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1--0-1--0---010Neodammerung part 2: The Shutdown001---0-1
Ron walked with a purpose down the main street of the city. Water splashed with each step from the flooding streets. On either side of the street on the sidewalk and in every window countless Agent Smiths stood sneering and growling at him, but he paid them no mind, nor did he pay attention to the downpour of rain that soaked his hair and trench coat. His eyes were on the single Smith at the end of the street: the one that was the original copy of him, the one without a host.
"Mr. Stoppable! Welcome Back!" The Alpha Smith grinned walking out before him. "We've … missed you." The man then glanced around at the army of copies, "Like what I've done to the place? Sure it was a bit of a hassle, but really it was… no big."
Ron glared at the man, his jaw set and his muscles clenched. He finally spoke words that he knew would be true one way or another.
"It ends tonight." Ron said determinedly, fists clenched ready for what he knew could be his final fight.
"I know it does, Mr. Stoppable, I've seen it," Smith laughed, "Hell I've been here before! That's why the rest of me are just going to stand back and watch the show because we all know I'm the one who beats you!"
Ron and Alpha Smith dashed toward one another, faces showing nothing but determination. As they approached one another they reared back and threw the first punch of the final battle of their war. Both connected with such force a shock wave shot out pushing Smith-clones and buildings away from the two combatants.
While Ron flipped back and recovered to land safely on his feet, Smith flew backwards plowing a large ditch in the center of Main Street.
"It's going to be different this time," Ron snarled, his eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses.
"No it won't," Smith retorted before the two shot at each other again, this time flying through the air.
The two met again, with a shockwave much greater then the first, but this time the two remained in mid air exchanging punches and kicks with as much of their strength as they could muster.
Ron grabbed Smith by the collar quickly, and threw him over the shoulder. Smith caught himself easily and with his own flight ability, flew at Ron, kicking him square in the chest launching him into an abandoned building.
Ron pulled himself to his feet and jumped as Smith shot into the building missing him by a hair.
The two warriors flew at one another again and hit each other with such force that they flew back and made large indentions in the brick walls.
"Can you feel that, Mr. Stoppable? Closing in on you." Smith asked, walking toward Ron who was once again picking himself up off the ground. "Oh I can. I really must thank you. For it was you who gave me the second chance to take over, as I should. To become the god that I will be."
Ron simply took his most comfortable fighting stance, the monkey style, and signaled for him to bring it on. Smith growled and moved in quickly and the pair exchanged some strong punches and kicks. Ron blocking and dodging most of Smith's while his connected with Smith's face, destroying his sunglasses, and sending teeth and blood flying from his mouth. Finally Ron gave Smith an incredibly hard kick that sent him flying backwards through a window back into the stormy night.
Smith flew backwards almost the length of a football field before finally coming to a stop. Ron and Smith locked eyes and shot at each other once again like missiles, exploding a shockwave on impact shattering every window in the surrounding buildings.
The two flew high above the city throwing punches and kicks at one another, before Ron finally knocked the rogue program away. He floated high above the city, just below the storm clouds. His eyes never left Smith who quickly adjusted his jacket, before flying in a wide circle to gain momentum. Ron watched him approach at neck break speed and reared back his fist to strike him as a batter preparing for a baseball pitch.
The two hit with the force of an atomic bomb, the shockwave wiping out the tops of the skyscrapers. They both floated before one another for a moment before the victor of that duel became apparent as Ron fell backwards and began to plummet toward the city streets.
Smith let out a feral growl before he flew into Ron's falling body and pushed him downward as hard as he could. With in a fraction of a second later they made contact with the ground, which exploded, creating a half-mile sized crater.
Ron groaned and tried to pull himself up, but was merely able to roll over. "Must we tally like we did last time?" Smith said walking around Ron's battered form. "You've lost. You know it. I know it. They know it. Why do you keep getting back up? Have you taken Mr. Anderson's stubbornness with his power?" Smith kicked him hard in the side, "This is as boring as it was last time, Mr. Stoppable, I have everything you wanted. I have your friends, I have your KP, I have everything. So give up and lets call it a day."
"I don't need the Oracle's visions to know how this ends, Mr. Stoppable," Smith said, picking Ron up by the collar. "You have Mr. Anderson's memories. You know how it ends, but this time. I am a part of you. You can't overload me as Mr. Anderson did. This time, you will fall and the power of the seven Anomalies will be mine, and I WILL be a God among Man and Machine. You can't win and you know it. Think back, Mr. Stoppable, think back into your puny little human mind and look into Mr. Anderson's memory. He was brave and courageous just as you. And see how he ended his pathetic little existence. He ended as one of me. As you will soon end as well."
"If you're going to end it …" Ron coughed, "End it." He said letting his head roll back to look up at the Smiths gathering around the edge of the crater. He felt the cold sharp pain in his chest and knew Smith had begun infecting him. Ice cold death washed over him but just as he felt it begin to overtake him he saw a Smith Copy over the edge. He recognized it. "K… P … I'm sorry …" he said before his eyes narrowed on her code. It was different. Something else was there: two somethings. "I'm going to be a dad?"
Ron reached down and grabbed Smith's wrist and jerked it out of him. "I'm going to be a dad."
"Huh?" Smith asked dumbly before Ron hit him with a double palm punch that sent the former Agent flying backwards plowing through the stone and concrete. Smith gasped as he finally started to slow down, only to see Ron flying towards him. The Rogue Program screamed as Ron grabbed the back of his head, spun him around, and face planted him a good mile along Main Street.
Smith shook his head and pulled himself shakily back to his feet. "W-What? This isn't right! THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN?" Smith freaked, before Ron was on top of him again, this time, bending him over, and giving him a power bomb that shattered every window left in the city.
"It ends here, Smith!" Ron growled, grabbing him by the ankle, "I'm stopping you so my little girls can grow up without fear of you!" He said before spinning Smith around, letting his head graze and tear out the side of the nearest building.
Ron let go allowing the Agent bounce along the broken streets like a mere rag doll.
Smith tried to get up, but Ron was already on top of him and helping him up by the tie. "This is for Neo," Ron said before slinging him by the tie through a light pole. "This is for Trinity," Ron said again. Grabbing Smith by the collar and jerking his jacket half way down his arms, then giving him a hard head butt. "This is for Morpheus," Ron said giving a hard kick up between the legs that picked Smith up off the ground. "This is for my little girls," he said giving double chops to both side of his neck. "And this is for KP!" Ron yelled, grabbed him by the neck and whipping him over his shoulder into the ground with a sickening thud.
Ron looked down at the broken Agent. "You control all the Copies, what would happen if I made you a copy of me?" Ron asked, glaring down at the barely conscious program, "You've infected everyone in the Matrix. Time for a taste of your own medicine."
Ron leaned over him, pressed his fingers into the Alpha Smith's chest, letting his essences and code bubble over the Rogue Agent's. Smith screamed out as the black fluid covered and remolded him. A moment later a sixteen-year-old boy stood up in Alpha Smith's place. He had shaggy blond hair, and freckles under innocent and caring brown eyes. He was dressed in a brown and yellow jersey cargo pants, and skateboard shoes. "Is it over?" Ron asked his younger self.
"It is now," the younger Ron said giving an eerie white glow. "Thank you," the younger one said as the two slowly merged into one.
Ron collapsed to his knees breathing heavily as the rain finally slowed to a drizzle. "Is it really, really over?" Ron breathed glancing up at the empty streets. His question was answered by Kim's voice down the street calling his name. He glanced up and pulled himself to his feet only to be tackle-glomped by his redheaded wife.
"You ok?" Kim asked pulling back as Morpheus, Ghost, and Niobi joined them.
"Never felt better, KP," Ron replied weakly, "We're going to be parents?" Ron asked, and couldn't help but grin when she took a worried look.
"You're not upset about that, you don't think we're not ready yet do you?" Kim asked anxiously.
"You're going to be a great mom, and I'm counting on you to keep me straight so I can be a great dad," Ron said, moving in to give her a deep kiss.
Ron pulled back a moment later. "Something's wrong," he said, glancing around at the Matrix, "Something's happening to the Matrix!"
"R-Ron?" Kim asked weakly as she fell backwards along with Morpheus, Niobi and Ghost and faded as if they had logged out.
"KIM!" Ron gasped looking around worriedly, jumping slightly when his cell phone rang. "Link what the hell's going on?"
"The skies just was cleared enough to give the Machines power," Link said anxiously, "Ron, the Matrix is shutting down! The others are ok, they were forced out of the Matrix. I don't get why you weren't with them. Morpheus thinks it's because of your powers. I don't know, but get your white ass to an exit NOW! You have six minutes!"
"Where's the nearest exit?" Ron asked.
"Across town, I already got it ringing for you," Link said, "You can make it in plenty of time with the Superman shit, so get your ass in the air!"
"Right," Ron said, shutting down the cell, and preparing to take to the air. He coiled down and hopped and much to his shock and horror, merely hopped. He tried again, and again, but still no good. He looked at his hands horror struck, "My powers?"
He picked up his cell again, "Link, the Matrix is too unstable for me to fly. Car. Now. Please?"
"Motorcycle work?" Link said, as he loaded a Yamaha motorcycle in front of him. "Everyone's out of the matrix except programs, so you should have a clear shot. Take your next left and go straight to Six Sixty Six Elm Street, Apartment Nine Ninety Nine. And Kim said please make good time." He said even though he could hear Kim's barrage of curses directed at him if 'he didn't hurry his ass up'.
"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!" Ron said kick starting the bike and taking off.
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Ron's lungs were burning as he ran up the stairs to the ninth floor. He dashed out into the hall, and counted off. "994, 995, 996, 997, 999! Here we go!" Ron said opening the door. He could hear the ringing, and still had two minutes to go. He ran toward the phone, but was taken back when he saw what was standing between him and the exit.
"Hello, Ron," Tim Possible said emotionlessly.
"You planning on leaving us?" Jim asked in the same voice.
"Boys?" Ron asked, "Why aren't asleep like the others?"
"We're not like the others, Ron," The said in frightening unison, "We are getting tired of using these bodies though. We will take yours instead and exit into the real world."
"Um, you're really starting to creep me out …" Ron said back stepping.
Ron concentrated as best he could through the fading code, and felt his stomach jerk at what he saw in the boys: the Ghost Twins. "You again, let them go!"
"Make us …"
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"What the hell is he doing?" Morpheus said loudly, watching as the code slowly disappeared.
"After that war with Smith, he's getting his ass beat by a pair of twelve year old possessed kids," Link said trying to think of some way to help.
"RON YOU ASS HOLE, GET YOUR ASS TO THE PHONE NOW!!!!" Kim literally screamed punching his chest.
Niobi and Ghost quickly pulled her back. "Kimmie …" Niobi said soothingly, "Beating up his body isn't going to make him get to the exit any quicker."
"Ron's a mortal fighting ghosts, is there any way we can help him?" Morpheus asked, watching the fading code strands.
"I have a theory sir," Link said typing, "Not sure if this will help, but it might."
"What is it, Link?" Barkin ask as he and Brick watched over the Operator's shoulder.
"Simple, sir," Link said, "Ron's abilities are merely outcomes of him changing somethings in the Matrix, big or small, but now that the Matrix has began shutting down, his changes are altered before they can even be an effect."
"So how can we use that to help him?" Morpheus asked.
"I'm going to try to hack the Matrix and stabilize the code in that room," Link said typing rapidly, "It will probably won't last very long, but it will give him a fighting chance."
"How can you hack the Matrix? We've tried for years," Barkin stated loudly.
"Again simple, it hasn't been rapidly corrupting now has it?"
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Ron gasped as he was slammed against the floor again. The twins were quickly going from solid to transparent, and he couldn't lay a finger on them.
"You know guys," Ron said as the twins gave off a bright white glow, "That would be a sweet trick if you'd stop trying to kill me."
The boys jumped at him again hitting him quick and hard sending him flat on his back. Ron shook his head to clear the cobwebs and pulled himself to his feet. His eyes went wide suddenly when he felt a shift in the code.
Ron's body pulsed waves of energy as his powers re-manifested in him. "Ok, last chance, let my brother-in-laws go," Ron said, his voice taking the seven tones, his own and the previous six Ones' voices, again.
The two looked at one another worriedly before turning back to Ron again. They did a last desperate unison flying tackle that Ron easily blocked. Ron caught their necks in his hands, "I was going to do this painlessly but … you two HAVE to be difficult."
"You've served your purposes, Ghost Twins," Ron said, looking deep into the boys' code, to the Ghost Viruses that controlled them. "That leaves one thing left for outdated programs … Deletion." Ron said, struggling to change and delete the rogue programming. 'Come on, hold together a bit longer …' Ron pleaded mentally, as the boys screamed in pain, 'almost got it all … it's almost over guys … it's almost over hang tough …'
The time Link gave him ran out just as the last of the Ghosts' code was erased from Tim and Jim's code and all three dropped to the floor. Ron wiped his brow. "Ron? What's going on?" The boys asked, thankfully one after the other and not in the creepy unison the Ghost code made them.
Ron smiled as their eyes grew heavy, "It's nothing guys, just a really bad dream. Go back to sleep. KP and I will wake you back up soon enough ok?" Ron said softly.
"KK, night Ron …" They both said and curled up on the floor and slowly faded away.
"Ok, that's fixed." Ron said as the walls ceiling and floors began to grow dim and white. "Now, to the phone!" Ron said running through the hall to the ringing bedroom phone. But as Ron reached for the receiver …
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'Shit …" Link said as he sat back roughly, "He … He didn't make it …" He said, staring at the now blank screen.
"Ron … Ron no …" Kim shook her head. "Ron, no not again!" Kim fled from the room tears now streaming down her cheeks.
"Damn heroic fool …" Morpheus said, looking away from Ron's body.
In the somber mood of the room none noticed a single flashing light on the screen, a single line of code.
Ron's eyes slowly opened but shut quickly again from the brightness. He opened them again, to squint.
"Hey bud," Wade smiled down at him, holding an older model phone in one hand and its receiver in the other. "I think this is for you."
"Wade?" Ron asked standing with his old friend in the middle of nothingness.
"You can't die here, Kim and everyone else needs you," Wade said, holding out the phone, "Now get out of here just don't forget us. Tell Kim to take care of the babies and let her know Mom, the others and I are all fine. Now get out there and save your people."
Ron nodded, "Take it easy, Wade," Ron said taking the receiver.
"You too, Ron, take care of Kim … and one more thing, there's one more Smith out there. Watch out for him!" Wade warned as Ron faded out of the Matrix for the last time.
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Kim laid on the bed she shared with Ron curled in the fetal position; Ron's pillow was thoroughly soaked with tears Kim's as she sobbed openly.
"Ron …" Kim whimpered when there came a knock on the door. "GO AWAY!" Kim snapped.
There was silence for a moment when there was another knock.
Kim growled in frustration and swung the door opened ready to attack her intruder.
"Don't you get it???" Kim growled angrily, "I JUST WANT TO BE LEFT … Left … Left …" Kim drifted off when her emerald eyes locked with bright chocolate.
"Hey, KP," Ron said lovingly. That was all that he could before she was kissing him deeply.
"You're alive?" Kim asked, looking up at him hopefully.
Ron touched her cheek, and brushed a tear away with his thumb, "You can't get rid of me that easily, Kim Possible," He grinned. "Wade saved me."
He was expecting questions. That was how Kim was, curious to a fault. But to his surprise, she simply pulled him into another kiss and dragged him into their shared quarters and kicked the door shut behind them.
"KP, Kim, should we be doing this?" He asked between kisses, "I mean, you are pregnant …"
"It's still early, we can have as much fun as we want!" Kim purred seductively, "And I'm not letting you out of my sight again."
"Won't have to Kim," Ron said as they laid down on the bed, "I'm never leaving you again. And nothing will ever take me from you again." And he sealed the promise with a deep kiss.
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Meanwhile, on the surface of the earth, in the private quarters in the Human City Jericho, Josh Mankey almost broke his knuckles punching the metal well. He stopped his attack and stared at his bleeding fist curiously.
"Mr. Stoppable, you are really starting to get on my last nerve."
TO BE CONTINUED ….