"Haaa!" Fukushima slashed his sword, hoping to remove his hated opponent's head from his shoulders, but Ron blocked the attack with his right hand sword at the same time, preventing the other ninja to make a human kebab out of him.
The blonde had to use every ounce of skill he had to simply not die. Due to their swords magic, the trio worked like one, blocking and attacking the same time and limiting his movements. Luckily for Ron, the hangar was spacious enough for him to fully utilize his technique.
"Whoa!" a startled shout escaped his mouth as he avoided a very lethal thrust from one of the ninjas. Before he managed to counterattack Fukushima, another ninja jumped at him, cross slashing in perfect sync, thus forcing him to retreat even further.
Ron stomped the floor, boosting himself with a healthy dose of MMP. The ground shook yet the ninjas did not flatter in their assault.
Each time the mystical blades clashed, multiple sparks shot into the air. There wouldn't be anything amazing in it if not for the color. Blue and green sparks illuminated the room. Unlike regular ones, their light did not fade in an instant but remained even for a short period of time.
If it wasn't for the fact that it was a battle to the death, one could almost admire the mystical beauty of the show.
'Think Ron-man, think!' Ron blocked another flurry of deadly slashes, and then he finally reached some sort of plan. Making a massive jump back, Ron transformed one of his blades into a round object.
Fukushima and his companions set on not giving him a moment to breathe instantly charged in and Ron grinned behind his helmet. As soon as they got close enough, Ron threw the object as hard as he could at the ground, and the moment the ball hit the floor, it exploded, covering the whole area with thick white smoke.
"Such trickery will not save you, Outsider!" Fukushima bellowed. "Stay close! He might try to separate us!"
As soon as he said that, a blue arrow whizzed out of the smoke and pierced one ninja's shoulder, easily tearing through the high-tech armor. One could simply ask how it was possible for Ron to hit his target while seemingly blinded. The answer was relatively simple.
Aura detection.
Empowered by the swords' magic, all three ninja shined like a beacon before Ron's senses, clearly outlining their bodies' silhouettes. Usually Ron just saw a blurry image. But the more powerful the individual was the higher chance of actually seeing him with his senses. It was almost like a heat-vision, just cooler and less flammable. But before he managed to fire another arrow, all three ninja's were enveloped in a familiar round barrier.
Ron let the arrow loose yet it bounced harmlessly from the barrier.
'Note to self, energy barriers can stop the Lotus Blade.' Ron thought, formulating another plan and setting off another smoke bomb. 'So let's something else.'
Ron focused a massive amount of MMP on his fist and dashed forward. With one large jump, he closed the distance and slammed his fist into the power barrier. He used every ounce of power he had, and with satisfaction, noticed that the barrier starting to bend backwards.
Second later, the energy shield popped like a bubble, leaving the stunned ninja open for the massive hit that he was about to deliver. He closed the gap between him and the ninja, and then crouched, only to jump up and plant a devastating kick in the nearest man's solar plexus.
The ninja didn't even have the time to gasp as he was catapulted into the air at a ridiculous speed. Ron then morphed the Lotus blade into a bow and fired another arrow, piecing the man's other shoulder, effectively removing him from the fight.
His moment of joy was interrupted by Fukushima and his last remaining man attacking him from both sides.
"You thought that you could hide from me?!" He bellowed slashing at Ron's head. "I can see your aura!"
'Only when I flare it up it seems.' Ron noticed, smiling. He repressed his aura, setting off another smoke bomb. He smirked when he heard Fukushima's angry growls that proved his theory.
What he wasn't expecting was a sudden surge in his aura. All alarms were set off in his head as he acted on pure instinct and jumped back, narrowly avoiding a nasty bisection.
"Whoa!" A startle shout escaped his mouth as the smoke was suddenly blown away, revealing Fukushima ablaze with a sickly green aura. A few feet away from him was a headless body of his last men.
"You know how cliché you are right now?" Ron asked with disgust. "Killing your own to gain something... you're like a walking movie!"
"It's a small price."
"That's gonna cost you when you will need someone to back you up." Ron braced himself. Now at full power, Fukushima was a force to be reckoned with. Any mistake would be fatal for the blond.
He gathered his MMP to steadying his breathing. Suddenly something spiked Ron's interest. He extended his senses and felt it… Kim's aura was in a state of extreme peril.
In his numerous lessons, Ron learned quite a lot about aura. What was going with Kim's aura could be only described as extreme suffering if the erratic pulses it was giving were any indication. Shego's aura was nearby as if trying to help her… Ron suddenly felt an urge to get there ASAP.
"Ah, so you felt it." Fukushima grinned behind his helmet. "It seems that Possible will perish soo–" His taunts were interrupted by Ron's rapid assault. He instantly lifted his sword to block the slash aimed at his head, surprised by how powerful it was. But so was he.
Fukushima pressed forward with vicious stab, millimeters from grazing Ron's left shoulder. The blond sidestepped and slashed at the renegade student midsection, but was met with quick block and had to jump back to avoid a kick to his gut.
Ron morphed his blade into a spear and began stabbing Fukushima at rapid pace. The man dodged and blocked all of the hits, showing his mastery over the sword. Gathering his power, he did something that surprised Ron. He released a ribbon of green energy that slash at him. Ron morphed his weapon into a shield and hid behind it.
When the attack hit the blond hero, he had to use every ounce of his power to remain standing. He was pushed back by the sheer force of the attack. Ron then summoned more power, and with cry, pushed the energy slash to the ceiling.
"You witnessed but a mere fraction of my power!" Fukushima exclaimed in a clear high on his power.
Ron grits his teeth, something horrible was happening to Kim and he was unable to reach her.
What a sitch!
BAM!
Shego's eyes flew open as the gunshot rang throughout the room.
"Urhg..." Legion moaned as he stumbled back with blood seeping from both sides of his temples.
Shego looked with disbelief at the only other occupant holding the smoking gun in her hands.
"Ah!" Kim screamed as she pulled the trigger a few more times, every bullet hitting Legion's head, making him stumble further from Shego.
Click!
She discarded her empty gun and dashed forward at the disoriented man. With tears gathering in her eyes, she activated a secret mode in her combat suit, the one she argued fiercely over with Wade. She never wanted it for the very purpose it was an anathema to her very being, but everyone has a limit.
Kim's right arm transformed into a sharp blade.
She ran at Legion with horrible yell of despair and fear. She knew what she was about to do would reflect on her whole future life. In that very moment, she compromised her very moral code she lived by. Her very soul was screaming for her to stop but she knew that Legion was too powerful.
She had to choose here and now.
Kill or be killed.
On the side lines, Shego's eyes were widening with every step Kim made towards the abomination that was Legion. The ex-villainess gasped as she realized what her arch-nemesis was about to do.
"Stop it, Kimmie, this is not you!" She exclaimed with horror. "Princess, don't!" Shego's screech fell deaf on Kim's ears.
The redhead heroine reached her enemy, slashing at his neck. The blade buried itself deep in Legion's neck but got stuck. The man spat an ungodly amount of blood. Kim then pressed as hard as she could, but the sword wouldn't budge. She felt dread when Legion looked into her eyes.
He grabbed her blade and gave Kim the most grateful, bloody smile she has ever seen.
"Thank you," he gurgled. Then in one swift move, he finished what Kim started. His head fell off his shoulder with an eerily satisfied smile on his lips. A fountain of blood erupted from Legion's body, covering Kim's white suit in a crimson sheen from head to toe.
Shego could not believe her eyes. This had to be some sort of nightmarish dream. Kim Possible, the teenage heroine, paragon of virtue and valor, just killed a person.
The world must be ending...no, wait, that already happened a few months ago.
While she would never admit it, Kim scared her a bit right now. Her suit drenched in blood with a bloodied blade and those two emotionless blue dots serving as eyes were quite intimidating. That was until she fell to her knees with a heartbreaking wail. Kim then dropped her helmet and promptly puked on the floor.
Shego jumped on her feet and ran to her side, trying to not to step in pool of blood or other things.
"Breathe, Princess." Shego said gently, rubbing her back.
"Oh God, Oh God..." she mumbled with tears sliding down her face, "I...I...I killed..."
Kim startled trembling all over and if not for Sheila's help, she would've fallen on the ground where she puked moments ago.
Shego grabbed shell shocked heroine and led her to the one of the last surviving chair in the room, placing her there. She then looked around for any intact console where she could operate the facility. Sadly she found none as everything was trashed.
"Damn..." Then an idea hit her. She came back to Kim and took the Kimmunicator. "Hey, Nerdling, are you there?"
"Yes..." Wade replied, slightly offended. "Where's Kim?"
"She's unavailable right now, look, I need to use your nerd magic and take over this facility since every terminal here got wrecked in the fight… can you do that?"
"I need to get into the system; you need to connect me via USB cable." Wade explained.
"Every console is destroyed." Shego repeated.
"Try to find some emergency one, in top secret facilities like that, they have to have a backup panel."
Shego growled, looking around the devastated room, finding it would be a blast!
Will Du sometimes wonders if Karma hated him? First he got knocked off from the position of GJ and number one agent by some amateur with freakish powers. Then he was forced to work on multiple occasions with said amateur to the point where he was fighting his last stand, drenched in blood with a never ending of opponents.
For some reason almost all of the opponents were now common criminals with rare mutated ones among them. Du would ponder on that thought, but desperately trying to stay alive was slightly obscuring any other thought process at the moment. The former best agent felt all his muscles cry in pain as he killed another prisoner. The suits were starting to fail from their extended period of stress they were going through.
The testament of that was the fact that around thirteen agents were still alive.
He grits his teeth. Out of fifty agents, fourteen were still alive with the trio still missing, possibly KIA.
If Shego and Possible failed to secure the control room, the mission would end in failure with all of them dead and the truth buried forever…
'Over my dead body!' Du's suddenly got a powerful burst out of nowhere. He jumped at the nearest prisoner, and with his hand blade, slashed him in half. His pride as an agent would not allow him to fail! He would not rely on some amateurs or former criminals to do his job! He will be number one again! His pride would not allow him to be anything less than perfect!
Empowered by his inner resolve, Du jumped into the fray, shooting slashing and kicking everything that wasn't a GJ agent. He didn't know how long he had been at it. It was starting to become repetitive, until the gates leading to the command hub started to close, cutting off the river of inmates. The last ones that tried to squeeze through were met with a rather gruesome death by being crushed.
After minute or so, the last of the inmates were dealt with and the area was secured for now. Du finally let a breath he had been holding, relaxing a bit but still on full alert. And with a quiet hiss, the lift came down from the ceiling with Shego standing on it.
"The cavalry's he–holy fuck!" Her smug remark was cut in half when she witnessed the carnage below. If not for her helmet, the surviving agents would see her mouth hanging open. The agents looked like some sort of bloody ghost drenched in blood, among numerous corpses that covered the whole floor.
"Has the upper floor been secured?" Du asked walking over the corpses, almost casually.
Shego nodded dumbly." Excellent, team check if anyone is alive, take the wounded and let's get out of here."
The remaining agents gathered on the platform, their number nineteen in total, with three unconscious in hands of the comrades.
The platform moved up to the upper floor, leaving the slaughterhouse behind. When the floor was sealed with a hiss, only then did the agents allowed themselves to rest. Some of them fell to their knees while others managed to slump towards the wall and slide down it. Except for Du. He looked around the devastated room, noticing Kim who still was on her knees with tears coming out of her eyes.
"She killed that guy over there." Shego said, pointing at the headless corpse. She wasn't sure how, but Du somehow managed to pull a look of shock on the expressionless helmet.
"Kimberly Ann Possible killed someone?" Du asked to confirm if he hadn't taken too many blows to the head.
"Yes..." Shego confirmed. "Look we need to find Ron and get out of here."
"How do you propose we do that, we don't have manpower to go down there again." Du crossed his arms.
"That won't be necessary." Wade's voice sounded from the computer. "I gained an access to all systems in the facility and I know where he is!"
"Name any computer game you want Nerdling and you will get it." Shego said with a genuine smile gracing her lips.
"I'll hold you on that promise." Wade replied. "Ron is currently at the hangar level, fighting some guy... doing the weird things he does."
"You mean MMP?" Shego asked.
"Do you believe in that hocus-pocus?" Du asked flatly.
"I saw him redirect a three kilometer long alien war ship into the ocean with the wave of a hand... so yeah, he has my utter and total faith in his hocus-pocus." Shego deadpanned, shutting Du up.
"Guys, stop arguing!" Wade interrupted them. "Go back to the platform; I'll move you to the upper level where the transport hangar is." Du nodded, walking to his men while Shego pulled out the kimmunicator.
"Listen up; I need access to the sub-system omega-13." Shego said quietly.
"Ok..." Wade typed something on his computer. "Wait isn't that system for–?"
"Yes, don't ask... I mean it."
"... are you a really going to do that?" Wade asked anxiously.
"Yes." Shego replied grimly. "It has to be done." She put the device in her pocked and moved to shell-shocked Kim. "Princess, we need to go."
No reaction.
"Kim, seriously, we can't stay here... Ronnie needs our help." she tried from a different angle. Predictably it worked. Kim looked at her with semi-conscious look.
"Ron?" she mumbled.
"Yes, he needs us–you, he needs you to get up, "Shego grabbed her arms and gently lifted her up.
"He is alright... right?" she asked with a trembling voice.
"Yeah, you know Ronnie..." Shego reassured her. "He always pushes though."
Shego led Kim to the rest of the squad and stepped on the platform. The teenage heroin spared one last look on the tragic being that was Legion. Forever his last bloody smile would be engraved in her mind. Along with the thank you filled with so much gratitude as if she wasn't taking his life but doing him a great favor.
Looking at his mangled body, maybe she did. Not that it changed the mind wrecking guilt she felt. All that was holding her together was the thought that Ron needed her help... and the comforting hand on her shoulder.
If a few months back someone would tell her that Shego would be comforting her, she would've burst into a fit of giggles.
The lift finally reached the top, moving agents all the way up to the round control hub. On the top of the dome was a small landing pad with three small ships that looked like squares with railings.
"We'll be in the open again..." Shego said.
"It's the only way to get up." Du replied, stepping on the craft. "Can you open the gates?"
"Wade?"
Instead of a reply, the sound of machinery filled the prison as the massive gates started to slowly come apart.
"Everyone be on alert, we're not out of pinch yet." He stated reloading his gun with his last clip. "Take shots only when you're certain to hit."
The ships took off, and almost infuriatingly slowly, started to rise up. The agents were tense as strings, but much to their surprise, there wasn't even a trace of the airborne mutants. All the way up the flight was calm... until the wind picked up… inside the mountain.
"The hell?" Shego uttered, bemused by the phenomenon. "Where the hell is that wind is coming from?"
"Maybe it's another inmate's ability?" Du made an educated guess. He wanted to add more but his attention was drawn to the two sources of light, one blue and the other green, standing at the opposite side of the opening gates.
When they got close enough to the sources of light, it turned out to be people.
"Isn't that Stoppa–? " Du started but at this very moment both fighters made a ridiculously long jump, screaming at top of their lungs.
The moment they clashed the whole prison was illuminated by a blinding white light.
"HAAAA!"
The two magical swords collided, creating a power boom as the fighters pressed with all their might against each other. Their muscles were pushed to their very limits and beyond as the power widely swirled around them, creating a miniature electrical discharges upon contact.
The blades turned into a blurs as their powers allowed them to break the limitations of human body.
Fukushima sidestepped Ron's thrust and almost took his right arm off if not for the Ron's lighting fast reaction. The blond made a fall like move, feeling the blade pass harmlessly above his head. Using the momentum, he spun around and attempted to undercut Fukushima, yet the ninja traitor jumped, avoided it, and promptly kicked Ron in the face. The blond was sent flying; tumbling a few times as Fukushima's monstrous kick nearly broke his jaw. But he didn't have time to bonder on his unnatural bone resistance as the man continued his assault, nearly making a human kebab out of Ron.
'Not good, he's better at swordsman than me!' Ron felt panic starting to settle in. 'Think Ron-man, think!'
"YOU WILL PERISH!" Fukushima bellowed, feeling that his opponent was starting to weaken.
'I got it!' Ron was never more grateful for his developed imagination. He jumped back, making some distance. As expected, the traitorous ninja closed the gap instantly. "Take that!" Ron transformed his blade into a... warm and plushy blanked.
"Argh!" Fukushima tried to cut through it, but with little effect, other than getting even more wrapped up in it.
"Boo-yah!" Ron jumped forward, starting to furiously punch and kick the wrapped ninja. "Serious-serious PUNCH!" he exclaimed, delivering a devastating blow that sent Fukushima flying.
Ron raised his fist into the air in victory. The only down side was that no one was around to see that show of awesomeness. Still, that had a healthy dose of Boo-yah if he was frank.
"Back boy!" Ron summoned his blade back to his hand, reverting it back to its original shape. "Okay, dude, I really have to go now!"
Fukushima growled, standing up slowly, filled with blinding anger towards outsider that was a personification of everything he despised.
Weakness!
Stupidity!
Arrogance!
And so many more! He felt the power from the blade surge through his veins once more, responding to his feelings.
"I will kill you... I will destroy everything you hold dear..." He spat, ripping off his helmet, revealing his hateful face. "Your family, friends, and that whore you sleep with will die, too."
Ron suddenly felt the joy from his little victory diminished, and was replaced by anger.
"Nothing will be spared, I'll –" he was interpreted when suddenly the floor bent as the massive metal panels began to move, separating both the fighters.
Ron quickly extended his sense and felt a smile form on his face. His allies were coming here, including Sheila and Kim, both mostly alright.
"Can you feel that, Fukushima?" Ron stated, glaring at his opponent. "My friends are coming here and will help me, while you are all alone... you boast about power and stuff, but you don't really get what true power is, do you?"
"What are you babbling about?!" he shouted, feeling his temper rise.
"My friends are my power." Ron tired not to cringe as he uttered a Hego-like line. "They give me the reason to fight you, and I always know that they have my back, no amount of magic swords can replace that!"
"Then I'll just have to kill them and then you will lose!" Fukushima flared his aura, filling the area with the same sickly green light.
"I won't let you!" Ron summoned his power too, preparing to intercept the ninja. Just as the three ships appeared in the corner of his vision, they jumped. Time seemed to slow as they got closer and closer.
"DIE!" Fukushima screamed at top of his lungs as the blades collided, creating a massive burst of white light.
To the onlookers, it looked like a miniature sun suddenly appeared in the middle of the prison, but inside the ball of light were two warriors trying to overpower one another. The loser of this fight would surely die.
Ron grit his teeth as Fukushima mercilessly pressed against the Lotus Blade, using everything he had. If the looks could kill, the hate in his eyes would have killed Ron a hundred times over.
'I have to defeat him or he will hurt Sheila and Kim!' The sidekick used every ounce of strength he had, and with one final, desperate shout, Ron threw everything he had at Fukushima.
SLASH!
Only to feel the Lotus Blade almost effortlessly cut through the traitor's blade and then dig into his body. Fukushima eyes widened as his lungs cut in two.
"M-Master... why?" he whispered before falling down into the abyss.
Just below them, the remnants of the GJ strike force could see the light diminish just in time to witness Fukushima's body pass them on its way towards the darkness below them.
The agents could not believe their eyes. They all heard about Ron Stoppable's actions during the invasion but seeing the sheer power the blond possessed was a completely different experience. They all could feel the power coming off him, as his blue aura pulsed.
Shego gulped, despite knowing that Ron would never lay a finger on her. She wondered just how much power the blond possessed. As if called by her thoughts, Ron suddenly turned and looked at her, staring into her eyes, making her draw a breath.
She felt like she could drown in those powerful blue eyes. They were like ocean, vast and limitless with all their might… only if they weren't so full of grief and confusion.
Before their ship could touch the ground, she jumped off, rushing to her boyfriend. She took her helmet off. Ron was still staring at the gaping pit below, trying to look anywhere than his bloody sword.
"Ron?" Shego put her arms on his shoulders and shook him gently. "Are you okay?"
"I... killed him..." Ron stated with a voice void of emotions. "I killed again..."
Shego knew that she should console him, take him into her arms and tell that he did what he had to do, but right now she couldn't, because if she did, her own resolve would melt.
'Goddamn you, Betty!' she cursed the GJ Director, but most of all, cursed herself for going along with it. Not to mention now she had to direct Ron's attention elsewhere.
"Ron... Kim killed too."
Predictably that snapped him out of his daze. Because if there was one thing that Ron valued above anything else, even himself, it was the people close to him.
"What?!" the half exclaimed made his previous thoughts forgotten.
"Yes, down below, she killed a guy... she needs you now, Ronnie." Shego told him.
Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but a visible effort, squashed his inner turmoil. "Are you ok?" he asked quietly.
"Peachy, now shoo! Princess needs you more now." Shego said, faking smugness. Ron followed her instructions and marched towards his near comatose best friend.
"Hey!" Shego addressed some random agent. "Check if to see if this jet is good to go!" She pointed at the last reaming jet, most likely the one belonging to Fukushima and his men. It wasn't big, but should fit what was left of the strike force.
In the meantime, Ron approached his lifelong friend who looked at him with a haunted expression.
"H-Hey... good to see you're alive." Kim droned with a brief relief passing through her face.
"Same." Ron mustered a weak smile. "I'm so happy that you're okay..."
"Oh… Ron!" Kim suddenly lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, bursting into sobs. He hugged her with all his might, turning the Lotus Blade into a bracelet so he wouldn't hurt her by accident.
"It's okay, it's gonna be alright, Kim," Ron said gently, stroking her hair. He could feel her as she trembled with grief over the life she took. The blond felt like crying too. But at that moment, he had to be strong for his friend. His feeling would have to wait.
In the distance, Sheila was doing anything than to look in that direction. She needed her head clear. Because what she was about to do would weigh down on her life forever.
Through the Kimmunicator, she had access to the Omega-13 sub-system. With the right code, she could activate the protocols placed there and blow up the whole facility to hell.
By the courtesy of the current head of GJ, Shego possessed such code. Before the mission, there would be no way that she could ever execute such a command. Her consciousness wouldn't allow her to kill hundreds, no matter how crooked they were, but that was before.
Now she was certain that Genesis facility with all its occupants needed to be destroyed. If those being were ever to escape, they would simply annihilate everything in their path in their mindless rage. But not only because of that, but the atrocities committed here needed an end, permanently, with all the knowledge destroyed.
But the problem was that it had to look like an enemy's doing since the backers of this project would have Betty's head on a plate if they discovered that she was behind it.
"Hey! What's with this jet!?" she shouted impatiently.
"It's operable agent, Shego." Du told her, motioning the rest to come in. "What's the hurry?"
"... You got to be kidding me." Shego deadpanned. "Don't you want to leave his hellhole as soon as possible?"
Du remained silent, making Shego face palm. Nevertheless, she waited for the most heavily wounded to be transported on the ship before entering the code. She looked at the screen for few seconds, her finger hovering above execute button.
"You owe me a big one for this Betty." she whispered, pressing the button.
The moment she did that, the howl of sirens filled the hangar, startling the occupants.
"Attention! The self-destruct procedure is initiated." A female voice sounded from the speakers. "All personnel evacuate the facility immediately! I repeat! The self-destruct procedure is initiated! All personnel evacuate the facility!" To make things more dramatic, the whole place started to shake violently.
"What the hell!?" Shego shouted, faking surprise. "We have to get out of here!"
Suddenly everyone lunged towards the craft. The moment last agent got his foot in, the hatch closed and the plane took off. Having the control back, Du opened the hangar doors, allowing them to fly out of the deathtrap.
"Everyone hold tight!" the pilot shouted.
Not even ten seconds later, the whole mountain that held the facility, exploded, sending a massive shock wave that shook the jet violently. When Shego looked out of the window, she saw a large mushroom of dust, similar to those caused by nuclear bombs, come out the mountain.
Feeling exhausted both mentally and psychically, she slid down next to Ron who was cradling a crying Kim.
Shego had to do everything in her power to keep her emotionless mask on. Just a few moments ago, she gave a death sentence to gosh know how many lives. She tried to reason with herself that it was needed, it had to be done, but, still, that made her a mass murder.
But what scared her even more than crossing this last remaining line she had always set for herself was Ron's reaction. She could only imagine the disgust the blond would feel towards her if he knew what she had done.
Sheila was aware that the moment the truth finally got out, their relationship would go down in flames...what was worse she wouldn't blame him at all. She doubted that she would be able to look in the mirror for a while. She was just as much of a monster as those prisoners.
Because deep inside Shego knew that she did it for a selfish reason. Not because she cared about the outside world that much, but because she was afraid. Afraid that one day she could end up in that place.
She hated herself for it, hated her fear, her egoism that drove her to do this. Betty gave her a choice and she made one. And from now on she had to live with the consequences.
A/N Ok the prison mini-arc is over! next chapter a conclusion! And maybe a bit more! Till then folk!
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