Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible™ or any character, location or event associated with that said show.
Last time on Legend of a Monkey Master.
- Ron is Monkey-napped by the babysitter!
- Junior Senior searches the globe for the Idols of Yono.
- Team Possible arrives in London seeking to unravel the mysteries of the Yamanouchi.
...
Ch 11: Monkey King
Fiske opened a cabinet and poured a brown liquid from an unmarked bottle. It strong musk betrayed a high alcohol content. Fiske took a sip and leaned against the parlour's fireplace. This one a proper log burner. Burnt down to embers.
He placed dry kindling down to get it burning again. "Mr Bates. Please tend to our guests."
"We have orange juice or a selection of sodas, Coffee. Or I'm quite proud of my range of teas. Unless your preference is for something stronger?"
"Orange soda."
"Coffee. Milk, one sugar."
"Whatever blend of oolong leaf you have. No Milk or sugar." This was Joe.
"As you take it, sir."
Where to begin the tale his company travelled so far to hear and learn from? The same place all good tales begin, Fiske surmised. At the beginning.
"The origins of the trouble begin in Russia where I was part of a team which excavated the original Idol of Yono. Brother to the idol Kim recovered from Laos and taken by Junior Senior," Fiske recapped for the benefit of Anne and Joe. "A tale I've related to Kim and Ron previously. The highlights were an ill-timed avalanche causing a cave in. I being buried for thirteen days and my leg left crippled. Unfortunately, I was not alone. I lost my mind believing the idol I carried was whispering to me."
"I say the origin of the trouble but not the end. The Idol became part of the British Museum's Asia collection where other, professionally sceptical and intelligent people, reported strange phenomenon surrounding it. The idea the item was cursed came about. Whereas I was a wreck for years afterward. Reported to be relaxing on numerous world tours, code for being quietly checked in to institutions across Europe. The kind where paying a little extra grants you complete anonymity."
"Couldn't have been cheap," Joe said. "Not if Wade found no reference to time spent in care."
"Comfort to know," Fiske professed.
"Still prefer the peace of mind of tight security around?" Joe reached into a reading lamp and removed a bug. Of the listening kind.
"I've already admitted to being crazy. Crazy people believe others are out to get them. Although, is it still considered crazy if proven correct?"
"The ninja came for the Yono Idol," Kim inferred. "But you didn't have it."
"The ninja came for the idol. Attempting to recover it from the museum. Meanwhile, I recovered my nerve and held a determination to face my great fear."
…
British Museum.
Eight years earlier.
"I appreciate this," Monty earnestly told his colleague. Led through the back areas of the Museum. Leaning on his crutch for support. Walking with the aid of the confounded thing remained awkward years after his ordeal. He had arrived late in night on his motorcycle with an odd request. Not a scheduled viewing with a scientific objective in mind. Just a look in.
Fiske was already known as an up and coming. A charismatic youth injecting fresh interest into the field. Not afraid to investigate a new idea or to be proven wrong. The harrowing experience in the Urals, causing injury to his right leg cemented his reputation as a tough and determined figure in archaeology. Of course the night staff where happy to oblige.
"Bah. Only sitting in storage, anyway. Catalogued, judged unremarkable and forgotten. Between you and me, I don't think anyone wants to investigate it."
"Unremarkable? The pictograph photography alone is explosive! Their knowledge of events cross continent infers greater communication than we ever dreamed…."
"Something's wrong," his museum staff escort swiped his access card again and keyed in his pin. The door would not open. "An alarm has been triggered."
Disquiet swept over Fiske. A horrible gut feeling. All the fears he sought to banish assaulting him at once. He desired to turn back yet needed to press on.
"Give me the card."
Fiske intended to try the door. The man did not think Fiske would better luck but saw no reason not to.
Fiske swiped. Denied.
Again. Denied.
Frustration led him to pound on the door with his fist. His companion was baffled by Fiske's present need to continue. Moreover, he was concerned there may be thieves in the building and he said so to Fiske.
Two silent figures dropped down from the ceiling behind them. Discussion of who or how the alarm had been set ended before it began with a blade held to each of their throats.
Words spoken in a foreign language between the archaeologists assailants. Perhaps deciding how to deal with unwanted witnesses. Their elegant solution was to bash each over the head and bind them.
Fiske remained conscious. Unresisting, he did not desire another blow. Unlikely he could have put up a defence with head on fire and his world spinning and out of focus. But he remained conscious. He was a bystander to unfolding events.
As the ninja fled he caught a glimpse - from the opening of a sling of cloth tied to one ninja's back he glimpsed the Yono. For a brief moment the cloth slid out of place to reveal their prize before they passed through another locked door, opening at their will, and disappeared from view.
…
Fiske and his colleague were the only ones to catch a look at the intruders. The police, of course, were interested in hearing each man's account and considered themselves fortunate to have a reputable witness such as Lord Fiske. Although, after hearing each man out they couldn't say which testimony gave them less to go on. Fiske's colleague who barely caught glimpsed a masked face over Fiske's right shoulder before blackness. Or Fiske's account of a pair of foreign language binding them both and ninja absconding with a single artefact. An old Russian idol not considered greatly valuable in the context of treasures it had been stored alongside. An idol academics thought an intriguing curiosity yet turned down studying in favour of more exciting finds.
Tended for by medical staff – Fiske believed their fuss unnecessary but the authorities arriving on the scene of the robbery insisted – Fiske thanked them for the warm blanket and cup of tea while they cleaned and bandaged rope burn. One of the officers who questioned him for information approached.
"Good news, Lord Fiske. The stolen item has been recovered."
"That is good news," although Fiske wouldn't have minded missing his obligation to face his great fear. A robbery would have been a uniquely convenient an excuse not to carry on as planned. He should have known he would not be so fortunate. "You apprehended my attacker?"
"In a manner of speaking. Both were found dead. Under the most bizarre circumstances, too. One was found drowned in a melted cheese factory. A giant snowman fell and crushed the other. A gang of kids had been building it in the park."
"Are you having me on?" Fiske enquired after a moment digestion.
…
"Wade told us the idol remains locked in the British Museum." It was one of many items of interest Kim had Wade research once the excavation in Laos took a turn for the surreal.
"Officially, yes. This is a ruse on my part. Disaster follows the idol, I have dedicated my resources and life both to researching and containing the cursed idol. Of course, the curator was only too happy to be rid of darn thing."
"You think alarmed windows and cameras could stop a Yamanouchi?" Behind his words, Joe was actually citing they would not.
"It's not here. They know the idol is not here. Which is my greatest defence. Regardless, I see no reason to make it easy for them."
"Where is it?" Joe demanded.
"That's not a secret I'm prepared to disclose to a newly introduced guest with no apparent documented history. Even on Miss Possible's vouching."
Smooth answer. Joe may have used it himself during his career. He was convinced both men knew he wasn't going to allow the matter to rest for long.
"Why don't the ninja break in and force you to tell them." Unravelling ninja conspiracies may not be Dr Possible's job description but she had a sharp mind and a desire to be an asset to her daughters case. As opposed to a third wheel.
"There have been incidents…. Honestly, in recent times I was beginning to feel trepidation I was left unmolested because I was acting as they intended. In an effort to learn more of the Yono and thwart their ambition I was, in fact, playing the pawn. Haley was one of my most trusted confidants, directing my hand. Her betrayal during events in Laos confirm this."
"They have ways of getting close to their targets." Kim's thoughts again turned to the traitorous babysitter and the ill blood she sensed about her almost immediately.
"Dear Ronald is likely safe for the present. I've been looking into these Yamanouchi for a long time. They are many things; ruthless, relentless, remorseless, persistent, manipulative, but random is not among them."
Anne stated, "You make them sound monstrous."
"No…," Fiske fumbled with the words to explain a culture foreign to their concepts of right and wrong. "Honour drives them - their notion of it. Once a Yamanouchi makes a contract it is considered unbreakable. Their contract is their bond and in pursuit of the contract the Yamanouchi are relentless.
"You see, they - they do not feel anger. Never seek revenge. Abhor collateral damage - on practical grounds. Mass carnage exposes their hand. It's bad for business. Often, they will honour a brave opponent. Full burial rights in accordance with their custom and a fund to support a grieving family. They fulfil the contract. No backing out. No matter how long. No matter the cost."
Joe was suspicious. When was he not?
"How do you know all this?"
"I said. They cropped up in my research." Fiske addressed Kim. "Let me ask you. The temple, in Laos. There was a room with etching carved into the walls? Telling the story of the Monkey King and his later successor?"
Kim remembered being captivated by art almost a millennium old. Depictions of grand armies and great deeds.
She also remembered Ron losing his mind in that room. Being forced to be a pawn for the Yono to free her friend.
She swallowed. "Yes. There was a room like that."
"I'd vouch it was a space very similar to that in which I discovered the original idol. I was mesmerised by those pictograms. Photographed every inch for future study. What captivated me the most was how global they were. Knights in their armour, Samurai, War Elephants of India."
Kim remembered being captivated by the same international flavour of the drawings. Events unfolding so fast in Laos, she did not have time to ponder the mystifying puzzle. Thinking back now, she could understand a mind such as Fiske's being captivated.
Fiske continued, "Even unable to read to the text they unmistakably told a story. A picture is worth a thousand words. Translatable to any language. A warning of what has come before and will again."
"You've been sitting on a warning for almost a decades?"
The group wanted to hear more of Fiske's tale. They ignored Joe's latest cutting remark. "What do they say?" Kim asked.
"It begin with a retelling of the ancient Chinese lore of the Monkey King. This is a rough translation, mind. With an original twist ending. The Monkey King, Sun Wukong, was said to have been born from a stone and protector of a small village by a river; I suspect the very same Team Possible discovered flowing beneath the Laotian temple. To combat the various threats to the village he, Sun Wukong, snuck into the hidden treasure trove of a demon and recovered a mystical staff, a Bo', which could transform to any length and possibly any item. The staff had a will of its own and does not accept just any wielder. It choose Sun Wukong.
"The Monkey King was not so preoccupied looking after his people as to not think of himself. Mortality was not enough. He desired to live forever. He became an issue for the Chinese deities, forever attempting to steal the means to immortality they guarded. His constant trickery making him the mother of all headaches throughout the kingdom. Finally, the Jade Emperor of Heaven had enough! He assembled his grand army.
"The battle was long. Sun Wukong fought the Jade Emperor's army to a standstill and it looked as though the battle would end in stalemate. Among his many abilities, the Monkey King could create objects, a living being - a clone - from a single hair and he used the ability form an army to confront that of the Emperor's. Nevertheless the Monkey Kings tricks caught up with him and the forces of then Jade Emperor stood victorious. Near as I can translate, he stepped out from the battle to take a whizz. Possibly on the Emperor's throne. Was caught with his pants down – but they could not execute him! One or more of his experiments in immortality had borne fruit. Instead, as punishment, he was placed under a mountain for five centuries. Even upon release, a crown was placed on his head to curtail his abilities. He could only use his remaining abilities in the defence of the innocent. The Monkey King was tamed. Forever on he strove only to do good, albeit he could not resist a trick now and then. Performed in good spirits.
"The Yono enters our story. Unbeknownst to the Jade Emperor or Sun Wukong, a single clone escaped. A trickster in nature as his progenitor, the Yono was an altogether different character. Mean spirited, power hungry - and obsessed with ruling forever. He returned to the village the Monkey King watched over and reshaped it into his cruel Empire from which where to strike at Heaven. Again the Jade Emperor's army fought and again stood victorious. Releasing the Yono's numerous slaves, they toppled the evil city from which the Yono ruled.
"The Yono, too, could not die so he was divided into four separate pieces contained within the idols and buried with his Empire. Never to be released. The old deities powers waned and they became lost to time but the Yono lingered and looked to the coming of humanity. Far easier to manipulate. He sought chaos and destruction to feed his powers and aid in his release. Not so different from the chaos Gemini and World Empire cause today; destabilising nations, arming militants and spreading corruption.
"Through his agents he persuaded the Mongol conqueror, Genghis Khan, of his destiny and that of his nomadic goat herding people to rule the world. Not simply domination over their neighbours. The entire globe! An empire encompassing the entirety of Eurasia. The Mongol horde exploded out of the grasslands to the north. War stretched across the globe from Korea to Turkey to Poland to India. Within a century they held China, Ukraine, the Middle East. Stubborn holdouts such as Russia, Vietnam, Egypt and Japan defied the odds and remained free.
"The Yono intended for this too. He would never allow a Mongol Khan to usurp his destiny as Emperor of Earth but the carnage they sowed gave him strength. Next, he sought a champion. One who, in exchange for power, would free the Yono and give him form. He choose a boy hailing from outlying Japanese Islands. A fishing community slaughtered by the Mongol's second attempt to invade Japan in the year 1281. The boy's name was Toshimiru.
…
"To Toshimiru, Yono gave the mystical staff which became a Katana in his hands, signifying he was worthy. Yono feed the boy's desire for revenge. Toshimiru sought to confront the Mongols wherever they were found. Total war raged across land and sea."
Bach Dang River, Vietnam. 1288AD
Hitting the stakes hidden beforehand beneath the surface of the river, the heavily laden supply fleet stuck fast. Those vessels that did not sink immediately due to having their hulls punctured were held in place.
Every craft the Vietnamese had capable of floating was launched. Small craft with shallow hulls that would not be caught by the many hundreds of stakes they had planted on river bed preceding the supply fleet's arrival.
A champion; as powerful in presence as in visage. Pulled up alongside a Mongol vessel. This aged warrior leapt impossibly high into the air to the deck of the supply ship. He drew his fabled Katana.
The previously undefeated Mongol warriors came on, brandishing their own weapons, slashing at this 'flying' man.
An invisible wall of energy bowled the first wave of the invaders overboard and in to the river.
"Toshimiru did fight the Mongols on every front. He won battles but could not turn back the horde. He required more power. The Yono lamented to Toshimiru that, shattered as he was, he could never grant Toshimiru the strength to succeed. To truly crumble the Mongol Emperor he would need to travel to the lost city and recover the four idols which contained his essence.
"On the road to Laos, Toshimiru had an encounter that changed his life. A drunk patron of an inn, making merry. In his storytelling he revealed to Toshimiru the truth, the Yono had caused the Mongols to turn conquest. The drunk revealed his identity to be Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Proving his identity by calling Toshimiru's Katana to his hand where it reverted to its original state as a Bo'. Sun Wukong enlisted Toshimiru to, nay, spread the idols even past the realm of the civilised world.
"When Toshimiru appeared and entrusted the evil idol to the Russian Monastery they recorded his story. To learn the fate of Toshimiru afterward was more difficult. Years I have spent examining legends, myths, fables, old wives tales, goose bumps; spine tingles. My information is hazy, much of it inferred but the tales goes as such..."
…
"The Yono was not pleased. He desired revenge on his wayward servant above his desire to be free. He revealed the name of the mystical warrior whom thwarted the Mongol armies on every front to the Emperor in Beijing, a descendant of Genghis. The Emperor, in turn, hired Yamanouchi assassins to end Toshimiru and recover the idols."
Nepal, 1307
High in the mountains the sun dipped below the peaks. It's last rays of warmth at an end for this day. It would return in the morning. The day done, monks finished their daily routine and retreated to their communal sleeping area surrounding an eternally burning flame. In the night the mountain snow settled on the roof of the Buddhist monastery. Disturbed by the breeze and the light footsteps of enemies.
"Across the globe the Yamanouchi hunted Toshimiru. Harrying him. Never allowing him a moments rest."
A lone figure, aged by travel and war set candles. Looking for the peace in meditation which eluded him in life.
The ninja struck with fierce precision. Snipers with poison tipped blow darts in the ceiling framework. Warriors emerged from the stairwell leading to the catacombs and from behind drapes. They left no avenue for escape this time.
The snipers aim was pinpoint. The darts struck nothing. The target was still no longer nor in the spot the snipers aimed, to their dismay.
"Soon it became apparent force of arms would not bring him down. He would outfight their best twenty swordsmen at once. Anticipated every ambush."
Toshimiru threw his katana and it became a boomerang, a weapon no warrior among the Yamanouchi had ever witnessed before. The spinning blade sliced through the air and knocked each sniper from his pierce before returning to the hand of its master.
Advancing ninja threw shuriken or knives. The katana, Lotus Blade, became a shield of metal. These fine weapons could not penetrate.
The two best of the Yamanouchi masters engaged Toshimiru in a clash of blades. A deadly dance. With their quarrel distracted, other ninja moved in to deploy their big gun. A trio of Chinese cannons, essentially fireworks converted to warfare purposes. They had no faith the masters could prevail against Toshimiru in close quarter combat. Better masters had not. Their purpose was to hold him in place. They would give their lives to hold him in place.
The fuse was lit. Toshimiru kicked threw one assailant over his shoulder and kicked the other back. He'd created for himself a small window. He thrust Lotus toward the cannons. The blade elongated. It stretched from one end of the room to the next. Sliced all three fuses before the flame caused a gunpowder reaction.
"So the Yamanouchi took the long view. They played their ace in the hole. The ultimate weapon."
Before the Yamanouchi struck again, Toshimiru leapt. Through the roof. Defying gravity. He was gone.
Gentle snowflakes drifted down to the temple floor. The Yamanouchi departed.
…
"A doomsday ray?" It was on minds of all Kim's villains when they dreamed up "the Ultimate Weapon".
"A woman. And poison. A woman and poison. They chose among them a beautiful flower and sent her to gain Toshimiru's trust and gain Toshimiru's love. Learn the secrets locations of the Yono Idols before despatching him."
"Her identity remains a secret. Perhaps a seasoned Yamanouchi assassin or, more likely, a spirited and intelligent peasant girl promised escape from a dull life serving a feudal lord. They arranged for Toshimiru to save her life whence she became his traveling companion. Sharing his globetrotting adventures. He mentored her, taught her to read and write and in the use of a blade. I can't say whether if she truly was his student or her ignorance was feigned.
"She travelled with him. Fought alongside him. Nursed his injuries. Loved him. On the night of their marriage she fed him a bowl of noodle soup tainted with a fast acting poison. Took the mystical katana and disappeared back into the Yamanouchi fold. To this day Yamanouchi hold true to the bargain they made long ago. They will collect the idols. Reunite them. Release the Yono and eliminate any champion the Monkey King sends to stop them."
…
Prince Regent Nature Reserve.
Western Australia.
The flight was long. 17 hours. The destination unexpected. A small town. Wyndham, the northernmost settlement of Western Australia at the base of Cambridge sound. Population: 800. Yori rattled off details as if a tour guide. Trying to heighten his sense of adventure. Ron didn't have a chance to look around! He wanted, badly, to stretch his legs. Try the local food. The moment her private jet touched down he was directed to a waiting chartered helicopter. He only got to see the town from the air.
Every girl wanted to drag him around the world.
A small consolation to the loss of a dinning opportunity, he was treated to a bird's eye view of the majestic Australian coastal plains and interior outback as the helicopter raced for their destination at maximum speed, cruising between 125 to 135mph. With one of Yori's ninja at the controls they cruised the just under 200 miles to Mt Hann in the Prince Regent Nature Reserve in under two hours.
"We have arrived at our destination." Yori's voice sounded mechanical over the earpieces microphones combinations they wore. They'd never hear each other over the thumping rotors otherwise. Even with the aid of this old equipment it was awkward to keep up a conversation. Ron satisfied himself overseeing the land. Catching fleeting glimpses of great gorges and rainbow creating waterfalls as they flew overhead disappointingly swiftly. Yori had been silent most of the trip.
"A rock?" Ron commented on the destination Yori pointed out. Not to say Ron was unimpressed by said rock. It was an incredible rock. The famous Ayres Rock in miniature, crowned by rainforest and the Prince Regent river flowing at its base.
"A cave!" Yori corrected. "A cave down there."
"Where can we land?" There were no clearings in Ron's sight angle.
"Never said land." Yori opened the side down and threw down rope ladder.
…
Ron jumped the final two rungs on the rope ladder. He was glad to be rid of the spindly contraption. Until he had to climb back up it.
Yori warned him, "We do not have long. Even with both auxiliary fuel tanks the helicopter must return soon."
"Are you kidding? Do you know how long Kim and were stuck in the last temple?"
Yori talked during their trek through the dense foliage. She would waste no time. Ron listened, and prayed Australian jungles did not contain monkeys. He'd left his Tiger spray at home.
"What we search for is not so elaborate as a buried structure. Anything the like would have taken Toshimiru decades to complete. In Laos, he made use of an existing structure. Native peoples in this land did not build communities in the same sense. They learned to live in harmony with the dry, rugged landscape. Here, distance would keep the Yono out of reach. An uncharted land across the seas. This land was not even legend in the old world. There was not a notion it existed. He braving whirlpools in the nearest sound to arrive here. Toshimiru could not have foreseen the settlement of this land. Today vast tracts remain uninhabited. Although, this nature reserve does attract tourists."
Yori lead Ron in a circle of the base of Mt Hann. It was not a huge mountain. Not as you think the term mountain should imply. May take the better part of an afternoon to circle. Pressed for time, Yori ensured they were dropped on the river side. She halted where it appeared erosion had uncovered a large boulder embedded in the side of the mountain. "This is it. The cave enclosed by a great rock."
"You don't expect me to lift that?"
"No. I do not wish to linger all day. The rock you see was cut from inside the cavern to act as a barrier. Ordinarily impossible to move. However, it was anchored precisely on a shaft through its middle so if child knew where to push…."
Yori stepped forward, placed her palm on the secret point on the boulder and gently pushed. The cave opened a crack.
Suddenly alarmed, Ron leapt to dissuade her. "Hang on, hang on, hang on! Don't just open it. You don't just open it. The Yono is on the other side."
"I hope so. We travelled a long way."
"Yes. Of course…." Yori pushed on the boulder again before Ron finished his point. "No! No! Hang on! Shouldn't we have a plan for dealing with the Yono? I want to be clear on my purpose for you taking me along. You haven't given me instructions."
"I do not know your ultimate purpose, champion. I think best you stay close to me."
"What about traps?" Laos had traps.
"Toshimiru felt further traps unnecessary. This continent was unknown. No trade exchanged with the outside world. Toshimiru learned of it communicating with island peoples to the north."
"The Yono isn't defenceless. He can get inside our heads."
Yori had to stop and consider this possibility.
"I know," Ron insisted, fearing Yori believe he exaggerated. On this matter, Ron was a specialist.
"I… you are correct, champion. I did not know the Yono to be so capable even divided. I considered my training sufficient shield from the Yono's ability to influence remotely while you have the Lotus Blade. In truth, the capabilities of a single idol cannot be guessed."
Ron knew the Yono to have a strong influence. The idea he'd been subjected to a fraction of the Yono's true power was a new and disturbing consideration.
Each turned the matter over. "We cannot turn from the path," Yori announced. "We risk overestimating our foe, forever analysing his abilities without action. Even with Yamanouchi's resources I have no viable counter to a mystical monkey mental assault to offer. Unless," a cheeky jest came to Yori, "did you pack any tin foil?"
"No. Regrettably, I am out of tin foil." Ron was not amused. His last encounter with the Yono on his mind. Hopefully, however, not in his mind.
"Ready or not, we have to go in," Yori simplified their options. "The Yono preys on fear. If you fear him, you make him stronger."
Then he should mention…. "This is – really – embarrassing. I don't like monkeys. It's a phobia of mine."
Yori took his revelation well. "Further proof you are the chosen of the Monkey King, Stoppable-san! I am overjoyed I chose wisely in identifying you."
"What does this prophecy say? Exactly?"
"Before his death, Toshimiru foretold the servants of the Monkey King shall know his champion when he holds the Lotus Blade. The blade will chose."
"Does becoming a spoon strike you as a sure sign the blade choose wisely?"
"Toshimiru also indicated we should seek the utmost unlikely hero on Earth."
"I could be that guy."
"The moment I encountered you, I knew with my heart you were to be the Champion of the Monkey King. The Yono could never consider you a threat."
"Thanks…. I'm along on this quest because you don't think I stand a chance?" Ron desired to be clear on this point.
"Precisely, Stoppable-san," Yori was pleased with her champions understanding of the situation.
Ron considered, "There is a warped logic to this," and said frankly, "Listen. Yori. I don't know I can do this again. I mean, I don't know if I can keep my head if we go in there. Kim is the hero. Kim is fearless. Kim faced the Yono in Laos."
"I understand. Each of us have been given responsibilities beyond our experience. Nonetheless, the responsibility remains ours to bear. I no longer have Sensei to guide me and Yono would have used Possible-san against you as before. It could not be risked."
"Listen," Yori said. "You would do anything to protect Possible-san? Span the globe righting wrongs by her side. You contemplate resigning fearing you endanger her. You must confront Yono. Today. If not, who will stand against Yono tomorrow? I? I will fight the Yono unto I fall and I will fall. Global Justice? They already do. Locked in a bizarre duel against the Yono's unwitting servant, Gemini. Possible-san? Will she sit on the side lines? How long before she stands alone? If you do not act today, what world will Hana grow up in tomorrow?"
Ron caught the gist. If he did not deal to the Yono, another would have to stand in his stead. Who else but Kim Possible would shield Ron of his world saving responsiblies?
He had to relent. "I won't let Yono destroy tomorrow. For my family or for Kim."
"By your honour, do you swear to do all in your power to protect Kim Possible? By your honour, do you swear do all in your power to protect Hana Stoppable?"
"Yes."
"Would you die to uphold this oath if need be?"
Ron hesitated.
"Yes."
"Then you are Yamanouchi. Take up your spoon, champion. Hold it and remember your strength."
"Does membership have any perks?"
"Smoke pellets. Poison Darts - work related items. A company retreat in Samoa. And Stoppable-san. Before we go in. By my honour, I swear to protect you. With my life if need be."
…
"Ron Stoppable," Yono remarked on the boy's appearance in the light of the cave entrance. Unexpectedly, the spirits attitude was jovial.
"Struth! G'day mate. I was s'pecting visitors today but you're a mite early. I haven't had time to clean. The dunny is especially atrocious. I decided to hold it the past seven hundred years."
Yono's voice did not come from the Idol. It came from all around. It echoed off the walls as did his sick laughter.
"Boy. You continue to amaze I who am all knowing. You return to me of your own free will. Have you come to pledge yourself to the true master of the world? Once before I took you as my vessel against your will. If, however, you chose freely, my power will be yours."
"But! I promised this power to another. Yet this youth before me could show me so such more fun! If you desire to be one with Yono cast down Monkey Fist, you must."
Ron did not wish to be a vessel ever again. He wanted nothing of the Yono's power. He wanted the spirit to SHUT UP! He held out his spoon before him. A protective ward against evil.
"Ho! Boy, you amuse me. A spoon! Is this where you claim, "that's not a knife. This is a knife?" Go on. Say it!"
"Say it…!" The Yono reached out to Ron. Compulsion to repeat Crocodile Dundee's stale joke.
"SAY IT!"
Ron clenched his teeth. Tensed his legs muscles to remain rooted. He did this to resist his own terror.
The spoon glowed blue. The Yono's voice persisted. Quieter now. Influence diminished. Ron could relax – some. To the point of mobility.
Yono sighed."I recognise that weapon! I held it on the field of battle millennia ago. A spoon, that is a good one! To scoop out your enemies eyes! In my paws the weapon was a chop stick. Do you know how many hilarious variations of killing a man with chop sticks there are?"
Ron did not want to imagine the number of ways the Yono may invent.
Following in Yori's wake, Ron edged toward the idol. Until they stood either side of its rock pedestal. Ron stood across from Yori. He looked at Yori and caught her eye.
Whatever her intentions were. Hurry.
Yori opened a duffel bag. She reached for the Idol.
"I see you for what you are. Boy. My creator sent you. He believes you can thwart me."
"He can," Yori declared her confidence.
"My power is not for you, cutey in tights." A mere thought. Yori was thrown out of the cave.
The sight of Yori summarily tossed aside stirred Ron to action. For Yori. For Hana. For Kim. For himself. The spoon glowed brighter for his determination. He lifted the spoon above his head and stabbed down red glowing idol. The too forces met, fought for domination and repulsed. Ron was forced a step back.
This idol was more capable than they had imagined, Ron realised. Now he was alone with it.
"Be at ease, Ron Stoppable. Before you act, think! We share a common link, each of us has been a pawn of the Monkey King. I understand you are sent on this quest against every fibre of common sense in your body. That is how he operates, my creator. He is a fiend. And a swindler. Responsible for every challenge ever to confront you. Bullies at school. Teachers riding you. Janitor's giving you a hard time. Bobo the Chimpanzee, Dr Drakken, Duff Killigan, Junior Senior – recognise his cruel trials. You felt you were a plaything for the universe? Well, there is an intelligence behind your torture, I tell you!"
"You're not so bad in the torture department. You think I'm going to believe you? You're the bad guy. Classic comic book superhero mistake. Now, what did you say about spoons and eyes?" and he attacked the idol again, this time digging the cup of the spoon under the right gem eye of the Idol. Prying the gem free.
The Yono thundered now, "CHOSEN OF THE MONKEY KING, I WILL CORRUPT EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR!
Mexican food will burn. I'll burn the entirety of Mexico! Bueno Nacho will serve Norwegian Cabbage Stew!
The brakes on your family car will be cut! See how Stoppable the Stoppable family are!
Your girlfriend, Possible? May count herself fortunate should I gift her to Junior Senior for his pleasure. Or - perhaps I'll transform her into you're greatest fear! Imagine seductive hairy legs. The majestic tail. Holding me close with her opposable toes. Delicious fangs whispering your embarrassing secrets in my ear. You don't like her telling secrets to new friends behind your back. Do you?"
"Who do you think you are, a Heath Ledger knock-off? You've threatened my family! You've threatened Kim! You've threatened Bueno Nacho! I don't know if I am the chosen one but I will do whatever it takes to stop you!"
Yori bore a few new bruises but was otherwise fine. She'd been quick to return and support her champion. As Ron held the Yono's attention captive she struck. From behind, she wrapped the monster in a cloth and placed him in the duffel back.
"I have him contained Stoppable-san. You have done well. Thank you."
It was Ron's pleasure. "That shut him up."
"Ah! I'm blind! Whatever shall I do? I've been projecting my thoughts directly into your MINDS. Dumbass! Hey! Have you ever thought what Betty White would look like naked?" The image he projected on the inside of Ron's skull. "Now you have!"
…
Yori was again quiet for the chopper ride back to Wyndham. It wasn't solely for the reason the rotors made conversation awkward. The Yono had shifted his toying attention to her for a time. She turned her microphone off. Ron could not hear. This was a private conversation. Between the master of the Yamanouchi School and a client.
"Centuries ago your kind served me. Your brothers swore an oath to me! As long as this boy lives I do not hold your oath fulfilled!"
"We accomplished what you asked. One contract. One life. This is not the champion you hired us to kill. We uphold a different contract now."
She could feel the Yono peer into her mind. Discovering the terms of said contract.
"Very clever Toshimiru, you wretched orphan. Little Yamanouchi girl, how far will you go to keep your worthless oath? Who are you willing to kill to ensure Stoppable completes his mission? Will he ever forgive you for it? Yes! Delicious. I'm sending someone unique to take care of you."
…
Junior shuffled his deck of cards again and laid them out in the style of solitaire. Again. Together with his allies, whom were not big on talking, he played the waiting game.
They flew a search pattern above the Australian continent. The location of the next Idol of the Yono according to Lord Monkey Fist. Awaiting the sign Lord Monkey Fist was confident would come. The stone Yono Idol would clap when close to its brother Lord Monkey Fist assured them. We must not question the wisdom of Lord Monkey Fist, Warhawk warned Junior.
Fine. Junior could waste his time so long as Monkey Fist foot the bill. Until this useless rock clapped or he snapped due to boredom and gunned down his companions. Wish he had had the foresight to bring Nintendo. Mystical Monkey Power, what rubbish!
Weary of solitaire, Junior studied his companions - his clients - absentmindedly. Annoyed they were impervious to tedium. Haley/Warmonga – whatever – flying a straight line search grid. Back and forth. Back and forth. Refuelling. Back and forth. Never a lapse in her concentration. Her brother, Warhawk, meditating…. "You've been sitting cross legged for hours! You'll be too stiff to get up."
Warhawk defied Junior proclamation. Shifting his weight and back flipping to his feet from a sitting position.
The two men exchanged depreciative glares before Warhawk began a series of Kung Fu, voodoo martial exercises, the guy thought he was Bruce Lee was Junior's opinion. On completion he took a glass of water from the galley and checked in with his sister. Offering to trade responsibilities for a time.
"Relieved of sitting at the controls of an aircraft for hours, you relax by sitting on the floor for hours?"
Rather, Haley pulled up a chair opposite Junior. "Or I could take all your money in a game of Gin."
"Fancy yourself a card player of my calibre?"
"I've spent years undercover, living among fat old men deep in remote locations with a worn deck of cards constituting an evenings entertainment. I learned their customs."
"See!" Junior called forward. "Your sister is much more fun."
In the cockpit, Warhawk said nothing.
"Continue to push his tolerance you won't like what happens," Haley teased.
"So I am getting under his skin? Straight face he does, I was beginning to wonder. Are you sure he's not a card player?"
Chime.
The monkey idol moved. The hands clapped.
Haley grinned, "Your trust fund is saved by the chime," and went forward to inform her brother to circle.
Junior frowned at the idol. "You did that on purpose."
Chime.
Chime.
Chime. Chime.
"Hey! You're monkey reached the terrible twos."
Chime. Chime. Chime. Chime. Chime.
Haley returned to observe the activity Junior talked warned of. Junior noted her reverence toward the item. A child on Christmas morning, he mused.
Shame, he was beginning to enjoy this one's wit. Just one more in a world of countless fanatics. A child.
"The second idol must be directly below us!"
The clapping levelled off and halted even as she stated such. Concerned, Haley took note of their GPS position, direction of the plane and velocity. She would not allow this discovery to slip by.
"Warhawk!" Circle back and fly low. We must firm up our expected co-ordinates before we search for the idol on foot."
Nothing. The idol did not twitch.
"These co-ordinates are the same…," Haley confirmed, checking over the instrumentation from the co-pilot seat.
"Yes," Warhawk agreed.
"Circle again."
"Not necessary. I have located the idol." Warhawk tapped the bleep of a transponder on radar. Haley searched the transponder code. Bell 205 model 'Huey' helicopter register to commercial charter flights out of Wyndham.
Flying in the opposing direction to the track they had been on. Currently the aircraft travelled the same line. As Warhawk gained ground on them.
Chime.
Haley demanded, "Who would dare?"
"It's Possible and her crew," Junior announced, leaning against the cockpit door frame.
"This cannot be borne. The Yono idols are not for Possible and her lackey."
Warhawk added, "I warned them of their fate should we cross paths again."
Junior wanted to stamp out that notion. "I believe we've had this conversation before, henchman. Team Possible belongs to me. Bought and paid for."
"You were hired to retrieve the idols, mercenary," Warhawk reminded his arrogant, rich boy, blood sucking flea companion. "Fail to perform as required and you'll be dropped from 20,000 feet. Then we'll drop your contract."
"Oh, yes? You have a plan then?"
"Kill them. Take the idol."
Junior could hear echoes of his previous pleas to his father to shoot this espionage agent or bomb this rival. Junior was a proponent of straight up solutions over bulky, fallible schemes. Keep it simple, stupid. Today he felt uncomfortably on common ground with his father as a more devious solution occurred.
"This is not a problem. They knew the location of the third idol, maybe they know the location of the forth? Rather than fly back and forth fly across a continent waiting for your doll to clap, why not follow them?"