Chapter 4: Guests in the Night
After the group came out of the Pentagon, they all loaded up in the hummer that was waiting for them. They were driven, down city block after city block, to the hotel they were to stay at for the night. While they rode to the hotel, Kim wondered what was going on because of her archenemy riding along in the same vehicle with her. Kim knew it was unlike Shego to help unless it benefited her in some way. To have the woman within striking distance, unnerved Kim because she couldn't trust the woman. They had worked together before only for Shego to try and backstab her and the rest of Team Go.
Well, it might be a guess but Drakken must been on the list of the missing, Kim thought while the hummer pulled into the parking lot of the five star hotel.
The second the hummer stopped at the entrance of the hotel, Cleburne jumped out of the hummer and hurried Shego and the teens into the hotel. This was odd to Kim because it seemed to her that Cleburne didn't want them to be caught out in the opening. She shrugged her shoulders at all the weirdest going about and followed along behind Cleburne.
While they neared the rooms, Ron ran up to Cleburne and started asking him all kinds of questions. Cleburne finally got frustrated and turned his head to Ron and said, "One more question, kid and I will see how long it takes you reach the street below, after I throw you over the balcony."
Ron got the point and dropped back to where Kim was, who was studying Shego mere feet in front of her. The only thing she noticed about Shego was her staring at Cleburne's backside and the strange look she had on her face while she stared at the strange man. Kim only narrowed her eyes at the happy look Shego had on her face and gave up on trying to figure out all the strange things of the day. But it puzzled her over why Shego would be happy or at least seemed happy.
While Kim studied Shego, Cleburne stopped suddenly at their rooms and nodded to the doors leading to the rooms saying, "Ladies this is your room and kid that is yours."
Ron got excited and exclaimed, "I got my own room and got it to myself!"
"Yeah kid, knock yourself out but I let you know one thing though, if I catch you trying to sneak into these ladies' room, I throw you off the balcony anyways," Cleburne said with annoyance.
However, Ron was too excited to notice what he said and Kim laughed quietly behind them. She loved a lot of the silly things about Ron. It was one of the things she enjoyed the most about him.
"Wonder what they got for room service," questioned Ron and before Cleburne could say,
"Don't get too much," Ron was already in the room.
Cleburne sighed while he shook his head and he walked by Kim and Shego, heading away from the rooms the ladies and Ron were to stay in for the night.
While Cleburne went by the ladies, he said, "Night ladies, I be in the next room over if something comes up."
Kim said "good night" back and turned to go into the room she was to stay in for the night. Shego, however, said nothing while he walked by them.
Shego held back from entering the room because one thing her archenemy was in there and she thought she saw Cleburne taking his mask off as he went into his room. She was curious about what he looked like. His voice she knew for some reason but she couldn't remember from where. It puzzled her because she felt a strange joy the first time she heard his voice. She let out a sigh and she stared into the room Kim went into. Reluctantly, she entered the room, seeing Kim already on the balcony looking at the city.
Shego thought while she stood there and stared at Kim's back side, Well if we're going to work together, might as well try to be friends, then she started to laugh silently and commented mentally, Crazy thinking, Shego, crazy thinking.
Shego shook her head and she walked out onto the balcony herself. She stood by Kim for a second before she propped up on the rail. She started looking at the city too and kept a leery eye on Kim. In the next room they could hear Ron ordering all kinds of food. She noticed Kim smiling before her mouthed, "what a goof."
"So you and the buffoon are item now," Shego asked after she noticed this.
"He's not a buffoon! And yeah, been one since last prom, you of all people should remember that night," said Kim while a frown appeared on her face.
"Yeah, I do and I'll never forget it. Besides, when this is over I'll give you something to really hate about me and I'll see if you love a 1000 kilowatts going through you," Shego stated while she remembered the pain the red headed, beside her, put her through not too many months ago.
"We'll see and we could right now if it wasn't for your BF in the next room," Kim said with a smile.
Shego blushed for a second before she stammered out, "He's not my BF!"
Kim just laughed and said, "Sure, well, its bed time for me, see you in the morning."
Kim left Shego on the balcony and Shego was fuming again while trying her best not to light up her hands. While she turned and looked toward Cleburne's balcony, she noticed the chair on the balcony moved, with no one sitting in it!
"What the heck," she said while still watching the chair and she lit her hands at the strange surprise.
"Sorry," said a voice that she felt she knew for some odd reason. After an uneasy silence, Cleburne appeared sitting in the chair with his mask back on while he looked over the city.
"How long you been there, since no one could seen you anyways," Shego said with rage building again in her.
"Please turn those flames off and I been here long enough," Cleburne said calmly while he continued to look over the city.
Cleburne acting calm caused Shego to relax for some reason and she unlit her hands while she said, "Eavesdropping I see."
"Not really. I was sitting here thinking when I over heard you two. So I listened in," Cleburne explained while he never took his eyes off of the city.
"Thinking uh? More like stalking and don't think I like the idea of her calling you my Bf," Shego said with annoyance while she wondered why she was starting to feel happy.
"Please, Shego, if you knew more about me, you know that I'm not a sick minded fool and I didn't think I would ever hold such a title as BF anyways," Cleburne said while he turned his gaze toward Shego.
"Really? So tell me then about yourself, since you already said 'you know a lot about me.' Which makes me wonder what all you do know and why you know it to begin with," Shego said while she stared into Cleburne's eyes for a second before turned her gaze to the city.
The odd eyes gave her an uneasy feeling every time she looked into them. Just at the sight of him looking back into hers, causes a shiver up her spine and she wants to shake all over. But she never does because of his voice, it calms her for some reason which she couldn't explain.
"Well, I truly can say I know enough to know the real you. Look, let's leave it at that. What I know I'll kept to myself. So, don't worry about any blackmailing," Cleburne explained while he continued to look at Shego.
"The real me? This is the real me," Shego stated while she looked back at Cleburne and showed him an evil smirk.
"Nope, the person you are now isn't the real you. The real you is someone you be someday. Either you be evil or good. More likely good," Cleburne said sadly while he looked Shego right in the eyes.
"Good again? Don't make me laugh," Shego stated defiantly while she shook her head at Cleburne.
"Well if it wasn't for your brothers, you right now be still good. Your heart is still good even when you like being bad. Something's been bugging me, though. With all your powers, you never used them to the full potential, even when you fight Kim. There was only time you ever did," Cleburne stated which got a sad look out of Shego.
Cleburne's statement told Shego that he did know a lot about her. It puzzled her how he knew what he knew and she was going to find out. Even if she had to fight him again before she made him spill his guts over how he learned about her.
"Well, lots of innocent people got hurt when I did. Kinda an emotional block that keeps me from using them that way again," Shego stated in a sad tone while she looked away from Cleburne.
"I see. Someday you will have to again. Hurting innocent people or not. It maybe your only option," Cleburne said while he looked back over the city.
"Maybe so. I hope not. And quit dodging, you still haven't told me about you, so at least I can know something," Shego said with a laugh after she felt better.
"I will when I get my thoughts together. Ever since the experiment I had trouble remembering things," Cleburne stated while he tapped on his head with a closed fist.
"Experiment," Shego questioned with surprise.
"Yes, experiment, but that was after I knew about you. I remember you for some reason. Maybe we were in school together or something. And since the experiment, you stuck in my head and that's why I know so much about you. It became a hobby to learn about you. It helped me keep sane. I was normal once as normal could be. Course you knew that," Cleburne said with no hint of emotion in his voice.
"I understand now why you said I was normal compared to you," Shego said while she looked at her hands and remembered being truly normal long ago.
"Yes, your powers were natural in sense but mine, if you call them powers, was man made," Cleburne stated while he turned his look back to Shego.
"So, you might have known me in school before your experiment. Are you close to my age then," Shego questioned while she thought over who all she seen in school. No one ringed a bell that would tell her who Cleburne was. She let out a light sigh and stared back at Cleburne for a second.
"Not my experiment. It was my father's, and yes, we are the same age or close to it anyways," Cleburne said while he returned Shego's stare until she turned her eyes to the city.
"Your father's," Shego questioned with a surprised look.
"Yes, his, but I volunteer for it. Was called the Orion Project. An US military program to make super soldiers because other parts of the world were looking at super soldiers as the future. They were 13 volunteers. I was one of them since my father was the head researcher, which helped me get involved with it. There aren't any files left of the project. A black project anyways. I bet even Kim's computer friend will never find anything on it," Cleburne said sadly while he looked down at his feet as he spoke.
"13 of you? Is there that many of you running around," Shego asked while her surprised look relaxed and a wondering look replaced it.
"Nope, I'm the only survivor of the program. Many of the candidates were too weak mentally and then the others were too strong physically. It was an experiment with nanobots. The white blood cells saw the nanobots as invaders in the body. So, the ones with a strong immune system had a war pretty much going on in their bodies. They ended up having their organs exploding or being turned inside out. The ones weak mentally either killed themselves or had someone do it for them. Mainly because the first phase was too painful. Felt like they were dipping me in lava. I managed to make it through that. But at a cost. It erased my memory. I don't even know my real name anymore," Cleburne said with a sad tone.
"Your real name? Thought it was Cleburne or what the general called you. Berg," Shego stated while she was starting to get confused because she thought Cleburne was his name. For him to tell her he didn't know his name was a set back on her trying to figure out who he was.
"It's neither one. At first they called me 13---a number for a name. That's why I made up the ones I'm called now and that's why the general called me two different names. Also, because of the memory lost I have, I can't even remember my father's name and since the files are gone I might never know," Cleburne said while he diverted his eyes back to the city before he returned his eyes to looking at Shego.
"So what happened after the first phase," Shego asked and Cleburne noticed she had sat in a chair on the ladies balcony and acted like she was really interested. Cleburne sighed too quietly for Shego to hear and continue.
"After a few months, the government started adding new technologies to the list. Like the invisibly trick you saw a few moments ago. When they added the techs to me, I went through another phase of pain. Made it through that one too. Then there was the nanobot suit phase which the suit itself is the nanos. More pain. Then there was a phase called Self Support Metabolism. Which meant I didn't have to sleep nor eat and the nanos act like a second immune system. I about starved to death during that phase. You know, I haven't slept in five years. There was a fifth phase I was suppose to go through but it never happened because an accident happened at the research center. I escape from there during the accident, not by choice, but because of the state I was in. I wonder in the Canadian wilderness for more than two years. I was like a mindless robot walking around," when Cleburne went silent, Shego saw his eyes flash red even when he was, as he put it, normal.
"Sorry about that. I'm beginning to get emotions back and they are hard to control. What is a mild feeling to a regular person would be an extreme for me. Anger is rage to me and I'm afraid how far such feelings will go," Cleburne explained after he noticed Shego was staring at him with a bewildered look.
Cleburne continued speaking by saying, "Anyways, those two years I can't remember. After those two years, the US government found me and restored some of my memory, but it mostly was about the program. The only reason they found me was reports coming from the area about a red-eyed demon rampaging about. I remember everything of the program and everything after the accident. Now you know enough about me to justify what I know about you."
"I guess so. So, you still work for the government," Shego asked while she stopped staring at Cleburne and diverted her eyes to the city. Shego wouldn't admit she was enjoying the talk because of how relaxed she was over hearing Cleburne's voice. She couldn't understand why she was but she was liking it.
"Most of the time but I'm a freelancer. Mercenary. Just like you. Get contracts from the highest bidder. Yet, unlike you, I don't let mad men, who want to take over the world, bid for my service. My contracts are from the countries themselves and sometimes the government sends out contracts for me. Being a super soldier, I been in more secret wars than I can count. Some things I did I'm not proud of, but at the time I didn't care, the money was good. Now, though, I'm better off. That's why I said you will change someday. I was where you are now a long time ago," Cleburne said while he looked back at the city.
"I don't know about that and speaking of contracts. You mention contracts to the general earlier," Shego stated while she peeked a look at Cleburne before she went back to looking at the city too.
"Yes, contracts which be for you, Kim, and Ron. That is if you all want them," Cleburne said with no emotion.
"For us? I already got a contract," Shego stated while she looked back at Cleburne for a second.
Cleburne stated, "Well this these---nope, I'm not gonna to ruin the surprise," while he started to shake his head.
"Why not tell me," Shego said with annoyance. She had always hated when people dodged around something she wanted to know about.
"Well, I won't, that is for the general to tell you all tomorrow," Cleburne explained while he looked back at Shego.
"Fine then, I wait until tomorrow, which is already today. In that case,, I'm going to bed. Sweet dreams," Shego said while she realized she told the strange man sweet dreams. It was unlike her to do and she ran into the ladies room with a surprised look on her face.
Cleburne chuckled a bit and wondered what that was about. He sighed and turned back looking out over the city while thinking, Wish I could dream again. Some day I can, but Shego I hope someday, too, you realize the second way you could actually hurt me. That be the day.
After he sat back into his usual thinking stance, he started to talk to himself again. All he said was, "record end." After his statement, he heard the sound of footsteps on the pavement below him. He rose up to look over the rail and looked down at the sound before he jumping to his feet. Whatever he saw, caused him to run through his room, out the door, and toward the stairs that would lead him to what he saw.
The next morning Kim woke with the sun shining in her eyes. While she squinted her eyes for a second then rubbed them, she looked around the room, seeing no sight of Shego but she could tell Shego used the bed beside her the night before.
Well, that's no surprise. Shego is Shego. No telling where she is now and I can't believe we slept in the same room without trying to kill one another, thought Kim while she rose up in bed.
After Kim had sat on the bed for a moment, she heard the bathroom door opened. Kim narrowed her eyes at the shadow the bathroom light was casting on the wall across from the bathroom. A moment later, Shego stepped out with a towel on her head and what looked like a bathrobe.
"Morning, Princess, hope you slept well because I didn't with all that noise your buffoon of a Bf was making last night," Shego chirpy said while she looked down at Kim sitting on the bed.
"For the last time he's not a buffoon and yeah, I slept well after you and your BF stopped talking last night," Kim said with a grin.
"And for the last time to you, he's not my BF! Got it," screamed Shego.
"Well, you could fool me. Anyways, you done with the shower," Kim stated while she climbed out of bed.
"Yeah, help yourself," said Shego as she sat on her bed and Kim rush by her.
While Kim went into the bathroom, Shego had an evil smirk on her face. A few seconds later, there came sounds of Kim falling in the shower and murmurs of her saying something. After the bathroom went quiet, Kim exploded out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel around her. Shego snapped her looked up to Kim like this surprised her but she began to grin even more and started to laugh.
"How dare you," Kim screamed while one of her hands balled up in a fist and other hand kept the towel on her.
"What," Shego asked after she quit laughing.
"You know what," Kim replied while she started toward Shego.
"Oh, That. I forgot to tell you, I dropped my shampoo while I was in the shower. Guess I should have warned you," Shego said with an even bigger grin.
"You guess! That's it you ungrateful---," and before Kim could finish what she was going to say, there came a knock on their door and on the other side Cleburne's voice could be heard.
"Alright ladies. Enough! If I have to come in there and break you two to up I will, even if you're not descent," Cleburne was heard saying through the door before the room fell silent.
Kim let her anger die there before she turned and stormed back into the bathroom, saying only loud enough for Shego to hear, "If it wasn't for your BF, I wipe that grin off your face."
Kim's statement Shego did hear and she replied back, "You can try, Princess, when this is over and not my BF," before she began to laugh again while Kim got into the shower with more care.
After Kim and Shego got ready and left their room, they saw Cleburne and Ron were out in the hall, across from their room, already. Cleburne was holding Ron up by the shirt, holding him up in the air with one hand.
"Look, kid, I said no more questions," Cleburne said as he let Ron back down and propping himself back up against the wall while he crossed his arms. He noticed the ladies were looking at him and looked back at them still in the same stance.
"Well, are you ladies ready to go now," Cleburne questioned without coming out of his stance.
"Yes, we are, we been ready earlier if someone didn't have an, as she said, accident with her shampoo," Kim said while she looked up at Shego with a scowling look, which Shego noticed and she grinned back at Kim.
"Shampoo accident," Ron asked with a confused look.
"Long story, Ron. I tell you about it later. But, I do know she'll get paid back for it someday," Kim said while she rubbed her still sore elbow.
"Anytime, Princess, anytime," Shego stated while she noticed Cleburne not even paying attention to them.
"What's wrong, Cleburne," asked Kim when she noticed the same thing.
"Well, we had some visitors last night while you all slept," Cleburne said while the tone of his voice hinted his concern.
"We did, who were they," Kim said with a wondering look.
"Were buddies of the ones Shego zapped yesterday," Cleburne said while not sounding happy.
"Really, how they find us here," asked Shego while she realized the answer to her own question.
"You used your powers last night, remember. I was hoping you would because it proves they can find you just as easy as I can. I was hoping they would come snooping around. Which they did," Cleburne said with a laugh.
"What you used me as bait," Shego said while she got furious at the thought.
"Yes, I did. We had one problem with the operation and that was we didn't know the location of their main base, which is where probably the scientists are too. The only way to find out was to ask someone that knew. Namely the very ones after you. We could have done that yesterday if Shego didn't knock those three out and of course we didn't have time to capture one and bring them with us. Mainly because someone, not naming names, decided to fight me before I even spoke. Then it took too long for Shego to listen to reason. So, forget the using you as bait," Cleburne said while he showed no concern about Shego being mad.
"I find a way to hurt you one of these days. I swear to it," a fuming Shego said.
Cleburne chuckled at the threat and said, "Maybe you will, maybe not. But anyways, before we get a move on, you need to check in my room before we leave. Our visitors from last night are still in there. Get a good look at them, because when we get onto the mission, you liable to see more like them."
"We," questioned Kim.
"Yes, we. I'm going too. Remember I was ordered to make sure you two don't kill one another. That means I have to go on the mission too, just to make sure you both don't get an idea to try it. Besides, there are other orders I been given to get done during the mission as well," Cleburne said sadly.
After Cleburne said that, all four walked into Cleburne's room and saw four men dressed like soldiers hanging upside down with their feet tied together by a rope, which was tied into the ceiling, and their hands tied behind them with washcloths in their mouths. They had battered and bruised faces but they were awake. At the sight of Cleburne, they began to struggle out of fear of him and begin to murmur something.
At the sight of this, Ron thought, Yes, remember never to make this dude mad again because he can be very evil when he wants to.
Shego and Kim were a bit shocked at the display and both were thinking Cleburne had a cruel streak somewhere.
After a moment of staring at the upside down hanging men, Cleburne motioned everyone to leave and while he started to go out the room, he turned and said, "Alright, fellas, behave. Someone will come around later and get you out of your mess. It be no one you'll like to see though. We're not done asking you questions."
He turned the light off in the room while he started to leave the room and he shut the door, leaving the men hanging in the room while they wiggling around.