Disclaimer: I do not own the Jonny Quest characters. I own Sarah though, so just go ahead and try to steal her character. . .I could use some cash.
Chapter 8: Fighting Back
By: Ks-Starshine
The glow around Sarah grew and she closed her eyes as she felt her body pulse with energy. She could feel it traveling through her veins and gathering around her heart.
"Kill her!" Surd screamed. He had abandoned the idea of using her powers for his benefit and now hoped only to escape with his life.
Nobody moved to fulfill his order, though. Every person in the room was frozen in place, staring at the scene unfolding before them.
Sarah opened her eyes and they immediately latched onto Surd's helpless form. In the silence, she could hear him let out a gasp as their eyes locked. He saw his fate in their depths.
"I made no outward threat to you, yet you forcefully kidnapped me. I begged for the release of my friends, yet you order their death. I even told you everything you asked to know, only to be met with deceit and spite," Sarah calmly said, her eyes never leaving their prey. "You think you are going to kill me and my friends? I am afraid I'll have to oppose that decision."
Surd gave an inward cringe as Sarah began to advance slowly toward him, continuing her icy stare.
"I told you the necklace let me have my heart's desire. I realize now, though, that the necklace is only the gateway. I make my own wishes come true." Sarah now stood directly in front of Surd. She reached into his unmoving hand and lifted her necklace to place it lightly back around her own neck. Keeping her head level with Surd's and only inches from his eyes, she whispered, "Do you want to know what I'm wishing right now?"
Sarah stood straight once again and frowned at the man before her. "I said," she stated loud enough for all to hear, "do you want to know what I'm wishing right this very moment!" Silence answered her. "I might wish that you and that disgusting waste of space that serves as your body would disappear off the face of the Earth so you could no longer plague the world with your miserable existence, . . .I don't wish that though. That is too good for you. You and your minions have destroyed so many lives, including your own. You spend all your time wishing you were someone else or had someone else's life, when you could be out there living your own. It seems you can't even be happy in Questworld anymore. You've had your chance time and time again to reform but you never do it. You just continue to cause pain. So what do I wish you ask?"
Throughout her speech, the glowing energy surrounding Sarah swirled and pulsed as if accentuating her various points. Now, Sarah raised her arms in front of her with her elbows still bent. The glow seemed to flux inward to intensify in between the palms of her hands. As the tension in the room grew thick, she let out a cry of rage. She threw her arms above her head as she was thrown backwards by the explosion of energy that she emitted.
Electronic equipment shorted out and everyone able scrambled for the exits as fires were beginning to be kindled. Jonny fought his way to where Sarah lay unconscious on the floor. Quickly picking her up, he ran for the exits along with the rest of them. Once outside, he laid her on the grass. She appeared to be fine. There were no apparent injuries; she was just weak and tired. Hearing sirens, he looked up to watch as ambulances and fire engines approached, obviously tipped off by the smoke streaming out of the craft.
Jonny saw his dad, Hadji and Jesse also gathered around Sarah, but not Race. Looking around, he couldn't see Race anywhere. 'Oh God! He's still in there!' he thought.
"Dad, Race isn't in that fire is he!" he yelled above the sirens.
"He was right behind me when we left," Dr. Quest answered. "He said he had to go back. I'm sure he'll be right out."
As if on cue, Race stumbled out the nearest exit dragging Surd and Julia behind him. "The other men all helped each other escape, but it looks like none of them wanted to waste their time on these two," he grunted as he dropped them roughly on the ground. "Dying in a fire was too good for the likes of them. We can let the police take it from here." Shifting his focus, he asked, "Is everyone else okay? How's Sarah?"
"She'll be fine, she just needs some rest," answered Dr. Quest. "Let's go home."
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Sarah's eye's slowly fluttered open. She quickly realized she was back in her room at the Quest Manor. She braced her hands behind her to sit up when she suddenly noticed the weight next to her on the bed. To her left, apparently Jonny's vigil over her had been too exhausting and his head and arms rested on the soft mattress in a quiet slumber. 'He looks so cute asleep,' she thought. She blushed and let out a small giggle at that thought.
Hearing her giggle, Jonny began to stir. Seeing she was awake, he quickly sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "You're awake!" he exclaimed.
"Wow, you really are a genius!" Sarah joked with a smile.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Sarah stretched a little, judging for herself how she felt. "Not bad. Actually, I feel pretty good. How long have I been asleep?"
"Only a couple days," he replied.
"A couple days?" she blinked in shock.
"Hey, you were pretty tough back there, you needed your rest. Are you hungry?"
"Starved!" she said, getting out of bed. "Let me clean up a bit and I'll meet you in the kitchen."
"Alright, I let everyone else know you're doing better," he said as he headed for the door. Stopping just before he shut the door behind him, he added, "I'm glad your back."
Sarah just smiled after him. "I'm glad to be back."
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Sarah was greeted with many hellos and hugs upon entering the kitchen. Everyone laughed and talked happily as they ate. When they had all finally decided they were full, they moved out onto the patio to sit in the sun.
"You know, you were pretty amazing back there," commented Dr. Quest. "I want to thank you. You saved the life of my son and all the rest of us as well."
"I was just a distraction. You guys did all the real fighting," she humbly remarked.
"That was no mere distraction," barked Race. "That was something all right."
"Yeah," Jesse agreed. "You seemed different. Did something happen before we got there?"
Fidgeting with her necklace, Sarah described her encounter with Rose to her captive audience. "I guess the power was in me the whole time. She helped me find it and thinking of all of you guided me to use it."
Hadji was giving her a confused look. "I still don't understand one thing. Before all your. . .shall we say, pyrotechnics, you were about to disclose your wish to Surd, but you never did. Why did you not make your wish?"
The smile melted off Sarah's face. "I did make a wish. Didn't you notice?" Meeting only quizzical faces, she explained further. "Surd has been to every maximum security prison there is. It makes no difference where he goes, he always either escapes or gets off easy because he is disabled and gets pity. I sent him into a prison from which he can never escape."
"But he was still there. Race dragged his body out personally. They just carted him off to the regular prison," argued Jonny.
"His body may be in a prison cell, but I took away his ability to communicate with the outside world. He can't even get into Questworld now. He is truly for all intents and purposes, a human shell. He won't hurt anyone again." Sarah solemnly looked around the room. Gratefully, she saw acceptance in their eyes. She had been worried they would think her wish too extreme. She was glad they seemed to understand.
They continued to sit outside and talk for some time, even taking their lunch out there. As dusk began to set in, they silently watched the sunset. A peaceful smile crept onto her lips and her fingers once again played upon the pennies hanging around her neck. 'I think this is the best gift I've ever gotten,' she thought. 'Thank you, Rose. Thank you.'
Closing her eyes to listen to the sounds of the approaching evening, she never noticed the light begin to envelope her. The last thing she heard was Jonny call out her name, but it sounded muffled and far away. Sarah opened her eye's to find she was no longer on the Quest's patio. She sat in a dense forest and somehow her backpack of books was at her side. Furrowing her brows, she looked around confused before a smile lit up her face.
"And the next adventure begins. . ." she said to herself before setting off to find out where she had been taken this time.
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The End!
I hope you liked it! I had a lot of fun writing it. I can't thank you enough for your wonderful reviews. Palin1- I seriously thought my cheeks would break I was smiling so big after reading your last review. THANK YOU! I am sorry to have kept you so long with the cliffhanger. If I had had the time, after I received that e-mail, I would have updated immediately, but I have been working and they tend to frown on ignoring your work to write a story. I don't know why? Bosses are weird.
Anyway, if you want to read more about the exciting adventures of Sarah, stay tuned. I have a Harry Potter adventure all written up and X-men halfway done. I hope to have you review in the future, because you are my favorite reviewer! (Palin1 is that is) (.)
Until next time!