Chosen Destiny
Chapter 7
'Hi Josh,' Said Ron as he sat down next to the artist.
'Oh Hi Ronnie. How you been?'
'Better than you from the look on your face. What's wrong man?'
'Same thing that's been wrong for the last week or so. You remember that piece of work a few weeks back? You know that one for career day?' Ron actually didn't, he reasoned that he was probably on a mission with KP on that day, but he said yes. 'Everyone who saw it hated it.'
'Why?'
'They didn't know it was mine. Got me thinking was the only reason people like my stuff because its mine? What then? How can anyone like what I do if they don't know me?' Josh slumped in his seat with a look of utter defeat.
'Wow. Sorry. Are you sure about that?
'Tell me the truth. If you didn't know something was done by me would you like it?'
'Josh I can't answer that. I have an idea though, paint something else and put it up without telling anyone who did it. That would give you the answer you need, it could just be you had a bad day when you did the other one. Everyone has one bad day in their lives.'
'Even Kim?'
'Oh yes, she has them too! Just try what I said if it works then it works and if it doesn't try again that's all anyone can ever do.'
Thanks man I owe you one.'
'No you don't.' Ron smiled at his friend and got up.
Kim over heard the whole conversation and could only stare at Ron as he came down next to her.
'What?' He asked pulling Rufus out of his pocket.
'Josh, that's what. Is something wrong with him?'
'Not anymore.' He replied.
'Hello? Earth to Ron! He tried to kill me last night and now you talk as if it never happened?' She didn't shout but it was hard not to stress the words.
'When the tweebs told me about the demon's party trick I suspected he'd be like this. If he was trying to hide it from me I'd know.'
'If he's not hiding what happened from you then…?' She left it hanging.
'He doesn't remember KP. You killed the demon controlling him and he's blacked everything to do with it out.'
'He doesn't remember what happened. Doesn't that usually mean he has lost it?'
'He probably forgot to stop going mad. Don't worry about it.' Ron dug into his meal.
'How can you be so blasé? We're sitting ten feet from someone who's sanity has gone on vacation!' It was getting increasingly difficult not to shout. Okay the guy had tried to sacrifice her to a demon, just about ending any feelings she MIGHT have given a chance in any other circumstances but that was no reason to advertise the facts.
Ron looked up his mouth full of food before he glanced at Rufus who said; 'Sanity not just gone… Just come back… Demon, bad, took Josh's senses… Now demon gone senses don't want to know what happened… forgot…'
'Kim,' Ron said after swallowing. 'The brain is strange. What we don't know can't harm us and our brains just edit it out if it can. Yours could, so can mine. Everyone's does, ever looked back at a discussion and wanted to change it.' He clicked his fingers. 'I know, remember that "C" you got one time?'
'I've never had a "C".' Kim responded indignantly.
'You got one, last year. We were on a mission and you forgot to hand in the assignment on time and all Barken could give you was a low grade.'
The teen hero was lost for words, a "C"? Never! Never in a million, million years! That was like NOT stopping Shego or the world turning to jelly, or…
Her train of thought was derailed by the sound of her Kimunicator. 'Hi Wade.' she answered.
'Hi Kim, got a new hit on the site. From local police this time and it's not a hoax, I checked.'
'Cool, Don't worry about the last mission I cleared everything up.'
'Do I get to find out?'
Kim looked at Ron who was out of the camera's view, he shrugged. 'It was no big Wade.'
'If its all the same to you I'll keep looking. I've narrowed it down to three computer hackers on the planet who can do that sort of thing. Ones me, the others some one in Japan and the thirds "Tara's memory".'
'Who' Kim asked
'The best hacker on the planet Kim, they once hacked the Pentagon. Story is they got in, got what they wanted and escaped and the government couldn't even tell what country they were from.'
Kim let out a low whistle as Ron got her attention. He mouthed the word "Willow" before smiling.
'So what's the sitch?'
'Oh right.' Wade turned to his screen and read from it. 'There's been some cult killings, hang on.' The long silence did not bode well. 'Forget it Kim, it's too dangerous.'
'Tell me anyway.'
'There's been a sudden increase in occult killings. Several dead bodies a night with the same M.O. Worst is that some of the bodies are dug up after they are buried, no one knows what's happened to them.'
'And we're getting this because?'
'There's a note from the state chef of police, it reads "Ronald, You know what's happening. Be careful." Mind explaining that?'
'Not here, not now.' The young watcher replied in his scary voice.
'Okay freaky…' Wade continued, 'The police want you to follow whoever is digging up the victims and inform them as to what's happening there.'
'I'll take it.'
'Are you sure Kim? This isn't your normal case. It's giving me the willies just reading it.'
Ron pulled out his Kimunicator and switched it on. 'Anything you can tell us about the dead bodies?'
'Like what?' Wade replied, he was obviously shaken at the change in Ron.
'Marks, features, were they mostly boys or girls. Stuff like that.'
'According to the coroners reports all the victims have two holes in them and have been drained of blood.'
'Anything else?'
'Some sort of mark is burned into a few of them, always the right hand. Those are the ones that disappear. This is what it looks like.' A grainy photo of a hand with a symbol scared on to it replaced Wade's image. It was a cross with rounded edges and a band running through it diagonally.
'Thank you Wade. That's very helpful. Do yourself a favour don't pursue this one yourself. Just tell Chef Hennery that Kim is on the case and things will calm down soon, one way or another.'
Kim rarely saw Ron like this, so confident and so certain he was in charge. Gone was her clown partner who often just failed to get in the way enough to help. He was now a watcher, her guardian, her teacher and still her best friend, her Ron. All she could think to sum up this revelation was one word, one that surprised her almost as much as Ron, Rufus and Wade, who missed the point of it. 'Finally.' She said in triumph.
'What was that?' Wade asked.
'Nothing, oh can you do something for me.'
'What?'
'Can you check my grades. Ron thinks I got a "C" once. I need you to prove I didn't.' She smirked at Ron who gave her a serous look back .
'Done,' said the Boy genius after a moment. 'oh hang on…'
'I just don't believe it! I can't!'
'Please Kim. We've been talking about it for the last ten hours, give it a brake.' Ron pleaded.
'But a "C"! A "C"! That's a Ron grade! Not a Kim grade! You strive for "C's" I achieve "A's".'
'I know your mad about my grade but it doesn't effect your average…'
'YOU got a "B"! A "B"! You beat me and I forgot all about it!' She shouted into the night sky.
'Kim why don't you shout a little louder, I don't think the vampires heard you that time.'
'Sorry, what time is it anyway?' she asked Ron's pocket.
Rufus poked his head out and told them it was half ten at night.
'Thanks, so Ron is it mostly like this?' Kim had to ask. They'd been "patrolling" for something like two and a half hours and the only thing to note was that she had been complaining almost non stop for that time.
'That's what I've been told. Have you got your stakes handy?' Kim checked her cargo pants pockets, two in each and there was one up the sleeve of her mission coat that was easy to get. 'Good.' Was all he said.
Another half hour passed and they came across what looked to be a young couple happily gazing a each other. Feeling slightly embarrassed at seeing them she looked away and into a shop window. As she turned the hairs on the back of her neck rose and almost crackled, then she saw what was on the window. The young man was a lone in the reflection. Spinning on her heal she saw the two of them walking away down an ally. 'We got vampire.' She said to Ron.
'Him or her?' He asked bringing his stake up.
'Her.' She answered letting the stake slide down her sleeve fall into her right hand.
'You ready for this?' Ron asked.
'I will be.' Kim hid the stake behind her back and walked down the same ally. 'urm Hi?' The two were making out, the vampire was inches away from the boy's neck.
'What you want girl?' He asked indigently.
'Your friend there really.'
'huh?' He turned to the woman who looked back with yellow eyes. The last Kim saw of him he was running and screaming in a very good impression of a hysterical girl.
'What did you do that for? Now I'm just going to eat you.' The vampire said in a strangely indifferent tone before charging.
Kim swept it's legs from under it and brought her stake down. The vampire blocked her arm and lashed out with a foot. Kim backed of and the vampire flipped up to its feet, Kim round house kicked it before it's feet hit the floor. Two punches to the vampire's head broke the bricks behind it and Kim drove the wooden spike deep into it's unprotected heart, and then coughed as she was covered in dust. 'Note to self; don't breath in when they do that.' She muttered.
Robert ran, he just ran for his life. Some where along the way he stopped screaming and started panting.
'Whoa there kid. You alright.' Said a unfashionable pail man leading a small group that he almost passed. He would have if the man hadn't reached out and grabbed him.
'Man you've got to help me! There was this girl, called Lucy I think, we were going someplace privet you know? Then this other girl came from nowhere, said she wanted something from Lucy then her face changed, Lucy's not the other one.' Robert felt incredibly foolish as he said it.
'What did this Lucy's face look like?'
'I can't describe it. It was all horrible and bumpy.'
'Something like this?' The dude's grip tightened as his face warped and twisted into the same sort of thing as Lucy's.
'No! No! Nooooooooo…' Robert screamed again before the monster bit into his neck…
'So boss? You think some new gang's trying to muscle in on our turf!' Said one of his toadies.
'No ones stupid enough to try that atom brain.' Dante answered. 'Everyone knows who I am and that this is now my town.' He dropped the empty corpse and licked his fangs.
'Then who dusted one of our babes boss?' The same meat head asked.
'I'm guessing Slayer, which is a good thing.'
'It is?'
'Of course. Three is the magic number after all.' The vampire master grinned before leading his minions the same way his last meal came from.
'Good job Kim, could have been quicker but not bad for a first run out.' Ron said with a degree of professionalism.
'Why thank you Sir.' His best friend responded with a bow. 'I live only to match your expectations.' There was a glint in her eye that told him she was teasing.
'And don't forget it young lady.'
The two of them laughed and left the ally. Just outside stood around a dozen people. All eyeing up the two of them like pieces of meat.
'Oh boy…' Muttered Kim.
'Well, well, well. Kim Possible I presume. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Duke Vladimir Dante and I have heard much about you.'
'Pleasure to meet you I'm sure. Vampire.' She replied in a tone of ice.
'Indeed my feisty young meal. Because of your rather rare flavour I shall give you a choice. Surrender and die quickly or chose to fight and spend the rest of your life regretting it. Admittedly the rest of your life would only be a few days, but they will feel a lot longer.'
'Thanks for the offer' Kim walked up to the tall vampire, Ron gripped his grappling hook launcher. 'Here's my answer!' Her knee went into his groin. Dropping him as his companions swarmed around.
Ron fired the launcher at a street light on the other side of the road. Flicking the pull switch he flew to the light sweeping Kim up along the way. 'Ron! We can take them!' she shouted
'Too many, they have the advantage.' He said as they landed.
'But Ron…'
'No "buts" KP. They'll tear you apart! We run now and fight later!' He pulled the reluctant Slayer for a step before she ran with him.
Kim reluctantly trudged up the steps to her bed room. She was disappointed at Ron. Hadn't she shown him she could handle herself? Pulling the five stakes out she put them next to her computer and hunted around for her pyjamas.
After getting changed she tried to settle down but her mind raced and she just couldn't get comfortable. She worried about what happened when she closed her eyes these nights.
Frowning she shifted her weight across her shoulders. She was just too wired to sleep and something told her there was only one way to stop the dreams. Changing back she put her sleeping clothes back and picked up the slayers weapons of choice from the table. 'I can do it.' she said.
'Do what?'
Her brothers were standing outside her half open door. 'Nothing important, I've got a mission to finish.'
'Slaying mission.'
'Sure, I have to go… get Ron… yes. I'm going to get Ron then I'm finishing the mission.' She hopped onto her window ledge and opened it. 'I'll be back before dawn.'
With that she jumped out of the window and ran back to town
Ron was flicking through a book on vampire masters, trying to see if the guy they met that night was as dangerous as he suspected. He found one entry that used the mark and the name:-
"Duke
"Vladimir" Dante; born 1734, died 1762.
"Killed
two Slayers, one 1825 second 1946. Sires large amounts of minions and
takes over towns quickly, murdering hundreds if not thousands before
moving on. Prefers to let his abundant supply of minions destroy any
threats to his power, including each other."
The rest just listed the towns villages even cities that he had destroyed over the centuries. Ron was glad he trusted his gut instinct and got Kim out of there before she did anything foolish.
Suddenly the cellar door opened and the Tweebs came down. 'Ron! Kim's gone off.' Said Jim
'She said she was coming here' finished Tim.
'Of course she did.' Ron said in a resigned tone before heading to one of the cabinets and opening it.
'What's happening?' the two asked.
'Kim thinks she's invincible. That's what.' He pulled out the pump action crossbow.
'She's gone after a vampire alone.' They said wide eyed with fear.
'A master vampire that's already killed two Slayers.' He shut the cabinet a bit too hard and it broke. 'I should have know, her ego is enough to blot out the sun. Come on Rufus.' He said to the hairless mole rat that was arming himself with his own diminutive weapons. 'You two stay here.' He said to the Tweebs before leaving.
Kim watched the two vampires laugh as they walked down the street. They were laughing at how she and Ron fled from them. Almost literally seeing red she dove at them from behind. Staking them both in the heart in one move.
'Ha! Easy pickings.' She grinned to herself.
'Couldn't have said it better myself, my dear.' The duke's voice came from the shadows. He melted from the concealing darkness his face morphed into its demon shape. 'Lady's and gentlemen, dinner.'
From all around she herd chuckling laughter. Almost two dozen vampires followed their masters example. Kim had just enough time to realise how big a mistake she had made before they pounced.
Dante grinned she was good, lashing out at the right times and a few times she got lucky enough to destroy some of his minions but numbers, as always, proved the best bet when it came to actual skill. Eventually the brain dead cretins that worshiped him simply piled on her and beat her into the ground. 'That's enough, I get her first.' With that his minions backed off and let him approach.
Kim could only see though one eye, the other was swollen shut. She felt like she was the centre of a car crash, nothing didn't hurt. Fighting to stand she made it to her knees before some one picked her up by her long hair. Her feet left the floor as she came face to face with the Duke. The back of his fist knocked her senseless before he laughed.
She felt his tongue and then his lips brush hers before they moved to her ear. 'Mmm, you taste nice.' he whispered in her ear, 'I won't kill you yet, just a little snack.'
His growl terrified her but she couldn't do anything about it. She felt his teeth sink into her neck and the pain of her nightmares made real. Just as she was about to black out she thought she heard a solid sound and a hollow howl…
Ron pumped the next bolt into place and fired again, dusting the second vampire.
'Who dares…?'
'Wins' responded Ron quick firing another two bolts into vampires, dusting them, before pointing at the master who held KP in his arms. 'Put her down.'
'You're a good shot kid, but she's between your toy and my heart.'
Without blinking he fired at another vampire before pointing at him again. 'Don't need your heart.' Flicking a switch next to his finger, a small lighter ignited the loaded bolt.
'You won't risk hitting her.' The master vampire was less confident but still had the upper hand. Speaking of hands, it was that moment that the team Possible secret weapon struck his. Recoiling the master vampire cursed and dropped Kim. Rufus's two oversized front teeth chomped in deeper as he swung his hand. Ron smiled and fired.
The bolt buried deep in the master vampires gut and ignited him.
Rufus dropped quickly as Ron scooped up the unconscious Slayer and fled. As they ran Ron herd the Duke shout to his minions 'Leave them put me out. Put the fire out!'
The tweebs heard the knocking on the cellar doors and opened them. Ron barged past them carrying something pail and limp. It took a horrible moment before they recognised it as their sister.
'Help Rufus get the air bed out, now.' They followed the pet to the cabinets and pulled out the small pack and an air tank. Without being asked they hooked it up, inflating the bed. Ron was holding her tightly in his arms, their sister wasn't moving. She looked worse by the second.
Ron put her down and told them to stem the bleeding from her neck.
It couldn't have been a minute later when he fell to his knees next to her. He almost dropped the bowls he was carrying. Dipping a bandage from one bowl to another he finally, almost relevantly, placed the bandage on the neck wound. It took him some time but Ron eventually covered half of her neck in the smelly things.
'If she lasts the night she'll be fine.' He said not looking away from her.
'What happened.'
'She lost Jim. That's all.'
'But she never loses.' Paled Tim
'Well she can do anything…' they saw he was trying a weak smile but it didn't work. 'I have to make a phone call. If something happens shout.'
Ron made it to the stairs before he started to cry. Slowly he made it to the phone with tears streaming down his face. With a care he slowly hit the numbers for his uncle, the tears were obscuring the key pad.
'Hello?' Answered the ringing
'Is that Xander?'
'Sure.'
'Its Ron…ald Ronald.' He wiped his eyes with his free hand.
'Hi R-man. How's things in hero-ville?'
'Bad to worse. Is my uncle there?'
'Sure… hey G-man its Ronald. Something's up.'
A new voice came on the other end of the phone. 'What's happened.'
'We need help, a master vampire came to town and now we're out numbered.'
'How badly?'
'The master's name is Vladimir Dante…'
'Good lord! I know of him. Is your Slayer alright.'
'No, if you can spare anyone we need them. There has to be at least fifteen of them, all under his command.'
'Oh dear, I can't spare anyone! Hang on. Yes! There is one person I can divert to you!'
'Thanks I've got to get back. Please hurry uncle I don't think we have much time.' With that he put down the phone and went down stairs.
The twins were putting on a couple more bandages with Rufus's help on her more visible bruises. 'You two get home. We don't want to worry your parents. Tell them we're on a mission.'
'Sure Ron.' 'Will she be alright?' They said simultaneously.
'Yes I'm sure of it. Go.' They left and Ron pulled out some blankets from near where the bed was. Tucking her in to keep her warm he sat next to her. Holding her close.
How long he sat there he couldn't tell but eventually he fell asleep.
Kim made the long trek back to consciousness, she knew she was in danger but couldn't remember why. With painful slowness she opened her eyes, she didn't recognise where she was. Looking around she couldn't see anything familiar. She felt afraid until she finally saw Ron. He was sleeping next to her, holding her gently in his arms. She was safe. Safe here and nothing could hurt her. Content she closed her eyes and slept peacefully for the first time that week.
End chapter 7
