"Don't you stupid freaks have anything better to do than search out everybody who hates me and get them to gang up on me!?"
"I think NT would have a much more valid reason to ask that of you, Ms. Harper!" Pippi replied coldly.
Bez scowled as she saw Tonya. "You sick little-" She started towards Tonya, who had manage to pick her self up.
Tonya opened her mouth to say something derisive and was abruptly cut off by Bez's right uppercut.
"You say one more word and I swear I'll break your jaw." Bez said coldly, cracking her knuckles for emphasis. "You ever choked on your own tooth? Really not a fun experience."
"I'd listen if I were you." Matrix said coldly.
Sigma glanced between the downed Tonya and Nick. She shuddered, focusing her attention on the latter. "Excuse me."
A smile twitched on the edge of Bez's lips. "Do your worst."
She turned back to Tonya, her expression hard and unforgiving. "Look, you little brat, I've seen your profile and I know what a twisted rat you are. Your a pile of filth, and you're about to be put in your place. I'd take a good look around right now. You're surrounded by people who have every right to make you suffer. If you're counting on weasel-boy over there to help you in some way, I wouldn't hold my breath."
"Yeah! Let 'em have it!" NT cheered.
Sigma turned from Tonya and strode over to Nick. She looked down at him, her face unnervingly voice of emotion. "You look like you could use some help. Allow me." She held her hand out to him. He frowned, taking it tentatively. Nick let out a yelp as Sigma tightened her grip, pulling him close. "There's a lot I could say to you right now." She said quietly. "But you're not worth the air." With that, she drove her knee into his stomach, roughly releasing her grip.
Nick collapsed, clutching his stomach and groaning softly.
NT cringed at the site, but she didn't go over to help him. "You had that coming after what you did to Ameh, Indy and God knows who else!" she shouted at him.
"NT," Nick moaned, sending her a wounded look. "You - "
"Save your breath, Connors!" NT flung back.
He looked hurt and amazed. Never in a million years could he have imagined that girl giving him such a cold shoulder.
Sigma took a steadying breath before looking up at Thande. "Is there anything you would like to say?"
Tonya looked snidely at Thande. Her expression quickly changed to one of mixed horror and contempt. "And what're you supposed to be, you lizard-faced freak!"
"Oh, you're so predictable, tardo!" NT narrowed her eyes at Tonya.
"Shut up, baby, it's none of your business!" Tonya yelled back at her.
NT wrung her hands.
Bez shook her head, tutting. "I warned you." A left hook drove Tonya to her knees, nose spurting blood.
"Ouch," NT cringed again, but said "Thanks for doing to her what I've wanted to do for so long!"
"Oh, so little Miss Perfect is really an imperfect human after all!" Tonya taunted NT, "I didn't know you had it in you to want to punch anybody, you're too wimpy to even fight me for Nick!"
"Wrong, toad-face!" NT retorted, "The word you're looking for is 'smart'.!"
"What would you know about smart!?" Tonya snarled back.
"Enough." Thande said quietly. He looked down impassively at Tonya, taking a firm hold of her throat and lifting her until their eyes were level. "I do not know your reasoning. I do not care. No one has the right to torture another. What you have done is unforgivable. We will see that you suffer for it." With a gesture as though he were flinging garbage to the floor, he discarded Tonya.
"Straight up!" Capri clapped. There were several reactions of agreement from others.
Tonya backed away from Thande, looking at him dangerously.
Bez smiled darkly. "Just where do you think you're going!" She snarled, striding after her and taking a firm grip of her hair.
Tonya yelped in pain, clawing uselessly at Bez's hands. "Let go of me you ugly freak!"
Bez rolled her eyes. "Name calling! How old are we, Tonya?" She gave her hair a strong yank. "I said, how old are we?"
"Just let go- I hate you, I hate you! How could you do this to me! I didn't do anything wrong-!"
A flurry of quick jabs and short screams, and Bez had a severely pummeled Tonya held by her lower jaw. "Nothing wrong, huh?" She muttered darkly. "You didn't do anything wrong?"
Tonya attempted to defend herself, resulting in a few choked gurgles.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite make that out. Would you mind repeating that?" Bez tightened her grip, drawing a few drops of blood.
Tonya merely whimpered.
"I thought so." Bez threw her to the ground, wiping her hands off on her coat.
Tonya scuttled back, rubbing her battered jaw, darting vicious glances at anyone who would meet her eyes.
"I knew people like you once." Bez began quietly. "They thought they were invincible. They weren't." She smiled darkly. "And just like them, you'll pay for what you've done."
"Oh, she's got a lot to answer for, all right," said Pippi, menacingly as she stepped forward. "Nearly starving, and God knows what else she's done to Indy is just the final straw."
"Indy wouldn't eat, she refused food!" Tonya protested.
"Wise move if it came from you!" NT flung back venomously. "It doesn't matter, you starved her all the same!"
"She wouldn't have starved if you hadn't stalked and held her hostage!" Pippi raised her voice at Tonya. After a tense pause, she continued. "I know of at least three other families Tonya has devastated, and a few more she conned."
"I never conned anybody, you wanna-be know-it-all!" Tonya shouted indignantly, hoping Pippi was just making up a reason to be angry with her for what was done to her friends. She's making it all up!"
Pippi was more than ready and willing to expose everything at this point. "Right after you stabbed Nick in a fight you started with him right in front of our house that Christmas, you conned him with that 'I'm so tough because nobody ever cared about me' act so he would forgive and feel sorry for you, and get the family he had at the time, to persuade Capri not to throw you in jail or put you back a century, where you claimed you originally came from - another con."
"What do you mean, another con?" Nick asked. "She was brutalized by police when they caught her running away from abusive parents!"
Bez scoffed. "And you believed her? You're even dumber than I thought."
"Wrong, Nick, that was just another lie." said NT.
"You shut up!" Tonya screamed. "Don't anybody listen to that stupid little freak, she's the one who's trash here - "
Pippi suddenly took hold of Tonya and started shaking her, hard. "I have scads of internet logs proving otherwise, and several web site administrators can and will back me up!"
Tonya resorted to magic, she sent a pain sensation through Pippi to make her let her go.
She forgot about little Ameh, who picked up on it, and blasted her back, causing her to fall to the floor, writhing.
Sigma folded her arms, frowning sternly. "Not so fun when it's directed at you, is it?"
"You all suck!" Tonya ranted.
"I'm warning you!" Ameh shouted at her.
Tonya cursed at Ameh.
"And you don't want to even think about messing with me, either of you!" Capri scowled at first Tonya, then Nick, "Remember what happened the last time you tried that, Nick?"
Nick's response was to turn away from Capri as much as possible.
The message was perfectly clear, or should've been. Tonya and Nick weren't going to get away with abusing the others via magic.
"I should go see Indy, if the hospital will allow her to have visitors yet," Pippi said gravely. Just then, her cell rang. She picked up. "Hello,"
There was a pause, then her face showed utter dismay. Whatever she said next was so quiet it couldn't be made out.
When the call ended after a few tense moments, Pippi put her phone back. "Indy - " tears started streaming down her face and she couldn't speak any more.
The others got the idea, at least, anyone who knew Pippi well. She would only break down this way if the worst had happened.
Before Capri could move to offer some comfort, Pippi advanced toward Tonya, grabbing her around the waist, then she went for Nick. She pulled him up by one arm, and stood them both so that they had to face her.
It was silent in the room except for tense breathing. NT was crying but she made no sound.
"You killed her!" Pippi screamed. "YOU - KILLED HER!" She knocked Nick's and Tonya's heads together once, and stood quivering with grief and outrage, struggling not to give in and do something to them she might regret, however unintentional.
Tonya and Nick stared, wide-eyed.
A faint high-pitched whine sounded out as Bez and Sigma charged up their Burners.
Tears continued running down Pippi's face. Without warning, she began tossing them around like rags, first Nick was thrown, then Tonya.
She threw and caught them several times, causing them sufficient amazement and terror. They had never believed she really was as strong as all that, and neither had seen her really lose her temper.
Nick and Tonya made various exclamations, curses, and wuffs during their punishment via human tornado, and were laying on the floor, panting noisily by the time it was over.
Pippi stood over them, still struggling with her emotions.
All glares were on Nick and Tonya, coming from every direction.
NT was the first to stop glaring at them to turn her back, a sign of deep disdain.
"I have to go and start making arrangements," Pippi finally said, her voice quiet but trembling.
"Should I go along?" NT asked, unsure she wanted to do that, but feeling she had to do something, even if it was too late for Indy to appreciate it. Besides, it was sickening being in the same room with Tonya and Nick.
"No, thanks," Pippi replied sadly.
Tonya couldn't hide the relieved expression on her face.
Bez noticed it with disgust and fired a warning blast by her leg.
Tonya recoiled and hugged her legs to her chest.
"Well somebody should go." said Ameh."
"I'll go as long as you guys can man this place," said Capri stiffly.
"Why?" Tonya asked snidely, uncurling her self. "If she's dead, it's not like she'll even know any of you are there."
Bez sighed exasperatedly and fired another blast at the other leg. Tonya whimpered and hugged her legs again.
"You sure aren't a quick learner, are ya?" Capri frowned at Tonya. "It's called supporting a friend, even you should be familiar with that concept, having that mug there as your lapdog for so long." She added harshly.
"Okay, I get it, Capri, you hate me." Nick pouted.
Capri tsked and gave him a dirty look. "So, we're off, then." she said to the others.
There were several nods.
Tonya began to protest, but she was ignored.
"We'll be back." said Capri. She cast one last frosty glance at Nick and Tonya before taking Pippi's hand.
Pippi took out her magic transport device and keyed something in.
A moment later, she and Capri vanished.
Tonya suddenly fumed, but recovered quickly, and began working on another scheme. "Indy isn't dead," she said, getting up off the floor. "Because now I am her."
NT and Ameh glared as they saw Tonya magically make herself look and sound exactly as Indy would've been in good health. "I can walk into that TV station tomorrow and completely be her. No one would ever know the difference."
Bez frowned, glancing at Matrix. He shrugged, a mixture of curiosity and disgust on his face.
Nick rolled his eyes. "This is nuts. It's where I bow out of your scheme," he said.
"Coward!" Tonya spat.
"You will never be Indy!" NT said sharply. "Not even a thousand of you could add up to one of her!"
"Oh yes I could," Tonya retorted, "And, I'd tell everybody I had a change of heart about you, that I, Indy, realize that Tonya was right about you all along! Not only that, but I can do so much more. It would be like having her as my best friend or twin sister, my guide, only better, because now, I am her!"
"Nobody in their right mind would buy that." said Ameh scornfully. "You'd probably be lucky to get yourself fired again, and maybe even committed."
"As for what you all claim to have on Tonya," the fake Indy sneered, "Just try finding her now. She doesn't exist any more, I - AM INDY."
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