It's March 20, which means two things. Firstly, it's again Monkey Fist Appreciation Day. Even though there is less fanwork than last year, let's all join together to celebrate our favourite monkey man! Secondly, it means that it's been a full year since I started this story. I never meant this fic to go this long unfinished, and I truly apologize for how long it has taken me to write this.
The fact is that I've pretty much lost interested in KP. This will probably be my last Kim Possible fic for the unknown future, but I promise I'll finish it. Most of this was actually finished in time for last year's Monkey First Appreciation Day. In fact, I have finished all thirty prompts except 022 and 024, but I'm so stubborn that I can't bring myself to post the finished one-shots if I can't do so in the correct order.
018 takes place after the episode Big Brother.
020 takes place during So the Drama.
Anyway, enjoy these while I try to finish the missing two prompts.
ME MONTY, YOU AMY
016-020
016: I want to break you
"Yoo-hoo! Honey bunny!"
Amy waved her hand at the man who froze in terror for a split second before sprinting away faster than should have been humanly possible. She saw the panic in his eyes, but it didn't register with her as such, or at least she would have never admitted that to herself.
"Wait up, sugar bum! I need to talk to you!" she yelled after him, but it was too late. She had revealed her presence too soon yet again and given him the chance to flee.
Amy sighed as she placed her hands on her hips. It was no use running after him. He took his game of playing hard to get so seriously that he always forgot that he was supposed to let her follow him, not really escape.
With nothing better to do, she invited herself over to the table where Shego was sitting and took the place that Monkey Fist had had just a moment ago.
"He and I were in the middle of a decent conversation, you know," Shego pointed out.
"Sorry," Amy said with a sheepish giggle. "I didn't mean to. I think he's so into this little game that he forgets everything else when he sees me. I should tell him to try to have a life that doesn't revolve around me."
"I wish I had something clever to say to that, but I don't think you'd get it," Shego said.
"What do you mean?" Amy asked. Shego was very nice, but she was sometimes a bit hard to understand. She was so… prickly and edgy, like she was always in a bad mood. In that sense she reminded her of Monty, so she was certain that deep inside Shego was a good person as well.
"Nothing," Shego replied. She leaned her chin against her palm and looked to her side. Amy thought she looked bored. She felt a little guilty about ruining her talk with Monty. Drakken was currently attending a lecture about how the latest developments of nanotechnology could be used in villainy, so maybe Shego was feeling lonely. And if someone was lonely, the only cure to that was a good friend.
"What were you and Monty talking about?" she asked.
"They say some Chinese martial arts master is going to be here tomorrow to show off some secret weapons of his organization. We thought it might be worth a look," Shego replied.
"Oh, I knew nothing about that. Thanks for telling me. Maybe I'll go and meet Monty there," Amy said.
Shego chuckled. "Sounds like I ruined Monkey Fist's fun," she said.
"Please don't tell him that I'm going there, too. I want to surprise him," Amy said with a giggle.
"Amy…" Shego said, but she frowned and never finished whatever was on her mind. For a moment she pondered something with a thoughtful look in her eyes before she finally continued, "Why won't you just give up?"
"What do you mean?" Amy asked.
"I mean Monkey Fist. Why do you keep following him? I'm not one to usually hand out dating advice – though every other loser in this business certainly needs it – but it looks pretty obvious to me that Monkey Fist isn't that interested in becoming your Prince Charming," Shego said.
It took Amy some time to realise what Shego was getting at with her words. For a moment she just stared at her with a puzzled expression on her face, but then realisation hit her.
"Oh, you must think Monty doesn't love me," she said.
"Something like that, yeah," Shego said.
Amy just smiled and shook her head. For most of her life, people had looked at her like she had a second head and laughed at all of her ideas. She was so used to it that she couldn't even feel bothered by Shego's misguided thoughts.
"That's what he wants everyone to believe," she said. She paused for a moment, frowning critically. "And maybe he thinks that's what he feels. But it doesn't matter. I know that deep down he loves me more than anything else in the world. I just have to reach through his shell and get those cuddly feelings out of him!"
"His shell must be made of borazon if you haven't cracked it yet. You've been after him… what, two years?" Shego remarked.
"I think I've been making great progress," Amy said. Whenever she was managed to keep an eye on Monty without him noticing, he was always glancing over his shoulder and being wary of every corner. It was clear that he was expecting her to appear, which just proved that she was getting through to him.
"It shouldn't take long now," she continued. "I just have to be patient and keep showering him with my love."
"Uh-huh," Shego said.
Amy just smiled, knowing that she couldn't convince Shego. She actually felt sorry for the green-skinned woman. She obviously didn't know anything about true love. It was too bad. She and Motor Ed would be a great match.
"It was nice talking to you, but I'm afraid I need to get going. I'm baking cookies today in case Monty decides to visit me," she said.
Shego didn't bother to say anything else, so Amy waved at her and excused herself. She was feeling a little better now even though Monty had run away again. Talking with Shego had reminded her that there were such cynical people in the world but that she shouldn't let them bring her down. She knew how she felt about Monty and how she would make him feel about her.
He would soon embrace his feelings for her, no matter how hard he kept resisting. She just had to be a little more patient and keep trying harder.
017: Wish I didn't love you
Amy straightened her back and rubbed her eyes for a moment when the writing on the page she was reading started to turn into a confusing mess before her. She blinked a couple of times and turned to look at the book again. The text made sense now, but she could feel a headache throbbing in the back of her skull.
With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair and closed the book. One glance at the Pandaroo clock on the wall told her that it was four in the morning. She tried to tell herself that she hadn't even noticed the time, that she had been so captivated by her research that she had forgotten about everything else. However, that would have been a lie.
No matter how hard she tried to fill her life with the things she loved – like creating new Cuddle Buddies, chatting with those few collectors who still wanted to talk to her and going shopping with Adrena Lynn – somehow she always ended up finding time to think about that one thing that brought her more pain than anything ever before in her life.
She needed coffee. She knew she couldn't get any sleep even if she tried. It was better to stay up for another day and then try sleep. Maybe she'd be so tired that she'd finally get one full night of rest.
Amy stretched her aching back as she got on her feet and started walking towards the kitchen. She didn't turn on the lights, but she didn't even have to. She knew the way and what was standing in the darkness of her living room.
She stopped to stand there for a moment, feeling an uncomfortable tightness in her chest. She rarely went to her living room anymore so that she wouldn't have to look at the statue she had placed there. In the beginning, she had been happy that she has rescued her Monty from his eternal grave, and not a day had gone by without her cooing at his petrified form. He was finally hers, all hers.
Then, slowly, the sense of wonder had started to fade. There was no fun in talking sweet nothings to someone who never responded. Even his angry yells at her to shut up would have been better than silence. His stone form was uncomfortable to hug. The fear that was frozen on his face had started bothering her more and more until she could barely even look at him without cold chilling her heart.
She didn't know the details about what had happened to him, only that he wasn't coming back. The old man she had met in Japan had told her that. He had said that she should just leave him where he was and that digging him up would cause needless pain to everyone. Now Amy wished that she had listened.
"Why don't you just dump him somewhere or put him in a closet?" Adrena Lynn had asked one time over coffee.
"I can't," Amy had said.
"Well, why not? If he's bothering you, you should get rid of him."
Amy had spent a long time thinking about that, but every time she imagined taking him away, her despair only got worse. She still loved him in that possessive way of hers and couldn't imagine letting him go. Not now when she finally had him, even if it wasn't the way she had wanted.
I wish I could forget, she thought. It was over a year since she had dug him up and brought him to her home. Now that she had him, she was lonelier than ever before. She yearned for the closeness of a relationship and having someone hold her when she was feeling down. As long as she kept Monty in her living room, she could never have that – and yet she was unable to let go.
Amy bit her lip. She wanted to see Monty's face so bad, but at the same time she was afraid of the horrified expression on his face and the way he kept reaching out for help that would never come.
Her hand lingered on the light switch for a while, but then she drew it back and continued on her way to the kitchen.
018: I pity you
It was silent safe for the laboured breathing of the injured man on the bed. Every now and then he would let out a muffled moan or mutter something in his sleep, but he grew very quiet as consciousness slowly returned to him. The pain probably kept his mind busy. Besides, it wasn't like he had anyone to talk to. The monkey ninjas were awake and guarding their master protectively, but they weren't exactly good for a conversation.
DNAmy peered into the dim room. She didn't dare go inside. She hadn't seen Monty in quite some time, not after he had escaped from her after the incident of kidnapping Sensei.
"Is he still asleep?" came a voice behind her.
"No, I think he just woke up. He's not mumbling about revenge anymore," Amy replied.
Killigan came to take look inside as well. "I wonder what happened," he said.
Amy was curious about that as well. The previous day she had got a mysterious phone call from Monty's cell phone. She had only been able to hear the monkeys on the other side of the line. She had quickly grown worried and contacted Killigan. He had been a good friend to her ever since Monty had last abandoned her, which always made her feel warm and grateful inside. It was great to know that there was someone who cared.
They had tracked down the call and hurried to see what was going on. Killigan had grumbled about wasting time and effort for one stupid monkey man, but he had come along when Amy had asked really nicely. They had arrived at a desolate location surrounded by mountains, but it had looked like there was nobody there.
Amy had been the one to notice the ancient shrine, but Killigan had told her not to go inside. There was no telling what kind of dangerous places that lunatic was dealing with. She had insisted that Monty obviously needed their help and had been about to march into the shrine, but it was then that Killigan had noticed one of the monkey ninjas.
The animal had led them to a little hole that looked like it barely had room for one person. Several monkey ninjas had been guarding the entrance and it had taken quite a lot of persuasion from Amy to make them move – she also had to tell Killigan that no, they couldn't scare them off with exploding golf balls because it would hurt the poor things.
Once the monkeys had finally let them pass, they had been able to take a look inside the hole. They had both already guessed what they would find there, but it had still been a shock to Amy to see her darling in that condition – all battered and bruised, breathing heavily in troubled sleep.
Since neither of them could communicate with the monkeys, they still didn't know what exactly had happened. Amy was certain that some meanie had attacked Monty and done that to him. He was badly injured, so they hadn't dared move him too much. Thankfully Killigan had a golfer friend who lived in the next city and was willing to provide them with an apartment.
"I bet he got himself hurt looking for some treasure at that place," Killigan muttered. "He should know that those temples are always filled with traps."
"He knows that. I'm sure someone did this to him," Amy argued. "Poor thing."
Killigan glanced at her grumpily. "It was his own fault," he said.
"You don't know that!" Amy couldn't understand why Killigan was being so hostile and reluctant to help Monty. Sure, they weren't exactly friends, but she didn't think they were enemies either. It was always nice to help.
"So, what are ye going to do now?" Killigan asked.
Amy had to admit that she didn't know. Monty was clearly in pain despite the painkillers she had given him, but they couldn't go to a doctor. From what Killigan's friend could tell, the police was currently looking for Monty for something he had done at the shrine. Amy knew very little about taking care of serious wounds, and Killigan was even worse.
"Maybe I'll just talk to him," she said.
"Ye sure about that? He doesn't look very happy to be here," Killigan said.
"He'll feel better when he sees me," Amy said. She noted that Killigan shot another annoyed glare at her. She felt like shaking her head. It was almost as if he was… jealous? With an amused smile on her face, she opened the door properly and stepped into the dark room.
"Monty!" she squealed, unable to hold back her enthusiasm. She had been so worried about him all this time. And look, he had got himself into trouble again. If he had just been with her, none of this would have ever happened.
She threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. Oh, how she had missed him. Sadly, he didn't respond to this with equal enthusiasm. Rather, he screamed at the top of his lungs and struggled to push her away from him.
"Maybe ye shouldn't hug him when he has broken ribs," Killigan suggested from the door.
"But I only want to make him feel better," Amy said, letting Monkey Fist fall back on the bed. He was gasping painfully, trying to calm his breathing because panting only made his injured chest and back hurt more. His skin was glistening with sweat and he glared at Amy with cold, murderous eyes.
"Get the hell away from me!" he snapped.
"Oh, don't be so grumpy," Amy said, trying not to show how much his words hurt her. He probably thought she was immune to his insults because she loved him so much, but that wasn't true. She just ignored that sometimes because she was sure he didn't mean any of those things.
She tried to reach out to take his hand, but he snapped at her to leave him alone. The monkey ninjas shifted a little and turned to glare at her, warning her that if she wasn't careful, she wouldn't like the results.
"Amy, maybe ye should come back," Killigan said from the door.
"What is he doing here?" Monkey Fist asked.
"Oh, it's not what you think, honey bunny! We're just friends," Amy hurried to explain.
"Leave me alone, both of you!" the simian man yelled. He tried to get into a sitting position, but sudden pain made him groan and fall back on the bed.
"You poor thing! Where does it hurt?" Amy asked.
Monkey Fist slapped her hands away.
"Don't touch me!"
"But--"
"Go away!"
Killigan grabbed Amy's shoulder and started pulling her towards the door. She didn't resist. Once they were outside, she shook her head with a worried frown on her face.
"That poor thing! I wish I could do something for him," she said.
"The best thing ye could do is probably dump him in the street. He doesn't want our help, the ungrateful bastard," Killigan muttered.
"Of course he does. He's just upset," Amy said. Monty was acting like a hurt animal, too frightened and in pain to think rationally. She had often seen that behaviour in beasts that she had created, but she had always been able to calm them down with soft words and caresses. It didn't seem to work on her cuddle monkey for some reason.
Killigan sighed. "I think it's about time ye realised something. He doesn't like ye," he said.
"What do you mean?" Amy asked.
"That he doesn't like ye! Look at him! He just… I mean, why do ye even bother with him?" The golfer released a frustrated groan and sighed again. He started walking away. "Forget it."
Amy felt torn between hurrying after Killigan and staying back to look over Monty. She stole a look inside his room. She couldn't see much, but she could hear him talk to the monkey ninjas in a low voice. Despite her intense worry for him, she couldn't help but purse her lips in annoyance. He was so stubborn! Why couldn't he just let her take care of him? He was hurt and unable to do it himself. He needed her!
And now he had upset Killigan. The golfer had put aside his latest evil scheme just to accompany her here, and now Monty wouldn't even thank him. It was so ungrateful of him. Amy decided to make it up to her friend later, but now she had more pressing matters in her hands.
Despite what Killigan had just told her, she pushed the door open and stepped back into Monty's room. He immediately turned his eyes to her, snarling as he realised that she wasn't going to leave him alone.
"What do you want?" he rasped.
"Shh, don't be so angry. I just want to make you feel better," Amy said.
"Then go away!" he snapped.
"But why? I only want to help," Amy insisted. She took a step closer, but the monkey ninjas let out shrill shrieks as a warning, making her freeze on her tracks. She felt betrayed; they had been so nice to her earlier.
"You're only making it worse! I don't need someone like you to --" Monkey Fist's angry rant was cut off when he shifted a little too much, wincing in pain as he no longer had the breath to keep yelling.
That stupid, arrogant and cute fool.
"But you can't make it alone," Amy pointed out.
"Yes, I can," Monkey Fist said more quietly this time. "And even if I can't, I certainly don't need you."
Amy tried to keep the hurt and frustration away from her face, but she couldn't quite do it. She was tired; she had worked so hard to save him and then remained by his side, afraid that he might be really badly hurt. This sort of bitter rejection was not what she had been expecting.
"Why do you have to be such a big meanie?" she asked. "Can't you see that I love you?"
Monkey Fist snorted. "You're doing quite marvellous job at hiding it under being obsessed and sickening," he said.
"Why, you --"
"Furthermore, I don't need or want your love. I don't need anybody's love. All that I want is power," Monkey Fist continued.
"Everybody needs love!" Amy objected, for the moment ignoring what he was really saying. Love made life worth living. There was nothing as wonderful as knowing that there was someone who cared for you and wanted to be with you. Even if it wasn't romantic love, it was so fulfilling that Amy couldn't imagine how cold and lonely someone who didn't know what it felt like was.
"I don't! Mystical Monkey Power is all that I will ever need in my life." Despite the pain he was in, Monkey Fist's voice turned dreamy as he thought of the wonders that only he could understand. "There is nothing as amazing as channelling Mystical Monkey Power and feeling it rush through my veins. It makes me strong; it makes me more than human! It lets me crush everyone who is in my way!"
Maybe it was partly because of the dark room and her darling's angry words, but Amy suddenly felt like she didn't even know the person who was lying on the bed. His face was hidden in shadows, but she could still see the mad gleam in his eyes. It was not the determined sort of obsession that drove her; Monkey Fist looked like he was insane enough to kill someone with his bare hands. His ecstatic voice made her want to leave the room.
"But is that enough to make you happy?" she wondered, her words sounding pitiful even to her. He had to be so lonely if that was truly all that he wanted from his life.
"It's more than I will ever need," Monkey Fist said in a low, growling tone. "And once I have killed Stoppable, it will be all mine."
Amy didn't know what to say. Just a moment ago she would have felt tempted to bury Monkey Fist in hugs and kisses and show him that love wasn't so bad, but now she felt hesitant about it. He looked and sounded like a completely different person. She hadn't fallen in love with this man.
"I think you should sleep a little," she said gently. He didn't reply, so she returned to the door and exited the room. The light in the rest of the apartment felt almost blinding to her eyes.
She found Killigan in the small kitchen, eating a sandwich. He glanced at her when she arrived, but said nothing. Amy took a seat by his side and sighed.
"He must be so sad," she said.
Killigan froze in the middle of shoving the rest of his food into his mouth and turned to look at her.
"Err… What makes ye say that?" he asked.
"He said he doesn't love me," Amy said simply. "He has no idea how much he really means to me."
Killigan sat a moment in silence, scratching his beard and looking like he had no idea what he could possibly say in such a situation. If Amy hadn't been feeling so bad, she would have probably found his discomfort adorable.
"Monkey boy has let his obsession get the better of him. It's not yer fault," the golfer finally said.
"But I want to make him feel better!"
"Ye can't force him. If he doesn't want to be with ye, ye should just forget about it," Killigan said.
Amy just nodded. She wanted to cry, but somehow it felt like there was no real reason to, like she hadn't actually lost anything. She didn't even feel sorry for herself, only for Monkey Fist. He probably didn't realise how dark and lonely his life was when he wouldn't let anyone close to him. All he had were his minions and stupid dreams of world domination and glory.
Later that day, Amy tried to take Monkey Fist something to eat, but he yelled at her to go away as soon as she entered through the door. He was acting like a frightened animal, but Amy couldn't understand just what he was so afraid of. He was among friends, so he should have relaxed and trusted them a little more.
She waited until one of the monkey ninjas came outside.
"Take this to him, but don't tell him it's from me," she said and handed the monkey a bowl of soup.
The monkey nodded in understanding and returned to his master's room, closing the door behind him. It made Amy feel even more like an outsider, but at the same time she realised just how pitiful Monkey Fist was.
Even if he didn't love her, she still had so much in her life. She had friends and family; she had interests besides genetics and Cuddle Buddies, and she cared about things other than her work. She had no trouble functioning as a normal human being.
And… to be honest, she didn't really feel like hugging him or cuddling with him that much anymore. She still loved him and probably always would, but somehow seeing him like that made him look like a very different man. She couldn't even have a conversation with him anymore. She wanted the kind of man who would talk to her and like her and share the things that were important to her.
Someone like, well…
Amy frowned thoughtfully to herself, not wanting to think any further in her current state of mind.
Monkey Fist was pathetic in how little he had and how he didn't even realise it. Amy wondered if there would ever be a day when he would regret some of the choices he had made.
019: This isn't about you at all
She didn't usually come to pancake cafés, but it had been the first joint on her way that looked like it served coffee, so she had stepped inside and taken a table in the dimmest corner – which wasn't saying much since everything from the floor to the napkins was of sickening pastel colours that made her feel like vomiting.
That man!
She leaned back in her seat and brushed her black hair behind her ear, letting out something that sounded like a crossbreed between a sigh and a growl. When she had got into this relationship, she had known that he would drive her insane one day.
She glanced briefly at the door when the little bell tingled, indicating that another customer had arrived. It was almost closing time, so there weren't that many people around. She was just about to turn her eyes back to her coffee when she realised that she knew the person who had stepped inside.
I hope she doesn't notice me, she thought. Right now she was not in the mood for talk, especially not with her.
However, fates had decided that it was only fair if her sucky day got a little worse.
"Shego! What a surprise seeing you here!" DNAmy exclaimed when she noticed her. She didn't wait for an invitation but came to sit at her table right away.
"I know. This isn't my usual place," Shego replied.
She shot a look at the stone statue Amy was pulling behind her. What had once been Monkey Fist stood on a small cart so that his… girlfriend could take him wherever she wanted. It was such a humiliating sight that Shego was glad Monkey Fist wasn't aware of what was happening to him.
"Monty and I come here almost every day. The pancakes here are alright, but you should taste their strawberry jam! It's the best in the state!" Amy said.
Shego had already seen how Amy had fawned over the statue at Drakken's award ceremony. Back then she had thought that the woman had brought the former simian man along because it was fitting that all of the villains were there; it had been both to honour Drakken and to let Monkey Fist have his final appearance among his colleagues. She certainly hadn't expected Amy to keep dragging him along everywhere she went.
"What's the point of bringing him here? He can't even eat," she pointed out.
"I know," Amy said. She didn't seem to be bothered by Shego's bluntness. "I just like his company."
"He can't talk either," Shego said.
She took another look at the statue and felt like grimacing. Up close like this, he looked even more grotesque than she remembered. Monkey Fist had never been pleasing to the eye as far as she was concerned, but now that he was eternally frozen like that, he was the stuff nightmares were made of.
Amy ignored her comment and instead waved at the waiter so that she could order. The young man didn't acknowledge the statue in any way, so Shego guessed that everyone was already used to the oddity that was DNAmy.
"If I were you, I'd dump him in the closet and go find a real guy," she said. She knew she was hardly the role model when it came to choosing the right man – her anger at their stupid argument and his stubbornness flared up again – but at least she was dating someone who was alive. What Amy was doing couldn't be healthy.
Amy frowned, looking mildly offended. "I could never do that!" she objected. "Monty means so much to me. He is the most precious thing in my life, and I will never give up on him. I'll keep him with me wherever I go."
Shego supposed that it was almost beautiful in a very, very sad and pitiful way. "Huh. I guess you loved him more than anyone realised," she said. To be honest, she had always thought Amy's crush on the monkey man had bordered a little too much on the obsessed and stalkerish side.
Amy giggled. "I guess you could say that," she said.
"You guess?" Shego repeated doubtfully.
Amy waited until the waiter had come with her order and continued once he was gone. "It's true that I love him very much. He is special to me. Did you know that I was the one who did the mutation job on him? He was the first human I ever worked on, and it was a complete success," she said.
"Yeah, I know," Shego said. She could recall the many times Monkey Fist had cursed himself for not finding another geneticist, someone who wasn't so clingy.
"At first I thought that it was over then, but then I realised that I just couldn't let him go like that. I worked on him. He was my creation, the most amazing Cuddle Buddy I have ever brought to life! He had to be mine!" Amy continued, the sudden fanatical gleam in her eyes startling Shego.
"But of course, it turned out that he didn't like the idea of being added to my collection. The big meanie," Amy said with a pout. However, her sour expression quickly turned into a smile as she glanced up at Monkey Fist's stone form and patted his thigh.
"But now he's all mine. My collection is finally perfect again," she said.
Shego knew her open jaw and boggling face had to be telling exactly how disturbing she thought all of that was, but Amy was oblivious to the other woman's shock. She was humming happily to herself as she spread jam on her pancakes.
"So, you like him better now that he's a statue?" Shego asked.
Amy looked up from her food with a bright smile. "I think so. I mean, he would just try to run away again. I prefer him like this when he will always be mine," she said.
Shego turned to look at her coffee and realised that she hadn't taken a single sip since Amy had started talking. Sheesh, that woman was all kinds of crazy! Her own problems seemed very meagre and mundane all of a sudden.
She pushed her coffee away, knowing she didn't want to drink it anymore. She decided to return to the lair and take back what she had said about Drakken's science fiction DVD collection.
She patted Monkey Fist on the shoulder as she passed him.
"Too bad, monkey boy," she said.
020: I hate you, you bitch
At that moment Monkey Fist was certain that he would have strangled DNAmy to death if it hadn't been for the fact that he was currently running for his life. He yelped and leapt to the side, barely avoiding being smashed into a pulp by the mechanical monstrosity that was chasing him. As he glanced behind his shoulder, he saw how the creature lifted its arm and took aim.
This all Amy's fault, he thought as he made a desperate dash behind a boulder just in time to dodge the green fire that the robot shot at him. He felt his skin prickle and smelled the stench of his hair burning, but there was no time to stop and worry about such things. He had to keep moving and lure this thing away from the castle.
It was a good thing that they hadn't been awake when this had started. Otherwise they would already be dead, squashed or burnt to crisp in his bedroom just because Amy was a sentimental fool who couldn't say no to anything cute.
Part of his castle was in ruins. Monkey Fist felt indescribable hatred bubble inside him as he thought about his ancestral home and the damage that had been done to it. He hadn't had the time to stop and take a serious look at it yet, but at least the east wing had been nothing but rubble when he had last seen it.
"Whatever you are, you will pay for this dearly!" he yelled at the red mecha that was still on his trail. He would take that thing apart piece by piece and make sure every part of it down to the last screw rotted until there was nothing left. And then he would tear into Amy and skin her alive for what she had caused.
Where was she anyway? They had agreed that he would lead this monster to the moors that surrounded the castle so that it wouldn't be able to do any more damage while she brought together all of the monsters that had accompanied her. For once in his life Monkey Fist was glad that Amy thought something like a mix between an elephant and a vulture was worth creating.
There was just one problem with this plan. The moors offered him no protection against the shots and strikes of the evil machine that was on his trail. It was pure luck that he had been able to avoid any serious injuries so far, but he knew it wouldn't last. The robot was faster than him and unlike him, it didn't get out of breath or suffer from pain or panic.
He stumbled when his foot got caught into a little bush, and he was barely able to keep himself from falling to the ground. This little mistake cost him only about a second, but he still cursed under his breath as he took a leap to the left, only moments before a shot of green fire singed the spot where he had been.
Monkey Fist rolled to his side and jumped back on his feet, now facing the mechanical menace. Even now he could hardly believe that he wasn't dreaming. The robot was tall as a building, almost entirely red and resembled some sort of cartoony devil figure. Even more amazing was that all of that had come out of a little toy that Amy had insisted they should get.
"If I ever find out whose brilliant idea this is, I will show them what pain is," he muttered.
He briefly glanced to the direction where he had come from. He could just about see the silhouette of his castle against the night sky. It was a few hours before dawn. He supposed that it wasn't necessary to go any farther than this. Otherwise Amy might not be able to catch up with them fast enough.
If she was even coming. The thought hadn't really crossed his mind until now, but it was possible that she had decided to save her own hide and leave him to die in the hands of this monstrosity. The mere idea suddenly filled him with dread. His monkey ninjas were with her. If she wasn't coming, he was a dead man.
He had no time to ponder the possibility any further because he had to make another daring jump to avoid being stomped to a pulp. He leapt behind the machine and grabbed a hold of its leg, hoisting himself up on the thing's back. Hopefully it wouldn't be able to hit him there. Maybe he would even find a way to destroy it.
Technology wasn't Monkey Fist's forte by any means. Quite the contrary; he usually busied himself with things that were the exact opposite of any modern invention. He now cursed that he had never bothered to learn even the basics of robotics. It was a very stupid mistake considering that most of his fellow villains were always building deadly gadgets to take over the world.
He tried to find a way to lift any of the metal plates on the machine's back, but he couldn't get any leverage. Just as he was about to move on to the robot's neck, its head turned around, startling him. Monkey Fist almost fell off the mecha's back as he the glowing eyes and wide grimace suddenly appeared before him.
It can't be sentient, can it, he wondered. He didn't know if he should have jumped off or stayed there, but thankfully the decision was taken off his shoulders.
There was a mighty whoosh and a painful yank, and the next thing he knew was that he was no longer holding onto the robot's backside. The dark moors were suddenly below him, but he had to close his eyes from the powerful wind.
"Honey bunny, are you okay?" Amy's worried voice came from somewhere above him.
"What kind of stupid question is that?" Monkey Fist yelled at her. He couldn't decide if he should have felt grateful for that she had taken this moment to appear, or resented her even more because now he couldn't hate her with a good conscience.
The elepture's claws were uncomfortably tight around him, so he was glad when the genetic hybrid flew closer to the ground and dropped him. He tried to roll to soften his fall, but he still twisted his wrist. Wincing and moving it around to find out how bad it was, he got up on his feet.
The devil-lookalike was now a safe distance away from them but was already advancing at their direction. Apparently it wasn't programmed to give up.
"What are we going to do now?" Amy asked. Monkey Fist looked up to see that she and all of his monkey ninjas were riding the elepture. Earlier he had laughed at the bizarre bird with a trunk and massive ears, but now he was glad that it was there.
"Shouldn't we just run? There's enough room for you here," Amy continued.
"Run?" Monkey Fist repeated in rage. "That thing destroyed my home! I will not run!"
"But what can you do? I don't know any more about robots than you do!" Amy said.
"I don't care what I will have to do. I will destroy that thing! Monkey ninjas, come to me!" Monkey Fist yelled.
The monkeys hesitated for a moment, but one after another they climbed down the elepture's claws and leapt to the ground, leaving Amy and her creation alone in the air. Monkey Fist almost wished she would just go, which even he realised was stupid since only a moment ago he had been worried about her not coming back. He could barely stand to look at her now. It was all her fault that they were in this mess.
The robot had now almost reached them. Its thumping made the ground shake and the monkey ninjas glanced at their master in worry. Even through his hatred Monkey Fist knew that there was little he or his minions could do, but the idea of giving up and running didn't even enter his mind. He slit his eyes as he glared at the glowing face of their enemy and swore that somehow that thing would go down.
"Monkey ninjas, attack!" he ordered when the machine was close enough. The monkeys leapt into action, each one advancing at the robot from a different direction. This confused the robot somewhat as it was used to dealing with only one target, and for a while it didn't even know where it should have directed its attacks.
Monkey Fist used this opportunity to dart at the enemy and climb back on top of its back. As soon as he had a firm hold of the robot's neck, the machine got its act back together and aimed a shot of green fire at one of the monkey ninjas. The animal jumped aside just in time while the others took the moment to attack the robot's legs. Monkey Fist didn't stop to look at any of this – he knew his minions were competent enough to avoid most of the attacks – but he could hear their frustrated ooks when their attacks had no effect.
"Monty! That's completely stupid! Come back here right now!" Amy yelled at him as she rode past them on the elepture.
He didn't even bother gracing her with an answer. He was too busy running his fingers around the machine's neck and head, trying to find a cable or an opening that would somehow shut the thing off or, even better, make it explode. He ignored Amy's next yell about what an idiot he was. He also didn't spare a second thought to his monkeys who were getting frighteningly alarmed about something.
Something slammed against him and suddenly he was flying and went rolling on the ground. Feeling dizzy, he tried to get back on his feet to see what had happened, but he barely made it to his knees before he collapsed back down. He was desperately gasping for breath, but it felt like his lungs weren't properly working after the impact. He briefly wondered if he had any broken bones.
As he looked up at the devilish machine that was now looming above him, he realised that the thing had punched him off its back with just one strike. Somehow he had thought that a robot wouldn't be capable of doing that.
The robot lifted its arm and took aim. Monkey Fist knew he had to get up and run, but his body refused to obey him. He could only stare at the mechanic creature as his mind kept screaming at him for do something.
"Don't you dare hurt my cuddle monkey, you mean toy!"
Amy's yell made him look up just in time to see the elepture charge at the robot and almost knock it off balance. The animal let out an angry shriek and tried to claw at the machine's head, making horrible scratching noises and causing the robot to shoot its fire at the genetic hybrid without even aiming.
Monkey Fist slowly got on his feet, gasping as sudden pain surged through his chest. He hoped he didn't have broken ribs.
Amy rushed to his side and helped him stand, but he didn't really appreciate her help. He didn't need her.
"Are you alright?" she asked, frowning in worry.
Monkey Fist hadn't realised that she had jumped off the elepture, but now he realised it would have been suicidal to keep riding the animal when it was battling the robot. He turned to look at the ongoing fight, hoping to see that it was going in their favour. He noticed that his monkey ninjas were also standing back and watching the battle.
Amy saw the stern expression on his face. "Don't worry. My sweetie will show that meanie," she assured him.
Just then they could hear a pained shriek as the elepture was hit with a strike of fire and dropped from the sky, crashing against the ground with another yell. The creature tried to get up, but Monkey Fist could see that it wasn't going to fly any time soon when its wing was bent like that.
"You were saying?" he asked.
"My baby!" Amy looked undecided between running to her injured creation and staying by Monkey Fist's side. Finally she chose the latter, clutching his arm so hard that it was painful. "How could you do that?"
"Oh, please. Do you expect any less from a machine that has obviously been programmed to kill everything in sight?" Monkey Fist asked.
"But --" Amy started, but the look in Monkey Fist's eyes made her grow silent.
He wanted to snap something at her, but he suddenly had no idea what he could say. Approaching thumping told him that the robot was advancing at them; he didn't need to turn to look to see that grimace he had grown to hate on its face.
So this was it. Somehow he hadn't thought he would be killed on his backyard by a psychotic robot. His death was something he hadn't actually thought much about because he often fancied the idea of immortality, but he now knew for certain that this was not how he wanted to go. Not like this, and not this soon.
He wanted to yell at his monkey ninjas to get off their lazy behinds and do something, but he could never gather the will to give the command. They would just die as well, and he wanted at least some part of his legacy to live on.
He fixed his eyes on the approaching monstrosity and glared at it with all the hatred he could muster. Monkey Fist refused to close his eyes even when the machine pointed its left arm at them, ready to fire.
Bring it, then, you overgrown tin opener.
"Monty, I --" Amy started, but she was again cut off. This time it wasn't because of anything Monkey Fist did or said, though he would have gladly told her to shut up. Mushy goodbyes and declarations of love were not what he wanted to hear right before his death.
No, it was the devil of a robot that had silenced Amy. The thing was still pointing its arm at them, but something was wrong with it. Monkey Fist knew that metal couldn't possibly do it, but he felt that the machine was actually having spasms. They could only watch in awe as it steadily became smaller and smaller until it had returned to its original size. Even the grimace was replaced by the smile that had charmed Amy merely days ago.
Everything was almost silent for a long time. Only the slight wind was howling in the distance and ruffling their hair. Monkey Fist yanked his arm free of Amy's hold and slowly walked where the small toy was standing. He picked it up without a word.
To think that this, this… thing had ruined half of his castle, injured one of Amy's pets and almost killed him and his minions! He felt his whole body shiver with uncontrollable rage as he stared at the goofy face of the toy. He didn't even realise how hard he was clutching it in his hand until he heard the faint crack of its head coming loose.
"Monty!" Amy exclaimed, apparently now cured from her shock.
"And you!" Monkey Fist snapped. She had been the one who had brought that thing to his home! She had done it even after he had told her how ridiculous and childish it was! And he had let her because something as small and silly as that had somehow made her happy. "Don't you dare think that --!"
He let out a pained yelp as he was engulfed by a massive bear hug from Amy. He fought to free himself of her hold, but she was surprisingly strong for her size and seemed to have no consideration for that he probably had broken ribs and was so damn angry at her. He was just about to yell at her that she had better start packing her bags and get the hell away from him and that getting together with her had been the worst mistake of his life, but it was then that he noticed that she was crying against his chest.
He bit his lip to keep the hurtful words inside him. It was so tempting to blame her – and he definitely wanted to blame someone – but it wouldn't be fair. She couldn't have known that this would happen. He counted to twenty in his head to calm down and entertained himself with thoughts of what he would do to the person who was behind this plot before he felt he could possibly say something that wouldn't make her cry even more.
"Mark my words, Amy. We're never eating at Bueno Nacho again," he said as he struggled to keep his voice steady.