Violence begets violence
Pain begets pain
Haunted by a dying hope
Subconsciously needing the agony
When will you face this?
Why do you run?
How will you ever heal
If you've lost the ability to feel?
Bound to violence
Gagged by pain
Drowned in self-regret
This grief is the sentence you face
"Bound to Violence" by Hatebreed
Divided We Stand
"Ronald Stoppable. You are under arrest."
Ron slowly put his bag down and raised his hands. He looked at the duo of approaching agents, confusion clearly written on his face. "Come again? What did I do?"
"Don't play dumb with us Stoppable!" The one with the gun spat. "You killed the British diplomat visiting Kyoto, Japan. Along with a pair of Global Justice agents! Friends of mine! I swear I should just pop one in you and say you resisted!"
"Calm down Dan." The other agent said as he cuffed one of Ron's wrists and brought the other behind his back to do the same. "Our job is to bring him in. Leave personal feelings at the door."
"I didn't kill anyone!" Ron exclaimed disbelievingly.
Dan just sneered at him. "We got the whole thing on tape you sick fuck!"
Ron's eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. The murder of the Ancient One, the attack on Master Sensei, they weren't about killing masters. It was about hurting Ron. And getting him to Japan where conveniently a murder took place. Apparently committed by someone who looked like him or could alter tapes.
He must have been pissing somebody off recently Ron figured. It was an awful lot of trouble to go through to get him out of the way. But why, and who? He couldn't answer that from jail that's for sure.
"I'm sorry."
Before either agent could comment Ron lashed out and kicked the gun from Dan's hand. As his leg came back down he spun and took the other agent's feet out from under him. Continuing the spinning motion Ron rose with a kick that connected with Dan's temple. He dropped like a stone.
As the second agent picked himself up Ron jumped and brought his cuffed hands to his front. Before the agent could attack Ron wrapped his hands around his head with the cuff chain cutting into his throat. In short order the agent passed out and Ron let go before causing any permanent damage.
He scanned the area for any other Global Justice agents. Seeing none he searched the downed agents pockets to get the handcuff keys. He rubbed his wrist for a brief moment as he finally got the metal off.
Without looking back Ron took off down the darkened streets of Upperton. Leaving the agents where they dropped.
It was only a couple minutes later when Agent Will Du came upon them. He simply shook his head and sighed exasperatedly. Pulling out a cell phone he dialled a number long since memorized.
"It's me."
Pause.
"No sir, Stoppable appears to have taken down Agents Paulson and Castle."
Pause.
"Long gone by now sir."
Pause.
"No sir. They're unconscious, but still alive."
Pause.
"Yes sir. I understand. I'll do so immediately."
The two downed agents began to stir as Will picked up Agent Dan Castle's fallen sidearm.
"We lost him sir." Agent Paulson managed to slur out.
"I know." The next sound to be heard was two gunshots ringing through the night. As Will walked up to the bodies he tossed the pistol in a nearby dumpster. He ran his hand over the palm of the one that touched the gun and pulled off a rubbery substance. That was quickly shoved into his pocket.
He grabbed his radio and spoke in a rattled voice. "Two agents down! I repeat! Two agents down! Suspect is to be considered armed and dangerous!"
**********
Kim couldn't believe what she was hearing as she sat in the briefing room with the rest of her teammates. She had just been told that her best friend in the world had killed five people. One diplomat and four Global Justice agents.
No way, not the Ron she knew. He'd change for sure, but not that much. He wasn't capable of cold-blooded murder. But the evidence was stacking up against him.
They had a videotape of him committing the first three murders and his fingerprints at the scene. The murder weapon, a serrated blade about a foot long, was found in the bag he dropped at the scene of the second set of murders. The gun used for those was found in a nearby dumpster. His fingerprints were on both weapons. It didn't look good.
A comment from one of her teammates brought her mind back to the briefing.
"I think Stoppable's going to have a little accident when I find him." He declared, more than a few others nodded at the statement.
"Simmons!" Their team leader Agent McCarthy barked warningly. "We're Global Justice not Global Vengeance! We will do everything possible to take the subject alive. If it comes to it, lethal force is authorized. But I swear to god if you kill anyone in cold blood you'll answer to me! I'm angry too, but if we gave into vengeance we would be no better than those we fight. Is that understood?"
The agents all nodded. Albeit reluctantly in most cases. "Good, now does anybody have any ideas on how to find our young Mr. Stoppable?"
"Wade had him microchip." The words were out of Kim's mouth before she even realised it. The guilt hit her as soon as she did though. It just slipped out but that didn't change anything. She had just betrayed her best friend. Life sucks.
Agent McCarthy didn't seem to notice her dilemma though. He just turned to one of the other agents. "Find the frequency. The rest of you gear up and be ready to move."
Kim didn't want to go on this mission. Not if it was Ron she was up against. But she had to. True or not, these people had lost four agents and friends. They wanted blood. She couldn't let that happen.
**********
It didn't take long for them to find the right frequency and get moving. The signal was coming from an old abandoned warehouse by the Upperton docks.
To Kim something seemed off immediately. She pushed the thought aside and followed her orders. They split into four two-agent teams and were to move in and search the large building for the subject. Ron.
They moved swiftly and silently and met in the main room having found nothing. All that was left to check was a small office in the back. One agent opened the door as others trained their weapons through the opening. It was for not though, there was nobody in there.
All they found was a set of bloody surgical tools and a tray with a pool of blood. A blinking light was coming from the pool. The tracking chip. Next to the tray was a note.
I may not have done it,
but I still can't make it that easy.
Ron