CIVIL WAR: The Third Side of the Coin
By Jarkota, Digifan316, and Classic Cowboy
Kim Possible, Marvel "Heroes", and all other used characters are owned by their respective creators. Jason Argo of the Boomerang Blade series is the property of Digifan316, and Shadow is kind of Jarkota's creation … that statement will make sense later. Now on with the prologue.
New York Museum of Natural History
Jason Argo, head of security, was seated at his desk. It was a quiet evening, as the museum was closed for renovations. At the sound of a door opening, Jason looked up from his copy of Shonen Jump to see a man dressed entirely in black, from his wide-brimmed hat to his trench coat, boots, and gloves, stepping into the lobby. The hat was pulled down over his face, making most of his features indiscernible.
"Sorry, pal, unless you're delivering a pizza, we're closed." Jason said, taking a better look at his attire "But there's a Liam Neeson lookalike contest three block over at the bingo hall."
The man gave him a cold stare. "Give me the Skull."
Jason smirked glad to see that the day just got less boring. "Now see, dude, that's where you and I are gonna have a problem." He said, putting down his magazine. "First of all, we're a museum; we got lots of 'em. Second, this is a museum; you can't have 'em. The gift shop has skull replicas on the second floor, but I've got a feeling that ain't what you're here for. Am I getting warm, Gothy?" he asked, reaching behind his back.
The man began growing impatient as he raised the brim of his hat. "I have no time for your games, boy. Give me the Skull."
Jason looked into the stranger's eyes, and saw something familiar yet alien at the same time. I'd better get the Blade ready - something about this guy isn't right. He thought as he stepped behind the desk bringing out a Arabian-style scimitar with intricate runes carved into the hilt and blade "You need to be more specific - not that you're getting it, anyway." He said, twirling his favorite weapon for emphasis. "We've got skulls from the Ming Dynasty. We've got Civil War skulls...hell, we've even got mummified skulls, but they ain't yours, so leave now, and I'll forget that a bozo who got lost on his way to GothCon wandered in here."
"You just made your first mistake, boy. And your last. The dark clad man said as he raised his right hand and fired a beam of dark energy from his palm into Jason's chest, knocking the young man into the back of the lobby. He shattered a glass case of various Native American artifacts, but the strange sword stayed gripped in his hand. Despite this, he looked like he was down for the count.
The stranger began to leave through one of the side doors to the storage room when he saw his opponent stir amidst the pile of glass, wood, and stone carvings.
Jason stood with blood dripping from a cut on his forehead. "Not bad, Gothy ..." he groaned, shaking it off, "now, it's my turn!" He called out as he threw the blade at the intruder.
The man sidestepped, then grabbed the hilt of the sword as it whipped by. He took a moment to look at the odd weapon, then stuck it blade-first into the floor. "I grow tired of this - give me the Skull and I may still let you live." He warned.
Jason charged the stranger, catching him off-guard with a Bruno Sammartino-style clothesline, and placing his foot on the fallen man's chest for emphasis. "Here's some free advice - I ain't dependent on my weapon." He said confidently. "Now, for threatening me and wrecking one of my parents' best displays, I'm gonna have to K.O. ya and call the cops. We'll see how long you maintain that tough guy attitude when you're sharin' a cell with a guy named Bubba who likes pretty mouths."
The man angrily grabbed Jason's ankle and threw the security guard into - and through - the desk he previously sat at. "You impudent whelp!" the intruder stood tall "No one speaks in such a manner to me and lives to tell about it!"
Jason staggered to get up, obviously in pain but determined not to show it "'Impudent whelp'? What is this - King Arthur's Court? Wait, let me guess - you're the big, bad, Black Knight and this 'skull' is your treasure." He said, spinning the blade about and tightening his hold on it. "Well, I ain't no Lancelot, but I ain't no pansy ether. I don't care what skull you're after, Goth boy - NONE SHALL PASS! See, you ain't the only one that can sound like he's from a bad fantasy novel."
"You are trying my patience, you pathetic cur." The man growled, "I offer you one last chance to give me the Aztec Skull and escape here with your life - not that it seems to amount to much."
Jason put the sword back into its sheath; he then inexplicably walked towards the stranger, smiling as though they were old friends. "Oh; that skull. Why didn't you just say so? By the way, my name is Jason Argo and…" he suddenly leapt and roundhouse kicked the man in the head. "You are sure as Hell not getting that!"
The man straightened his head, which was jarred only slightly by the kick. "A predictable attack. And one that will cost you."
" What are you, a thief or a Kingdom Hearts villain?" Jason asked unimpressed
"I grow tired of this. Uthe Cestos!" the man said causing an portal to appear at his feet before he vanished into it.
Jason kneeled to look for any sign of the man. "Okay, Gothy, where are you!?"
"Right here." The man growled directly behind him.
"Nice parlor trick, Goth boy. Mind if I have the name of the guy that got the drop on me?"
"You may call me Shadow. Learn it well, for it is the last name you shall ever know."
"Cute... that Goth thing wasn't that far off." Jason mused, "B.T.W. That bit about getting the drop on me? Well..." He brought his hands down on Shadow's forearms in knife-edged chops, causing the man to release Jason. He then tossed the blade upwards, causing a display of T-Rex ribs to fall on top of Shadow, making a make swift prison. He finished by catching the blade with no effort, then pointed it to Shadow. "I lied. Now, talk, why do you want... the... No way! It can't be you! It just can't be!"
"I cease to be amused by this." Shadow disappeared through another portal, then reappeared on top of the fallen ribcage. "Are you going to give me the Skull, or do I have to take it from you?"
Jason gawked at him. "But...you've already got it, man!"
"If I had it, do you think I would be here, engaged in a pathetic sparring match with a rank amateur like you in order to acquire it???? The only reason you're alive right now is because I can get to the Skull easier if I know where it is. If I kill you, that means I'll have to find it myself, and that could take hours I do not have! Tell me where it is NOW!!!!" Shadow bellowed.
Jason was about ready to attack again. "Look, pally-boy, I have no idea why you look so much older, or why you don't have that ugly dyed-green hair, but I gave you the Skull the night we fought the Huntsclan and the Dark Dragon! That was the same night I got the Boomerang Blade!" He said, holding up his blade. "Don't you remember???"
Shadow's eyes widened. "Impossible...Can it be that you've seen through my disguise? You know who I am… Or, rather, who I used to be?"
Jason lowered his blade and narrowed his eyes. "'Used to be'? Why do I get the feeling you're no longer the guy I know?"
"My past is in the past," Shadow said coldly, "There is no going back."
"We'll talk more about that later." He said as he looked Shadow directly in the eyes. What could have happened to you to make you lose part of yourself? And there's something else... but what? He thought before speaking up again. "You want the Skull; that much I know. But why?"
"I aim to destroy it, so that the power held inside it cannot be used against me." He sighed, "Why I am indulging you? This is beyond me - perhaps I should just kill you now and find it myself."
Jason was quickly becoming frustrated. "Used against you how? Everyone knows you as the green-haired kid constantly getting in trouble with his parents, Let's not get into your alter-ego!"
"You know much," Shadow narrowed his eyes. "How do you know of these things?"
"I know because I fought with him," Jason explained, "I even became quite close. I even let him and his friend grind on the rail of the steps while the museum's closed. He was with me when I got this." He motioned to his blade.
"Probably wouldn't do me any good to kill you," Shadow mused, "then - he would just come after me, and I can't afford that. They need to be kept away from me at all costs. Just tell me where the Skull is, and I will leave."
Jason walked to the remains of his desk and picked up his phone. "Mom? I'm borrowing the Hummer. I'm taking a friend of mine over to Jake's. We've got to clear something up."
"What was all that noise I heard a few minutes ago?" his mother asked over the line.
"Um, er...sorry - must've had that ECW reunion show turned up too loud. Bye!" Jason said, quickly hanging up, then grabbing a jacket with a Yin-Yang symbol on the back and a built-in sheath for his sword, swapping it out for his uniform coat. He then turned to Shadow "You up for a road trip, angsty?"
"This had better be worth my time, human." Shadow growled.
"Somehow, I think it will be." He said as the two men walked out the door and into the night.
The Beginning
Classic Cowboy: I really didn't have much into this opening; all I did was edit it for the boys. But when Jarkota and Digifan approached me with this idea, for which I was already contemplating a similar one, I thought why not? I've worked with Jezrianna on our SuperKim and BatRon cross, which I promise will be updated as soon as we both can get our muses going on it again, and really a fic, a crossover of this span and magnitude is beyond any one author to pull off. So, wish us luck as we try to weave a tale worth telling and enjoy the ride!