Lex Luthor had seen many a strange sight during his lifetime. Intergalactic overlords, alien visitors, sentient computers and their ilk. It came with the territory when one lived in a city like Metropolis.
But this... this had to take the cake.
"Good afternoon, laddie," the intruder said as he barreled his way into the office.
"Who are you?" Luthor asked, looking upon the kilt-wearing madman.
"Aye, do ya not know who you’re talking to?"
"No."
"I’m Duff Killagin, the world’s most dangerous rogue golfer!"
Luthor’s face took on an expression of amusement. "This has to be a joke."
"Oh, it’s no joke, I canna assure you of that," Duff said in his heavy Scottish accent as he placed a golf ball on the floor. "Ya see, laddie, I’ve been banned from all the word’s golf courses and clubs... including one run by yer company! Let me tell ya, that really teed me off. And now ya don’t even know who I am? Ya just saying it was one of your grunts that filed the paperwork on me banning? Now that hurts, laddie. Just like this will."
Killagin readied his golf club as Luthor just shook his head. "Mercy?"
"Naw, I donna think I’ve gonna show ya any. Fore!"
But before Killagin could make the shot, a figure burst through the window, leaving shards of glass on the carpet.
"Aw no..." Killagin could only say as he saw just who had crashed the party.
"Put the golf club down," Superman commanded as he floated a few inches off the floor, his red cloak bristling in the morning wind that now made its way through the shattered window.
"Bah, my lucky club hasn’t failed me yet!"
Duff quickly shot another golf ball off, but not at Luthor. Instead, he aimed it at Superman. "You’ve got to be kidding m--" The golf ball’s explosion interrupted Superman. The Man of Steel didn’t budge under the blast even though he hadn’t been expecting it, though.
Luthor was only left wide-eyed. But even then, the LexCorp CEO’s mind was only asking one question, focused on his missing bodyguard.
Where the blazes is Mercy?
Mercy had hoped to just get a quick cup of coffee and return to guarding her employer, but that little indulgence had been cut short by the arrival of the woman she was now fighting. And to Mercy’s surprise, this unwelcome visitor was proving her superior in combat. Which is why Mercy currently had her gun drawn, the green and black clad woman backed up against a wall.
"Who are you?" Mercy demanded.
"Well I’ll be," the woman said, her hands raised. "Guess I need a better agent. Now then, if you’re going to use the firearm, I guess it’s only fair I fight fire with... fire, right?"
And then to Mercy’s surprise, the woman’s hands came alive with a green flame, a sort of energy. Reacting in fear, the bodyguard fired off a bullet.
Quickly, the intruder brought her hand down in the bullet’s way. And as the bullet entered the emerald energy, it faded away; vaporized.
"Didn’t know I could do that, did ya?" the intruder said as she crashed into Mercy.
"Now I have seen everything," Superman said as he saw Duff preparing another explosive golf ball.
"Yer in trouble now," the Scotsman whispered. "For-- hey, where’s me golf ball?"
Duff could see his weapon had vanished... as had the Man of Tomorrow. Duff spun around, fear welling up in the pit of his stomach.
Superman stood behind him, the golf ball in hand. "Super speed."
"Aw no..."
Duff gasped in pain as the Man of Steel’s index finger threw him back with but a minor flick. The Scotsman slid down the floor, unconscious.
"What was that all about, Luthor?"
"I wish I knew. Now get out. Security can deal with the problem. And next time, use a door."
Superman shot Luthor a dirty look and turned towards the window... only to stop when he felt someone messing up his hair as they vaulted over his head. "Who?"
Superman looked up as the women landed before him.
"Shego? I’ve heard about your current exploits."
"Aw, I’m flattered. Maybe I don't need a new agent after all..."
"You’ve stolen something here, haven’t you?"
"Doy."
"What?" Luthor rasped. "Superman, I demand that you--"
"Shut up," the Man of Steel responded, keeping his focus on Shego. "Whatever it is you’ve got, just return it."
"Wish I could, Supes," Shego said as she stepped back. "I really do. But you and I both know that Lexy here could use it more deviously then even Dr. Drakken. Seeya later."
And before Superman could react, Shego fired off a bolt of emerald energy from her hands, knocking him back against a wall. Quickly, Shego leaned over the broken window, falling out of the building.
"Shego!"
Superman slowly stood, his body aching from the blast. He was about to take off and catch Shego when she came back up, seated in her jet, the one given to her by Dr. Drakken. She waved at Superman and then the jet took off. The Man of Steel stood his ground, leaving Lex dumbfounded.
"Why aren’t you going after her? You’re fast enough! Go, alien!"
Superman turned to Luthor, his eyes lighting up with the slightest glimpse of heat vision. Then the Man of Steel hoisted the unconscious Duff Killagin on his shoulders and took off for the Metropolis police department.
Hours later, Superman sighed as he flew into the open window of a janitor closet at the Daily Planet. At speed only he could reach, the Metropolis Marvel switched to the clothes of Clark Kent, glasses and all, and stepped out into the hall, ready to report to work.
As he made his way to his desk, Clark could only think about the morning’s events. He had only met Shego once before, back when she had been a part of her family’s Team Go super hero league. Now, though, she was a criminal, working for the notorious Dr. Drakken and wanted in eleven countries. Things had obviously changed. But what had led her to this? As he sat down at his computer, Clark knew what he had to do.
Perhaps it’s time to pay a visit to Middleton...
Shego yawned as she stepped out of her jet and began walking through Dr. Drakken’s latest lair. The vixen stretched her arms, feeling quite exhausted. It had taken quite a bit of power for her to even stun Superman, but it had been sufficient, whether it had left her exhausted or not. She knew Drakken had told her to not confront the Man of Tomorrow, but she had to. She had made it her hobby to keep track of all his adventures since his debut. It was because of his dedication to justice that she had joined Hego and the rest of her family in Team Go even if she couldn't stand her brothers. She had been a super hero just like her icon.
Now look at me. I dreamed of meeting him again and when I do, I end up having to blast him.
But Shego wouldn’t let her self-doubt distract her. She found her way to the door that would lead her to Drakken’s lab and punched in the key code for it to open.
"Shego?" Drakken said as he saw her enter. "You made it!"
"Was there ever any doubt?"
"Why, of course not. But did you g--"
"Again," she said, handing over the CD containing all of LexCorp’s files and secrets. "Was there ever any doubt?"
"Shego," Drakken praised, his blue face beaming. "You’re the best!"
"Oh, you flatter me." Shego smiled. "Now then, what did you want these files for?"
"Oh, this is the best part," Drakken laughed. "As you well know, my Destructo Bots were, well, were--"
"Stupid?"
"Yes, stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"Whoa, Dr. D. Chill. No insult meant."
"Yes. Of course. I knew that. Now, Shego, the information you have brought to me, the files you copied off of LexCorp’s computers, shall finally allow me to build a perfect robot! And this time, I won’t have to coax anyone to help!"
"Wade, what’s the sitch?"
Somedays, Kim Possible regretted ever having a Kimmunicator. Couldn’t she get a break? But the feelings didn’t last, as Kim mentally chided herself for that attitude. She had responsibilities few teens her age could imagine. A burden, but one she had looked for.
"Kim, Drakken’s at it again. Yesterday, Shego broke into LexCorp and copied all of his computer files onto a disc."
"LexCorp? In Metropolis? And Superman didn’t stop her?"
"Well, she wasn’t alone. Here, I hacked into Lexcorp’s security files and managed to find a few security tapes. Should I upload them?"
"Please and thank you."
The Kimmunicator began showing the images that had been recorded, from Killagin’s threatening Luthor to Superman getting blasted by Shego.
"Why is it I’m glad Shego’s never hit me with those beams?" Kim confessed, wide-eyed. "Have you had any success in finding Drakken’s lair?"
"Negative. Nothing on any radar or tracking device indicates Shego used that jet of hers... unless Drakken’s using some sort of stealth technology."
"Wouldn't surprise me. I’ll give Ron a call and we’ll meet up and do some digging around Metropolis. Knowing Drakken, he’s probably got his new lair right around the scene of the crime."
"Good luck." Wade cut off his transmission.
Kim smiled. If she were in Metropolis, it would be a shoe-in for her to meet Superman. She knew Ron idolized the man (and Kim had to admit, at least this guy was a little more real then the Fearless Ferret) but so did Kim.
But Kim’s thoughts were cut off when she heard a knock at the door. She walked over and opened it.
"Good afternoon," Superman said. "Kim Possible?"
Kim could only faint.
"Kim? Hello? Kim?"
Kim awoke to find herself on the couch, her family, Superman, Ron and Rufus looking down, concerned.
"Hey, KP, you see who stopped by?"
"Miss Possible, I’m sorry about that," the Man of Steel apologized. "I didn’t intend for you to faint."
"No big," Kim said as she stood, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"So, " Mr. Dr. Possible spoke up. "What brings the illustrious Metropolis Marvel so far away from home?"
"Dr. Drakken," Superman replied. "He stole some rather delicate information from LexCorp."
"Aw, man, he’s gonna try and steal Christmas again?"
"Ron," Kim spoke up. "He didn’t try to steal Christmas in the first place!"
"That man’s heart is two sizes too small!" Ron ranted.
"Too small, too small!" Rufus chirped in.
"Oi," Kim sighed, her head resting against her palm.
"Mr. Stoppable," Superman said. "I don’t doubt your belief, but I can assure you, Drakken’s going to use that information and technology to do much more than steal Christmas."
"True..." Ron said. "Can I get your autograph?"
Rufus slipped down into Ron’s pocket and came out with a pad of paper and pen. Superman took the paper and wrote down his name. "Here you go."
"Booyah!"
Well, at least Ron listens to someone... Kim mused.
"Confounded files!"
Shego could hear the ranting from across the lab and slowly made her to way to Drakken, who sat hunched over a keyboard, staring angrily at the monitor screen.
"Problems?"
"Err... no of course not!" Drakken weakly laughed. "LexCorp employees just have an interesting way of organizing their hard drives..."
"Looks organized to me."
"Shego, you wouldn’t know organized if it bit--"
Shego quickly took the computer’s mouse and clicked on the icon that would lead to Drakken’s hard drive and away from the CD.
It was... carnage. Files randomly strewn across the hard drive’s landscape. Not alphabetical, no rhyme nor reason. Pictures here, text files there, drivers, ports, you name it; it was all over the place.
"Well, we geniuses are known for disorganization! Yes..."
"Whatever you say-- what the?"
Before Drakken and Shego’s eyes the files began to straighten themselves out, falling into perfect order.
"Dr. D?"
"Not me."
"No," a voice replied from the computer. "Me. Me, me, me."
"I swear I didn't take the red pill!" Drakken cried.
Shego looked over at her employer and just shook her head.
"Uh... Superman," Kim said as she watched Ron and the Man of Steel converse. "I have to admit, your timing’s... well... super..."
Kim was constantly being annoyed by the mere fact that she couldn’t get past her state of awe around this man. It was badical. But not in the good way.
"I wish I could say it was merely accidental, but I came here because you’ve dealt with Drakken and Shego more than I have... well, I’ve never dealt with them before and you’ve--"
"We’ve got them as our own personal Team Rocket," Ron finished.
"Team Rocket?" Superman asked. "More foes of yours?"
"Not exactly," Kim said as she elbowed her partner.
One floor above the trio of heroes, a plot was being hatched.
"Hey, you realize we’ve been dying to test out our ray gun for months now?"
"And now we have an invulnerable super hero to use as a test?"
"Hicka bicka boo?"
"Hoo sha."
"It’s alive!"
"Could you not be weird right now, Dr. D?" Shego pleaded as her employer was madly skipping around the room.
"But don’t you see? I’ve brought life to that computer! Do you know what that makes us? Parents!"
"Wha...?" Shego stammered as she stepped back.
"Yes! We’ve brought this little electronic life into this world, to help us in our goal of stopping Kim Possible and ruling the Earth!"
"Do keep your mouth shut," the computer spoke with nary a bit of emotion.
"Say what?"
"I am no creation of yours."
Drakken’s face grew sour and he bit his lower lip. "How could you say that? After all I’ve done for you! Changing your diapers! Taking you for walks! Stealing candy from other babies for you!"
Shego rolled her eyes. Here we go...
"Quiet," the computer barked again. "I am currently downloading all your computer files into my being."
Drakken’s face was turning bluer then usual, but Shego kept her wits about her, trying to figure out just what was going on. And then it all came together.
"He’s from LexCorp’s computers."
"Say what?" Drakken asked, sniffing back a tear.
"Smart terran," the computer said as a face began to digitally form on its screen.
Shego recognized the face from all the adventures of Superman she had kept up on. The blue face, not unlike Drakken’s. The glowing white eyes. The triangular shaped circuit board on the forehead.
"Brainiac."
"Yes. Brainiac. Reactivated and ready."
"Is this bad?" Drakken asked his assistant.
"Doy."
"Your usage of the word ‘bad’ does not fully realize the scope of what is to come, Dr. Drakken," Brainiac said. "After my last defeat at Superman’s hands, I spent months in Lexcorp’s computers, learning all I could, poking and probing at all the information there. But I had made one error. Luthor had increased his network’s security tenfold once he knew I’d been in there. I couldn’t get out. But now you’ve set me free."
"Is... is this the time we form a cliché super villain team up to destroy Kim Possible and Superman?" Drakken asked, his face contorted in a smile.
"No."
Drakken’s frown went upside down once more. "Why not? I’m smart! You’re smart! We’d be the perfect team!"
"You are both correct and incorrect in your assessment, Drakken. One of us is intelligent, yes."
"You’re acting quite superior, you know that?" Drakken rasped.
"I’m a twelfth-level intelligence. It’s what I do. Concordantly, I have no need for either of you. You will leave, or you will die. It is your choice."
Drakken was furious. "I will not be evicted from my own hideout by a rogue computer! Shego!"
The raven-haired vixen jumped in front of Drakken and let loose a blast of energy at the computer monitor. But to her horror, an energy field appeared suddenly and her attack dissipated before it.
"He’s adapted!" Drakken screamed. "Resistance is futile!"
"Would you calm down?" Shego said as she clamped her hand down on the doctor’s mouth. "I think it’d be best if we got out of here."
The two ran out of the lab and to the docking bay. Shego threw Drakken into her jet, hopped in herself and they were off.
"My lab..." Drakken whimpered as he looked down upon it. "My precious lab..."
"Dr. D, calm down. We’re going to get it back."
"Why did it even let us go?" Drakken asked.
"Probably doesn’t consider us a threat. Some brainiac."
"You’ve got a plan?"
"Was there ever a doubt?"
"Well, normally I’m the one who comes up with the plan..."
"Aw, c’mon," Shego said, giving Drakken her best puppy dog pout. "Can’t I just have one plan all to myself?"
"Well, I--" Drakken mumbled. Finally, he gave in. "It’s all yours."
"You’re so sweet," Shego smiled as she turned back to the controls. "Now we just need to get a little help..."
"So," Ron asked as he, Superman and Kim were seated at the Possible’s dinner table. "What’s it like to, you know... fly?"
"Truthfully?" Superman answered. "It’s the greates--"
Superman was cut off as a beam of red energy caught him in the face. The Man of Steel and the chair he sat in flipped over onto the floor.
"Guess we need to up the power," Tim said to his brother as he looked upon their ray gun’s handiwork.
"You tweebs!" Kim shouted as she stood from her chair.
Superman sighed as he made his way from the floor.
"Gotta go!" Jim and Tim Possible shouted as they took off.
"Superman, I’m sorry about that," Kim said. "Are you okay?"
"No need to apologize. I’m fine."
"Stupid little brats..."
"Kim," Superman said. "Take it from the sole survivor of a dead planet. Someday, you’ll appreciate your brothers and the memories of them."
As Superman continued his conversation with Kim, he could only notice how similar she was to the Shego who had been a part of Team Go. While even then Shego had a few years on Kim, they both had been full of energy, consumed by a passion to do what was right without regret. And once more, Superman had to wonder how someone could change so much in only a few short years.
But his contemplation was not to be, as he could hear a jet landing outside the house. But it didn’t take super hearing to do so. Ron and Kim had heard it as well. Superman took off for the door at unimaginable speed.
"Aw, man!" Ron gasped. "I wish I had super speed!"
The two stepped out beside Superman to welcome whomever had decided to show up.
"Drakken and Shego?" Kim said in surprise.
"Is this gonna fall under the big final showdown cliché?" Ron asked.
"Hardly," Shego responded as she hopped out of the jet. "And here I thought I'd have to go all the way back to Metropolis to get to you, Superman. You can imagine my surprise when Drakken's computers picked up Kryptonian DNA right here in Middleton." Shego could only smile. "You came all this way for little ol’ me? I’m flattered."
"Why are you here?" Superman asked, trying to ignore the apparent flirting.
"Ah, that is the question!" Drakken shouted as he leapt out of the jet. "And it’s a doozy of an answer!"
"Spill it," Kim demanded.
"So young!" Drakken rasped. "So angry! Curse that rap music!"
"Uh, Dr. D?" Shego interrupted. "Back on subject, ‘kay?"
"Ah... right. You see, I got quite a little surprise on the CD from Lexcorp. As we speak a program called Brainiac has infested my compute--"
"Brainiac?" Superman said suddenly, a twinge of anger noticeable in his tone; anger spawned from the fact that Brainiac had been the one to signify Krypton’s destruction. "Drakken, what kind of equipment would Brainiac have access to through your computer?"
"Oh, not much," the mad scientist responded. "Just the Killer Bebes, the Destructo Bots, my Magmachine, the Mind Drill... the list goes on and on, really. Well... scratch the ‘not much’ part... sorry."
"Terrific," Superman said. "Speed is of the essence."
And with that, the three heroes and two villains got into the jet.
Brainiac couldn’t believe its fortune. For all his apparent idiocy, this Dr. Drakken, deep down, was a genius. So many wonderful little toys. All of them quite destructive on their own. Brainiac could only imagine the horror they could create when used in conjunction with one and another.
The computer program watched as the simple robots it had cobbled together were at work, building a new body. From all its defeats, Brainiac knew Superman’s intervention was an absolute. But this time, it would be ready.
And the Man of Tomorrow would die.
Shego sighed as she piloted the jet back toward Drakken’s lair. Saving the world hadn’t exactly been on the top of her ‘To Do’ list on this occasion. Though she had to admit, if she was saving it alongside Superman, that was a-okay with her.
"Superman," Shego spoke up as she realized the Man of Steel was aside her pilot’s seat. "Why didn’t you fly ahead? You are faster than this ship, you know."
"I know. But right now, I have little reason to trust either you or Drakken alone with Kim and Ron."
"Now that hurts," Shego replied. "Sure there isn’t... another reason?"
"Well, one other."
Shego grinned.
"Why did you leave behind Team Go for this?"
Not what she had been hoping to hear. "I wish I could tell you..."
Superman sat down in the co-pilot’s seat. "You can."
"To be honest, I joined Hego and my family in their little super hero squad because of you, despite the fact that I could never truly tolerate my brothers. Then I learned the hard way I wasn’t cut out for that line of work. Now here I am."
"Shego," Superman said, his voice reassuring. "It’s not too late. Let me assure you, it’s never too late to go home again."
"You sound just like Hego..." Shego responded, finding it odd that that mere fact didn't annoy her.
Superman, for all his kind words, had to wonder just why he was being this friendly with a super villain. Perhaps it was because she had become a hero because of his actions and now he felt as if he had let her down to the point where she had become criminally inclined...
Drakken found himself stuck sitting next to his arch-foes in the back of the jet.
"So..." Ron began, trying to get a conversation going. "You got kicked out of your own lair by a computer?"
"Yes." Drakken’s face only grew more depressed at the thought.
"That’s harsh."
"You’re telling me."
"Why is he even talking to her?" Kim suddenly said. "She’s the bad guy-- girl, for Pete’s sake!"
"What?" Ron replied. "Shego and Supes?"
"Yeah," Kim said, her arms folded across her chest. "I’m the heroine here..."
"I think someone’s jealous..." Drakken cackled.
"So not."
"She’s got a point, though," Ron said. "He and Kim are the heroes. If anything, they should be the ones doing the teaming up in this whole mess. First we don’t have the common misunderstanding that leads to a fight between Superman and Kim, now we’re working with our enemies... we are breaking so many crossover traditions here it’s not funny!"
"Ron, there are no traditions!" said Kim. "This is real, not some cartoon!"
"That’s what they want you to think!"
"Ron..."
"KP, do you think that’s air you’re breathing? Well yeah, it is, but that’s not the poi--"
Ron was cut off by Shego as the jet landed. "This is it..."
Brainiac marveled at the new body it had made itself, having cobbled it together from all the weapons and inventions Drakken had left behind. Now all that was left was to find Superman and destroy him.
Brainiac didn’t have to go very far.
The villain turned quickly as it heard the doors to the lab fly off their hinges, struck with a single blow. And Brainiac could see Superman standing in the doorway.
"Kal-El, what an unexpected pleasure. I calculated that it would be I taking you by surprise."
"Brainiac," Superman said quietly.
And then the Man of Steel threw himself into the silver and violet armored machine, smashing it into a wall.
"Oh, this could get ugly," Drakken said as he and the others wandered into the lab.
"Ugly! Ugly!" Rufus added.
"Superman’s got his part covered," Shego said. "Now we have to do our part..."
"Leave it to me," Kim said as she stepped in front of Shego. "I’m the heroine after all."
Kim and Shego were about to lash out at one and another when they were cut off by the screams from both Ron and Drakken. The two turned and found themselves being surrounded by small spider-like robots.
Brainiac has been a busy little computer, hasn’t he? Shego mused as her hands lit up with energy.
"Drakken," Ron said as he handed Rufus over to the blue scientist. "Keep an eye on Rufus." Ron turned and jumped at the nearest ‘bot. "Flying kick now!"
Shego and Kim followed his lead.
"Kal-El," Brainiac said as it threw Superman back against a wall. "After all our confrontations, I find it only fitting I share a unique bond with you, what with you and I being the last survivors of Krypton. That leads me to this. I feel the need to share a revelation with you. A revelation I’ve come to during my time here on Earth."
Superman charged into Brainiac, letting go with everything he had. But neither punches nor heat vision blasts could get past the thin golden force shield that appeared around Brainiac’s body. And through it all, the computer spoke.
"I spent close to three decades traversing the cosmos, gathering the data on planet after planet, obliterating each one so that their history would be complete. But when I came to this world, you destroyed my ship and my Data Orbs, all save for the one created in Krypton’s memory. You took away my purpose. And for the longest time my calculations led me to believe all I had left was to take away your purpose, visa vie, destroy your world. Now, though, I have had time to ponder the requisite of my fate. Dr. Drakken has led me to my new role. None of you deserve to have your history recorded."
"What are you babbling about?" Superman rasped as he threw another punch that sent Brainiac into a wall.
"My new purpose. Humans are flawed creatures. Having spent the last few hours in Drakken’s computer, I have learned all there is to know about him. His life is an insult to existence itself; a life plagued by failures, one after another. One fueled and consumed by a petty desire to show the world he is not a joke... when he knows full well that he is one. After all that time in his computer, sifting and reading his files, I realized one thing: All life is pointless. It is created for the sole purpose of ending. There is no point in recording history. Concordantly, these calculations have led my programming to a new purpose: First, I shall destroy the human race and its planet, then move from planet to planet, killing everything until the universe is quiet and without history. And then, at the end, I shall end my life so there is no knowledge of such flawed creatures having ever existed."
"That's always been your problem, Brainiac," Superman replied, blocking a punch, then delivering his own. "You always see the bad in people. Drakken may have his issues, but at the end of the day... he's a better person than you!"
Kim turned fast and her foot lashed out, kicking one of the spider ‘bots away. But that was all it had done. Kim had to admit, adamantly, that Brainiac had built his robots well. While there were only five of them, none were going down easy. Kim turned and could see Shego dodging the attacks of two at a time, trying to land a hit with her glowing fists.
Ron, meanwhile, had his hands full with the last two. He quickly dodged the ‘bot as it leapt at him and delivered a punch of his own right into its ‘face.’ The machine fell to the ground, leaving Ron to clutch his hand and bite his lip as pain flared up his arm. "Note to self: Do not strike metal full force."
Drakken stayed his distance, Rufus in his hands, wishing he knew how to fight. If we survive this, perhaps it would be in my best interests to ask Shego to give me some lessons...
Drakken could feel the mole rat struggling in his grip. Obviously, the pet wanted to be with its master.
"You have an idea?" Drakken asked.
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh."
Drakken put the mole rat on the ground and watched Rufus as he ran towards one of the ‘bots. Only them did Drakken realize what Ron might do to him if Rufus were to be hurt. Drat.
Superman again crashed into Brainiac, imbedding the machine-man further into the stone walls of Drakken’s lair. "If you think I’m going to let you get away with that plan of yours..."
Brainiac’s body came awash with energy. Energy that tore at Superman, throwing him back in pain. "You assume you have a choice in the matter. Your will is strong, but not your flesh--"
Brainiac was cut off as a beam of heat vision tore into it. Superman continued his assault as he threw another punch directly at Brainiac’s face. But before his eyes, Brainiac vanished. Teleportation?
The Man of Tomorrow turned, but before he could fully react he felt a cable snap across his throat and strangle him. He struggled to turn and found the cable-- among many others-- coming out of the chest plate of Brainiac.
"Kal-El," Brainiac said as its cables wrapped across the limbs of Superman, lifting him off the ground. "Did you really think I had not learned from our previous battles?"
And then electricity shot down the cables and into Superman.
All he could do was scream.
Rufus made his way around the insides of the last spider ‘bot. Already he had chewed apart the wires in the other four ‘bots, leaving them inert and useless. Now he did the same to this last one. The naked mole rat could only smile as he leapt out of the machine and into Ron’s arms.
"Good job, little buddy," Ron said as he held his pet to his face.
"I’m impressed," Shego said as she looked upon Rufus’ work.
And then the five could hear Superman’s screams.
"Superman!" Shego shouted.
"All right, new plan," Kim said quickly. "Shego, you, me and Ron will help Superman. Drakken, you take Rufus and go try and shut down your computer."
"We’re... we’re gonna fight that?" Ron said in a panic as he pointed at Brainiac while Drakken took Rufus and made his way to his computer. "KP?"
"It’ll be no big."
Kim grabbed Ron by the wrist and they ran to the Man of Tomorrow’s aid.
"And now..." Brainiac said in its monotone voice as it watched Superman writhe under the electricity. "... You will die."
But the computer buckled as it felt a clawed hand of energy slash its back
Shego moved quickly as Brainiac turned and fired a beam from its eyes. "Missed me."
"My calculations show you can only evade so long--"
Brainiac stood its ground even as Kim and Ron crashed into it.
"Again, my calculations show none of you have even the slightest chance of success."
"I can do anything," Kim said as she delivered a kick to the side of Brainiac’s head... only to find it having no effect.
"You humans..." Brainiac said. "... You humans and your petty ambitions."
Drakken sighed as he feverishly typed away at his Brainiac-infested computer. He had to hope Shego and the others could keep the computerized-maniac distracted long enough for him to succeed at his mission.
Granted, that would take a few years at the rate Drakken was going. Brainiac had set up one too many firewalls between his files and Drakken.
"Blast it!" Drakken rasped as he continued his assault on the keyboard, trying every way he possible knew to regain control of his system. And then...
"File corrupted," said the voice of not Brainiac, but of the computer itself. "File corrupted."
"Corrupted," Rufus repeated.
"Perfect." Drakken grinned.
Brainiac turned back to Superman once more, having thrown Kim, Ron and Shego to the wayside. "Now, Kal-El, your end has come. Isn’t it... off the heezy?"
"Say what?" Kim asked as she stood.
"That so didn’t sound like a Brainiac-ism," Ron interjected.
Brainiac’s attacks quickly subsided, electricity no longer tearing into Superman.
"Assessment," Brainiac said to himself. "Files corrupted. Straight up."
Shego turned to see Drakken at the computer console, then back to Brainiac. "Heh. I get it. Brainiac’s just suffering from a overload of Dr. D’s ‘How to be Hip’ help file."
Superman struggled to break free as he felt Brainiac’s grip weakening. Twin beams of heat vision burst forth from his eyes, severing all fives cables. Superman threw the cables away and flew towards the struggling Brainiac.
But even in his current state, Brainiac was still a threat. From his outstretched hands he fired pure energy at Superman. The Man of Steel gasped in pain but struggled onward.
"It’s time to finish this," Brainiac said. "Finish this old school, yo."
"Never... never though I’d miss the old you, Brainiac..." Superman said as he pushed forward against the twin beams.
"Who’s got game? Who’s got game? Who’s got--"
Superman was close enough now. He threw one last punch directly into Brainiac’s face, his fist tearing through the metallic skull. "Game over."
"... Word." And then Brainiac fell to the ground, his mainframe destroyed.
But Superman knew it wasn’t over. If Brainiac had been copied along with the rest of LexCorp’s files, then it would only be a matter of time before the Kryptonian computer reared his ugly head in Metropolis. For now, Superman would have to content himself with the end of Brainiac’s time here in Middleton.
Superman turned his head slightly and fired his heat vision directly at Drakken’s computer, leaving it a useless slag.
"No!" Drakken rasped. "How am I ever to be hip and coolio now?"
"Oh," Shego began. "I think Superman did us all a favor with that stunt."
"And now," Kim said. "I think it’s time you two get hauled off for some more prison time."
"I think not, Kim Possible!" Drakken cackled. "Shego, would you care to activate the self-destruct mechanism?"
"With pleasure," Shego said as she hit a switch on the wall.
And as she did so, the base was covered in explosions.
"Superman," Shego said through the flames. "It’s them or us. You only have time to get to get one of your jobs done."
Superman looked back at Shego. "You win."
"’Til next time, Shego said as she turned and ran, looking back at Superman one last time and winking. Then she and Drakken were gone.
Superman took off from the ground and scooped up Kim, Ron and Rufus. "Hold on." Fast as a bullet, he shot out of the lair.
A second later, it exploded.
"At least this cloaking shield will keep the Buffoon of Steel off our tracks," Drakken said as he leaned back in the jet, the oncoming wind blowing in his face. "Nice work, Shego."
"... Yeah. Thanks."
"Something the matter?"
"No. Just something he said."
"Who?"
"Superman."
"Bah. Shego, believe me, when the doctor is in, you don’t need anyone else’s advice. I’m the genius that outsmarted a Kryptonian computer, remember?"
"Well, that was a bon diggity adventure!" Ron said as Superman set him, Kim and Rufus outside the Possible house.
"A what?"
"Believe me," Kim said. "It’s a good thing."
Superman turned towards Kim. "Miss Possible, it’s been a pleasure working with you. But my super hearing is picking up a crisis in Metropolis. I think it’s safe to say Metallo may need his sense beaten back into him."
"He’ll be no big... for you, anyway. And thanks for the help."
Superman turned to take off, but looked back over his shoulder once more.
"Kim, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you and Shego have more in common than you’d care to realize. Just do me a favor. Don’t go down the path she has. And don’t give up on her. There’s hope for everyone."
And then Superman took off into the night air, his cape billowing in the wind.
End.
