Spark of Life 4/4
(Theme song - Kim Possible by Disney Channel on YouTube)
(Lacey's POV)
*Sally & I were both in the Digital World, facing the evil virus known as Phage to protect our friend, Nicole*
Phage: Princess Sally. I thought you were supposed to be a thinker. A strategist. A tactician! Now you, Nicole, and your friend are mine to examination! To take apart! To absorb!
*Sally blocked her hand*
Sally: Nicole, run! Get out of the system!
Lacey: Now!
*Nicole started to run, but stopped & used her powers to create a spear that went through Phage's body & pierced her core*
Lacey: Nicole!
Sally: Quick, if we can disable her, the Badniks will stop -
Phage: . . . You . . . Insolent . . . Savage . . . *her body started to regenerate* . . . Rude . . .
Sally: What the - *some of the regeneration data zapped her* OW!
Lacey: Sally!
Nicole: Get back!
*Phage sent out a wave red data*
Phage: I'll tear you down to the last bit of coding!
Sally: . . . So did not see this coming . . .
Lacey: No kidding . . .
Sally: Okay, split up! Nicole, escape to your computer! Lacey and I'll get via the Digitizer, and we'll shut everything down and take this monster with it!
Lacey: Great idea. That way we can -
*Suddenly, Nicole grabbed both of our hands & flew away from the red data*
Sally: Nicole!? What are you doing!?
Lacey: Where are we going!?
*She set us down behind a data wall*
Sally: What were you thinking? We were supposed to split up!
Nicole: You did it again! Putting yourself in danger -
Sally: What about you? I told you to escape, not attack!
Nicole: Escape to where? I can't reach my computer. Don't you think I tried? Phage wouldn't let me.
Lacey: Oh. That's a problem.
Nicole: . . . But that's the logical explanation. It's not the real one. I didn't run because I couldn't stand the thought of either of you getting hurt. I acted . . .
Sally: Recklessly.
Nicole: . . . Yes. I suppose so. I don't even like fighting . . .
Sally: We'll figure a way out of this. We always do, right?
Lacey: Yeah. Even before I joined the team.
Sally: I think a direct fight is out, though. *black monsters were looking for us* Urgh, if we could just fly like you did back there . . .
Lacey: Yeah. That would make things easier.
Nicole: Sally, Lacey, the Digitizer interpreters the system in a way that your mind can understand. In here, you could fly, but you don't believe you should be able to do so. It's a psychological block.
Sally: Great. We don't have time to retrain our brains like that.
Lacey: But if we don't stop Phage soon, the others will be hurt. Or worse.
Sally: Okay, so Phage has prevented all three of us from getting out the way we came in . . . What about the Digital World?
Nicole: It's still connected to this system, but to what end? You can't survive in any Digital World indefinitely, and Phage will just follow us anyway.
Sally: Not "us." Me and Lacey.
Lacey: Right.
Nicole: You can't -
Sally: We're not! Trust me. Earlier, Tails was playing with something in the lab . . . One of Dr. Ellidy's ring inventions. We need you to recreate here for us. *her Ring Blades turned into a sword & shield* I have a plan.
Lacey: Of course you do.
*Outside, Phage was going crazy, looking for us*
Phage: Where are you, you little wretches!? Brats! Scoundrels!
*Sally & I jumped out of hiding & went towards the exit*
Sally: Actually, it's "Princess!"
Lacey: And "Miss Rabbit!"
Phage: You two!
*She rushed towards us*
Sally: You missed your chance to pull apart Dr. Ellidy's coding, and you're not going to get us, either!
Lacey: So, catch us if you can! *in her mind* Come on, come on, come on, this isn't the real world, we should be as fast as Sonic if we want to be! Stupid short attention span!
*We went through the door & found ourselves in a digital green forest*
Sally: Oh, whoa!
Lacey: Pretty.
*Phage burst through the door, absolutely furious*
Phage: What now, Princess, little girl!? You couldn't stop me in the Doctor's system! You think you have a chance against me here!?
Sally: Not at all.
Lacey: Nicole! Now!
*What she didn't how was that Sally was wearing a Sling Ring on her right wrist. Nicole pulled on the other Ring & I held on to Sally as we flew back through the door. Once we were on the other side, Nicole started to work her magic*
Sally: If we can't fight you, we'll just kick you out!
Lacey: So, sayonara, Sucker!
*A firewall started to close in front of the door. But Phage started to force it open*
Phage: How dare you!? *Nicole struggled to close to wall. Sally & I started to fight against black viruses as they came close to us* You can't - You won't - You're outdated! Even damaged! I'm faster than you! Stronger! You can't stop me! The Rings! The research! It's all mine! The Chaos Emerald belongs to me! Me! Do you think I care about the physical world!? If I don't have something worthy to bring back, Dr. Eggman will never forgive me for my past mistakes! So . . . Stop . . . Interfering!
(Third-Person POV)
*Meanwhile, back in the real world, Dr. Ellidy stood over Sally & Lacey on the two Digitizers*
Sally: C'mon, Nicole . . . You can do it . . .
Lacey: Don't . . . Give up . . .
*Just then, the controlled Badniks started coming into the lab*
Dr. Ellidy: Oh, no . . . No, no, no . . .
*He looked at the two Red Star Rings in his hands & then rushed towards the handheld computer on the control panel as the robots reached for him. He put one of the Rings in the slot on top*
(Lacey's POV)
*Suddenly, Nicole's whole body turned pink, her eyes turned red, & she had Red Star Rings on different parts of her outfit*
Overclocked Nicole: Oh.
*The system started to turn back to normal under her feet & the black viruses got deleted*
Phage: That power . . . That Red Star Ring . . .! That's supposed to be mine!
Overclocked Nicole: No. It's not. And you're not welcome here. Now . . . Get. OUT!
*The firewall turned into an iron wall, completely blocking Phage from ever entering again*
Sally: Nicole, that was amazing! I knew you could do it!
Lacey: Not to mention you look totally fabulous now!
Nicole: I . . . I only shut her out of this system. Phage is weakened, but she's still out there. Still . . . I don't think she'll be coming back anytime soon.
*Sally & I both hugged her*
Sally: Don't sell yourself short. You saved us all!
Nicole: After you both saved me.
Lacey: Hey. What are friends for?
*The next day, we were all getting ready to leave*
Tails: Got a message from Rotor. Looks like we'll have time to catch up to them on Apotos.
Big: In a Patos? Instead of in the planet?
Tails: "Apotos." One word.
Nicole: It's a place.
Big: Oh.
*Sally & I went up to Dr. Ellidy, who was sitting on a rock nearby*
Lacey: Well, we're about to head out.
Sally: Thanks again for giving us one of the Red Star Rings. When I said Nicole might be able to use one, I didn't think she'd end up saving us with it.
Dr. Ellidy: I'm sure you'll put it to good use, saving the world and all . . . Heh . . . Imagine, a Chaos Emerald. Here. Right under my nose. And I couldn't tell why the Red Star Rings were forming . . . Maybe I ought to retire for good. *he & Sally shook hands* Well, I guess I can't tell you two not to do anything risky, so I'll just wish you good luck. Princess, say hey to your family for me.
Sally: I will.
Lacey: You take care of yourself, Dr. Ellidy.
Dr. Ellidy: I will. Thank you, dear. And, Princess . . . One more thing . . . The things I said last night . . . Again, I . . .
Sally: Like I said, forget it. We weren't in our right minds.
Dr. Ellidy: Still . . . Dark Gaia's influence or not, you were right. I haven't been fair to Nicole.
Sally: Then you should be saying that to her, not to me. Look, I'm not saying Nicole could ever replace your daily, replace Nikki, in your heart, but . . .
*Nikki was the name of Dr. Ellidy's deceased daughter. Sally had already told me the whole story*
Dr. Ellidy: Nikki . . . Heh. I wish you two had gotten to know each other. You know, your parents originally commissioned the Grand Archive project for Government use. It was Nikki's idea to make it a public database. I'm sorry, Princess. With Nicole . . . I just need more time to think.
Tails: Sally? Lacey? We're ready to go.
*We started heading towards the Tornado*
Sally: I'm sorry, I've got to say something. Nicole -
Nicole: I already know.
Sally: What?
Lacey: Really?
Nicole: About Dr. Ellidy's daughter . . . Nikki. About . . . Why I was created. When I was hiding from Phage, I found several old files and . . .
Sally: Nicole, it's not your fault that she didn't make it. You weren't even . . . You then.
Nicole: I know. But I was created because Dr. Ellidy was trying to save his daughter's life . . . Hoping that if her body failed, her mind would live on. An early version of the Digitizer . . . As an A.I., I was to scan out a neutral network for her to adapt to . . . But she never got the chance. I . . . I think it was I who adapted to the scans instead of her. A digital version of an organic mind . . . It explains how I was able to develop from what I used to be, doesn't it? My potential for growth . . . Came at the cost of Nikki's life. There's . . . I understand if Dr. Ellidy doesn't wish to interact with me. So for now -
Dr. Ellidy: Nicole. *he came up to us with a Red Star Ring* Here . . . Why don't you take this one for yourself?
Nicole: For me? But . . . The lake likely won't produce the Chaos Emerald. Your research . . .
Dr. Ellidy: Eh . . . It's still going to be a while before I get my lab up and running again. I won't have any time to study it myself. You'll probably have an easier time of analyzing it than me, anyway. Just be sure to sending me your findings, okay?
*Nicole took the Ring*
Nicole: I . . . Yes, of course. Thank you.
Tails: Let's get going:
Sally:*to Nicole* Well, then . . . I guess you'll ride the way back in your handheld . . . ?
Nicole: Actually . . . I think that, today, I'd like to feel the wind on my face.
*And that's just what she did it. I rode on Big's shoulders as she stood on the wing of the Tornado next to Sally, with her arms spread wide*