HEROES AND FRIENDS

by Femfan1

chapter three

TWO THINGS THAT LAST 'TIL THE END

The rusty taste in her mouth and the throbbing in her jaw were relegated to the back of her thoughts as the Weapons Mistress rebounded from the force of yet another blow. Her tormenters chortled with delight as they tilted her slumping head up to face the light and prepared to deliver more punishment.

Colt shifted her body and tried again to squirm free of her bonds. Her wrists and ankles were bound to the arms and legs of a wooden chair, with more rope coiled around her body securing her tightly to the seat and back of sturdy mahogany. Her costume was undisturbed, save for the tension exerted on the fabric by the binding cords, and the leather of her gloves and boots inhibited the tightness of the rope and allowed her some ability to maneuver her arms and legs. However, her wriggling had not yet loosened the bonds enough for her to protect herself.

Another backhand slap crashed against her jaw and sent her head whipping backwards with a momentum that rocked the chair onto two legs. The pint-sized pistolera teetered on the brink of falling over, but a kick to the chairback by one of the thugs reversed her momentum. Licking the blood trickling from the side of her mouth, Colt hungrily eyed her gun belt which had been removed and placed on a table out of reach.

"Wishing you could get your hands on your weapons, huh? What would you do to us right now if you had a piece in your hand?"

The men all laughed as the Weapons Mistress could only grit her teeth in frustration. Pulling out his own gun, the man pressed the barrel against her forehead and pushed her head back until the weapon was pointing at the floor. "Lucky for us, you'll never have that chance again!"

A shot rang out, echoing throughout the warehouse, and then another. In rapid succession shots and the echoes of shots created a cacophonous barrage of weaponfire. Colt felt the barrel of the gun slip away from her skull as the tension on her neck eased and her head rolled forward. Orienting herself, she saw the thugs lying around in pools of blood.

In the dim light of the warehouse the figure of a man approached, his features obscured in shadow. Colt found his movements vaguely familiar and, squinting, she sought to recognize her rescuer. Strangely, the terrain of his face remained always in the dark, his identity a blur. He moved behind her and began to untie her arms.

"Just another second, Val, and we'll be together again."

Colt couldn't suppress a sharp intake of breath. That voice! It wasn't possible. Her husband had been killed years ago investigating an organization called "The Pact." Could his death have been a lie, like the one concocted about Dan Barton, the Black Commando?

"Kevin?!?"

His arms moved around her body and began to unbutton her jacket as he leaned over her shoulder and whispered, "Of course, Val. It was just a matter of time before we'd be together again."

The words sent a chill down the redhead's spine and her face went ashen when she felt fingers fumbling to unbutton her jacket. Her gaze transfixed by the site of rotting flesh oozing from skeletal hands to drip against her bare midriff, Colt's eyebrows raised in horror and her lips curled in fright as she struggled to escape the grasp of the living dead.

"Come with me, Val! We'll be together again like before." Grabbing the struggling spy from behind by the waist, the zombie pulled her close, squeezing her tightly. Her breath escaping from her lips, Colt pulled at the arms of the inhumanly strong monster in an effort to break free, but the creature would not release his grip.

The Weapons Mistress arched her back, through excruciating pain, until she could reach her arms behind her head enough to gouge at the creature's eyes with her thumbs. With a shriek, the zombie released her and she sprawled onto the floor gasping for air.

"What's wrong with you, Val? Don't you love me anymore?!?"

Colt tried to scramble across the room but the rotting corpse snagged her by the bottom of her unbuttoned jacket and pulled her back towards him. Ripping herself away, the mini-marksman dove for the table and her gunbelt. Extracting her favorite pistol, she rolled over into a seated position and faced the monster.

"Don't make me do this, Kevin!"

"You wouldn't shoot your husband, would you Val?" The zombie continued to move towards Colt. The heroine's hands, and the gun they held, were shaking.

"Please don't, Kevin!!!"

Springing at her, the creature leapt for Colt's throat. In rapid succession she fired three times, once to the head, heart, and gut, before toppling backwards from the weight of the carcass falling on her. Distraught, Colt slid out from under the corpse of her dead husband and slumped against the table leg to rest.

Without warning, a bony hand gripped her collar and she felt herself being lifted to her feet. Twisting around, she could see a look of fury on the zombie's face.

"I can't believe you tried to kill me, Val! Good thing I'm already dead!"

Kicking and screaming, Colt struggled to get away, to no avail, as the zombie dragged her towards a cemetery and pulled her into the inky blackness of an empty grave.

***

Darkness gave way to blurred vision and the realization that she was coughing. Then, the feeling of liquid running out of her mouth and over her lips and the hazy outline of a figure hovering above her. Remembering her predicament, her arms and legs flailed provoking a grunt from the shadow compressing her chest. Soothing words came from a familiar voice and her eyes focused for an instant on a recognizable face.

"Mateo?"

"It's okay, they drowned you, but it's okay now."

"Mateo." Tara didn't understand, but she felt safe, and tired, as she fell asleep in his arms.

***

She-Cat listened to the villagers at Gregorio's table debating over whether Colonel Joe would again try to take the village or whether he would forget about them and move on to a town unprotected by such a stalwart defense. With hopeful eyes they had repeatedly set forth their case that he would search for an easier town and had looked to the heroine for confirmation that they were correct. Her candid response that such an outcome was the least likely only led to more vigorous arguments intended to convince her, and themselves, that she was wrong. The din of voices went silent when the door swung open and May staggered inside.

The girl's clothing was in tatters and tears streamed down her face. In her arms she cradled a foul smelling package wrapped in leaves. Choking back sobs, she extended it towards She-Cat.

"I...I was searching for Mateo and Colonel Joe's men found me. They took me captive but Colonel Joe let me go so I could bring you this gift."

She-Cat took the package from May's arms and set it on the table. Her heart filled with dread as she looked at the moist leaves. For moments she could not bring herself to unwrap the "gift." Finally, she steeled her heart and, holding back the trembling in her fingers, she moved the leaves away to reveal a golden armband encircling a dead fish.

"I don't understand, Ms. She-Cat. What does it mean?"

A combination of anger and anguish roared within her and feline nails gouged into the wooden table top as she tried to steady herself. "It means, Gregorio, that your Colonel Joe has seen too many movies!"

Breaking into sobs, May cried, "No, it's true! I saw it with my own eyes. Drowned! Drowned in the river!!!"

Her heart breaking, She-Cat could barely think through the fury that was raging inside of her. The only reason Tara had been here at all was because she was a friend. It made no sense. Neither of them should have even been here. They had no stake in this town. "Drowned?"

The words seemed ludicrous as they passed She-Cat's lips. The Jungle Girl was almost as at home in the water as she was on land. She-Cat felt sick at the thought that her friend's last moments must have seemed such a cruel joke.

Speaking to She-Cat, but addressing the entire crowd, May composed herself and continued to deliver her message. "Colonel Joe also said to tell the villagers that all who deliver you to him will be spared."

The room erupted in protestations that they could never do such a thing. They would not dishonor themselves with such an act of cowardice. She-Cat looked at the room and knew that in their hearts all but a few had already accepted the offer of self-preservation and it was only a question of how and when they would come at her. Matter of factly, she said, "I think you should all deliver me to Colonel Joe. Then he will spare the entire village."

A chorus of voices rang out. "Are you sure?" "It does make sense." "Of course, if all of us turn you over to him then we're all in the clear." "Yes, maybe you're right."

"Nonsense! I got her involved to help us protect our liberty. She and her friend have tried to help us. We can't offer her as a sacrifice because we are too cowardly to risk our own lives for our freedom."

"Gregorio, she is telling us that is what we should do!"

"Of course, because she knows you are cowards and will do it anyway!"

She-Cat spoke with measured resolve. "Maybe, maybe not, but it is what I want you to do."

***

Gorgana and Iron Jaw broke away from their conversation to watch as the unconscious Colt's flailing movements resumed. Iron Jaw surveyed Colt's unrestrained body stretched out before him on the floor of the warehouse. "Is she waking up?"

"I told you when I brought her before you and laid her at your feet that she's in the middle of a nightmare more tortuous than anything her conscious mind can withstand. As long as I control her thoughts, she will never be able to wake up!"

"You better be right, Gorgana. I agreed to help you defeat the Femforce because you found her spying on me and took care of her, but I prefer my hostages tied up!"

"I told you she may have managed to transmit a message before I turned her lights out. If the Femforce is on the way to her rescue, we need her like this to bait the trap!"

***

"After you and She-Cat rescued my father and humiliated Colonel Joe by making him leave, I went for a walk to calm myself down. I had the hope that maybe he would go away for good, but in my heart I knew you couldn't humiliate a man like that and not make him an enemy for life. I was distressed that, when you left, he would take his revenge on my father and on my entire family. I was considering whether I should flee to the city when I saw you battling the rebels. I was downstream, on the other side of the river, but I was too scared to help."

"One man wouldn't have made a difference against thirty."

"I was frozen with fear. Too scared to even run and get help. I didn't want to get involved. I didn't want to give them any reason to hurt me."

"By the time you made it to the village and back it would have been over."

"I thought...you're a hero. You'll be allright. You've taken out worse than these guys!"

"As part of a team, not by myself."

"Yeah, but you're a hero. Then I remembered how they managed to beat She-Cat and take my father captive and I started to worry for you. When they forced you to the ground, I wanted to help but I couldn't move. I watched you fighting thirty of them by yourself and I was too much of a coward to help."

"Mateo, if you'd tried to help me, you would have only gotten yourself killed."

"That's what I told myself, 'Don't do it. You can't help her. You'll only get yourself killed.' I kept thinking, hoping, you'd get away on your own. I was hoping...and then I saw all the guys around you relaxing and Colonel Joe lifted you out of the water. All the rebels started laughing and I knew that you weren't going to get away... That you didn't get away. They just left you floating there. The river's current bringing you towards me. Mocking my cowardice!"

Tara watched the young man castigating his own character. The reason he was reluctant for the village to face Colonel Joe and his irritation at She-Cat for getting involved became clear. Soothingly she offered, "It wasn't a coward that fished me out of the water when you could easily have been spotted."

"I knew I had to do something! When you floated past, I pulled you to shore and dragged you into the jungle. Out of sight. When I turned you over on your back, I was sure you were dead. I don't know how much time had passed. It seemed like an eternity, but maybe, probably, it was only a few minutes. I tried to get the water out of your lungs. I did mouth-to-mouth. I tried to get your heart going. I thought it was hopeless but then you started coughing and you kicked me. I was very happy to be kicked."

"I'm happy to have done the kicking!"

"When you went to sleep, I brought you here. I thought the river area wouldn't be safe. This is an old temple. No one ever comes here."

"Mateo?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you!"

***

Ms. Victory, Stardust, and Synn flew south. General Strock had informed them that Colt had last been seen in Pompano Beach, Florida. The trio converged on the warehouse district near the pier.

"Synn, take the buildings to the left, Stardust to the right. I'll get the ones in the middle. If you spot anything send up a signal for the rest of us and wait for backup. We don't know who we're up against, so be careful!"

Ms. Victory watched her teammates head off to their respective buildings and then she began searching her section of warehouses. After a few minutes a stellar flare lit the sky. Ms. Victory raced over towards Stardust.

"The building appears to be empty...except for Colt. If you look through this window, you can see she's alone in the middle of the floor. It looks like they cleared out and left her behind. She's not even tied up!"

"Hey guys, didja find her? Is she okay?"

"Stardust found her. We..."

Synn peered through the upper floor window. "Why doesn't she get up? She's moving around."

"She appears to be having some kind of seizure, Synn. Stardust, check the building's perimeter again. Synn cover me while I check on Colt."

Synn watched Ms. Victory slide through an open window and swoop down to kneel beside the Weapons Mistress. Colt's eyes had rolled back into her head and drool was running down her chin. Ms. Victory tried to wake the fallen crimefighter as Synn called down from above.

"What's the matter with her? Is she going to be okay?"

Ms. Victory was about to answer when she heard a whistling sound coming from a nearby building. "Watch out, Synn! Something's incoming!"

Synn turned toward the sound behind her just in time to see the bazooka shell streaking at her. Her mental command to create a giant baseball glove was only half-formed when the shell rocketed into her construct and exploded just a few feet away. The concussive effect blew the startled heroine through the window.

Moving quickly, Ms. Victory sailed up past shattering glass to catch her falling comrade. The doe-eyed blonde was out cold. Ms. Victory continued climbing out of the warehouse and visually retraced the trajectory of the shell. The Femforce leader saw Iron Jaw hiding near the window of a nearby building. Unable to counterattack while holding the unprotected Synn in her arms, Ms. Victory flew back into the warehouse. Alighting, she carefully laid Synn on the floor near Colt. The Weapons Mistress appeared to need prompt medical attention. Quelling the voice inside of her that demanded swift retribution, the Femforce leader determined that the proper course of action would be to get the fallen heroines to a doctor. After Synn and Colt were safe, Iron Jaw could be brought to justice.

"You monster! What have you done to Ms. Victory!"

The Femforce leader felt the impact of a stellar blast in her back as her body was propelled across the room. As she stumbled to her feet and turned to face her attacker, another blast struck her in the chest, sending her flying head over heels until she slammed into a steel girder, her nearly invulnerable body buckling the building support even as she twisted around the metal and crumpled to the floor.

Holding up a hand, she cried out, "Stardust?!? What are you doing!?!"

Stardust saw Gorgana rise to her feet. "You're surprisingly resilient, ghoul, but if you continue to attack I will blast you into space!"

Standing invisibly behind the Rurian scientist, Gorgana stifled a laugh. Her plan was working. Iron Jaw had taken Synn and her reality altering abilities out of the game. Now, with no one to challenge Gorgana's own magical powers, her illusions enabled her to use Stardust as the perfect instrument to defeat Ms. Victory.

The Rurian was convinced that Ms. Victory was Gorgana and that Synn was a broken and bloodied Ms. Victory. Furious at the sight, she was holding nothing back and each blast was unerringly finding the mark. Gorgana inwardly chortled at the sight of Ms. Victory being pounded into oblivion by her own teammate as the Femforce leader at first would not, and then could not, fight back. Once Ms. Victory was kaput, it would be a simple matter for Gorgana to strike a treacherous blow against Stardust from behind. Then all three Femforcers would join Colt in a neverending nightmare.

***

Determined to bring the villain responsible for killing her mortal self to justice, Firebeam had followed Iron Jaw's trail of evil all over the State of Florida. Now she slipped through the closed warehouse doors and found herself in the midst of a shocking scene. Her erstwhile allies, the Femforce, seemingly littered the warehouse floor. Synn and the masked spy she knew as Colt were out cold and Ms. Victory barely clung to consciousness as she pleaded with her attacker to stop. Unimaginably, it was another Femforce team member who was doling out the damage.

Firebeam moved to stop Stardust when she felt the cold chill of evil at the Rurian's back. Sensing a malevolent presence controlling Stardust, Firebeam embraced the cold, warming it with her flames. Screeching, Gorgana's only thought was to escape the inferno surrounding her.

Stardust saw Gorgana transform into a battered Ms. Victory. "Ehh? The Ghoul's aspect changes!?! What trickery is she up to now?"

A shaken Ms. Victory realized that Stardust's attack had momentarily stopped. "Dr. Mara, behind you!"

Stardust turned to see Gorgana darting through a wall of flames and the Rurian unleashed a stellar blast at the ghoul. The distracted Gorgana never saw the blow coming and, in an instant, she plummeted from vainglorious victory to darkest defeat.

"Hold it right there, Stardust! Don't make another move!"

"It's okay, Firebeam. Stardust's still on our side."

"If you say so, Ms. Victory, but it sure doesn't look that way from here."

"Gorgana created an illusion, Dusty thought I was the ghoul."

"Indeed, I did! I'm so sorry! Even at the end, I wasn't sure what I was seeing until you addressed me so personally."

Ms. Victory got to her feet and began the task of waking the unconscious Synn and Colt. "Firebeam, how did you know Gorgana was here?"

"I didn't. I followed Iron Jaw's trail to this building. When I entered I saw Stardust attacking you. I was about to stop her when I felt the cold presence of an evil entity. I didn't know what was going on, but I figured Stardust wouldn't normally attack you so I went after what had to be the source of her actions."

"Owww! My head hurts and my ears are ringing! Hey! What's Firebeam doing here?"

"I followed Iron Jaw's trail of evil to this building. I know he's been here."

"Iron Jaw?!? I bet he's the one that tried to blow me up!!!"

Ms. Victory helped Synn to her feet. "It's a good bet. I saw him hiding nearby. He and Gorgana set a trap for us that almost worked."

"If he's nearby the fresh trail will be easy for me to follow. Let's go!"

"Firebeam, as much as I hate to say this, capturing Iron Jaw's going to have to wait. Synn, might have a concussion and Colt's in a state of shock. Plus, we need to get Gorgana into a stasis cell before she regains consciousness. Why don't you and Synn get Colt back to Femforce Headquarters so she can receive medical attention while Dusty and I make sure Gorgana is safe behind bars."

***

"Ms. Victory, there you are! Is the situation with Gorgana resolved?"

"Yes, General. All of the Fearforce are now in custody, but Firebeam wants to bring in Iron Jaw."

"That's who Colt was after, as well."

"How is Colt?" Ms. Victory's voice was hopeful, but uncertain.

"The doctors think she'll be okay. Physically, she's unharmed. Emotionally, Gorgana really got to her. She's going to need some time to recover, but, knowing her the way I do, I'm confident she'll be fine."

Ms. Victory knitted her brow. Something was bothering her about their recent encounter with Gorgana but she couldn't figure it out. The thought that something was wrong nagged at the back of her mind. "How about Synn?"

"The doctors say she might have a slight concussion, although I don't know how they can tell."

"Well, I guess Stardust, Firebeam, and I will be enough to capture Iron Jaw."

"I'm confident the three of you would be successful, but something else has a higher priority."

"A higher priority than Iron Jaw?!?"

"While you were down in Pompano Beach, I got a briefing from Washington, D.C. The CIA and State are furious. Their operatives are reporting that Tara and She-Cat are compromising our foreign policy. I don't know all the details. Apparently I didn't 'need to know' that information. Buncha jerks. What I do know is that it has something to do with that island She-Cat was planning on visiting. Take Synn and Stardust and find out what She-Cat and Tara are doing over there. Rayda and Firebeam will have to hold down the fort here while you're gone. If something comes up and you can't make it back in time, we'll call in some favors from the Vault heroes and heroines."

***

Colonel Joe laughed as he walked into the village. She-Cat lay in the center of town, her wrists bound behind her back and her ankles tied together. The mass of villagers stood behind her.

"I see you got my message. I'm glad so many of you were smart enough to do the right thing and save yourselves. I will be true to my word and spare your lives. You have one hour to leave this village." As the townspeople dispersed to collect their belongings and flee, Colonel Joe directed several of his men to check the heroine's bonds. A thorough inspection confirmed that the knots were secure.

Colonel Joe strode up to the dejected heroine. "What hurts more? The treachery of those you sought to protect or ..."

Rolling up onto her knees, She-Cat tucked her feet under her and sprang forward. She caught the surprised Colonel in the jaw with the top of her head and sent him flying backwards into his men. Maintaining her feet, she hopped forward and then launched herself to deliver a two-footed kick to his throat.

As he fell to the ground, she landed on his chest and, swiveling her body around, rammed her knees into his neck. His men were too stunned to help him. The Colonel's face quickly turned a purplish-red and his eyes bugged out of their sockets. Her razor-sharp nails had already frayed the rope around her wrists and she almost had her hands free when she was tackled from behind and forced away from her prey.

Shocked, She-Cat saw that it was May who had come to the Colonel's defense. As the young girl jumped up and scrambled away from her to the protection of the soldiers, She-Cat felt the rifle barrels trained on her body and heard the click as safeties were turned off. Coughing and gasping for air, Colonel Joe scrambled to his feet and put some distance between them.

"Heh, heh. I guess you didn't like my 'gift?' I thought cats liked fish?"

She-Cat glowered at the Colonel as she finished severing the ropes around her wrists. "You should remember that the guy who sent that message in the movie didn't live to see the final reel."

"That was in the movies. In this jungle, automatic weapons fire will tear your body into pieces before you can make up half the distance between us. In this jungle, the heroes lose! You lose! Just like 'Giant' Tara!!! Before this day is out I will look into your eyes and there will be nothing but darkness."

She-Cat smirked. "Darkness, huh?"

The heroine's suddenly smug attitude irritated Colonel Joe. Wasn't she afraid of death? Why, even his own men were looking at him in fear. How could she not be afraid? He could feel the day grow cold, as if in preparation for her death. The sun had suddenly clouded over and he now stood in shadow as a large raindrop fell on his shoulder. Several of his men were white as sheets as they fearfully melted off into the jungle and scattered in every direction. With a sense of unease, the Colonel realized that those of his men who remained were looking not at him, but behind him. His heartbeat increasing, he slowly turned around.

"Oh, are you in for a world of hurt!" The Jungle Girl towered over Colonel Joe, water dripping from her hair and clothing onto her would-be assassin.

"But, I killed you?!? You're dead! Your eyes were dead!!!"

"Yet, here I am!!"

"Don't come near me! If you touch me, my men will shoot She-Cat!"

"It sounds like you just threatened the life of a member of my team." Landing next to She-Cat, Ms. Victory addressed Colonel Joe. "I don't think I like you very much."

She-Cat's nails ripped through the rope at her ankles and she climbed to her feet as Stardust and Synn alighted nearby. "What're you guys doing here?"

"General Strock sent us to check on you two. You want to tell me why this guy's trying to kill you?"

"This guy's a thug masquerading as a freedom fighter. The people of this village are trying to avoid getting slaughtered or pushed out of their homes and we...uh...we sort of got involved. Now listen! Before you jump our case, if anyone's to blame for this it's me. The Jolly Green Jungle Giant over there tried to keep this from turning into an international inci....eh?"

A dimensional rift opened in the sky above the village and the disshevled form of a twisting Nightveil plummeted to earth landing in a heap on the ground near Ms. Victory's feet. The Femforce leader dropped to a knee to attend to her fallen comrade. The Sorceress grabbed Ms. Victory's hand and squeezed tightly. Her voice weak, the mystic maiden drew Ms. Victory near. "Joan, the sceptre. The sceptre. I can only protect you for a short time."

The effort having exhausted her, Nightveil slumped back onto the ground. In the moments it had taken the Sorceress to speak, the sky had darkened and storm clouds had appeared above. An apparition with eyes of fire and lightning streaked towards earth. The sight of the fearsome entity caused the remainder of Colonel Joe's men to scatter, fleeing in several directions from the otherworldly sights.

"Tara! Watch out behind you!"

At Synn's warning, the Jungle Girl leapt to the side, tucking and rolling, as a bolt of fire pierced the air where she had stood and crashed into the ground in front of Colonel Joe. Abandoned by his men, and in the middle of a confrontation beyond his understanding, the rebel leader fled, cowering, into a nearby ditch.

Catching herself against a stand of trees, the Giantess reversed direction and sailed toward the dark figure swooping past her. Rehtam Nottoc felt sinewy arms wrapping around his oversized visage. Casting a minimization spell against his attacker, he was surprised to find that it had less than the desired effect. Although the Giantess became dizzy and a little nauseous, she retained her size. Nevertheless, he was able to break free of her grasp.

"Fool Witch! You should worry about saving yourself instead of wasting the little power you have protecting these insignificant insects! What protection will they have when your defenseless body is torn asunder!"

A ball of mystical energy shot from Rehtam Nottoc's fingers and hurtled toward the semi-conscious sorceress. Sensing that Nightveil had left herself completely unprotected in order to shield them, Ms. Victory dove on top of Nightveil to protect her from what was surely going to be a killing blow.

"Hey! You shouldn't have ought to done that!" Synestrophically turning herself into a giant equal to the dark figure in size, Synn walloped Rehtam Nottoc with a right cross to the face. Pain seared the mage's mind as blood began to pour from his nostril.

"What manner of magic is this that it hasn't been absorbed?!?"

Grabbing Nightveil's cape from the dark mage's shoulders, Synn said, "This doesn't belong to you."

She-Cat jumped into the fray, ripping into the dark mage's shin with razor-sharp fingernails. Yelping in pain, Rehtam Nottoc kicked the heroine away only to have her land on her feet and bound back onto his leg. Focusing through his agony, the sorcerer called on his mystic lightning. Nightveil's ability to protect the team diminishing with each magical attack, the strike battered She-Cat and caused her to lose her grip. As she slipped off Rehtam Nottoc's leg, the Sorcerer caught her in her already damaged ribs with a punt that sent her flying into a nearby ditch.

Clutching in agony at her broken ribs, She-Cat rolled uncontrollably down and across the rocky stream bed of the dry creek. Colonel Joe watched She-Cat tumble to a writhing stop. His hatred for the heroine who had caused him to lose his army overpowering his fright, the rebel leader removed a long knife from his boot and lunged at the unaware heroine preparing to plunge the dagger between her shoulder blades. "Nooooooo!" Mateo, who had been watching the battle with Rehtam Nottoc from a safe distance, dove into the ditch without thinking and intercepted the blow intended for She-Cat. Alerted by his cry, She-Cat turned just as Colonel Joe drove Mateo down on top of her. Realizing that his assassination attempt had been foiled, the rebel leader turned and ran while a shocked She-Cat stared at the hilt of the knife sticking from Mateo's shoulder.

She-Cat looked to the rest of the team for help in assisting Mateo, but they were all busy dodging Rehtam Nottoc's mystical blasts. Synn had managed to return Nightveil's cape to the fallen sorceress, covering her with it in the hope that it would repel any attempt to injure its' owner. Tara was again grappling with the evil magician while Stardust maneuvered around looking for a clear shot which would not injure her teammate. The dark mage once again used his minimization spell, but this time it was effective as the dizzying effect made Tara unable to maintain her focus and she returned to her normal size.

The taste of blood in his mouth led Rehtam Nottoc to the realization that Nightveil had found his weakness. As long as he had the Sceptre of Valoo he could not be harmed by magical attack. However, a physical attack, such as her kick on Dhagor, could cause real injury. Desperate to reap the full effect of his magic, the dark mage knew that he had to eliminate the witch responsible for protecting the women assailing him. Calling upon his full assortment of sorcery, Rehtam Nottoc fired dozens of mystic bolts, balls of fire, and lightning strikes at the defenseless Nightveil with each finding its' mark. Her surprising ability to withstand his assault infuriated him and he redoubled his efforts until the air between himself and Nightveil was filled with mystical energy.

Confused, the Dark Magician looked around to see that his aspect was no longer greater than that of those around him. To his amazement, Nightveil weakly lifted herself into a seated position, her cloak of darkness covering her lap. Raising an eyebrow, she drew the Sceptre of Valoo from beneath her cloak. "Missing something?"

For the first time, Rehtam Nottoc realized that he did not hold the Sceptre. "How?!?"

Ms. Victory smiled. "When Synn hit you, your grip relaxed. Enhanced speed, enhanced strength, it wasn't hard to snatch it from you. Synn was bright enough to give you another one of her own construction so it wouldn't be missed. I guess, when she saw me take it, she figured it was important to you."

"Stardust, would you mind?"

"Not a problem, Nightveil!"

At a fraction of full force, the stellar blast delivered by the Rurian was sufficient to incapacitate the magician. Nightveil approached the fallen mage and touched the sceptre to his forehead, drawing out the remainder of his magic.

"Colonel!"

The team turned to see May swinging a jeep around as Colonel Joe hurried to make an escape. She-Cat and Tara sped to catch him as the others looked on. Colonel Joe caught up to the moving vehicle as May slowed and jumped into the passenger side seat. With a howl of pain brought on by contact with the sharp metal of a busted spring, he popped into the air and tumbled out onto the dusty roadside while May continued to flee the village she had betrayed. As he clutched at the seat of his pants and scrambled to his feet, the Colonel raised his eyes just in time to see the faces of She-Cat and Tara before their respective right and left fists slammed into his jaw and left him flat on his back seeing stars.

"Man, that felt good!"

"All I know is it made every one of these broken ribs seem worth it."

"So what do we do with him now?"

A bandaged Mateo stumbled towards them. "I think...that we'll take it from here."

"Don't sink to his level, Mateo."

"No, I promise. His men have fled. He has no power anymore. We will hold him until the human rights observers come. You have my word."

Leaning over, both heroines kissed a suddenly blushing Mateo on the cheek and simultaneously said, "My hero!"

"Saved my life, you know?"

"Mine, too!"

"I think we need some time off from our free time!"

"Still have that hotel room in Manilla?"

"For another day."

"Four-star hotel?"

"Soft bed!"

She-Cat smiled. "You're still a spoiled rich girl, you know?"

"I'm aware of that, yes."

"Just so we're clear."

Ms. Victory shook her head in disbelief. Tara kissing something other than a jungle cat? She-Cat being upbeat? She watched the two walking together, Tara helping support the injured She-Cat and She-Cat letting her. "Who are those people and what have they done to my teammates?"

Nightveil laughed. "Sometimes it's good to know there are people in this world you can count on."

The Femforce leader watched the bedraggled Sorceress approach her. "You talking about them, or you? You took a big chance leaving yourself unprotected like that so that you could spread what was left of your power out to the five of us. He was out to kill you."

Nightveil looked at her tattered and torn costume, with the blue stocking of one foot still shoeless. "I was sure he would...until I saw my friends. Then I never gave it a second thought."

With a wave of her hand, Nightveil appeared once again in full, undamaged, costume. "Now, let me consign this fool to limbo for all eternity and we can go home."

Ms. Victory sighed. "Did I mention Iron Jaw's on the loose again?"

THE END