Ron kicked the door down.
"Avon calling!" He shouted as he leveled the shotgun at Wanda Rockwaller.
"Natalie, if you would please." He said. Just then something hit him like a truck. Brick looked down at his sprawled form.
"Bout time you joined the party, we were wonderin' if you were ever going to manifest." He said.
"What?" Ron asked feeling as if another car had hit him.
"Get him to the basement, Flagg." A familiar voice said.
"You got it coach." Brick said as Ron lost consciousness.
When Ron regained consciousness he was in a dingy basement tied to a chair. Tara was standing over him.
"Mr. Barkin he's awake." She said looking over at the large man.
"Ah Stoppable, bout time." Barkin said.
"For what?" Ron asked shaking the cob webs.
"Do you have any idea what you're capable of and why?" The big man asked.
"Hyper regeneration and combat prowess." Ron said quoting IO's assessment.
"Affirmative and now maybe after twenty years I can go home." Barkin said.
"You're with I.O.?" Ron said. Barkin only laughed.
"Yes, I was assigned to keep an eye on you and the rest of the survivors." Barkin said.
"Project Lovechild." Ron said.
"The old man was so obsessed with super human capability. Big waste of time you want my opinion." Barkin scoffed.
"Afraid of being replaced soldier boy?" Ron asked.
"Ron, don't antagonize him." Tara said.
"So what's your power Tara?" Ron asked.
"Let's just say she ain't goin no where if she don't want to." Brick chuckled.
"And you didn't report in why?" Ron asked turning back to Mr. Barkin.
"The old man is gone. He was the only one who knows and I'll be damned if I'm going to answer to Ivanna Baiul." Barkin replied.
"So, what's your evil plan?" Ron asked rolling his eyes.
"He's gotten ballsier." Brick commented.
"We find the last survivor." Barkin said simply.
"There's one more?" Ron asked.
"My money's on Possible." Barkin said.
"And you'd be wrong." Ron said with a grin.
"You know something I don't, Stoppable?" Barkin growled. Ron's poker face remained in place.
"Spare me flat-scan. You used to be scary, but then again you haven't met Leon Carver." Ron grinned back.
Barkin punched him in the face knocking him backwards. Ron just laughed.
"Wooo, yeah, Mr. Barkin everybody!" Ron mocked.
"They tatted his pod number on him." Brick said pointing to the double zero now visable through a rent in his shirt.
"That confirms it, twelve, twenty-two, fourteen and zero-zero." Barkin said.
"Do we have any idea where twenty-nine is?" Tara asked.
"No, but I bet Stoppable does." Barkin said bringing his chair upright with his foot.
"Even if I did, why the fuck would I tell you assholes?" Ron asked plainly. Tara recoiled.
"Regeneration just means I can interrogate you longer." Barkin said grinned evilly.
"If he doesn't know wouldn't it be a waste of time? Besides Ron's used to negative feedback how about some positive?" Tara asked.
"Let me guess, this entails us leaving you alone with him so you can help him escape?" Barkin asked.
"C'mon Tara, you've been sweet on him for years." Brick said.
"Nice try though." Barkin said dryly.
Tara shrugged.
"Come on Ron, join us, we're about the only family you have left." Brick said.
"Ya know guys, I would but my girlfriend might not like that." Ron said.
"You…have a girlfriend." Brick said before laughing.
"You're an ass, Brad." Tara said with a sour look.
"No, No this I gotta see." Brick said.
"Ask and you shall receive fuck-head." A female voice said behind him and Brick went glassy eyed and stood stock still.
"Copycat!" Ron said.
"Another mission gone pear shaped, courtesy of shitty intel." She said.
"Que pasa mi amigo?" Powerhaus asked as he grabbed Barkin.
"And for the record, I'm seeing Ron not her." Sublime said looking at Tara.
"Say the word, an' he's a deadman." Frostbite said looking at Brick.
"Who are you people?" Tara asked fearfully.
"The closest people I have to family." Ron said.
"She's…pretty." Tara said looking at Sublime.
"My mom wanted me to meet a nice Jewish girl. Well, two out of three ain't bad." Ron grinned.
"Love you too." Sublime said blowing him a kiss.
"What she isn't Jewish?" Tara asked.
"No, she's Jewish." Ron replied.
"So, she isn't nice?" Tara asked.
"It adds to her charm." Ron said.
"Wow so that's why you stood by Kim so long." Tara said.
"Kim had her moments." Ron said.
"Ah yes the task-mistress and if by moments you mean, most of the time. If you like being treated crappily by a woman my dad knows this great gal in Lowerton, her rates are pretty competitive." Tara said arms crossed.
"Wow Tara, tell me how you really feel." Ron shot back sarcastically.
"Fine, you're too good for her, you always were, and I was glad to see her cry at your funeral like the little bitch she is. At least Bonnie cares about me and what I think." Tara spat back.
"One side I need to untie him." Freestyle said.
"No." Tara said planting her feet with a petulant look.
"Ok, chica move or I'll move you." Powerhaus said.
"Nope." Tara said sticking out her tongue.
"Suit yourself." Powerhaus replied trying to pick her up and she didn't budge. Tara giggled.
"I got her. Sublime said kicking her in the head and her leg bounced off. Tara yawned.
"You done yet?" she asked.
"Copycat move her." Frostbite said.
"Can't, perpetual motion boy is taking all my power." She replied.
"This town has gen actives and you didn't tell us?" Frostbite asked Ron.
"Yeah, didn't know. They're crafty bastards." Ron replied.
"Whatever, Ron you had the observational skills of my pet goldfish." Tara said.
"You mean you guys have been using your powers to cheat this whole time?" Ron asked.
"Duh, why do you think Brick is so good at football and I'm the strongest cheerleader on the squad?" Tara asked.
"Tara, this is ridiculous. Let them untie me, do you want to be under Barkin's thumb forever?" Ron asked.
"But If I run he'll find me." Tara said.
"I.O. isn't any better, Strong." Barkin replied.
"I say we call this whole thing a wash." Ron said.
"Meaning?" Tara asked.
"We take care of Barkin and you and Brick can do whatever." Ron said.
"You can do that?" Tara asked.
"Sure, Go City is nice this time of year. Graduate and become a super hero, the city needs a couple." Ron replied.
"Strong, this is mutiny!" Barkin roared.
"Untie me and live your own life. If I can do it anybody can." Ron coaxed.
"No tricks." Tara warned.
"Me? Tricks?" Ron grinned.
"That's not inspiring a lot of confidence, your friends too." Tara said.
"Deal, ok guys?" Ron replied the rest of the deviants nodded.
"Ok." Tara said untying him.
"Stro-" Barkin tried before Powerhaus broke his neck.
"You killed him!" Tara screamed.
"I.O. doesn't except resignations." Sublime said plainly.
"She is a bitch." Tara said.
"Yeah but she's my bitch, wait that came out all wrong…" Ron said standing up.
"I know what you meant." Sublime replied.
"Maybe there's more of the old Ron in there than I thought." Tara said.
"What about tall dark and doofy over here." Freestyle asked thumbing to Brick.
"Can he hear me?" Ron asked and Copycat nodded.
"Ok Brick here's the deal; you leave take Tara with you, you go to Go City and set up as superheroes." Ron said.
Copycat let him go.
"How'd you do that?" Brick asked.
"I have mind control powers. You two had better go." She said.
"What about Mr. Barkin?" Tara asked.
"He obviously fell down the stairs, very tragic he should've been more careful." Colby said coming down the stairs.
"How'd you get outta the trunk?" Freestyle asked.
"Magic, Tah-dah." Colby said dryly holding up his hands.
"Wait, why did you put Mr. Colby in the trunk?" Ron asked.
"He didn't want us to go in after you. You'd think they'd learn by now." Sublime said.
"Guys, I'm never gonna hear the end of this." Ron said.
"Stoppable, we cool?" Brick asked.
"As long as the rest of the world thinks I'm still dead, yeah we're cool, and to show there's no hard feelings take Bonnie with you. " Ron replied.
"You're just going to let them walk?" Colby asked.
"You want to give them to Ivanna?" Ron asked.
"You have a valid point." Colby said.
"Ok gang quick debriefing." Ron said.
"I wear a thong." Freestyle quipped.
"Thanks for sharin'." Frostbite said sarcastically.
"We were never here. This wasn't an official objective so Ivanna doesn't need to know." Ron said.
The rest of the deviants nodded their assent and they left.
"We ever get Natalie?" Ron asked.
"She committed suicide…" Colby said.
"YOU COCKSUCKER!" Freestyle shrieked and rushed Colby with a flawless flying kick knocking him to the ground.
"No, she did, go look for yourself."Colby coughed out.
Joss went upstairs to find Natalie dead in her bed with a bottle of empty sleeping pills. A note on the night stand said she was going to apologize to Ron personally. She simply turned and left head down.
"Sorry Mr. Colby." She mumbled.
"Under the circumstances I'll overlook it this once." He replied straightening his glasses.
"Time to go, gang." Leon said.
"Yeah the sooner I get out of Middleton the better." Ron said heading for the car.
"What's to stop us from telling Kim?" Bonnie asked.
"You know where she is?" Ron asked.
"No." Bonnie replied.
"Then shut the fuck up, Bon-bon." Ron replied wearily. Rachel put an arm around him as they went to the car.
"I don't know who you think you're dealin' with, but that pussy you used to fuck with is long gone, chica." Hector said plainly.
"Y'all go your way and we'll go ours." Leon said.
"See ya around, Bonnie." Joss said.
"Yeah, if you're ever in Go City look me up." Bonnie replied.
"Ron, what's wrong?" Rachel asked him back at the car, regarding his worried expression.
"Nothin' just let me lean on you." Ron said leaning on her shoulder that bore the number twenty-nine.
