Chapter 9 [Talon—ten minutes earlier
Meantime in downtown Smallville, the Talon café wound down toward its closing time. Most of the patrons had emptied out for the evening, taking their caffeinated goodies with them. Off to the side, a flower shop, Angie's Floral Emporium, was doing about the same. Within twenty minutes time, the staff would clear out as well.
A lanky brunette woman wiped the counter down, adding a little extra flourish at the end. Miranda Arighatto wiped her brow off, still feeling the aftereffects of Sensei's repeated contact attempts. While she had guessed it was him, she didn't understand why he only called her name and never said anything else. What's going on? Is he all right? She bit her lip. I should call him if this gets any worse! She glanced around the room, studying the remaining folks. Besides Alicia, the additional waitress, she saw Lex Luthor and his fiancée, Chloe Sullivan, sitting in a corner booth talking about things. I'm glad Uncle Dave and Lana insisted on having Alicia around! I really shouldn't but maybe I can call once everyone else leaves. That way, nobody can overhear me and Yamanuchi's secret will be safe!
Alicia walked over to the coffee bar and shook her manager's shoulder. "Hey, Miranda, are you all right?"
"Huh? Oh sorry, Alicia, I spaced there. What can I get you?" Miranda apologized.
The blonde teenager eyed her cautiously, debating whether to relay the information to Lex about her friend's 'spaciness'. "Chloe wants another cappuccino. Mind if I make it for her?"
"Heaven help me if I come between her and her caffeine fix," Miranda teased while eyeing her friends in the corner again. Then as her friend moved behind her, a sharp pain struck her between the eyes. "AHHH!"
"Miranda?" Alicia asked, forgetting about the drink. "Lex!"
Within a minute, Lex and Chloe had joined the others at the counter.
From Angie's, Miranda's aunt, Karen Singleton, ran over as well. "Miri! What is it?"
"It's another headache, Auntie. Forget it," Miranda tried to cover herself.
Miri Chan, can you hear me? Sensei's voice requested.
"I heard that!" Karen noted.
"Nobody said anything!" Alicia disagreed.
Karen held a hand up, trying to get silence from the others. "Miri, relax, it's okay. Just let me in."
"Auntie, I can't! Really!"
The former nurse sighed. "It's either that or we're going to the Med Center. And you really want to deal with your uncle then?" She focused, linking her mind with her niece's. While she wasn't as polished at these things as her twin brother, she had more patience than Dave did in that regard. ["Who are you? Why are you trying to contact Miranda? What's going on?"
She only heard silence.
["Answer me. What do you want!" Karen demanded. She recalled what Dave had told her about what Miranda said about a 'master'. ["Are you her master sensei?"
Still silence.
"It's not just a headache," Karen diagnosed. "Somebody's bugging Miri and doesn't want us to know. Worse, she knows and is covering for them. Miri, who is it?"
"I'm sworn not to," Miranda pointed out while sitting in a corner booth and taking some aspirins for the pounding in her head.
"It's okay, Miranda," Lex assured her. "You know we can keep a secret."
"Not this one. I'm sorry," Miranda disagreed and took another sip of water. She wondered if the evening could get any worse.
Kim parked the car in front of the Talon and set the brake. "This town is dead. This place doesn't seem like much either."
"Sensei says she will be here," Yori noted while quickly climbing out of the back seat and taking a step toward the front door.
"Hey. Maybe we should be careful, guys," Rick interjected, putting a hand on Yori's shoulder. "Remember Dr. Director's report on this place?"
I agree, Trouseau San. Sensei's image appeared in front of the quartet. "Forgive my sudden appearance, my friends. My efforts to communicate with Miri Chan have been discovered."
"Discovered? Hey! Maybe they can teach us to read minds too!" Ron suggested.
"You should focus on the real issue, Stoppable San. Our school's secret is at risk," Sensei admonished. "Get Miranda away from the others immediately and speak to her." With that, his image faded.
Sensing his comrades' anxiousness, Ron added, "What? It's all good. Let's get some coffee and scope the place out." As he said that, he felt uneasy himself.
"What is it, Ron San?" Yori insisted, feeling uneasy about the situation.
"Nothing. Let's get that good stuff," Ron insisted while leading the others inside.
Kim eyed her long time partner and then exchanged glances with Rick. "I'd better get Wade."
"Hey, KP, it's no big! What's the worst that can happen? We fight with some mutant cake?" Ron scoffed.
Yori's eyes narrowed as they entered the café. "It seems normal."
"Except for the walls and stuff," Kim assessed with a frown.
"This is an old theater, Kim," Rick reminded her. "Circa 1930 or so."
"Time for an update then," Ron remarked while feeling a charge in the air. "Whoa!"
"Sit, Ron San." Yori indicated, not taking chances with him. Seeing Alicia hustle over, she asked, "My boyfriend needs a glass of water please."
"Sure," Alicia agreed. "Be right back with that."
Seeing that the place was empty except for them and the few others, Kim guessed, "It must be pretty close to closing time."
"You've still got a half hour so order what you want," Lex interjected as he walked over. "Haven't seen you four in town before. Welcome! Is your friend okay?"
"Just a bad headache," Ron deflected. "Thanks, Dude."
Rick eyed the bald billionaire. "You're Lex Luthor, the industrialist, right?"
Bad headache? There seems to be a rash of them! "That's me. I also have a stake in this café. And you are?" Lex asked while offering the teen agent his hand.
"Rick Trouseau. The red head's name is Kim and these are our friends, Ron and Yori. We're looking for a friend of ours," Rick introduced.
"Maybe we can help," Chloe added as she joined them. "Meantime, enjoy the best coffee in Lowell County."
"And she would know too," Lex declared with a wry smirk.
Chloe shrugged before continuing, "You better believe it, Lex. Anyhow there are other drinks besides coffee up there. Feel free to see what's there."
Yori continued to survey the room until her eyes caught Miranda and Karen. "There she is! Miri Chan!"
"Where?" Ron wondered.
"What?" Karen asked, knowing that Miranda only allowed certain people to call her by the nickname.
"Yori? What are you doing here?" Miranda asked while pulling herself to her feet. She rubbed her forehead. "Sorry, I must really be out of it."
"I am here. Our teacher needs to speak to you about an urgent matter. You must come with us," Yori noted, trying to keep a balance between a warm smile and the seriousness of the situation in her approach.
"Sorry, she's not going anywhere except home at the moment," Karen disagreed. "Maybe you can tell us who this master is?"
"Umm, guys, maybe we should like back off?" Kim supposed. "She really doesn't look well. Sensei can probably wait until morning."
"I can't really take off anyway," Miranda chimed in. "Too much going on here right now. Trust me. You don't want me taking off without letting my uncle know first.'
Yori stared incredulously at Miranda. "You are refusing Sensei's summons?"
Miranda nodded. "Hai." She bit her lip. "He understands about obligations. I have mine around here."
"Hey, umm…how about that order now?" Alicia tried to cut in.
"In a minute," Karen interjected. "Who the Hell is this guy? Why is it so important that you just march in here and try to take her now?"
"I'd like to hear that too," Lex concurred.
"Our teacher doesn't take no too well," Ron agreed while feeling pin pricks running up and down his spine. "What's the sitch?" He looked about the room trying to find the energy source.
"I think we'd best find help for your friend first," Chloe supposed.
"I'm cool. Just need for Miranda to come with us and…." Ron declined.
Karen raised an eyebrow. "What part of no don't you kids get? She said it. Either have your coffee or go." She was feeling the same tremors that Ron was. Unlike the blonde ninja student, she knew their source. Great. Now Dave knows.
"You heard the lady. I…uh…think that coffee's a great idea," Rick agreed anxiously while recalling other details about this place's file.
"It is your main duty to respond to him!" Yori snapped.
I really don't want to bring the Boss or Clark into this but…Sensei, you provoked this. Miranda eyed her friend. "And I told you why not."Knowing how loyal and stubborn her dear friend was on those matters, she decided to call in reinforcements.["Lana, we could use some help here!"
"I don't understand Japanese but that sounded like an ultimatum," Chloe assumed.
"It was," Lex clarified. "Guys, I really think you should leave." He pulled out a cell phone. "Don't make me use this."
Then they all heard a low growl in the dimly lit corner by the plaque. Turning they found the Protector glaring at them; his open left eye glowing yellow. "Who's buggin' Miri-Ma? Ain't takin' her NOWHERE!"
"Now you've done it." Karen rolled her eyes, wincing at the thought of dealing with her brother's alter ego on top of everything else.
"That's the dark dude? Her evil uncle or…?" Ron supposed.
"AIN'T EVIL!" the Dark One spat. "Ya hurt mah friends! Ah'll whup yer ass!" He raised his hands; the energy making them glow jet-black.
Lex stepped between them. "Look, Ron, right? Watch the mouth."
"Yer w' Painty Face, ain'cha?" the Protector spat. "Ah ain't lettin' Miri go nowhere! Git lost!"
"How dare you suggest…?" Yori countered indignantly. "I would never!" She went for her fighting fans.
"Umm, Yori, I wouldn't….." Rick disagreed while trying to stop her.
Yori shook herself loose and stepped toward the Protector. "You seek to bar Sensei from communicating with Miranda!"
"An' ya pull yer crap in 'ere!" the Protector snapped while raising her and the rest of Team Possible into the air telekinetically into the air. "Wha's yer pr'blem?"
The problem, Creature, is with me, not them. At that moment, Sensei appeared in his image form. "Release them!"
The Protector screamed at the image, making everyone's ears hurt in the process. "Ya sent 'em, didn'cha?" He motioned with his hand, dropping the teenaged quartet like so many sacks of potatoes before advancing on Sensei. "Yer really pissin' me off!" Once again, he started channeling energy into his hands. "Yer na' takin' 'er 'GAIN!" He fired two dark fire blasts.
As the bursts hit him, Sensei spasmed and the image disappeared.
"Damn!" Rick gasped.
"How…What did he…?" Kim asked while pressing the Kimmunicator's send button. Oh snap! I can't get a signal in here!
"Sensei! What did you do?" Yori demanded.
"Not now, Yori," Miranda advised while stepping between her and the enraged man in front of them. "Look, umm, let's cool off. I called the others in. We don't need the Sheriff here too, right?"
The Protector curled his lip. "Wha'ver! She w' Painty Face!"
"No she isn't. Yori just goes a little overboard like I do some times," Miranda argued. "She's a friend. So are the others." She took a deep breath while seeing Clark and Lana come out of the back room at a normal human pace. "Hey, guys, want a coffee?"
"Miri, what's going on?" Lana wondered while seeing how out of sorts everyone seemed.
"Crisis has been averted although I owe Sensei an apology," Miranda noted while shaking her head.
"Owe him what?" Karen demanded. "The guy's been giving you headaches. They try to pull you out of here against your will. Then that guy's image starts telling us what to do here. And you owe him an apology?"
"I told you guys that we should be cautious," Rick pointed out sheepishly while accepting a cup.
"So whatever happened is over?" Clark asked feeling very confused.
"Be grateful we didn't get a bigger incident," Lex pointed out. "Think you all can just sit here without doing anything else?"
"That's the plan," Kim concurred while starting into a cup of coffee. As soon as we get out of here, I'm calling Wade to get the 411 on Mr. Dark and Scary!
Yori inspected Ron, noting his continued spasms. "Is there somewhere we can bring him? This place causes him discomfort."
"We can go back to my place," Lex agreed, not wanting to send a potential problem back to the Kent Farm or keep the issue brewing there. He eyed the Protector. "Think you can let Dave out?"
"Wha'ver. Gonna check on Little Woman an' Kiddies!" the Dark One disappeared in a flash.
"Little Woman?" Kim asked.
"His wife and kids," Miranda clarified while helping Yori with Ron. "Come on. The sooner we get everyone back to the mansion, the better I'll feel." She winced, knowing that some space between Team Possible and the Protector was a good idea overall.
"Alicia, can you finish cleaning?" Lana suggested before she and Clark followed the others out the door.
Now what? The blonde waitress watched as the others left. Then she shook her head wondering what could happen next.
