Author's lengthy notes: This chapter got so long I had to split it in twain. Which means, chapter XVI is actually the final chapter of act two and the last one before UNION takes a month off. I found myself writing slowly this week because 1) I had too much fun writing it and 2) I didn't want to stop when it was done. But reality calls, and I've got too much to do.
Shameless plug: In this chapter, I once again reference a romance Ron had in high school with one Violet Parr of 'The Incredibles'. This is the story I intend to write once I finish UNION (which will probably be September at the earliest), and it is a spin-off in the 'REUNION' universe. It's called 'Shades Of Violet' (Don't worry, I won't be using all caps in the title) Basically, TJ and Kimono are at a rocky point in their friendship and one snowy day, Ron and Kim tell these two about what happened between them when Ron began side-kicking for someone else; or so Kim thought at the time. Anyway, that's coming soon.
Thanks so much to all who are reading. The hits counter will achieve the five thousand mark with this chapter and I'm totally blown away by that.
Mucho especial Gracias to: Jokerisdaking, Jezrianna2.0, JPMod, Widow Shark, Spooks-a-lot, Storms Eye, Pseudojuliet, Kimberly Ann Possible, SestrenNK, MrDrP, Dreammergurl2007, aimtbj, ron-sama, kpultimatefan, kemiztri, Recon228, Mobius97, LKillingsworth, Megan, Kari, Willk1989, and Visigoth29527.
Props to Recon228 for guessing the cliffhanger outcome. I know it's cheesy, but I wanted to do at least one psyche-out cliffie in this story…
All songs contained in this fic are copyrighted to Curbtunes Music, are performed by the band 'Plumb' and are found on their album 'Beautiful Lumps Of Coal'. I am not publishing said lyrics for any sort of profit, but rather as an element to this work of fiction.
Warning: Melodrama abounds (he said unapolagetically).
XV.
"GET OVER HERE!"
Ron's heart raced, while his mind tried to comprehend how Ray had managed to recognize him. Then it occurred to him that Ray must be assuming it's TJ. He measured off the distance between him and Ray and figured he could cover the ground in about three seconds. The cameras would see him, of course, but by that time he'd have a hostage.
"I SAID COME HERE!" Ray bellowed again, hands on his hips.
Ron twitched, about to get up when he heard a whimper nearby and remembered the dog. The animal crouched timidly to its belly and began slinking back toward its master.
"You better not have messed up that lawn," Ray growled as the dog came near him, "You can do your business anywhere on this island, but for some reason you like to dirty up my lawn!"
Ron's mind was blank, uncomprehending.
When the dog got to Ray, it huddled near him, its head low, timid eyes looking up at its master. The tail wagged feebly, as if to offer up some pathetic apology.
Ray drew his foot back, the dog recoiled and whimpered, knowing what was about to come.
Then Ray seemed to change his mind and instead issued an order, "Go lay down, Stoppable, you stupid mutt. Go lay down!"
The dog slunk away.
Ron stared as Ray walked off toward the hill about a hundred yards in the distance.
Ron buried his face in the grass and tried to stifle the laughter. Of course, everyone knows the last thing you should do when you feel like laughing is try to stifle it. He was probably in more danger at that point than he had been his entire time on the island. His body shook and twitched as he laughed while trying not to.
'Stoppable'?
How pathetic was this guy?
After all Ray had done, all the vengeance he'd manage to wreak on the Stoppable family, was he so obsessed that he needed a dog with the same name to take his abuse? Did that actually make him feel better?
Soon the laughter subsided and Ron regained some composure. He realized his right foot was sitting out in the sun and slowly withdrew it. Then he looked up. Soon he'd reach the wall, and hopefully, Veronica.
It took the better part of two days to fully explain everything to Sensei. Kim was surprised to find how slow relaying information through a translator actually was. It was somewhat frustrating for Yori as well, for though she was fluent in her native Japanese language, it was a slightly different dialect. Fifteen hundred years was plenty of time for a language to evolve.
Fortunately for Kim and Yori, Sensei simply accepted what they told him as the truth. After all, he was an immortal in possession of swords with mysterious powers. Time travel actually seemed to be a relatively tame concept to him.
But the more Kim thought about it, the more she came to believe that this mysterious room high up on the cliff face had not brought them back in time. Oh, certainly they were in ancient Japan, but Kim believed they had not stepped out of the time stream to get here. Rather, whatever powers this room contained, it was more like a sort of stasis chamber; the dark and light flashes being the movement of the sun around the earth, but in rapid time. Or, to be more precise, she and Yori had, in essence, "slowed down" while time moved normally, albeit backwards.
Sensei was not necessarily pleased with Kim's decision, but was willing to accept it on Kim's further suggestion that the rest of the Blades be taken somewhere presumably safe; somewhere Ishigawa and Monkey Fist might not know about.
Monkey Fist's whereabouts weren't entirely clear to anyone. What little news that did reach the school was mostly tales of scary monkey soldiers and Ishigawa's wrath. Location was not a high priority in the rumor mill.
It was decided that one of Sensei's students, a young man by the name of Kintaro, would lead a small group with the remaining Ohana Blades north to the home of his father Hidesato, the lord of the Mutsu Province. Mutsu was one of the largest provinces on the Japanese mainland, but it was also the most sparsely populated; full of rugged, almost inhospitable terrain. Hidesato himself was an honorable man, and a former student of Sensei's.
His province was home to the legendary Zuijen warriors; archers so fierce and deadly they were feared by any foe who opposed them. Mutsu also fielded a standing army of about thirty thousand regular warriors, but what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in uncompromising ferocity. Hidesato, his warriors, and his province were loyal to the Emperor and already he was preparing his army to march against Ishigawa.
His son Kintaro, by contrast, was almost everything his father wasn't. Where Hidesato was a grave, noble warrior, Kintaro was an easy-going, always smiling – almost buffoonish – ninja. Hidesato loved his son, but had sent him to Yamanuchi in the hopes Sensei would be able to instill a serious outlook on the boy's life. It didn't take. Kintaro was an incurable optimist with an always ready smile. He was a mild embarrassment to his father, and no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he pretended to be serious about life, he always felt he was unable to please Hidesato.
For all the things Kintaro was, he was not stupid. He had formidable skill in the ways of Ninjitsu and had his father's sense of honor. If Sensei charged him with the protection of the Blades, then he would gladly die defending them.
Kim liked him right away. Yori felt he was a little on the immature side.
They would all journey together to the valley floor below before splitting up. Then Kintaro would lead his little band north. Kim asked Yori what she wished to do.
"I do not understand the question, Stoppable-san." Yori replied.
"I'm asking if you will be coming with me, or going with Kintaro to his father's province." Kim said pointedly.
"Sensei sent me to accompany you," Yori replied, "I intend to fulfill my duty."
Kim was relieved, "Glad to hear it. Once we reach the valley, the first thing we'll do is find a town or village and ask for news of Monkey Fist's whereabouts."
Yori merely nodded.
"You don't think we should be doing this, do you?" Kim guessed what Yori was thinking.
"Sensei does not think this is the correct course of action for us to take. And since I have known him all my life, I trust his judgment completely." Yori replied evenly.
"Fair enough," Kim acknowledged, "And I don't question his judgment either. But the longer Monkey Fist remains in possession of the Tempus Simia, the more likely the time stream will collapse. I believe getting to him is our highest priority."
"As I said," Yori said by way of agreement, "I will fulfill my duty to the Sensei of our time period."
"So did you have any idea he was immortal?" Kim asked.
"No, I did not." Yori said with some gravity, "To learn that he and Toshimiru are one and the same is indeed a great shock to me."
"Me too. Is he going to be coming with us?"
Yori shook her head.
While Kim and Kintaro sought to fulfill their tasks, Sensei would remain at the school. If he left, Ishigawa would put all his efforts into finding Sensei and stood a chance to capture him with the Blades. But if he stayed, he might be able to stall Ishigawa until Kintaro reached the Mutsu province and safely hid the remaining Blades.
They spent the remainder of the second day getting provisions ready for the journey. Each of the Ohana Blades was individually wrapped in cloth and slung to a student's back. Kim felt a twinge as she recognized the very Lotus Blade her husband had once carried as Ronin. And now Kim had her own Blades. She so wished Ron was there to share all this with her. As much as there was to worry about in the immediacy, Kim couldn't go ten minutes without feeling the ache of her husband's absence.
For the second straight night, Yori and Kim shared quarters.
Kim lay awake, staring into the dark. She thought about the task ahead of her, and of her husband. She didn't just hope he was OK, she willed him to be.
"Do you miss him, Stoppable-san?" Yori whispered from the darkness.
"More than I thought possible," Kim said, unaware of the pun.
"I am sure he is safe, and you will save him." Yori continued.
Silence for a few seconds. Then Kim told Yori about all that had happened; Ron's time in the Roman simulation, the fact that it had all been a ruse to delay them while Monkey Fist pulled the timeline together and caused its collapse. She even told Yori how Wade believed the continuum was already falling apart. She then reiterated her hopes that they could capture Monkey Fist and the Tempus Simia and use it to prevent Fist from traveling through time, and perhaps prevent what ultimately happened to Ron.
"It is my hope that we can accomplish this as well," Yori said with an odd twinge of emotion in her voice.
Silence again.
"You still love him, don't you?" Kim couldn't help asking.
"I…" Yori began, then hesitated, "It would not be proper to say."
"I'll take that as a 'yes'. Ron told me about your time together at Yamanuchi."
"Do not worry," Yori's whisper seemed troubled, "I am sure you have caused him to forget all about me."
"If so," Kim answered, "Then it wasn't on purpose."
"I know this."
"But I'm curious about something, Yori, why didn't you ever-"
"Please, Stoppable-san," Yori cut her off, "I am not comfortable discussing this."
"All right," Kim relented and turned over on her side, her back to Yori, "I'm sorry if I pried."
"You are his wife," Yori acknowledged, "Perhaps you have a right to know such things."
"No," Kim countered, "They're your private feelings. I shouldn't have asked."
Yori chuckled lightly, "It is, as you would say, 'No large.'."
Kim giggled and turned over to face Yori, "Actually, it's 'no big', but I'll accept that as well."
Both women shared a quiet laugh before falling into silence. Yori turned on her side to face Kim.
"Do not worry, Stoppable-san," She whispered, "I have expressed my disagreement with your plan, but I will carry it out as though it were my own. I believe we will prevail."
"Booyah." Kim agreed softly.
Soon they were both asleep.
In the morning, Sensei wished them all good fortune and they set off on the four hour hike down the mountain. Kintaro led the way, with Kim and Yori walking behind him while the three students who carried the remaining Blades followed after.
Kim had slung the scabbard of the Magnolia Blades through her vest with a leather strap and they rested against her back in an 'X' formation. She carried her spare set of clothing bundled and slung over one shoulder.
Kintaro tried to engage Yori in conversation as they walked, but Yori seemed somewhat standoffish. Eventually the young warrior gave up.
"What's wrong?" Kim asked after a time.
"He seems to have taken an interest in me." Yori said plainly.
"So what's wrong with that? He's cute, and he seems really nice."
"He is both of these things," Yori acknowledged, "But I do not think I was sent here for the purpose of dating ancient Japanese Ninjas."
Kim snorted, "So? That doesn't mean you can't talk. What's the harm in just getting to know him?"
Yori sighed. "You Americans… the universe may be on the brink of destruction, and yet flirting seems to remain a high priority."
"Hey," Kim said seriously, "You and I are going after a villain who, by all accounts, is surrounded by more then a hundred and fifty thousand warriors, not to mention some scary monkey things. But that's not going to happen today. Since tomorrow – or some day soon after it – promises to be filled with life-threatening and seemingly impossible tasks, you might as well spend today living a little. I mean, if he proposes you can always let him down gently."
Yori managed a half-smile.
They walked for a time.
After a little while, Kim smiled to herself as Yori hesitantly struck up a conversation with Kintaro.
Later on, still an hour away from reaching the valley floor, they stopped at a stream that flowed from a good-sized pond to cool themselves from the increasing heat of the day. Kim and the others all knelt down and splashed their necks and faces, and took long drinks. Kim was surprised at how good the water tasted, but then she concluded it was likely due to the relatively pollution-free environment of the ancient world. They spent a half hour resting, then got ready to move on again.
Suddenly they were all startled by a deep, pulsating rumble that seemed to come from the woods on the slope above them. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the noise, unsure of what they had just heard. Just as quickly as it came up, the rumble subsided.
Kim was just about the ask Yori if she had any idea what it was when they heard shouting from the downhill side behind them. Kintaro barked something to the rest of them and the students all began to retreat back up the mountain.
"What is it?" Kim asked Yori.
"Kintaro-san believes it is a scout party from Ishigawa's army." Yori said hurriedly, "It seems they are closer than any of us thought."
Kim turned to see about twenty warriors rushing at them. Unsure what to do, she turned and readied to follow the others up the slope when she saw Kintaro square himself in a combat-ready stance. He was going to buy time for the Blades to get away.
Then, cries on the slope above them. The students had turned and were rushing back to their original position. Ten more soldiers were in pursuit. Kim realized they had probably gotten here much earlier and – while she and the others were refreshing themselves – took up positions to cut off their retreat.
The twenty below spread out in a large semi-circle. The pond was to their backs.
They were completely cut off.
Kim drew her Magnolia Blades. She didn't have much prowess fighting with swords, but she hoped the Blades would teach her as she went along… if they worked the way Sensei said they worked, that is. Yori took out her fan blades and made ready for the impending attack. Kintaro ordered the students to leave the other Blades in their bundles. It looked as though the Ohana Blades would be captured before they were even taken from the slopes of Yamanuchi.
The semi-circle tightened. Twenty became thirty as the soldiers on the upward slope joined their comrades. Slowly they advanced.
Kim took a hard look at the soldiers nearest her. They all carried medium length swords that resembled Katanas but were straight, instead of slightly curved as is characteristic of a Samurai sword. A strange feeling came over her. She seemed to sense their weak spots and vulnerabilities. Already she could see several points where a quick thrust of the blade would drop an enemy instantly.
Her heart raced. Next to her, Yori uttered several sharp cries and swung her fan blades about her in a showy manner. It was an attempt to psyche out the enemy. Some of them actually did hesitate for an instant.
"Stoppable-san". Yori said hurriedly, "I know you prefer to use non-lethal methods of combat, but I do not think we have that luxury today."
" I hear you," Kim acknowledged. A sick feeling began to creep over her. Up to now, Kim had been going through the motions of a hero with a mission to accomplish. But the reality of what it would take to achieve that accomplishment began to sink in. This wasn't a simple apprehension of a villain with delusions of conquering the world. This was a literal life-or-death struggle against the forces of evil. And those forces wouldn't be hanging her over a pit of electric eels, or dropping her into a tank with a shark and a giant squid. They would plunge a sword into her the first opportunity they had and be done with it.
There was a commotion to her right, from the uphill side. Several of the enemy seemed to be engaged in combat but it wasn't with any of their group. Kim kept a wary eye on the soldiers closest to her but kept stealing glances over at the ruckus. After a minute or two, several enemy soldiers were felled as three ninjas clad in black broke through the line and came running to them. They each took up combat stances near Kim, Yori, and Kintaro, facing the enemy troops.
Sensei sent backup, Kim thought, but had no time to dwell on this.
With a shout, the enemy charged.
The first battle in the War of the Tempus Simia had begun.
It is interesting how clothes, a uniform, or a costume can affect one's behavior. You may know someone who is a police officer, or a soldier in the military, and while they are at home, in their normal, everyday clothes, they seem much like you and me. However, when it comes time to perform their duties, and don their uniforms, you may also notice that a change comes over their very personality. They become serious, professional, capable of actions you or I might never have thought them capable of. Oddly enough, in some instances there even seems to a change in their very thought patterns. Outside of the uniform, they can be absent-minded, relaxed, etc. But again, when the uniform comes on, their absent-minded qualities can vanish, their relaxed attitudes replaced with an alert mentality.
Such was the case with Ron Stoppable. When he was just normal, everyday Ron, he could be goofy, jovial, even buffoonish. But as Ronin, his training kicked in when the uniform came on. Kim was often surprised at Ron's capabilities in his ninja persona; not just in terms of personal combat, but in the disciplined, alertness of his mind, and actions when buffoonery was not an affordable luxury.
Ron Stoppable probably never would have been able to infiltrate the Ray Beam compound, but Ronin certainly was capable. More than capable, in fact, as the lone guard in the kiosk just outside the front door suddenly discovered when he was hauled from his perch on the stool and brought crashing to the ground by the shadow that had risen up before him.
Dazed, he found himself powerless against the arms that shoved his face into the wall of the kiosk below the banks of monitors and out of sight from any outside eyes for the moment.
"Shut down the air defense systems," A voice growled in his ear.
"You can't possibly- AAAHH!" The guard cried out in pain. The little finger on his left hand had been broken.
"I don't have time for interrogations," The shadow seethed, "Your neck will snap just as easily. Now, the air defense systems."
"I…can't." the guard said through clenched teeth, "The controls for the anti-air systems are in the security center."
"Which is where?"
"The underground bunker."
"You mean beneath the hill just north of here?"
"Yes."
Ron looked at his time piece, then around the kiosk. Taped to one wall was a photocopy of a satellite image of the island. Written in a column were various numbered codes and the definitions of their meanings. Most of them were emergency alerts and indicated various stages of alertness. Near the bottom of the column, one particular line caught Ron's interest. It read:
'Black. Threat Level: Highest. Definition: Full scale land invasion, no detectable air support. Response: All personnel are to proceed to the coordinates indicated by the Captain of the Watch fully armed and take up defensive positions. Underground bunker and Beam's private residence to be locked down. Guards in the residential kiosk and the control center remain at their posts, all others will respond.'
Ron pulled the guard's face away from the wall, and held it close to the photocopied image.
"If you issue a Code Black emergency to this location," He growled, pointing at the extreme northern end of the island; a location on the other side of the hill, "All guards will have to respond to that area, correct?"
"Yes," The guard confirmed.
"Do it."
"They'll ask me for confirmation," The guard hesitated.
Ron knocked the guard's head against the wall to make a point, "So find a way to give it to them."
The guard thought a moment, then reached for his communication device.
Ron tightened his grip on the man's neck, "If they don't buy this, you don't get to live."
The guard let out a frightened sigh, then pressed a button, "Code Black! Code Black! This is not a drill! Coordinates: Grid 144. Repeat, Grid 144. Code Black!"
Alarms began blaring, someone responded to the call, "Situation Report!"
"Sir," The guard replied, "A large metallic mass has been spotted submerged in the water just north of Grid 144."
"I'm not getting anything on sonar."
"Could be a sub with stealth capabilities, sir. It's very close to the shoreline, we could be experiencing an invasion."
"Acknowledged." Then the communicator fell silent.
Ron shoved the guard against his stool, "Sit up there and act like it's a Code Black emergency."
The guard, in some pain due to his finger, climbed fearfully back up onto his stool and tried to appear calm. Ron peeked his head up just enough to see what was happening outside the kiosk.
Henchmen were pouring out of an entrance in the hill and heading up over it, away from the house. Several guards rushed by the kiosk, arming their weapons. Once they were safely away, Ron knocked out the guard and shoved him up under the banks monitors. Then he moved off in search of his daughter.
She heard the alarms, and made her mind resolute.
Now was the time.
Whatever was happening, it was well away from the house, and Ray would be occupied with it. And when he returned, he would find himself a widower.
Veronica Stoppable was at last filled with an odd, eerie sense of peace. She dressed herself in a white cotton gown, left her feet bare, and put her headphones on; the song was already playing.
This was how she would go out. When the song reached the lyrics: 'Maybe she could set if free', she would set herself free; a white, angelic apparition drifting through the air to the waiting depths below.
She slipped quietly out the back door. The house was supposed to be locked down, but Ray had disabled that capability a long time ago after a false alarm kept him trapped inside his own home for three hours.
Both the sun and the grass felt warm as she made her way around the corner of the house to-
Someone was standing on the edge of the bluff.
And it wasn't Ray.
He stood with his back to her, gazing out to sea, looking like some sort of tourist ninja who had pulled over to admire the view, enticed by one of those freeway signs that read 'Vista Point'.
Veronica froze, unsure of what to do. Was she hallucinating?
She took the headphones off and let them hang around her neck. The song continued to play.
For reasons she never would be able to figure out, she took a few steps toward the dark-clad figure. He had his hands tucked behind his back, clutching a mask. His hair was blond, and he had very large ears that stuck outward almost abnormally.
"It really is beautiful," He said without turning around, "I can see why you come out here a lot."
Veronica's blood ran cold, then hot, and then it felt like both at once. She had just heard a voice that had not spoken to her in more then twelve years.
She was hallucinating. This must have been an illusion conjured up by a mind that knew it was about to perish. Should she speak to it, or ignore it and go about what she planned to do?
"You don't have to do this," He said quietly turning to face her.
Veronica cringed and let out a frightened whimper. She found she was too afraid to even scream.
"Wow," the ninja said quietly, "You look even more like her in person."
Veronica stared blankly. This wasn't the face of the father she remembered. This was the face she had seen in photos when he and her mother would bring out the family albums on snowy winter days when the blizzards had gotten so bad they knocked the power out. Her father would boil water for hot cocoa over a camp stove and he and her mother would tell stories of their adventures together.
This couldn't possibly be him. It was a trick. A hallucination.
Or a ghost.
"Trust me," He said, reading the look in her eyes, "I'm real enough."
"How…?" Her mind would not believe it.
"Short version: Time travel mishap. I've been staying with your brother and Kimono…KD… for the last few days." He explained.
He was the only one who ever called Kimono that.
"When's my birthday?" She asked suspiciously.
"I don't know," the ninja said, shrugging his shoulders, "I came from a time before you were born."
Veronica simply stared at him.
The ninja looked around warily. Alarms continued, but sounded distant. There wasn't a guard in sight. He pulled a small piece of paper from his sleeve, and unfolded it. He held it up for her to see.
The only thing written on it was the date of her father's death.
"Wade gave me this the other day," He said quietly, "At first I thought it was simply to help me avoid getting killed, but now I think it was about something more. I'm guessing Ray was the one who killed me, right?
Veronica nodded numbly.
"I think Wade suspects if I manage to avoid my death, then other things could be avoided as well." The ninja implied. "I don't think he knew exactly what your situation was, and I'm betting he didn't ask either. Wade's always had a 'mind-your-own-business' attitude about life. Which is odd because he was always micro-chipping us and reading Kim's online diary."
Details only her father could know. Veronica began to believe.
"Look," He said, taking a step toward her, " I don't know if we'll even make it off this island. But if we do, I want you to come with me. Taking your own life is not the answer."
"How did you know…?"
"I saw the holo-mail you sent TJ, saw the look in your eyes. I tried to end my life once, before K-… before your mother and I got married," He answered softly, "I won't pretend to understand or relate to what you've gone through all these years. But it can change. You have a family that loves you. And no matter how much you may think this is all your fault, it isn't."
Veronica's breath caught in her throat. He had found the bitterness that had taken root in her soul and brought it out. It was almost physically painful.
"I…"
"It's not your fault." He repeated.
"But I-"
"It…is…not…your…fault," he said every word slowly, deliberately, pointedly.
The peace - which was really more of a dead calm - that Veronica felt earlier was obliterated in a sudden explosion of tears. She began to collapse. The ninja reached forward and caught her, holding her up in strong, safe arms.
"I'll make a deal with you," He put his lips next to her ear and whispered, "If we make it off this island alive, then you have to come with me. And I will make sure Ray never comes anywhere near you again. After all, if you were willing to end it all, then you must have the courage to fight for something better. Deep down, you have your mother's strength. I can feel it."
"I… I will go with you," She sobbed. Her voice was tinged with an edge of fear.
"Good then we can- What's that noise?" He looked around then pulled back from her a little, spying her headphones, and pointed. "Is that what I think it is?"
Veronica's tears dried up a little in astonishment.
"I used to have that album!" the ninja said excitedly, "I used to listen to it all the-… did Kim and I ever tell you about the summer between our Junior and Senior year in high school? I dated this girl, her name was Violet, and it turned out she had a secret superhero identity. Your mom was dating Josh Mankey at the time but she was still jealous. She thought I was playing sidekick to someone else. We didn't talk to each other for like a month! I used to listen to the song 'Boys Don't Cry' over and over, just because it depressed me. And later when-"
"Yes!" Veronica interrupted, "You told that story to TJ and Kimono and me once and when I asked you about the song, you gave me a copy of the album!…I… It IS you! Daddy! I… I don't know what to-"
And again, the tears came over her so powerfully, she couldn't talk. Ron drew her to him and put his arms tightly around his daughter. Once more he looked around warily. Their borrowed time would be ending soon.
"Look, why don't we-" he stopped, then seemed to think of something. He pointed at the headphones around her neck, "Do you have the whole album on there?"
"Yes," She sobbed, but quickly and instinctively began to dry her tears. Her father had adopted a business-like tone to his voice and years spent living with him told her what that meant.
It was time to go to work.
"I saw an entertainment system in the house," he went on, "Can you plug that thing into it?"
"Yes, why?"
"I'm going to mess with my son-in-law's head, but I'll need you to cue it up to first track on the album. Can you do that?" He began walking toward the house, Veronica trailed after him.
"I can," she said doubtfully, "But…"
"But what?"
"Ray doesn't like music. In fact, he hates it." Veronica timidly informed her father.
Ron turned to look at her. He smiled broadly as he pulled on his mask, "That little piece of information just made my day."
Kim blocked her opponent's attacks, but had not yet managed to inflict any damage upon him. She had to concentrate hard on what she was doing, as all around her arose cries, shouts, screams, the clash of metal on metal, and other noises one usually hears in battle.
The enemy strategy was to engage them in one-on-one combat while the rest of the group kept the line formed and prevented anyone from escaping. Kim could hear Yori's shouts as she battled her opponent, but the ninja next to her remained mostly silent; only grunting occasionally as be blocked or punched.
Several times, the sword of Kim's opponent narrowly missed ending her life, once sailing so close to her head she felt the wind from it as it sliced through the air. Then after a few strokes, Kim began to perceive weaknesses in his fighting strategy, as well as vulnerable spots in which to exploit those weaknesses. Kim brought both blades up in front of her in an 'X' formation, blocking his incoming thrust. She slid one blade aside while holding her opponent's sword at bay with the other. Then she pushed the opponent's blade away while she brought her free sword up and buried it in the enemy's midsection.
The look of surprise on his face was morbidly comical as he glanced down in disbelief at the sword hilt protruding from his abdomen with a slender feminine hand wrapped around it.
Kim pushed him over backward while holding on to the blade and it withdrew from the body of the enemy soldier as he collapsed.
The ninja next to her had just overcome his opponent and turned his attention to her. His eyes locked on hers for a split second, then turned back to see another enemy soldier rushing in upon him.
Kim had no time to dwell on the horror of her circumstances and turned face her own opponent as he rushed her.
"Still with us, Yori?" She called out as the enemy soldier closed the gap between them.
"I continue to live, Stoppable-san." Yori called back, "I am glad you do as well."
Then Kim was set upon once more.
This time her opponent kept his maneuvers tight and focused. The jabs of his blade always fell within a specific area aimed at her upper torso. Kim was able to block them readily enough, but she sensed he was playing the odds; gambling that sooner or later one of his thrusts would get through. Kim tried to counter all his attacks but found herself playing defense more than she wanted to. After a minute or so, it occurred to her that his strengths were in shorter, tighter combat moves. Draw him out of both of these conditions and he might be defeated.
Kim decided to combine her sword fighting with a few weaponless fighting techniques. She took a quick step back, then leaped, spinning on a slight axis as though she were about to deliver a roundhouse kick. But she kept her legs together and instead extended her arms out as far as they could go. It was a foolhardy move that left her wide open, but it worked. Her opponent, unsure of what she was doing and unwilling to take a chance on a killing thrust, stepped back and held his sword in a defensive position. As Kim landed, she made a move as though she were about to thrust low with her left sword, while the other one remained behind her. Her opponent instinctively took the bait and brought his sword upon hers driving it harmlessly downward. In a flash, Kim brought the blade in her right hand around and upward, as far away from her opponent's sword as possible.
The enemy soldier took three frightened steps back, trying in vain to cover a mortal wound to his neck. He fell on his third step.
Kim looked up, then heard a surprised grunt beside her. The ninja had been overpowered by his opponent and was holding his arm up in a defensive posture. The enemy soldier raised his blade high above his head, then uttered a startled, frightened yelp as one of the Magnolia Blades buried itself in his side. He looked over to see Kim glaring at him, her arm extended, but standing more than ten feet away. The Magnolia Blades had helped her determine exactly how forceful a throw she needed to make, and precisely when to let go of the Blade. She ran over to retrieve the weapon from the collapsing soldier.
She looked over at the ninja, who looked back to her and simply nodded.
Kim had time to take a quick assessment of the situation and it did not look good. Yori had defeated three opponents and was working on a fourth, Kintaro was holding his own as well, but two of the students had gone down. The bundles they carried were snatched up and taken back to the line of enemy soldiers.
Kim had to turn her attention back to her onrushing opponent. This one charged wildly at her and raised his weapon, screaming as he came. She pretended to be frozen with fear, but at the last second, Kim stepped aside just barely avoiding her opponent and his weapon, and slashed his midsection with one of her blades. He went down and did not get up again.
The enemy continued its strategy of wearing down Kim and her companions through one-on-one combat. And with two of the students dead, they could concentrate greater numbers on the remaining fighters.
Kim was suddenly grateful she had been training over the last year, as she otherwise would have tired long before this point in the battle.
Yet another opponent came for her, but this one approached cautiously. He'd been studying her moves and decided to take a slow, deliberate approach. Kim felt she could already sense his weak spots.
She ran straight at him, noting with some satisfaction as his eyes went wide and his sword came up defensively. She hunched her shoulders and feigned an upward leap, then threw her head and right shoulder forward as she rolled in under his raised blade which immediately came slicing through the air toward her. She crossed her blades above her, blocking the incoming slash while simultaneously sweeping a leg through his. Down he went, but was instantly on his feet again before Kim could regain hers. This caught her by surprise. While she was able to sense his weaknesses, she was not able to predict her opponent's next move. She was sure her leg sweep would stun him long enough for her to finish him off.
Her enemy lunged, seemed to hesitate as though listening to something, then backed off.
Yori came running over to Kim and helped her to her feet. "Kintaro has ordered us to pair off so that we may force the enemy to change tactics."
Kim simply nodded. Yori faced off against Kim's opponent as Kim took a step back and quickly surveyed the situation. Kintaro paired up with the remaining student. The two ninjas on the far side were already battling enemies together, which left the ninja closest to her to fend for himself.
Kim rushed to help Yori and found she had already dispatched the soldier.
As expected, two opponents came at them this time. Again, they came slowly, cautiously, with deliberate strides. Kim noticed the enemy line had thinned in places. She realized this was due to two factors. The first was, of course, that at least half the enemy had already been killed. But the second was the fact that they had all paired off. This caused many of the enemy soldiers to cluster since their assigned targets were closer together. Because of this, there was no longer a solid line of enemy troops. It was a shrewd tactic on Kintaro's part. Escape now looked like a real possibility.
Then a cry went up from some of the enemy. One of their number was holding a sword aloft. Kim recognized it as the Lotus Blade.
But her thoughts were interrupted as the entirety of the enemy line charged at once. Having realized Kintaro's tactic, it was time for a final assault.
As the enemy rushed at them, Kim noticed abstractly that the ninja closest to her had advanced forward a couple of steps while staring at the raised sword. He seemed to hesitate, then held his hand up in the air.
There was a cry of pain as the Lotus Blade turned itself into a shield with razor sharp edges and flew from the enemy soldier's hands. The ninja lowered his hand to chest level, and the Lotus altered its path downward plowing through the enemy line. Four of them were felled by the hurtling shield with the sharpened edges. Just before it got to the ninja, it turned back into a Katana and he snatched it out of the air.
Sensei didn't just send backup, Kim thought, he came himself!
Then she and Yori were suddenly fighting for their lives.
Ray was furious, which meant this was a typical day for him. He'd just spent the last five minutes shouting at the guard captain in the bunker control center, demanding he be let out. It was yet another false alarm. Ray could feel it. Something didn't sit quite right about the alert. Ray always thought Code Black, among others, was a stupid response to a potential land invasion. A well-placed decoy could draw every available guard to a concentrated part of the island while the real invasion took place at another spot. His criticisms fell on deaf ears, of course. They had a set procedure for doing things, procedures Mr. Beam needn't worry about. They might take some of his orders, but they weren't required to take all of them.
Ray strode angrily to the guard's kiosk and halted just before he got there. The guard was not at his post. Peering cautiously inside, he saw the guard slumped in a heap on the floor of the tiny building. The rest of the henchmen were still positioned on the far side of the island, waiting for a release authorization code. The communication device the guard used was smashed. Ray looked around warily but could see nothing amiss. The front door of the house was closed.
Having no communicator on him, Ray was compelled to go into the house and call the bunker control center from there.
He crept cautiously to the door, turned the knob slowly and peered inside.
Though he could see nothing, he heard strange noises. It took a few seconds to figure out what he heard was music coming from the entertainment center. Suddenly the music player burst forth in heavy guitars and drums.
A woman began to sing:
You thought you had me all tied up in a little knot
You thought I'd go on living just like you 'til you asked me nicely to stop.
But… surprise!
I'm free
I'm free
I'm free
To be the girl you tried to steal
Ray moved through the front part of the house, looking all around him. He checked behind the sofa, behind the bar, and behind the counter that separated the kitchen from the main living area.
Nothing.
Then he walked back to the entertainment center.
You thought I'd freeze out and whither away in abandon
Now you know differently, and I'll go on living like you'd never imagined.
…surprise!
I'm free
I'm free
I'm free
To be the girl you tried to steal
Ray took one last look around, then leaned over, his finger aiming for the power button.
"Don't touch that dial, Ray!" came a hauntingly familiar shout above the noise of the music.
Ray spun around to see a ninja dropping from a shadowed spot on the ceiling. The dark-clad figure landed lightly on his feet and took three deliberate steps toward him.
"Who are you?" Ray demanded.
"Oh, come on, Ray!" the voice froze him to the core, "You know who this is!"
The ninja reached a hand up and swept off his mask. Ray knew who would be a split second before the mask came off.
"STOPPABLE!"
The dog came slinking timidly into the living room.
"NO!" he screamed, "YOU'RE DEAD! I WATCHED YOU DIE!"
"Ray," said the ghost condescendingly, "You can't kill me! You know that better than anyone. You tried to kill me twice, but you blew it. I even tried to kill myself once, but couldn't. And you were there for that, too!"
It's not every day someone sets you free
And gives you walking papers, to be the real thing
"No," Ray muttered, almost to himself, "No, no, no, no… it's a trick. You're a clone, or a hologram."
"Yeah, Ray? Ya think?" Ron brought his face to within inches of Ray's who was pressed up against the wall, his back to the entertainment center. Ron's face was a mask of snarling rage "Tell me, Ray, would a clone remember how he could have killed you in your lair after we brought down all those stupid battlebots you built? Would a hologram regret not letting the Lotus Blade lobotomize you when he had the chance?"
I'm free
I'm free
I'm free
To be the girl you tried to steal
To be the girl you tried to steal from me
Ron's last question brought back a specific memory to Ray. It was an image of the eyes of a better man as they burned into him with a righteous fury. An image of a long, slender piece of sharp steel hovering less than an inch from his eye.
And he knew right then.
However it happened, whatever events had transpired to bring his most hated enemy back from the dead, Ron Stoppable was here, now, in his living room. And this time, Ray knew with a certainty beyond words that Ron was not going to let him off the hook again. There would be no Shego or Kim to stop Ron from doing what they both knew he should have done thirty-five years ago.
Fear shot through his soul, while a blinding pain began shooting up his left arm and radiated to the left side of his jaw.
Ray Beam was having a heart attack.