In-Tara-Gation (a SheZow fic)

	Megadale's zoo was always quiet and uneventful during the dead of night. There was always a small night crew who would mainly take care of cleaning duties, but this time around there was an unexpected guest: Megamonkey. The zoo workers, however, were none the wiser; Megamonkey's invisibility watch had been rebuilt, and although it still had light-related issues, it was designed to be far more durable than its previous incarnation. Megamonkey was careful with his footsteps so as to not draw attention. After reaching his destination, he waited quite a while; Megamonkey's intent was for the zoo's workers to be out of earshot before he made his move. Once the time was right, he looked into a particular cage and tapped on the bars with his scepter. There was no response from either the cage's occupant or any of the workers. Megamonkey growled and tapped again. Realizing that he wasn't getting anywhere, Megamonkey picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it into the cage, hitting the occupant in the head and waking them up. The animal inside, a six foot tall silverback mountain gorilla, had a scary look on his face as he stood up and walked toward the cage's bars. At this point, Megamonkey pressed a button on his invisibility watch, revealing himself to the gorilla. He began uttering monkey noises, communicating with the gorilla. They talked back and forth for about a minute before one of the zoo workers noticed Megamonkey and jogged toward him. "Heh heh..." Megamonkey reactivated his invisibility watch.
	"....Huh? Wait a minute..."
	One of his co-workers looked over in his direction. "Something wrong?"
	"I could've sworn I saw someone, right here!" The worker rubbed his eyes before looking at the spot again, seeing and hearing nothing. The gorilla in the cage stood silent, looking at the worker.
	"Maybe it was a...ghooooost! HAHAHAHA!"
	"Oh, shut up. These night shifts are probably just taking their toll on me." The worker looked at the gorilla. "What do you think, Virunga? Am I going crazy?" The gorilla, named after his homeland, gave the worker a puzzled look. The worker sighed. "I'm talking to a gorilla. Need a break..." Turning around and walking away, the worker groaned and rubbed his forehead. Megamonkey smirked upon hearing the word "break", knowing that he would be able to make his move in a few minutes. After the one worker went through a door, presumably to some sort of break room, Megamonkey sneaked up in front of the other worker and tripped him. When the worker hit the ground, Megamonkey raised his scepter and brought it down on the worker's head, knocking him unconscious. The other staff were too far away to hear anything. Megamonkey searched the worker's pockets until he found a key, knowing that all of the animal cages were unlocked with the same key, thanks to the time he had spent observing the zoo during the last couple of days. Walking over to the cage's door, Megamonkey unlocked it and opened it. Virunga walked over to the open door and through it. He looked back and forth for a few seconds, before being distracted by more of Megamonkey's primate language skills. After Megamonkey fell silent, he turned around and headed toward the zoo's entrance, ensuring to lead Virunga around the other workers. Every so often, the invisible Megamonkey would purposely cause a racket at one of the animal cages to rile up the occupants and draw the workers' attention to it, allowing Virunga to proceed unnoticed despite his size. Since it was around two o'clock A.M. and the zoo was relatively detached from the more busy parts of Megadale, it wasn't difficult for Megamonkey to keep Virunga hidden, leading him further away from the zoo and into a forested area.
	Megamonkey deactivated the invisibility and tapped his earpiece. "I'm done. Bring the helicopter to my location. I'll clear some space so it can land." Virunga kept his eyes on Megamonkey as Megamonkey raised his scepter and fired laser blasts at several trees' trunks, splitting the trees and causing them to fall. A few minutes later, a helicopter, piloted by Megamonkey's little monkey minions, arrived at their location. Megamonkey spoke to Virunga in his familiar tongue again, after which the both of them boarded the helicopter. Taking to the skies, the helicopter headed for Megamonkey's lair.

	At the lair, Megamonkey was starting to look a bit tired, but he was determined to complete the task at hand. He stood in a laboratory with Virunga and several monkey minions. The monkey minions were manning a futuristic looking device that would appear to most as being some sort of weapon, but that was hardly the case. "He will make a suitable test subject. We're going to attempt to enhance his intelligence first!" Megamonkey informed his minions. Virunga tilted his head, confused, not being able to understand English. "Make sure it's set relatively high, but not at maximum. I'm looking for a henchman, not an equal." Megamonkey turned to Virunga and uttered monkey noises, after which Virunga walked over to the middle of the room and sat down. One of the monkey minions adjusted a control stick, pointing the device at Virunga while another adjusted some dials. "Are the preparations complete?" Megamonkey asked impatiently. He was tapping his foot on the floor in anticipation. A monkey minion turned to him and gave a thumbs up. "Proceed, then!" Megamonkey ordered. The monkey minion nodded and pressed a trigger on the control stick. The device emitted a purple light that enveloped Virunga. The light made him drowsy; he shut his eyes and lowered his head, but still remained sitting without falling over. Megamonkey sat down in a chair and observed; the process lasted about ten minutes before the machine shut off automatically. A monkey minion gave a thumbs up. Grinning, Megamonkey stood back up and walked over to Virunga, poking Virunga's forehead with his scepter. Virunga opened his eyes and looked at Megamonkey. "Well, Virunga? Can you understand me? Can you speak?"
	Virunga had a look of shock on his face as he leaned back slightly, maintaining eye contact with Megamonkey. "I can...understand human...? I can SPEAK human?!"
	"The language is called English," Megamonkey corrected. "Now, stand up. Stand just like I am, without using your arms."
	Reluctantly, Virunga made the attempt. As he stood on two legs, towering above Megamonkey, he walked back and forth. "This is..."
	"This is the proof of your EVOLUTION!" Megamonkey exclaimed. "Revel in it! You're one of the few to have tasted this technological marvel!"
	"For the last sixteen years, all I wanted was to be free of that prison...you gave me that, and this." Virunga looked down at himself, standing tall.
	"That's not all I'm giving you. You have further untapped potential. But I want something from you as well," Megamonkey told.
	"What is it? Anything!" Virunga asked.
	"I granted your wish. You're going to grant mine. I've traveled time, and seen my own future. I get imprisoned by this city's superhero, SheZow. Imprisoned, just like you were," Megamonkey informed. Virunga's eyes narrowed as he bared his teeth. "The only way to prevent this future is to dispose of SheZow. Completely annihilate her."
	"I'll do it!" Virunga slammed his fist into the floor, causing a small dent. "Any human who imprisons our kind...I'll tear them apart with these hands!"
	"Not as you are now. You're not strong enough," Megamonkey pointed out.
	"What?! No human could ever overpower me!" Virunga claimed.
	"Pay attention when I speak. SUPER. HERO. SheZow has many powers. One of them is enhanced strength. She has little trouble lifting vehicles over her head. It pains me to say it, but as it stands, you couldn't even hope to defeat her."
	"Then how am I supposed to grant your wish?" Virunga asked.
	"Enhanced strength is impressive. It multiplies the individual's potential for physical feats. SheZow, though, is a human. YOU are a gorilla. Let's say I were to use my new invention to enhance you in a similar manner...." Megamonkey chuckled as he crossed his arms. "Never mind vehicles, you could probably lift buildings if you were so inclined and put in enough effort."
	"You can do that?" Virunga asked.
	"Technology can do that. Technology can do many things," Megamonkey assured. "Especially if you skip ahead, say, a couple of decades into the future. I can't go TOO far ahead since I still need to be able to secure the resources with what I have at my disposal, but it's certainly worth the effort. Heh heh heh....!"
	"If you can do it, then do it!" Virunga demanded. "Give me this power and I'll crush SheZow!"
	"We won't stop there. After SheZow is dealt with, we're taking this city...this WORLD...away from the humans!" Megamonkey declared. He burst out laughing. Several monkey minions gave him a round of applause. A few of them jumped up and down with excitement. Virunga smiled and pounded his chest. "Minions, change the settings from intelligence to strength! Maximum risk-free output!" The monkey minions got to work, flipping switches and adjusting dials. Virunga walked over to his original position and sat down on the floor. A monkey minion gave a thumbs up. "Now, go ahead," Megamonkey told. A monkey minion squeezed the trigger and the device emitted light again, but the light that enveloped Virunga was red this time around. Like before, Virunga got a bit sleepy. Megamonkey sat down, grinning like a madman, watching his new henchman get powered up. As the minutes passed, Megamonkey was starting to doze off, but every time he would feel himself about to shut his eyes, he would smack himself in the forehead with his scepter to keep himself awake. The device powered itself down after completing its process.
	Virunga stood up. "I feel....actually, not all that different."
	"We need to test your strength. Why don't you--" Megamonkey paused as he watched Virunga raise his fist into the air and slam it onto the floor. The floor underneath him broke, causing Virunga to fall down to the next floor below the laboratory. "Oh, for...YOU!" Megamonkey looked at one of the monkey minions. "I told you to set the intelligence levels below MY OWN, not to make him a bumbling moron!" The monkey minion turned to Megamonkey and shrugged, tilting his head. Megamonkey grumbled. "Get this floor repaired...." Megamonkey then went over to the hole in the floor and jumped down, landing beside Virunga. He looked down at his henchman, who was flat on his back among bits of floor and ceiling. "You need some practice in moderating that power before I unleash you upon my enemies."
	Virunga groaned as he sat up. "...Yeah."
	"You have lots of time. I'm not planning anything involving Megadale or SheZow for a while. I have....another project to work on. Be sure to get plenty of sleep; your powers will strain you, and you'll need more rest as a result," Megamonkey explained. "As for me; I ought to sleep as well. Help yourself to whatever you need. Ask my minions any questions you have..." Megamonkey turned and headed out of the room, wobbling slightly as he walked. He hit his head on the door frame before getting into the hallway and out of Virunga's sight.
	Virunga looked at the mess on the floor. "Better clean this up." He stood up and started pushing the debris into a neat pile.

	A few days passed. Kelly was in the She-Lair discussing current events with Sheila. Guy and Maz were nowhere to be seen. "A GORILLA-napping? That's ridiculous! How does someone get something the size of a gorilla out of the zoo without being seen?" Kelly asked, a skeptical look on her face.
	"One of the workers was found unconscious by the others. Whoever did it is no stranger to violent behavior," Sheila told.
	"Why kidnap a gorilla? There's lots of people who would be easier to kidnap, and worth more money!" Kelly crossed her arms as she leaned back in her chair.
	"Let's leave it to the police. SheZow doesn't need to get involved with this one."
	"Yeah, the search would probably drive him BANANAS," Kelly laughed.
	"Oh, ha ha. Just because the boys aren't here doesn't mean you have to fill their shoes," Sheila sighed.
	"Where ARE those one-and-a-half boys, anyway? I haven't seen them since school finished earlier," Kelly informed.
	"Don't you remember? Yesterday, Guy mentioned that he and Maz had an important board meeting to attend today. I assume they're busy with that," Sheila reminded.
	Kelly groaned. "If it's the kind of board meeting I'm thinking of, it's not at all important."

	Guy and Maz were both at the park. putting the half-pipe to more use. "I'm really glad no one's making a stink about this thing being here," Guy commented.
	"Well, you DID set it up as SheZow. People around here love her, so I don't think they'd ever complain about it," Maz pointed out. "Hey, give me a push, I wanna get more speed."
	"Sure!" Maz pushed Guy once Guy was in position. As Guy zoomed down the half-pipe on his skateboard and went up the opposite side, he got quite a bit more air time than he usually would. Since he wasn't used to the speed, he didn't do any fancy tricks, but enjoyed the view from high up, despite reaching much higher heights as SheZow. On his way back down, something caught his eye. "Hey, Guy, look out!"
	"...Huh?" On the way back down, Guy's board was at an angle. Not having enough time to adjust it,  he hit the half-pipe and tumbled down to the middle of it. Maz jumped down to check on him as Guy lifted himself back up using his arms. "Owww...okay, bad idea."
	"You okay, dude?" Maz asked, kneeling down beside him.
	"Yeah, I've had worse," Guy answered, rubbing his knee. "Saw something weird and lost my focus."
	"Weird?"
	"Yeah, in those bushes over there. Looked like a person. And I could see red," Guy informed.
	"Sweet! Maybe it's a dead body!" Maz exclaimed. "Let's go look!" Maz jumped off of the half-pipe and was about to take off, when he paused. "Oh, right, there's a lot of bushes. You wanna take the lead?"
	Guy winced as he got up, and caught up to Maz. "This way! Oh, and if it IS a dead body, don't touch it. Fingerprints. Don't want Dad to arrest you." Guy walked toward a patch of bushes near a tree and peered over the bushes. Maz stood beside him and looked as well. "Oh. The red was just his clothes." The two of them were looking at Morgan, who was asleep on the grass.
	"Hey, remember him, Guy?" Maz asked. "We've run into him like...three times near here now. Maybe he's a hobo."
	"Yeah, he looks like he could use a shower," Guy added.
	"Why don't we give him one?" Maz asked, snickering. He then jogged over to the half-pipe and grabbed a bottle of water that he had set down near it. After returning to Guy's side, he handed the bottle to Guy. Guy looked at the bottle, and then at the sleeping Morgan, and held his hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. Maz covered his own mouth as well.
	"Okay...haha...here goes!" Guy looked for a less dense area of bushes to sneak through, so he would make less noise on the approach. Morgan was still sound asleep. Guy loomed over him, a grin on his face as he twisted the cap off of the bottle and poured the cold water onto Morgan's hair. Maz burst out laughing as Guy jumped over the bushes, tripping on a branch and landing on the grass beside Maz. Guy rolled back and forth, laughing up a storm as Morgan woke up.
	Morgan looked back and forth as he felt his hair. "What the...? It's not raining..." He shut his eyes and groaned as he tried to wipe the water from his eyes, but only got his face dirty from the dirty on his hands and arms. At that point was when he noticed Guy and Maz having a good laugh, and the empty bottle on the ground near them. "You two?!"
	"Ha ha ha! Hey, pal! Don't mind us, we were just doing some spring cleaning!" Guy laughed.
	"Don't you mean spring WATER cleaning?" Maz added. The two of them laughed even harder.
	Morgan was shivering as he stared at the two friends. He eyed the half-pipe for a second, and then looked back at them. Guy and Maz paused as they saw the intense glare Morgan was giving them. "I'll...I'll get you BOTH back for this...!" Morgan growled.
	"Uh...hey, we didn't mean--" Guy fell silent as Morgan took off running, heading out of the park.
	"Wow. That guy can really move," Maz commented.
	Guy sighed. "Let's go home, Maz. That kinda killed the mood for me. Did you see the way he looked at us? That was SCARY, dude."
	"Yeah, maybe just a little scary. But it's not like he's some supervillain, right?" Maz asked.
	"Okay, good point. I've dealt with worse," Guy agreed, shrugging. The two of them grabbed their skateboards and headed home.

	"This day will be a glorious one in our battle against SheZow!" Megamonkey exclaimed as he slammed his fist into the table. He, Virunga, and several monkey minions were sitting around the large table in the lair's main chamber. Virunga looked a lot more like a villain at this point; he wore black and light green armor on his upper torso and forearms, a belt, as well as a futuristic-looking scanning device that covered his left eye and left ear. "You!" Megamonkey pointed at one of the monkey minions, who looked quite comfortable leaning back in the chair, feet on the table. "Get your feet off the table, now! You're at WORK!" The monkey minion quickly sat up straight and saluted, as another monkey minion was eating fresh popcorn from a quite large bowl. Megamonkey turned his attention to the monkey minion with the popcorn. "And you...you had better have made enough for everyone." The monkey minion sighed before flipping the bowl into the air, getting popcorn all over the table, its occupants, and the floor. Megamonkey's eye twitched as he looked at the mess.
	Virunga grabbed a piece of popcorn off of the top of his head and ate it. "So, we eat human food here?"
	"Virunga! I've got your...mmph...first job ready for you," Megamonkey informed as he ate a handful of popcorn he scooped from the table.  "If you'll just turn your attention to this monitor..." Megamonkey produced a remote and pressed a button on it as he chewed. A monitor lowered from the ceiling and faced the table of primates. It showed rather shaky live footage of Tara, in a high-end restaurant enjoying a steak dinner. She was alone, however.
	"I don't eat meat," Virunga told. "....You don't either, right? RIGHT?!" The monkey minions picked popcorn off of each other and the table as they ate it.
	"You're not going out for dinner. See that old blonde woman? That's Tara. When she was still in her prime, she fought as an ally of SheZow's. That was many years ago, though, and the two aren't on friendly terms anymore. However..." Megamonkey grinned as he paused, and held his forehead as he started to chuckle.
	Virunga eyed him curiously. "However...?"
	"Heh heh...I think she knows where SheZow's base of operations is, since she worked with her before. I want Tara, here, now. Use any methods you want, just make sure she's still at least somewhat alive. She'll have questions to answer, after all," Megamonkey ordered. "But before you go..." Megamonkey pressed another button on the remote, changing the video on the monitor from the live footage of Tara to the recording of the Glamageddon fight. "Never let it be said that I play fair, or expect you to. Watch this closely. You'll have a good idea of Tara's powers and weapons." Virunga nodded and paid close attention to the screen. Two monkey minions climbed onto Virunga's large shoulders for a closer view of the screen and ate the remaining popcorn that had landed on his head.

	At the restaurant that one of the monkey minions was taking footage of, Tara had just finished off her main course and was eagerly awaiting dessert. She sipped her ice water. "I miss the old days. I used to be able to do this almost every day..." Tara closed her eyes and sighed, setting the glass of water down. She was by no means poor, but money was tighter than it was two or three decades ago, when Tara was still an ally of SheZow's.
	A waitress walked over to Tara's table, carrying a tray of various food. She took one plate off and set it in front of Tara. "Here's your caramel cheesecake; enjoy!" She smiled before moving on to the next table. Tara opened her eyes and gazed at the sugary treat sitting in front of her. Before she could grab her fork, though, she noticed a monkey with a camcorder approach her. The monkey minion eyed the cheesecake, then looked at Tara, tilting its head.
	"Excuse me!" Tara raised her hand, trying to get a server's attention.
	The waitress who had brought Tara's cheesecake walked back over to Tara's table. "Would you like something else?"
	Tara pointed at the monkey minion, which was now standing on the table. "What is this? Either one of the ingredients escaped from the kitchen, or one of the busboys isn't wearing a name tag."
	The waitress gawked for a minute. "Oh...I'm sorry about that." She picked up the monkey minion and carried it toward the back. She looked down at the monkey minion. "You're at work! You need to look professional!" The monkey minion struggled to free itself, but could not.
	"Kids these days..." Tara groaned, grabbing her fork and using it to cut a piece off of the tip of the cheesecake. She ate it happily.

	"IDIOT!" Megamonkey snarled, slamming both fists onto the arms of his chair at the sight of what had happened to his live Tara footage, which he had been viewing on a small tablet-like device sitting on the table. "I said to be DISCREET!" He turned to Virunga. "Get over there, now. I'm not sure how much longer Tara will be there for, and I don't know where she lives or what else she normally does. It was just luck that one of my scouts spotted her today."
	Virunga stood up. "I won't fail!"
	"After I granted you your freedom, gave you intelligence, power, technology, a home...yes. See to it that you DON'T," Megamonkey advised, narrowing his eyes. "Head to the roof and take the helicopter. Actually, I'm going with you. I want to see how well you do against Tara." Megamonkey got off of his chair and left the room, followed by Virunga. Three monkey minions followed as well. The group headed to the lair's elevator and stepped inside. Virunga went first, followed by the monkey minions. When Megamonkey stepped in, a buzzer sounded. Megamonkey stared at the others and grumbled as he stepped back out. A monkey minion pressed a button.
	"I suppose we'll meet you up there, Boss?" Virunga asked as the door shut.
	"DAMN IT ALL!" Megamonkey took off running and used the stairs to ascend the lair. He eventually reached the roof, panting, looking at his underlings who were waiting for him. "Into the...helicopter! We don't...have...time...!" Megamonkey walked over to the helicopter and jumped in, taking a seat in the co-pilot seat and catching his breath. One monkey minion sat in the pilot seat, while the other two manned the laser turrets on each side. Virunga knelt down in between the two gunner monkeys. The helicopter's rotors started to spin.

	Tara was almost finished her cheesecake. She let out a loud burp, attracting the attention of many people in the restaurant. Paying them no mind, she took another bite. Once Tara was finished, she got up, headed over to the front counter, and used her debit card to pay for the meal. Tara turned around and headed outside; it was fairly late in the afternoon at this point. The streets were busy. One thing was out of place, however; the helicopter in the sky, flying low and getting closer. Tara kept her eye on it. It kept a bit of distance once it slowed down, hovering above a building across the street. Virunga dropped down from the helicopter, landing on the roof of the building. He then jumped from the roof and landed on the road. Fortunately, no cars had been passing underneath him when he landed. After landing, he raised a fist into the air and slammed the road, cracking it. He stood up and walked toward Tara, his eyes locked on hers. Tara kept watching, but didn't make any moves yet. Virunga stopped just a couple meters from Tara. He looked down at her. Tara raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, you're the dish washer," Tara commented. Virunga raised both fists, but Tara dodged to the side before he could bring them back down. The attack left a portion of the sidewalk shattered. Tara tore off her outer clothes, revealing her costume. She smirked. "I don't know who you are, but you'll regret attacking the greatest hero this city has ever seen!"
	"Greatest hero? Boss said you're just a has-been loser who's weaker than SheZow," Virunga told, crossing his arms.
	Tara gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes, readying her blasters. "I'll show YOU who's weak!" She fired several shots, which Virunga stopped with his forearms, partially thanks to the armor. The armor was slightly damaged by the attacks, but none of them pierced it. The city's citizens scattered at the sight of the battle, although some stayed to watch at a safe distance. Virunga charged at Tara; Tara tried to keep her distance, but could not maintain it as she was moving backwards, making it easy for Virunga to catch up. Tara retracted her blasters and readied her Laser Mascara. She went to attack, only to be fired upon from Megamonkey in the helicopter, using his scepter. Tara blocked the shots, but the distraction allowed Virunga the chance to strike. He hit Tara with a right cross, sending her flying down the street. She slammed into a parked van and landed on the ground, dazed. Megamonkey's helicopter began to fly closer. Seeing a chance, Tara put away the Laser Mascara, readied her blasters again, and aimed at the helicopter.
	"Evade, evade!" Megamonkey ordered the pilot. It was too late for that, though, as Tara had already opened fire. To her surprise, though, Virunga jumped high into the air, blocking the shots with his torso. His torso armor was slightly damaged by the shots.
	"As long as I'm here, the boss is UNTOUCHABLE," Virunga growled. Tara, still leaning against the damaged van, launched two balls of snot, aimed at Virunga's feet. They connected and stuck his feet to the ground, but his overwhelming strength made freeing himself an effortless task. Tara tried to get up, but the pain was too severe. Virunga ripped the hood from a parked car and used it as a shield to block Tara's blaster fire. He threw the hood at Tara once he was close enough; she went prone and prevented a direct hit, but it still landed on top of her. Knowing that she was in a tight spot, Tara lifted the lid off of her back using her wrists after retracting her blasters, while pointing her fingers at Virunga's knees. She launched a few bursts of fingernails at him. The nails pierced his fur and skin, drawing blood. Virunga growled, but was still moving at the same pace, despite the pain. He grabbed the hood and tossed it aside before getting behind Tara and pinning her arms down.
	"Hands off, or I'll--!" Tara struggled, but couldn't free herself.
	"Did you see what I did to that car?! Your arms are next!" Virunga shouted.
	"That'll do," Megamonkey told, the helicopter hovering just a few meters above the road. He used a rope ladder to descend and produced a clothespin. He used the clothespin to clamp Tara's nose closed. While Virunga continued to pin Tara, Megamonkey used some rope to tie Tara's legs up. "Virunga, hand around her neck, if you would. Tara, if you struggle, my henchman here will end you. Co-operate, and you will be set free when I have what I want." Virunga obeyed. A monkey minion tossed a pair of handcuffs and two rolls of duct tape down to Megamonkey next; he used the handcuffs to bind Tara's arms behind her back. He then spent several minutes and used an entire roll of duct tape on each of Tara's forearms to prevent her blasters from deploying. Megamonkey looked at Virunga. "Take her. We're done here." Megamonkey climbed the rope ladder back onto the helicopter. After pulling the ladder up, the helicopter lowered itself enough for Virunga to lift Tara onto it, before grabbing each of the helicopter's struts.
	"I'm on, Boss!" Virunga told.
	"Take us back to base," Megamonkey told the pilot. He then burst out laughing, his plan having been a complete success.

	At the She-Lair, Guy had been forcibly transformed into SheZow. He, Maz, and Kelly all sat in front of Sheila, who was showing footage of what just happened in front of the restaurant. "You can't be sherious," SheZow groaned. "I have to rescue TARA? Can't we just leave her to...banana duty or whatever Megamonkey has planned for her?"
	"Absolutely not. SheZow doesn't abandon someone in trouble, even if they had wronged her in the past," Sheila told.
	"Yeah, Guy," Kelly agreed. "I don't like her either, but that fight was brutal."
	"Why Tara, though?" Maz asked. "Don't tell me Megamonkey is so bad with the ladies that he has to resort to this."
	"Look who's talking," Kelly snickered.
	"Hey, I'm the BEST with the ladies!" Maz bragged. "Witness my awesome massaging skills!" He then got up from his spot, sat down behind SheZow, rubbing SheZow's back and shoulders.
	SheZow smiled and looked like he was going to fall asleep. "Heeey....you're pretty good at that..."
	Kelly kicked Maz's arm. "Don't go putting him to sleep right when he's needed!"
	"Okay, okay, my bad," Maz apologized. He took his hands off of SheZow.
	Kelly sighed. "At least now we know what happened to Virunga."
	"Who's Virunga?" SheZow asked.
	"The missing mountain gorilla from the zoo. I guess Megamonkey busted him out and turned him into....some sort of super-henchman," Kelly explained. "Weirder things HAVE happened around here."
	"Maz, are you able to come up with a sidekick persona that can maneuver in the air? Not necessarily fly, but...survive skydiving?" Sheila asked.
	"That's crazy!" Kelly protested.
	Maz grinned. "I think I can do that."
	"Maz, don't be stupid," SheZow told.
	"Trust me, I got this!" Maz got up and jogged over to his collection of sidekick equipment and sorted through it.
	"As for you, Kelly, you're participating in this little rescue operation," Sheila informed.
	"W-wait...participating...?" Kelly's eyes went wide as her jaw dropped. "WHY?! I don't wanna die! Did you SEE what they did to Tara?!"
	"Oh, don't worry so much. You'll be flying the She-C-10. This is Megamonkey's lair we're talking about, not a bank robbery. So...I want SheZow to have Maz with him to watch his back. However, the She-C-10 is an important part of the strategy I have in mind, and we can't rely on its....rather limited autopilot capabilities," Sheila explained. "Besides, didn't YOU want to be SheZow originally? Now you have a chance to actually play a more active role."
	"I....okay, I'll do it..." Kelly agreed reluctantly.
	"Just don't leave the She-C-10 and you'll be fine. I guarantee it," Sheila assured with a smile. Kelly nodded.
	"CHECK ME OUT!!" Maz shouted, presenting himself to the others. He wore an urban camouflage military uniform and a parachute on his back. He had his usual black mask on around his eyes, and his hair was in a spiked mohawk. Strapped to his belt was an array of hair care products.
	"...Don't ask, don't tell?" SheZow asked. He looked at Kelly, who shrugged.
	"I'm the Hairatrooper!" Maz told.
	"A parachute? You sure are resourceful, Maz," Sheila commented. "Yes, this will work out well. Now, I'll explain the rest of the plan..."

	At Megamonkey's lair, the helicopter landed on the roof after Virunga released the struts and moved out of the way. A squad of eight laser gun-toting monkey soldiers, wearing bulletproof vests and sunglasses, were waiting. Virunga grabbed Tara from the helicopter and carried her over his shoulder, as the squad of monkey soldiers escorted them inside. Megamonkey followed, laughing the whole time. Megamonkey instructed the group to take the stairs and meet in the main chamber, while he got aboard the elevator. A couple of minutes later, they met back up. "Follow me, I have just the place for her...." Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Megamonkey continued walking. The others followed.
	"You need an interior decorator," Tara pointed out. Virunga tightened his grip on Tara's waist, crushing her against his shoulder. She cried out in pain.
	"Keep your mouth shut unless the boss tells you otherwise," Virunga told.
	"Here we are!" Megamonkey exclaimed, opening the door. "I finally get to use my interrogation room!" The room featured a table with two chairs and a single lamp sitting on it; other than that, it was empty with the exception of a single monitor on the wall, and a speaker in a corner. There were no windows. He looked at the monkey soldiers. "I want two of you to come inside with Virunga and myself, and two more to stand guard outside the door. The rest of you return to your regular duties." They all saluted. Four of them took off. Two went inside, while the last two each stood at one side of the doorway in the hallway. Virunga carried Tara inside, followed by Megamonkey. Megamonkey shut the door behind them. Sitting down in one of the chairs, Megamonkey leaned back with his arms behind his head, chuckling. "Sit her down in the other one." Virunga complied, pulling the chair out with one arm and setting Tara down on it, upright. The monkey soldiers pointed their guns at Tara, while Virunga stood behind her with one hand atop her head.
	"Oh, this is cozy." Tara glared at Megamonkey's grinning face.
	"Let's get to business!" Megamonkey slammed his hand on the table. "You used to be an ally of SheZow's..."
	"Yes. Used to. I'm DONE with her," Tara told.
	"That may be, but you know something...."
	"What?" Tara asked, raising an eyebrow.
	"...SheZow's base of operations..." Megamonkey continued.
	"It's called the She-Lair, you idiot," Tara spat. Virunga slammed her head into the table, ensuring to hold himself back enough as to not damage the table. He then pulled her back into an upright position.
	Megamonkey burst out laughing. "Ever the bloodthirsty one, Virunga? I can't WAIT to set you loose in this....She-Lair." He looked back at Tara. "Since you know what it's called, Tara, you must know where it is, as well." Tara's eyes went wide. She then cursed under her breath.
	"ANSWER THE BOSS, HUMAN!!" Virunga roared. The monkey soldiers stepped back, trembling slightly. Megamonkey chuckled.
	"There's no rush. You'll answer sooner or later," Megamonkey assured. "Otherwise you'll eventually die of dehydration or starvation, unless you try to escape, in which case you'll get shot or crushed, depending on who gets you first." Megamonkey tapped his scepter on Tara's forehead. "Just tell me where the She-Lair is and you can go free. It's to my advantage for an enemy of SheZow's to live. Who knows, you might take care of her for me someday. But if you don't want to co-operate, that's your choice." Megamonkey leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking at Tara.
	"Don't you have any pride AT ALL?" Tara asked.
	"Pride? Pride is an abstract. I'll soon have the means to finish SheZow for good, and change my future. That is an absolute. I will never allow myself to be imprisoned ever again," Megamonkey growled. He then looked up at Virunga. "You could surely relate to that, couldn't you? You hate the humans who put you in a cage, DON'T YOU?!" Virunga's hand trembled as he tightened his grip on Tara's head. Tara winced. "Now...don't change the subject. Tell me where the She-Lair is. NOW!!"

	The park was relatively empty, as the weather had gotten cloudy and slightly cold. It appeared as though it might rain soon.  SheBang, who had been transformed by the same catalyst that transformed SheZow but not caring at all about it, already had plans. "Hee hee hee...I'll show those boys a REAL prank!" He teleported onto a thick tree branch and sat down, producing his Laser Hair Dryer. Aiming it at the half-pipe that Guy and Maz frequently used, he burst out giggling as he fired at it repeatedly. He fired shot after shot, putting holes all over the half-pipe until its structure was damaged enough that it collapsed into a mess on the ground. SheBang laughed even harder, losing his balance and falling out of the tree, landing on the ground. He was so engrossed in the pleasure of what he just did that he didn't even feel any pain from the fall. Continuing to giggle for a couple minutes more, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.
	"I have another couple of jobs for you."
	"...Sheila!" SheBang exclaimed, raising his left arm, which was emitting a Sheila hologram.
	"There's no time. I'm going to show you a spot on a map. I need you to get over there and attack Megamonkey's lair," Sheila informed.
	"Megamonkey? What kind of lame name is that?" SheBang asked.
	"Don't ask ridiculous questions. Just do it. If you complete the first task, I'll tell you about a power of yours that you obviously don't know about yet, since I've never seen you use it. Complete the second task, and I'll tell you SheZow's weakness," Sheila offered. "If you refuse to make the attempt, I'll tell her YOUR weakness."
	SheBang coughed suddenly. He then looked at the hologram. "...What's the second job?"
	"I'll tell you that AFTER the first job," Sheila told. "Also, make sure that you do NOT get spotted by SheZow, her sidekick, or the She-C-10's pilot, or the deal is off."
	"So...what exactly am I trying to accomplish?" SheBang asked.
	"Just keep the enemies busy, as much as you can. The main event will be the second job. It's also going to be really difficult, possibly beyond your power. If you fail the second job, I won't punish you. It's in your best interest to try, though. SheZow's weakness, remember."
	"You better not be lying!" SheBang glared at Sheila.
	"Have I lied to you so far? Of course not. You're still very useful, and I still have a lot of information that YOU might find useful," Sheila pointed out.
	"Fine, I'm going. Give me the map," SheBang agreed. Sheila grinned before putting the map on display , showing SheBang's current location with a SheBang icon, and the lair's location with a Megamonkey icon. SheBang teleported away.

	"Well, I tried being nice, and that didn't work, soooo...." Megamonkey struck Tara across the face with his scepter. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Or maybe I should let Virunga break something. What say you, Viru--" Megamonkey was cut off as an alarm sounded. "...WHAT?!" The room's monitor powered on, displaying two pieces of footage; one showed the She-C-10 heading toward their location at a high speed and altitude. It gained even more height, using the clouds as cover. The other piece of footage showed SheBang, firing his Laser Hair Dryer at the lair's exterior. "Who is that one? That red one. I've never seen her. A new sidekick, or...?" Megamonkey paused and shut his eyes as he nervously tapped his foot on the floor. "Virunga, it's time for you to demonstrate your skills as my second in command. Proceed to the main chamber and direct the soldiers. I want the one SHOOTING at us dealt with first! Take the two soldiers in here with you. Leave the ones outside the door posted there."
	Virunga nodded. "Right away." He headed out of the room followed by the two monkey soldiers, one of whom closed the door behind them.
	Megamonkey looked back at Tara, hitting her on the head again. "TALK!"
	Tara snickered. "I don't think so. SheZow's coming to put a boot up your a--" She paused as Megamonkey fired a laser blast from his scepter, hitting the wall behind Tara and leaving a scorch mark.
	"Perhaps Virunga is stronger than SheZow. Perhaps she'll throw her life away over the likes of you, her enemy!" Megamonkey laughed. "Then I wouldn't even need to bother about you at all. I'll just leave you to rot in this room while I tell Megadale's citizens all about their new ruler....ME."

	Outside the lair, many turrets had been deployed from the sides of the mountain that it was built on. They began firing laser blasts toward the sky, as well as at SheBang's position. SheBang, however, was making good use of the terrain and his teleporting power in order to avoid being hit. "This is suicide..." SheBang groaned, firing at one of the turrets. It deployed an energy shield around itself and stopped firing in response, deflecting the shots. "...Then how about THIS?" SheBang teleported to a different position and winked with his left eye as he fired the Heat Vision Wink at the shielded turret. The shield split the beam, causing the beam to harmlessly hit the side of the mountain instead. SheBang teleported again to avoid incoming fire, hiding behind a large rock, out of the turrets' line of sight. "No way can I get close enough to use the Compact Sticky Bombs, even with the Heart Shield. There's too many, and they're all over..." SheBang planted a few Compact Sticky Bombs on the rock he was hiding behind.

	In the main chamber of Megamonkey's lair, Virunga stood before a large ground of monkey soldiers. There were at least thirty. "Listen up! I want ten of you on the roof, ten of you on the ground outside, and ten of you patrolling the halls on this floor. The rest of you will stay in this room with me," Virunga ordered. The monkey soldiers saluted, the groups each heading to their destinations. Turning to the monitors, Virunga glared. "I don't care about the other one. SheZow....if I can kill her, Boss will be free. He freed me...so I'll free him in return!" Virunga pounded his chest in anticipation.

	Aboard the She-C-10, Kelly flew up higher and higher to reduce the turrets' overall accuracy and minimize the number of evasive maneuvers she had to make. In the passenger seat beside her, Maz sat with SheZow on his lap. Sheila appeared on the She-C-10's monitor. "Are you both ready, SheZow, Maz?" Sheila asked. "I've arranged for a certain distraction, but you still need to be careful on your approach."
	"What KIND of distraction?" Kelly asked.
	"Tag, you're it!" SheZow tapped Maz's shoulder.
	"Tag, YOU'RE it!" Maz tapped SheZow's shoulder in return.
	"Not that kind, I'm hoping," Kelly sighed.
	"You don't need to know that. Anyway, if you're ready, open up that cockpit and we'll send the other two on their way," Sheila informed.
	"Pay attention, guys. Also, I hope you didn't cheap out on that parachute, Maz."
	"Cheap out? I didn't pay anything for--" Maz was cut off by Kelly's yelling.
	"YOU STOLE IT?!"
	"It's in the past!" Maz shrugged as he grinned.
	"You're like...Robin Hood!" SheZow commented.
	"Good call! Maybe I'll use that for another sidekick costume sometime," Maz replied.
	Kelly pressed a button on the She-C-10's control panel. The cockpit's window opened up. "Just get going, you two. I'll do my best to distract those laser guns." SheZow and Maz stood up. "On my mark..." Maz hugged SheZow's chest from behind, holding the two of them close together. "....Now! JUMP!" Maz and SheZow jumped out of the She-C-10 together, diving toward the top of Megamonkey's lair. Since Maz's arms were full with hanging onto SheZow, SheZow pulled the parachute's cord once they had closed most of the distance. Kelly flanked the lair, firing Fishnet Stocking Bombs at the turrets; however, the turrets used their energy shields to negate the attacks. Whereas the automated turrets considered the She-C-10 the highest priority target since it was the largest, the monkey soldiers on the roof knew better and began firing at Maz and SheZow with their laser guns. Although Maz's hands were occupied with preventing SheZow from free-falling, SheZow's hands were free to produce his Laser Lipstick and deflect the shots. Kelly flew toward the monkey soldiers, firing a burst of Shelithium Torpedoes at them, forcing them to scatter. A couple were hit by the explosion and stopped moving. The others were now playing it safe, only emerging every so often to fire. SheZow kept up the defense.
	About a minute passed before SheZow spoke. "You can drop me now, dude. Here." SheZow stuck the Laser Lipstick into one of Maz's upper pockets after deactivating it. "Defend yourself with that in the meantime."
	Maz had a troubled look on his face. "Okay, SheZow, if you say so." Maz sighed as he released SheZow. Pulling the Laser Lipstick from his pocket, Maz activated it, carefully angling it to deflect the shots that passed by SheZow on his way down. SheZow landed on the roof, rolled, and shielded himself with his cape to avoid the monkey soldiers' fire. Letting loose a Sonic Scream, three of them were sent flying from the roof, freefalling down the side of the mountain. The others dove back behind the entrance to the lair itself. Maz landed soon after and dropped the parachute on the ground.
	"You made it! There's some monkeys hiding behind there," SheZow motioned toward the elevator entrance.
	"Like, behind the door?"
	"Yeah. Wait, no."
	"Are they in the elevator?"
	"No, they're BEHIND it."
	"Huh?"
	SheZow groaned. "THEY'RE BEHIND THE...THING! That thing poking out of the ground that the elevator is inside of!"
	"Oh," Maz replied. "So what's the plan?"
	"Just sneak around behind 'em and scare 'em out," SheZow told. Maz nodded and gave a thumbs up. Still holding the Laser Lipstick, he tiptoed toward the elevator. Looking around the corner carefully, he suddenly raised the Laser Lipstick and charged.
	"I AM YOUR FATHER!!" Maz yelled. The monkeys cried out in panic and ran, only to be face to face with SheZow.
	"Surprise! Heavy-Handed Super She-Slap!" SheZow's right hand increased in size exceptionally. He then swatted the monkeys all at once, sending them flying off of the rooftop. He looked over at Maz. "Laser Lipstick, please?"
	"Oh, sure! I think it suits you better, anyway," Maz replied, deactivating the Laser Lipstick and tossing it to SheZow.
	"Let's take the stairs. It'll be safer," SheZow suggested. He headed to the other door, kicked it down, and headed inside, followed by Maz.

	A group of monkey soldiers approached SheBang's position. He poked his head from behind the rock, getting ready to attack, only for the turrets to open fire again and force him back to his original position. "Oh, screw this," SheBang muttered.
	Sheila appeared in hologram form from SheBang's wrist. "You're doing fine. Divide and conquer is the basics of strategy. And you haven't been spotted by anyone on my side of things, so just keep at it. I'll let you know when this job is done and what the second one entails." Sheila's hologram then vanished.
	"Oh, THANKS," SheBang growled. He raised his Laser Hair Dryer. Monkeys flanked him on his right and left, forcing SheBang to teleport straight up into the air. "Surprise, bug-eaters!" SheBang pressed a button on the back of his Laser Hair Dryer, detonating the compact sticky bombs and sending the monkeys flying every which way. SheBang teleported again, hiding behind another rock and avoiding the turrets.

	"Hey, I just saw an explosion down there," Kelly commented, steering the She-C-10 toward SheBang's previous position.
	"Don't get distracted!" Sheila told, appearing on the screen in front of Kelly. "You have an important task! There's no need to put yourself in danger over...curiousity."
	"Okay, I get it," Kelly sighed. She turned the She-C-10 around and headed back over the lair, continuing to avoid the turrets' firepower. Noticing that SheZow and Maz had made it inside, Kelly flew the She-C-10 behind a mountain and hovered in place, out of the turrets' line of sight. "So just...wait until they get back?"
	"Exactly. I don't know how long they'll be, so be patient." Sheila vanished from the screen.

	Sheila re-appeared in hologram form on SheBang's wrist. "You're done here, for now. Put some more distance between yourself and the lair. I'm marking the She-C-10 on your map. STAY AWAY FROM IT."
	"Alright," SheBang replied. Using Sheila's map as a reference, he teleported several times until he found himself a safe distance away, and hid among some rocks.
	"I'll give you your first reward right before I give you your next job." Sheila then vanished once again.

	Inside Megamonkey's lair, SheZow proceeded down the hallways, followed by Maz. For the most part, things were quiet. "This is gonna take forever...the place is huge!" SheZow complained.
	Maz put an arm around SheZow's shoulder. "Hey...I have a good idea..."
	"Hmm?"
	"Use your Sonic Scream, straight down. Just blast a hole straight down this whole building. When we see heads poking out from one of the floors, we'll know which one Megamonkey is on. It makes sense that he'd have most of his guys on the same floor he's on, right?" Maz suggested.
	"Wow. You're really smart, dude!" SheZow's eyes went wide.
	"More than you, at least," Maz laughed.
	"Ouch."
	"Oh, don't worry about it. You have other qualities!" Maz assured.
	"Yeah, okay." SheZow looked down and let loose a Sonic Scream. The floor crumbled beneath him, but Maz grabbed both of SheZow's hands with his own.
	"I gotcha! Keep at it!" Maz encouraged. No longer needing to worry about falling, SheZow put the pressure back on. One after another, the floors had fairly wide holes in them. Four floors down, a group of monkeys leaned over backward, looking up at SheZow.
	"Pull me up! They're four floors down!" SheZow informed. Maz pulled SheZow back up. The two of them turned around and ran back the way they came from, headed for the stairwell.
	The sound of Virunga's voice could be heard echoing throughout the lair. "Hold your positions! There's only two of them! We're at an advantage in this large room!!"

	Progress in the interrogation room was non-existent. "I grow tired of your stubborn behavior," Megamonkey sighed. He slammed his fist down in front of Tara, who didn't flinch at all. She chuckled.
	"You're finished. That henchman of yours only beat me with your help. He can't beat SheZow," Tara told.
	"We'll see about that. And as for you..." Megamonkey jumped onto the table and kicked Tara in the face, knocking her to the floor. He pointed the scepter at her. "I still have a LITTLE more time left with you!" He then eyed the monitor curiously, noticing SheZow and Maz having arrived in the main chamber.

	"Stay back, Hairatrooper!" SheZow told, producing his Laser Lipstick to deflect the shots fired at him by the monkey soldiers in the room. "Boomerang Brush!" SheZow threw his Boomerang Brush, hitting two monkeys in the head and knocking them unconscious.
	"Enough!" Virunga shouted. "The rest of you, get to the opposite doorway and hold it!" The remaining monkey soldiers continued to fire on SheZow as they got to their assigned position. They then stopped firing. SheZow was face-to-face with Virunga.
	"Why are you helping Megamonkey?" SheZow asked. "He's evil! And you always looked so...happy and carefree at the zoo! I've seen you there before!"
	"Happy? That was just a facade. I could never escape that place on my own, so I had given up on trying. And then Megamonkey just came along and...fixed everything. Now I have brains, power, freedom!" Virunga claimed.
	"What freedom? You only have what Megamonkey SAYS you can have!" SheZow pointed out.
	"I have all the freedom I want. You think Megamonkey has me under some sort of mind control? Or is threatening me? No. He granted my wish, and so I will grant his," Virunga explained. "After I do that, Megadale will be his, and I'll find a domain of my own."
	"You'll have to go through ME first." SheZow raised his Laser Lipstick. Virunga roared and charged. SheZow swung his Laser Lipstick, only to be parried by Virunga's forearm armor. "...What?! What is that armor MADE of?"
	"Heh." Virunga grabbed both of SheZow's forearms and spun him around 180 degrees. "Troops! Open fire!" The monkey soldiers obeyed, firing many laser blasts at SheZow. Some hit his cape and were ineffective, but a few hit the back of his head. SheZow cried out in pain.
	"Hey! That's dirty!" Maz protested. He picked up a chair and threw it at Virunga, hitting him in the head. He slowly turned to look at Maz.
	"....Weakling. Why does SheZow keep you around?" Virunga asked. SheZow struggled, but couldn't overpower Virunga with strength.
	"I may not be as strong as her, but..." Maz produced a bottle of hair spray from his belt. "I'm full of surprises!" Maz jumped up onto the table and sprayed the hair spray into Virunga's right eye. Growling, he dropped SheZow and rubbed his eye in pain, stumbling backwards.
	SheZow tossed the Laser Lipstick to Maz and shielded himself with his cape as the monkey soldiers opened fire again. "Go get em, pal!" Maz nodded and rushed at the monkeys. He made several quick slashes and managed to disarm two of them, forcing them to retreat. The remaining two fired at Maz, who ducked, dodged, and blocked with the Laser Lipstick desperately. SheZow, using his super speed, charged at the remaining two monkeys and clotheslined them, knocking them unconscious as their heads hit the floor. In a rage, Virunga slammed his fist into a wall, knocking a huge hole in it. Maz tossed the Laser Lipstick back to SheZow, who deactivated it and put it away. Producing the Vanishing Cream, SheZow motioned for Maz to come closer. "Go find Tara. I'll take care of Donkey Kong." He then splattered the Vanishing Cream all over Maz, turning him invisible. SheZow put the Vanishing Cream away as Maz took off, and turned his attention back to Virunga. Maz began opening random doors.
	Virunga opened his right eye. "Too bad for you. The boss is in the same room Tara is. He's going to kill that little friend of yours!" He lunged at SheZow.
	"Heavy-Handed Super She-Slap!" SheZow's right hand grew even larger than Virunga's. Virunga chuckled. SheZow swung the large hand at Virunga, only to have it caught by him. Virunga began crushing SheZow's hand. "AAAAHHH!"
	"Don't you GET it? You CAN'T OVERPOWER ME!" Virunga shouted in SheZow's face.

	"Heh heh heh...HAHAHAHAHA!" Megamonkey laughed as he watched the fight between SheZow and Virunga on the monitor. Tara's eye twitched. "You see?"
	"It's not over until it's over," Tara told. At that point, the door behind Megamonkey slowly opened.
	"....Who's there?" Megamonkey asked. No one was there. Maz, still invisible, tiptoed around Megamonkey.
	"What's the matter? PREOCCUPIED with something?" Tara laughed. "C'mon, I'm getting bored over here!" Tara was still lying on the floor due to Megamonkey's earlier kick. Maz knelt down behind Tara's ankles and produced a pair of scissors, slowly cutting into the rope. Tara smirked.
	"You'll regret that." Megamonkey got out of his chair and walked closer, hitting Tara in the head with his scepter. "TELL ME WHERE THE SHE-LAIR IS!"

	Virunga tossed SheZow over the table, sending him tumbling across the floor. He then picked the entire table up and smashed it down on SheZow. There was no movement afterward. Waiting for a minute before jumping to conclusions, Virunga let out a long sigh. "Heh heh...is that all it took? I ought to get back to the boss and help with that interrogation..." Suddenly, the floor caved in under Virunga, and he fell, falling below the floor below as well which already had a hole in it. "AAAAGGHHH!" SheZow stood along the edge of the hole in the floor below the main chamber, waving good-bye to Virunga as he fell. He landed on the floor below SheZow. After getting back up on his feet, Virunga jumped and grabbed the  edge of the broken floor above him, but it crumbled under his weight and he fell once again. He cursed as his back slammed into the floor.
	"Looks like you're too much of a one-trick pony," SheZow pointed out. He then jumped up into the main chamber, rolling as he landed. Knowing that Virunga wouldn't be out of the battle for long, SheZow began looking for Maz.

	In the interrogation room, Maz almost had Tara's legs free. Megamonkey gasped as he saw Virunga bested by SheZow. He then growled and kicked the table over, still not having noticed Maz's presence. "I'll be back for YOU," Megamonkey told before activating his invisibility watch and leaving the room.
	"So....who's there?" Tara asked.
	"I'm the Hairatrooper. SheZow sent me," Maz whispered. He finished removing the rope on Tara's leg.
	"Well, with Megamonkey gone, I don't need you anymore," Tara pointed out. She then angled her fingers toward the handcuffs and fired a volley of nails at them, breaking the cuffs but injuring herself in the process. With her hands free, she removed the clothespin from her nose and produced her Laser Mascara, using it to quickly cut the duct tape around her forearms, allowing use of her blasters. Turning to the wall opposite the door, she thrust her Laser Mascara into it and cut an exit large enough for her own use. Tara dropped down from it, jabbing the Laser Mascara into the side of the mountain once she got that far down, using it to slow her descent down the mountainside. The turrets' IFF programming did not recognize Tara as a hostile, as she had been removed from the threat matrix before the helicopter's return to base in order to prevent any accidental friendly fire; the turrets' programming was rather limited since they were based on future technology that Megamonkey had not finished mastering yet.
	The Vanishing Cream wore off soon after. Maz ran into the hallway and spotted SheZow. "Hey! I freed Tara. Let's get outta here!"
	"We're not going anywhere," SheZow contradicted.
	"Wait, what?"
	"Getting in here was tough. Beating Virunga was tough too. Megamonkey's on the run. This might be the only chance we get for a while to capture him and get his butt thrown in a jail cell," SheZow explained.
	"...Okay, I'm with you," Maz assured. The two moved onward, looking for Megamonkey.

	"Oooohhhh, Shebang!" Sheila chimed, appearing in hologram form from SheBang's wrist.
	"Finally. I was getting tired of waiting," SheBang groaned.
	"Two things. First, your next job. Tara was just rescued from Megamonkey's evil clutches! You know what that means?"
	"Ummm...it's over?" SheBang asked.
	"Oh, ha ha, you kidder. No, it means you're going to go and kill her!" Sheila informed, grinning.
	"Wait. Your group just rescued her, and now you want her dead?"
	"SheZow rescued her. She's a superhero, helping people in trouble is her job. However..." Sheila sighed. "Tara has information that I don't want being available to others. So you're going to silence her, permanently, while SheZow's hands don't get the slightest bit dirtied! It's a win-win."
	"You're such a manipulative bi--"
	"Do you want to know about that one power of yours?"
	SheBang perked up. "Oh! Yes!"
	"It's a power similar to the Heavy-Handed Super She-Slap, except while that one is designed for immense power in an arc, your equivalent is designed for moderate power and defense in a 360 degree angle. Great for handling mobs of enemies. It's called the Long-Haired Super She-Spin."
	"Long-Haired Super She-Spin?" SheBang asked. On queue, SheBang's pigtails grew to four times their usual length, nearly touching the ground, and got thicker as well. They also felt much heavier, but thanks to SheBang's super strength, they were easily manageable. "Oh, I get it, and then I just start..." SheBang began spinning around and around quite a bit quicker than a person normally could, pulverizing the rocks around him. He continued to do so, giggling like a schoolgirl all the while. He didn't have super speed like SheZow, but the attack was still quite fast.
	"Yes, just don't--" Sheila paused as SheBang came to a halt, dizzy from all of the spinning. "....Use it too much until you get used to it." He fell over and hit his head on a rock, passing out. "...Hey. Wake up. SheBang, wake up." Sheila paused for a moment, and then sighed. "Oh...fine. All things considered, it could've ended up much worse." Sheila's hologram then vanished.

	SheZow and Maz continued to wander the halls of Megamonkey's lair. "SheZow...let's get out of here. Something's not right. What if that Virunga guy shows up for round two...?" Maz had a worried look on his face.
	"That gorilla's dumber than a bag of hammers. I'll just whoop his sorry butt again!" SheZow assured.

	Opening the door to one particular room on the lowest floor, Megamonkey shut it behind him as he deactivated his invisibility watch. "Always have a backup plan," Megamonkey reminded himself. He opened up a panel on the wall, revealing a gas mask, which he quickly put on. Megamonkey then pressed the red button inside the panel that was hidden behind where the gas mask had been sitting.

	"What's that hissing sound..." SheZow looked back and forth. Gas was beginning to fill the lair's hallways and rooms.
	Maz yawned. "Hey...I'm getting a bit...sleeeepy..." Maz then passed out on the floor.
	"...Hey, Maz...MAZ!" SheZow knelt down beside his friend, lifting Maz's head onto his knee. Shaking him, SheZow continued to call his name, but he would not wake up.
	"NO!" SheZow growled. He looked down at Maz. "If...if the gas got Maz that quickly, I might even be..." SheZow felt himself starting to get tired. Slapping himself in the face, he glared at the lair's wall. Carrying the sleeping Maz with one arm was no trouble at all; SheZow then charged forward, slamming his opposite shoulder into the wall, breaking through it. "...Uh-oh. That's a little high...!!" SheZow fell, still hanging onto Maz. The turrets opened fire, when all of a sudden the She-C-10 flew toward their position. The jet's arms deployed, catching the two friends before Kelly flew away from Megamonkey's lair as fast as the She-C-10 could go without dropping the outside passengers. The She-C-10 took several hits from the lasers and was knocked around, but its sturdy exterior prevented any major damage.

	The turrets stopped firing once the She-C-10 got out of range. Kelly pressed a button on the control panel, opening the cockpit up. The arms set SheZow and Maz down inside. SheZow sat down in the passenger seat with the sleeping Maz on his lap. SheZow rubbed his own eyes, slightly tired as well. Kelly chuckled. "Awww, is it past your bedtime?"
	"Ugh...no...Megamonkey hit us with some kind of sleeping gas. I thought I was fine, but..." SheZow groaned.
	"Well, get some rest when we get home. You both worked hard today. I'm impressed. Slightly," Kelly commented.
	"Hehehe..." SheZow's eyes closed as he fell asleep, his head leaning against Maz's.
	"Don't sell yourself short, either, Kelly. You did a good job as well," Sheila added.
	"...I guess. But don't make me do this all the time, okay?" Kelly told. "There's only two seats in this thing." Kelly then steered the She-C-10 toward home.

	Megamonkey walked around his ravaged lair, still wearing the gas mask. He had met back up with Virunga in the main chamber, who was barely affected by the gas at all. "Well? Don't just stand there. Start cleaning up what you can. Once my minions awaken, I'll put them to work and get this place looking as good as new."
	"...Alright." Virunga sighed as he hung his head.
	"What, you think it's over?" Megamonkey asked. He then laughed. "SheZow didn't even find out what I'm working on. I may have lost, but all is not lost!"
	"I'll lend you my strength from here on out, until you, too, are free," Virunga assured, kneeling before Megamonkey.
	Megamonkey crossed his arms and turned toward his chair, which had been miraculously untouched in the battle. "Enjoy your victory while you can, SheZow..."