The Return Part 3
[The fic from the Picking on Sid poll!]
By CrystalQuirt
Description - Kong Li thinks he has found a way to infiltrate Wu's Garden and finally get the cookbook.
Warnings - mild language, violence.
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"Sid, it worries me that you can't remember, when Sue and Tobey both say the same things happened. Have you eaten anything that you didn't know for sure where it came from?"
Sid stared at the floor, he noticed his back hurt a lot, and his neck was sore and he had a giant headache. He stretched and held the back of his neck with both hands. "No Nana I didn't eat anything weird, not that I can remember anyway."
Sue came back down to see what was going on. Nana continued, "Well Sid, I want you to stay close, let the others take the rest of the deliveries and in case there is something evil going on, it's time for your girlfriend to go home don't you think?"
"What? Sandy is still here? Yes Nana, I'll tell her to leave." Sid started out to the garden to find her, but ran into Tobey. Tobey carried his stuff rolled up in his comforter that made a bundle bigger than he was. He still limped down the steps and through the hall to get out to the garden. Sid followed him, "Tobey what are you doing - where are you going with your stuff."
"I'm not staying in the same room with someone who is trying to kill me!"
Sid followed Tobey out to the garden, begging him to not sleep outside. He reached to touch him and Tobey leapt over the picnic table to get away. "What? Are you surprised?"
"Tobey! I don't remember what happened, but I'm sorry!" Sandy crept up behind Sid and hugged him. Don't worry about them Sweetie, I'm not mad at you." She cooed.
"Hi Sandy, I guess I disappeared on you too, sorry. I'm not feeling well, I'd like to say goodnight now, but can I see you again tomorrow?"
"Of course Sid, but tonight doesn't have to be over."
"Yeah, it's over, please go - I will call you."
"Sue-Sid-Tobey! DELIVERIES!" boomed Mr. Wu's voice from inside. Tobey started back in, and saw Sid wasn't following. "You coming? I won't be able to do them all by myself since I can't ride my bike."
"Nana won't let me go out again tonight. Please Tobey, take my bike."
Tobey glared at Sid, "FINE! I will, and I get to keep all the tips I get." He stayed another moment, picking up his belongings that fell off the table into the mud and heard them talking.
"Sandy? What's wrong with me? I don't remember doing anything that my family is accusing me of."
"I don't know, maybe it's not you, maybe they've been poisoned somehow - maybe they are the ones hallucinating! Too bad your Nana doesn't have some kind of book she can research stuff in - you know, like to find antidotes!"
Tobey stomped back into Wu's, leaving Sid and Sandy alone in the garden. He was still mad at Sid, and now mad about what Sandy said. He knew he wasn't the one hallucinating. But still he wondered if something was affecting Sid in the way she mentioned. He planned on mentioning the possibility to Nana before he left for deliveries.
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The blob stayed behind when Tobey left, hopped over to Sandy and waited. Sid sat down at the picnic table, facing away from the table and rubbed his neck. "Please go home Sandy, I'm gonna go up to bed - I hurt all over."
"No Sweetie, you stay right here with me okay? I can help you feel much better."
The glob glowed, jumped up on the bench by Sid and attacked him again. Sid cried out and started to run back inside, but Sandy tripped him. By the time he stood up, Kong Li was in control again and he put the sunglasses on to hide his blue eyes.
"Let's create some more havoc now that that little reject has planted another seed about hallucinations, and poison into Mei Hua's head."
Sid, with Kong Li controlling him, found Sue in the dining room. He spoke to her like he was teasing, with a nasty tone to his voice. "Hey MeiMei, I thought you went on deliveries with Tobey."
"He said he wanted to do them all alone - you really upset him you know! What is going on with you?" She turned around and looked at her brother. "You're wearing sunglasses at night . . . and indoors again?"
"Nothing's going on with me, 'cept maybe I've decided to be a normal kid for a while." Sid leaned back sideways in the booth across from Sue and tossed an open switchblade knife into the air, catching it by the handle as it fell.
"Normal delinquent . . ." Sue corrected him.
He laughed and tried to annoy Sue again. "Are you sure you want to let little Tobey go out alone, somebody might make him fall off his bike again."
"Tobey will be fine if YOU leave him alone, and don't call him 'little' Tobey either. I am worried about you, Sid. You've never acted like this before. Is it the company you're keeping?" Sue glared at Sandy.
Sandy giggled when she saw Sid catch the knife again. "That trick was cool Sid."
"Hey watch this, this is even cooler." He tossed the switchblade up again over the table, and let it come down, stabbing point first into the table right in front of Sue.
"Sid! Mr. Wu is gonna kill you!" Sue scolded. "And since when do you have a switch blade?"
Nana came into the dining room and saw what he did too. "Sid! You will need to pay to have that hole in the table fixed. Do not do knife tricks in the restaurant."
Sid grinned and threw the knife up again - right in front of Nana. When it came down again it buried itself into Sue's arm.
"Aaahgh, Sid! Dammit!" Sue pulled her arm across her chest and closed her eyes. In pain, she gritted her teeth and looked away, afraid to even look at her arm. Sid reached over and yanked the knife out of his sister's arm giving it a little twist before he pulled.
"Owww! Sue cradled her arm against her stomach and twisted away from him in the seat. The pain made her feel a little faint and she was glad she was already sitting down.
Nana ran over to help Sue. "Sandy, leave now . . . Sid! Leave the knife on the counter and go up to your room, I will be up in a moment to talk to you."
Sid sauntered away, still playfully tossing the knife in the air and catching it. "Forget it, it's my knife." Sid flipped Nana off and went up the stairs.
"Sid!" Sue looked to Nana, "Let me go Nana - I'm gonna punch his lights out!"
"Sit down Sue . . . Barney! Bring me the first aid kit!" Barney heard her from the kitchen she yelled so loud.
On her way out, Sandy stopped at the table with Nana and Sue. She lied to Nana, pretending that she was worried about Sid too. She said that she saw Sid eat something that someone else delivered to Wu's garden. She said she thought it strange, that one restaurant delivered to another.
Sandy walked away as Barney ran over to the table with the first aid kit. "Sue! What happened?"
"Just had a little accident Barney." Sue clenched her teeth and whined when Nana layered gauze on the wound and applied pressure to the puncture to stop the bleeding. "I have some herbs that should prevent this from getting infected."
Barney looked around nervously. "Oh man! You're bleeding in the dining room! The restaurant inspector isn't going to like that much! You better hope they don't choose now to make a surprise inspection!"
"Don't worry Barney I'll clean up the mess I made bleeding on your table."
"No Sue, just take care of yourself - I will clean it up."
"Thanks Barney."
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Sandy thought her plan worked, in that Nana suspected that perhaps whatever Sid might have eaten had indeed harmed him somehow. Thinking she had planted the 'bad recipe seed' in Nana's mind to distract her from what was really going on, and to make her get out the magic cookbook. Sandy went out the front door.
When Sid got up to his room, Sandy was already upstairs. "I told Nana I saw Sid eat something."
"Yes my dear, you have done well. "Wait for me in the garden please. I will only be a few minutes."
Nana didn't trust Sandy and knew for sure that she was lying about something. When she went up to talk to Sid, she saw Sid was not in his room, and saw him coming out of her room. "What are you doing in my room? Come in here so we can talk."
"Forget it old woman, I'm gonna go see Sandy." He turned to leave to go to the garden where Sandy was waiting for him.
"You will not! Sid! You are grounded until we figure out what is going on with you."
"Ha! You try to ground me? You try to GROUND me, Mei Hua?" Sid flipped Nana off again and ran down the steps three at a time.
Did he just call me Mei Hua? Tobey is right, this isn't Sid. Now I have to find out what is affecting him. This may not even be Sid under the influence of something. I don't think he's a shape shifter though. Nana went to her room and found that he had ransacked it. Like he was looking for something and didn't care if she found out.
In Kong Li's lair, he fell back from the crystal ball, he was laughing so hard about what he was doing to his enemies. "This is so much more fun than I thought it would be!" he exclaimed.
Sid, really Kong Li, went out in the garden to tell Sandy what he wanted her to do next.
In the dining room, Sue was still sitting in the booth, arms spread out, head resting on the table. Her attention pulled between the throbbing pain in her arm and the strange, awful behavior of her brother.
When Tobey got back he sat with her and first thing, asked why her arm was bandaged. Anger like he never felt before welled up when he heard that Sid had carelessly cut her. Sue was instantly sorry that she told him everything.
Tobey literally growled and went out in the garden to confront Sid. Sue followed hoping to help smooth things over between the boys. Sue was surprised to see Sandy was back, again - even after Nana told her to go home.
"Sid! You cut Sue! You cut your sister, man - un-cool! I don't believe you could be so careless to have done it accidentally. Was it like what you did to me? That was no accident!"
Sid stood up and got real close to Tobey before he whispered, "You're right, what are you going to do about it you little dork?"
Tobey stepped back and yelled, "I'm gonna make you tell me what's wrong with you and I'm gonna make you apologize to Sue!"
Sue tried to interrupt, "No Tobey!"
Blinded by anger even if temporarily, Tobey charged at Sid without a plan. Sid put his hand out and pressed his palm against Tobey's head. Tobey tried to push past his hand, swinging his fists at him, but Sid effortlessly held him back. Since he was a little taller and stronger, Tobey couldn't reach him.
Tobey got red in the face since now he was embarrassed, besides being angrier than he had ever been before! He planted a foot forward and used the leverage to flip away from Sid before leaping back at him feet first.
Sid sidestepped and caught his foot, preventing him from landing on his feet. He landed on the stone walkway on his back with a thump. Tobey jumped back up to his feet and charged past the bench Sandy was sitting on.
Sue saw Sandy trip Tobey and Sid was on him before he even hit the ground.
"Hey! Don't interfere!" Sue yelled at Sandy, who just smiled as Sid punched Tobey in the stomach. Tobey tried to roll away and Sid punched him in the back before he could get up. Tobey landed on his stomach. Sid stood up and kicked him in the ribs.
The blob suddenly became as aware as a blob can be and tried to retract its tentacles from Sid's spine and turn loose from his back. But Kong Li strengthened his control, concentrating harder and made Sid kick Tobey again. Sue ran over and Sid punched her in the stomach and threw her into the fountain. Sandy squealed with joy and clapped!
The blob didn't really understand what was happening to it, only knew when Tobey was getting hurt and its actions were somehow causing it. The blob nearly exploded under Sid's shirt and pulled out of Sid's back. It fell on the ground and slithered away like a slug before Sue got out of the fountain or Tobey looked over.
Sid was bent over panting with a pained, confused look on his face, and Tobey thought this was his chance to get him. He violently tackled Sid with his fists flying before Sid even saw him coming.
After the blob detached itself this time, blood soaked quickly through his shirt from the large holes, but Tobey didn't notice. He delivered one palm after another to Sid's chest and stomach and put him down on his back. Sid put his arms up to cover his face but wouldn't fight back, not wanting to fight Tobey and not knowing what was going on.
"Tobey stop! I don't want to fight you!"
"You had no problem fighting me a minute ago when you were winning!"
"What?"
"Apologize to Sue! For hurting her, and apologize to Nana for disrespecting her!"
"What? Sue is hurt? And I haven't disrespected Nana! - I would never!"
"DON'T LIE! I saw and heard what you did to Nana, and Sue is wearing a bandage and can barely move her arm!"
"Alright Tobey, if it will make you feel better, punch me! Then maybe we can figure out what's going on."
Sue was still lying in the fountain, but at least her head was above water. Sandy got up and went toward Tobey and Sid.
Tobey stopped, panting and embarrassed. "I'm sorry Sid - I know there has to be something very wrong with you for you to be acting this way." He said, still sitting on him.
Sid looked past Tobey and saw Sandy with her fist up, ready to hit Tobey from behind. "No Sandy!"
Sandy turned her hand made of sand, into solid rock and knocked Tobey off of Sid by hitting him in the head. Tobey rolled onto his back, unconscious.
"Why did you do that? He had stopped fighting! And he wouldn't have hurt me anyway!"
"How do you know he wouldn't hurt you Sid? He was so angry!"
"He controls his anger better than that - better than I do!
Sid yelled for Sue when he saw her climbing out of the fountain. When Sue saw Tobey on the ground she started to run to him, but Sid told her to get Nana! So she ran for the back door.
"What are you gonna do? Tell your Nana on me? I thought you were cooler than that."
"You idiot! Tobey's unconscious - he needs help! You hit him too hard - you shouldn't have hit him at all!"
"Sid?" Tobey whispered.
"Tobey?" Sid looked down at him. Tobey moaned and opened his eyes - "what happened?"
"I'm sorry Tobey."
Sid looked at Sandy. He could tell, she was daring him to tell Tobey that she hit him.
"I'm sorry Sid - I shouldn't have picked a fight with you - even if you hadn't kicked my ass."
I didn't totally kick your ass, Sandy hit . . ."
"I stopped the fight or Sid woulda wiped the garden with you." Sandy bragged.
Nana came back out with Sue and made Sid back up so she could check Tobey. He tried to tell Nana that he was okay, but couldn't sit up by himself. Nana made him lie back.
Sid watched nervously with very wet looking eyes, like he might cry. His back was really stinging, and the pain in his neck and shoulders really throbbed. He sat down. Sue came over to check on him and moved Sandy out of the way, physically. "Sid! Your back is bleeding!"
"It's nothing - I must have gotten cut in the gravel while we were fighting. I don't care, please take care of Tobey!"
Sue went back to Tobey, planning to help her brother get cleaned up later. Sandy put her arm around Sid, only so she could hold his shirt up for the blob to get back in. Kong Li had control of the blob again and was waiting behind the bench that Sid and Sandy were sitting on.
Nana and Sue helped Tobey get up and they started to the back door. They stopped when Sid screamed in pain and fell backwards off the bench into the bushes. Sandy turned to watch, but made no move to help him.
Nana held Tobey to make sure he stayed on his feet as Sue ran over to help Sid. She jumped in the bushes to find out what was going on. Sue flew through the air and landed against the side of the pool. Tobey pulled away from Nana and ran to Sue. As Nana ran after him, Sandy attracted more sand and gravel to her body from the garden and made tentacles which went around Nana's arms pinning them to her sides.
Nana kicked Sandy and made one of her sand legs disintegrate for an instant. Sandy laughed and wrapped another sand tentacle around her.
Sid got out of the bushes without his sunglasses and Nana screamed "Kong Li!" when she saw his pale blue eyes.
"Sue! Tobey! Watch out! Kong Li has taken control of Sid's body!"
Sue moaned and held her head. Sid ran up behind Tobey and grabbed him by his collar and belt and threw him in the pool. Tobey was still dizzy and not completely sure what was happening to him, except someone was holding his head underwater. Tobey broke Sid's hold on him and jumped up. He punched Sid in the cheek and fell back.
"Sid! What the hell?"Tobey saw Sid's pale blue eyes and panicked. He turned to fight his way through the water trying to get to the side of the pool, but Sid was on him again, he pinned one of Tobey's arms behind his back, wrapped his hand around the back of his neck and pushed him under the water's surface again. When Tobey kicked backwards to try and take Sid's feet out, Sid stepped on his calf, right behind his knee and held him down.
Tobey beat on Sid's arm and shoulder with his one free hand, but couldn't get much power in the water. He lost a large amount of air all at once that bubbled up to the surface. He thought his lungs might explode and eventually had to try and breathe, breathing in only water. Everything went black and he couldn't feel Sid's hands on him anymore.
Sue got up and looked over the side of the pool, seeing her brother, drowning her best friend! "Sid! Stop!" not waiting for him to do what she said, she leapt into the pool and grabbed him from behind. She took a deep breath and went under, pulling him backwards with her, she got her feet against his back and kicked.
The adrenaline gave her extra strength and Sid flew all the way out of the pool and took off running out of the garden and down the alley.
Sue grabbed Tobey's limp body and pulled him out of the pool, just as Nana picked up Sandy and put her in the pool, turning her and the pool into a muddy mess. Sandy was not able to reform herself in the water.
Sue had Tobey on his back in the grass screaming his name, she felt for his pulse and it was weak, but it was there. She watched and felt his chest praying he would take a breath, but no air was moving.
"Tobey, no!" Nana watched as she tilted his head back, pinched off his nose and blew into his mouth. Nana saw Tobey's cheeks puff out and watched his chest rise and fall. Sue took another breath and did it again. This time when her lips came away from his, he coughed up water. Sue hurried and turned him on his side and a trickle of water ran out as he coughed some more.
"Tobey? Please be okay!"
"Where's Sid? I told you he was trying to kill me."
"Shhhh, don't talk Tobey, we will go after him as soon as we know you are alright."
"Its not Sid, Kong Li is controlling him."
Tobey coughed some more and said, "I'm fine. We gotta go save Sid!" he took his phone out of his pocket. "Phone's too wet - see if Sid's is still working." Sue's phone was still on, and she found Sid's GPS signal. The three waved down a cab out front and told the driver which way to go.
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Tobey continued . . .