Well, it's that time again so here we go. This tale is conceived off Tito-Mosquito's 'For the Pride of Lowardia'. For best effects read that one first, it will get you in the mood.
I want to thank everyone who has read, faved, alerted and or reviewed this tale. And since I enjoy responding to reviews here we go: CB73, yeah with the skirmish. Ron doesn't want info out and he has to take care of a few things; Jimmy, it's a decent shtick so why not go with it and the clock is running; Invader Johnny, gruesome and so am I.
Daccu65, meh yeah it was and what better place than the old Wannaweep. Vinnnie and Junior's superiors have left it in their hands on getting info on the 'buffoon' and being the sweet guys, they are…; Tito-Mosquito, surprised the heck outta Ron…and Gill…what did you expect. You left him out in the original. I had to do something about that; Red Rain, about the rating…this is about as bad as it gets…..you'll see why later.
Thanks all for the reviews, lets get this show on the road….oh I forgot big thanks for CajunBear73 for all the work over the years,
ST-103
Dead Man Switch
Chapter 8
Wannaweep headquarters:
Ron faded into view again and whispered, "Well that was fun don't ya think? We gotta make sure we get them all now or all hell is gonna break out. Brick, get Anne to a safe hidey hole then help me stash the rest of the bodies…Never mind, I'll do that myself, you two just hide."
A trembling Anne Possible reached for Ron, "Thank you Ronald, they were…"
"Just taking care of business like I should have years ago. But I have to finish up and cover our tracks before we can call it a night, so you have to be quiet and go with Brick.", Ron instructed.
Brick whispered, "I've heard there are three more of them Stoppable…"
"Yeah so you told me, now I have something to take care of Mrs. Doctor P, consider this a down payment."
"Ronald…"
"Please Mrs. P, in her memory…excuse me I have work to do.", Ron's voice quietly hitched while he faded from view again.
"Mrs. Possible, we have to get into hiding. There are at least three more Lowardians.", Brick reached out to her and turned the red haired surgeon to lead her into another room away from where he thought the action was going to be.
"Of course dear.", Anne stopped and took his offered hand as she asked lowly, "Are you really the old Mad Dog quarterback?"
"Yes Ma'am, but that was a long time ago…I'm sorry about Kim…"
"Brick dear, we appreciate the thought…"
The former QB half smiled then said, "Please follow me, we have a shelter down here in case of insurrection."
"A shelter?"
"Yes Ma'am all bases have them, it's SOP (standard operating procedure) to give us a place to hide in case the populace revolts. Once I activate the locks only us, since we are on the inside will be able to unlock it."
"I didn't know…"
"Not many do Mrs. Possible, I made the suggestion years ago when the idea was passed on to me from the group, so that we knew where it hit them when we had the chance."
(Sniff)
"Oh I didn't know."
XX
'From the smell, they are this way.', Ron thought to himself, understanding that this would be pretty good practice for what lay ahead of him a little over a couple of months down the road. A road that the group's Intel Division had plotted as a flight path to his ultimate destination. Our hero knew that he had to get his enemy's attention in a way similar to the way that Kim Possible had done years before, and make sure that the mission would be completed as planned, 'It's time to be a hero for a change.'
The former sidekick knew he was screwing with the overall mission when he took the chance and went in search of the remaining three nine foot aliens.
'This way.', the blond man thought as he wondered what the girl he loved would have thought about him murdering living beings just to avenge her. He knew he was on the track of the Lowardians and he was either going to wipe them out or they would kill him, 'Well maybe she'll forgive me in the afterlife.'
Ron found another stairway going down, sniffing the air, he turned that way. As he got down to the next level he noticed that the 'scent' led him further downstairs. Five more sets and he came to a heavy door. The blond man held his hand in front of his face to make sure he couldn't see it then silently he slipped through the door.
Ron Stoppable felt the mystical blade begin to pull him as it vibrated in his hand. The feelings kept getting stronger and stronger as he came to a massive closed door. Changing the mystical weapon into a five pound maul (hammer) the blond man began to beat on the door.
Two minutes later it jerked open with a growling voice behind it, "What are you doing here human?"
Ron responded in Lowardian as he reappeared, brandishing the Lotus Blade, (Executing you and your pals jerkwad.)
The large alien stepped back into the room as the first of five strokes from the razor sharp blade removed his left arm like a knife going through warm butter.
The large aliens were known as relentless warriors so Ron Stoppable didn't let up as he removed his adversary's right arm so that he would have a matched set. Without thinking he shoved the chisel shaped tip through the very large alien before twisting the blade around and slicing upward through the skull leaving the now dead (although still standing) warrior mostly in one piece. 'The blade must be pissed 'cause it cauterized that humongous dude's wounds.' Ron idly thought as he raced into the next room.
The two other forms were on their feet and the first to meet the pissed off human picked up his chair to use as a weapon.
"Screw you, ya murderers.", Ron hissed as he hacked through the heavy metal chair, taking one of the alien's hands with it. Before the invader could even curse in his tongue the glowing blade blurred again cutting the battle hardened warrior from his left shoulder to his right hip. Again the ancient weapon shut off the flow of blood from the wounds the Chosen One inflicted.
The small blond man then moved on the last ponytailed invader he could see. Three seconds later that one, too, was on the floor with just a small trace of the orange blood to mark the damage. Though if one was to look, one could tell since the head was missing.
Breathing hard, the former sidekick checked through all the rooms to make sure he didn't miss any of the aliens, and with a grimace he put the katana away as it shifted form.
Ron quickly retraced his steps and moved back up the stairway while holding his side. When he got to the level where he and Brick found Anne Possible he called out, "Brick, Mrs. P, the coast is clear."
The former quarterback's head appeared in a doorway, "Are we good Ron? You ah, got hurt."
"Yeah, it's just a scratch, but I have to take down the rest of the staff here. Put in the computer that you were on sick leave and erase any mention of Doctor Possible...Can you do that?"
"Yeah."
"Good, now do you have any hand trucks or fork trucks for moving stuff around…I sorta made a mess down there."
"Like the one up here?", Brick Flagg inquired.
"Yeah."
"Up on the first level Ron, but there are some barracks…You're gonna have to eliminate them, if you don't they'll come after all of us."
"How many are there?", Ron asked.
"Not many on tonight, about two dozen."
The blond male's eyes turned blue for a moment, "Yeah Brick, I guess ya can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs. Take Doctor Possible some place safe…I'll call you when it's over."
"Thanks Ron, uh some of the guys that stay here on the other shifts have been doing some real bad things to the civilians…they deserve what they get."
"Yeah, listen make sure you close the door to that room Brick. This is gonna take a few minutes and I don't think it's gonna be pretty."
"Ron…do you need help?", the former QB inquired glancing at his blood-soaked side again.
"N…no, it's better if I do it.", Ron warned.
Anne Possible put her hand on Ron's shoulder, "I know that you don't want to do this Ron, but even I realize that someone is going to look into this matter and if that happens and there is evidence that something happened to this headquarters we may end up with a battalion of aliens here instead of the small number we seem to have."
"Yes Ma'am, I'm just going to buy us some time. Oh and don't come out, I'll come to get you when it's over.", Ron instructed as he began to slimmer and fade from view.
X
The reluctant hero knew about where this barracks room was according to Brick's information. It took him only about ten minutes to find and make sure that those who were in there were not all that innocent. Finally after entering he began to fade back into sight.
With a loud voice he announced rousing some of the lighter sleepers almost immediately, "Welcome to the Sidekick's World of Horror. Draw your ticket to the great beyond right here."
"What the hell?", one of them reached for the weapon he used to intimidate 'lesser' people.
"For KP and Tara.", Ron screamed as the Lotus Blade angrily glowed blue and red. The blond man's eyes throbbed in unison with the sword's glowing as he waded into the twenty plus human males as they began to scramble for their arms.
In five minutes it was over. Ron Stoppable had several more cuts and abrasions on his torso as the last one slid to the floor, 'Well at least I didn't know any of them, that would have been a bummer..'
He then went to the room where Brick and Anne Possible were hidden. "How did it go Ron?", the former QB asked.
"They're all in the room. Listen can you get a hand truck and load up our alien buddies?"
"Yeah, but it's going to take me a while…"
"Get Vinnie and Junior too.", Ron added.
"Why?"
"Psychological warfare buddy, I have plans for all the bodies…Uh that reminds me I have to take care of something outside. When do you guys expect your replacement shifts in?"
"Five days, we are here ten days on, twenty off.", Brick explained.
"Not bad hours…for a bunch of rapists and murderers.", Ron plainly said in response.
"Not all did that Ron, some just wanted to improve their lives…"
"And this group Brick?"
"Well they were the 'bad' ones, Vinnie and Junior were the worst though…they were the ones that got Tara, and from what some of the others said, they tormented her and her class of girls before they were shipped out."
"Why did you join Brick?", Anne asked.
"She was Bonnie's best friend and Bonnie saw them take Tara away. Even though they put a different wig on Tara's head you could tell, she had a birth mark on her thigh…so we know and it drove my old girlfriend over the edge.", Brick paused for a moment having made the decision years before, "The group was looking for some volunteers and since I was pissed about what happened to Kim and then Tara I decided to make a difference and worked my way into 'The Confederation' to try to take it down from the inside."
Ron put his blood soaked hand onto the former quarterback's shoulder while Anne gave the large and still well-put-together man a onceover as Brick continued, "I saw what they were doing and I was able to make contact with Ron's group through some people I met at a bar once."
Anne frowned, "Brick you should know better…"
Ron knew about this and told Anne, "He met Tim, who was very bitter at the time Mrs. P. A lot of people went through a lot of pain for Kim. Right now a lot of them are in position to take down these people when the time is right."
"How do you know all this Ronald?"
"I just know, now I don't know all of them or where they are but I do know that for the most part the operation is on the move now."
"And I'm left in the dark…"
Ron smiled, "Yes Ma'am, innocent people should be left in the dark."
"Why is that?"
Ron now grimaced, "Because then they get to stay innocent. Mrs. Possible could you stay here for about fifteen minutes? Brick and I have ta do some things and it's better that you don't know anything about this."
(Sniff)
"Ronald I can help…"
"Ma'am you took an oath to do no harm…I have harmed and I will harm again for the reasons I was driven to do this…" Sighing, "I should keep you in the dark and in doing so you remain innocent in what happened here tonight. Soon enough you will find out that I'm not the goofy kid from up the block whose pants fell down all the time. Please stay here for me."
"Very well Ronald.", Anne gave up and sat down in a chair while Ron pulled Brick out the door and instructed, "You take that hand truck down stairs and get those aliens and I'll take care of that business up here. I'll meet you down there to help with the mess I made with Junior and Vinnie and those other aliens."
"What are you going to do Ron?"
"You had a guard outside."
"We have a guard outside…"
"In a few moments I'll have the right tense.", the former mascot informed him as he headed for the entrance.
X
Outside:
"Hey buddy, have a smoke?", a blond man asked the armed guard in front of him.
"Uh, who goes there…identify yourself!", the burly guard called out and then demanded the other man walk into the light.
"Sure…Ron Stoppable, who are you?"
"I ask the questions, put your hands up.", then he motioned.
With a small smile the blond man did as asked. And as he did a glowing sword appeared in his right hand. Before the guard could begin to move he was split in half as the sword bisected his body from his groin to the top of his head. With a sigh Ron made the Lotus Blade disappear and grabbed a foot in each hand of the unfortunate guard and pulled him along into the building leaving a blood trail.
The guard had only made a soft gurgling noise before he died. And Ron took pity and removed his head, "Sorry dude, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
(Sniff)
Ron walked over to the elevator pulling his load behind him. Once he reached the lift, he dropped the now deceased guard next to it and pushed the down button.
Ding
'Well the elevator works, it must be an Otis©.', Ron thought as he stepped on and pushed the button for the appropriate floor.
X
Anne stared at the boy/man she watched grow up and noticed that he waved his arm out the window. He then pulled in to a parking lot and got out. The red haired woman craned her neck to see Ron speaking with Brick who was driving a rather large, mostly black truck.
They had returned almost the whole way back to Middleton and she had no idea that the whole complex had erupted leaving a gaping hole in the ground on the shores of the old Lake Wannaweep.
After a few moments Ron Stoppable returned.
She asked, "Where is Brick Flagg taking all those bodies Ronald?"
"Somewhere so that they can be useful to the cause.", Ron vaguely replied as he put the old vehicle in drive and followed the truck to a place where it turned off.
X
Ron pulled in the driveway and opened the door for the famous surgeon, "Mrs. Doctor P…Anne, I have to go. At least the errand I was on was useful to you and Mister Doctor P. I'll always remember you."
Anne knew this was goodbye so she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, "Thank you for being Kimmie's best friend Ronald."
"Yeah, maybe I can be the best friend she deserved sometime soon. Take care Ma'am, I always loved you guys…Maybe in time you'll be able to remember me kindly." Ron knew he had to leave and time was running short.
In moments he had the key in the ignition and was backing out of the driveway.
X
Eight hours later:
In front of the blond man was the huge rocket that was being prepared for launch.
"Are you alright sir?", a tech named Dakota Jones inquired to the space suited man he was escorting to the robot piloted spaceship. (Launches into space were now more common place…AN)
"Yeah I'm fine, oh I heard there was a special shipment going up with me to the freighter."
"Yes it's on board, they loaded it an hour ago. I don't know what it was but it smelled real bad…"
"On the manifest it said something about some delicacy for the mining camps out on Pluto's moon Nix.", Ron replied, "And I get to deliver it since I'm headed that way anyway."
"I hope you can stand it…"
"Hey those guys are out there on ten year contracts, it's the least I can do for them."
"I see this is your first time to the outer edge. Are you going to be able to deal with it?"
"I passed all the tests so I should be fine. Anyway being the pilot as a last resort and all round mechanical guy is alright, and the pay is top notch. I'm getting away from my ex you know and I figure this trip will do it, though I might make a career of it since it pays so well."
Dakota slapped the loner pilot on the back, "You know Shucksby you're not the only one with that story. It makes me want to stay single."
Ron slash Leon Shucksby laughed as they got to the elevator for the ride to the launch pad, "I wish I'd learned that ten years earlier too."
They both continued to lie and laugh as they rode the lift to the right level. The hatch was already open and there was another technician waiting to help strap the spacesuit wearing blond into his seat.
An hour later the engines ignited and the human, and the extra cargo, lifted off from the Middleton Space Center.
Ron remembered the conversation about transmissions to and from the shuttle spacecraft being closely monitored by several organizations, so he just stayed in his seat even after the craft was in orbit. Finally he received a transmission meant for him. "Mister Shucksby this is Launch Control, we have you docking with the freighter 'Orion Empress' in two point one two hours. Please remain in your seat with your harness on for safety."
Ron figured they were listening in, so he keyed his mic as he had been taught, "I copy Control, just enjoying the ride."
A woman responded (not the one speaking originally), "Thank you for following instructions sir, not all of our clients are so easy to deal with."
"Yeah thanks.", Ron/Leon said.
Then to himself, 'If they only knew.'
XXXXX
Ron Stoppable, Brick Flagg, Anne Possible and all the other 'canon' characters of the show 'Kim Possible' belong to Mark, Bob and the Disney Corporation and not myself nor CajunBear73. We just do this as a hobby and to make sure our readers take their 'meds'.
We'll see ya down the road, oh only a couple chapters to go,
ST-103