Trio
Chapter 12
Fire and
Ice
Shego with an effort stopped her hands from twitching. Sometimes the danger wasn't as bad as the waiting for the danger to show up was. In this case Shego had no illusions about it. The danger was just as bad if not worse than the tension of waiting for it to show up but she still wished Jason would just appear so they could get it over with.
Her twitching was from that and also a healthy does of annoyance with the Global Justice agents her and Kim had herded to the back of the warehouse sized basement containment area.
Finally Dr. Director, Kim and her had decided on placing the nervous people into one of the weapon's testing stalls.
It was hoped that in the gloom of the emergency lighting that Jason might miss seeing them.
"Hope? That's a laugh. Jason seems to sense living people like a starving hound dog can sense a T-bone steak." Shego thought to herself. "At the very least it should keep the terrified masses from getting in my, Kim and Ron's way."
Shego walked back to where Ron was still sitting in the office chair meditating. Without even thinking about it she moved silently. Her ninja like grace was almost as natural to her as breathing.
As she came up next to the chair Ron spoke without opening his eyes.
"Everyone settled in back there and knows to be quiet?"
Shego looked curiously at Ron. "Can you sense me like you are sensing Jason? I know I didn't make any noise and I didn't see you open your eyes."
Ron grinned and opened his eyes to look at her. "Not exactly. Jason is like a moving roaring bonfire in my mind's eye. You are a nice warm green glow. Kim is a comforting pink glow. Dr. Director is reddish/purple glow and I can even sense Ash over there. He's a reddish/golden glow." Ron shrugged his shoulders. "The other people here with us I can't sense at all. I don't know why."
"Maybe it's the will that you are sensing? Kim, you, me, even Dr. Director and Ash have faced tough situations and have had the will to get through them. Those others? They have been trained to be agents but I doubt if any of them have ever faced a mission in their life."
"I hope not cause if those glows are indications of the power of our wills…" He swallowed nervously. "Jason will never allow himself to ever stop. "
Shego reached out and caressed the side of Ron's face with her hand. "Don't even think about us failing Ron. Hockey face may have an insurmountable will but we have intelligence and skills on our side. We are going to win." Shego gave a smile. "We kind of have to since the other option isn't one I'm willing to face."
Ron nodded his head. "I'm going to make sure that Dr. Director and Ash have the cryan…" Ron frowned. "The criano… The freezer ready. Jason is getting very close. He'll be here soon and we better be ready."
Shego nodded and followed Ron back.
Ron found Kim and Dr. Director amongst the forest of storage columns standing next to a column with what was obviously Jason's machete floating in it.
"I was talking to Dr. Director and we both think it would be best if the first thing Jason sees when he arrives is the machete. That way whoever has it can try to distract Jason and get him to follow them back to where the freezers are. If Jason sees his machete he might ignore the others in the room till he gets it back."
Ron nodded his head. "Okay, get that sucker out of there and I'll be ready to lure Jason."
"No Ron. This time I'm going to be the distraction." Kim replied staring at the machete.
Ron looked shocked. "Um, Kim? Sidekick here. I'm always the distraction while you do the fighting."
Kim turned to look at him in anger. "Partner Ron, you are my partner! And Dr. Director pointed out to me that even tired and hungry your Mystical Monkey powers put you more on a fighting level with Jason than I am."
Shego whistled. "Whoa. That must have been a hit to the ol "anything is possible for a Possible ego."
Kim flashed an annoyed look at Shego with an eyebrow twitching.
"Okay Kim, if you and Dr. Director think that is best we'll do it that way." Ron said.
"If push comes to shove we'll fight Jason. My plasma powers are no slouch either you know." Shego stated now the one annoyed.
"Of course, I had fully intended that you and Ron fight together against Jason." Dr. Director said.
Shego shot Ron a look. "Well isn't that special? She is deciding we get to fight together."
"Let it go Shego." Ron muttered as he moved off. Shego hurried to catch up with him.
"I figured you would argue that Kim is the better fighter and she should fight with me and you would be the distraction." Shego asked turning Ron to look at her.
"Look, the distraction's job is to stay out of Jason's way and just lead him using the machete, right?"
Shego nodded her head.
"That means Kim will be out of harm's way."
"And Princess will be safe." Shego sighed.
"That bother you?" Ron asked watching Shego out of the corner of his eye.
Shego shook her head. "Nope, not at all. I agree with you that we need to keep Kimmie safe." To herself she muttered. "Now if I could just figure out how to keep you out of the action so you'll be safe too."
Ron stopped and when Shego neared him he put his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly to his side. "We all need to come out of this. You made some promises I seem to remember and I want you to have to pay off on them."
Shego looked at Ron is surprise. "Why Mr. Stoppable, are you coming on to me? Maybe we could pass the time till Jason shows up by making out?"
Ron gave one of his goofy grins that Shego was quickly learning to love but suddenly stopped. "We don't have any time. Jason is here." He said and letting go of Shego he yelled back over his shoulder to Kim and Dr. Director that Jason was on the stairs to this level and started to run. Shego caught up to him near where Du under the spell of the book had his little gathering of Deadites. Past it and on the right hand wall was the staircase. During the lockdown it had been sealed by sturdy metal doors.
Shego watched the doors with Ron for a few moments with nothing happening. "Are you sure…" She started to ask when suddenly the doors gave off a loud metallic boom as Jason started to pound on them.
The doors were good ones. They lasted for five blows before they crumpled inward.
Kim raced up to stand between Ron and Shego, in her hands was the nasty looking machete of Jason's.
Jason slowly walked into the room and looked at the trio standing facing him.
"Move back slowly to the containment columns. Let Jason think he has us on the run." Kim said quietly. She then raised Jason's machete in the air. "You want this? Come and get it!" She taunted the silent figure staring at her.
Jason immediately started in motion towards them.
As soon as they reached the relative cover of the columns, Ron slid to the left and Shego slid to the right, leaving Kim to continue slowly backing away from the lumbering Jason.
As Jason neared where Ron and Shego had split from Kim, Jason paused at the columns. Slowly his mask turned left and then right.
"Hey ugly! Thought you wanted this? I've got it right here!" Kim yelled waving his machete about.
Jason darted forward so fast he caught Kim off guard and he almost got his hands on her before with a yelp she leapt backwards.
Ron and Shego both leaped at him from the different sides, their hands glowing blue and green respectively. Jason merely shot both hands sideways and caught the two by their throats. Effortlessly he held them up in the air and started to throttle them.
Ron rapidly threw several punches into Jason's chest and face mask but Jason ignored the impacts as if they were from a fly.
"Come on dude! At least act like this is bothering you a little!" Ron gasped. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Kim preparing to leap into the fight to try and save him and Shego. "No Kim! Stay back! You can't let Jason get his hands on the machete!" Ron yelled hoarsely.
Shego firing up a plasma blast, reached up and lifting Jason's hockey mask a little she fired it off right up underneath it. The bright lurid green glow shooting out of the eye holes in the mask.
Jason blinded temporarily by the blast hurled Ron back to the left and Shego to the right as he shook his head trying to clear his vision.
"JASON!" A woman's voice screamed and a figure dressed in a lab coat flew at him with a crowbar in her hand. "You killed my boyfriend you son of a bitch!
The crazed Global Justice agent Lorie bashed Jason up alongside his head once, twice, three times with the crowbar in her hands. Jason not being able to see for the moment could only take the blows. Unfortunately, the blows weren't doing much damage to him either. Lorie pulled back to swing for a fourth time but now Jason was staring directly at her and caught the crowbar in his hand. Forcing the crowbar down Jason then gave a mighty shove pushing the crowbar back and upwards driving the other end through Lorie's throat and up into her brain.
"NO!" Screamed Kim as she raced to try and help the already dead woman.
Jason turned towards her and lashed out. Kim having the reflexes and skills of someone who had been a cheerleader for many years flipped backwards and avoided Jason's swing. Jason hit the column to the side of Kim and an object hurled out of it to smack Kim in the stomach hard as she came out of her back flip.
The force of the object knocked Kim on her butt and caused her to slide a few feet. Looking down Kim saw she was cradling a severed head in her lap.
She started to freak out thinking it was the head of the woman Lorie but a second glance revealed the metallic glare of a Bebe bot.
Hearing crunching noises Kim glanced up to see Jason was striding across the broken glass of the destroyed containment column and was heading towards her.
Ron running full out sprang up and lashed out a fist in passing and smacked Jason upside his hockey mask. The impact was so strong it actually semi-turned Jason, who was then punched by Shego who adopting Ron's plan of attack didn't wait around for Jason to capture her with his hands but hit and run.
Jason seeing Ron running at him again stopped his progress towards Kim and turned to fully face Ron's attack with his arms opened wide. Ron wind milled his arms nearly sliding but stopped his mad head long rush towards Jason.
Jason staggered a few inches towards Ron as he was hit suddenly from behind by one of Shego's plasma fireballs. Angrily he turned to face Shego, turning his back to Ron.
"How do you think we are doing Shego?" Ron called out to her.
"I think we are pissing this guy off major league but other than that? We're not doing Jack shit."
Even though Shego couldn't see Ron past Jason's hulking form Ron nodded his head. "Yeah that is what I think too." He called out to her.
Jason facing Shego started to take a step towards her… And was promptly hit upside the head by a well thrown robot Bebe head.
Jason's head tilted to the side briefly, turning his body towards Kim's position he straightened his head with an audible crack noise.
"Hey forget about me? I'm the one that has your precious machete. Don't you want it any more?" Kim taunted the killer.
Jason glanced to his left and right but Ron and Shego had used the distraction to race off into the maze of columns.
Jason stalked forward as Kim moved backwards; never taking her eyes off the juggernaut that was Jason.
In a highly graceful but deadly ballet Ron and Shego continued to race out from a column and punch or throw fireballs at Jason whenever it looked like he was getting too close to Kim.
Finally Kim cleared the forest of columns and entered a stretch of empty space before the back wall of the Containment and Research level. Along the back wall were several large black semi round containers. The containers were almost large enough to put an African elephant into them without overly crowding the animals. One of the containers had its swing door open.
Kim ran to that one and laid the machete in front of it but not so close as to make Jason suspicious she hoped. She then turned and ran as fast as she could in a flanking maneuver to get out of sight back in the columns before Jason came out.
Jason coming out of the maze could see his machete on the floor but couldn't see the red headed annoyance that had dared to touch his beloved machete. Fearlessly he marched across the empty space towards the machete.
Kim quickly found Ron and Shego coming up behind Jason and joined them.
"Okay we got him here. Now what?" She asked.
"Simple Princess. I'll hit him high. Ron will hit him low and you take the middle, with the combined impact of all three of us that has got to be enough to knock him into the cryo freezer." Shego told her.
Kim nodded her head and kissed them both fiercely. "For luck. We are going to need it." She explained.
Jason reaching his machete started to bend over to pick it up but paused. Turning his head first right and then left he suspiciously looked around. His mask turned to face the cryo freezer opened door and he seemed to concentrate on the space behind the opened door but after a moment he returned picking up his weapon.
"NOW!" Kim shouted as her, Ron and Shego raced out of the columns to launch their attack.
Jason picked up his machete and with eerie calm turned to face the trio rushing him. Raising his machete he prepared to hack them into bloody pieces as they reached him. Suddenly Jason's machete wielding arm was stopped and turning his masked head Jason saw a man with a metal hand holding his arm.
Ash had been hidden behind the open cryo freezer door had stepped out and was doing his part as the final distraction for Jason.
Jason jerked his arm farther backwards knocking Ash away from him like a pesky fly but by that time Ron, Shego and Kim had reached him.
Ron nearing the last few feet had bent over slightly. Shego springing forward used her hands on Ron's shoulders and leapt high in the air. Kim racing past Ron's form threw herself at Jason's chest while Ron continued his low run and threw himself at Jason's legs.
Like a well oiled machine all three heroes hit Jason at precisely the same time, the impact knocking Jason off of his feet to stumble backwards into the cryo freezer.
As soon as Jason's body cleared the entrance way into the freezer, Dr. Director was slamming the activation button on the side of the machine. She had also been hidden behind the open door with Ash.
The door swiftly swung shut trapping Jason inside as absolute zero gases were pumped into the chamber.
"YEAH!" Ash cheered as the door to the chamber closed and locked. Reaching over he swung Dr. Director into his embrace and kissed her in celebration.
Ron and Kim climbed to their feet from where they had landed after impacting with Jason and hugged each other in success.
Shego, being Shego raced over to the observation port hole in the cryo freezer's door and peered in at Jason to taunt him.
"Beaten by a ex-villainess, a cheerleader and a guy with a naked mole rat in his pocket! Got to suck to be you!" She taunted.
Dr. Director blushing bright red at Ash's kiss happened to glance over at Ron and Kim and once again managed to catch Ron's body suddenly flashing into blue fire. Once more she witnessed as Ron was suddenly not where he had been by Kim's side but was now over at the entrance to the cryogenic freezer with Shego. Still glowing blue fire Ron grabbed Shego around the waist and flung himself backwards.
Not a moment too soon as Jason's machete blade plunged through the door of the cryo unit. If Ron had been a touch slower Shego would have been impaled in her chest by the blade. As it was the tip of the blade missed hitting Shego's chest by mere centimeters.
Having missed, Jason pulled the blade back and raised it to make a strike at the observation port hole. The super freezing gases however finally took effect and Jason with his arm raised back to slash froze in place.
The hole in the freezer door began to leak the gases into the room.
A female computerized voice in the cryogenic freezer announced.
"Containment breach. Cryogenics failure in 20 seconds."
"Oh hell no!" Ash yelled as he raced over and tried to stop the leak using his metallic hand to cover the gash.
The freezing gas caused the metal hand to freeze to the door instantly but the hand didn't cover the hole completely. Gases continued to escape by leaking out past the metallic fingers.
Ron rolled to his feet from the floor where he was holding Shego.
"Um sorry about this dude but I have to." He told Ash and then slashing downwards with his hand he hit Ash's hand just behind the wrist. The metal hand already brought down to near zero by the gases shattered at the wrist leaving the hand still frozen to the door.
"Shego! Plasma fire!" Ron yelled as he pulled Ash away from the door.
Shego without questioning Ron fired up her plasma fire and began throwing a constant stream of plasma at the hand frozen to the door.
The plasma would melt the hand slightly but the gases would almost instantly freeze it again. It took four tries but finally enough of the hand had melted and refroze to form a crude patch over the hole in the door.
Dr. Director cautiously made her way back to the side of the large freezer and checked the gauges.
"Cryogenic suspension at 95. There are no signs of movement from Jason and all indicators show zero life readings. Jason is in stasis." She said with relief.
Ron walked back over to where Shego was standing numbed by the realization that she once again owed her life to Ron. She silently sank to the floor in exhaustion. With a groan Ron sank down beside her.
Kim walked over and lowered herself to the floor beside them. Together the three leaned against each other's backs.
"So these are the kind of missions I can expect if I turn back to the hero business?" Shego asked after a moment. She could feel vibrations from Ron as he silently chuckled to himself.
"I hope not. Too many more missions like this and I think I might reconsider the hero business myself and join you as a villain." He finally said.
"Ah ha!" Kim shouted in victory.
Ron and Shego with a puzzled look glanced over their shoulders at her.
"You admitted you're a hero." She told Ron smugly. "Not a sidekick but a true partner in the hero business with me! Er, with us!" She added looking over at Shego.
"I still haven't said yes to being a hero again Kimmie." Shego reminded her. "Perhaps we should consider Ron's idea and all become villains together? We could have fun." Shego said with a grin showing she was joking.
Kim turned her head to study Shego's profile. "How about not? Instead why don't we just get out of here and go get something to eat and then back to my house for some rest?"
Shego nodded her head. "And relaxation." She added with a smirk.
Dr. Director was examining Ash's arm. "Global Justice will replace your hand of course. We can make a much better prosthetic than the one you had. We'll put touch receptors in it so you will be able to feel with it and even micro heaters in it so the hand will be body temperature just like the rest of your body. No one will even know the hand is artificial unless you want to tell them that."
"Can you make the fingers so they can vibrate?" He asked with a slight smirk.
Dr. Director frowned. "Why would you want your fingers to be able to vibrate?" She asked as she looked up from her examination of Ash's handless arm.
"How else can I top our next date after this one?" Ash replied, his smirk growing larger.
Once again to Dr. Director's chagrin she blushed deeply and almost giggled like a school girl.
"Come on baby. Gimmie some sugar." Ash said sweeping her into his arms and kissing her passionately.
Author's note
One more chapter to go.
Maybe two, depending on my muse.