And You And I

Chapter 35: Out of the frying pan and into the fire

When the cloud of smoke cleared from around the ex-lightning-ray and the now unconscious form of Dr Drakken, Kim and Shego turned their gazes upon one another once more. Piercing emerald eyes met uncharacteristically angry olive-greens and for a few heartbeats neither said a word.

It was Shego who finally broke the silence, "so, ready to pick up where we left of, Kimmie?" She flashed the hero a knowing smile and a wink. I hope you're ready Princess, cos this is about to rock you to your core.

Kim's fists clenched and she grit her teeth. "I'm going to beat the crap out of you and send what's left to jail," she hissed, feeling her anger towards the green-skinned woman, which had ebbed somewhat due to her attention having been distracted by Drakken, start to rise once more. I'm going to kick her ass!

Shego cast her gaze around the room and at the henchmen that had started to draw near. "All of you!" she barked, causing each and every one of them to freeze. "Take your beat up and broken bodies, along with those of your unconscious comrades and get the hell out."

"Do we still get..." one of them ventured but was swiftly cut off.

"NOW!"

Kim watched as the collective henchmen scampered away from them and proceeded up the stairs towards the catwalk by which she had entered; collecting those she had KO'd as they went. She then turned her gaze back to her rival. "What, don't want the lackeys to see you get your ass kicked?"

In a serious voice, Shego replied, "doing this for your benefit, Kimmie, not mine." Her eyes quickly glanced at Drakken, just to make sure he was unlikely to wake up in the middle of their next dance. Given the state he was in this time, it did not seem likely. She then waited for the last of the henchmen to vacate the premises before saying, "so, where were we?"

"I was kicking your ass," Kim declared sharply, her enraged ego neglecting the fact that it had been an even fight up on the roof.

"And I was about to prove to you that you're gay." The words barely escaped from Shego's mouth before Kimmie let out a vicious roar.

"SHUT UP!" the hero bellowed, her anger exploded once more. She immediately charged her opponent, launching into a hammer-fist, spinning-back-fist, uppercut combo, before finishing up with twin-knife-hands aimed at the green-skinned woman's neck.

Shego blocked the first three techniques and then countered the final attack with a twin-outer-forearm-block and immediately sent a front snap kick straight through and into her rival's gut.

You could do a lot with anger, use it as a fuel with which to power your blows or as a substitute for adrenaline. However, it had to be used with caution. Give it too much rope and you could easily hang yourself with it. Your movements becoming dictated by it, making them rash... sloppy. This was exactly what had just happened to Kim and Shego knew it. For she had been there herself on multiple occasions.

Kim staggered backwards, slightly winded but nowhere near as injured as she would have been had she not been wearing her battle suit. Her normally pleasant features were twisted by an ugly rage and her bright olive-green eyes, normally so warm, held a terrifying fury. I'm going to beat the shit out of her!

"The first indication you gave me, Kimmie, was when you asked what I'd say if you asked me out on a date," Shego said lightly, trying not to sound morosely serious but also keeping the sass in her tone to a minimum. She also elected not to use the G-word, as it seemed to be too much of a trigger for the hero. Her anger is going to increase regardless, but I need to keep her from reaching murderous level.

"I only said that," Kim began as she darted forward once more, "because you caught me on a bad night," she threw a vicious turning-kick, but it sailed over the top of her opponent's head, so she seamlessly transitioned into a reverse-turning-kick. The green-skinned woman evaded it and Kim finished, "and because I was stupidly desperate to fight you again," as she lashed out with an axe-kick. "But you already knew that. That's why you made that stupid comment in the first place, to try and get inside my," she fired off a side-kick, using the word, "head!" as her Kihap.