Ancient Place, New Struggles: Finale

"MAX!!!!" Jessie exclaimed. Jessie tried to change into their metal form but it was no good. They still fell to their knees every time. The pain from the magnetic lodestones surrounding the cave pulling them in every direction was too much. Jessie had one option: their metal armor. Used mainly for big fights or very, very dangerous situations, this was the one card they had left to play and it was worth playing.

Jessie stood as fast and as steadily as they could. Jessie tossed the backpack, which now only contained food and water for a couple of days, to the side as a sphere of metal surrounded Jessie. The transformation took about 3 seconds and then the sphere was gone and Jessie remained, standing in their armor, sword in hand, ready to fight.

"It's a shame, Jessie. You went through all that trouble of putting on your armor, just in time to see your friend perish." Jessie looked to the right and saw their friend burnt and lifeless. "I thought he was going to turn to dust. So disappointed. My own fault really. Cartoons fooled me into believing it. Still, the smell of burning flesh is fresh in my mind, isn't that rig-"

Jessie punched Francis in the mouth. Then they hit him with their knee, then their elbow, finally striking Francis with their fearsome sword. The cave shook from the force of each blow. Francis fell to the ground.

"I hope there was more where that came from, old adversary." Francis chuckled as he slowly got up. "I have been waiting a long time to have a decent battle with you. Who knew all it would take was kidnapping and threating a couple of your friends?" Francis started to generate fire from his left hand into a fireball. "Seems like we're about a have legendary, albeit short, battle for the ages. I thought the lodestones would have a greater impact on you than they currently are." Francis threw the fireball at Jessie but they dodged it.

Francis threw fireball after fireball at them but couldn't manage to hit them. Then he generated a sword made from flames and the two of them engaged in sword fighting that could only be described as pirate-esque. They were indeed having a legendary fight. The only problem was that Jessie was fading fast and could not maintain the armor. Between the lodestones, the fight, and the heat, Jessie couldn't handle much more.

Jessie shortly thereafter got hit by the flaming sword and held out for as long as they could. Jessie fell backwards and could not get back up. Their armor disintegrated upon impact and melted away. Jessie looked as if they were about to melt because they were sweating so much.

"See what I mean, Jessie?" Francis taunted. "I knew this would be too much for you. You put up your best fight I've ever seen. Truly, this was a fight the likes of which I've never known. We will talk about this for years to come. I would say all of us, but, well, … you know. Some of us won't be here in a few minutes."

"Why? Why do this, Francis? Why go after people I helped?" Jessie asked, gasping for breath.

"As I said before: You act all high and mighty. We are the same: We commit both "bad" and "good" acts all in the name of the karmic balance of this planet. We both once knew what it was like to be completely human, living relatively normal lives. Back then we had a different sense of the world. Right and wrong were a little easier to distinguish. Now things are so complicated. A life is still worth a life but there are slightly different … variations. I want all of us to be on the same page again. No good guys, no bad guys, just 8 "combinations" trying to live their own lives. No strings attached. Just all of us going about our own business like in the old days. Before the heroes, the villains, the "Robies"."

"Let me get this straight: You want things to be different by going back to what we were?"

"Yes."

"How were you planning on doing that?"

"If we don't play by the "Robies" rules and don't uphold the karmic balance, they would have no choice but to send us back to our respective dimensions and leave us be. We could be humans again. Don't you want that, Jessie?"

"No, Francis. I do want to be human again one day but that's going to happen anyway when my 1,000 years are done. Not to mention that your plan is crazy. The "Robies" would never allow us to not do our jobs. You know what happens if we don't."

"But they can't possibly do that if ALL of us refuse to play along."

"I'm pretty sure they can! They can travel between dimensions and give people powers for crying out loud!"

"You'll see I'm right, Jessie." Francis walked over to the second stake with Jessie's friend Detective Dan whom he helped solve a few cases here and there. They've become great friends. Francis generated a flame in his right hand.

"Francis." Jessie said sternly.

"Jessie! Don't let him set me on fire!" Dan yelled.

"Don't do this, Francis. Don't do this!" Jessie pleaded.

"It must be done, Jessie. Without people like them, you would not want to continue playing by the "Robies" rules. Then, I'm sure you would see things my way."

Francis started to raise his right hand to the stake. Suddenly, Jessie felt a chill in the air. They felt the hair on the back of their neck stand up. A mighty breeze blew throughout the cave, extinguishing Francis' flame.

"Only one person I know who could make the room feel colder than a witches' teat."

"That's mean, Francis." Everyone looks to see who the feminine voice belongs to. "Luna's breasts aren't cold at all. Believe me …" Nora dropped to the ground from the ceiling. "I know cold."

"Nora Wheeler." Francis smiled.

"Under these circumstances, I prefer my moniker: Nuclear Winter." Nora generated a frozen spear in her hands and pointed it at Francis. "You really shouldn't have messed with the father of our future children, Francis."

"My mistake, my dear." Francis materialized a sword from his flames and readied himself for another fight. "Perhaps we should let our weapons do the talking though?"

"Couldn't agree more." Nora pressed a button. "Camile! I've located "Foxy Pants" and others! Teleport to this location, sans metallic items!" Nora fought Francis as she relayed the information to Camile.

Camile teleported almost instantly after Nora finished her transmission. "Copy." Camile took Dan and teleported out of the cave. Then she teleported back in. "For the record: Please, never refer to Jessie as "Foxy Pants" ever again." Camile took the other two people out of the cave to safety.

"If the foxy pants fit …." Nora replied.

Camile came back to the cave and was about to get Jessie out. "Get Max out of here first."

"But Jessie -"

"Please, Camile." Jessie held back tears. "Max's family deserves to know what happened. He deserves a proper burial. Get Max out and then come back for me and my backpack." They nodded as they both understood the magnitude of their circumstances. Camile grabbed Max's lifeless body and teleported.

Jessie crawled towards the backpack and collapsed. The pain finally exhausted them. Nora looked over at her beloved. Her anger intensified. The cave grew even colder. Francis was going to lose this fight for sure. But the extent of his wounds would be at her mercy. Camile teleported back.

"Camile! Take Jessie and leave! I have unfinished business that needs addressing." They both looked at each other and exchanged nods. Camile picked up Jessie and she teleported them out of the cave, leaving Francis and Nora to duke it out.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

Jessie thanked Camile for helping get everyone to safety and Camile explained that she knew the whole thing was a big trap. Knowing this, she reached out to Nora and Nora agreed that it was definitely a trap. They teleported to the abandoned warehouse just in time for the part where Francis pulled the lever and revealed where they really were. They teleported to the top of the cave and saw that Francis had finished fighting Jessie. Nora told Camile to go back to the surface and start preparing a safe place for the hostages and an extra space for Jessie. Camile handed her a communication device and then went back to the surface.

Jessie went to Max's next of kin and informed them of Max's passing and how that came to be. Jessie expressed his condolences and apologized for not being able to save Max.

Of course, Jessie also thanked Nora specially. If they weren't pregnant before ….

Meanwhile, Francis was licking his wounds when he came across someone.

"I almost had him."

"I'm sure you did." A mysterious voice from the shadows of the alley agreed. "But you didn't count on his friends to help."

"No, I didn't. In hind sight, I should've. I made the note too easy to follow, too suspicious. Jessie could see my reasoning was shite. I don't want to be regular Francis Fine ever again."

"More time to plan is now evident. Still, we have learned much from this outing. The plan will work much better … next time. Until then, be patient, my friend. I will find a way to give Jessie's powers to you to use as you see fit."

"I like the sound of that, partner." Francis grinned. "I like the sound of that, indeed."

THE END.