(Note: made a small goof last chapter... I started off spelling Corvins name as Corvin in earlier chapter's , then I goof and spell it as Corbin in the last one. I have since returned to the Corvin spelling.)
When last we left, things were in a mess, and the Quest men were staring into the barrel of a gun...
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest could only stare at the surreal scene in shock and anger.
"You bastard. How could you?"
Phil Corvin pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. "Don't look so surprised, Dr. Quest. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner from the laptop you had stolen from him."
-----------------------------------------------------------
...and now, the conclusion.
Manipulation
by Time Guardian
Chapter 9 - Past Demons
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest struggled hard against Jonny's tight grasp.
"I've figured out enough. What did Zin promise you, Corvin? Money? Power?"
"It's not that simple," Corvin replied with a harsh laugh, "I was involved in an I-1 op that went badly. I would have been convicted of treason, but I was able to cover it up. He threatened to expose me unless I did his dirty work."
He stepped closer and kneeled down until his face was mere inches from Dr. Quest.
"And now for my last task, Dr. Zin has ordered me to kill both of you."
-----------------------------------------------------------
He couldn't have heard right.
"But father, I was about to finish the mission and-"
"Shut up," he heard him growl, "You failed when you let your laptop out of your sight. All of that training was a wasted effort. Maybe we should have killed you instead of kidnapping you. Five long years, training you and brainwashing you into the perfect assassin to kill your own father here. You even forgot your name, didn't you, Jonny Quest?"
Anger and denial rushed through his mind. -it can't be...-
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest fought the revulsion that surged within him. He could have only guessed at what Jonny went through, but to totally strip him of his identity...
He felt his son's grip on him loosen. Looking around, he saw that Jonny got to his feet and was stammering.
"My name- my name is..."
Corvin got to his feet and sneered.
"You see? You don't even remember. The 'drug cocktails' we injected you with made sure of that, but I guess they weren't enough. You aborted the initial mission because of that stupid mutt of yours."
Jonny snarled, and then rushed towards Corvin with the dagger.
"JONNY! NO!"
Corvin raised his gun and fired twice, hitting Jonny in the shoulder and propelling him to the ground a few rows away.
Dr. Quest rushed to his feet, but Corvin quickly trained his gun on him.
"Don't move."
Out of the corner of his eye, Dr. Quest saw his son stagger to his feet, pick up the dagger, and run out of a door on the far side of the auditorium.
"He won't get far. I will hunt him down and finish him momentarily. As for you Dr. Quest, it's time for you to die."
"You may be able to finish this mission for Zin, but you will not be free of him. I have encountered him enough to know that he does not leave loose ends."
"Ah, but Dr. Quest, this 'loose end' is one of the finest trained agents in I-1. I will be long gone before Zin comes to look for me."
A feminine voice piped up from behind him. "How about me?"
Dr. Quest saw Jessie appear behind Corvin, armed with the pistol Jonny was using.
Corvin raised his hands. "Well, it seems we have a stalemate."
"Indeed we do," Dr. Quest replied, advancing on him. "Now hand me the gun."
Corvin laughed. "Or what, the little girl will shoot me? Let's test that theory..."
Tossing his gun to Dr. Quest, he then quickly snapped around, grabbing Jessie's arms and twisting them sharply upward. She let go of the gun with a sharp cry, then Corvin twisted one of Jessie's arms behind her picked up the gun and aimed it at her head.
"...hmm, I would call that a checkmate, wouldn't you, Dr. Quest?"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest silently cursed. He pointed the gun at Corvin, but with Jessie in the in the way, there was no way to get to him.
"There's no way I am leaving here without completing my mission. Now, how about-aahhh!"
Corvin staggered back in pain and dropped his gun. Jessie used the opportunity to stomp down on his foot and scrambled out of his grasp. She ran quickly to Dr. Quest's side.
Dr. Quest didn't realize what was going on until he saw a tranquilizer dart sticking out of Corvin's shoulder. Turning, he saw Race.
"I owe you one."
Race motioned to him quickly. "This isn't over yet. Go get Jonny, Corvin is mine."
Handing his gun to Race, Dr. Quest broke into a run, following the path he saw Jonny take.
Race turned to his daughter. "You ok?"
She leaned against the seats, catching her breath. "Yeah."
"Stay here, Jess," he warned, handing her the gun and the tranquilizer gun, "I've got a little unfinished business with Corvin, but keep these handy just in case."
Race turned to face his enemy. He knew that Dr. Quest dosed the tranquilizers to take down someone of Jonny's size, so he figured Corvin wouldn't be out for the count just yet.
Staggering, Corvin slurred his words.
"Veeery good, Bannon, you haave manipulated me welll."
"You should know about manipulation, Corvin," Race replied menacingly, "you offered my head on a platter in order to take an innocent child away from his father, and all to protect your hide. You don't deserve to live."
Corvin steadied himself against a nearby seat. "I dunno bout that, Raaace. I manipulated you, the government, and the Quests for five long yearsss. I've also maannaged to avoid arrest for treasonnn, so what are youu gonna doo about it?"
"The only thing I can do."
Race quickly spun around, landing a roundhouse kick that sent him sprawling.
Corvin tried getting up, but was met face to face with the gun Jessie had pointed at him.
Race dragged Corvin to his feet. "Now THAT'S what I call a checkmate."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest ran through the auditorium door, and found himself on the high school's football field. The green grass was flanked by two large sets of bleachers, but otherwise seemed deserted.
He spoke into his communicator.
"Hadji, meet me outside on the double."
The reply came quick.
"You've got it."
A few moments later, they pondered the field and finding nothing, went to check under the first set of bleachers. They both carefully advanced around the metal grid work of the bleachers, looking over every possible hiding place they could find.
Hadji spotted him near the end of the row and once they reached him, they became alarmed.
Jonny laid on the ground, the front of his black shirt stained a dark crimson from the two gunshot wounds in his shoulder. His dagger was on the ground beside him.
Dr. Quest approached him carefully. "Jonny? It's your father; I'm here to help you."
Jonny reached up, pushed Dr. Quest back and grabbed his dagger.
"No one can help me."
"Jonny-"
"How can I believe you? I don't remember you or much of anything before five years ago. The only memories that fill my mind are of the training and tests that Corvin put me through. He gave my life purpose. He was like a father to me," he exploded.
"No! Jonny, he took your life away. Your life was With me, Hadji and Race, living and growing up at Palm Key. You should have only had to worry about playing and being a kid, not whether you kill someone or not."
Wincing, Jonny struggled into a sitting position, making more blood seep from his wounds.
"You don't know what I have been through. How can I believe you?"
"Fight it son," Dr. Quest urged, stepping closer to him, "it's the drugs they've given you that has taken away your memories. Please believe me."
Jonny made a slashing motion with the dagger. "Get away from me."
He stepped back in frustration, and felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Dr. Quest, let me try."
He relented, allowing Hadji to step forward.
"Jonny...it is good to see you again, my friend," Hadji said softly, "how about coming with us and we can help you? I can show you more magic that I learned in India."
Jonny looked at him hard for many moments. "I...don't know you...I don't know either of you. You are trying to confuse me."
"No...I promise you what we are telling you is the truth," Hadji protested.
A new voice piped up from behind them.
"How touching."
Dr. Quest turned around quickly to find Dr. Zin standing before them, gun drawn.
"Zin. Come to finish what Corvin couldn't?"
Zin smiled coldly in reply. "I couldn't trust Corvin. He was sloppy, the only thing he cared about was not being seen as a traitor. Still, he did make some progress for me."
Your VR technology that he notified me about is especially impressive. The chaos I could ensue using that technology would be tremendous. Countries would pay me not to point their own missiles against them. I can make millions."
"We've stopped you before," Dr. Quest said with vehemence, "we can do it again."
----------------------------------------------------------
-We can do it again...-
Dr. Quest's voice echoed in Jonny's head. His memory was still badly fragmented, but small shards were starting to come through loud and clear. In one memory, he saw himself hugging Dr. Quest and calling him dad-
and in another, he finally remembered his nightmares.
-I am Jonny Quest.-
He clenched the hilt of his dagger tightly.
----------------------------------------------------------
"How do you think I got Corvin where he was? There are many people in your government loyal to me, loyal enough to even look away when I had your son kidnapped. I am surprised you survived his attack; he bested at least half a dozen of my men with his sword skills," Zin scoffed, pointing his gun at Dr. Quest. "No matter. I will finish this my-"
There was a blur of movement. Eyes wide, Dr. Zin stopped mid-sentence, stumbled, then fell to the ground hard.
Dr. Quest was astonished to see the dagger that had been in Jonny's hands was now lodged in Dr. Zin's chest.
Hadji stepped forward and checked for a pulse.
"He's dead. Looks like the dagger penetrated his heart."
Dr. Quest turned to Jonny. He had slumped all the way back to the ground and his face was ashen white, but he was smiling.
"I conquered my demons, dad. I know who I am," he rasped.
Dr. Quest voice was full of emotion. "Yes. You are my son, and nothing will ever part us again, I promise."
Dr. Quest sighed as he watched Jonny being loaded into the ambulance. He promised not to be far behind, since the paramedics determined that he would need stitches for his wound, but he just needed a moment to breathe.
In the course of a week, his life was turned completely upside down, torn apart, and restored. Leaning heavily against the bleachers, he closed his eyes.
"Benton, everything ok?"
Race's voice. He opened his eyes and saw his old friend standing before him looking concerned.
"I'm fine. Just needed to clear my head. What about Corvin?"
"A few G-Men came to take him away. He's going to be up on charges of treason among other things. How's Jonny?"
Dr. Quest sighed. "His pulse is weak and he's lost a lot of blood, but they have him stabilized and on his way to the hospital."
Race put a hand on his shoulder and steered him towards the parking lot.
"You need to be on your way as well, Benton. I heard what the paramedics told you. Let's go. I'll drive."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
One week later-
Dr. Quest sat quietly in the hospital room, and watched his son sleep.
In his hands, Jonny clutched a framed photo of himself five years younger along with his dog, Bandit. It had been the only thing he responded to when he first woke up in the hospital.
The quiet chirping of his cell phone grabbed his attention. He took it out of his pocket and answered it quickly.
"Quest here."
A familiar voice greeted him. "Ok, I'd like to know who put in the good word for me. Seems the Washington brass wants me for the head position at I-1. They seem to think I can clean the place up some."
Dr. Quest gave a quiet laugh. "They've got a lot of faith in you, Race, plain and simple. So, What did you tell them?"
"I told them I was gainfully employed by Quest Enterprises- well, that is, if they still need someone."
"Well, we could use a bodyguard and a tutor, since Jonny will need help adjusting to home life and Hadji will be coming home permanently as well. Pay is good and Jessie would be more than welcome with us as well."
Dr. Quest heard a chuckle at the other end of the line. "You've sold me. I've gotta go pick up Jessie and Hadji from school now. Get some sleep, Benton, Jonny is in good hands."
The conversation over, he shut off and pocketed his cell phone, then moved closer to the hospital bed.
In the week since Jonny had been brought there, doctors tended to his gunshot wounds and did CAT scans to check for brain damage from the drugs he had been given. The tests came back all clear, but the doctors warned him that Jonny might never regain all of his memories.
Dr. Quest ran a gentle hand through his son's hair.
"Sleep well son."
He resumed his seat beside Jonny's hospital bed, and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------------
THE END
-faints-
I loved doing this story, and it was my first time putting together such an intricate fight scene. So what do you guys think: Is this sequel worthy?
Was thinking of one or two ideas, but wasn't sure whether to try 'em or not.
Many thanks to my beta reader for his patience and the people at JQML for making me feel welcome, and to both the JQML and FFnet readers for their reviews and feedback.
till later,
Time Guardian
When last we left, things were in a mess, and the Quest men were staring into the barrel of a gun...
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest could only stare at the surreal scene in shock and anger.
"You bastard. How could you?"
Phil Corvin pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. "Don't look so surprised, Dr. Quest. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner from the laptop you had stolen from him."
-----------------------------------------------------------
...and now, the conclusion.
Manipulation
by Time Guardian
Chapter 9 - Past Demons
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest struggled hard against Jonny's tight grasp.
"I've figured out enough. What did Zin promise you, Corvin? Money? Power?"
"It's not that simple," Corvin replied with a harsh laugh, "I was involved in an I-1 op that went badly. I would have been convicted of treason, but I was able to cover it up. He threatened to expose me unless I did his dirty work."
He stepped closer and kneeled down until his face was mere inches from Dr. Quest.
"And now for my last task, Dr. Zin has ordered me to kill both of you."
-----------------------------------------------------------
He couldn't have heard right.
"But father, I was about to finish the mission and-"
"Shut up," he heard him growl, "You failed when you let your laptop out of your sight. All of that training was a wasted effort. Maybe we should have killed you instead of kidnapping you. Five long years, training you and brainwashing you into the perfect assassin to kill your own father here. You even forgot your name, didn't you, Jonny Quest?"
Anger and denial rushed through his mind. -it can't be...-
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest fought the revulsion that surged within him. He could have only guessed at what Jonny went through, but to totally strip him of his identity...
He felt his son's grip on him loosen. Looking around, he saw that Jonny got to his feet and was stammering.
"My name- my name is..."
Corvin got to his feet and sneered.
"You see? You don't even remember. The 'drug cocktails' we injected you with made sure of that, but I guess they weren't enough. You aborted the initial mission because of that stupid mutt of yours."
Jonny snarled, and then rushed towards Corvin with the dagger.
"JONNY! NO!"
Corvin raised his gun and fired twice, hitting Jonny in the shoulder and propelling him to the ground a few rows away.
Dr. Quest rushed to his feet, but Corvin quickly trained his gun on him.
"Don't move."
Out of the corner of his eye, Dr. Quest saw his son stagger to his feet, pick up the dagger, and run out of a door on the far side of the auditorium.
"He won't get far. I will hunt him down and finish him momentarily. As for you Dr. Quest, it's time for you to die."
"You may be able to finish this mission for Zin, but you will not be free of him. I have encountered him enough to know that he does not leave loose ends."
"Ah, but Dr. Quest, this 'loose end' is one of the finest trained agents in I-1. I will be long gone before Zin comes to look for me."
A feminine voice piped up from behind him. "How about me?"
Dr. Quest saw Jessie appear behind Corvin, armed with the pistol Jonny was using.
Corvin raised his hands. "Well, it seems we have a stalemate."
"Indeed we do," Dr. Quest replied, advancing on him. "Now hand me the gun."
Corvin laughed. "Or what, the little girl will shoot me? Let's test that theory..."
Tossing his gun to Dr. Quest, he then quickly snapped around, grabbing Jessie's arms and twisting them sharply upward. She let go of the gun with a sharp cry, then Corvin twisted one of Jessie's arms behind her picked up the gun and aimed it at her head.
"...hmm, I would call that a checkmate, wouldn't you, Dr. Quest?"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest silently cursed. He pointed the gun at Corvin, but with Jessie in the in the way, there was no way to get to him.
"There's no way I am leaving here without completing my mission. Now, how about-aahhh!"
Corvin staggered back in pain and dropped his gun. Jessie used the opportunity to stomp down on his foot and scrambled out of his grasp. She ran quickly to Dr. Quest's side.
Dr. Quest didn't realize what was going on until he saw a tranquilizer dart sticking out of Corvin's shoulder. Turning, he saw Race.
"I owe you one."
Race motioned to him quickly. "This isn't over yet. Go get Jonny, Corvin is mine."
Handing his gun to Race, Dr. Quest broke into a run, following the path he saw Jonny take.
Race turned to his daughter. "You ok?"
She leaned against the seats, catching her breath. "Yeah."
"Stay here, Jess," he warned, handing her the gun and the tranquilizer gun, "I've got a little unfinished business with Corvin, but keep these handy just in case."
Race turned to face his enemy. He knew that Dr. Quest dosed the tranquilizers to take down someone of Jonny's size, so he figured Corvin wouldn't be out for the count just yet.
Staggering, Corvin slurred his words.
"Veeery good, Bannon, you haave manipulated me welll."
"You should know about manipulation, Corvin," Race replied menacingly, "you offered my head on a platter in order to take an innocent child away from his father, and all to protect your hide. You don't deserve to live."
Corvin steadied himself against a nearby seat. "I dunno bout that, Raaace. I manipulated you, the government, and the Quests for five long yearsss. I've also maannaged to avoid arrest for treasonnn, so what are youu gonna doo about it?"
"The only thing I can do."
Race quickly spun around, landing a roundhouse kick that sent him sprawling.
Corvin tried getting up, but was met face to face with the gun Jessie had pointed at him.
Race dragged Corvin to his feet. "Now THAT'S what I call a checkmate."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Quest ran through the auditorium door, and found himself on the high school's football field. The green grass was flanked by two large sets of bleachers, but otherwise seemed deserted.
He spoke into his communicator.
"Hadji, meet me outside on the double."
The reply came quick.
"You've got it."
A few moments later, they pondered the field and finding nothing, went to check under the first set of bleachers. They both carefully advanced around the metal grid work of the bleachers, looking over every possible hiding place they could find.
Hadji spotted him near the end of the row and once they reached him, they became alarmed.
Jonny laid on the ground, the front of his black shirt stained a dark crimson from the two gunshot wounds in his shoulder. His dagger was on the ground beside him.
Dr. Quest approached him carefully. "Jonny? It's your father; I'm here to help you."
Jonny reached up, pushed Dr. Quest back and grabbed his dagger.
"No one can help me."
"Jonny-"
"How can I believe you? I don't remember you or much of anything before five years ago. The only memories that fill my mind are of the training and tests that Corvin put me through. He gave my life purpose. He was like a father to me," he exploded.
"No! Jonny, he took your life away. Your life was With me, Hadji and Race, living and growing up at Palm Key. You should have only had to worry about playing and being a kid, not whether you kill someone or not."
Wincing, Jonny struggled into a sitting position, making more blood seep from his wounds.
"You don't know what I have been through. How can I believe you?"
"Fight it son," Dr. Quest urged, stepping closer to him, "it's the drugs they've given you that has taken away your memories. Please believe me."
Jonny made a slashing motion with the dagger. "Get away from me."
He stepped back in frustration, and felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Dr. Quest, let me try."
He relented, allowing Hadji to step forward.
"Jonny...it is good to see you again, my friend," Hadji said softly, "how about coming with us and we can help you? I can show you more magic that I learned in India."
Jonny looked at him hard for many moments. "I...don't know you...I don't know either of you. You are trying to confuse me."
"No...I promise you what we are telling you is the truth," Hadji protested.
A new voice piped up from behind them.
"How touching."
Dr. Quest turned around quickly to find Dr. Zin standing before them, gun drawn.
"Zin. Come to finish what Corvin couldn't?"
Zin smiled coldly in reply. "I couldn't trust Corvin. He was sloppy, the only thing he cared about was not being seen as a traitor. Still, he did make some progress for me."
Your VR technology that he notified me about is especially impressive. The chaos I could ensue using that technology would be tremendous. Countries would pay me not to point their own missiles against them. I can make millions."
"We've stopped you before," Dr. Quest said with vehemence, "we can do it again."
----------------------------------------------------------
-We can do it again...-
Dr. Quest's voice echoed in Jonny's head. His memory was still badly fragmented, but small shards were starting to come through loud and clear. In one memory, he saw himself hugging Dr. Quest and calling him dad-
and in another, he finally remembered his nightmares.
-I am Jonny Quest.-
He clenched the hilt of his dagger tightly.
----------------------------------------------------------
"How do you think I got Corvin where he was? There are many people in your government loyal to me, loyal enough to even look away when I had your son kidnapped. I am surprised you survived his attack; he bested at least half a dozen of my men with his sword skills," Zin scoffed, pointing his gun at Dr. Quest. "No matter. I will finish this my-"
There was a blur of movement. Eyes wide, Dr. Zin stopped mid-sentence, stumbled, then fell to the ground hard.
Dr. Quest was astonished to see the dagger that had been in Jonny's hands was now lodged in Dr. Zin's chest.
Hadji stepped forward and checked for a pulse.
"He's dead. Looks like the dagger penetrated his heart."
Dr. Quest turned to Jonny. He had slumped all the way back to the ground and his face was ashen white, but he was smiling.
"I conquered my demons, dad. I know who I am," he rasped.
Dr. Quest voice was full of emotion. "Yes. You are my son, and nothing will ever part us again, I promise."
Dr. Quest sighed as he watched Jonny being loaded into the ambulance. He promised not to be far behind, since the paramedics determined that he would need stitches for his wound, but he just needed a moment to breathe.
In the course of a week, his life was turned completely upside down, torn apart, and restored. Leaning heavily against the bleachers, he closed his eyes.
"Benton, everything ok?"
Race's voice. He opened his eyes and saw his old friend standing before him looking concerned.
"I'm fine. Just needed to clear my head. What about Corvin?"
"A few G-Men came to take him away. He's going to be up on charges of treason among other things. How's Jonny?"
Dr. Quest sighed. "His pulse is weak and he's lost a lot of blood, but they have him stabilized and on his way to the hospital."
Race put a hand on his shoulder and steered him towards the parking lot.
"You need to be on your way as well, Benton. I heard what the paramedics told you. Let's go. I'll drive."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
One week later-
Dr. Quest sat quietly in the hospital room, and watched his son sleep.
In his hands, Jonny clutched a framed photo of himself five years younger along with his dog, Bandit. It had been the only thing he responded to when he first woke up in the hospital.
The quiet chirping of his cell phone grabbed his attention. He took it out of his pocket and answered it quickly.
"Quest here."
A familiar voice greeted him. "Ok, I'd like to know who put in the good word for me. Seems the Washington brass wants me for the head position at I-1. They seem to think I can clean the place up some."
Dr. Quest gave a quiet laugh. "They've got a lot of faith in you, Race, plain and simple. So, What did you tell them?"
"I told them I was gainfully employed by Quest Enterprises- well, that is, if they still need someone."
"Well, we could use a bodyguard and a tutor, since Jonny will need help adjusting to home life and Hadji will be coming home permanently as well. Pay is good and Jessie would be more than welcome with us as well."
Dr. Quest heard a chuckle at the other end of the line. "You've sold me. I've gotta go pick up Jessie and Hadji from school now. Get some sleep, Benton, Jonny is in good hands."
The conversation over, he shut off and pocketed his cell phone, then moved closer to the hospital bed.
In the week since Jonny had been brought there, doctors tended to his gunshot wounds and did CAT scans to check for brain damage from the drugs he had been given. The tests came back all clear, but the doctors warned him that Jonny might never regain all of his memories.
Dr. Quest ran a gentle hand through his son's hair.
"Sleep well son."
He resumed his seat beside Jonny's hospital bed, and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------------
THE END
-faints-
I loved doing this story, and it was my first time putting together such an intricate fight scene. So what do you guys think: Is this sequel worthy?
Was thinking of one or two ideas, but wasn't sure whether to try 'em or not.
Many thanks to my beta reader for his patience and the people at JQML for making me feel welcome, and to both the JQML and FFnet readers for their reviews and feedback.
till later,
Time Guardian