Ch 10: The Face of Evil

Barasia cackled at the disabled gynoid, and Bell panicked. She told her computer core, "Assess damage in right lower leg. Perform level one diagnostic, indentify problem, and restore to functional status!" she ordered. She could feel sense building very slowly in her leg, but it would take time. She could see the kaijins of the Darkstar Council chuckling in the distance, whilst her father could barely keep still, trying to restrain himself knowing that he would surely be massacred if he tried to help Bell. So Barasia knew that her targets were wide open, with no resistance to her next attack. She spied the grieving Irken, Zim, holding the little robot of his in his arms. Why not? She had finished off the Irken's little automaton, so Zim was next. She pointed at the Irken with two fingers, two shafts of turquoise light lancing from them. They were directly at Zim's head.

To Bell, everything went in slow motion. Zim slowly looked up as the pair of deadly beams sizzled towards him. Gir was still in his arms as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in a gape. He didn't move as the attack grew closer. Barasia broke into a huge victorious smirk as the Irken remained standing in his original position, willing to accept death as it came. But the beams never hit their intended target. Because, jumping in from aside was a young girl, no older than ten, her brown hair mainly pulled back in a ponytail and two more long clusters of hair falling either side of the front of her head. She spread her arms out as the attack closed in, her green eyes wide, her mouth moving to form words which would never exit her lips. Zim staggered back as the girl jumped in the way to save his life. The two streaks of light closed in. And they hit the young girl.

Zim's breathing stopped as the girl staggered back, falling into his arms. His tunic was splashed with crimson as he caught the girl, cushioning her fall. Blood began to soak his outfit as Samantha's eyes opened and she looked up into Zim's eyes, which had clouded with tears, "At least... at least I won't see anyone else get hurt..." she managed to say. "Zim, I... I..." her voice caught up in her throat, then her body went limp. Zim never got to hear the rest of her sentence as Samantha's eyes lost their shine, the green clouding over, empty of the life that had once filled them. Bell stared in shock and bewilderment at the odd act of the Darkstar member. But she saw the black and red symbol on Samatha's forehead explode into a haze of darkness, freeing the girl from the influence of the Cluster. It came at a huge price, one Samantha paid for with her life. Zim hugged the girl close, grateful for the girl's sacrifice to save his life, but he didn't feel at all worthy of her help.

Bell felt full control building in her damaged leg. Finally, she wiggled her toes within her shoe as full mobility was restored, but by that time it was too late. "Samantha!" she heard Commander Destruction call, and she could see Silkoid and Virus holding him back, lest he risk sharing the same fate as Montray, Nool and Kuwagus. Bell saw Zim cradling Samantha's body, which was an odd sight, given that the two hardly worked together. But Samantha had her reason for jumping in to save Zim's life. She had a... thing for him, as Bell's age level put it. She liked Zim, and when she knew Zim was in danger, and after she had seen the deception the Council had become involved in, she decided to throw that away and protect her friend. No matter what the cost. It was all so sad. All so unfair...

Her father looked angrier than Zim or herself did. He was fuming. But he wasn't staring in total fury at Barasia, though. It was the Council who was behind all this. THEY brought Barasia back, corrupted her mind and set her loose to wreak havoc on everyone she would have held dear had things gone right the first time. She was no longer the sweet, innocent yet extremely powerful girl X had intended her to be. She was nothing to him anymore. But could she be changed back? He doubted it.

Bell seethed, "You killed Girly, your friends, and now Samantha's gone, too! Why do you find so much pleasure in killing things!?"

Barasia chuckled, "I could ask the exact same about you. Have you ever had moments where you cannot control your aggressive tendencies?" Bell gave a reluctant nod, "And have you ever found a way to control them?" Bell slowly shook her head. "See? You get an odd pleasure in killing, only you've found a way to tame yourself every now and then. You've grown softer over time. I'm still in my prime, and I won't be dulled by compassion or empathy." Barasia growled, "And I make a habit of eradicating those weaker than myself."

Commander Destruction stepped forward, "Barasia, please, I ask you-"

Barasia whirled, her finger pointed directly at Destruction, "I have NO use for you anymore! ANY of you! I'm thankful that you have brought me back into this world, but your purpose has been served!" her obsidian eyes narrowed, "Now leave, or join your other Darkstar friends in whatever dystopia you Cluster fools are fed to!" Barasia instinctively raised an arm, blocking a punch that had been thrown by Bell, who had shot up to attack her. Barasia flashed a grin, her teeth as white as Bell's hair, "You try too hard. Seriously."

Bell lashed out. Once. Twice. And again. Each punch was blocked by Barasia's arms. She seemed to know exactly when and where Bell would attack, and how to defend herself. Bell's anger was no use to her now, as Barasia clamped onto Bell's neck with her hand. She lifted the girl off the ground and grinned, "It's a shame it's too late for you to change your mind. Do you have any idea how many superhero teams we could have brought down? The Incredibles? The Fantastic Four? The Teen Titans? Hell, even those Sailor Scouts! I hear there are actually TWO Sailor Moons now..." she chuckled, "What a laugh..."

"I will NEVER... join you!" Bell said, her throat in Barasia's vice-like grip.

Barasia threw the girl aside, "Pity..." she muttered as Bell flopped onto the ground. The girl got to her feet again, far from beaten. But Barasia seemed to overpower her every time, a single punch usually enough to knock Bell aside, time after time. It was almost pointless. "You know," Barasia taunted, "When I'm done, I'm gonna finish off your Irken friend over there, say my last thanks to daddy, and then kill him too, then the world is mine for the picking!"

Bell grit her teeth, "Not if I can help it!"

"You can't help it. You're weak. You're a baby. You've become delusional with images of turning nice and saving the world for the greater good. I'm sorry but it doesn't work that way. You beat the crap outta Blossom, and now you expect her to welcome you with open arms!? Pathetic..."

Bell screamed out again and launched into another attack phase. Barasia blocked each and every hit, Bell's grief for the loss of Gir weakening and dissolving into mindless rage which accomplished nothing. She found no one sole purpose for fighting the girl, short of her own survival. She found no motivation, as though the whole thing was worthless and she would end up getting killed in the end. She realised that it was quite possible this would be her last fight, and she was outraged at the fact Barasia seemed to just keep improving. They two of them dashed at each other, bouncing off, cutting paths of light and darkness in the rocky ground. They gradually moved into an open area, where a large cluster of rocks, dotted by nethertrees around the edges, sat, gathering nethermoss.

The two girls attacked at the same time, Bell's kick whamming into Barasia's face, Barasia's elbow colliding with Bell's jaw. Bell drew back, while Barasia readied herself. Bell's fist flew at Barasia's chest, only to be blocked mid-punch by Barasia's palm. Barasia's fist issued a wave of dark energy, knocking Bell backwards. Bell skidded to a halt and threw her arms forward, a wave of white brilliance exploding from her palms again. Barasia extended her hand, and practically caught the attack in her own palm, her eyes giving off a wicked glare. She thrust her hand forward, the beam coalescing backwards on itself, back at Bell, whose eyes went wide in terror.

Bell called off the attack, but Barasia added her own little contribution to the ball of radiance, the luminousity suddenly deepening in shade as it went from pure-white to pitch-black. Barasia then hurled the sphere at Bell, cackling madly. Bell's eyes lit up to pierce through the globe of energy, but her white lances only bounced off the perimeter of the massive ball of midnight splendour. The ball rocketed at Bell, and her view slowly clouded, growing darker... darker...

"NO!" she shouted, her fist careening through the globe of jet, breaking through like a brick through a window. Her knuckles felt like they had been immersed in lava as the sphere shattered into tiny shards, Bell's velocity carrying her towards Barasia at an incredible speed. She knew Barasia wouldn't escape this one. She knew that it was over as soon as her fist hit Barasia's-

Palm?

Barasia's fingers closed over Bell's hand, the black Powerpuff chuckling, "If things were different I wouldn't mind fighting alongside you." Barasia's free hand grabbed onto Bell's upper arm, the white Powerpuff not struggling at all, her eyes wide with disbelief, "Sorry Bell... you won't live past today..." Barasia's grip on Bell's hand and arm tightened, and with a huge tug, she pulled on it. Bell felt a kind of pain like no other as cables, conduits and fastenings were ripped in two, the latex-like skin tearing, the metallic reinforced alloy that formed her arm snapping like a wafer. The arm ripped apart like crepe paper, a gut-wrenching noise accompanying it. Barasia watched as Bell staggered backward, lubrication fluids and sparks issuing from what was left of her arm. Barasia held the severed limb in her hand, and she knew the time was now. Her open hand shot forward, tagging Bell on the lower-right waist. Another wave of darkness blasted the girl backwards, so far that only the mound of rock stopped her. She cried out as her back hit the solid obstacle, her spinal collumn jerking forwards, the stub of her right arm fritzing madly. She could hear her father crying out to her, but it made no difference, he was too far away to help. She had been crippled, one of her arms now apart from her. But she sitll wasn't down. She regained her composure and watched with confusion as Barasia produced a small, rectangular device in her hand. Bell recognised it as a green light began to flicker on the small contraption's top. Next, Bell heard a high-pitched beeping, coming from her waist. She glanced down, and her face went as white as her eyes.

Attached to her dress, where Barasia had hit her just a few seconds ago, was a small, circular object. An all-too-familiar circular object. Bell looked up at Barasia, her eyes wide, the beeping slowly growing louder. She backed against the rockface, her own misfortune enough for her to laugh at. Barasia brought Bell's detached arm to her forehead, imitating a farewell salute. The beeping grew louder, faster, until it became a single, solid high pitched whistle. "Beep.... beep... beep.. beep, beep beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep-"

A tear fell from the corner of Bell's eye, as she muttered the name of the person she so dearly wished she could be around to help a little longer. The noise grew louder still as she whispered, "Daddy..."

Then came the explosion.


To be continued....