"Damnit! You two can catch up later! Those things are gonna tear us to pieces!"

Timmy ran around the wardrobe and pushed it against the window, then wedged some boards between it and the stairs to keep it from being pushed over. "Tootie, do you have any weapons? Anything that can help us?"

Tootie wobbled a bit and pointed to her dufflebag with the hand that held the bottle of amber liquid. "Oh! That too!" he snatched the bottle out of her hand and stuffed some cloth in the opening. "...Wait, have you been drinking?"

"Maybe..." she spoke in a sing-song voice.

"Perfect. I'm gonna die with some random kid and his drunken friend!"

"Not now Wolfe! Tootie? I need you to focus, and listen to me, can you do that?"

Tootie stopped and put her finger under her chin in thought, then nodded excitedly in the affirmative.

"Alright... those freaks are outside, and they're trying to get in. We need a plan to deal with them. Is there anything you have that might help us?"

"Oh! Yeah, here!" she handed him a belt with a dozen grenades on it.

"Where did you-?"

Tootie shrugged at him, then brought her arms around him into a hug. "You finally came to save me... You're the best!" she repeatedly planted kisses on his cheek.

"Tootie! Not now!" "If only Cosmo and Wanda were here..." he had opted to leave them on the ship, he had no idea why he even still had them, he was eighteen now, and had used their magic to essentially doom the world, or at least leave it at Vicky's mercy. It may have been to keep Vicky safe, but it was still fairly evil and selfish, so why hadn't Jorgen showed up to take them away? "Argh! I don't have time to think about this!"

"You two better come up with a plan! Those things are still coming!" he was doing his best to kill the creatures, but there didn't seem to be an end to them in sight. Then he noticed the bottle Timmy held. "Give me that!" he brought the cloth in the bottle up to his cigarette and it caught fire. He walked over to the window and moved the wood, then threw the bottle out into the horde of freaks. "Burn baby, burn."

"Sincerely inferno!" both Timmy and Wolfe looked at Tootie.

"Yeah..."

The bottle smashed onto the head of one of the creatures, bathing the central mass in flames, the ones on the outer edge scattered away into the ruins. The ones that had been closer were covered in the fire and had begun to run around in a panicked state, they seemed to be unusually flammable, those that had been near the center of the explosion were almost instantly burned to charred remains.

"Ugh... the smell!"

"Better to have a bad smell in your nose than be dead..."

"Urgh... be right back..." Tootie ran upstairs to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

"Guess she doesn't have a strong stomach..."

"Yeah... alright, that thinned the herd for now, they seem to be dispersing for now, but they'll be back, and there will be more. What are we gonna do?"

"What do you think, Wolfe? We're gonna get our asses out of this frying pan!"

"And into the fire! Those things are gonna rush us as soon as we open the door! Think about this kid! We need a plan or we're gonna be food!"

"You wanna lead?! Go ahead! I'm only eighteen! I don't know how to deal with these situations! I never even thought we'd find Tootie, I thought we would've found her dead, but not at my house!"

"Alright... why don't you... go check on her? She needs to know the plan when we make it..."

"Right." he went up the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door. "Tootie? Can I come in?" he heard the door unlock and opened it.

Tootie was kneeling in front of the toilet and looked up at Timmy. "Good thing I cut my hair, huh?"

He moved and sat down next to her. "Heh... yeah... How have you been?"

"Surviving... I'd ask how you've been but..." Tootie gestured to the armor he wore.

"Yeah... Vicky offered to let me on the ship, I didn't want to at first but... I did eventually, we're... together now."

"Good for you... so why are you here?"

"Why wouldn't I? You think I'd let you die out here?"

"What took you so long? Do you know what it's been like? I had to shoot my mother and father, to save them the pain of being torn to pieces... I barely got out myself! What took you so long?!"

"I didn't know!" Tootie jumped at his sudden outburst. "I didn't know... I only found out today... Vicky asked me to come and get you." he pulled her to his chest and hugged her.

"Hmph... that's a lie, she doesn't care about me."

"You can ask her yourself soon enough."

"No! I'm not going with you to her ship! I already told her I wouldn't." she tried to squirm out of his grip, and he tightened it in response.

"I'm not giving you the choice! You are coming back with me, kicking and screaming if necessary, I won't let you throw your life away!" she continued struggling for several minutes before she stopped.

"Fine..."

"If you try to run, I'll shoot you in the leg myself."

"I won't..."

"Good, are you feeling better?"

"I'm feeling sick again..."

"You gonna throw up again?"

"No... I'll be fine."

Timmy helped her to her feet, she stumbled at first, but he caught her. "You sure?"

"Yeah..."

He looked down and noticed the pink hat at their feet, he picked it up and shook it off, then placed it back on her head. "You always did look cuter in my hat than I did..."

Tootie blushed at his comment. "You always know just what to say to make me blush like a lovestruck idiot..."

"You two okay up there?"

"Yeah, we're fine! Any sign of those things?"

"No, we're clear for now."

"I'm gonna check the other rooms for-"

"Wait! Don't go in your parents' room!"

"Why?"

"Because! They're..."

"Tootie, I already know." he moved the hair on the left side of his head to reveal a straight, two inch scar. "My dad... he tried to shoot me after he shot mom, guess he wanted us to die together as a family, he missed his mark."

"Oh Timmy... I'm so sorry..." she buried her head in his neck, and he put his hand on the back of her head.

"I know it's selfish, but I can't let you die, alright? I can't. I refuse to lose anyone else."

"But... Vicky caused this! How can you... How can you love her after that?! She burned Dimmsdale! She made these creatures! She killed everyone!"

"The creatures? Vicky didn't... Those things, she didn't make them... Vicky doesn't even know where they came from, they appeared after she destroyed Brightburg. You think she would do that? Make people into those things?"

"Shows how out of touch you all are in your fancy airship, everyone blames Vicky for those things... I think I'm the only one left now..."

"Were you the one who killed the soldiers?"

"No! Not... not all of them... Most fell to those things out there... I only killed them if I had no choice..."

"They were sent out to scout the ruins for survivors... and I think you as well. Vicky didn't trust them to bring you back unharmed, that's why she sent me, she knows I care about you, and I know she cares about you. No matter what she's done, all the bad things... she still loves you..."

"But... but... I almost..."

"What?"

"I couldn't take it anymore... My parents are gone, I thought Vicky wanted me dead... I thought you were gone! I was gonna... I had the gun, in my hand... at my head... and I... I..." he could feel her breaking apart in his grip, the shaking, the tears, he had known her for so long, yet never saw her like this, she had cried in front of him before, but never broken down.

He pulled her even tighter into the embrace. "I'm glad you didn't do it..."

"I did do it though... The only reason I'm still here is because I forgot to reload the damn thing..."

"It's okay now Tootie, I'm gonna get us out of here, I promise."

His words made her remember why she fell in love with him in the first place, that unshakeable determination, his willingness to protect those close to him...

He released her from his grip and put his hands on her shoulders, then looked into her eyes. "Alright, we need a plan, then we're going home, together."

Staring into his blue eyes, Tootie felt something in her chest, it wasn't love, she knew that, but it was something just as good, something she had given up for lost long ago, something that burned away the despair that had wrapped itself around her heart: Hope.

Back on the Helicarrier...

"Commander! We'll be ready to destroy the city in approximately five minutes!"

"You'll destroy it when I give the order!"

"But... Commander, we can't delay the firing sequence!"

"And why not?! Is it because it literally can't be delayed?!"

"Well... no, it's just that... it's against protocol..."

"Well today, we're ignoring protocol! Timmy and my sister are still down there and I won't leave them to die!"

"Commander... I didn't know you cared so strongly about-" the officer was interrupted by a knife thrown at his jugular, blood began to pour from the wound as he fell over, dead.

"Someone clean him up..." Vicky rubbed her forehead. "And find me a new targeting specialist! Preferably one who knows when to shut his trap!" she returned to looking out the window, she could barely see his house from where she was standing. "Knowing him, that's where he'd be..." she was aware of a light amount of pressure on her right shoulder, looking at it, she saw the two geckos he kept, normally they were in the small tank he had for them, but they must've been left out when he left to get Tootie. One was pink, the other green, both had a small circle of gold spines on their heads, forming a small crown-like growth, the green one looked off into the distance blankly, occasionally licking its own eyeball, the pink one looked worried, or as worried as a mostly expressionless reptile could look. "Or is it just my imagination?" She stuck her finger under the pink gecko's chin, causing it to lick her finger. "You're worried about him too, aren't you?" the gecko licked her finger again. "Damn it Timmy... Please come back safe, preferably with Tootie..."

"What was that ma'am?"

"Grr... Was I talking to you?!"

"N-no ma'am..."

"Damn it all! I should've gone with him! I should've..." Vicky could feel a slight dampness at the corners of her eyes. "Great... now I'm crying? Nobody said love was supposed to make you weak... Then again, nobody talked to me about love..."

Back at Timmy's house...

"If you two kids are done making out, we got problems down here!"

"Shit! They're back already?!"

"What are we gonna do?!"

"Tootie, I already told you, I'm not letting anything happen to you. Here." he handed her an automatic rifle. "Know how to use that?"

She pointed it at him. "This is the dangerous end, right?"

He flicked the safety off. "It is now."

Wolfe stood in the living room looking out the window, the creatures were coming back, and there were far more now than before. He looked down at the rifle in his hands, a name was carved into the side of the gun: Heather. "I think this is our last rodeo Heather... Didn't expect to go down like this, protecting the commander's lover and her sister while she hides up in her fortress... I suppose it's what I deserve though, I've pushed others down so many times, sacrificed them so I might live... This might be my last chance... for redemption... if I even deserve it." his thoughts returned to the girl he left behind in the city, when he saved himself instead of her. He tried to drown out her cries for help, but each night he heard them again, growing louder with each cry: "Help me! Please! Don't leave me! Daddy! Daddy!" he was snapped out of his thoughts by the clicking outside. "There's no forgiveness for what I've done... Heather... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."

"Wolfe! What are we gonna do?! We can't kill them all!"

"We don't need to, just enough to make a break for it. Call it in, tell them to be ready to pick us up in five."

Timmy did as Wolfe told him, Tootie walked over to stand in front of Wolfe. "What is it?"

"I wanted to thank you, for coming to help me, and for helping him." she pointed to Timmy.

"Hmph... I might've only delayed the inevitable..." he looked at Tootie's face and paused for several seconds.

"What? Is there... something on my face?" she moved her hand over her face, looking for anything she could feel.

"No... you remind me of... nevermind, it's not important."

Tootie looked out the window and her face was again filled with despair. "There- there's so many... how are we gonna get out of here...?"

"Hey! You're gonna get out of here! Hear me?! You will!"

Timmy looked over at Wolfe. "What's got him so full of hope?" He looked over at Tootie and tightened his grip on his side-arm. "I won't let them get to her... even if..." "Dammit! Someone answer!"

"Hello?"

Back at the carrier...

"Hello? Timmy sir?! You're alive-" the officer who answered the call was blown away by the wind of destruction that was Vicky.

"Timmy?! Are you okay?!" she didn't bother worrying about how she looked in front of her troops now.

"I'm fine... we're fine... it's good to hear your voice..."

"Likewise..." the tears came now, though only a few. "Is... is Tootie?"

"She's here... she's alive."

Relief washed over Vicky at hearing this. "So you're calling for pick up?"

"Yeah, we need it ASAP, those things have us surrounded at my house, we can't hold out for long..."

"I'll send someone down immediately."

"I'll see you soon..."

"Yeah..."

"Vicky?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

This brought Vicky pause, he hadn't said that to her yet, she figured he was too shy. "Don't you dare die out there. You come back with my sister..."

"Is that an order?" there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"What do you think?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Vicky disconnected and looked around, hoping to find someone she could trust with this task. Except Vicky didn't trust anyone on the ship. "Shit..." she ran off by herself to the armory.

Timmy's house...

Another shot rang out, another creature fell, it's head split open like a melon. "Hah! Hey Wolfe, I think I'm beating you!"

"Not likely kid, that molotov took out a whole herd!"

"You can't count that! That was before the competition started!"

"I'm counting it, right now you're just ahead of Jenkins!"

"Bah! He only killed a dozen! I've easily killed more!"

"Heroic sacrifice gets you extra points! You wanna do something similar? That'll get you more points than me!"

"I ain't dying out here!"

"Would you two stop?! This isn't a competition! We're gonna die out here at this rate! And all you can think about is who killed more?!"

"Just trying to have some fun..."

"Being on the brink of death? News flash, it isn't fun!" she fired a shot and killed another creature. "How the fuck are we gonna get out of this?!"

"I have an idea... well, I've had one for the past twenty minutes actually..."

"What?!" both Timmy and Tootie yelled simultaneously.

"What? I thought we were enjoying the competition? We aren't?"

"If you have a plan that will keep us from getting eaten, now would be an awesome time to share!"

"Urgh... fine. Tootie, go turn on the gas in the kitchen."

"Okay..." she ran off toward the kitchen.

"What's the plan?"

"These things seem to hate fire, right? Well, if we make a big enough boom, we'll be able to scare them off long enough to escape, hopefully the rescue shuttle will be here by then."

"Well, I don't have any better ideas..."

Tootie came running back in. "Gas is on! What now?!"

"Kid! Call the commander! This is gonna be one hell of a boom!"

"Right!" he put the earpiece back in and called the ship.

"Hello?"

"I need status on that pick up!"

"Oh? Well... the commander just left... she isn't there yet?"

"She's coming personally?!"

"I assume so..."

"Argh... fine!" he turned off the earpiece. "I didn't want her to come! She could get hurt..."

"We could get hurt!"

"I'd rather have myself get hurt than her!"

"Pfft! Throwing your life away for the evil dictator of the world?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Maybe if you loved someone, you'd understand!"

"Don't think you know me kid! You don't know me!"

"Both of you! Enough!"

"Fine! We'll fight if we survive! Tootie! Gimme that grenade belt!"

Tootie handed Wolfe the belt.

"Anyone else smell gas?"

"Well yeah, I told Tootie to turn on the gas."

"Don't you think you should put out the cigarette?"

"Nope."

The clawing at the door and windows became louder, as did the clicking and grunting. "Wolfe, if you're gonna do something, now would be a good time!"

"Alright! When I give the signal, we make a break for the back door, they don't seem to be smart enough to try it! Go unblock it, now!" Timmy and Tootie ran for the back and Wolfe heard them dragging something heavy.

They ran back in. "Okay, now what?"

"Now... Go!" they turned and ran back for the door. As Wolfe stood, he heard the creatures pushing at the window that he and Timmy had jumped in through. He began to run as he heard creaking, but wasn't fast enough to escape the wardrobe falling on his legs. "Ah shit!" he tried lifting it up, only to realize it was far too heavy.

Timmy and Tootie rushed back to him. "Wolfe! Tootie! Help me move this!" even with all three pushing it, it wouldn't move.

"Damn..." Wolfe grabbed a grenade and threw it out the window, causing a large explosion, enough to drive back the creatures, if only for a fleeting moment. "You two... go!"

"I'm not leaving anyone behind!" Timmy continued trying to lift the wardrobe.

Wolfe grabbed Heather and pointed it(her?) at Timmy's face. "Go. Get her out of here... both of you... you have to live. I've made mistakes... I can't unmake them... but I can try to make things right. Now go!"

Tootie had tears in her eyes, but ran off for the door.

"Kid... here." he handed his rifle to Timmy, who took it. "I couldn't save the real Heather... I was a coward..." a single tear rolled down Wolfe's face. "But if you two survive... well, it's something. You take good care of those girls..."

"I will."

"Good man." he puffed on his cigarette. "Now go."

Timmy ran after Tootie, he didn't look back.

He pressed at the earpiece. "Anybody? Vicky? We need that pick up, Now!"

"I'm coming! It's not like I have experience driving this thing!" Timmy saw a small vertical take-off and landing vehicle screaming towards them. Behind, he could hear the creatures breaking into the house, some were chasing after him and Tootie as well. Vicky brought the vehicle to a hovering position just in front of them. "Get in!" Timmy and Tootie lunged forward into the vehicle with the creatures hot on their tails. Vicky took off, but not before one jumped and grabbed onto Timmy's leg, another jumped onto the canopy of the cockpit. It growled and scratched at the glass... until Vicky looked up at it. She met its eyes and glared right into them, causing it to shudder and jump off to its death. Timmy repeatedly kicked at the one grabbing his leg, but it wasn't about to give up.

Tootie grabbed the gun marked as 'Heather' out of his hands and released several shots into the creatures head, blowing it clean off. Timmy looked over at her with genuine surprise. "Nice!"

Back at the house...

The creatures slowly circled around Wolfe, expecting him to fight back after all the time they had chased him, and how much of their number had had killed, but he simply continued puffing on his cigarette. "Not gonna make the first move eh? Well... allow me." he grabbed the belt and yanked out the pin of the first grenade, just as the gas reached him and ignited from his cigarette. "Heh... always knew these things would be the death of me..."

The house exploded in a massive fireball, causing the VTOL to shake as it flew toward the carrier. Timmy sat at the edge of the vehicle, his legs dangling over the side. "Hmph... guess he won after all..."

At the carrier, several minutes later...

Vicky had returned to the main chamber, watching the city burn. She had returned to wearing her green tank-top and white shorts. Timmy walked up and embraced her from behind, she was surprised this time, and jumped as his arms wrapped around her. "Ooh... You're getting better at sneaking up on me..." she spun around in his embrace to face him. "Tootie?"

"She'll be fine, she might need some serious therapy after what she's been through, but I think she'll be okay."

"Thank goodness... she wasn't... bit? No scratches either?"

"No, surprisingly enough, those things were never able to lay a hand on her, she's tough, tougher than I think either of us thought..."

"Hm... casualty report?"

"Jenkins and Wolfe... Jenkins was caught off guard... Wolfe... he was pinned by a wardrobe, he wouldn't let us help him, chose to go out in a blaze of glory instead..."

"I see... guess I need to train some new best soldiers, eh?"

"Not it. I'm not going back down there."

"Well of course not! I'm not about to let you either! I thought you..."

"I know. But like I said, nothing was gonna stop me from coming back to you."

Vicky began to cry, and she didn't care who saw this time. "I shouldn't have... What if you... I'm sorry..."

"Hey." he moved his hand up and caressed her cheek. "I'm fine, we're all fine. You sent me down there because you trusted that I'd get the job done, yeah we lost people, but that's what happens, no one has the right to blame you for that, they could have abandoned the mission at any time, but they didn't, they knew the risks." He leaned in a kissed her on the lips. "Man, I've been missing that."

From across the room, one of the officers saw the kiss. "Aw... that's sweet..."

"Mary! Shut it! You wanna end up like Ted?!" her fellow officer slapped her arm.

"Vicky... about your parents..."

"...They're dead, aren't they?"

"Yeah, Tootie... she killed them, before those things could overwhelm them, kept them from suffering..."

"Hmph... I'd have left them to suffer..."

"You don't mean that..."

"You told me about what happened with your parents, so you know how bad things can get."

"...You're right, sorry."

"How is your head, by the way?"

"He lifted the hair away to show the scar. "I think I'll live."

She traced the scar with her fingers. "Even if he thought it was for the best... I don't think I can forgive him for what he did to you..."

"It's in the past, let it stay there."

"Fine." she pulled him closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Vicky... you sure you wanna act like this in front of them?" he gestured to the officers in the various chairs around the room.

"Much as I don't want to admit it..."

"Yeah?"

"I need you, so they can stare at us all they want, I'll kill them later if I deem it necessary..."

"Might as well give them a show then."

"Huh?"

He held her with both arms and dipped her down into a passionate kiss, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other supporting her back. After several long seconds, he pulled her back up to stand in front of him, he wore a smug smile, she wore a scarlet blush. "That should be enough for now."

"R-right..." great, now she was embarrassed in front of her troops as well.

"So, I guess you two are getting along well, huh?" they were both surprised by Tootie's voice. She walked through the room toward where Timmy and Vicky stood, she had changed into a light purple sundress and had put her glasses back on, though she still wore Timmy's hat.

"Tootie! How are you feeling?"

"A little uncomfortable to be honest, I've become so used to surviving by the skin of my teeth that this... I'll get used to it." she had yet to look at Vicky.

"Um... Tootie?" Vicky stepped closer to her sister.

Tootie turned to look at Vicky, she had a look on her face that Vicky couldn't place.

"Tootie?"

Tootie responded by rushing into Vicky and wrapping her arms around her. The collision shocked Vicky, but not nearly as much as the fact that her sister was hugging her, after all she had done, her sister still loved her, it was more than she could have hoped for, and brought her tears back to the surface. "Damn it... I gotta stop crying like this, how can I hope to keep up my image at this rate?"

"I don't think it'll hurt to look weak now and then, if only to prove that you're still human..." Timmy put his hand on her shoulder.

"Timmy... Here." Tootie handed him his pink hat.

He took it and looked it over. "I think... you should keep it. It looks better on you now anyway."

Tootie took the hat back. "If... if you're sure..." she placed it back on her head, hiding her short haircut. "What... what will we do now? Our home is gone... and those things..."

"Oh! That reminds me! Ahem... Fire the death ray!"

"You mean the death beam ma'am?"

"Whatever! Just fire it!"

There was a sound of something powering up before a blinding flash lit up the ruined city below them, turning it into a glowing crater.

"Back to my earlier question... where are we gonna go now?"

Timmy walked up next to Vicky and grabbed her hand, linking his fingers with hers. "We go where we want, the world is within our grasp!" Vicky began laughing evilly at hearing this from Timmy, he tried to join in, but only ended up coughing and sputtering. "Yeah... I'll leave the evil laughing to you..."

Tootie came up and stood on the opposite side of him as Vicky, then grabbed his hand. "I guess I can give this whole 'evil' thing a try..."

"Hey! No one here is evil! We just..." both Vicky and Tootie looked at Timmy quizzically. "Alright fine, we're kinda evil. But I think we still have some redeemable qualities..."

"Then what are we, if not evil?"

"Uh... maybe... like... renegades... or something..." Both girls continued to stare at him like he had three heads. "So... where shall we head first?"

"Hm..." Vicky walked a few steps away and checked a terminal screen. "Oh! I hear Tibecuador is nice this time of year!"

Timmy grinned evilly, most unusual for him. "They'll never see us coming!"

"Yeah!" Tootie piped in.

"Lock our destination in as Tibecuador! All engines, full power!"

Author Note: Well, that's enough of that I think. I don't want this to go on for too long and degrade the quality, I may throw in a few chapters now and again, depending on what you guys want, maybe an alternate retelling, the story was gonna end a lot more tragically than it did, but I have a hard time killing characters I like. I actually started this with the idea to make it zombie apocalypse-ish, but I think I'll wait a while before I do something like that, the creatures are an amalgamation of things I've seen in video games, with some differences added in to make them mine. As always, review, PM, whatever, and tell me what you thought of it... Please?