Chapter 5: Jerri spills the beans
AN: As of 2005, Nov 28th, it is confirmed… There will be a Kim Possible Season Four! Rejoice!
(Kim's home)
Kim, her mother, and Jerri are standing in Kim's bedroom looking down at the sleeping form of Ron's body.
Jerri says, "So this is the famous Ron, the buffoon." This gets an angry look from Kim but a steady hand from her mother keeps her from saying anything. Jerri then says, "He looks like he is asleep, are you sure that you didn't imagine him being taken by Atheus?"
Kim nods and says, "Oh, definitely... that moment is very clear in my mind." Her eyes showing a fire in them that makes Jerri hold back any further doubting questions.
Jerri sighs and says, "Well Kim, I'm not sure exactly what I can do for you. I know what I've translated is a lot more than the paper I submitted to those quacks... but they're not exactly full on details on how to beat a godling unless you are a god or goddess yourself."
Kim says, "I don't care! Anything will be helpful! Does he have some sort of Achilles' heel that we can exploit?"
Jerri says, "While that particular story gives hope to defeating beings such as what you're dealing with. I don't think that aside from his nasty personality, that he really has a weakness that we can exploit."
Kim looks down at Ron sadly and silence follows for a minute before Jerri says, "But I never finished translating all my notes either. There just could be something that might prove to be helpful, but to be honest; I think that from what you've told me of your adventure. The best hope for you would be his sister at this point."
Kim says, "How can she help us?" as she looks at Jerri, giving her the full attention since this was possibly a way to help Ron.
Jerri shakes her head, "Zathera was the twin, the opposite of her brother. She is supposed to be every bit as powerful as her brother but since she was frozen in stone along with him. I think she is still at the temple where you and sleeping beauty there ran into Atheus."
Kim says, "So all we have to do is free her and she can take care of him?" She crosses her arms, listening to what Jerri has to say.
Jerri frowns for a moment before she says, "Details are a bit sketchy when it comes to her, but I believe that she will, if not already be deeply moved by your plight and do what she can but she was never a very forceful person. In fact she was written as very kind and gentle, rather timid like a deer if you ask me."
Kim says, "If freeing her is our best chance at getting Ron back, and defeating Atheus, then that is what we'll do!"
Jerri raises her hands as she shakes her head, "It isn't quite that simple. You see, Atheus could ONLY have been freed through an act of violence. The same is to be said for Zathera as well. She can only be freed by an opposite act, which naturally will be of kindness."
Kim's mother says, "How will kindness free Zathera?"
Jerri shakes her head, "I don't know, I never finished translating my notes on her because she seemed like the rather dull one of the two, but from what I do remember, that was how Zeus made it so that they could be freed."
Kim suddenly grabs Jerri and pushes her backwards until she has her back against the wall, "Where are your notes? We need to find out more on how to free her! I will free Ron if it is the last thing I do!"
Jerri looks into Kim's eyes and sees the fire burning within them before she says as she tries to free herself from Kim's grip, "Kim, if you take on a godling of their power, all you're going to get is a world of hurt. That much I do know. But I said I'd help so and I always keep my word. Now will you let me go so we can go get my notes or are we going to stand around here wasting time?"
Kim holds onto Jerri for a second longer before she turns her head away and says, "Sorry" in a low voice before letting go of her.
Jerri straightens out her clothes before she says, "Think nothing of it Kim, I've had good friends like Ron before so I know exactly how you feel."
This surprises Kim as Jerri seemed so cold and standoffish at times and at other times she actually seemed human. This was one of the human times for her. Kim says, "Thanks Jerri" as she looks at Jerri, who then looks a little uncomfortable for a moment or two before Jerri says, "Think nothing of it."
Jerri then turns without saying another word and walks out of the bedroom with Kim's mother following, but she pauses to look back at her daughter who looks at Ron with sad eyes for a moment.
Kim's mother turns away and resumes following Jerri so that Kim will have the private moment she needs. She then hears Kim walking behind her, and knowing Kim, she could tell that the footsteps were a determined one, like when she was on a mission. She only hoped that this was one mission in which Kim could win.
(Later at Jerri's Place)
Kim walks in behind Jerri with her mother following behind her. She looks around the small, but very messy and dusty place. It was apparent to Kim that Jerri had not been there in quite some time as just about everything created a cloud of dust when touched.
Jerri says, "Sorry about the place, but I haven't been here since the community ridiculed me for my ideas and I left for that village where you found me."
Kim says, "Why did you go to such a far off place like there to run away to?"
Jerri's face changes from apologetic to a cold, unreadable one for a few moments before she looked away, not bothering to answer Kim.
Kim looks confused while her mother walks up to a very dusty picture frame and wipes a finger over the glass, revealing Jerri and a small group of people in it but she seemed to look happy at a guy beside her.
Kim's mother realizes the significance of the picture and walks away from it, letting Jerri decide to tell in her own time.
Jerri walks around muttering to herself as she walks around, moving around dusty things and basically making a fairly big dust cloud in the room.
Kim looks around, picking up various papers in an attempt to find the notes as well. She could tell Jerri didn't remember exactly where they were and every second that was wasted in looking meant another second Ron was being held by Atheus. She didn't like the thought of her best friend and boyfriend being held by that... she didn't want to exactly call him human, no matter how he looked because to her, he was a very evil creature.
Jerri pulls something from a long metal shelf that was littered with artifacts and says, "Now this is good..." This gets the attention of the Possibles and they walk over to her side.
Jerri says as she holds up a stone tablet, "This is the original stone that I was translating from before I left. If I can find my original notes now, I can continue from where I was translating and hopefully we can learn more on a way to help your friend Ron."
Kim pulls out her Kimmunicator and presses a button to which Wade appears and she says, "Wade, we've found the original tablet that Jerri was doing her translating from. If we scan it, can you translate it for us quickly?"
Wade nods and says, "Sure can Kim, just aim the scanner at it and I'll get started right away."
Jerri frowns and says, "Humph, like it'll be that easy to translate..." Kim gives her a look before she says, "Wade's a supergenius, you'd be surprised at what he can do." Kim then scans the whole tablet while Jerri is holding it and starts to upload it.
Wade looks at his screen and says, "As soon as it is uploaded, I'll begin translating it and let you know what I find." Kim smiles a little and says, "Please and Thank you Wade." and lets it finish uploading before turning it off.
Jerri puts the tablet down onto a dusty table and continues to look through her paper notes that are scattered all around the big room and a few minutes later she finds her original notes. She blows the dust off and coughs at the dust cloud in her face for a few seconds.
Jerri says, "I've found my notes Kim, so now I can get started on translating the rest of the tablet. I should be able to finish it before your friend Wade does."
Kim trusted Wade but she didn't know how long it would take him to do it and if Jerri could get it done faster, then she was all for that so she says, "Ok Jerri, lets get started then."
Jerri shakes her head and says, "No, you can help by cleaning up the place and staying out my way while I translate."
Kim says, "Ok... but let me know the moment you discover anything!"
Jerri nods and says, "You got it." before she turns away and sits down to start translating the tablet.
Kim and her mother start by moving and dusting things outside the place so as not to create a dust cloud inside and bother Jerri. After a while, their cleaning leads Kim to the spot where her mother found the dusty picture frame and she notices that some of it had been already cleaned off but not all of it.
Kim picks up the picture frame just as Jerri looks at Kim to see how the cleaning was going and she bolts out of her chair to grab the picture from Kim's hands before she could get a good look at it.
Jerri says, "Leave that one alone!" in a harsh tone, which leaves Kim, shocked and she says, "What's the sitch? I was just going to dust it off!"
Jerri says, "There are just some things that are too personal Kim, so leave it that ok?" Kim was about to say something when her mother put her hand on Kim's shoulder and says, "She's right Kim, so lets leave it to her and finish up our cleaning ok?"
Kim looks back and forth at her mother and Jerri who was clutching the picture tightly in her hands over her chest. She decides that whatever the picture was of, wasn't worth fighting over so she says, "Ok Mom" She then goes and starts at a nearby table, continuing the cleaning.
Jerri looks at her mother and says, "Thank you for understanding." Mrs. Possible nods and says, "You're welcome Jerri, I know what it is like to have a very precious picture. I have several myself at home."
Jerri and Mrs. Possible seem to look into each other's eyes for a long moment as Jerri realizes that she'd seen what was in the picture and wasn't saying anything. After a soft sigh, she says, "Thank you" and turns to resume her translating.
About half an hour passes and Jerri was just one word away from translating the whole tablet when Kim's Kimmunicator beeps and Kim pulls it out to see Wade.
Wade says, "Kim, I've finished translating the tablet and I'm not sure if I make sense of it."
Kim says, "What do you understand Wade?"
Jerri finishes translating the last word before she gets up and says, "That was fast... I'm impressed."
Kim smiles a little, "Told you, Wade's a supergenius." She then looks back to Wade and says, "What have you got?"
Wade scratches the back of his head and says, "Well, apparently the tablet served more as a warning than anything about how to defeat them for the first half. The second half sounds more like a prediction but it seems incomplete."
Jerri nods, "You're right Wade, this tablet was part of a wall that I discovered but the rest of it had been damaged by weather and pretty much unreadable. This part is essentially the best-preserved part.
Wade says, "Well that explains a few things from the scan. But did you did a penetrating scan of the tablet Jerri?"
Jerri frowns and says, "No, I didn't have the budget for it. Why? What did you find?"
Wade says, "Well, in the upper half I found what looks like a metallic lightning bolt and in the second half it looks like half of another item as well but I can't tell what it is for and I don't know why they are there in the first place but my scans show they're older than the tablet."
Jerri looks at the tablet resting on the table and says, "I wonder... in one of my other notes, I did come across a mentioning of some items but since I never found them at the ruins, I thought that they didn't exist or maybe at another ruin."
Wade says, "How did you get the tablet? Did you use a laser by any chance?"
Jerri looks surprised, "Yes, that is the best way to dig out fragile tablets without harming them for research as opposed to picking and scraping."
Wade rubs his chin and says, "The laser probably cut the second item without you even realizing it."
Jerri says, "Did your scans reveal anything else?" and Wade shakes his head, "No, but I'll recheck them if you want and let you know."
Jerri nods and says, "Yes, please do. I have a hunch that there's more to the items than simply being buried in the tablets."
Wade says, "Ok, I will check it again and get back to you guys."
Kim says, "Wade, check to see if there's any mention of the items and what they could be used for. I bet they've been mentioned somewhere, sometime if they were important enough to bury."
Wade nods and says, "Good thinking Kim. I'll get onto that as well." He then closes the connection and Jerri says, "I think I know what the items are for, but it is only a hunch."
Kim and her mother look at Jerri as she continues, "I think that your friend will find some obscure passages about the items. As soon as he described the first one, it made me wonder if it was possibly the Zeus symbol for power that he left behind should they ever escape."
Kim says, "What good is that?"
Jerri looks at Kim as if she'd just missed something important before she says, "Look, we're talking about artifacts created and used by GODS, which means that even items will contain magical powers. So that means that if Zeus saw put to place an item that represents him, it must mean that it is there to help us. I don't know what power the item could possibly have but I'd be willing to bet that it will have something to do within his powers."
Kim remembers what Atheus told her just before he sent her away, about how only a godling or a god could free Ron... She wondered if the same could be said for any powerful magical items that a god used? She then says, "Could the item be used to turn Atheus back to stone? Or maybe even free Ron from the orb?"
Kim's mother had been thinking along the same lines before she says, "Kim, we should find the second item and see if there are any more like them that might help us before we focus on that one magical item."
Jerri nods and says, "Your mother is right. They might not even work at all without them all being together. We should go back to site where I discovered the tablet. We should be able to locate the other half of the magical item that Wade mentioned there."
Kim knew that she only had a few days left before she either had to go to Atheus and try to defeat him with what she knew or marry him. She knew that leaving Ron to the mercy of Atheus was not an option for her.
Kim frowns and says, "Yeah, let's go. We don't have a whole lot of time left before I have to go face Atheus."
Everyone knows what Kim means and all three leave the place together, with Jerri leading them to where she'd discovered the writings. All three were very aware of the cost of failure against Atheus, to which hung two lives in the balance.
AN: Well, sorry I haven't updated in a while. Been busy with the holidays and a small car accident kept me a little distracted too. So, I hope that everyone's having a nice New Year:) Be safe, be happy and have fun!