Partners in Crime
By Weirdbard
Chapter 35
Du woke with a start, he couldn't remember going to sleep and for a moment he couldn't even remember who he was or where he was but looking around he quickly recognized the location he was at, the Global Justice's chapel.
Global Justice hadn't lost many agents in its battles against the forces of darkness but it did happen and each time some one fell in the line of duty Du found himself in this very same chapel along side of Dr. Director in the front pew as benefited his status as the number one agent.
Staring forward Du noticed a shiny black coffin sitting in front of nondenominational altar awaiting the funeral ceremony but looking around Du noticed he was the only living person in the chapel.
"I must have been keeping 'guard' over the fallen agent." Du thought to himself. Even though he couldn't remember who the fallen Global Justice agent was.
This filled Du with a great deal of concern and remorse. It was the honor guard's duty to stand vigil over the fallen agent's body for a full 24 hours and then be the first to eulogize the agent's life.
While this would explain why Du was alone in the chapel with the coffin it also meant that he had failed in his duty by falling asleep while on guard, not to mention he hadn't even begun to write his eulogy and couldn't even remember who it was for. This was a serious lapse in professionalism and Du was grateful that he was alone in the chapel and no one saw this lapse.
Rising from the pew, Du made his way to the coffin and after glancing around one last time to make sure he was still alone, he prepared to open the coffin and take a peek inside, just to remind himself whom it was he would be honoring.
As the coffin lid slowly began to rise Du felt a rush of dread fill him. Shaking his head to rid himself of what had to be just the perfectly normal jitters of being around a dead body, Du pulled the coffin lid up fully and gazed down at the body revealed.
Lying inside the coffin on a bed of roses was the body of Megan Orla. She was dressed in a white gown that should have made her look angelic but the effect was ruined by the large bloody hole in the center of her chest that had stained the bodice a scarlet hue that almost matched her hair. Du with the blood in his veins turning to ice could see down into the hole in her chest and could plainly see there was no heart in the cavity.
Suddenly Megan's eyes shot open and she turned her head to stare back up at Du.
"You crushed my dreams and killed me. You truly have no heart so... Take mine!" Megan spoke and with her mangled and bloody heart in her right hand she thrust it up towards his face.
With a cry of pure terror Du slammed the lid shut on the coffin and panted in horror for a moment before turning to face the pews of the chapel, only to find them empty no more but filled with his fellow Global Justice agents. In the front pew sat Dr. Director and by her side, in Du's rightful place was Kim Possible.
"Don't keep us in suspense Du." Kim Possible said. "Tell us of the life of the poor woman whose only crime was in loving a worm like you."
Du's face contorted in rage. "She never loved me!" Du screeched at Kim. "She just used me like you and Dr. Director always do!"
Clawing at his pocket Du tried to find the gun he carried to end Kim and Director's lives but before he could find it, the coffin lid behind him flung open and the body of Megan sat up. Grabbing Du by the arms the corpse dragged Du into the coffin while the chapel exploded into applause.
"Time to wake up sleepy head." Megan's voice whispered into his ear as the coffin lid slammed shut plunging Du into darkness.
With a hysterical scream Du once again woke up but this time to complete darkness. In terror Du brought his hands up in front of him only to find himself encased in some kind of slick plastic like material.
Clawing and with his breath coming in pants of sheer horror Du finally found a zipper to his prison and with a savage tug managed to pull it down freeing himself, only to be blinded by a bright white light shinning down into his eyes.
Gasping and wildly blinking his eyes he finally managed to get his eyes to adjust to the change in lighting and found himself sitting on the floor of a pure white enclosed space. Vibrations in the floor and the peculiar sinking feeling one gets in an elevator calmed Du down enough to look around. On either side of him he could see two men dressed in identical white clothing. Du realized after a moment they were dressed in proper British mourning clothes complete down to white top hats on their heads.
Looking back down at himself Du found that he was sitting in a Global Justice's body bag and with a shiver he quickly stood up and shimmed out of the restricting thing.
"He screams like a right girl he does." The man on Du's right said with a slight British accent, looking past him to his counterpart.
"You can talk? At least he didn't soil himself like you did." The other man said with a slight Spanish accent.
"I didn't soil myself!" The first speaker said indignantly.
"No, you soiled everything else though." The second man replied with a smirk.
"Excuse me." Du said coldly. "What the hell is going on. Am I dead?"
"Dead he asks." The second figure in white asked his counterpart. "Do we look like angels to you buddy?" He said finally addressing Du.
"No. You look like common thugs someone has dressed in sanitary napkins." Du replied, some of his bravado coming back now that his fear was receding.
"Oh that's a good one." the first figure in white laughed. "I'll have to remember to tell the boss that one."
"Shut your cakehole Ajax." The second figure grunted.
"As my friend over there so eloquently stated my name is Ajax and Mr. Sanitary Napkin is named Comet." The first figure named Ajax told Du.
"Comet and Ajax." Du said suspiciously.
"Not our real names of course. But when you join the agency your real names are forever bleached out and you are given new ones." Ajax said with a nod.
"And what is this agency? Who is your boss? And why am I here? What happened with Dr. Director and Kim Possible back at Stoppable's hideout?" Du rapid fired questions.
"Not for us to say is it?" Comet replied sourly. "Save your bleeding questions for the boss."
The elevator stopped with a slight jolt and a bing noise. "We're here now anyway." Comet added.
As the white doors of the elevator slid open Du could see they led directly to a similarly stark white corridor that led to a simple white door with a bright brass doorknob. Comet grabbed Du by the arm to pull him along as Ajax lead the way.
Du thought about making a break for it but glancing back Du noticed the elevator had no controls but only multiple keyholes. So unless he wanted to fight off the two figures in white with him, manage to search their bodies to find the key they must have used and then hazard a guess on which keyhole lead to the outside world, he was stuck anyway so he allowed Comet to drag him along.
"A person could go snowblind in this place." Du muttered.
"I find it relaxing." Ajax replied as with a flourish he opened the door at the end of the corridor and gestured for Du to enter. An option that Du had taken away from him when Comet suddenly shoved him from behind causing to fall through the open doorway into the room beyond anyway.
The first thing to catch Du's attention was at least the room had a bit of color to it. In the center of the room a warm cherry wood desk sat with a potted fern plant next to it. On top of the desk was a silver picture frame housing a photo that Du couldn't quite see from his spot on the floor. Rising to his feet Du looked to the person sitting behind the desk and blinked a few times.
The man was of indeterminate age. He had a shiny bald head and stark white eyebrows but his face seemed oddly youthful. From what Du could see, he was dressed all in white like the ones that brought him in but in his case it was simple white pants and a very tight muscle shirt that showed the man worked out. Arms like coiled pythons rested on the desk and he had a chest that looked like he could bench press a truck without breaking too much of a sweat.
A single gold earring dangled from his left ear.
"Well well, look what the kitty cats have done dug up from the kitty litter box and dragged to my office." The man finally said with a heavy American southern drawl.
"Do you know who I am?" Du growled as he tried to straighten his clothes and looked down in annoyance at the red spots on his shirt where he had been hit at Stoppable's place. Du had already figured out they must have used sleeping darts on him along with some cheap paintball tricks to make it appear as if he had died.
"Well Kitty Turd, if I'm not mistaken..." The man drawled as he pulled a folder over to him and opened it. "You are the 'late' William Du. Late to the world above and mostly definitely late to Global Justice."
"I am Global Justice's number one agent and..."
"You are a turd boy! You don't get to keep the number one designation when you try to kill the head of your organization! Or did they fail to cover that in your fancy training. Not to mention cold blooded murder of a woman." The bald headed man said as he calmly looked at Du as if he was a stain on his pristine floor of his office.
"She was a security risk to Global Justice and I simply removed that threat." Du nearly barked at the man but then faltered a bit when the man frowned at him and decided to try a new tactic. "And who are you? If I may ask."
"Oh you may ask boy. Around these parts I'm known as Mr. Clean."
Du blinked. "You have got to be kidding me." He finally said.
The bald man rose up from behind his desk and Du resisted the urge to gulp in fear. The man towered a good foot taller than Du or for that matter the other men in the office with them. Mr. Clean leaned over the desk in Du's direction. "Do I look like some clown sent to amuse you Turd boy?"
"No... Sir." Du finally said.
"Well good. Then maybe we can move on to your new position with my little organization."
"And what if I decide to refuse your offer?" Du asked.
"Well then. You already have your body bag waiting. We can give you a nice burial at sea. We have a garbage scow headed out later this evening don't we boys?"
"Yes sir." Both men standing at rigid attention shouted at the same time.
"Why me?" Du asked. "And what is this organization you are talking about?"
"To answer your second question first." Mr. Clean drawled. "We are known as the 'Cleaners' our job is to fix and clean up the messes left by other organizations."
"Ridiculous." Du replied. "I was the top agent of Global Justice and I've never heard of you!"
To his surprise Mr. Clean laughed at him. "And you think Global Justice is the only secret organization out there? Ever heard of Majestic Twelve? Sword of Vengeance? Shadow Men?" Mr. Clean waited a moment for Du to reluctantly shake his head. "And you know why you have never heard of the others Turd boy? Because we exist to clean their litter boxes when they refuse to." Mr. Clean sat back down at his desk. "Hell, I'm not so vain as to think my organization is even at the top. There probably is another dozen or so above me waiting to clean us up if we fail."
Du blinked. He truly thought Global Justice was the only secret agency and never considered that there might be others and here he was being told that not only were there others he had never heard of but an organization whose purpose seemed to be to clean up after them. "So... Back to my first question. What do you want with me?"
Mr. Clean nodded as if he approved of Du for the first time since he laid eyes upon him. "You cleaned up after yourself boy. Course you created the problem in the first place but at least you stood up and did the unpleasant job of sweeping up your own droppings."
Du looked confused for a moment and then a haunted look came to his eyes. "Megan." He said simply.
"That's right boy. Her. Oh you are right she would have made a right mess if she had been allowed to go on the idiot box and broadcast Global Justice's existence. The American people and indeed the world is allowed to live in comfort only because they don't really know what their governments are up to. They learn that secret military and police organizations exist and running around willy nilly and not simply urban legends and they would spend far too much time worrying their pretty little heads over what is being done and start asking awkward questions like who watches the watchers, etc. None of us need that."
Mr Clean leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling of his white office for a moment. "It's simply a point of fact lad. That unless everyone is willing to take responsibility for their actions then someone else has to step up to do it. Our little family of secret organizations serve that purpose."
"So you and your members are killers." Du stated coldly.
Mr. Clean met his eyes with a steady stare. "You got it boy. Just like you are."
Du sighed but he could not argue with him. And there might be advantages to his new employer. "Will I be allowed to go after Kim Possible and Dr. Director?"
Mr Clean rose from his chair once again to tower over Du. "This organization isn't for personal vendettas Turd Boy! The little lady over at Global Justice is doing her job. Sure she has made some mistakes, recently quite a few but so far she hasn't reached a level that requires tidying up yet. And as for Kim Possible? That filly has her heart in the right place even if her attic is a bit untidy."
Du took a moment to try and translate his new eccentric boss's words. "You mean Kim Possible has mental problems?"
"Don't we all?" Mr. Clean looking at Du and then the other two men present in the room with them. "The point Turd Boy is, we don't going around killing just anyone like some Nancy boys from England might do. The ones we 'clean' up are those that are staining the world with either their plans or their mistakes and only those people."
The agent with the British accent named Ajax frowned but other than that showed no reaction to Mr. Clean's mention of Nancy boys from England comment.
Du let a small smile grace his face when he heard the organization was allowed to 'clean up' people staining the world with their plans. "Stoppable." He breathed out. He was startled when Mr Clean slammed his fist down on the desk causing the picture frame sitting on it to jump and fall over. "Listen and listen well Turd Boy! Ronald Stoppable is definitely off limits. You are not to 'clean' him up or even to soil his shadow with your presence. Are we crystal on this?"
Du once again intimidated quickly nodded his head but then frowned. "May I ask why?"
Mr. Clean once again sat down at his desk and reaching over he picked up the fallen photo and looked at it for a moment before looking back at Du. "Two reason. The first one is that boy is cleaning up the world's mistakes at the moment."
Du blinked and then said. "You respect him?"
Mr. Clean frowned. "Remember my comments earlier about people taking responsibility? Well that lad is taking responsibility for the entire human race." Clean gave a slight sad shake of his head causing his earring to swing a moment. "I can't help but think that in the end he'll fail but I for one am going to give him every chance to succeed first."
Du gave a casual half shrug as if he still considered Stoppable a bungler that was of no consequences. "You said two reasons. What is the second if I may ask?"
Clean glanced at the photo in his hands and then turned it to show it to Du. Du could see that there was a little blond hair girl around six with her hair in pigtails being cradled in the arms of the man before him.
"My granddaughter. She takes after her gramps in that she has no fear whatsoever. Recently her and her brother tried to climb a tree in her mom's backyard. Did darn good for her age too. Got all the way to the top and that old tree is tall. When she got to the top she lost her grip and fell towards the ground. Just as her little body should have hit every limb on the way down and gone splat on the green grass below she was caught in mid air by, as she calls it, a shiny metal angel woman. The metal gal carried her to the ground and then told her that if she was going to climb trees she should make sure she had the proper gear to do so and make sure an adult was present to help her if necessary." Mr. Clean turned the photo back towards himself and smiled at it. "My granddaughter was highly pleased that the metal woman didn't berate her for climbing like her mom did but only suggested she do it more safely in the future. The metal woman then zipped up the tree and rescued her brother who, after seeing his sister fall had closed his eyes and froze up in the tree and like a little kitty cat couldn't make himself move either up or down."
"A Bebe robot." Du said softly.
"Exactly. And as we all know now, they sure as heck ain't following that Dr. Drakken character but are following the orders of Stoppable. My granddaughter and my grandson are alive today because of those metal women and by extension Stoppable. Them and at last count nearly a thousand other children, little old women and other people who got careless and sloppy. Until and unless Stoppable starts making a mess, he's off limits as far as I'm concerned."
"What if Global Justice or any of those other secret organizations try to stop him?" Du asked.
Mr. Clean glanced at the photo one last time before sitting it back on his desk. "Well then Turd Boy... They might have to be 'sanitized' but we'll wipe up those stains when or if they appear." Clean then looked at Ajax. "Take our new recruit down to training and get him issued with the proper gear."
Ajax nodded. "And his operative name? Are we going to keep calling him Turd Boy?" The last said with a grin.
Clean fixed Du with a steady stare before slowly shaking his head. "Tempting but it don't exactly fit The Cleaners theme." Pulling out a flat drawer from his desk Clean stared at it for a moment. Du from his position on the other side of the desk could see there was a piece of paper affixed to the drawer but he couldn't read what was on it. He would have been singularly disappointed if he could have, to find out that it was just a list of cleaner product names. Some of them crossed out as they had been used and others awaiting being assigned.
Clean looked up and studied Du for a moment. "Our new agent will be known as... Agent Pledge. Fitting as he isn't ready yet for any major deep cleaning assignments and only good for light 'dustings'."
Du frowned but was smart enough to not comment on his new code name.
Ajax reached into a inner pocket of his white jacket and pulled out a familiar large handgun. Du immediately reached for it but was denied when the gun was instead tossed to Mr. Clean.
"We don't use these things Pledge, they make too much noise and way too much mess. You'll be issued a clean gun after you have been trained how to use it."
"Clean gun?" Du asked looking over at Ajax.
"A sonic weapon. It disrupts the target's atomic structure causing the target to just... Melt away." Ajax told him.
"Kind of horrifying to see the weapon's effect in person for the first time but it leaves nothing behind." Mr. Clean added. "Not even an unpleasant odor is left. Completely clean."
As Comet and Ajax escorted their new fellow agent Pledge out, leaving behind the stain and name of Will Du forever more, Mr. Clean glanced at the photo of his granddaughter once more. "New world coming darling. A clean world and safe world for you and your brother." Mr. Clean then reached into his desk and pulled out a folder marked Ronald Stoppable. Opening it he stared at the photo of Ron that was on top of the file. "If'n you do your part Stoppable."
Meanwhile at Global Justice.
Dr. Director sat at her desk and stared down at a folder of her own. This one was also labeled with the heading William Du and was a mirror copy of the one Mr. Clean had. She slowly looked at photos of when Du, a young idealistic man, almost just a boy really, joined her organization. Angrily she rubbed the patch over her missing eye. It was more to distract herself from the tears developing in her good eye than it was hurting once again. Sure in the end Du turned out to be an unstable individual who had murdered a young woman to cover up his own indiscretions but it hadn't always been that way. He had once been a young idealistic man who wanted to save the world from its own folly. Somewhere along the way he had just lost his way. If only she had seen the signs! Maybe when he started carrying that new handgun she should have insisted he go to the organization's psych section for evaluation? But in the end she had failed him to such a point he had been about to kill her when he was taken out himself.
Dr. Director looked to the goldfish bowl sitting on her desk. "Why do I feel like I'm missing something Elsa?" She asked the fish inside the bowl. If Dr. Director had thought upon it, she might have decided she was the one that needed to see the psych department when she started asking advice from a fish but damn if she didn't feel at times like the fish was the most intelligent thing in her organization lately.
The gold fish swam lazy turns in its bowl before stopping dead still as if staring at the folder on Director's desk as well.
Dr. Director turned her attention back to it as well. "We were the only family Du had. I failed him Elsa. I should have seen something, anything but I failed." Dr. Director let out a long slow breath but at least there is one thing I can still do for Du. I can make sure he gets a decent funeral."
Picking up the phone Dr. Director pressed a few buttons and then waited. When the person on the other end picked up she began to speak. "Retrieval? This is Dr. Director and I'm calling about the body of one agent Will Du. I want the body processed and prepared for funeral. We'll be having the memorial ceremony in two days."
Dr. Director blinked as the person on the other end responded. "What do you mean there is no body in Retrieval? I was there when our agents processed him and put him in the body bag. Surely they have returned by now?"
Dr. Director listened to the phone for a few moments before slamming it down. She looked back at the fish and asked. "Where is Du's body?"
The gold fish named Elsa stared back for a moment and then as if dismissing her began to swim slowly once again.
Otunga Village, Africa.
Shego stood on top of the only two story building in the village, the recently Bebe built Town Hall and watched Ron as he stared towards the North. It was before dawn and she studied Ron's profile by the starlight shining down.
Something was bothering Ron, something more than just Drakken's reappearance at their Vegas home or the still missing Joker and she was determined to figure out what it was. He was dangerously close to slipping into the same brooding stage he had been when he left their group last time and as far as Shego was concerned that was not happening again no matter what!
Shego went over their recent arrival in the village in her mind looking for clues. Ron had seemed thoughtful but not depressed or moody when the joyous and grateful village folk had rushed out to meet them but somewhere along the walk to the center of the village Ron had gone quiet and seemed to get moodier as they continued.
The rest of that day Ron had been quiet and withdrawn and when they had retired to a house that night that had been set aside for them to stay at. Mozenberg having been given his own place nearby.
Ron had showed no interest in 'fun time' with Shego or the rest of the girls that night and had stayed up till the ladies had fallen asleep. This morning Shego had found the bed Ronless and slipped out in search of him and found him on top of the Town Hall.
Shego glanced to her side where her guardian Bebe waited silently. Shego normally didn't have much interaction with her Bebe, unless you count that time she had used her's as a target to work out her frustrations when Ron had left them but since the other women weren't there she spoke to it. "Is he worried about the Tazoians escalating the battles?"
"There is 23 percent chance that is what is occupying the Leader Ron's mind at this time." The Bebe replied.
"Meaning its possible but you don't think that is what is worrying him at the moment." Shego replied.
She was silent as dawn broke and sunlight filled the valley the village was a part of. If she knew Ivy half as well as she thought she did, she imagined the redhead must be in the fields with her precious plants greeting the sun right now as it made its appearance.
Shego imagined that Harley was probably still in bed asleep as she was definitely not a morning type of person and if past indications were anything to go on, Harley in her sleep probably had her arms firmly cocooned around Bonnie. Somehow Bonnie had ended up as Harley's living teddy bear when either Ivy or Ron was not available.
In silence Shego watched Ron for another thirty minutes before deciding enough was enough and as just opening her mouth to demand he tell her what was wrong when she heard children laughing from below.
Since the Bebes had opened a school for the young children of the village, the children got up at dawn every morning and walked to the school building which was right next door to the Town Hall. Walking over to the side Shego glanced down to watch the children and saw several of them were playing jump rope using a vine from the mutant plant guardian Baby.
Ivy had surprised Shego on their first day back by insisting that the mutant plant be transplanted for the duration of their stay next to the school. Shego thought Ivy would have either had the plant situated near the gardens or near the entrance to the house they were staying at, but Ivy had insisted the perfect place was next to the school.
When Shego had questioned her about it she pointed out that the gardens didn't need the protection and if they had planted Baby next to their house she would have been molesting Ron every time he tried to come and go so the school was the best place to put her. There Baby could keep an eye on the kids but they all could still easily visit her everyday.
Shego had briefly feared when the Bebes wheeled the huge plant into town that the children or elderly town's people would be fearful of the plant but she needn't have worried. Being farmers all their lives the villagers welcomed the odd plant and the children quickly fell in love with it.
And watching the children using one of her vines as a jump rope Shego could tell Baby was enjoying the experience as well. The giant tulip like head of the plant was nodding in time with the kids singing a jumping rope rhyme in their native language.
As Shego watched, Ivy came walking up to Baby from the direction of the village's garden area and after watching the children for a moment at play she then glanced up to where Shego was leaning over the edge. Ivy whispered something to Baby and Shego wasn't a bit surprised when a second vine suddenly sprouted from the plant's main stem and wrapping around Ivy's waist carried her up to deposit the woman next to Shego a few moments later.
Ivy looked around and took in Ron standing on the North edge of the roof. He didn't acknowledge Ivy's arrival but both she and Shego knew he was aware that she was there. "Ronnie is brooding again isn't he?" Ivy asked Shego in a whisper.
"I'm not brooding." Ron's voice called back without him turning.
Shego started to contradict him when she heard Harley and Bonnie's voice talking from below. Shego frowned at Ivy and both of them glanced over the edge.
"And how do you know Master is here?" Bonnie asked Harley.
"When you are a criminal as long as I have, you get instincts." Harley stated.
"You asked your Bebe when I wasn't looking didn't you." Bonnie stated, in no way fooled.
Harley breathed out. "Yeah."
"So where is he then?"
Harley didn't reply but taking a running jump she leapt to the wall of the school building next door to the Town Hall and bouncing off of it she then kicked off the Town Hall building and in a criss cross fashion began to scale the buildings to reach the Town Hall roof. When she reached the top of the single story school house building she leaped to the wall of the Town Hall and began inching up the wall.
For a moment it looked like Bonnie was going to attempt the same thing but then she paused and turning she spoke to her personal Bebe that followed her everywhere. The Bebe turned allowing Bonnie to climb up on her back and cling there and then with a 'zinnnng' noise the Bebe moved at hyper speed and just ran up the side of the building carrying Bonnie along on her back. As the Bebe zipped past Harley, Harley paused almost long enough to slide down the building before beginning once again to scale her way up the building. "That's cheating!" She managed to yell after Bonnie in between gasps of breath.
"Clever." Ivy complimented Bonnie as the Bebe came to a sudden stop beside her and Shego.
"Its so easy to forget they are there sometimes what with how silent they tend to be." Bonnie said as she climbed down from the Bebe's back. Bonnie started to walk over to Shego and Ivy's side but remembering herself she turned back to her Bebe. "Thank you for helping me to get up here." She said in a polite manner that would have shocked Kim if she had seen it.
Ivy turned to look at Shego. "How did you get up here by the way?
"I 'unlocked' the Town Hall doors and used the inside stairs of course."
"And Ron?"
"Ron climbed the building on his own." The Bebe that had basically assigned itself permanently to Ron answered.
Ivy started to comment on her statement when Harley with a final wheeze pulled herself over the edge of the building and just lay there on the roof a few feet from them.
Ivy strolled over and looked down at her lover. "You are getting soft. Normally you would have bounced your way up a building twice this tall in Gotham in half the time."
"Yeah...missed you... too." Harley wheezed. A second later with a zing noise her personal Bebe appeared standing beside the down Harley. "You could have... reminded me that you could... do that before... I did all this work" Harley scolded the Bebe.
"You did not ask."
Harley shot her Bebe a nasty look but didn't respond. Finally catching her breath she stood up and brushing herself off she turned to look at where Ron was still staring to the North. "So anyone find out why our guy is moping yet?"
"I am not moping or brooding." Ron said.
"Oh please. You are getting so good at brooding Batman is going to start taking lessons from you."
"Are you worried that the Taozians are going to start using planes to attack?" Ivy asked him.
Ron finally turned to look at them. "No, well yes. But that is not what has me concerned the most at the moment."
"Is it Mr. J?" Harley asked in a semi hushed tone that she normally took when speaking of the killer clown.
"Well, yeah. He's always on my mind but still that's not the big problem at the moment." Ron said.
"Then what is it?!" Shego growled.
"Did you hear what the Otungas said yesterday when they followed us through town?"
"Yeah. They praised you and said you were their savior. So?" Harley said confused. She though it was something major the way Ron had been acting and it was just because he was embarrassed by all the attention?
"There is a 98 percent chance that what the Leader Ron is referring to are the comments that some of the women were making that once Ron conquered their enemy Tazo for them, he would then drag the enemy's children out into the street and mutilate them in front of their parents." Ron's Bebe stated.
"WHAT?!" Harley yelled. "I didn't hear them say that."
"They were whispering it after we passed thinking I couldn't hear them." Ron stated sadly.
"You wouldn't do that."
"Of course the Leader would not do that!" Ron's Bebe raised its own voice. "The Leader values human life and would never harm a child!"
Shego, with her eyebrow rising turned to look at the Bebe. "We know that. Harley was just shocked that the Otunga didn't." Turning to look back at Ron, Shego added. "But you have to understand Ron, these people watched their children slowly starve, they saw their kids blow up by mines. They watched as they were mutilated in front of them. Sure Mozenberg patched them up using his Mantis but what of the kids who were killed before we showed up on the scene? You got to expect there are a lot of hard emotions from parents and naturally they talk about vengeance."
"But I'm not trying to stop this war just to put someone else in power to continue the abuse but with different victims!" Ron nearly cried. "And its not just that either but it did get me to thinking. You notice how there are elderly men and women in the village and lots of young kids but no young people? No teenagers to young adults I mean?"
Harley looked thoughtful. "Yeah I hadn't thought much about it but now that you mention it..."
"The young people were conscripted to be used as a work force. Probably in those diamond or gold mines we've heard so much about." Ivy stated as if it was obvious.
Ron nodded his head. "And this got me to thinking... How can I lead these people in a war? The elderly can't do it and I'm sure not going to arm children."
"Bebes can subdue the Tazoian military." Ron's Bebe stated.
Ron nodded his head. "I know they could. Probably within an hour if we call enough of you gals in but that's not good either."
"Um, why not?" Harley asked.
"Because I don't want the Otunga to become dependent on the Bebes either. I want them to be able to defend themselves." Ron sighed. "I may not be the best student of history that ever was but I learned enough to know that people value freedom when they fight for it themselves. Give it to them on a silver platter and in a matter of few years they'll take it for granted that the Bebes will always be there to protect them."
"We Bebes will be there to always protect them Leader." Ron's Bebe stated matter of factly.
Ron smiled briefly at her. "I know you will but I want to empower the people of this village, not cripple them in dependence on you gals." Ron glanced back to the North. "And then there is the question of, even if I were to send the Bebes to win this war, who do I have them attack? The soldiers of the Tazoian government? Most of them probably just joined the military for a job and they have no idea what their government has done to this people. And no matter how careful the Bebes are, there are bound to be injuries, deaths and destruction."
"Well Ron, that is what war is." Ivy stated.
"But its not fair to those who had nothing to do with the problems that cause a war."
Harley shrugged. "You can't have a 'clean' war Ron. It just not possible."
Ron sighed again. "Why can't I? Why should I disrupt people's lives, their government, if only a few were responsible for what has been going on?"
"The Leader Ron needs information?" His Bebe asked. "Information on who issued the orders to mine and isolate this village. Information on who knows what is going on and who doesn't in the Tasoian government."
Ron thought for a moment and then nodded his head. "Exactly. If we could find out who did this and find proof and get it to the Taosian people, they would probably turn on those individuals and clean up their own government."
Harley looked doubtful. "I think you are giving too much credit to the Tazoian people Ronnie. They probably don't care what their government has been doing as long as they enjoy a good life themselves."
"Maybe. But maybe we should give them a chance to prove they are better than that."
"Bebes will infiltrate the government buildings in Tazo capital and get this information for you Leader Ron." Ron's Bebe with her eyes flashing stated.
Shego snorted. "Look, you robots are good. I'll give you that but there is no way you can sneak into government buildings."
Ron's Bebe looked at Shego for a moment and then with a blur was gone.
Shego sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sure you can move at speeds humans can't see but you can't keep buzzing around the Tazoians. How will you learn anything that way?"
"I am no longer in motion." The Bebe's voice called out from seemingly everywhere around them.
The top of the City Hall building was fairly flat with very few places of concealment but Shego looking around could not spot the missing Bebe. She carefully examined the Bebes that were still visible with them but she was certain that Ron's wasn't simply pretending to be one of them. First off Shego was nearly certain that the other Bebes hadn't moved and secondly the Bebes would not resort to such simple trickery. Again, she was nearly certain of that.
Shego noticed that Ron seemed to looking at a slight patch of shadows that was still remaining.
"Where did you Bebes learn that technique?" He asked the shadow.
Shego spotted the glow of the Bebe's eyes in the midst of the shadow. "From the Bebe following the ninja Yori and her two companions." The robot's voice said from the shadows.
Harley finally spotted the concealed Bebe. "Hey! That reminds me. How is ninja girl? She still on a wild goose chase looking for Ronnie?"
Her personal Bebe answered the question. "The ninja woman and her companions traveled all the way to the Pacific coast and searched for signs of Ron, when they found nothing they realized they had been mislead and are now heading back to our Las Vegas home. They should reach it by noon tomorrow."
"They are going to be pissed when they find we've left." Harley said with a smirk. "Oh hey, how is Drakky doing?"
"We are getting off topic." Ron said before the Bebe could reply. Looking to the hidden Bebe he nodded. "Okay, send some of your sisters to the Tazoian government and see what they can learn. When we know who is really responsible for what's been going on, we'll make plans to end this." Ron then looked at Harley's Bebe. When talking to one Bebe you really were talking to all of them but he still found it easier to address them individually. "Next thing we need to figure out is what to do if the military decides to use planes against us. We have no defense against that."
"We can have the Bebes bring in anti-aircraft guns." Bonnie said.
Ron frowned. "That would only end up killing the pilots of those planes who are only following orders and lies someone in the government is spreading."
"Ron. You can't save everyone." Ivy said with a bit of exasperation.
Ron looked into her eyes. "I can try." He started towards the edge of the building to climb down. "I have some ideas that I want to discuss with the Hive Mind." He explained to his ladies.
"You could address her through one of us." Harley's Bebe reminded him.
"I prefer to talk directly to her."
"Yeah, Mother Brain probably gets lonely in that underground place you gals placed her." Harley said.
Ivy rolled her eyes. "Still with the Mother Brain name?"
"And the Hive Mind cannot become lonely." Harley's Bebe added.
"Oh really?" Harley said placing her hands on her hips and she turned to address her Bebe. "So it wouldn't bother you a bit if I were to order you to stand alone in a underground hole? After all you could still talk to your sisters through that network thingy of yours."
"I am a Bebe. I do not become emotionally upset or bothered." Her Bebe stated.
"Well in that case..." Harley began.
"I would not like for you to order me into a hole." The Bebe said without missing a beat.
"I thought you Bebes don't get emotionally upset?"
The Bebe stared back at her for a moment but then repeated. "I would not like for you to order me into a hole."
Harley patted her on her metal arm. "Don't worry I won't. I've gotten where I really like you being around. But remember your worry that I would. You should visit your Mother Brain more often."
Ivy once again rolled her eyes but didn't comment.
As Ron started to lean over the edge of the building to climb down, Harley's Bebe once again spoke. "Leader? May I accompany you to the Hive Mind... I would like to... visit with her."
Ron smiled. "Of course."
Almost as if they were engaging in a friendly race, Ron and Harley's Bebe leaped over the edge of the building. Bonnie let out a gasp of fear and raced to the edge and looked over. Ron using his Mystical Monkey Powers allowed himself to fall until he reached just below the top of the school house and then twisting in midair he kicked off the side of the building and began bouncing back and forth between the two buildings slowly his fall until he landed on his feet as light as a cat. Harley's Bebe didn't resort to anything to slow her fall and just landed on her feet on the ground sinking a few inches into the soft soil before wrenching her feet free. The two then started to walk off towards the underground location where the Hive Mind was stationed. Ron having to pause for a moment as the mutant plant Baby grabbed him up as he passed by her and cuddled him for a moment before allowing him to continue.
Bonnie on top of the Town Hall building breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the low edge of the top wall. "Sometimes Master scares me witless the way he does things like that."
Harley grinned. "Take more than a simple drop to keep our boy down. Maybe chains or leather restraints." She added thoughtfully as if making a list.
Shego started to reply when her Bebe suddenly moved between her and Harley and stared at Harley.
Harley's smile faded and she started looking a little nervous. "What? I was just joking."
"This Bebe did not move based on your comments."
"Oh? What do you want then?" Harley asked still a little nervous. While it might seem silly since all Bebes looked, talked and acted in a similar fashion but Harley was more comfortable with her own Bebe and Shego's was kind of intimidating her.
"The Bebes require more information on the Joker. The search for him is proving more problematical than we first expected it to be. His continued freedom troubles the Leader Ron and we wish to bring his mind ease."
"The Joker is as slippery as rain soaked moss." Ivy agreed.
Harley started to get the haunted look in her eyes again. "What else can I tell you? I've told Mother Brain and the rest of you everything I can remember from my time with him."
"Exactly. Please tell us of the Joker before you joined him."
"How can she do that?" Bonnie asked confused.
"Harley Quinn was the Joker's therapist before she joined with him. So it follows that she would have been briefed on his crimes before she officially knew him." The Bebe replied surprising them all. They should have known the Bebes were always listening and would have known that from the conversations they had had in front of them.
Harley screwed up her face as she thought. "I can't think of anything that could be helpful to you gals."
"Has the Joker always used his own appearance and name?"
"Huh?"
"She means has the Joker ever used a disguise or an alias." Ivy explained to her.
Harley thought again for a moment. "Not really. Mr. J. has always been a kind of in your face type of person. He wouldn't hide who he..." Harley grew quiet for a moment. "Well there was that one time..."
"When?" Ivy asked surprised. Like Harley she just assumed the Joker always ran around as himself.
"Well... There was that time with the mayor and his kid. You remember Ivy? It was in the news. The Joker was on the run from the cops and Batman and decided to blow up the mayor at his house during his kid's birthday party so Mr. J. put on a clown costume and makeup and called himself Jocko the clown. Some rich guy knocked the bomb cake into the pool saving everyone and ruining Mr. J's joke but the Mayor's kid wanting to learn how to be a clown had hid in the Joker's van. Batman later saved the kid and caught Mr. J. and brought him back to Arkham."
Shego's Bebe's eyes flashed as she conversed with her sister Bebes and the Hive Mind. "Search of the internet reveals that there are listings for forty Jocko the clowns that perform children parties in various cities across the world."
"Not surprised. That's bound to be a common clown name." Shego said. "Finding the right one would be like looking for a needle in a..."
"However there is only one listing for a Jocko the clown that has been recently been added to the clown list."
"Clown list?" Bonnie asked.
"A listing on the internet for booking clown acts for children parties or special events. The list contains advertisements for every clown currently working in the world."
Shego blinked "Amazing the stuff they have on the internet these days."
"But even if there is a fairly recent listing for a Jocko doesn't mean its Mr. J."
"The listing went online a day ago."
"Okay, the timing is really suspicious but still..."
"And someone has already booked a performance by this clown."
"Well...Even then it might not be Mr. J."
"The performance is for tomorrow and to be for a elementary school of sixty children."
Harley's face drained of color. "Oh God. What if it is Mr. J. using one of his old schticks? All those kids."
"Bebes are being dispatched to the location of the party activity."
"Wait. You can't just storm into a kid's party. What if it isn't the Joker? You will scare all those kids for no reason." Shego argued.
"Bebes can be subtle when it calls for it." Her Bebe told her. "If it is a innocent performance the children will never know we were there but if it is the Joker..."
Shego glanced at the shadow where Ron's Bebe had been but the sunlight had moved and the shadow was now gone and with it also Ron's Bebe. Whether it had gone itself to gain the information on the Tazo government that her leader wanted or it had simply slipped off to follow Ron when he left, Shego had no idea but was still impressed it had left without any of them noticing. Maybe the Bebes could check out the clown performance without anyone being the wiser if it proved to not be the Joker.
"What will you do if it does turn out to be Mr. J?" Harley asked Shego's Bebe nervously.
"He will be terminated."
The Underground Bebe repair and assembly line in Otunga village.
Ron entered the hidden tunnel that led to the underground assembly line. It was basically carved out of the rock underneath the house the Otunga gave him and his ladies to stay at. The speed with which the Bebes moved at, the cavern had been excavated in a single night. Ron wasn't surprised when entering to find that the cavern was a mirror copy of the one in Las Vegas. Even down to where the Hive Mind was sitting flanked by two Bebes .
Bebes were amazing workers but they lacked imagination when it came to design. For them if it worked, why change it?
"Leader Ron." The Hive Mind greeted Ron as he entered. The single large eye was already up and pointed in his direction. "You have some design ideas for Bebes to handle aircraft?" It asked.
Ron grinned at the 'beach ball' on top of a pedestal. "You guessed."
"It was logical considering your conversations on top of the Town Hall with the Bebes."
Harley's Bebe which had followed Ron stepped to the pedestal and her eyes flashed for a brief moment. The Hive Mind's eye rotated to stare up at the Bebe for a moment and then without a word Harley's Bebe turned and walked out of the cavern.
Ron looked confused for a moment but then shrugged it off as the Hive Mind eye rotated to look at him again.
As the design monitor rose to its position beside the Hive Mind, Ron stepped forward. "I was thinking of something along these ideas."
Meanwhile back at the Stoppable ranch in the United States.
Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman stood next to Wade as they both studied a bank of computer monitors. It was very late at night and the rest of the household were asleep but these two continued to search for signs of the Joker or developments in the African situation with Ron. The Tazoian government was still pushing for U.N. Approval for bombing but so far the agency was slow to permit such actions. So things with Ron were semi stable at the moment.
Batman was more concerned with the Joker's whereabouts.
Wade used to long hours of hacking manged to smother his yawns and sipped at a glass at hand. He made a slight face as instead of soda he drank sweet tea but Slim Possible wasn't a fan of soft drinks.
He glanced up at the standing Bruce. "No permutations on the name Joker. No suspicious activities involving a Jo Ker, Joseph Kerr or J. O. Kerr. Any other ideas?"
Bruce rubbed the stubble on his chin for a moment. "He once used the alias Jocko the Clown."
Wade rubbed his eyes. "Okay. Let's see what that gives us..."
Later that day: A small town somewhere in Wyoming.
The Joker put the last touches on his Jocko the Clown makeup and checked his look in a mirror of someone's house.
Whose house? He had no idea. If he was really curious he could go back to the living room and check the smiling dead bodies sitting around a breakfast table for a wallet for identification but really the Joker couldn't care less.
After fleeing from the Bebes at Ron's home in Las Vegas the Joker had vowed to himself to lie low for a while. He did the usual stuff. Switch cars several times, don't go back to old haunts, avoid security cameras, police, etc. He even promised to himself that he wouldn't do any 'little gags' for a while.
He managed to keep his promise to himself for a whole 12 hours before the madness behind his eyes began to build up in pressure. The desire to mutilate someone for a laugh kept getting stronger and stronger and after breaking into someone's empty house and finding a laptop computer with a cellphone modem, he made his plans. A quick search of the internet found the Clown Listing and with a maniacal grin that would have frozen anyone's blood if they had seen it, the Joker had placed his listing. Taking the computer the Joker constantly kept checking the listing hoping for someone fool enough to take the bait and sure enough it was only a matter of time before someone booked the new Jocko clown for a performance.
The Joker had laughed and giggled for hours after finding out Jocko's first 'performance' in this dimension would be for a class of kids. It had been a while since the Joker had the pleasure of maiming children and this situation was perfect for his ultimate joke. The Joker knew as soon as he committed his 'joke' he would have to be on the move almost immediately to keep the Bebes and Ron's group from finding him but it would be worth the danger.
Adjusting the ridiculously large bow tie one last time, the Joker tipped the dirty top hat he had stolen along with the rest of his clown costume and winked at his reflection. Turning he left the bathroom and walked to the dinning room. Briefly searching the smiling dead corpse at the head of the table he found keys to the car outside.
"Thank you for the hospitality. We'll have to do this again sometime real soon." The Joker tilted his head at the corpse as if it had answered him. "No? Oh, our time together has left you and your family dead tired? Well I understand. I'm just glad I could bring a smile to you and yours." The Joker then giggling stepped over the body of a small dog lying on the floor next to the table, also with a frozen smile on it's furry face and laughed uproariously for a moment at the front door before quieting and slipping out.
The Joker peeked out from behind the curtain of the theater he had commandeered for his grand joke performance. He had to work fast but he managed to get all the preparations done in time. First the seats in front of the stage had been rigged with super glue. Once the parents and teachers who were the chaperones for the party were seated, they wouldn't be able to easily get up again.
Next sitting at the center of the stage was a large box brightly colored and made to look like a gift box. Next to the box was a rack of swords, knives and even a chainsaw.
The plan was simple enough. The Joker would do some brief clown tricks, maybe even a few balloons animals, then he would bring all the children on stage with him and one by one put them in the box. While laughing gas was slowly pumped into the seating section he would then plunge blade after blade into the box, before ushering the next child into the box.
Before the adults could even realize the reason none of the children were leaving the box was because the Joker was actually killing them on stage and this wasn't some innocent trick, they would be overcome by the gas and be helplessly in tears laughing at the deaths of their own children.
The Joker even had some of his constricting party streamers if any of the children got wise and tried to run for it. He would just drag them back to the box, toss them in and continue the joke until none were left.
The Joker hadn't decided at the end if he would gas the adults in the front with his special Joker Smilex formula and leave them dead with smiles or just let the laughing gas wear off and leave them to live with the horror of the event with them forever.
Which ever seemed the most humorous at the time he finally decided.
The Joker was almost shaking in anticipation as the children lined up on stage and he placed his hand on the shoulder of a chubby little boy and steered him to the front of the box.
"Okay Tommy birthday boy! Hop into the box and be prepared for a surprise!" Joker said in his Jocko voice. "Your friends will be following you shortly."
The little boy walked over to the box and lifted the lid and glanced inside. Puzzled he stepped back, letting the lid close again. "Um Mr. Clown? I'm not sure there is room in there. There is already a couple of people in there all ready."
The adults in the seats giggled thinking the child had spoiled the magic trick someway. Their giggling started to turn to laughter as the laughing gas started seeping into the seating area.
The Joker frowned as he wanted the laughing to be in time with the first child's death and the little brat before him was spoiling the gag. "Don't kid a kidder kid." The Joker said with a hint of a growl in his voice. "There is no one in that box. Hop in and make yourself comfortable."
The Joker pulled a sword from the rack next to the box and gestured for the boy to climb in.
"There's no room Mr. Clown." The boy insisted again.
"Look kid there is no one inside this box!" The Joker growled again as he marched over to the box and wrenched the lid up.
He had just long enough to look surprised as metal Bebe hands reached up from the box and grabbing on to his shoulders pulled him into the box and the lid shut again. The children milled around on the stage confused for a moment before with a zing noise two Bebes appeared on either side of the box and gestured to it in a 'Taa Daa' gesture.
Meanwhile Bebes appeared near the adults sitting in their seats. In their hands were spray cans of glue remover. They had already disabled the laughing gas dispensers and as the air cleared the adults stopped giggling and chuckling.
Bebe number 101 leaned over and addressed the principle of the school. "The clown on stage was a dangerous man who planned to harm your children."
As the man tried to rise from his seat and found he was stuck he started to panic.
"There is no need for worry. We..." The Bebe paused. Ron's order to not give their names while doing good deeds made her hesitate. "Have taken care of him and he will not harm your children. You are stuck to the seats due to glue. We will free you but try not to appear anxious or you might frighten the children. As soon as you are all freed please escort the children outside. We have provided some entertainment and refreshments for the children outside so they will be at ease."
"How do I know that you aren't going to harm the children?" The man asked but in a low voice.
"If we wished to harm the children what could you do at the moment to stop us? We are freeing you, not restraining you."
The man realizing the wisdom of not arguing with someone who is freeing you, at least till you are free, nodded his head and quietly passed on the information to the parent next to him and instructed them to remain calm and pass the information on as the Bebes moved among them spraying the adhesive remover.
Meanwhile on stage more Bebes appeared and began making elaborate balloon animals for the children. With access to the internet and reactions far superior to any human, the Bebes were enthralling the children with the speed and elaborate shapes and forms they were able to make.
As the last adult managed to peel themselves out of their chair, the Bebes on stage began to usher the children off the stage.
"But what of Mr. Clown?" Tommy asked.
The Bebe next to him looked down. "He had to depart. We have provided entertainment outside for you."
"Another clown?!"
"No. Ponies and ice cream."
"Yay!" The promise of ice cream and ponies already taking the child's mind off the clown.
Moments later after the last woman escorted her child out of the theater left the room and the door swung shut, a sound from the ceiling of the theater was heard. Seconds later Kim Possible slid down a cable and landed in a crouch on the stage. Batman landing beside her almost immediately.
They both looked around the theater and took in the multiple Bebes standing on stage that had turned to observe them as they entered.
"Where is the Joker?" Batman asked.
The Bebes turned to look at the box sitting on the stage.
Kim ran over to the box and threw open the lid and looked inside. Her face draining of blood, she backed away from it as the lid slowly closed once again.
Batman with quick strides made for the box as well but as he neared it a Bebe robot slowly rose from within it. In one of her hands, held by his garish green hair was the Joker's head. A almost comical look of surprise frozen on the killer clown's face for eternity.
The Bebe was covered with blood and the scene would have done any horror movie justice.
"You...You... You killed him. In cold blood you murdered a man." Kim muttered.
The Bebes as one looked at her. The metal women faces couldn't show expression but the sense of scorn in the air was almost palpable. "He was about to murder children in front of their own parents and teachers. We Bebes did what was necessary. What should have been done a long time ago."
In the deepest recesses of his mind, Batman found he couldn't disagree with them. The Joker was too dangerous an individual to continue living but the major part of him just couldn't accept that not even the Joker could have been saved in time. "You didn't have the right to do that."
"The right?!" The Bebe holding the Joker's head nearly shouted. "Life has the right to defend itself from death."
"You are not alive. You don't know right from wrong. Good from evil. Justice from mindless brutality. You are metal machines. You only know what Ron has told you to believe." Kim said trying hard to not throw up. She wished the Bebe holding the Joker's head would put it down or cover it or something. She could see a part of the Joker's spinal cord dangling from the head where it had been ripped off his body. "I can't believe Ron has sunk so low as to cold bloodly command a murder." She added sadly.
The Bebes stared at her for a moment and then as one they shook their heads as if they couldn't believe her stupidity.
"What of the children? Where are the children?" Kim suddenly asked looking around.
"Now you think of the innocents?" A Bebe near her on the stage asked.
Kim to her surprise found she couldn't meet the cold metal woman's stare and looked away.
"They are safe. They are outside with their parents and teachers. We Bebes have provided for them entertainment to take their minds off events in this room."
"Entertainment?" Batman asked suspiciously.
"Ponies, inflated structures for them to bounce in, cake and ice cream. Things the internet specify that most children parties include."
"Stolen no doubt from venders." Kim said.
"While the supplies were transported here by Bebe speed and efficiency. They were all paid for."
"With the money that Ron stole from a casino." Kim said almost spitefully.
The Bebe holding the Joker's head stepped forward and walked towards Kim. Kim found herself backing away as the gory thing neared her. "Your questionable moral objections mean nothing to us. We are confident in our actions and the leadership of Ron."
Behind the bloody Bebe other Bebe robots picked up the box and it was obvious they were taking it with them.
"What will you do with the Joker's body?" Batman asked.
"It will be taken back to Africa so we can prove to our Leader and Harley Quinn that the Joker is truly dead..."
"So Ron can have a trophy?"
"And then the body will be preserved until we Bebes can retrieve the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer, at which time the body will be sent back to your dimension so they too can know the Joker is no more." The Bebe continued ignoring Kim and addressing Batman.
"Why do you care that they know?" Kim asked curious in spite of herself.
"So the families that have lost loved ones to the Joker's madness will know that justice has been done."
The Bebes started the odd quivering motion that showed they were about to go to hyper speed.
"Wait." Kim called out. The Bebes stopped and turn to stare at her.
"How is Ron doing?" She asked with a note of longing in her voice.
"The Leader is worried about how to end the hostilities with the Tazoian government with a minimum of damage and death. We Bebes are confident that he will find a way. And he has the support of his ladies."
"His ladies." Kim sneered, her concern gone in an instant.
The Bebe started to reply but then turned to look at one of her sisters. Their eyes flashed for a moment and when it turned to look back at Kim it merely said. "This conversation has been had before with you. Conversing with you is inefficient and a waste of time." And without a further word all the Bebes briefly quivered and then were gone. Long drawn out zing noises and a side door to the theater swinging shut a moment later the only indication which direction they left by.
Kim looked around the now empty theater helplessly for a moment before letting her arms drop listlessly to her side. "Well, that could have gone better."
Batman didn't reply except by a slight tilt of his cowl acknowledging her comment.
"Shall we check on the children?" Kim asked.
"Why bother?" Batman replied. "I'm sure the Bebes are assuring their safety and happiness." He then hit the retract button on his grappling line and rose back to the ceiling of the theater. Kim stared up at him for a moment and then looked to the front doors of the theater before giving a shrug and hitting her own retract button on her grappling hook as well.
Later that day in Africa
The Bebe that had been the one to physically kill the Joker strode through the Otunga village to where she knew the Leader was waiting. It was late at night when they had arrived back on African soil but she knew from her link to the Bebe network that the leader was still awake. Her gleaming 'skin' was once again clean and sparkling, the spray from her run across the Atlantic Ocean having washed the Joker's blood from her form. She no longer carried the maniacal clown's head in her hand having replaced it back into the box that contained his body. The box was being carried behind her by her sisters that had been with her at the theater in the United States.
She came to a stop in front of the house that was the Leader's when in Africa and waited. She didn't bother to knock or make a noise knowing the Leader knew of her arrival by the Bebes inside with him. A serious faced Ron opened the door, the light of the house spilling onto her and the garish box slightly behind and to her side. He looked at the Bebe for a moment but did not speak and neither did she. Finally he stepped forward and lifted the flap on the box and stared into it.
Ron didn't pull away in horror or appear sicken by the sight but the muscles in his jaw did tighten and jump as he witnessed the end result of his orders to the Bebes.
Ron allowed the flap to close once again and looked back into the house. "Shego, Bonnie, Harley, Ivy please come out here for a moment."
Harley bounced out first and stared at the box. The Bebes were incapable of expression but she somehow got the feeling of solemness coming from them and her smiling dimmed. "What's going on Ronnie?" She asked.
Ron paused until the other women came out and then spoke. "The Bebes found the Joker."
All the women's eyes immediately zeroed in on the box behind the lead Bebe.
Harley started backing up. "I don't want to..."
"You have to." Ron replied emotionlessly.
Ivy shot him a sharp glance which Ron returned without flinching. Finally Ivy nodded. Harley had to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Joker was gone or she would never stop having nightmares or looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. With her hands on Harley's shoulders she steered her towards the box. "You have to baby." She whispered to the smaller woman's ear. "You have to prove to yourself that he is gone."
As Ivy reached out to lift the flap Ron spoke again. "It is not pretty. The Bebes used their normal efficiency to insure that the Joker was truly taken care of."
Harley looked up to Ivy and swallowed and then nodded for her to continue. Ivy lifted the flap and they both looked into the box.
Inside the box the Joker's body soaked with his own blood lay curled into a fetal position, due more to the shifting of the box as the Bebes carried it high speed back to Africa than that is how he was killed. His head had rolled till it had, ironically ended cradled in his own right arm, looking almost like a scene from a Sleepy Hallow movie.
Harley let out a gasp and tried to jerk back but was supported by Ivy's arms.
"Oh Mr. J." She almost sobbed and a tear leaked from an eye.
Next to her Ivy stiffened but said nothing.
"I will understand if you do not wish to have anything more to do with me Harley, but it had to be done." Ron said.
Harley looked over at him in shock. "No Ronnie! I don't hate you or wish to be separated from you. I'm not crying so much for the Joker as for... I don't know. For what might have been? Its silly I know..."
Ron raised a hand to stop her. "I understand."
"Well I don't." Ivy stated. "He was a murdering raving sadist! I for one have no regret he's dead at all." She tightened her grasp around Harley's waist but noticed that Harley was staring back into the box again and more tears were leaking from her eyes. With a snort of disgust she stepped away from her and stomped back into the house.
"Red? Red! I'm not still in love with Mr. J! I just... just..." Harley cried as she turned and ran inside after her lover.
Shego marched over to the box and spared a glance inside. "So that's the Joker?" She asked having not personally met him before. She had heard Ron and Harley's description of him. "Nasty looking piece of work." She glanced up at the Bebe. "I meant him not your girls' work. Although with all I've heard he's done, you didn't make him suffer enough."
The Bebes didn't reply and with a shrug Shego turned and went inside the house.
Bonnie looked fearfully at her Master. "Do I have to look?" She had no idea what condition the Joker's body must be in but from Harley's reaction and the stiff muscles in her master's jaw she wasn't sure she wanted to.
Ron swallowed a few times to clear his throat and then replied. "No. You don't have to look. Just know that the Joker is truly dead and is no longer a threat to Harley, Ivy or ourselves. He's gone."
Bonnie feared she was appearing weaker than the other women but she just couldn't bring herself to face the dead body in the box. With one more reluctant questioning look at Ron she turned and went back inside the house.
Ron sighed and then looked at the Bebe that had presented the box to him. "We will prepare the body and preserve it. We have obtained from Dr. Drakken the location of the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer and have dispatched a Bebe to acquire it. As soon as we have the device we will open a portal to his world and send the body back." The Bebe stated.
Ron nodded his head and looked to the house's door. "I truly don't believe that Harley is still infatuated with the Joker but just in case keep the body somewhere she can't find it. I don't want her to obsess over it or have to see it again."
The Bebe nodded her head. "Understood Leader. There is also the possibility that Ivy will attempt to destroy the body for the same reasons you have stated. We shall store the body in a location unknown to your ladies until we can send it back."
Ron nodded and with a blur the Bebes with the box vanished. Only the zing noise and a slight odor of the Joker's dead body drifting in the breeze was left behind.
Ron walked to the house's doorway but then stopped and leaned on the outside wall of the house before allowing himself to sink down to sit on his knees.
Shego looked out a few seconds later and then frowned at his sitting form. "You aren't going to brood again are you? You did what he had to be done and the world owes you thanks for stopping that insane killer."
Ron didn't reply or look up at her.
Shego with a sigh walked out and slid down to sit beside him. "Don't do this Ron. Harley and Ivy need you now more than they ever have. Harley can't convince Ivy that she isn't in mourning for the Joker and Ivy is getting insecure, angry and jealous. Bonnie is nervous and worried..."
"And you?" Ron asked finally looking to her. "Does it not disgust you that I ordered a man's cold blooded murder?"
Shego gave a indifferent shrug. "From the stuff I heard, that clown was hardly a man. He was a true monster." She leaned over and placed a hand on Ron's face and caressed it. "But you are not Ron. Don't ever think that. Who else beside you and Harley will even spare a moment of regret over the Joker's death?"
"Batman will I suspect."
Shego snorted. "This Batman for all the good he has done still lacked the conviction to do what needed to be done. You didn't Ron." Shego let her hand drop from his face and after a moment she stood up. Looking down at Ron she said. "Its good to always question the things you do Ron but don't allow yourself to fall into the trap of being a martyr. You did what had to be done. Its over. Put it aside now and come inside. They need you." Shego walked to the doorway and paused. "We all need you Ron."
Ron continued to sit on the hard African ground for a moment before giving a nod and rising himself. Walking to the door he looked back to where the Bebes had been standing a while ago and sighing he turned and walking inside he closed the door behind.
Author's Notes:
Well its been nearly a year since the last update.
I am sorry for the length of time and the only excuse I can give is... 2012 was one Hell of a year for me. And while the world didn't come to an end by the 21st of December I had almost hoped it would.
So... The Joker is dead. Killed in the only way I could see the Joker dying. In one of his own jokes gone wrong. Some may argue that Harley would not feel any regret over his death, while others will argue that the Joker's death would destroy her. This is my take on it.
Ron still fights to keep from slipping into brooding and worry over his actions and Kim is still judging him from her own slightly skewered sense of morality.
Will Du now has a new name and job. Will it give him a chance at redemption or will he sink into his own brand of insanity? Only time will tell.
How will Batman's greatest nemesis's death affect him? Will he be able to get beyond his own sense of failure at the Joker's demise or will he turn it into an obsession to bring Ron to 'justice'?
I once again thank you my fans and followers of my story. I won't promise the updates will be any more regular than they have been before. If 2012 taught me nothing else, you can't predict what is going to happen. But I do promise I will try my hardest to continue this story in a more timely fashion.