"Ok what do we know?"
Leaning against Kim's bedroom wall, "Ron, Zita and Pyre are missing," Will's eyes glued to her window, not willing to meet their gaze a bit embarrassed that he couldn't figure out the riddle that was the current situation.
"They weren't taken by force," Bonnie sighed sitting in the chair at the desk, openly worried about the others conditions.
"We have no idea how to contact them, despite the fact that they probably still have their cords," Monique groaned, sitting on the desk fingering her own communication device.
"We know they were at their homes last night," Wades voice piped through the kimmunicator, "and both their rooms are saturated in some kind of energy we have yet to identify."
"And we know Zita's parents know nothing about their daughter being missing," Kim growled staring at the ceiling the memory of how she had talked he way into their home still fresh in her mind. She almost wished the Stoppable's were the ones who had been home, at least she more or less could have told them the truth, "so the question is, what could have happened to them."
"What about our favorite sociopathic fur balls?" Bonnie asked with a shrug.
"If it was Monkey Fisk it wouldn't explain why he went after Zita, he wants Ron not the rest of us," Kim's eyes not moving from the ceiling, " it's possible the new situation has force him to adapt his methods."
"And I've already checked the all air traffic reports from the time I stopped talking to Ron to when we found he was gone and I didn't find anything out of the ordinary."
"And who says they took a plane," Bonnie growled defensively.
Will fielded the question, "Lighting Bats and WEE's MO generally involves air crafts of some sort, while it's not impossible they've changed their tactics, but to kidnap those three they'd need a fast escape plan if something went wrong."
"Well do we know what they were doing before they went missing?" Monique shrugged thinking aloud.
"AS I said I talked to him last night," Wade didn't bother looking up, "and I didn't pick up anything out of the ordinary."
Closing her eyes, "are you sure," Bonnie asked.
"Yes," a hint of irritation in his voice at the unspoken accusation. "He called, I checked, I hung up nothing big happened."
"Why'd he call," Will's interest piqued.
"Everlot's server froze last night, it was a some kind of technical problem, he and Zita wanted to know what was up, I told them end of story."
"Hold it he called you because of a glitch? Ron knows not to call unless something big's up," as Kim forced herself onto her elbows.
"Zita wanted him to call, she thought she saw Wairthmaster, it turned out to be nothing, probably just an echo, Malcolm was on stage in front room full of people last night, so it couldn't have been him."
"Who or what is Wraitmaster?" Will asked scratching his head.
"The alter ego of a gamer, he had a thing for Zita, he ended up strapping the pair into a chair that sent their minds into a video game world."
"I heard about that, Dr. Director looked into using the technology as part of a training simulator but it was deemed to dangerous, something about not being able to get people out of the simulations with out drastic mental shifts."
"Not unless they win, Ron and Zita were….." her mind connecting the dots, "Wade call Everlot Inc. and tell them I'll be coming down to discuss a few things."
Typing on key board, "what are you thinking?"
"Not sure," jumping out of bed and grabbing the kimmunicator, "I'm just playing a hunch."
"Kim I really don't think…"
Kim cut off his web master, "look this is the only thing I can think of that separates them from us, if it's a wild goose chase fine, but at least we'll be doing something."
"But we were there two," he insisted understanding stands where her logic was going.
"Not like they were, and lets face it you and I were distractions out there, those three saved the day, it makes sense he'd go after them."
"Except he doesn't know Pyre is Rufus," Wade's voice carrying down the hall.
"I didn't say it was good theory Wade, I said it was busy work, now get me a ride."
"Us a ride," Will snapped behind her, "the guy is crazy but I like working with him."
"Speak for your self, I don't like him at all," causing the others to glance back at Bonnie, "what I just I don't plan on letting anyone but me kill him."
"Your all heart Rockwaller you know that," as Monique slapped her on the back, which earned her a growl from the Earth Knight.
"Hold it," Kim turning to face them, "I'm sure those three would be touched your all so concerned but we're all not all going. Will your coming with me," then looking at the Bonnie and Monique, "I want you to go home and hit the books, your not doing anyone any good here."
The pair nodded understanding Kim wanted them to explore the book King Fin Varra had given Monique, and headed off.
"You think they'll find anything," Will asked a little worried.
"I'm not sure but I hope so cause I'm running on suspicion right now."
"I had almost forgotten why I hate the forest," Ron growled looking back and forth in the low light, memories of his time at Camp Wannaweep flashing before his eyes.
"I don't know as creepy monster filled forests go this one isn't so bad," the Water Knight a step behind him.
"Yeah when we run into some that wants to eat us I'll remind you of that," grabbing a glace at her with her peripheral vision.
"Don't say things like that, you know what happens," her body going tense as she expected some from of an attack.
"Don't worry we're not in that much trouble," raising his arm up and letting the cuff glow slightly, "I'm not sure why but I have navigation."
"I thought all you could do was climb trees."
"Yeah," Pyre added in Ron's pocket
"So did I," rubbing the cuff, "hey I'm not arguing, right now this things lets me know when anything in the forest gets near us and so far that's how we've avoided it."
"Key words there 'so far'."
"Has a point," Pyre added crawling onto Ron's shoulder and stretching his legs.
"Your faith in me is staggering," Ron half hissed, "I can always lead us into something big and let you deal with it."
"Cool warm up before the big stuff starts."
Ron and Pyre just traded glances with each other and shook their heads, "weirdo," the word coming out of their mouths simultaneously.
"This coming for a guy who talks to his pet rodent and the rodent that talks back."
"Has a point," Pyre shrugging.
"True, very true," Ron's mind shifted from the conversation and slipped back into focus as he picked coming towards them from the tree branches at a high rate of speed, "crap," slipping into a fighting stance ready to fight or flee.
Looking around and dropping in a stance herself, "what… where."
Before Ron could speak something small a brown dropped from the tree branches and hit the ground in front of them. The details became clear after a second as it sniffed the air, from nose to tail tip is was about a foot long with light brown fur with a darker brown-black stripe going down the middle. Four legs on a small body with a long curled fluffy tail. It was the creator of nightmares for many gamers, much to there shame and embarrassment of all those that had foolishly faced it.
"Killer squirrel," Ron hissed under his breath taking a step back as the creature twitched it's nose at him and reared up on it's hind legs.
"Oh crap," Zita hissed following the Forest Knights lead, "do you have any idea how many of those things have ended up killing me."
"I don't think I can count that high," forcing his voice to stay calm, all the times this herald of carnage had appeared before his characters at the forefront of his memory, not to mention all the subsequent cursing he'd leveled at the screen as his character collapsed in defeat.
After a few more steps back Zita started breathing easier, "I think we might be…..," her words stopping as the squirrel started following them, "me and my big mouth," she hissed as she focused her mind ready to call her trident in case creature charged.
"You know," grabbing a quick look at Zita, "if this were any other situation this could almost be funny…. almost."
"I won't tell anyone about this if you won't," her eyes locked on the furry creature.
"Oh brother," Pyre growled hopping off Ron's shoulder and walking up to the creature punching it in the face sending it scurrying back a few feet, at the sight Pyre turned and lifted his arms, "ha," and did a small celebratory dance.
"Pyre watch…," Ron growled as the squirrel charge and head butted the mole rat in the back sending him flying through the air and into and crashing into a tree trunk, "…out," the word coming out as a whimper as he slide down the plant and plopped onto the ground.
"Oh crap," Zita hissed on the verge of calling her trident, 'forget subtlety,' only to stop as the creature looked at them twitched it's nose and ran back into the forest. "Why do I get a feeling this is going to be very bad," Zita hissed.
"Because it is," Ron sensing what was coming, "we should be running," grabbing her hand and running off into the forest, not bothering to slow down as he bent down and grabbed a stunned Pyre with his free hand. "Didn't I tell you on day picking fights with other rodents would get you trouble," he growled at the mole rat/fire dragon and slipping him in his pants pocket. "You got your naked butt kicked by something with a fluffy tail and now he and his entire family are coming after us and are going to kick our tails." Scoffing, "honestly you really think you can fight a Thunder Dragon," encouraged when he felt Pyre pushed against his pants leg, letting him the rodent hadn't been killed or gravely harmed.
"Just run," the rodent growled weakly pushing his head out of the pocket, his entire body in pain and silently glad his dragon anatomy healed very fast, 'probably the only thing keeping me alive,' he thought bitterly incredibly embarrassed he'd been beaten by a, 'friggen branch jumper.'
"Hello Ms. Possible, to what do I owe the visit?"
"It's complicated Mr. Mevious, it's about Everlot."
"The system crash," he sighed nodding his head taking a glance out the window of his office
"Sort of," Wills eyes shifting from wall to wall.
"I'm sorry, you are," he asked glancing back at the Air Knight.
"Just call me Will."
"Anyway," cutting the two off, "the reason we're here is can you tell us if anything weird has been going on lately, possibly with your son."
"You mean other than trying to become a Shakespearean actor," a hint of a laugh in his voice as he shook his head in amusement.
"So Malcolm is still involved in the theater?"
"Oh yes, I swear there are weeks when I'm lucky to see him two days in a row, according to some reviews he's quite good, but I honestly can't say myself, I've never been one to gauge that kind of talent."
Will mentally checked off one of their ideas and under his breath hissed, "that answers one question."
"I take it you think Malcolm has something to do with the system crash," his father asked a little insulted.
"We're just following what little we know and that led us to your son, I'm sorry if I've offended you," Kim apologies.
"It's alright, I know Malcolm has had troubles in the past."
"So what can you tell us about the crash," Will cutting to the chase, "according to our own people the system should have been up by now," as he started walking around the room gathering information on the room and trying to figure out how the piece fit together.
"It's strange isn't it, as far as we can tell nothing is wrong yet nothing will respond, but you must have a reason other than a technical problem to come all this way."
"Our friends say they saw someone that might be Wraithmaster, ironically these are the same friend that went missing the last time he appeared and we just wanted to make sure there wasn't a connection.
"Oh boy," scratching the back of his head, a bead of sweat falling down his face.
"I'm not going to like this am I," Kim asked a bit aggravated.
"We're going to have to talk to the people in R&D, they said they might be using abandoned character profiles for some experiments."
"What kind of experiments," a hint of concern in her voice.
"I'm not really sure," leading them out of his office, "we give the R&D department free reign to do what ever they want."
"Isn't that kind of strange," earning a raised eyebrow from Will.
"Not here, at least not now that we're a subsidiary of Glomgold Enterprises. We let them come up with whatever they want, what we can't use here we send back up the corporate chain and it gets distributed to whatever subsidiary can use it."
"OK where are we going," Kim asked noticing the halls changing from corporate to something she'd expect to see at a military base.
"Can't be to careful now a days, corporate espionage is becoming a big problem and we have to keep our secrets just that, our secrets," stressing the second 'our'.
"Understandable but this still seems like little on the extreme side," as Will ran his hand along the wall, thinking back to the few times in his life he had seem security this high at Global Justice, each time being used to protect something very dangerous.
"No argument, but this is what corporate headquarters wanted and they paid the bills," pulling a card out and swiping it through the lock on the wall causing the double doors to slide away to the hum of heavy machinery working.
"Now this is impressive," Will's field of vision filling with various machines, some firing off beams of light, others with blinking diodes, others making a variety of sounds, and people running all over the place with clip boards and palm pilots and things he didn't recognize of the top of his head.
"It is a little bit crazy isn't it," Mr. Mevious shook his head, "but it does turn out results. Follow me lets see if we can find Mel." leading them into the room that quickly diverted into corridors.
"Has a vague spy movie feel doesn't it," Will commented off the top of his head, Kim cold only give him a sideways look and smirked.
"Not that you'd know or anything," the Fire Knight quipped under her breath.
"I say the same thing every time I come over here," Mr. Mevious commented as he scanned the corridor, every door looking the same, "ah there it is," tapping on the door and pushing it open, "Mel we need to talk." Sitting at the desk was an older gentleman with graying hair who looked over the man and his guests. "Kim Possible, Will," Mr. Mevious introduced, "the is Mel Walker head of our R&D department, anything that goes on here he knows and probably had his hand in at one point or another."
"Ah, the illustrious Ms. Possible, I thought I recognized you," as he pulled himself up, "to what do I owe the pleasure."
Cutting to the chase, "we want to know what happened to the Wraithmaster character profile we think it might be important."
Humming slightly to himself he sat down and started typing on his computer, "just out of curiosity why do you think we have it down here?"
"I know someone here was working with abandoned character profiles, I don't know what they did with them, but Ms. Possible thinks it might be responsible for all the problems we've been having with the server, and I just want to be sure."
"That's an interesting there you have there," his eyes never moving from the screen, "ah here we go, the file was transferred over here, and was used in project number 2765398beta. Give me a second to figure out what that is," typing on the keyboard some more.
"This guy could almost give Wade a run for his money," the word's just slipping from Kim's mouth as she watched his fingers fly over the keys and fill the air with soft clicks.
"Ah yes I remember this project now," running his finger along the screen, "we were attempting to create better AI's for our games. The idea was to create a program that would interact with the characters profile and make that character act as if the person was playing it. Since the profiles contain everything that person has done since starting that character it was fairly simple just to just synthesis what the player had done in the past and replicate those habits and reactions."
"So you created a way for people not to play the game?" Will asked a little lost.
"I suppose it can be interpreted that way, but we're applying to the opposition within the game, essentially design a character and have someone play it till the program can be run then just copy it in the game, by the time we were done everyone would essentially be playing against an entire game full of real opponents, honestly it's kind of brilliant, it's a shame it fell through."
A little afraid, "why'd it fall through," Kim asked
"The results were initially positive, but we underestimated the computing power needed in order to keep the programs working effectively. In the end we lost all the prototypes when they exceeded the their allotted memory. Currently the project's on hold till we can understand what exactly happened, it's kind of a shame actually it could have issued in a new era of technology with application that reached far beyond video games."
"Can we see the results of those experiments," Kim asked hopefully.
"If it was with in my power I'd let you but as I said we lost the programs."
"But you should still have the data," Will argued
"As I said the programs exceed their allotted memory, as in they tried to absorb the memory of the entire computer," shaking his head. "We're lucky it was an independent system, if it had been linked up to the internal network it probably would have absorbed every piece of data at the companies disposal, and I don't even want to think about if it escaped." Kim and Will's eyes got big as they looked at each other, each having the same thought.
"Oh man," Kim moaned hanging her head.
"And here I thought I'd seen the weirdest things on earth," Will growled in disbelief.
"I'm sorry what are you talking about," Mr. Walker asked looking up from the screen.
"I think Wraithmaster is still alive."
"Oh come now," the older man growl, "just because the experiment ended badly there some problem. Yes there might have been abnormal results but it was still normal data there's really nothing to worry about young lady."
"No it wasn't," Mr. Mevious corrected, "the Wraithmaster data was attained when my son used an immersion cap, it's a hybrid of game data, his thoughts at the time of using it and even his emotional state. Essentially everything you need to create a copy of my son in digital form."
"Not quite," Kim corrected, "what you have is a very dangerous version of your son, one obsessed with power and dominance. Chances are if that thing is alive it's nothing like your son."
"Very good little sprite," the words coming from the computer speakers as the screen flickered and Wraithmaster appeared on it causing Mr. Walker to jerk back in his chair in surprise. "But in all honesty I expected you much sooner, your disappointing me fair maiden."
Snarling Kim grabbed the monitor and spun it around looking at the image, "where are my friends," her words impossible to be perceived as anything but a threat.
"You really think I'm just going to tell you little sprite, what fun would that be," laughing.
In frustration Kim tore the monitor from the desk and slammed in on the floor much to the shock of the others in the room. Moving some hair from her face, a slight flush on her skin, "I'm sorry," she hissed under her breath a little embarrassed she'd reacted the way she had.
The sound of clapping filled the air before anyone else could address her action, "and here I thought you were the restrained one little sprite, it appears the stories are wrong about you," Wraithmaster laughed his voice carrying through the overhead speaker.
"What the…" Will growled.
"What," the speaker laughed as the security camera on the wall moved and focused on them, "did you really think it was going to be that simple? Honestly did you really think my power could be contained by one little machine of silicon and plastic, hardly. I am everywhere around you, every machine is now part of me, and yet wholly beneath me, quite simple I'm immortal now and well beyond the concern of anything your fleshy little mind could conceive."
"Where are they?" Kim growled looking into the camera.
"Oh if you must know, those two are playing with me," he laughed.
'Two,' Kim thought, 'so what happened to Pyre.'
"So you've used the immersion caps again," Kim asked uncertainly.
"Hardly, they are quite literally playing with me, when I'm done with them I'll send them back to you, of course by that time they'll be corpses."
"The digitizer," Mr. Walker hissed
Clapping filling the air again, "oh very good, someone understands."
"And that it," Will asked in no mood for guessing games.
"A random idea that came in a few days ago, that said in theory we could teleport objects into or out of the digital domain, but it hasn't gotten past the theory stage."
"You mean it hasn't gotten into the physical development stage, the theory and math has already been accumulated, it's actually quite brilliant in it's simplicity, once you have the numbers you can essentially make anything a portal provided you can process the data fast enough."
"So their in the game."
"Indeed Mr. Duu," answering the former GJ agent.
'He knows who I am,' fearful that all of Global Justice might have been compromised
"I thought the system was frozen, how can they be in Everlot," Kim asked warily careful not to tip her hand.
"Just a little something I've learned how to do," he laughed, "I'm just insuring I can deal those two in peace without the annoyances that were provided last time."
For a brief moment Kim considered summoning her sword and incinerating everything electronic in the room but held back as her senses returned. "Send me to them, I did as much to you s they did," hoping he'd take the bait.
"First off little sprite you didn't, and second if I reunited you then I wouldn't get to see you suffer, and I am so enjoying it. But don't worry I'll be getting to you soon enough beautiful maiden, but for now I want to savor your friends deaths."
Kim could feel her body trembling in rage, only to have it lessen as Will's hand rested on her shoulder, "prove it," he growled.
"Well I would but after our alluring sprites little temper tantrum there's nothing to show you on."
"There are other computers, surely one of them can do the job, or maybe your not as powerful as you say you are," Will challenged.
"Ah yes insult me and then watch me show you my power, an infantile ploy," the artificial creature chuckled, "but I'll play along, go one room over, I'll show you your friends."
It took a few moments for the four to assemble in the next room it's compute lighting up and showing the digital pair walking through a soundless digital forest. Ron seemed to be talking to Zeta over his shoulder but she didn't seem to be answering, or even paying attention to him.
'What's that about,' Kim thought to herself as a few ideas formed in her mind.
"As you can see their both fine they've even somehow survived a few of my creatures, all be it of the smaller variety."
Will reached to tap his cord but was stopped is Kim spoke up, "let us talk to them."
"I think not, no, we're going to let them remain unaware of what's going on out here."
"And if we decide to stop you here," Will growled.
"If you believe you can your very deluded Mr. Duu, how can you hurt what had no body that can be anywhere and everywhere in the blink of an eye."
"We'll find a way," Kim hissed, "Your little more than a virus Wraithmaster, we just have to find the right program to wipe you out."
"Now, now my little sprite don't be insulting, a virus is a simple creature that has but one agenda, I on the other hand…. well I suppose your right I am a virus, I have only one goal and that's to insure you all die in most horrible way. Enjoy watching your friends little sprite and revel in the fact that you can't do anything to help them."
"That's what you think," Will growled tapping his cord, "R Z, guys respond."
After a second they saw Ron raise his arm to his mouth and speak his voice coming from Will's cord, "where are you man."
"Everlot Inc. we're watching you right now from a computer screen," Kim grabbing the Air Knights arm and speaking into his cord, "we know what's going on and we'll get you guys out somehow. Malcolm's not behinds this it's some kind of virus created from Wraithmaster's data he's after you two," stressing the last word on a hunch.
"I love hearing your voice KP but that answers one question but makes so many more," the blond called from the cord
"Ditto for me," Zita added, "but I'd love to know ho….," her voice exploding in static as both the digitized and the flesh and blood knights jerked back at the sound.
"Well we can't have that," Wraithmaster chided, "alone you are and alone you shall remain but if you two are going to try and cheat I guess I'll just have to discourage you."
"What are you going to do talk us to death," Kim hissed looking at the camera.
"Of course not, I have a state of the art security at my disposal, that's what's going to kill you, now good bye my little sprite, and do me a favor try and stay to stay in front of the cameras, I'd like to record this for posterities sake."
"When he says state of the art security…" Kim's words trailing off.
"The best money can bye Ms. Possible," Mr. Mevious said grimly, "supposedly no one can get through it successfully, let alone alive, so we've never actually tried to test it ourselves."
"Well I have been craving a challenging work out," as Will glanced out the door.
"You don't have to do this Will," Kim's eyes on the door, "he's my partner."
"Your partner, my friends, lets just see where the road takes us Kim," looking at the other two, "so any idea how to stop this thing?"
"None what so ever," Mr. Walker sighed.
"Figures," Kim growled, "time to go wing it Will," as she darted out the room into the unknown.
"So that was them right," Zita asked cautiously open to the idea that this was Wraithmasters idea of a twisted joke.
"I want to say yes, but I have no clue," scratching Pyre's head and looking at the rodent on his shoulder. 'she said two,' looking at the beast, 'can't they see you.'
"You have an idea don't you Ron," the Water Knight recognizing the look on his face.
"Maybe but I'm not really sure, it might be some kind of joke or something weird might be going on."
"So we changing plans."
"No, we don't know if that was really Kim and Will, and we have no ideas if they can help us. So until we know something permanent we're sticking to the plan and having a little date with our monstrous trio."
"Yippy," sarcastically and twirling her finger looking up past the trees to the smoking mountain. From where they were standing they got a good look at it's surface. One side covered in snow and ice the other side was covered in trees that had been split down the middle, finally the upper tip was barren except for the top that was smoking.
"Well take a wild guess which creature is where," Ron sighed shaking his head.
"Yeah well as tough as these thing are suppose to be I don't think subtlety was really a priority."
"How getting up," Pyre asked on Ron's shoulder
"An excellent question my pyromaniac pal," exhaling loudly as he looked at the slope of the mountain, "I think we can just walk up, it doesn't look that steep, the question is where's the best place to fight, and do we want to take them all on at once?"
"With our luck it's probably one of those as soon as we hit a certain mark they all attack us at once system."
"So we go as a group up the side, any idea which side to fight on," he asked.
"They would have home field advantage up there and somehow I doubt we can run back down here."
"Not to mention even if we could we'd end up with a major forest fire thanks to two of them."
"And lets not forget the wings, something only one of us can sprout, which pretty much guarantees them the high ground."
"High ground is overrated," as the blond crossed his arms.
"Not getting anywhere," the rodent/dragon growled shooting hot air at the side of the Forest Knight's head.
Pointing at the rodent, "he has a point. We know we're in trouble so what's the point of talking about it, lets just climb and hope we see each other in the end."
"That was not your best speech, if anything it was kinda morbid, but I can't argue with it, so when do we crack out the heavy artillery?" as she tapped her arm band.
"I'm going to say the second we see something that's capable of getting a major body part in it's mouth."
"Again, not your best thing you've ever said you morbid tree frog."
Authors note1- another chapter another pointless Disney reference- I'll save you the trouble Glomgold Enterprises Flintheart Glomgold of Duck Tales fame. If you haven't guessed the next chapter is heavy on the fight time so just be warned. And if anyone's wondering about the section at the top Kim and the others still don't know the Sentinels have spit into to different factions.
Please R&R, let my know your out there, let me know I'm not wasting my time, Please I'm on my kees here