Here comes the second part of #11. This half has some more character deaths, violence and dark themes, so don't read this if it isn't your cup of tea.
I'm sorry if this half feels a little rushed or like an anticlimax. The story kept getting away from me, and I realised it no longer had that much to do with Monty and Amy, so I decided to give it a mercy killing before it turned into The Epic Adventures of Yori or something.
ME MONTY, YOU AMY
011b
Hirotaka kept a close eye on the gates of the school from his hiding place by the wall. He was dressed from head to toe in white ninja garb that helped him disappear against the pale stone. He couldn't see any of his comrades, but he knew they were there. Their presence gave him a sense of security, but he wished Yori had decided to join them.
He couldn't understand what was wrong with her. Her loyalty should have been with Yamanouchi, not with the Americans. Hirotaka knew Kim was a great warrior worthy of their respect, but one glance at Ron had been enough to make him doubt both Sensei and Yori's high opinion of him. This lad who kept stumbling over his own feet was what all the fuss was about? This was the guy Yori had been pining for all this time? It was almost insulting.
The young ninja turned his thoughts back to the current situation. If Monkey Fist tried to come through here, they would stop him. Maybe that would show Yori that they didn't need others to fight their battles for them. Hirotaka was determined to prove that whatever Yori's beloved Stoppable-san could do, he could do it better.
He spotted a black dot moving in the distance and shielded his eyes from the sun. What was it? At first he thought it could be some sort of animal, but as soon as the dot got a littler closer, he realised that Monkey Fist was walking towards them like he had no worries in the world. His black gi made him stand out against the ground as the perfect target.
He's a fool. This will be even easier than we thought, Hirotaka thought to himself with a smirk. He made a small hand gesture to make sure that his comrades were alerted to the situation as well. He checked that his weapon of choice, a long wooden staff, was secured on his back. He probably wouldn't get to face Monkey Fist since the older ninjas wanted the honour, but it didn't hurt to be prepared.
It took Monkey Fist only about ten minutes to make it to the gates of Yamanouchi. Hirotaka noticed a short woman following him in the distance, but one look at her made him decide that she was of no importance. He hadn't met DNAmy personally when she had come to ask for their help, but he knew she was no danger in combat.
Monkey Fist stopped to stand before the closed gates with his hands on his hips. For a while he only stood there and gazed up at the walls, tapping his foot on the ground. Hirotaka had the perfect view to the man's face. His fingers clenched around his staff as he saw the impatient frown on the man's features. Monkey Fist had killed Sensei, the greatest man Hirotaka had ever known, and he didn't even look ashamed by it.
"Well," Monkey Fist finally said, "isn't anyone going to come and greet their new master?"
The ninjas didn't move from their hiding places. Akino had given them clear instructions to stay put until he gave the order to attack. Lashing out was very tempting, though. Hirotaka needed only one leap down and he'd be within striking distance.
"Very well. It looks like I'll need to make a few changes around here," Monkey Fist said. He brought his hands together before his chest as they started to glow yellow. Without a warning, he turned his palms outwards like he was going to strike the gate. The next thing Hirotaka knew was that the wall was shaking with a violent rumble that almost made him lose his balance. Everything had happened so fast that at first he didn't know what was going on, but then he saw the smoking remains of the wooden gate.
Just like with the Yono, he thought, recalling how they had had to re-build almost the entire school after the previous attack against it.
He watched how Monkey Fist walked through the rubble and stopped at the centre of the front yard.
Akino stepped out from the main building and took his place on the porch. He had his hands hidden inside his sleeves. The pose looked relaxed and harmless, but meant that he probably had weapons hidden in his hands. Hirotaka didn't think such tricks would work against Monkey Fist. The man was a westerner, yes, but he was also a ninja.
"You're not welcome here," the old teacher said to the simian man.
"That has never stopped me from crashing parties before. But I'm not interested in needless chitchat. Either you surrender and become my slaves or I will kill you," Monkey Fist stated matter-of-factly.
"You obviously do not know the place you've infiltrated," Akino said. He stepped down from the porch and started advancing towards Monkey Fist with calm steps. The other man didn't move or try to prepare himself in any way.
"I think I have a fairly good idea. If defeating you is as easy as breaking in and stealing the Lotus Blade, this won't take long," Monkey Fist said.
Akino's face betrayed no emotion as he suddenly pulled his hands out of his sleeves and revealed two long knives. Moving so fast that Hirotaka had trouble following the movement, he slashed out with the blades and attempted to slash Monkey Fist's throat open to give him a quick death. They all wanted him to suffer after what he had done to Sensei, but there was no time to be unprofessional. If he really was as powerful as Yori claimed, they needed to take him down fast.
Monkey Fist had been expecting the attack and dodged just in time so that the knives only scratched his skin and barely drew blood. He kicked the weapons from Akino's hands and struck the old man to his side so that he fell on his knees to the ground. He tried to get back up, but another kick from Monkey Fist made him roll to his stomach. It took all of Hirotaka's willpower not to interfere, but Akino had strictly told them not to attack until he gave them the sign.
"My new powers have granted me strength and new abilities. I might even have superior healing, so I could have let you have your way. It would have made for an impressive scene, but I'm afraid I'm not very keen on having a first-hand experience on what it feels like to suffer of blood loss," Monkey Fist said.
He bent down to lift Akino up by the front of his gi. A grin split the monkey man's face from ear to ear.
"You, on the other hand…"
Hirotaka couldn't help but gasp when Monkey Fist shoved his hand into Akino's stomach and then pushed the old man to the ground, his fist dark with his victim's blood. Akino's eyes were wide open and he could only sputter something incomprehensible in his surprise.
As far as Hirotaka was concerned, to heck with waiting for the sign. He leapt out of his hiding place, hoping that Monkey Fist would be too occupied with watching Akino cling onto his life. If he made it to the simian man fast enough, maybe they could still do something to help the old man.
He brought out his staff and struck it at Monkey Fist with enough force to break his spine if it hit the spot he was aiming at. From the corner of his eye, he saw that some of the others had decided to attack as well, but he barely registered their presence. He felt an unfamiliar rush of hatred at the man before him, which made him forget everything he had ever learnt.
Hirotaka thought he could hear someone call out behind him and order them to fall back, but he didn't think twice about it. Many of the others didn't either, and he suddenly found himself in the middle of a disorganized group in which everyone was trying to hit the same target. His perfectly aimed strike was blocked by the katana of the ninja by his side. The painful vibrations that were shot through his arms made him stagger back and see clearly again after his brief insanity.
He blinked and shook his head, wondering how he could have been that foolish. He had acted like a rookie with no experience in combat.
Monkey Fist didn't seem very surprised by the attacks, but he could no longer keep up his indifferent attitude. There were five ninjas charging at him, and in a fair and normal fight he would have already been killed. Hirotaka couldn't claim that he knew what was going on, but it looked like Monkey Fist was using some kind of yellow force field to block all the attacks or at least lessen their impact. His friends weren't having much success with the fight.
He took a look at Akino to see if there was something he could do while everyone else was busy, but he needed only one glance at the old man to know that he was dead. Hirotaka had to swallow and close his eyes to stop the rage that was threatening to take over him again. They had lost two great men in the span of only a few hours. How would the school get over it?
But there was no time to think about that now. He had to join the others and take Monkey Fist down so that they could bring him to justice for what he had done.
A scream brought him back from his thoughts and he turned around just in time to see one of his friends be smashed against the school wall. He didn't get back up again.
Monkey Fist clapped his hands together after a work well done. He was no longer glowing yellow and was standing in the middle of them like he had no reason to be worried about a dozen ninjas who wanted him dead.
"Now that you've let out some steam, how about we talk a little about the situation? You can either see this my way or his way," Monkey Fist said and nodded at the fallen ninja who still hadn't moved.
One of the older ninjas drew back his battle staff and smashed it against Monkey Fist's side, sending him tumbling to the ground with a pained grunt.
"I think I speak for all of us," the ninja said as Monkey Fist was getting up.
"I wasn't expecting any less from you simpletons," Monkey Fist said and pressed his hand against his side, wincing at the bruise. "But being a gentleman and all, I though I'd give you the chance to live."
He brought his hands together and a yellow glow surrounded him. The ninjas watched how he rose above them and how the glow grew brighter and brighter until it was almost painful to look at him.
"Quick! Attack now!" the ninja who had struck Monkey Fist commanded. Hirotaka readied his staff and tried to calculate what would be the best opening for him. There were several others who were closer to Monkey Fist and he didn't want to get in their way. He decided to have their back and attack if they were having trouble.
One of the older students leapt into the air and aimed his battle staff at Monkey Fist's neck. There was a bright flash and at first Hirotaka thought he had hit their enemy and struck through the glow around the simian man. As soon as he could see again, he found himself looking at the petrified form of his comrade. He was frozen in mid-movement and had fallen to the ground like a statue that had been turned over.
The others immediately stopped on their tracks, glaring at Monkey Fist warily and wondering what their next move should be.
Guessing what everyone had to be thinking, Monkey Fist flashed a smile at them and said, "Oh, don't you lot worry. That is a fate I''ll save for a very special person. I simply got a little carried away with my new powers." With that, he snapped his fingers and the frozen man returned to life with a shudder and a gasp for breath.
"I think disposing of you with more impressive methods would be far more satisfying," Monkey Fist continued.
Hirotaka didn't know what he was talking about until only a split second later when the ninja by his side was struck with a blow of yellow energy. The lad released an agonised scream and fell on his knees, the ground beneath him quickly turning red with his blood. Hirotaka wasted only a split second looking at the scene. It was obvious that there was nothing he could do to help, so he turned his attention to bringing down the enemy and avenging the death of his fallen comrades.
He barely had time to steady his weapon and take the first steps towards Monkey Fist when one of the other ninjas was thrown against him. Hirotaka felt how the blow sent his staff flying from his hands, and he heard a sickening crunch from his shoulder when he hit the ground. Terrible pain shot through the right side of his body, and he had to bite at his tongue to keep from yelling out loud.
The young ninja tried to shove the fallen man from on top of him, gasping as he was forced to lean on his injured arm. The man was still alive, but his injuries were too severe to be healed. Monkey Fist's yellow glow had burnt the front of the man's body so that Hirotaka couldn't recognise him.
Swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth, Hirotaka finally pushed the man away. The angry and pained cries from his fellow ninjas filled him with the urgency to get up and go and help them, but he felt too dazed to do anything. When he got on his feet, he only managed to take a few steps before falling down on his knees.
He grabbed a blade that someone had dropped on the ground. There was no time to look for his staff. Forcing himself up again, Hirotaka swore that he would either help the others to kill Monkey Fist or go down while trying.
Despite his determination, he couldn't help but admit that he should have listened to Yori. He had been too proud and maybe even jealous of Ron and Yori's trust in him to think clearly. It wasn't the first time he let his pride cloud his judgement, but it looked like it could very well be the last.
There was not much left to be seen when DNAmy arrived at Yamanouchi. She entered through the broken gates and stopped on her tracks when she saw the destruction within the walls. Black and white-clad bodies were scattered all over the front yard, some of them lying in pools of blood and others twisted in positions that made her regret that she had had any breakfast.
Monkey Fist was standing in the middle of the yard. His stern gaze wandered over the bodies and there was a faint smirk playing on his lips as he reviewed his handiwork.
"What happened here?" Amy asked. She thought she should have gone to her love, but her feet refused to move. Despite having quite an impressive track record as an evil scientist, she had never seen a dead body before – now she was looking at at least two dozen of them.
Monkey Fist turned to look at her with an expression of slight surprise on his face.
"What are you still doing here?" he asked. His puzzlement turned into annoyance before Amy could even attempt to reply, and he turned his back on her with a frustrated growl. He began marching towards the main building, not even glancing at her over his shoulder.
"Monty, wait!" she called out. She knew she should have gone after him, but she couldn't make herself walk over the bodies that were between them.
He disappeared into the house, and she was left alone outside. She felt like she had just been crushed between block of ice so that it didn't quite kill her but made breathing almost unbearable. Why was Monty being so cruel to her now? What could have changed him so much? Why wasn't he being his playful self again, running away from her all the while actually wanting her to catch up with him?
Amy didn't know what to do. Monty had never acted like this before. Maybe he was still upset from having been turned to stone. If that were the case, she should have run right after him and comforted her love while he was having his crisis, but she found she could not. The thought of wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hugging him close against her chest right after he had murdered all these people didn't feel very romantic.
"My stupid honey bunny," she muttered to herself on the verge of tears. Why did he have to be so horrible when they could have finally been together?
A sudden noise to her left caught her attention. Amy frowned in confusion and turned to look. It was as if the sound was coming from a pile of bodies, but that was too macabre to even think about. She had no trouble believing that corpses could be brought back to life, but that was in laboratory conditions after a series of specific experiments.
The bodies and the crispy stench that they were releasing made her want to get as far away from them as possible, but her curiosity had been aroused now. She pushed her hurt feelings aside for the moment and took a careful step towards the bodies. She could see that there were three people, but she wasn't sure if they were male or female. They had been burnt too badly and almost all of their hair was gone. Their faces resembled rubber.
"Hello?" she called out.
A pained groan emerged from the pile of bodies, and at first Amy thought that she really was about to face an undead zombie. Then the silliness of the idea struck her and she arrived at the only logical conclusion – someone was still alive.
She grabbed a hold of the nearest body and shoved it aside. This made the person on the bottom of the pile emit another wail, and Amy felt worry and protectiveness flare up inside her. She hated seeing anyone hurt. Whatever her Monty-wonty would say about it, she couldn't just walk away from someone who needed help.
After moving one more body, she finally made it through to the person she was looking for. He was bloodied and charred like the others, but his face was mostly unharmed. Amy could see that it was a young man.
"Are you alright?" she asked and realised what a stupid question it was when the man's face twisted in agony.
"Help... help me," the man muttered. His eyes were glazed and he wasn't even looking at Amy. She realised that he was probably in shock and had no idea what was going on, other than that he was hurting.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll take care of you," she said and bent down to get the man up on his feet. The sudden movement and Amy's hands against his burnt skin made him cry out, and Amy let go of him in surprise. The young ninja fell back down with a groan. He tried to gasp for breath, but it quickly turned into pained sobbing as he slowly became more aware of the agony he was in.
Seeing another human being in so much pain was too much for Amy. She fidgeted on her spot and tried to think of something, anything, that she could do for this poor man. She felt sick to her stomach when she looked at him and his injuries. Why had Monty done this? How could he have been so cruel and heartless?
"No, don't cry," she whispered to the fallen ninja as she went back to helping him, but she couldn't stop even her own tears from flowing.
Some time later she had managed to bring the ninja to one of the rooms in the school. She had laid him down on the softest mattress she could find and was currently taking his clothes off him. It was careful work for the young man had many burns and removing his clothing was slow and painful. Every groan he let out pierced Amy's heart and made her love Monty less and less. She was glad he hadn't yet noticed that she was helping one of his enemies. She didn't know what she'd do, but she wouldn't let Monty kill this man.
She wondered what Monty was up to as she made her way through the deserted corridors of the Yamanouchi school, looking for medical supplies. She didn't like leaving her patient alone, but she hoped that Monty would be too occupied with his victory and further plans to wander around and find him.
This could be it, she thought as she entered a small room whose walls were lined with shelves. She looked into a jar and saw that it was filled with some sort of ointment. Amy didn't know anything about natural healing or Japanese herbs, but this had to be better than nothing.
"What are you doing?" came a low voice behind her, and she almost dropped the jar in surprise. She whirled around on her heels and found herself staring at Monkey Fist's blue eyes. How come she had never noticed how little emotion they held?
"Oh, honey bunny! You startled me!" she exclaimed.
"I asked you a question. Why have you been wandering around the school?" Monkey Fist inquired.
"I'm just trying to get to know the place. I've never been to a real secret ninja school before. I'm so excited!" Amy said quickly. She felt guilty about lying to him. Even now that his actions made her sick, she couldn't help but entertain herself with thoughts of making him feel better. If she loved him enough, maybe he would be alright again.
"This school belongs to me now. I will make it the headquarters of my world order, and I don't need you here," Monkey Fist said. Amy was half-expecting him to use his new magic on her and kill her, just like he had slaughtered all the ninjas outside, but it never happened. She took a closer look at him and realised that his breathing was shallow and that he wasn't standing straight, like he had trouble staying on his feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Monkey Fist snapped. "My powers are growing fast. Yesterday I could only kill one man before collapsing, but today I've defeated an army. Soon enough nothing will stop me." The satisfaction in his low voice made Amy feel shivers go down her spine. She had often imagined that same voice whispering romantic words into her ear.
"Why did you have to do it?" she asked before she could stop herself.
Monkey Fist looked genuinely puzzled. "Do what?" he asked.
"Kill all those people! They didn't deserve to die, but you murdered them all! Why? Why did you do it?" Her voice grew higher with each word and advanced at him until she was able to slam her fist into his chest. At first he was too stunned to do more than stare at her in bewilderment.
"What's got into you, you stupid woman? Since when do you care about anything but your horrible creations?" he snarled and shoved her aside.
Amy yelped as her back hit one of the shelves and several jars fell down and crashed on the floor.
"I may have done some bad things, but I'd never commit a massacre like that," she said. Her voice was shaking and she had to fight back tears. She realised that she wasn't crying for Monty or the ninjas he had killed. Rather, it broke her heart to see that all this time she had been in love with a monster who could never love her back. She had been blind and stupid, and it was partly her fault that all this had happened. If she had just moved on and let Monty rot underground in his stone prison, nobody would have had to die.
"I never wanted this," she said mostly to herself as she got back on her feet.
Monkey Fist chuckled, and his expression turned from fury to amusement. "But I thought you loved me. Doesn't love forgive everything?" he taunted.
"I hate you!" Amy snapped. To her surprise, Monkey Fist took a step closer to her with that horrible smirk playing on his lips. Amy tried to back away from him, but there was nowhere for her to go.
"Do you now?" Monkey Fist asked once he had closed the distance between them. He reached out with his hand and caught Amy's chin painfully. She was too stunned to do more than stare at him and listen to her thumping heartbeat. To her disgust and disappointment she realised that her heart was beating so loud only half out of fear; some part of her still wanted this man.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled and shoved his hand away. She made a desperate dash past him towards the hallway. If she spent another moment close to him, she might lose control and try to hug him, just like in the past. After that taunting look in his eyes, she didn't know if he'd kill her or let her have her way with him to hurt her more.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Monkey Fist snapped and ran after her.
"What do yo want from me?" Amy asked.
"What do you think? How long have you been tormenting me and embarrassing me? Do you think I will forget it that easily?" Monkey Fist replied. He was taking his time and strolling calmly after her. Amy got the feeling that even if she ran as fast as she could, she would never get away from him.
The same thought had occurred to Monkey Fist as well. "My, my. Isn't this ironic? Maybe you now know what it feels like to have nowhere to run," he wondered.
"I never wanted to hurt you, Monty. I loved you! I only wanted for you to be happy!" Amy said.
"Oh, please!" Monkey Fist snapped. "You never cared about me! It was all about you and making me happy on your conditions! You never stopped to listen to me or consider what I might want! I'm not the kind of man who lets anyone control me. Now that I have the power to do so, I intend to enjoy my revenge."
The hallway had come to an end and Amy had nowhere to go. There was a sliding door behind her back, but her fingers were so numb that she had a hard time trying to open it.
"What... what are you going to do?" she asked.
Monkey Fist's smile was almost charming. "Well, what do you think?"
Finally Amy got the door open. She ran through it and slid it shut behind her, as if that was going to stop the man pursuing her. She was still clutching the jar of ointment in her hands, but her mind was far away from the injured ninja. All she could think about was her own life and what a fool she had been.
She ran outside and made it back to the front yard of the school. She was planning to get back to her hovercraft and go back home before Monkey Fist could hurt her, but she stopped on her tracks when she saw that she wasn't alone.
Kim Possible and her friends were standing before the school, staring at the bodies and destruction around them in stunned stupor. If Amy hadn't been so terrified herself, she would have been chilled by the silent pain she saw in the youths' eyes.
Yori was the first one to recover from her shock. "What have you done?" she screamed and advanced a few steps towards the geneticist.
"It wasn't me! Monty did it!" Amy said.
"I don't care who's responsible! You've killed my friends, my comrades! Everyone I ever cared for..." Tears were streaming down Yori's cheeks, and her whole body was shaking with the intense grief and shock that had taken over her. She turned to look at the bodies around her, desperately trying to recognise familiar faces.
Ron put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she shoved him away and fell on her knees. She fumbled around with the bodies and tried to see if anyone was still alive.
"Kyo, Yuki, Hirotaka... Please, someone!"
Amy was again struck with the same shame she had felt when she had discovered the injured ninja. She didn't even know his name, but she felt it was her responsibility to make sure he lived – and she had been about to run away and leave him alone with Monkey Fist!
"Yori, you've got to get a hold of yourself!" Kim snapped and pulled Yori roughly on her feet. The ninja tried to struggle, but she was in too much shock to use her full strength against the redhead. Kim had no difficulties controlling the ninja, and soon enough Yori stopped fighting back and only leaned against Kim's chest, crying in uncontrollable sobs.
"Enjoying my handiwork?"
Everyone turned to look when Monkey Fist appeared and stopped to stand before the entrance to the main building. Amy let out a yelp and hurried away from him, moving closer to Kim and the others.
"You! You'll pay for what you have done!" Yori wrenched herself free from Kim's grip and charged at Monkey Fist in blind rage. She didn't even bother to pull out her sharp fans; she wanted to make the man feel pain with her bare hands. Her crying had stopped as quickly as it had started, and now there was only murderous fury in her eyes.
Monkey Fist started walking towards her, but he made no move to dodge her attack or respond to it with his own. Just when Yori was about to reach him, he simply shoved her aside and continued walking. Yori stumbled and fell on top of one of the bodies.
"I have no time to meddle with you now. I'll deal with you later. I have more urgent matters to attend to," Monkey Fist told her without bothering to turn back to look at her. He stopped walking when he was a few steps away from Kim and Ron.
"We're not going to let you get away with this!" Kim snapped. She was trying to look confident, but Amy could see that she was clenching her fists to stop them from shaking, and there was a higher, almost panicked edge to her voice.
Poor thing, Amy thought. Kim probably felt the death of all the ninjas was a failure on her part.
"I wasn't expecting you to come to me straight away, pretender. I thought you'd be cowering in some hole or behind your friends after I killed your Sensei," Monkey Fist said. He fixed his eyes on Ron and didn't even glance at Kim. "And I see you've brought the Lotus Blade. I shall retrieve it once I have disposed of you. You've made my job much easier," he added.
Ron took a better hold of the blade and lifted it a little higher. "Dude, I'm not going to hand it over just like that," he said.
"Yeah, we're ready for you this time. You aren't going to hurt anyone else!" Kim said.
"Didn't we already do this yesterday?" Monkey Fist asked in boredom. "I have much to do, so I don't want to banter. Let's just get this over with."
"Gladly," Kim said as she took a fighting pose. Ron followed her example and lifted the Lotus Blade above his head. Amy found it hard to believe that the boy even knew how to handle such a weapon. It just didn't seem like him, but she wished she was wrong. If someone could stop Monty, it was these two.
Amy noticed that Yori was still sitting where Monkey Fist had shoved her. She seemed frozen on her spot and was staring at the body under her with blind eyes. Amy wondered if she recognised the corpse.
"Hey," she whispered into Yori's ear. The ninja's head whipped around so that Yori was staring at Amy with eyes darkened in anger.
"What do yo want?" she asked.
Amy glanced at Monkey Fist who was busy fighting Kim and Ron. She didn't understand anything about fighting, so she had no idea which side had the upper hand. All she knew was that she wanted to get away from the battle.
"One of your friends is still alive," she said to Yori, certain that Monty didn't have the time to listen to them.
"What? Don't lie to me," Yori snapped.
"It's true! I brought him inside. He's badly hurt, but he lives," Amy said. "Come, I'll take you to him."
Yori frowned. "This is a trap, isn't it? You're working together with Monkey Fist," she said.
The accusing look in the young woman's eyes hurt Amy more than she had expected, but she pushed it aside. This wasn't about her, and she had to stop feeling sorry for herself if she wanted to fix even some of the mistakes she had made.
"Not anymore. He's... he's so mean now! I can't stand him anymore! I should have gone with Dr. Drakken," Amy said. She was getting off topic, so she just grabbed Yori's arm and started dragging her away from the battle. The ninja didn't resist, but she did glance back at Kim and Ron with worried eyes.
"Assuming that you're telling the truth, what is the name of the ninja you saved?" she asked.
"I don't know. He's unconscious, the poor thing," Amy said.
"Is that for him?" Yori asked and pointed at the jar that Amy was holding.
The geneticist had forgotten all about it. "What? Oh! Yes, I thought it might make him feel better," she said. She turned the jar around in her hands. "Is this alright? I have no idea what's inside."
Yori took the jar and opened it. "Yes, I think this – Hirotaka!"
Amy was just able to save the jar from shattering on the floor as Yori dropped it and ran to the side of the injured ninja.
"Hirotaka, are you alright?" Yori took the young man's wrist and looked for a pulse. She let out a sigh of relief when she found it and let his hand fall back down. His body was covered with a blanket, so most of his injuries were out of sight. Yori's hand lingered just above the fabric as she tried to decide whether to pull it aside or not. Finally she made her decision and drew her hand back.
"I want you to take good care of him. If something happens to him, I'll hold you responsible," she said as she got up on her feet.
"Where are you going?" Amy asked.
Yori pulled out a small blade from under her gi. "Kim and Ron need me. We have a plan," she said.
"Are you going to kill him?" Amy blurted out. For some reason, she hadn't even considered that option. She couldn't imagine Kim or Ron taking anyone's life. She had already pictured how they would just knock Monty out and haul him off to prison somewhere.
"There is no other choice. He's too powerful to be allowed to roam free, and we don't know how to trap him into stone again," Yori replied.
"Hasn't there been enough killing already?" Amy asked in a weak voice. She didn't want to see Monty die. She knew it was wrong to feel that way, but she wanted to have one final talk with the man when he was restrained and couldn't hurt anyone. She had to know why he had become like this and why he couldn't love her back.
"One more is all we need," Yori said. She slid the blade back under her clothes and marched past Amy. The geneticist was too afraid to follow the young ninja. After a moment of hesitation, she knelt by Hirotaka's side and began to apply ointment to his wounds.
Ron hadn't expected that it would be so hard to face Monkey Fist in battle. Sure, he knew that the guy was a kung fu master and that his new powers had given him an edge, but Ron had also improved since they had last met. He had trained along with Kim, and his Mystical Monkey Power was stronger than ever. When he had first held the Lotus Blade, the sword had felt heavy and clumsy in his hand. Now he could lift it with no difficulty and the blade turned into everything he wanted with the faintest of thought.
In fact, it was entirely due to the power of the Lotus Blade that he and Kim were still alive and relatively unharmed. They both had been burnt by Monkey Fist's destructive magic, but Ron had been able to reflect most of it away with the help of the sword. The first time had been just an accident, really, as he had instinctively raised the blade to protect them when Monkey Fist had attacked.
The simian man had been just as surprised by the blade's new power as Ron had been. He had actually ceased from charging at them for a while and only glared at Ron with even more hatred in his eyes, if such a thing was even possible.
"How dare you use Mystical Monkey Power against me? That power belongs to me!" he had raged.
Despite their dire situation, Ron hadn't been able to hold back a smirk. "Check again, monkey man! Someone has graduated with full marks in mystical monkey mojo while you were away!"
He regretted his remark now because it had only increased Monkey Fist's fury and determination to destroy them. The man's attacks were uncontrolled and he struck with no strategy behind his blows. It made it difficult to predict what he would do next, but at the same time it made him blind to everything that was happening around him. Yori had been right; one of Monkey Fist's greatest failings was his inability to think ahead once he was angered.
Speaking of that, where was Yori? Ron had seen her leave with DNAmy when the battle had started. He knew the ninja was capable of taking care of herself in case the geneticist tried to harm her, but Yori had been very distressed by the destruction of the school. It was possible that even someone as relatively harmless as Amy could hurt her.
The thought of what had happened to the Yamanouchi ninjas made Ron's gut twist and his chest ache with pain he hadn't thought possible. These people had been his friends and comrades; they had accepted him among them even though he was a foreigner and had given him all their support. He had never done anything to pay them back for that, and now it was too late. If they had arrived even a few hours earlier at the school, they might have been able to save them.
If Ron had had any doubts about what they had to do to stop Monkey Fist, they were all gone now. The man had crossed the line of being a ruthless but respectable enemy and had descended to utter madness and cruelty. His insanity and thirst for power had reached such heights that it would be a mercy killing.
But where was Yori? She was essential to the plan they had cooked up the previous night. Ron knew he and Kim couldn't keep fighting like this for much longer and if Yori didn't show up soon, everything would go to waste.
"Look out, Ron!" Kim's yell brought Ron back from his thoughts, and he barely managed to turn the Lotus Blade into a shield that he used to block Monkey Fist's magic. He didn't know what the yellow glow would do to him if it found its mark, but the way it heated the blade so that it was almost painful to hold told him that first hand experience wouldn't be nice.
"Thanks, KP!" he called back to his girlfriend who landed neatly to his side, having avoided Monkey Fist's attack with an agile leap backwards.
"She just prolonged the inevitable, pretender. Do you honestly think you're a match to me? You two alone, even after I defeated all these ninjas?" Monkey Fist asked and spread his arms to underline the fact that they were fighting on a yard filled with bodies.
Ron grit his teeth and fought against the urge to just snap and charge at the man. He would only get himself killed.
"Don't get cocky, Monkey Fist. If you're so powerful, how come you haven't got us yet?" Kim asked as she straightened her form and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Ron knew she was acting more confident than she felt, but it made him feel a little better to see her being her usual self. Maybe they had a chance.
"Maybe I've just been toying with you all this time," their opponent said.
"Or maybe you're just saying that because you can't beat us," Ron said. He couldn't really complain. This was exactly what he had tried to make Monkey Fist do the previous day, and now the man didn't even have to be tricked into it. It was their fortune that he was so predictable when he got excited.
"Don't overestimate yourself, boy. Why would I kill you fast when I can enjoy this for as long as I want to?" Monkey Fist asked. He used his magic to rise up into the air and conjured yellow energy balls in his hands. Ron leapt aside just in time and jumped back up after a roll on the ground.
Not fair, he thought. Why couldn't he use Mystical Monkey Power like Monkey Fist was using the powers of the Yono? That blue magic he had used against the Lowardians would be pretty handy just about now. He had thought he had become the Monkey Master, but apparently he still had much to learn.
Then again, it didn't matter. If Yori was able to follow their plan, they wouldn't even need any of that. The Lotus Blade would be more than enough.
Just as Ron was getting anxious about Yori's absence, he saw the ninja exit the main building of the school. He quickly turned his eyes away so that Monkey Fist wouldn't turn around to see what he was looking at.
"I thought you were smarter than that yesterday. Gloating and prolonging the death of your enemy are so cliché. Do you even know what happens to bad guys who do that?" Ron asked. If he got Monkey Fist talking, everything would be easier.
Ron kept his eyes fixed on Monkey Fist's face, trying not to even glance at Yori who was silently sneaking up on the monkey man from behind. Her right hand was inside her gi, holding the blade but not pulling it out yet so that it wouldn't glimmer in the sunlight.
"I don't know if it's stupidity or bravery that you haven't surrended to me. Most others would have bowed before me already," Monkey Fist remarked.
"I take that means no. Well, as someone who has spent half his life watching TV, let me tell you," Ron said. At that exact moment, Yori drew the blade and leapt at Monkey Fist, wrapping her free arm around his upper body and bringing her weapon to the man's throat.
"They get their butt kicked," Ron finished.
Monkey Fist screamed as Yori drew blood, and his magic flared up, lightning his body with bright yellow fire. He threw the young ninja off him and pressed both his hands on the wound as he doubled over. Yori landed a few feet away from him with a pained yelp, but got right back on her feet, still holding the blade.
Ron held his breath as he watched Monkey Fist, wondering how much damage Yori had done. It had all happened so fast that he had barely seen anything.
The fire around Monkey Fist slowly died down, and the man straightened his form. He was still holding his throat, and blood was seeping through his fingers, but there wasn't as much of it as Ron had been hoping. When Monkey Fist removed his hand, Ron could see that the wound was a little bit too much to the side and had only cut flesh around Monkey Fist's neck without even touching the main artery.
Yeah, I guess that would have been too easy, he thought.
"Did you think you could defeat me like that? Me, the new Yono? With a pathetic little assassin?" Monkey Fist rasped. He tried to laugh, but it was too painful and quickly turned into a grimace.
"No, but at least it distracted you down a little," Yori said. She didn't wait for Monkey Fist to reply but charged at him again, this time aiming a powerful kick at his midsection. She yelled out in pain when the man's magic burnt her, but she didn't pull back. Her kick found the target and sent Monkey Fist flying back, right at Ron's feet.
Now was his chance. Ron turned the Lotus Blade back into its original form and brought it down on Monkey Fist who was struggling to get up. The monkey man sensed the danger and rolled to his side, but the blade still pierced his side and gave him a gaping wound.
I can't believe I missed! Ron frantically tried to find another opening, but Monkey Fist called his magic again and rose up into the air before the boy could reach him. The injured man was grasping at his side, face twisted in pain, but his eyes were clear with hatred. Despite that their plan hadn't exactly worked, Ron still felt a sense of triumph at that they had managed to injure their enemy this badly.
"Guess you should have listened to me, huh? A villain who wastes his time always loses," he said.
"I haven't lost yet, nor am I about to," Monkey Fist replied between gasps.
"Then how come we three have been able to not only hold our own against you but damage you that badly? Admit it, your arrogance has yet again been your greatest failure," Kim said and approached the man. Though she didn't voice it, everyone knew what she meant. If Monkey Fist had really only wanted to destroy them, he could have done so without blinking. The bodies scattered all around the yard were enough proof of that. The three of them had counted on that Monkey Fist would be too greedy and vengeful to want to be fast, and it had saved their lives.
"I could say the same about you, Kim Possible!" Monkey Fist spat. He raised one bloodied hand as yellow magic crackled between his fingers. Kim jumped out of the way and managed to dodge the first and second strikes of magic, but the third one hit her in the back and sent her flying against the school wall.
"Kim!" Ron forgot all caution and ran to his girlfriend who had trouble getting back on her feet. She gasped when every movement sent waves of agony through her body, and even from a distance Ron could see that something had broken.
"I'm... I'm okay," Kim said when Ron reached her side. She tried to push his hands away, but he was easily stronger than her.
"No, you're not. Don't move, KP," he said, his voice rising with his panic. Man, there was so much blood! What should he do? Kim!
"But... Monkey Fist..."
"I said don't move!"
"If she wants to be in more pain before death, let her. It doesn't make any difference to me," Monkey Fist said as he approached them. He was floating in the air because walking would have been impossible with his injuries. Ron didn't turn to look, but he could imagine the satisfied smirk on the man's face. It made him shake with fury; he'd see Monkey Fist suffer endlessly for what he had done to Kim.
"You... you, I'll--" he started, but he couldn't find the words for his sorrow and hate. His Kim was lying before him in a pool of her own blood, and he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't even turn the Lotus Blade into a blanket to make her feel warmer for the blade could only take the form of weapons and tools.
"Ron, go... before he--" Kim whispered.
"I'm not leaving you!" Ron snapped at her. Somehow he'd take her away and she'd be okay. He didn't know how he'd do it, but he had to. He couldn't imagine a life without her smile, without her taking his hand when he was feeling down, without curling up on the coach with her. He had loved her most of his life, and she had always been there for him. He should have been the one to lie there. Monkey Fist was his enemy, and Kim had nothing to do with any of this.
"How touching," Monkey Fist said. He was doing his best to keep up his taunting tone, but his voice had lost some of its menace and power. If Ron had cared at that moment, he would have realised that the man's injuries were holding him back more than he wanted to show.
"In fact, I am so touched that I will let you stay by her side forever. You can watch her die and then observe how her body rots away and how the birds come to pick at her flesh."
Ron knew he should have moved, but it was like his body was frozen on the spot with Kim's hand in his. He feared that if he let go now, he'd never again feel the warmth of her skin. He could guess what Monkey Fist was about to do, but he didn't even turn around to face the man.
"Please help her," he said. "Do whatever you want with me, but don't let her die." He couldn't stop his voice from breaking or the tears from flowing down his face.
"That would spoil my fun, pretender. This is all your fault. If you hadn't stolen my Mystical Monkey Power, none of this would have ever happened," Monkey Fist growled. "And now it's time for your punishment."
Ron felt Kim squeeze his hand as bright light surrounded him and sucked all the warmth from his body. It wasn't a painful sensation, and it was over in a second. He tried to gasp in surprise, but he found that he could not. He could no longer feel Kim's hand in his. The pain from his bruises was gone, and his tears remained petrified on his face.
He could hear Monkey Fist laugh behind him, but he couldn't turn his head to look. His eyes, still seeing for a reason he couldn't understand, were forever fixed on Kim as she struggled to remain conscious. The agony in his heart was still there, even stronger now that all other sensations had been taken away from him.
"How does that feel, pretender? Do you have any idea how long I suffered like that when you abandoned me to my stone prison? I hope you'll enjoy your eternity as a conscious statue," Monkey Fist said.
The monkey man landed on the ground and picked up the Lotus Blade that Ron had dropped.
"I'll be taking this, thank you," he said smugly.
Yori could only stare in shock as Monkey Fist used his powers and turned Ron into stone. Memories of their previous encounter with the Yono were flashing through her mind. The same thing had happened back then; she had been the only one left when Kim, Sensei and Rufus were turned into statues by the demonic monkey.
She watched how Monkey Fist took the Lotus Blade and caressed it gently like it was a dear friend. Yori grit her teeth so hard that it was painful. How dare that man take what belonged to Stoppable-san and act like it was his?
She knew she had to do something, but she didn't know what. Her instincts told her to charge at Monkey Fist now that he was injured and kill him, even if it meant her own death. Kim was still alive, so maybe Amy would be able to save her then. But if she failed and died without taking Monkey Fist with her, everyone would be doomed. There was no-one else left to fight but her. She had to be cunning and not reveal all her cards.
It was her chance now. Monkey Fist was still admiring the blade and could see or hear nothing. Yori took the opportunity to slip back inside the school unnoticed. Her heart was beating in her chest, feeling like it was about to burst out with worry for Kim and Ron. She couldn't lose the two of them, not after losing everyone in Yamanouchi.
Yori gnawed on her lip as she pondered her options. She would have to be fast. Monkey Fist would come after her soon. She briefly wondered if she would be able to use her familiarity with the school to her advantage and finish the work on the monkey man's throat by surprising him, but she decided it was too risky. She needed to do something that couldn't fail.
Another worry in her mind was Hirotaka. He was all that was left of Yamanouchi, her friends and family. If she lost him as well, she didn't know what she would do. She could only hope that his wounds weren't too bad and that the herbs would –
That's it! Yori stopped on her tracks when the most obvious solution struck her. What fools they had been!
Knowing that she didn't have much time, she started running towards one of the storage rooms.
DNAmy was no doctor, but she thought she had done a pretty good job on Hirotaka. She had torn some extra gis into shreds and bandaged his wounds after cleaning them and spreading the healing ointment on them. Hirotaka was still unconscious, but Amy thought it was probably a good thing. It was for the best if he didn't wake up before all of this was over.
She glanced at the door with worry. She wanted to know what was going on outside, but she was too scared to leave the safety of the room to go and take a look. For all she knew, Monty might have killed everyone. What would she do then?
What would happen to her babies if she died? Nobody else knew how to take care of them, and they would miss her so much. She had told her dobster, Lucy, that she would be coming back home soon. The creature would be so sad without her.
"I can't just sit here. I have to do something," she muttered. It was her fault that Monty had been set free, and she had done nothing to stop him. If she had listened to what everyone had told her countless times – no, it was time to stop feeling sorry for herself. What was done was done, and she'd deal with the consequences later. Right now she had work to do.
With a determined gleam in her eyes, Amy got up on her feet and walked out of the room. However, she didn't make it very far before she almost ran into Yori who appeared from behind a corner.
"What's going on outside?" she asked as soon as she had found her balance.
"Hurry, take this!" Yori said and pushed something into Amy's hands. It was a folded piece of white cloth. Amy laid it open to find some dried leaves inside it.
"What --" she started to ask, but Yori took her hand and started dragging her towards the exit.
"Monkey Fist is outside. He's pretty badly hurt. I want you to go and help him," she said.
"What? What are you talking about? He'll kill me!" Amy blurted out.
"No, he won't if you're convincing. Tell him that you love him and that you're sorry you didn't trust him. Anything like that," Yori said.
"But why?"
"The Yono's powers come with fast healing, but it takes some time. He will need help with his injuries. He has nobody to trust but you. Once you've made him comfortable, make him some tea and put some of these into it," Yori said, pointing at the leaves in Amy's hand.
The cloth suddenly felt like fire in Amy's hands, and she almost dropped it.
"Is this... poison?" she asked.
Yori nodded. "Yes. He won't taste or smell it. If he takes even one sip, he's doomed. It will make it impossible to breathe and stop his heart."
Amy hadn't thought she would be the one to kill Monty. Just earlier that morning she would have rather died herself than hurt him, and now she was supposed to take his life? "I'm not sure I can do it," Amy said.
Yori squeezed her arms so hard it hurt. "You have to. You're the only one who can do this," she said. When Amy still hesitated, she continued, "Kim is out there. She's injured and could already be dead."
"Kim? But she's a Cuddle Buddy lover like me!"
"And she turned Stoppable-san into stone. The only way to bring him back is to defeat Monkey Fist," Yori continued.
That did it. Hurting another Cuddler was bad enough, but Amy could not bear the thought that Monty had torn Kim and Ron apart. Even if Kim survived, she would never again feel Ron's arms around her if Monty wasn't taken down. The thought of taking the life of the man she had loved so long and so passionately made Amy's hands shake, but at the same time she knew she couldn't leave Kim and Ron in trouble. They might have been her enemies at some point, but they had been willing to risk their lives to help her get her love back. The least she could do was return the favour.
"Alright, I'll do it," she said in a shaky voice and put the poisonous leaves in her pocket.
"I have to see how Kim is doing, but I'll come and keep an eye on you as soon as I can," Yori said.
That didn't make Amy feel much better because she was certain that if something went wrong, it would be the end for her. However, she didn't voice her concerns and simply drew a deep breath when they arrived at the exit. Yori stayed behind while Amy stepped outside.
She immediately spotted Monty. He was on his knees by the wall, clutching his side and trying to find the strength to get back up. His other hand was holding the sword that Amy had seen Ron carry before the battle had started. It took her a moment to realise that the hunching statue next to Monty was Ron.
"Oh, no!" she blurted out before she could help herself.
Monkey Fist heard her and turned around. He didn't get up, but his magic flared immediately, though weaker this time. Now that he was looking at her, Amy could see all the blood that covered him. Someone had tried to slit his throat, and Amy's hand almost flew up to her own in discomfort.
"You. What do you want?" Monkey Fist asked.
"Shh, you shouldn't talk, honey bunny. I've come to help you," Amy said. She did her best not to look at Kim who lay still at the feet of Ron's statue. She couldn't see if the girl was breathing or not.
"I don't need anyone's help anymore. I am invincible now," Monkey Fist said. He slowly gathered his strength and staggered to his feet, never taking his eyes away from Amy. He took one step closer to her, but almost lost his balance when he put too much weight on his injured side.
Amy immediately rushed to his aid and let him lean against her. "Let's just be careful, Monty-poo. I'll take you inside the school where we can take a look at those wounds," she chattered.
"I thought you hated me," Monkey Fist growled, but he didn't resist as they were walking towards the entrance to the main building.
Amy did her best to giggle. "Oh, that was so silly of me. I was just a little surprised by the intensity of yours powers, and it got me a little scared. But now that I've had time to think about it, I realised that nothing can ever change my feelings about you. You're just too cute!" she said.
"I suppose all good things must come to an end," Monkey Fist muttered.
It was just like it had used to be. If it weren't for the bodies around them and the thick smell of blood, Amy could have easily forgotten what had happened and enjoyed this rare moment close to her love. He needed her now. Only a few days ago that would have made her the happiest person in the world. Monty was so right with what he had just said.
Amy led him to an empty room that was as far away from Hirotaka as possible. She laid him against the wall and was about to rush out to get some pillows or blankets for him, but he stopped her before she had even finished talking.
"I don't need those. Just leave me alone," he said, sounding tired all of a sudden.
Since he hadn't resumed his threat to kill her, Amy guessed she was safe for the time being.
"Oh, now, Monty! Someone has to clean your wounds, and I'm just the right person to do it!" she said in a sing-song voice. "You just wait here and let me take care of everything!"
The poison in her pocket felt a hundred times heavier than it should have, and Amy was certain that Monkey Fist knew what she had there. She glanced at him in worry, but his eyes weren't on her at all. He was staring before him with half-closed lids, like he was about to fall asleep.
It's no wonder with those horrible wounds, Amy thought. Magic didn't make one invincible. Poor honey bu-- no.
"Is there something wrong?" Monkey Fist asked, and Amy realised that she had been standing there for a while.
"No! Not at all!" she said.
"You aren't acting like yourself," Monkey Fist pointed out.
"What... what do you mean? Of course I'm being myself," Amy said. "...honey bunny."
"You aren't usually this reserved. You haven't tried to hug me once since we got inside," Monkey Fist said.
The thought hadn't even crossed Amy's mind. Why would she want to hug someone who had tried to kill her?
"That's just because you're injured, sweetie. I don't want to make it worse. But once you're feeling better, I'll cuddle with you and tickle you until you can't breathe anymore! And then you can take me shopping in Tokyo. They have these new Cuddle Buddy --"
"Enough! If you want to help me, do it and shut up," Monkey Fist growled.
Amy decided not to take any more risks. She didn't ask Monkey Fist about Kim and whether she was still alive as she worked on his wounds. There wasn't really much she could do about them other than clean them and put some simple bandages on them, but Monkey Fist assured her that his powers would take care of the healing. Yori's attempt at slitting his throat had already stopped bleeding and looked more like a scrape than a wound. The wound on his side was worse, probably because it had been caused by a magical blade.
"Now, isn't that better?" she asked when she was done on him. She only got a glare in response. "And... how about I make us some tea? I'm sure you're exhausted after all that exercise, and tea would help you relax. Maybe I can find some cookies here, too," she continued.
"That's the first intelligent thing to come out of your mouth today," Monkey Fist said.
"Great! Then I'll just be on my way!" Amy didn't wait for a reply but ran outside so fast that when she finally stopped, her heart was pounding in her chest. After a bit of searching, she found the Yamanouchi cafeteria where lunch had been prepared. She had to avoid looking at the empty bowls and chopsticks on the counter. Nobody would need them anymore.
She could hardly believe she was doing it when she was preparing the tea. The poisonous leaves were carefully laid on the counter. The water was boiling, so all she had to do was to add the poison. Just to be sure, she was preparing two pots of tea. One was for herself and the other for Monty. She didn't want to make him wonder why she wasn't tasting her tea. She was lucky enough to find a pink mug in one of the cupboards. Monty would never choose it, so there was no danger of their teas getting mixed.
It was surprisingly easy to ground some of the poison into the tea. Amy stirred the drink with a chopstick, thinking that it was almost like a scientific experiment. She tried not to think about what it would be like to see Monty die before her eyes. She hoped it wouldn't be painful. Maybe she could explain why she had done it and he would understand and forgive her.
She placed the two mugs on a tray, feeling a little sad about that there were no cookies in sight. In her opinion, dying of poisoned tea without having at least one cookie to go with it was just morbid, but she didn't want to waste any more time. She had to think about Kim.
"It's about time," Monkey Fist said when she returned to him.
"Sorry, sugar-bunny. I don't know my way around here that well," Amy replied. She put the tray before the injured man, and, just like she had predicted, he chose the normal mug while shooting a disapproving glance at the pink mug beside it.
Monkey Fist blew into his tea. "What flavour is this?" he asked.
"I don't know. It was the first thing I found," Amy said. She took the pink mug into her hands to hide how much they were shaking. "I'll taste it for you. Mm, it's great!"
Monkey Fist looked at her for a long time. Just as Amy was starting to think that he was sensing something was wrong, he took his first sip of his tea.
"Not bad," he commented after a while.
Amy guessed this should have been the moment for her to sigh in relief, but she found that she was feeling worse with every passing second. Her stomach felt tight and breathing was the hardest task in the world. She wanted nothing more than to run out of the room so that she wouldn't have to watch what was going to happen. Another part of her wanted to tell Monkey Fist the truth; maybe it wasn't too late yet. Maybe he hadn't drunk a lethal amount and maybe he would love her after she saved his life.
However, she did neither of these things and merely sat there on the floor, having forgotten all about her own tea. A horrible weight landed on her shoulders when Monkey Fist put his empty mug down. It was too late now.
Monkey Fist licked his lips. "I have never had tea quite like that. It made me thirsty," he said. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment of rest. Amy held her breath without realising it.
The first sign she noticed was the slight frown that appeared on Monkey Fist's face. He adjusted his position and attempted to clear his throat, but when it didn't work, he opened his eyes. He looked at Amy with honest confusion.
"What was in that tea, Amy? I'm... having difficulty breathing," he said.
Amy felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, honey bunny, but I had to do it," she said in a small voice.
"What was in that tea?" Monkey Fist repeated. The confusion on his face slowly turned into anger and then into fear as drawing air into his lungs became more and more of a task. He got up on his feet and approached Amy with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"What... what did you put into it?" he shrieked and grabbed her wrists, pushing her against the floor on her back.
"P-poison. The ninja girl gave it to me. I'm so sorry!"
"Poison? You –! I'll --" His threat was cut short, but Amy couldn't tell if it was because he was too out of breath or too angry for words. She whimpered under him and tried to free herself of his grasp, but even now he was too strong for her. Her glasses had been knocked off, and his face was a blurry mess above her.
"I'll kill... you. I swear I'll --" he growled, but he was cut off by the need to breathe. He struggled to catch a breath, but the choking sounds told Amy that he wasn't having much success. His face was covered in sweat and he had shut his eyes. A sudden shudder went through him and he clutched at his heart, finally letting go of Amy.
"I'm sorry!" she said again and pushed the dying man off her. She felt him shake when she touched him. She was glad that the poison was working fast, but she hated seeing him like this. He was so helpless, and she couldn't imagine what he had to be feeling, knowing that he only had minutes to live.
She couldn't stand looking at him in pain like that, so she wrapped her arms around his shivering form and drew him close, ignoring his weak struggle against her. She held him against her chest and ran her fingers through his sweaty hair.
"I always loved you," she whispered. The tears she had felt earlier were now flowing down her cheeks.
Monkey Fist opened his eyes at her words. The pure hatred in them made Amy flinch, but she didn't let go of the man, not even when he started convulsing and drooling.
Let it end already, she prayed silently.
Yori had been relieved beyond belief when she had run to Kim and seen that the young woman was still alive. Stoppable-san's statue beside her almost broke the young ninja's heart, but she pushed that aside quickly. She couldn't do anything for him, but she might be able to save Kim's life.
"Yo--" Kim started when she saw her, but Yori shook her head.
"No, don't talk. Just lay still; I'll take care of everything," she said. She had quickly grabbed some blankets from the school before coming here, and she did her best to keep Kim warm and stop her wounds from bleeding.
Knowing that Kim wouldn't be satisfied with silence for as long as she was conscious, Yori filled her in on what had happened. She told her about the poison and Amy and that they should have done this in the first place instead of openly confronting Monkey Fist.
"Not my style," Kim said with a weak smile. Her eyes drifted to Ron's statue, and the smile died immediately.
"He will be alright," Yori said. He would have to be.
A sudden thought occurred to her and she started feeling around Kim's wrist until she found the Kimmunicator. She had never used it before, but Japan was the wonderland of technology, so it didn't take her long how to contact Wade.
"What's up Ki – Yori?" the boy genius asked as soon as the connection was opened. His hair was a mess and he had dark rings around his eyes. Yori supposed he hadn't slept at all since the last time they had contacted him.
"Hello, Load-san. Can you arrange some form of transportation to the Yamanouchi school? I will send you the coordinates. A medical helicopter would be the best," she said.
"A medical helicopter?" Wade asked in alarm. "Are you all okay?"
"No, but there's no time to explain. Just be fast, please," Yori said.
"I'm on it," Wade said and typed something like his life depended on it. "Done! I pulled some strings and some people who own Kim a favour should be there in half an hour."
"I hope that's fast enough," Yori muttered.
"So, I take it you guys won? And where are Kim and Ron?" Wade asked.
"It's complicated, but Monkey Fist should be history soon. As for your other question..." Yori moved the Kimmunicator so that Wade could see what had happened to his friends. He let out a loud gasp and was staring at the screen in shock when Yori resumed their conversation.
"What happened there?" Wade asked.
"We underestimated --" Yori started, but then there was a sudden poof behind her. When she turned to look, she saw that Ron had returned to flesh and blood. For a split second he remained in his kneeling position, blinking in confusion.
"I'm... I'm back," he said in daze. Whatever relief he might have felt about that vanished as soon as he remembered his girlfriend.
"Kim! Kim, are you okay?" he asked the barely conscious girl.
"She shouldn't talk. It will drain her strength," Yori said.
"But she'll make it, right?" Ron asked, turning to look at her with such desperation in his eyes that Yori could have never given him a negative answer.
"Of course she will," she assured him. "Load-san has already arranged transportation for us. She will be in a hospital very soon."
Ron let out a deep sigh and his shoulders slumped now that he could finally relax a little. He ran his fingers through his hair.
"I guess that was the end for Monkey Fist," he said.
"I would assume so since you returned to normal. The same happened when the previous Yono was defeated," Yori said.
"I heard you talk about that to Kim." At Yori's questioning look, he quickly explained, "Monkey Fist made it so that I could see and hear what was going on. I guess he wanted me to see Kim die."
"Then he was even more despicable than we thought," Yori said. At this point, nothing could have made her feel the tiniest bit of pity for the man. She could only hope that he had suffered even a little before his death.
"Someone should pick up Hana at the cave," Ron said. They had left the baby there so that she wouldn't be hurt during the fight and because Yori had assured him that nothing would ever happen to her as long as she remained there. She was connected to the cave, and it would always keep her safe.
"I can do that," Yori volunteered. It would give her some time to be alone and think. "Would you mind taking a look at Hirotaka if Kim doesn't need you?"
"Hirotaka?"
"Yes, he's the only one who survived Monkey Fist's attack on the school." Yori could have never guessed how much it would hurt to say those words, but she pushed the tearing agony aside. There was too much to do to appear weak now.
"You can find him in one of the backrooms in the main building. DNAmy should be somewhere there as well," she added.
"I wonder what she's feeling now," Ron said.
Yori did as well, but she honestly couldn't say that it was one of the most urgent things on her mind at the moment. All of this had started because DNAmy had been so determined to have Monkey Fist back. If she hadn't been so blind to what sort of man he was, nobody would have had to die. Sensei would still be in her life, and even now she could be training with her comrades instead of walking through a yard scattered with their bodies. Yori knew this wasn't what Amy had wanted, but she couldn't help but wish that the woman was now feeling just as miserable as she was.
She left Ron and started following the path that would take her to Hana. The silence and stillness around her made it difficult to believe that all of this had happened. At the same time the beauty of the wilderness tore at her heart because it reminded her that Yamanouchi was gone and the mountain valley would soon be devoid of any human life.
Hana was sleeping among blankets when Yori entered the cave. The boxes filled with urns and other mystical items were exactly where they had left them. Looking at them, Yori felt a sudden wave of rage go through her, and she kicked one box so that its contents flew all over the stone floor. She didn't care that an ancient vase broke into dozens of pieces, the writing on it forever lost. In fact, she loved the sound of breaking clay.
All of this had been pointless! If Sensei had brought these items here, it had to mean that he had known something might go wrong. If he had known that, why had he agreed to help DNAmy? If he had just refused her plea, everyone would still be alive. And what had been the purpose of these artefacts in the first place if poison had been the most effective way to defeat Monkey Fist?
She had cried enough that day, but she could still feel her eyes getting moist with anger and frustration. Their victory felt empty, and she had no idea what she would do next.
A quiet sound made her turn around, and she realised that Hana had woken up. The baby was looking at her curiously and with a stern expression. Yori took her in her arms and hugged her close.
"Sorry if I woke you up. I'm just a little upset," she said.
Hana cooed and reached out with her hand to touch Yori's face, like she was trying to make her feel better. Yori couldn't help but smile weakly.
"Yori."
Yori blinked. Her first thought was that Hana had spoken her name, but then she realised that the voice had been too low for the baby. She turned around to look towards the end of the cave where the artefacts were and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the familiar, glowing figure.
"Sensei," she whispered, not noticing how Hana was giggling and didn't seem at all bothered by the presence of a ghost. She put the baby aside and got on her feet, but Sensei gestured for her to remain still before she made it to him.
"It is better if you do not get any closer. We spirits don't have a good effect on you living," he said.
Yori didn't know what to say. There were a dozen things she wanted to say, but somehow none of them felt appropriate. She couldn't just tell him how much she already missed him, ask him to come back or demand an explanation for the recent events. She put her hand on her mouth to hold back a sob of both relief and pain at seeing her mentor again.
Sensei's eyes were gentle as he looked at her. "Do not worry. You're in pain now, but everything will be alright," he said.
"But why did this have to happen? Why did you agree to help them if you knew something could go wrong?" Yori asked.
"It had to be done. None of us could have lived in peace for as long as the powers of the Yono were unchained," Sensei said.
"But Monkey Fist was trapped in stone. Why didn't we just leave him there?" Yori asked. Sensei's words made no sense.
Sensei shook his head. "Monkey Fist had the powers, but he was not the Yono, regardless of what he thought. The real Yono was released when Monkey Fist took his place. He was weakened, but he would have come after Hana once he had gathered his strength. I could not allow that to happen for Hana is destined for great things in the future," he said. He smiled down at the baby who didn't even try to hide her mirth at getting attention from her friend.
"I'm not sure I understand," Yori admitted. She had never thought much about what had happened to the demonic monkey after Monkey Fist had taken his place, but she had assumed they wouldn't have to worry about him. He had just disappeared.
"The contract with the Yono is merely a trick with the purpose of luring someone to suffer the bad effects of the curse while the real Yono roams free. It is all explained in these artefacts," Sensei said and pointed at the various boxes in the cave.
Yori bit her lip. They hadn't thought those items looked important enough to have their writing translated. Even if they had, would it have helped them at all?
"No disrespect, Sensei, but wouldn't it have been easier if you had told us all this in the beginning?" she asked.
"Yes, but then a destiny would have been left unfulfilled," Sensei replied.
"What destiny?" Yori asked, unable to keep the hurt and anger away from her voice. Whatever Sensei was talking about, it couldn't be worth the deaths of everyone in Yamanouchi and the pain she was feeling!
"Her destiny," Sensei said and nodded at Hana.
"Hana?" Yori said. "This was all about Hana?"
"Yes. She will grow to be a legendary hero and ninja, which is why the Yono would have tried to come after her. Monkey Fist had to be brought back and killed so that his contract with the demonic monkey would be broken. The real Yono has now returned to his imprisonment and won't be a threat to you any longer," Sensei said.
Though numerous emotions and the shock of this revelation were making Yori's head spin, she could see how this made sense now. If they hadn't done this, they would have had to live the following years protecting Hana from evil powers. It might have come to cost them too much. Still, the price they had already paid was no less severe.
"How can she do that? Yamanouchi is gone," she said.
"Not entirely, Yori. You and Hirotaka are still left, and Stoppable-san is there to assist you." Seeing the doubt on Yori's face, he continued, "Sometimes you must burn the field before you can plant new crops. Yamanouchi will rise again, and it will be greater than ever before."
"But --"
"My time here is about to end. I shouldn't have even shown myself to you, but I felt you deserved to understand so that you wouldn't follow an embittered path in your life. Farewell, Yori," Sensei said. He started to fade, and Yori felt a chill in her heart. He couldn't leave her!
"No, wait! We can't do it alone! Please don't go!" she blurted out, but it was too late. She and Hana were again alone in the cave.
For a while Yori only stood there in silence, unable to think clearly or move a muscle. She had wanted to know the truth, but now she found she couldn't process it. Even if it all made sense, she was too hurt to even begin to accept it. She felt an unfamiliar wave of anger at her mentor. Sensei should have talked to them first instead of making all the decisions for them! What would she do now? She knew she couldn't take care of Yamanouchi with only Hirotaka by her side. They hadn't even graduated yet, and nobody would take them seriously if they tried running the school. It was impossible; they couldn't just –
She felt a gentle tug on her leg and turned to look down. Hana had grabbed a hold of her gi and was smiling up at her.
"Oh, Hana," Yori said as she picked up the baby, "I don't know what to do."
Hana didn't reply, but the look in her dark eyes was somehow soothing. Feeling the weight of the baby in her arms, Yori realised what they had all been fighting for and that it had been worth it in the end. If Sensei had spoken the truth, there was a good future awaiting them. The path there might be hard, but she now felt that they had to at least try.
"Let's take you back to your brother," she said.