nikki leaned in close to Kim and grabbed her by the hips, purposely tugging her by her pants, as she turned the large restraining table around.
"Wade?" Kim gasped. The young boy was strapped to an identical standing table. The expression on his face was that of a vegetative person. He stared blankly around the room, his head barely able to remain still for a second. "What did you do to him?" Kim yelled.
"Oh, don't worry so much about your friend. He isn't suffering anymore. At least I don't think he is." Nikki snickered. The young blonde girl walked over casually to Wade and turned his head around, revealing multiple holes that had been drilled into his skull. "Wanna see a vegetable cry?" Nikki smiled, as she picked up at large electric probe from a stainless steel table and slowly pushed it into Wades head. "Watch this…" She laughed. Nikki pressed a small button on the handle of the probe and sent a few volts of electricity into Wade's brain, causing him to sob and whimper uncontrollably.
"Kill… me…" Wade mumbled as tears rolled down his face.
"Oh, don't worry Wade, I'm almost done." Nikki pulled out the probe from Wades head and wiped it off on his shirt. She carefully placed the probe back on the table and examined the other tools. Her fingers brushed each one as she decided on which one to use, until finally she stopped at a large oddly shaped device.
"Stop!" Kim cried out, while still struggling to pull her self free from the metal restraints. "What are you going to do to him?" She asked, weeping uncontrollably.
"I'm going to be merciful and end his suffering. Problem is… I've decided to use the most agonizing way to end his miserable computer using life." Nikki leered. "Seeing as how you're a pretty smart girl, you probably already know what these are." Nikki brandished the odd looking tool. "But if you don't, shame on you." She giggled. "They're rib splitters…" Nikki grabbed a scalpel and cut Wades shirt off and then placed the splitter on his torso.
"Don't hurt Wade. I'll do anything!" Kim begged.
"Oh, you're going to do what I say in a few minutes, but first…" Nikki grabbed hold of the splitters and stood in front of Wade, obscuring him, as she began to pull hard on them. Wade began to writhe in pain, shortly before he began to scream, as his flesh was pulled apart and his ribs cracked and split under the extreme pressure. Nikki moved off to the side, grabbing a small white towel and wiping her hands clean. "I'll be right back, don't you go anywhere Kim." Nikki walked past Kim's line of sight and left her alone with Wade. The young boy stared down at his stomach as his organs gradually began to slide out.
"Hang on Wade. I'll get free and help you." Kim said in a helpless tone. She bit down on her lip as she pulled with all her might, breaking the skin on her wrists and hands, until finally she pried a hand free. Kim began to breathe faster and faster as the adrenaline began coursing through her entire body. She then grabbed hold of her other restrained wrist and pulled, screaming silently, as her blood trickled down her fingers and onto the floor. Finally free, she stopped for a second and looked around. She examined the restraint table that she was being held on, in hopes of finding some kind of release button. As Kim looked around, she noticed that the restraints on her ankles were far looser than the ones that were on her wrists. She twisted and wiggled her ankles back and forth until they slipped out. Kim had only scratched them up a bit, but they were in better shape then her hands and wrists. Time was running out for Wade, as his eyes became blank and glazed over. His blood pooling underneath him and almost reaching Kim's feet. She took a deep breath, sucking her stomach in, and pushed herself up, using the large metal restraint for leverage, until finally she was free.
"Hang on…" Kim rushed over to Wade, uncertain of how to help him, "What do I do?" Kim thought. She examined the large table and found the release button hidden behind it. Kim pressed the wrist restraints, freeing Wade's hands, and walked back in front of him. She grabbed his hand, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay, when she noticed that they were icy cold. She quietly leaned in close and realized that Wade had finally died. The young boy stared blankly at Kim, his eyes pale and empty, and his body cold as ice. Kim slowly backed away, her feet squished with every step, as she walked in Wades blood. The young girl walked to a nearby desk and rested near it. Wade's expression was burned into her mind. She felt vulnerable and inadequate, not having been able to save her long time friend. Kim wiped the tears from her face and she looked around the room. She realized that Shego was no where in sight, what could have become of her circumstantial friend? As she examined her surroundings, she noticed a few security monitors overhead and could clearly see Nikki walking through a hall with two large men in black suits. Almost like the ones that Shego had described attacked her and Drakken. Kim looked back at Wade and her sad, hopeless frown, suddenly became an angry scowl. She found herself walking over to the table in which Nikki kept all her instruments of death.
Something inside of Kim snapped. A feeling of unbridled anger pulsed through her blood, it felt familiar. Her mind became overwhelmed with images of Lorne dying at her hands when she threw his knife at him. Kim placed her hands on each tool, feeling the sleek, soft polished metal implements. Until she found her hand stopping at a small scalpel-like instrument, her fingers grazed the top of the handle, until she picked it up. Kim walked over quietly to the only door in the large room and waited off to the side of it. Her fingers caressed the soft handle, when she could hear a set of footsteps getting closer and closer. Kim's eyes became focused on the large sliding door as the footsteps stopped. Kim's heart stopped when the door slid open, and she could see three people walking through, their eyes hadn't realized that she wasn't restrained anymore, until she moved in front of them. Kim could hear each one of their heartbeats as she raised her hand up and sliced across one of the men's throat. The first man froze, reaching for his neck. The young heroine casually walked in front of the second man, just as he reached into his jacket for his weapon, Kim swiftly cut vertically. The man's shirt and jacket split open and his stomach burst, spilling his intestines out as he staggered backwards, shocked.
"You're gonna pay for killing Wade." Her tone cold and focused, as Nikki dodged the blade in Kim's hand and swiftly kicked the disemboweled man in front of Kim.
"I was secretly hoping that you'd break free." Nikki smiled as she retreated into the long hallway. The young blonde girl ran quickly through the hall, looking back, making sure that Kim could see where she was going, and stopped at a nearby room. She entered it quickly and disappeared inside.
Kim watched Nikki run away and waited a second before pursuing her. She waited patiently for the two men to die. Her eyes remained unblinking as the two men crawled on the ground, quietly pleading for help. The only mercy that Kim was able to give them was a quick death. She reached into one of their jackets, pulling out a small handgun. Kim gently placed the blade on the ground as she cocked the gun and aimed it at one of them. Her finger softly pulled on the trigger, firing one shot, and hitting the disemboweled man in between his eyes, killing him instantly. The second man attempted to reach into his coat, but Kim grabbed his wrist and wrenched it away. She looked him in the eyes and shoved the gun into his mouth and fired two shots. The top of his head popped and a few pieces of his brain spattered on the ceiling. Kim placed the gun next to the dead man and she retrieved her blade and stood back up. Kim walked quickly through the hall, knowing exactly where Nikki ran, and stopped in front of the room. She knew in the back of her head that Nikki was probably waiting in there with some elaborate trap, but she didn't care anymore. Kim kicked the door open and walked inside.
Nikki stood a few feet away from Kim. The young villainess was wearing her black outfit. "Omni warned me that under extreme circumstances, a young innocent girl like you could instantly turn into a killer. I'm okay with that… I've been watching you since you first came to our attention. I watched you save the world over and over, but today is different. The world isn't in danger and you aren't fighting some cartoon villain." Nikki grabbed a hold of her silky blonde hair and tied it into a ponytail, readying herself for combat. "If you beat me today, I'll tell you where your friend, Shego, is… If you fail, well, you die. Are you ready?" Nikki asked.
Kim cast away her blade and she got into an offensive position. Her fists tightened and knuckles cracked as she scanned her surroundings. There were a few large machines, cutting thin sheets of metal. It seemed that they were in a weapon assembly room. Kim was comfortable with this kind of environment and she smiled, "I'm ready. I hope you're ready to die."
Both girls ran at each other, their fists striking the other square in the face. Kim punched Nikki in the temple, stunning the girl, and struck her once more in the jaw. Nikki kneed Kim in the ribs and fractured one of them, as she moved back, trying to keep a small amount of space in between them. Nikki leered evilly as she pressed a button on her sleeve. The black battle suit began to glow faintly and Nikki became empowered, the suit enhanced her strength and agility. She ran over to Kim and kicked her in the fractured rib, cracking it further. Kim attempted to counter, but found her fist stopped in midair, Nikki wrenched Kim's arm behind her and pulled up on it. Kim screamed in agony, she could feel her arm literally coming out of its socket. Acting quickly, Kim elbowed Nikki in the face, breaking her nose.
"You little cunt…" Nikki growled, while she wiped the steady flow of blood from under her nose. "I'm gonna fucking tear you apart…" Nikki lunged at Kim and grabbed her by her hair. She pulled on it and began to spin Kim around the large room, lifting her off the ground and let her go. Kim was thrown across the room and crashed into a large press machine. Kim struggled to stand back up, her body shook as she somehow managed to get back on her feet. Kim knew that Nikki had the advantage since she was wearing an enhanced battle suit.
"I have to short her suit…" Kim thought to herself. She looked behind Nikki and noticed a large machine charging the battery packs to some of the pulse rifles being built. She darted at Nikki and attempted to kick her, but Nikki's suit enabled her to effortlessly dodge the attack. Kim landed directly behind her and acting quickly she grabbed hold of a large cable that was pumping energy into the machine. Kim pulled hard on the cable, tearing it out of its base, and turned around jamming it into Nikki's spine before she could turn around and react.
"Aargh!" Nikki screamed in agony as thousands of volts surged through the suit, causing her body to spasm violently. Kim pushed Nikki into the large machine building the pulse rifles. A large mechanical arm grabbed hold of Nikki's throat and lifted her up, placing her on a large conveyor belt. Kim wiped the blood from her face and followed Nikki as the conveyor belt began moving towards a large press. The machine slammed down with one thousands pounds of pressure, flattening thick metal plate with ease. Kim looked at Nikki, who lay there helpless, and pressed the halt button on the machine.
"If you hadn't killed Wade, I wouldn't be doing this… do you know that?" Kim muttered as she released the halt button. "What did you do to Shego?" Kim asked, as she continued following Nikki.
Nikki laughed to herself as she turned her head to face Kim, "She's on her way to see Omni. He personally wants to decide her fate."
"How long ago was this?" Kim asked.
"A short while ago. Some of Omni's muscle are transporting her, they weren't in any hurry, since they, ironically, thought I was gonna beat you." Nikki attempted to lift her arms, but found that her spine had taken serious damage. "Omni warned me that you would beat me, I doubted him. I told him that I wouldn't toy with you like every other person you've gone up against, but look at me now."
"I guess this is the end of the line for you." Kim said hesitantly. The large machine became louder and louder. It lifted its large heavy weight high up into the air, its shadow looming over Nikki's legs with every second.
"I guess it is…" Nikki smiled and closed her eyes as her legs were literally under the press. "Go two blocks north from here… you can cut them off… and Kim…" Nikki whispered as the weight seemed to freeze over her. "The world you know is a lie." The large press came down with a loud "whoosh' crushing Nikki's entire body. Kim looked away as the press slowly rose back up. The sounds of cracking bones and meat falling back down to the conveyor belt seemed to haunt Kim.
"I never wanted it to come to this…" Kim said to herself as she turned around and began to make her way out of the complex. She ran through the brightly lit corridors and ran up a few flights of stairs, until she finally came to an exit. Kim burst through the door and headed north as quickly as she could. She was too late for Wade, but maybe there was still hope for Shego.