The Johns Club

by Vanessa S. Quest

Long little story here. Basically, every High School has that elite group, but what if that group would kill to stay at the top? And what if you were on the chopping block? JQ & VQ in the story. COMPLETE!

The John Club: by Vanessa S. Quest

An alarm cut through the thick night air, a constant buzzing which filled the room and drained down the hall. All Jonny could think of were ways to stifle out the obnoxious noise once and for all as he smacked his pillow frantically into the wailing device. "I can see why Garfield hates Mondays so much." Jonny muttered as he slipped out of his warm bed.

He crawled towards the bathroom sink just down the hall from his room and began splashing cold water on his face, as he drew up from the sink his face was fully awake, his eyes wide. He ran mousse through his hair and began styling it frantically before his hair hardened into its protective molding. He grabbed his translucent black toothbrush and the whitening toothpaste from inside the gilded medicine cabinet. As he scrubbed his teeth to a sparkle, he investigated himself in the mirror. "Puufect" He said, biting at his toothbrush so he could pose with his hands free, he winked at himself, spat out the foamy mint flavored goo and rinsed the sink with the detachable hose located to the right of the faucet.

He finished by washing his hands and dabbing some anti-acne leave-on cream over his entire face. He dried his hands and face with the wash towel, threw it onto his shoulder and walked back to his bedroom in full confidence.

In his room he threw the dirty towel into the hamper making the 'swoosh' sound effects as the crumpled cloth was 'nothing but net' once it entered the laundry basket with ease. Jonny stripped out of his pajama top and pajama pants, grabbed a set of black loose-fitting satin boxers and switched out of the sky blue ones from the day before behind a changing screen located in the corner right next to his computer. Jonny slipped a pair of white ankle socks on and slid across the hardwood floor towards his dresser, careful not to run into the throw rug and tumble to the ground. He pulled his blue jeans up with a tuck here and there to flatten his boxers against his legs. Jonny then grabbed a selection of shirts, "Hmm, black, black or black?" He teased himself, his eyes then fell upon his brand new shirt; his eyes sparkled. "Perhaps I'll go with a burgundy sweater instead." He smiled and grabbed a white cotton undershirt and tossed it over his head managing not to move a hair. He pulled the soft and comfortable sweater on over his white shirt, he could feel the static shock build in his hair and fingers.

He smiled deviously. "Oh Jes~sie!" Jonny cried playfully, "Jessie. do you know where I put my hoverboard?" he plotted.

Jessie came in, barely conscious, she herself in the middle of the grooming process as her toothbrush drooped at the corner of her lips. She slid in, her slippers making an irreversibly annoying sound of sandpaper to wood 'skroosh'. She walked to the side of Jonny's bed and pointed to a pile of clothes.

Jonny pounced, sending his finger mere millimeters from her nose as the spark jumped and discharged itself. Jessie's eyes grew in insurmountable anger. "Jonny, you fink-bastard!" She hissed as she smacked him on the back of the neck and proceeded to shuffle back out to the bathroom to spit and continue grooming.

Jonny smirked and fixed his hair in the back. "That was TOTALLY worth it." He added to himself in victory, he found his white canvas sneakers and his black vans, "Hmm, decisions, decisions." He slid his vans on and hopped up excitedly. "Dressed!" He grabbed his keys and wallet then moved his way down to the kitchen.

Jessie bumped into him as she too made her way down the steps, adding her last minute lipstick, now fully dressed and awake, her hair styled as perfectly as Jonny's. "Touch the hair and you die Quest." Jessie muttered dangerously as she noticed where Jonny's attention lied.

"Why Jessie, I'm HURT what would ever lead you to think I'd mar your beautiful hair so early in the morning?"

"Quest, I'm warning you."

Jonny smiled equally as dangerously as Jessie's warning. Venus jumped from behind the stairs and rubbed Jessie's hair ferociously. "GOTCHA!" She said, running into the kitchen, the safest grounds available, she herself in her newest school uniform wearing a French braid.

"Uh, Venus. I know you're new to the school and all, but you *do* know we don't have school uniforms, don't you?" Jonny asked as he entered the kitchen, Jessie clawing from behind his protective arm to try and destroy Venus. Jonny kept his arm planted in the doorway level to Jessie's chest, he glanced back and forth between the girls cautiously.

"Yeah, but I still don't have all of my stuff from my apartment, and I just got this for the school year two weeks ago. so I feel guilty not using it."

Jonny smirked, "Well, maybe you should lose the jacket, the rest is kinda cute though. for you anyways." Jonny added.

Venus glowered, "What in the hell is that supposed to mean, 'for me anyways'?!"

"It means I'm not going to say it's CUTE-cute because you are my sister, but as a member of the opposite sex, it still looks nice on you." Jonny explained.

Jessie still chanted, "Must. kill. annoying girl. who. ruined. perfect-hair- day."

"Hey, Jess calm down, she's just doing what anyone here would, given the opportunity."

"And that is *what* exactly?" Jessie barked.

".Act like a normal teenager and pull some small, harmless pranks."

Jessie glared. "Watch your back, Venus, you too Quest." Jessie said and with that she was permitted to enter the kitchen and serve herself breakfast.

Venus took a plate of hotcakes and blueberries off of the serving cart. She helped herself to some whole milk and a smaller glass of orange juice.

Jonny glared in shock, that is the fullest, most well rounded meal he had EVER seen any of the Quest Team prepare for themselves. He continued to look at her in shock as he helped himself to waffles with whipped cream and chocolate milk.

Venus looked at him in disgust. "How is it you eat all of that crap and still keep your girlish figure?" She teased.

Jonny growled, "Plenty of exercise, and a sacrificial virgin once every full moon." He looked her over, "You look just about right for the job."

Venus laughed in a sarcastic-coy manner. Jessie helped herself to cereal with sliced strawberries, some 2% milk and 2% chocolate milk to drink.

Venus looked over at the two of them with a look of contemplation. "Jonny, why isn't Hadji up yet? Does he have the first block of classes off?"

"Oh, he doesn't go to school with us, he graduated early by three years, Jess and I are 2 years ahead, but we're still only Juniors, he on the other hand is out of that snake-pit." He considered what she said for a moment, "We don't go by block schedules either, we rotate to a new class every 45 minutes and some classes like gym we take every-other day instead of every day for half a year. Why don't you show me your schedule and I'll get you to all of your classes."

"Oh, I don't have my schedule yet, they said they'd give it to me when I checked in today. And I know what period-based schedules are, I just thought that *you'd* be on a block schedule, that's usually what the more rural areas have."

".yeah, in the Mid-West." Jessie quipped. She rolled her eyes with a smile, "No, we aren't exactly the boondocks no matter how much it must feel like it coming from New York. We actually go to school in one of Maine's largest cities."

"I know geography just so you know." Venus smirked, "Anyways most schools are the same." She sighed, "I really wish I could have told my friends from the boarding school that I was moving, I'm going to miss them all."

Jonny glanced at her nervously, "I thought you said you came home everyday after school."

"Well, a long story short, it's a private school for girls and a boarding school for boys, it turned co-ed when I first started going, I was the first girl student they admitted and because there are no dorms built for girls yet, we get sent home daily. The boys have the option because of that to go as a private school or as a boarding school. And because most of them don't live near enough by, they elect boarding school. The female dorms should be finished in another 2 years."

Jonny snored, when she stopped speaking he perked his head up and smiled sarcastically, "Thank goodness you only told me the SHORT version, if you had went with the long version I'd have gone into a coma for sure."

"You brat!" Venus answered, stabbing her fork into his sleeve only a centimeter away from his thumb.

He gulped, "Heh." Jonny pulled the fork from his sweater, inspecting it for pulled threads, he handed back the cutlery to her and began eating his waffles just as Jessie and Venus finished their breakfasts.

"Anyways, how do we get to school? Do we go by bus. get dropped off.?" She wondered.

"Actually." Jessie began, "We elect to walk. or in Jonny's case over here. hoverboard into school, it's only three miles if you know the right bike- trails, and that way we don't have to wake dad or Dr. Quest up."

"Or try to figure out how to hotwire Hadji's van." Jonny added solemnly, as if from experience.

"And if it rains?"

"We usually get picked up if it rains or snows, or if we have after school activities, and if it rains in the morning we just walk fast."

Venus nodded. "I see. When I went to school in New York my dad." she paused at the remembrance of her deceased father, ".would drive Alex, Ian, Marissa, Zoey and I in his SUV. Before the others were there though, he'd take the Sedan."

Jonny smiled, "You came from a large family too, huh?"

Venus nodded once again; she placed her dishes in the dishwasher after rinsing them off twice. "So about when do we leave?"

Jonny and Jessie glanced at their watches; a horrified look covered both of their faces. "About 20 minutes ago!" They both recalled, each grabbing Venus by a wrist and pulling her- book bag and all- through the main door and sprinting towards the trail.

"I can't believe you're going to be late on your *first* day of school! Dad's gonna kill me!" Jonny swore.

"At least she'll." Jessie panted as she ran, "live up . to your reputation!"

Jonny turned his head back to glare at her. He noticed Venus was nowhere behind him. "SHIT! Jess, we just lost Venus!"

"What do you mean WE??" She said, turning her head to look for Venus as well.

Venus burst out of the garage sitting inside a now *running* van belonging to a soon-seething Hadji. "Ok, I started the van. who here can drive it legally?" Venus asked as she pulled up beside Jessie and Jonny.

Jessie blinked in shock then murmured, "I. I can. How the hell did you bypass his security system AND so quickly?"

Venus shrugged, "Eh, it's a hobby."

Jonny, not wasting his chance screamed out, "SHOT GUN!" He pounced on the front passenger's seat leaving Venus blinking.

Jessie, not short of the cue cried out, "DRIVING!" She pushed Venus into the back of the van as she loaded herself into the driver's seat.

Venus glanced around the skuzzy back seats and glared, "Oh No! I am NOT sitting on THAT!" She glared at them both, "Neither of you would even BE in this van if it weren't for me, one of you are moving back to sit on THAT. thing."

Jessie smirked, "Well, I'm driving, so Jonny that looks to be YOU."

Jonny swore under his breath, "You both suck. and you're just lucky it's your first day Venus, or I'd NEVER be this nice."

Venus smiled, "You have to be nice, I'm your sister!" She teased.

Jonny shot a cold hard stare back at her before he put a blanket over the debris covering the bench seat, hoping to all ends that the moistness of the seat stayed there instead of staining his jeans.

Jessie slammed on the gas sending Jonny flying back into the blanket and drenched seat. Jonny screamed, "Oh god something BIT me!" He swore as he investigated his hand for any broken skin. He glared at his attacker, a lone seat belt buckle, "Never mind, I'll survive." He called back to the two uncaring women in the front seats.

**********************************The John Club**************************

Just as the first warning bell rang, Jessie slammed on the brake and spun the van into a perfectly parked position, screeching the tires as they came to an abrupt halt.

Venus looked at her nervously, "I can seriously see why Hadji doesn't let you two borrow his car." A more pleasant look swept her face, "That was totally wicked!" She shook her head with a smile, emphasizing each word and then slid out of the car with a large toothy smile.

Jonny pulled himself off of the backseat, now disgusted by the odor surrounding him. "Someone has GOT to get him a gold pass to the Purple Parlor Car Wash."

Jessie sniffed Jonny as he walked past her towards the door. "I'd make it a Platinum, P-uwww!"

Jonny laughed coyly, "Heh, thanks." He grabbed his cologne from his back pocket and sprayed himself head to toe in it. Jessie smiled. "Better?"

"Much." She grabbed her backpack and started off to her first period class. "I'll tell Ms. Hendrix why you'll be late to first period. again."

"Thanks. At least she'll expect it." He grabbed his backpack and slid beside Venus. "Okay, the principal's office is on the third floor."

Venus gave him a stern look, "Jonny, just for the record, if I get locked on the roof to go for a 'swim' in the pool, I will kill you. Horribly."

Jonny gave that some thought as he remembered how quickly she hotwired Hadji's van. "Understood." He smiled again, "The principal's office is the second door from the stairs when you get to the third floor. Come on, I'll take you there now."

Matt and TK walked over towards Jonny, Bobby stood diligently at the Principal's door waiting for his turn to visit the Dean of Students. They all smiled, "Hey guys, check out the babe with Jonny!"

Jonny glowered, "Guys, knock it off."

"Is she your new girlfriend?" Matt asked, glancing up and down Venus in her way-too-cute-to-be-legal schoolgirl uniform.

"SHE is my sister. Long story. Touch her I break your fingers, and thumbs TK."

TK moaned, "Oh. but. but. videogames!"

"My sister."

Venus glanced at the four of them as they went back and forth in the one- worded battle of wills. "Yeah, hi, my name's Venus, pleasure to meet you all." She smiled sweetly.

The boys practically slipped on the drool coming from their mouths, only to contain themselves as Jonny physically threatened them all with his stare of icy knives. "She's here to get her schedule, I'm going to show her around."

"Cool." Matt added, "Of course, Ms. Hendrix is probably going to give you detention for being late again, hey, *I* wouldn't mind showing your sister around."

"You mean off." Bobby replied. "By the way, I'm Bobby, and this is my twin brother Matt, I like to think of myself as the better half."

Venus giggled. "Yeah, I like to think that about myself too."

Jonny stuck his tongue out at her. "And THIS is TK." Matt said, pointing, completely ignoring Jonny's comment.

"So, are you his younger sister or something? He's never mentioned you before."

".Actually, I'm his twin sister. I. ah. went to school in New York for a while." She smiled, "It's one of the top schools and my dad thought it was best for me to go there for a bit."

"Oh." They all nodded, the excuse fine for them. Jonny dragged Venus past the boys and into the principal's office. "Bobby, you're not waiting for Dr. Pain, are you?"

"Nope, I'm here for Miss Haden, the lesser of two evils." He smirked.

"What did you do this early in the morning?"

"Oh, I stole a small bus."

Jonny smirked, "No, really what did you do." TK and Matt snickered. "You're KIDDING! It worked?" Jonny said, reassessing the situation.

Bobby nodded, "Hell yeah it did."

Venus glanced at him in curiosity, "Did he really hotwire a car today, too?" She whispered to Jonny.

Jonny smirked, "Nah, he wishes he was that good. that's our code for breaking into the girl's locker room. A small bus means during the beginning of class before the girls get." Jonny blushed. "Never mind, why am I telling YOU this!" he smacked himself in the head.

".Before they get sweaty right? So a large bus would be when they come back in and shower then change, doesn't it?"

Jonny smirked then nodded, "You barely know us and yet you read us so well."

"Eh, Alex and Ian used to do that all the time from the boy's locker room, I used to watch from inside the empty lockers." She smirked back.

Jonny's eyes went wide. "Ok, that's just gross."

"Oh please, THEY weren't changing, it was during dormant periods, boys and girls didn't have the same time PE, and I wasn't in the first girl's PE class, I was in the second, so the boys never got a chance to spy on me."

Jonny laughed, "You're almost as smart as my dad, aren't you?"

"I like to think I'm smarter." She chortled.

Jonny laughed back.

"Ok, back to present time now, is the principal's name REALLY Dr. Pain?"

"Well, yes and no. His real name is Dr. Payne. But it lends itself nicely for our purposes."

"I see, then." Venus smiled; she sat down inside the office waiting for the secretary to call her into the principal's office.

Jonny sat next to her, "Hi Patty." He waved at the secretary who eyed him suspiciously.

"Jonathon, why aren't you in first period class yet?"

"Why Patty, I'm hurt, you can't expect me to let my sister struggle through the halls completely lost on her first day here, do you?"

"You, out. I'll write you a pass to your first period class, if you promise to go right there and nowhere else!" Patty said.

Jonny smirked, "Ok, sis, I'll have Matt take you to class if I can find him before he takes his 'first period bathroom break'. He'll show you to your first class and then I'll show you around the rest of the day, okay?"

"Sure thing. Although I think I can manage, you know, numbers on the doors, each floor indicated by which set of hundreds you're in."

Jonny rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you say that now, but wait 'til the halls are packed like a can of sardines."

Venus rolled her eyes back at him, "Fine." She blew a kiss as he walked out the door, "My hero!"

Jonny laughed as he collected his pass from Patty the secretary and made his way to Calculus 2 with Ms. Hendrix.

*****************************The John Club********************************

Venus walked into the cafeteria, Jonny at her right, Jessie her left, and Matt, Bobby and TK behind her. She shook her head, "You know, all of you are making me into some kind of side-show for people to gawk at. You could at least charge them all a nickel!"

Jonny winced, "Hey, Jess and I are just trying to help, and the others are apparently here for the tour group as well, they obviously don't know where their fifth period classes are."

"Who needs class, we want to make sure Venus gets to lunch safely, not to mention THROUGH lunch safely." TK smirked.

"Oh, you need some class alright." Jessie snorted, "And we'll do just FINE in showing Venus what's safe to eat here and what's not. That is if she'll dare to try some glucose."

Venus rolled her eyes, "What makes you think I don't eat junk food? I just like a balanced breakfast." Venus looked at the glob on her tray. "IIIIIIWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! What is that??! Are they trying to drug me or feed me dog food or something?!"

Jonny laughed, "Worse, nachos." He looked at her with concern for a second, "What did you expect, it's school food."

"At my old school they served one bowl of soup, chicken or steak or tofu depending on your choice specified on your meal cards, a salad, a grape or apple juice also dependant upon your meal card, and a candy bar or ice cream."

Jessie's jaw dropped. "They served what? Hey. Jonny what's the chance of our dads letting us go to school where SHE came from?"

"Non-existent, she's from New York, remember? All the rocket fuel in the world wouldn't be enough to send us there and back everyday."

"Yeah, I know, I was k-i-d-d-i-n-g." Jessie spelled out for Jonny. Jessie took Venus by the arm, setting the tray down and moving towards a second cafeteria. "Well, this is no steak and lobster. but I'm sure you'll learn to survive it, after all- this is PUBLIC school food we're talking about."

She fixed a plate of chicken tenders and fries, a can of orange soda and an ice cream cone. "You do have money, don't you?"

"Yeah. Dr. Quest told me I'd need about seven dollars, so I brought that with me today."

Jessie smiled, "Good, then pay the lady."

"That'll be $6.72, missy."

Venus handed the woman the money, collected her change and walked out to meet Jonny at the lunch table.

Jonny gaped at her, "I still can't believe you're a SENIOR!" He bickered, "Jessie and I worked our asses off to be Juniors and YOU transfer in and become a senior, that's just so unfair." Jonny sighed.

Venus looked at him in concern, "I told you, my boarding school was for advanced students AND is a top-notch school, you aren't jealous, are you?"

Jonny smirked, "Only that you get out of here in a year. It doesn't mean you're necessarily smarter than us, you just got better breaks."

Venus glared, "And what exactly does that mean? Are you implying I didn't earn this? Because I worked HARD to get to that point and I resent that comment!" Venus tossed her hair back, took up her tray and sat down at the next table over, obviously avoiding Jonny.

Jessie glared at Jonny, "Thank you little Mr. Ego." Jessie grabbed her tray and followed Venus. "Don't mind him, he's being a jerk. Jealous, too."

Venus fluttered her eyes, "It doesn't bother me, not really, I guess I'm just being spoiled really, it's just. where I came from I was *the* best, and I never had to really prove it to anyone, but here I'm a nobody and he just washed off a lifetime of work saying I was 'average' .or at least compared to you guys. And granted, I don't want you to feel like I'm vane or that I think I am better than you, but I'd like you to all see what I can DO before you just write me off as anything, you know?"

Jessie smiled, "Hey, we're accelerated too, and as of yet, I couldn't really tell you if I was smarter than you or vice-verse but does that really matter? Is being the best keyed into you so badly that you have to compete for just a silly title?"

Venus looked down, "I was raised to care. I usually try not to be competitive, well not openly at least. It's a part of me, but I guess. with this new life I should calm down a bit, besides I'm still in running to be the valedictorian."

"There you go, and Jonny's nowhere near that title." She giggled, "With his tardy record he can barely keep on the high honor role." She paused to explain, "You can't surpass a certain number of referrals in order to keep in that program."

Venus nodded, "Well, isn't that obvious?"

Jessie smirked. "You know, we seem to have an angry blond staring at the backs of our heads." Jessie turned around to come face to face with Ryan McNolly. "Why hello Ryan, what can I do for you on this fine morning?"

"Jessie, usually, we guys don't mind having two exceptionally beautiful girls sitting at our table, but. we DO have a problem with it when we have to go over game plans for tonight's football game. So, why don't you two beat it for now, and come back tomorrow for our victory lunch?"

Venus rolled her eyes, "Because I'd rather die from food poisoning, which isn't all too far of a reach with this slop." Venus took up her tray and dumped it on Ryan's precious seat. "Oops, now how did that happen, here, I'll go get a janitor."

The honey mustard sat sloppily in the center of the table, the soda caking the bench seat. Jessie smiled, "Venus, you're on your way to being either the least liked girl in the school or the most loved girl in the universe." They walked over to a table in the back. This time Jonny got up.

He sat next to them momentarily, looking over his shoulder and back at them as they sat at the secluded table. "Jessie, what are you doing? You know better than to sit HERE. You both need to move before *they* get here."

Venus looked at him with rising annoyance, "Are there bloody assigned seating here or something?! Because if there IS there should be a readily viewable chart listing this."

Jonny clamped his hand over her mouth to cut off her tangent. "Venus, the guys who sit here, you don't want to mouth off to them, okay? You and Jessie split, you don't know the ropes yet, but I do. So trust me."

Venus bit his hand. "Ow! Damn it what are you? A dog or something?"

Venus glared at Jonny after the comment slipped past his lips, "No, but you ARE a bitch. Jessie, is there a library or computer room here or something? I've lost my appetite suddenly."

Jonny shook his hand and gave an equally annoyed look back at his two companions. Jessie nodded, "Yeah, come on, I'll take you there after I toss my tray."

Jonny sat there watching as they walked out of the cafeteria. He was about to leave himself when a rough hand was placed on his shoulder. He muttered to himself quietly, "Shit!"

John Morrison squeezed Jonny's shoulder harder informing him it would be polite if he turned around.

Jonny turned slowly to face the unfriendly person behind him. "Why. hello John." He faked a full-hearted smile as he greeted the boy.

"Oh, it's you." He released Jonny's shoulder, "You're name's Quest, isn't it." He thought to himself, "Jonny Quest, isn't that right?"

Jonny swore under his breath again, ".Shit." Thinking to himself about how big of an ass whooping he was about to get he looked at him and replied, "Yeah. That's my name. don't wear it out?" Brimming with childish sarcasm he pondered how painful it is to get your jaw rewired.

"I didn't know you wanted to join the John Club." He contemplated.

Jonny gulped. "Neither did I." He added in almost complete silence.

Jon Smith sat on the other side of Jonny as the Johns' all came to the table. John Lopez sat in the corner; Jay Miller sat in the corner across from Lopez and on his right side sat John Morrison, to his right sat John Stewart and finally, at the top of the table sat Johnny C. the leader of the John Club. Not many people knew what the C in Johnny's name stood for, but not many were brave enough or stupid enough to ask. "Hey. What's Quest doing here?" Johnny C. asked, his voice dark and heavy.

"He wants to join the John Club, he sat at our table." Morrison replied.

"He's got some balls, doesn't he, just *inviting* himself over, you do know this is invitation only seating, don't you, Quest?" Answered Lopez.

Jonny gulped, that ass whomping was coming up pretty damn quick even for them. "Yeah, well I just thought."

"That's actually pretty brave of him. He might just have what it takes to be a John." Stewart replied; he looked at Johnny C. for the confirming nod.

"If he passes the test, maybe. You DO want into the Johns don't you Quest? You aren't just fucking with us and wasting our time, are you?"

Jonny prepared to shake his head before Johnny C. continued, "Because if you're wasting our time you're wasting MY time, and I don't take kindly to people wasting MY time. And when I stop being kind, people stop having functioning spinal chords." He added.

Jonny choked back a gulp, "Well, I wouldn't want to waste your time anyways, Johnny C. I mean, if I'm wasting your time, I'm wasting my time, and I don't like to waste MY time."

Johnny C. smiled dangerously, "You know, Quest, I think you're kind of growing on me."

Jonny breathed a sigh of relief.

"But I still don't like your presumptions." He cocked a glance to Jay, "Miller, why don't you show Quest here what a presumption can lead to."

Jay smiled; he grabbed his tray and slammed it into the side of Jonny's head. Jonny winced at the sudden gush of pain.

"And that's nothing about people who waste my time. But, you've caught me on my break, so why don't you eat lunch with us, call that an invitation to an interview, and then after school today we'll initiate you, and if you don't show. we'll kill you." Johnny C. laughed, the others piped in.

Just as Jonny started to laugh half relaxed, the pain numbing in his head, Johnny C. cut them all off and said strongly, "I'm serious."

Jonny swallowed hard. The others continued to laugh.

**************************The John Club****************************

Venus waited at her class for Jonny to meet up with her and show her to the science labs. TK walked past her, about to go into his English class when he realized that the period was about to begin. "Hey, are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, Jonny's supposed to take me to Science, but he hasn't shown up yet, I think he forgot. That or he's still huffy about lunch."

TK smiled, "Well, he is a ditz, so I bet he forgot. I'll take you to your class, what room is it?"

"Thanks CK! It's room 313."

TK winced, "It's TK. And that's on the opposite side of the building from here. Hold on a sec, I'm just going to check in with Mr. Nathaniels."

Venus nodded.

After five minutes, TK dropped Venus off at class and entered into a very tense English classroom.

Matt looked at TK, "Hey, do you know where Golden Boy is? He blew me off after lunch, we were supposed to meet up with Jessie after she dropped Venus off at her English class and then go for a run on the track during our free period."

TK looked at him nervously, "No, in fact I just dropped Venus off at her Science class because Jonny didn't take her there himself. Damn, since when is he that much of a scatter-brain?"

"I dunno, we'll ask him in Social Studies though, Jess is a tad-bit pissed as well, to put it mildly." Matt said, "she's practically right next to Venus's class, so she'll probably take her to gym."

"Oh that sucks, her last class is gym?"

"Yeah."

"Wouldn't it just 'suck' if someone stole a large bus today after school?"

"Yeah, it actually would, I hear that she's packing mace AND that she's not going to shower there. She does go right home after that class anyways, and I'm sure their showers are made of pure gold and rain out Spring-water."

TK snorted. "Hell, it probably sends out water from hot-springs. Screw the bottled water."

Matt smirked. "Yeah probably, and don't you think Jonny'd personally kill us if he found out we peaked on his sister anyways? I mean you know how ballistic he went when he found out we checked out Jessie and DIDN'T invite him, and that was when he only had a small crush on her."

TK shuttered violently, "Yeah. But let us NEVER speak of that moment again." Matt nodded in agreement.

Mr. Nathaniels glared at them, "Well TK, apparently you think coming in late isn't enough of a disturbance to my class, you also have to TALK your way through it. TK, Matt, you are excused. I'll see you after school in detention."

TK and Matt moaned, "Oh!" They grabbed their books and backpacks and left the classroom.

Matt ran into Bobby as he left the bathroom. "Hey, Matt since when do YOU skip Mr. N's class?"

"Since we got the free pass out of it. We got kicked out for talking."

"Damn, that does suck. Guys, you are totally not going to believe this." Bobby said looking out the window.

"Believe what?" TK motioned for the window Bobby pushed his head down and then ducked himself. Matt followed suit and perched next to his brother.

They all peaked over the windowsill, "Oh. My. Gosh. Since when does Jonny hang out with the Johns?!" Matt barked.

"Maybe he's not WITH the Johns. maybe they're jumping him." TK said, ready to go for the door.

"Hold it, dork, we can listen in from here and save ourselves the ass pounding of going out there especially if Jonny is just hanging out with them. You know how they are." Bobby said quietly.

They all nodded.

"Well, your application matches our requirements." Lopez teased, "You're good with computers, you have some loose funds, AND your dad can bail you out of any trouble you might just happen to get into."

Morrison smacked him, "You're talking too much! What if someone hears you?"

Miller agreed, "AND you shouldn't tell him too much anyways, we don't even know if we can trust this schmuck. As you said, he HAS loose funds, why would he really want to be involved with us if that's true?!"

Stewart smiled, "I bet the little rich boy just wants to cause some trouble, like the rest of us. I bet it's pretty boring getting everything he wants all the time."

Jonny swallowed hard. 'How do I always get into these kinds of situations.'

Johnny C. glared at Stewart, "What was that crack about rich people? You got a problem with *me* just because I've got money? No. I didn't think so you little bitch." He smiled as Stewart backed down. "Anyways, Johnson's going to be making the final call today."

Smith looked at him in concern, "What do you mean Johnson? I thought he got landed in juvie!"

"Don't you worry about that! That's part of the test. Jonny here is going to pull some strings through his dad and get him out, and if he DOESN'T, we'll take him for a little drive to meet John E." He laughed.

The others became caked in sweat, "You're going to trust John E.? He flipped out last time and tried to kill Morrison when HE got initiated." Smith added.

Jonny swallowed hard, 'Further and further into the rabbit hole.' he looked at Johnny C. for a moment then braved, "I need to know Johnson's full name, and I'll see what my dad can do."

"Your life depends on it." He smiled and tapped Jonny in the jaw.

"And I need to know why he's in the pen, so I can underplay it with my dad and he can dance around that when he talks to the judge who locked him up, hopefully we'll be able to get him out in a week."

Johnny C. glared at him, "That's not good enough, we need him out in three days or less. We have a job for him that only he can do. That is, unless you know someone who can bypass security systems."

Jonny swallowed, "No. I don't know anyone that good, I don't think."

"He's in for breaking an entry and carrying a concealed weapon. A pistol, he held the license for it though, so the judge didn't tack on the full sentence for that."

"And his name?"

"What do you think it is?" Jon Smith laughed. "I'll give you a clue, his middle name is Erik and he HAS a first name."

"Jonathon Erik Johnson?"

"Wow, we've got a BRIGHT one on our hands, don't we guys?" Morrison smirked.

Jonny smirked in a hesitant fashion.

"Yeah, we also have a nervous one, why are you so tense, anyways? You aren't trying to hide anything are you?" Johnny C. proclaimed.

"Why would I hide something? I'm just nervous because you've told me a LOT of information and if I don't pass initiation you have repetitively threatened to kill me, one way or another."

He nodded, "I guess it can be intimidating." Johnny C. looked towards the window, "We're being watched, lets go to the track and finish our conversation in privacy."

'He said he had a job. with security systems. what can they be planning? Whatever it is it's most definitely illegal.' Jonny thought over what they said, '.and I have three days to get some kid named Johnson out of jail. but they said initiation is today. so does that mean I only have two hours to convince dad to get him out of jail?' He breathed a heavy sigh; everyone's eyes were glued on him.

"What's going on Jonny?" Johnny C. asked with a small amount of contempt.

".I'm just thinking about how I'm going to get this Johnson guy out and how long I really have to prove to you that I'm loyal and can produce."

Johnny C. smirked at that, "Well, you get to call your dad after school, and that's your verdict. If he says he'll do it, you've bought yourself three days, if he fails to do it. well, he always has your brother to carry on the family name."

Jonny swallowed hard. "And how exactly did you know I had a brother?"

"We keep a close eye on prospective affiliates of the Johns Club."

"One more thing, how will you know I'm not talking to a machine or something when I call.?"

"Because *we'll* be the ones listening in on the conversation. If you decide to call a decoy number, let's say, we'll chop off your fingers, all except one dialing finger that is." He smirked.

Jonny grew pale, the longer he was around these people the more physical threats he received.

"And you trust me when I go home not to spill any information? That doesn't seem like you, to leave loose ends."

"You're not going home tonight, not until you deliver. Hey, with the money your dad has, you could be in Hong Kong before we even got word that you left. No, you get to stay with Smith tonight, the next night Morrison and on day three, me, try to leave and any one of us will shoot you." Johnny C. explained.

"And you think my dad's going to go for this how? First I call him up to bust someone out of juvie and THEN I say I'm not coming home for three nights? He'll think I was kidnapped or something."

"You're going to make sure he doesn't think that though."

"You REALLY aren't giving me space to operate, are you now?" Jonny hissed.

"You don't need space, just talent. Only the best become a John." Lopez retorted.

Jonny rolled his eyes, "Fine whatever." He looked at his watch, only five more minutes before the school day's out. "But are you at least going to let me find Jessie and tell her I'm not walking home with her? She's going to know something's up if I don't show or if I show up with all the Johns watching over my shoulder."

They nodded.

"We have other ways to ensure you don't talk."

Jonny breathed hard. "Hey, I'm not stupid, I'm not going to make a run for it with all of you having cars and knowing where I live, AND I'm not going to tell her what's going on and risk my dad pulling some stupid stunt. No, I'll just tell her I have detention and tell her not to tell my dad that because I don't want to get in trouble, and I'll tell her I was put in In- School-Suspension after lunch so I couldn't meet up with her, she'll buy that."

"We still plan on having insurance. We know you go around with Matt and Bobby Evans, you make a run for it and one of them loses teeth, the other drags his brother's ass home."

'Better fait then mine.' Jonny nodded. "But you have to give me some TIME. I can't rush things with Jessie, she'll know something's up if I do."

"You have until the final bell of the day, after that rings you have two minutes to get over to Smith's locker, he plays soccer, you have an excuse to hang out with him, he's athletic and not everyone knows that he's a John." Stewart said.

Johnny C. nodded in agreement. Jonny also nodded in understanding.

*******************************The John Club**********************************

Jessie slammed her locker, "Jonny you really suck! You blew everyone off today, because of that Matt, Bobby and TK got detention!"

'Shit!' Jonny thought to himself. 'If they're in detention there's no way Jessie's NOT going to find out that I'm not. and then she'll know something's up. Maybe they'll cover. It's less dangerous for them to know what's up.' He glanced at her, "Hey, it's not my fault, if you and Venus hadn't sat at the Johns table I wouldn't have got in a food fight and get landed in ISS and after school detention. At least the guys'll have some *good* company!"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "You can be such a pig sometimes, why didn't you just apologize and leave? It works for me!"

Jonny slammed his head into the locker, "Because I'm. A. Boy. There is no apologizing for interrupting the Johns if you're a guy. They will kick your teeth in! My only option was to opt for detention because THEY wouldn't get nailed with the blame, you know how they work the system. And after that to hope it blows over and if it doesn't, opt to go for the Canadian border."

Jessie snarled, "I swear you are so hopeless, why didn't you just fight them? Now *I* have to explain to Hadji *alone* that we borrowed the car, all because you didn't want to kick some guy's ass with judo."

"You're failing to understand something Jessie. There - are - several - Johns. I can't fight them all."

"No? But you can fight 10 well armed men on a bus?"

Jonny rolled his eyes at this, "Jess, that's exactly it. What in the hell? Do you seriously think I'm going to get kicked out of the honor role just to get out of an easy detention?" He glared, "How many referrals do you think I'd have gotten along with how many groundings from dad, compound THAT interest and multiply it by Race's training and to top all of that off then have to explain to Hadji that I borrowed his car. Seriously, how much trouble do you THINK I get in in one day?!"

Jessie contemplated for a moment, "I guess you're right. But you could have at least told Venus not to wait for you."

"When did I SEE her to tell her?" He shook his head in annoyance. "Listen, I have to get back to the detention hall before I'm in serious shit. Please don't tell dad, I managed to talk my way out of a referral AND his involvement, reminding me yet again how much I love Patty, please, please, PLEASE don't blow my chances of freedom for when I get home. I'll do anything. This is crucial to me."

Jessie sighed, "Alright, I'll see you later. Bye." She grabbed her books and made her way for Venus's locker.

Jonny smiled, "YES! It worked." He ran towards John Stewart's locker. He leaned into the locker and smiled as he made it with half a minute to spare before rendezvous.

He froze in horror as he saw Jessie nearing him; he turned to see Venus at the far end of the hallway. "Double shit!" He slid into the boy's bathroom and into Stewart conveniently enough. "You. Good, perfect. I can't go out there, I'll blow my cover if I do. Jessie's out there with -a friend- yeah. If I go out there she'll know I wasn't really going to detention and she'll go ballistic."

Stewart smirked, "Fine, I'll make sure the coast is clear. What does her friend look like? -So I can make sure they're both gone."

".Oh, uh, she doesn't know me well. If I change she'll have no clue that I'm walking by her."

"Why would she know what you're wearing?"

".Uh, we gave her a ride to school today." Jonny patted himself on the back, 'Good answer if I do say so myself.'

"Ok, fine. Do you want me to get my soccer uniform or something?"

"No, no, I have a white t-shirt underneath my sweater, can you just stash my sweater when we walk out of here?"

"Yeah, no problem. I'll go get my bag and be right back."

'Damn it, it would have been so much easier just to let them all kick my ass. At least then I'd still HAVE an ass.' Jonny kicked himself.

Stewart walked back into the bathroom carrying his bag. "Here, hold the soccer ball so I have room in my bag. If anyone sees you they'll just think you're on the team or that you're helping me practice or some shit like that. It explains why we're going to the track anyways."

Jonny nodded as they switched off items.

************************************The John Club******************************

Morrison sat under the bleachers holding a cell phone.

Jon Smith held some duct tape behind his back. "Where ARE they? Do you think he made a run for it?"

"Calm down Smith, I think Stewart's just taking his own sweet little time. You know how much of a little bitch he can be sometimes." Lopez said from on top of the bleachers, obviously the lookout.

Johnny C. glanced at them all, he was standing against the post of the bleacher. "Is Miller keeping tabs on the Evan sisters?" he joked; he glanced at Lopez expecting him to answer.

"Yeah, if I don't page him in another five minutes he's going to move in."

"Then lets hope Stewart gets here before time's up." Johnny C. stated calmly.

John and Jonny approached the track. John cocked his head towards the bleacher. "You go in there, I'll make sure Lopez calls Miller off before one of the Evans' needs to get their jaws re-hinged."

Jonny swallowed hard. 'Showtime.' He walked past Johnny C. and under the bleacher not quite expecting what happened next.

Johnny C. followed behind him and clamped his hand over Jonny's mouth and his other arm pulled Jonny firmly against his chest, which pinned Jonny's arms.

Jon Smith grabbed the duct tape and stretched out a long piece of the sticky cloth. Johnny C. spun Jonny around with an easy motion, still keeping one hand firmly clamped over Jonny's mouth at all times.

Jonny resisted the urge to struggle knowing that would probably make it one hundred folds worse. Instead he clenched his eyes shut and waited for the worse to be over.

Smith duct taped Jonny's wrists together tightly. Johnny C. smiled, "Subservience is a great survival mechanism, I shouldn't really be all that surprised that you, the ultimate survivor, have that mechanism." He released his grasp from Jonny's back and patted his head.

"Now, this is very crucial." Johnny C. began, "When I take my hand off of your mouth, do you know what you're NOT going to do?"

Jonny nodded vigorously.

He started to peel his fingers from Jonny's face, "And that is?"

"Listen, I'm not going to scream." Jonny spat, taking in a breath. "What do you take me for? A complete idiot?" he smirked, "Cuz if that's the case, I hate to break it to you but I'm missing a few pieces."

Morrison snorted.

"We just needed to make sure you knew your place, and yet again, add some insurance just in case you don't pull through." Johnny C. added; he threw his hands onto Jonny's shoulders.

He sat Jonny onto the ground with a forceful shove. "Hey! I told you I'm not going to run, when are you going to start trusting me?"

"When we know you're in." Johnny C. answered far too quickly to Jonny's taste.

Smith duct taped his ankles. "And are you planning on leaving me this way when we go over to Smith's? Because I'm sure you feel like you own the school and the roads, but kidnapping really isn't something people tend to talk themselves out of, and by the LOOKS of things I'm pretty sure a cop or security guard would put that together."

"Just shut up and make the call, if you fail you'll be unconscious when we load your ass in the car so it won't matter how we do it to you anyways." Morrison barked.

"And are my friends safe? We had a deal, I want to know they're ok."

"They aren't your friends anymore, not if you're in. But they're safe." Miller said from the shadows of the bleachers.

Jonny gasped, 'Shit! I didn't even see him come in, he's good.' Jonny changed his look to one of conviction. "Give me the damn phone. I need to call before Jessie gets there and she drove today."

"Doesn't she have to drop off that friend of hers?" Stewart smirked.

Jonny flinched, "No, she's sleeping over."

"Jonny, I have some questions about that. why is it that this new girl no one's ever seen before that close of a friend of Jessie's and yours? And, on top of all that, why does she look so much like you?" Stewart added, "I had a little run in with her before I came back into the bathroom. The resemblance really is uncanny. But you wouldn't know that would you? I mean after all you barely ever see her."

"You didn't do anything to her did you? I'll kill you if you hurt her!" Jonny started to stand up defiantly.

"I didn't do anything to her. Not yet anyways. So who is she to you? A cousin?"

Jonny grimaced, they had to know by now, they knew about Hadji, "She's my sister; she lived in New York for a while going to a special school for the gifted. You can say she's my dad's prodigy child."

He shrugged, "Why didn't you want to tell us about her? You don't trust us?"

"No, it's not that. really, she's a stuck up little bitch and I don't like her." Jonny finished, 'Damn it, I better keep my story straight.'

"Fair enough. Why don't you tell us your dad's number and how to reach him, we know every police officer's number in the district so I'd rule that one out if I were you." Johnny C. smirked.

"And I take it you wouldn't believe it's 555-555-5555 either. It's 917-836- 3323, that's his private cell phone number. But you have to give it to me IMMEDIATELY. If he thinks I'm taking too long to answer he'll think there's an emergency and start flipping out. It's the only phone he's guaranteed to have on him."

Johnny C. nodded and Morrison dialed, they put the phone against his ear, Johnny C. leaned next to Jonny and listened in on the conversation intensely.

"Dad? Hey, it's me. Yeah I got .held up. after school, yeah, hey dad, can I ask you to do something really important?" Jonny kicked himself for that subconscious 'held up' comment.

*******************************The John Club**************************

Venus glanced at Jessie, "So he got detention? This is my fault, if I had just moved when he asked me to."

"He was being a pompous immature jack ass. We were both there! Those guys wouldn't have attacked him. He was acting like they were territorial little wolves and he just pissed on the wrong tree." She contemplated, "He got himself out of it easily enough. I'd be nervous if he *couldn't* get himself out of it."

"So, are you going to tell Dr. Quest. dad. that Jonny got ISS and detention?"

Jessie shrugged, "I doubt it, he said he'd pull off something really cool for me if I kept a lid on it. But I am TOTALLY telling dad about this, it serves him right to get clean-up duty for that stunt of his."

"Will Race really ground him? That's. so weird that he has that authority." Venus asked.

"Not really, it's almost like having an extra dad, verses a mom."

".My mom never grounded me. If I was ever in trouble it was my foster-dad who'd yell at me or ground me. .Although to be honest I don't actually remember ever BEING grounded." Venus shrugged, "Maybe I'm just way too much of a goody-two-shoes."

Jessie cackled. "Hey, I wish I was in YOUR spot, I'm a goody-two-shoes and I still get pulled into Jonny's punishments. 'Look, the *kids* set fire to that cabin; the *kids* broke curfew.' I swear any time you hear 'the kids' you'll learn to cringe. I get in trouble when I'm not even in America because of Jonny."

"He's a force of nature, isn't he?"

"Yeah, somewhere between the destructiveness of an earthquake flash flood wild fire tornado and a hurricane thrown into one. I'm just waiting for there actually to BE a hurricane Jonny."

"As if one's not enough." Venus teased.

Jessie chortled, "You're absolutely right. One is MORE than enough for this planet." Jessie sighed. "Ok, Venus, game faces. Hadji's waiting for us."

Venus looked at her with an odd look on her face, "You can tell that from here?"

Jessie smirked, "Hadji tries so hard not to be predictable, and yet fails so miserably at it. If he WASN'T waiting for the return of his precious 'harem mobile' I'd be scared."

"He does NOT call it that, does he?!"

Jessie chortled again, "Oh, in the right audience he sure does."

Venus laughed full hearted, as they encroached the gate she unbuckled her seatbelt and dove out of the van. "Then you enjoy explaining to him why you hotwired his car! Bye, I'll be in in a bit!"

"No! You didn't! Come back here you little rat! You can't abandon ship like that, that is totally unfair!" Jessie glowered, "You are SO MUCH like Jonny Quest it's revolting!" She glared at Venus as she drove past her.

Venus waved and cried out "Bon Voyage" as she walked into the Compound well behind the line of fire.

"I'll get you for this. Oh, I will have my revenge."

*******************************The John Club*************************

Venus meandered past Jessie, "I told you I was smarter than you." She smiled in a large hap-hazardous way.

Jessie began to pick up her mantra from breakfast, "I will kill you. Obnoxious little brat."

Hadji glared at Jessie, "So explain to me AGAIN how you bypassed my security?"

Jessie moaned, "Ugh!" She then caught her eye on Venus, "Hadji, you know what?" She smiled evilly, "I bet Venus would just LOVE to help you install your new security system in your car and answer all of your questions about how she hotwired it in the first place. I hear hotwiring is a hobby of hers."

Venus's head shot up at that final comment, "Sorry, can't stay I have homework, you know, first day of classes and all can't leave them with a bad impression!"

Hadji glared at Jessie, "Nice try, but there is no WAY she has the experiences needed to hotwire a car, it was either you or Jonny, and Jonny wouldn't be walking home if HE hotwired the van." Hadji then added, "AND he wouldn't have a license to drive it, so he really had nothing to gain."

Jessie smacked herself in the head, "Of COURSE *he'd* have something to gain, just like Venus and I had something to gain, a ride to school when we were already running late! But I am TELLING you Venus hotwired the harem- mobile, watch IRIS if you don't believe me."

"Do not invoke the name of my precious van. You have not EARNED the right to call her by that title."

"You're losing it Hadji." Jessie sighed, "IRIS, activate the security tape for Hadji's parking spot in the garage for 7:45 AM." She glanced at him, "It happened some time between 7:45 and 7:50, I'm sure you have the time to watch 5 minutes of videotape."

Hadji glared at her then watched intensely at the screen as Venus snuck in and disengaged his car alarm in the hood by going underneath the vehicle and then as she rerouted power from the lights to the ignition. "I. I have never seen someone hotwire a car like that, I didn't even know THAT was a possible way to hotwire a car. and how did she do that so quickly. she's amazing, I must take notes from her."

Jessie almost face-faulted. Hadji wasn't even an iota mad at her for stealing his car! Jessie fumed. She then looked back at the videotape, 'Yeah, how in the hell DID she know that? She's not kidding when she says that's a hobby of hers.'

Venus walked into the study to begin her homework. Dr. Quest's voice boomed through the large room. "Jonny, you're being irrational. You want me to bail some random kid out of Juvenal Hall? I told you, I am not going to use my presence in that way."

He was silent for several minutes. "." Dr. Quest's face contorted. "Jonathon, how often have I told you I do NOT care to influence people for petty reasons? You can't expect me to go bail out every friend of yours who gets in trouble, laws are there for reasons."

Another minute of silence went by, "Jonathon! I can't believe you are trying to play down his charges; you don't even read the newspaper do you? You're just listening to his sob story and buying right into it, I am actually familiar with the case, the boy held up a store and plead down armed robbery to breaking an entry and carrying a concealed weapon, the judge was being extremely lenient. More so than he should have been that boy has been in and out of the juvenal hall since he was 13, and I don't exactly appreciate his influence on you."

Jonny sighed into the phone, "Dad you don't know how IMPORTANT this is, I'm BEGGING you, talk to the judge!"

Dr. Quest stared at the phone. "Jonny I already told you, I'm just not going to be able and bail him out, my ethics prohibit it."

The phone hung up abruptly. "He hung up on me?! Why I never!" As Dr. Quest swore to himself about how grounded Jonny would be for being that rude, obtuse and obnoxious he turned to realize Venus was standing directly behind him.

"I take it Jonny's going to be grounded." Venus assumed.

Dr. Quest nodded in confirmation.

"I thought he said he has a quota for how much trouble he gets in daily."

Dr. Quest laughed at that comment before realizing the weight of it. "What do you mean? -What did he do?"

Venus shrugged, "Well, just so he doesn't get in trouble for lying, putting things on the backburner and for being stupid, I'll just tell you the stupid thing he did before he'd have a chance to tell you and prevent him from getting grounded for the rest. He started a food fight with some guys and got ISS and detention, as a direct result of getting ISS for the rest of the day he blew me off and got Matt and TK detention for being late to class because Matt walked me to class instead of him."

"So how did TK get detention then?"

"They were talking about Jonny in class with each other and the teacher flipped out about Matt being late plus TK and he were constantly talking. I heard Bobby got detention as well, he was supposedly skipping class, although I think he was also peaking around in the girl's locker room."

Dr. Quest blinked sporadically, apparently his brain on overdrive trying to file everything he just heard. "If he was in detention why would they let him use his cell phone.?" He began asking himself; then suddenly subtle clues clicked in. 'Held up. important. hanging up on me.' He glared at Venus, "Venus, get Jessie in here immediately, and then get Race." He wiped the sweat off his eyes, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Venus ran out of the room in search of Jessie through the gigantic house.

***************************The John Club*****************************

Jonny blinked in amazement, he would never have believed that a duffel bag could be swung hard enough to render him unconscious. Not like it mattered now, now he was stuck bound inside a trunk with that said duffel bag laying over him as well as a few blankets and what not to keep away any unwanted attention. That is assuming any of the police would actually pull over the boy whose dad is the top defense lawyer in the county. Hell, that's to say there are some police still not on the take from them.

Jonny winced, "Seriously how in the hell do I get myself into these situations." He muttered to himself, he reached for his wrist hoping against hope that he remembered to wear his watch today.

With a smile he clicked on his tracking device. "Success!" He glanced around the tight quartered bag. 'Is there a way I can get out from underneath all this stuff?'

The car slammed on the brakes. Jonny winced, since when were they telepathic?

The trunk opened up, Johnny C. looked in at the lump. "Quest. I have an important question for you, one you better answer honestly because otherwise. your dad won't have any heirs. Understand?"

Jonny muttered a simple, "Yeah" through the bag.

"Was that just the opening rounds?"

Jonny nodded, "Probably. If I call back before he freaks out he might actually not murder me. Assuming he isn't already ballistic that you hung up on him. things with my dad. they take time. Lots of time."

"Alright, we're pulling into Smith's family garage, they're out on vacation. You can try again then, got it?"

"Yeah, do me a favor and don't speed over the speed bump though."

"You wish."

The trunk slammed down again, Jonny immediately began struggling with the duct tape. All he had to do was snap it within five minutes, then he could work on the trunk and get out of there.

Johnny C. skidded to a side, sending Jonny's head into the metal that encased the tire; a soft bump was felt as the tires came over the speed bump.

***************************The John Club*****************************

A hot light on his face signaled how much shit he was in. He glanced around the room in a slight panic. He had a pounding headache, his eyes couldn't focus on the faces in the room, and his arms were sore from taut ropes on his skin.

"Dial, he's awake." Johnny C. beckoned, "We saved the number. For your own sake I hope you're a morning person."

Jonny cracked his neck and shoulders, "Don't hang up on the phone until I tell you to this time, I'll wink three times when you can. Got it?"

"Morrison? Understand?" Johnny C. barked.

Morrison nodded.

Ring.

Ring.

"Hello? Jonny?"

"Hey dad, no, I'm alright, yeah, Bobby, Matt, TK and I hooked up after de. after they got out of detention. I'm going to sleep over I think, dad. Is everyone home? Good, good."

Johnny C's ear perked.

"Yeah. you gave it some thought? And you decided?"

"Yeah I know, he isn't a bad egg, he's just had rotten luck, I know that's what I was trying to explain not some sob story. so you'll try? --at his next parole hearing? Are you sure that's a good idea to wait so long? I mean he's hardly a criminal and the faster he gets out of there, the faster he gets into therapy and a better home. You agree? That's great dad! A week? .Come on dad, you could get him out faster than that, I bet you could have him out in a day at most!"

"Yes I meant legally. alright, bureaucracy, yeah I guess three days but still, you could do it."

"Aw, I'm fine dad, having the time of my life. why are you acting so weird? Dad, there's a REASON fathers don't have mothers' intuition. I'm telling you I'm fine. yeah I'm sorry about earlier. sorry to keep holding up our dinner plans, yeah why don't we schedule it for three days from now? Yeah, perfect, no I'll be fine. stop worrying dad you're making the-me nervous. Me, nervous. I gotta go dad, bye."

The phone hung up. Jonny hung his head, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, it was a slip of tongue, and yes my dad is usually paranoid."

"Yeah I gathered." Johnny C. said. "Alright, let's get him into the locker."

"What? Wait! You said I bought three days. aren't you going to untie me. am I even going to go to school?"

"Yes, no, and no. You do have three days of our company, and then we'll show you the ropes, if you fail we'll show you the noose."

Jonny swallowed hard as they shoved him into a locker.

"Have any food allergies not on your school health file?"

Jonny's eyes widened. "Do you even have access to that?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Johnny C. explained.

"I guess not." Jonny smiled, "I'm going to love being a John, all I have to do is play on a computer and I'll pass hands down, even in classes I didn't go to."

"Meh, it has its perks and it has its pitfalls. I'll let you know when I find one of the pitfalls though." Smith added.

*******************The Johns Club********************

Dr. Quest hung up the phone. "Race, definitely a problem. Was it long enough to get a trace?"

Race shook his head, "No, but we can trace something else. he turned his watch on. Jessie, do you know a John Eric Johnson?"

Jessie froze, "John E. Johnson? Everyone at school knows about him, I mean he's an asshole but in certain circles he's revered as a hacking god. granted Jonny and I could probably kick his butt all over cyberspace but all the same he is good."

"Do you know who these circles are? Or who he hangs out with?"

"I think he hangs out with the Johns. a little elitist faction. Most of them would be in juvie if it wasn't for Johnny C's fast talking."

"Who's Johnny C, Jessie?" Dr. Quest asked.

"His dad is the top lawyer in the county, I think his names John C. Yules Sr. or something close to it."

Dr. Quest nodded, that name rang a bell or four. "Race, call the police, we're going to check up on this. Jessie, can you name any of the 'Johns'?"

Jessie nodded, "Sure, I'll grab my year book, I think there's maybe forty Johns in the school and thirty of them are in the Johns Club. I know the group started a few years ago too, so I'll check my freshman yearbook, that should have them all in it."

Dr. Quest nodded.

Twenty minutes later, Jessie came back with a list of forty-four names. "Got it Dr. Quest." She handed him the list and within seconds he had it committed to memory.

"Race, find out if any of these names tie in to where Jonny's being . attained."

*******************The Johns Club******************

Billy hung up the phone and picked up his cell phone. Billy- Jon Williams- paged Johnny C. with an urgent message from his informants. "911-937-0117," simply meaning, emergency- get out.

Johnny C. dialed Billy's number from his cell phone, "What's up?"

"Blue said your house is dirty, you should clean it, hey, is Smith there? Maybe we should go camping."

Johnny C. nodded all knowingly. "Thanks man, I'll run it by him. Yeah, I'll bring the salad and some fishing lures." He hung up the phone.

"Smith, we have to houseclean, somehow Quest led a nasty little trail right to your garage."

Smith's face grew pale. "What do you mean? That schmuck. his dad knows. man, what are we going to do?"

Johnny C. thought for a moment. "We're going to act like we don't know and we're going to do exactly as I said we would with Billy, Smith, don't answer your phone, then once I leave voicemail, answer it. Now take your phone and go for a drive. Do exactly what the message says, understand?"

"Do I look slow or something?" He took his stuff and booked.

Halfway through town he got the call on his phone. Once the voice message box flashed he pulled over and answered it.

"Call Billy, he wants to go camping, how does tonight sound? Blow off school, have some fun and some drinks, relax, you know? Give me a ring, you know the number- JC."

Johnny C. grabbed Jonny from the locker. "Your dad works fast, you know that?"

Jonny smiled, "So you're going to let me go now? I mean- I'm a John now aren't I?"

"Kind of, one last initiation and you're in, it requires a field trip. You down?"

"Yeah. that's chill man."

"Good. Initiation's such a bitch but you are SO close you should be able to feel it." Johnny C. said with a heated compassion.

Sweat caked his forehead once he was returned to the locker. 'Dad would never work that fast, he has to know. oh crap. if he's poking around he doesn't realize just what that could mean.'

******************The Johns Club********************

Jonny felt a needle prick him from behind his eyes grew wide then fell heavily.

"Get the distilled water, once we get to a lake we'll inject it into his legs. no way in hell he'll be able to swim, they'll write it off as a drowning hands down."

"Wait, who did he swim with?" Lopez asked.

Johnny C. thought for a small moment, "Get your cousin, Sara, we'll take off his shirt or something, have her prance around then leave, then tell Gabe to report it as Sara going skinny dipping with him then backing out. Clear?"

"Glass. Where do we have her meet and when?"

"Twenty minutes, by Deering Oaks, she'll remember where."

Lopez nodded and speed dialed his cousin. "Where are we camping?"

"Not there that's for sure." Smith said bitterly. "Back cove? That's close and all."

"I think that'll work. You have the keys to Adrian's car, Smith?"

"Yeah, let's go."

*********************The Johns Club************************

Jonny felt groggy, in a place between sleep and awake, he vaguely realized he was moving. His eyes closed as he tried to place the motion.

He was stiff. He was sore. Jonny's eyes shot open as another bump was hit, and he was apparently in the trunk. Again. He closed his eyes the tired state of his body weighing into him heavily.

He was so steadfast in his sleep that he didn't realize the car had stopped.

Or that he was loaded onto some shoddy rowboat. His awareness didn't pick up until he felt water spill on him. His eyes opened halfway until he saw the needle, that's when sleep went out the window.

Johnny C. sighed. "I didn't want you to be awake for this part, Jonny, that seemed excessively cruel. Even to my standards, I usually don't drown men, but you deserved an honorable death, a burial at sea. Especially for the irony that your dad was a rat, do you know what happens to rats Jonny? Well, on a ship, rats will scurry, rats will run, rats will swim. but do you know what happens to a rat that can't move? They drown Jonny. I'm sorry, your invitation to the Johns Club has just been permanently revoked."

Jonny gulped back as he tried to struggle. "Shit! Man this isn't funny. what do you mean my dad ratted? He doesn't know anything! Untie me now, John, I swear to god not even you could talk your way out of my body just showing up."

"That would be true if I was here when it happened, Jonny, but you seem to forget I have mastered the art of being in two places at the same time."

The needle punctured Jonny's skin with a less-than-agile, less-than-gentle thrust. Jonny winced in pain. Then the liquid was shot into him. He was quick to start reeling in pain, each part the liquid touched seemed to feel like it was on fire only to go completely numb save for the lingering shooting pains. Johnny C. pushed Jonny into the water. "Its such a shame such an athlete died while skinny dipping. You'd think Jonny Quest, a swimmer of all things else, would know how to act with a cramp." Johnny C. started rowing back to the opposite side of shore. About ten feet from the coast he turned the flashlight on twice then walked away, dragging the boat with him up into Adrian's car that had on it's old tires.

Jonny splashed with a panic at first, the pain so severe all he could render was survival mode, until his brain switched on. That's right, he was a swimmer, and what do swimmers do when they cramp? They stop struggling, take a breath and float.

As Jonny reeducated himself he practiced the techniques he had learnt. Once his breathing was stable and tears had well past started welling in his eyes, he started paddling with his arms back, using the backstroke, the safest most effective way for him under the given situations he reached the other side of the shore.

Crawling out by pulling himself inward with clawing hands, he reached a tree-branch and stopped. He looked around, his shoes were there, his shirt was there, and so was his belt and watch. He didn't even realize he took those off-- of course he didn't. Johnny C. was faking it all. He saw the footprints; they were setting it up to look so simply accidental it would be open-close. He reached for his watch, too bad that idiot shot himself in the foot with that one. That made it premeditated.

Clasping his watch he turned the speaker on, "Anybody there?" He hoped the pain didn't shine through in his voice as much as he felt it would. "Dad, Race, Jess, Hadj, Venus, Bandit, Mrs. Evans. anybody there?"

Race grabbed at his watch, "Jonny! Where the hell are you?"

".I. I don't know. Race. I'm really fucked up. I think he poisoned me. he was trying to ki. I need to get to a hospital Race. I'm really hurt. and I don't know where I am." He tried not to panic, he was actually rather impressed, he was slightly panting but that was mostly due to the wreathing agony his body was living through- or should he say dying from.

"Jonny, turn the tracker on."

Jonny nodded, "Okay. hurry. Race I dunno how long I have. he . he injected me with something. it was clear. it smelled .I dunno. like spring water or something. I dunno if it was venom or poison something weird. I feel light headed. and my legs feel like they're on fire. he injected me in the calves. Race. are you there.?"

"Jonny, you're at Deering Oaks, I'll be there soon. It smelled like water?"

"I'm around water. but I think so. it smelled. familiar but hard to place, I think it might be some kind of water laced or something."

Race's eyebrow rose. "Jonny, can you feel pulses of pain, like .like a power surge and resurgence?"

Jonny nodded and added, "Yeah. how'd you know. you know what it is?"

"I think it was distilled water, Jonny, if I'm right that is very, very bad. I'll be there in two minutes. I need you to keep talking, I'm calling an ambulance now."

"Race. it's getting really hard to breath. I dunno how long I can keep . this up. I feel really light headed."

"Almost there kiddo, hey. why don't you tell me who did this. where the heck you've been all day. Jonny?"

".The John Club. Johnny C. Race. dad. the others could be .in trouble."

"Don't you worry about them, Venus is there and if any of the 'Johns' are dumb enough to open up a can of whoop-ass with her better pray she doesn't have her bag of tricks so they have a slim shot of walking out alive."

".what. do you. mean?"

"Your sister used to work for a branch of Intelligence One, Jonny. anyone dumb enough to screw around with her is not going to be walking away let alone as the winner, hell they might not live to tell the tale. I don't know I don't know her way of operating."

".she. worked with. I1?"

"Yeah. Jonny, look up, I see you, don't quit on me."

Jonny turned his head, a blur of colors, mostly red, came towards him. He tried to focus his eyes, once, twice, by the third try they were too heavy and just merely sank.

"Crap! Jonny, wake up!" Race tapped his cheek with his left hand, when he had no response he slapped Jonny. That made him flinch.

"Jonny, come on, wake up, eyes open. You have to stay awake until you get to the hospital, okay?"

Jonny winced. He began bawling his fists, clawing to force them to open and then repeating. That was the only way he knew he'd be conscious to just concentrate on doing that, thriving by that. Jonny rocked his head slightly clamping down on his teeth as his eyes kept trying to roll over. ".R.ace. belt. I. shock. think.am going."

"Right, Jonny," he noticed Jonny's belt lying on the ground. He folded it over once and slid it into Jonny's mouth. Jonny's teeth quickly clamped back down on the much softer material. Race ran his fingers through Jonny's hair to keep him aware of his presence. "Come on kiddo, I have to get you onto the stretcher."

Jonny tried to nod it came off more as a shiver. Whatever it was that was in his system was acting fast, dangerously fast.

******************The Johns Club*******************

Several IVs ran through Jonny's arms. Needles filled with electrolytes, nutrients and anything else that could fuel Jonny's cells coursed through his blood stream.

Everything imaginable, short of painkillers. With as thin as his blood was and how likely he was to flat line the doctors didn't dare risk any extra complications.

Finally stabilized. Five hours in an ER and ICU, Jonny's eyes opened.

Dr. Quest bore down at the still figure, all the while on his cell phone making calls more influential than Mr. Jonathan C. Yules Jr. could ever hope to be, several police being twisted into charging him, FBI agents even more eager, Intelligence 1 agents five times as hopeful as the FBI and a few other odd-balled groups including Secret Services wanted to find ways to drown out the boys and the local police that allowed this sort of thing to happen.

"Jonny? Oh thank goodness you're awake!" He put a hand over his phone then turned back into it, "Yes, Phil, yes he's awake. I'll call you back in five. Yes, thank you, sure thing, I'll tell Venus you said hi, yes, yes, right." They hung up simultaneously.

"How do you feel?"

"." Jonny winced at the sour taste in his mouth, blood, bile and a few other metallic and plastic agents as far as he could tell. ".did I. have a tube. in my mouth.?"

"Yes," Dr. Quest rubbed his eyes, "you stopped breathing twice, and they kept it in for an hour until you stabilized."

"Was .I having .seizures or .something? .I taste .bile."

"Save your strength, you must be sore. They had to inject you three times with adrenaline to keep you out of shock, your body wasn't able to cope with the stress, pain, and the IVs and proceedings, you had a muscle spasm it wasn't really a seizure, as a result of the adrenaline. You probably threw up then, do you remember anything that happened?"

Jonny nodded. "How's Matt, Bobby, TK. Venus. everyone?"

Dr. Quest chuckled, "Why are you asking about them?"

".Dad. are they. okay."

He nodded, "Yes, there are a few agents looking after the house and the Evans, they came forward and told us about your run-in with the Johns this afternoon after Jessie found out you weren't in detention, asking if they knew anything."

"Good. will I .be ok?"

"They think so. You have some damage to your legs, but they stabilized your body. on a cellular level at least, within twenty minutes, so that left you fairing better than most would be with the situation."

"Can. I have. painkillers now?"

Dr. Quest smirked, "Hate to break it to you sweetie, but you're already on three of their strongest."

Jonny snarled his lip. "That sucks." His breathing regulated more each time he spoke. "How long am I in my suite this time?"

Dr. Quest snickered, "So long as you're back to your charming self, hmm? Probably just today and tomorrow, some police will be coming in to question you sometime tonight. Don't worry about anything, Race and I will be in here, and the cops being bribed by Mr. Yules' fortune were all taken into custody or dismissed depending on their actions. It seems neither Mr. Yules or nor his son were clever enough to launder the money and prevent the inevitable paper-trail."

Jonny smiled, "Yeah don't they know anything? And his dad's a lawyer. That's just disappointing. Well, you know what, at least Mr. Yules won't need to buy a defense attorney, he is after all the best in the state." Jonny laughed, the coarseness in his throat be damned.

"Son, sleep. You had a LONG day."

Jonny laughed at that twice as hard, "Heh. on that note dad, how WAS Venus's first day of classes?"

Dr. Quest smirked. "Careful you. I think your luck might be rubbing off."

~Fin~ (Thank Goodness, neh?)