Chapter 6: Twisted Clouds and Restless Sleep
Shego and the teens watched him for a few seconds until he was out of sight around a corner of one of the barracks. After he was out of sight, Ron and Kim headed to their barracks while Shego continued to stare at the corner of the barracks. She sighed over missing the chance to be with the man alone. It might have been her last time to be alone with Cleburne before the mission and now she wondered if it would be after the mission before she learn what she wanted to know. She finally grew tired of staring where she last seen the strange man and she headed into barracks she would share with Kim. When Shego got into the barracks, Kim flashed her a smile for some reason while she sat on one of the beds.
"So, have you told him you like him," Kim questioned with the smile still on her face.
"Look, Kimmie, I done told you, it's hard to like someone without knowing their face," said Shego, who was getting irritated at Kim annoying her about Cleburne.
"Yes, true, but he already explained why he doesn't show his face, but I don't think that's a real problem. I saw how you look at him. Admit it, Shego you do like him," Kim said while she knew she was pestering Shego over Cleburne and she showed it by smiling at Shego after she spoke.
"Alright, fine, Princess! I admit I like something about him. Not sure what it is, it's just I have a feeling I met him somewhere a long time ago. He admits himself that he knew me or at least thought he did before the experiment he had," Shego said in a hope to get Kim off her back about the odd man while she sat on a bed beside Kim.
It was still strange to Shego how she could like a faceless man and she feared what Kim would do, since Shego just confessed she was to the point of crushing on the unrevealed man. Shego could see it now. Her reputation would plummet the second Kim posted Shego was in love without even knowing who the man really was. She wasn't in love, she knew that but she couldn't get rid of the feeling of being relaxed around Cleburne. It was all just too odd to her, like she felt this way before but she couldn't remember if she really did.
"Well do you remember anyone that sticks in your mind," Kim questioned while she showed surprise at Shego admitting something she was just joking with her about.
However, Shego didn't answer Kim. Instead she went silent over the fear of saying too much. Her reputation was at stake and her archenemy was sitting right beside her. Shego wondered else could she say that would do more damage.
Shego finally let out a sigh and stated, "Not really, most of those years were spent being a crime fighter and putting up with my brothers. The only place I can think of that I might have met him at was in school but I didn't pay that much attention to anyone at school since I hated being there. He did say he might know me from there," while she hoped that Kim couldn't use anything she just said to hurt her status in the crime world.
"Maybe that's where he remembered seeing you from. He might have been someone who was crushing on you before he was involved with the experiment and remembers that more than other things for some reason," Kim said while she noticed how tense Shego was getting.
Shego narrowed her eyes at the funny look Kim was giving her and she said, "I guess. I'm going to leave it a mystery until he remembers why he thinks he knows me."
Kim shrugged her shoulders in defeat at knowing Shego wasn't going to reveal anything else and she said, "Well, if I were you, I find out as soon as possible. No telling what will happen after we get to the compound tonight."
"Maybe I will, but I'm just gonna let him figure it out," Shego stated while trying to drop the subject.
"Suit yourself and I think its time for us to meet him at the parade grounds anyways," Kim said while she got up and started to leave.
Shego sat on the bed for a few more seconds shaking her head at the nonsense of talking to her rival. Shego watched Kim leaving her and she sighed before she got up herself and followed Kim out f the barracks.
While the ladies came out of the barracks, they saw Ron and Rufus were already out waiting on them. Ron gave them an amazed look because neither of them looked like they been in a fight. Shego and Kim returned Ron's look by raising their eyebrows. At the ladies look, Ron shook his head and flashed them a grin. The ladies shook their heads at him and Kim waved Ron to follow them. They all started walking to meet Cleburne and all the way there, none of them said anything.
When they neared the grounds, they saw Cleburne sitting, on an ammo crate with two others laying down beside him, out in the middle of the parade grounds.
After they neared him, he reached down and opened one of the crates laying beside him. In the crate was four Beretta 9mm pistols, with silencers attached, and two clips a piece with them. When Shego and the teens were standing beside Cleburne, he reached down and handed a pistol one by one to each of them. Shego looked at hers for a second and she flared up her hand holding the pistol.
The green glow melted the pistol and she let its remains fall down onto the concrete below her while she stated, "Don't need one."
Following Shego melting her pistol, Kim handed hers back to Cleburne while saying, "me neither," while Ron was fumbling around with his.
When Cleburne noticed what Ron was doing and after Kim gave her pistol back, he reached over and took Ron's from him.
"No sense and letting you cause an accident, kid," he said while he put Kim and Ron's pistols back into the crate.
After Cleburne put the guns in the crate, he looked up at Shego and the teens and he stated, "I admire you all not feeling comfortable nor wanting to have a gun with you. This isn't a mission where you can jump in, knock someone senseless, and have everything fine and dandy. If this thing goes south, there is going to be people there that will be trying to kill you. The only way to stop them from succeeding is to beat them to the draw. I know you all don't like the idea of killing someone since none of you have. Yes even you Shego."
When Cleburne said Shego didn't kill anyone when she used her powers to their full potential, she was stunned and she showed Cleburne a shocked look. She thought she did because the news said she did and she believed it. That night she never forgave herself for hurting innocent people and she vowed to never lose control of her powers again. She was successful in never using her full potential, even when she fought Kim.
After Cleburne saw the look Shego gave him, he chuckled and said, "You thought you did once when you accidentally hurt a lot of innocent people. You killed no one, but a lot did have third degree burns. All survived. If all of you don't want to kill someone on this mission, then you better find another way to keep them from killing you" while he reached down and closed the crate back up that held the guns.
He looked up at Shego and teens for a second before he turned and opened the other crate laying beside him. This crate had all kinds of grenades and explosives.
Cleburne went through explaining what each did before he said, "I hope we won't have to use any of these except the C-4---which Shego and I will put on the WMD---since close corridors and such can be tricky using most of these grenades. Wanting them or not you will have them with you just like the pistols. It's already decided."
After Cleburne stopped speaking, he closed the second crate before he got off the crate he was sitting on. He looked at Shego and the teens for a second before he turned and opened the last crate. When the crate was opened, Shego and the teens saw there were three pairs of night vision goggles inside it. After Cleburne opened the crates, he knelt down beside the crate and started to hand a pair of the goggles to Shego and the teens.
"These will be something to help you when you get there and while you are in the center. Just to warn you though, do not use a flash bangs with these on. You will do more harm than good to your own self," Cleburne stated after all the goggles were handed out.
Shego and the teens played around with their goggles for a second before a notion hit them one by one. There were only three pairs of goggles. At that thought, Shego and the teens lowered the goggles at their side and they stared at Cleburne.
Before Shego or Kim could ask, Ron beat them to it by asking, "Hey Cle, why don't you have a set too?"
Cleburne stared up at Ron for a second before he let a sigh out and said, "Because I don't need one, kid. I can see in the dark better without them. Course, I can't tell when its day or night anymore. I see the same no matter what time of day and its always the colors red and black."
After Cleburne's statement, the group handed back the goggles to Cleburne, who put them back in the crate while he said, "All this will be loaded on the plane that will take us to the mission. So, once you're on the plane, load up with all you can so, when you jump, you are ready as you ever be. Now on to something else. We need to get you better cloths for the mission."
Shego and the teens narrowed their eyes at Cleburne for a second before they looked down at the cloths they were wearing and they pulled at them some.
While Kim looked over her clothes, she asked , "What's wrong with the ones we got on? These are what we wear every time we go on a mission."
"Nothing's wrong with them if it wasn't the idea of us maybe getting in a fire fight. Now you all head over to that building," Cleburne said while he pointed at a building that looked like the barracks they were going to stay in until the mission, "and tell the officer there to get the gear I picked out for you all. I meet you there after you all change because I still got one last thing to explain to you."
The group shook their heads at Cleburne and they headed to the building he pointed out. Along the way, they started murmuring the varieties of, "No sense in changing" while they walked.
After Cleburne waited for several minutes outside the building for them, Ron stepped out dressed in a gray military fatigue, with a black helmet, bulletproof vest, and boots, with a pistol holster on his side.
When Cleburne noticed Ron standing outside the barracks, he asked, "Like the new digs, kid?"
"I sure do, Cle. I bet I look so cool in them," Ron said with excitement over the look.
"Yes, you do. However, don't let that helmet or vest get to you. Even if they are covering the vitals, bullets and shrapnel can still do a number on everything else," Cleburne stated with no emotion in his voice.
Hearing Cleburne's statement, Ron's smile turned to a frown at the idea of losing vital limbs while he shuddered at the very thought of it. After getting over the sad idea, Ron walked to the strange man and sit on the ground beside him to waited on the others, which Kim was the next one to come out of the barracks. She was dressed just like Ron except she was wearing a cap instead of a helmet on her head and with her hail pulled up in a pony tail.
When Cleburne noticed the missing helmet asked, "What happened to your helmet?"
"It was too heavy for me. Thought it might slow me down," Kim replied back.
"Well alright then, don't say a word when a bullet hits you in the back of the head," Cleburne stated angrily while he shook his head.
Hearing how Cleburne sounded, Kim ran back into the building. A moment later, she came back out with her helmet tied to her belt.
While the helmet laid on the side of her hip, Kim asked, "Better?"
"Yeah it is. At least one of your thighs is bulletproof," Cleburne said with a chuckle but he stopped laughing when he saw Shego standing outside the building.
Shego came out wearing one of the experimental dragon skin suits that is a full body bullet proof suit. The suit was tight fitting showing her physique. The suit had patches of green and black for the camo with boots with the same pattern. Along with this suit, Shego had her traditional clawed gloves on as well.
Shego noticing how Cleburne stopped in his laughter and him going wide-eyed at the sight of her. She smiled at his look while she placed her hands on her hips.
Shego stood in her stance for a second before she asked, "Like something you see?"
"Umm, yeah just noticed how good you make that suit look," Cleburne stammered out making Shego blush for a second.
The way Cleburne acted that instant surprised the teens and Shego though, because for once he acted like a regular person instead of a non-touchy feeling machine. Cleburne turned his head to the teens for a second and noticed the look they were giving him.
He cleared his throat and went back to his old self when Ron asked, "How come she gets one those and not me?"
At hearing Ron's question, Kim rolled her eyes while Cleburne looked down at him and said, "Well kid, you could trade places with her and wear the suit, but then on the mission you will more likely get shot at or have things explode around you, throwing hot metal at you that, hopefully the suit will protect you from. Then again you can go on your part of the mission, and never have those things happen to you. Your choice, kid."
After Cleburne finished speaking, he turned his look back up at Shego, who had walked closer to the rest of them during Cleburne's statement.
Ron thought about what Cleburne said to him and he replied with, "No thanks, think I'm good with doing the part of the mission I was told to do."
"At a, boy," Cleburne said while he stepped in the middle of them so they could see him.
After Cleburne was in the middle of them, he said, "Now on to the last part of my explaining before the mission. That will involve Halo jumps, which the general talked about. We will jump from five miles up. When you jump, don't show off. Jump like, let's say you going to do a belly flop in a pool. Keep that pose the whole time. If you began to drift out of the pose or start spinning then use you arms and legs to adjust."
"Umm, Cle. When do we pull our cords," Ron asked with a worried look on his face.
"After you get three miles from the ground you can pull your chutes, but I prefer at one mile to pull my chute. You have to decide yourself when you want to do that. If the main chute fails, you will have a reserve. If it fails, we'll scrape you up after the mission is over," Cleburne said with a laugh while the rest didn't see any humor in what he said.
"When do we jump out? Since your going ahead of us," Kim asked while she began to worry about Ron's parachute abilities.
"You all will jump five minutes after I do. I want you all to land close as you can together. You will know where to land because I will leave a LED light which you will be able to see. I be waiting close by and meet up with you. From there we will move onto the center," Cleburne said while he reached into the chest of his suit and pull out a small bluish white light that was pulsing.
"Is there anything else to worry about," Shego questioned while she looked over the suit she was wearing.
Cleburne cocked his head to one side while he said, "Other than that, there isn't anything left I can tell you about. Except when we're in, we have to work on the fly. No one exactly knows what we'll face, not even me. Hopefully nothing. This concludes the basics for the mission. You're all free to go about the base as you please until its mission time. Which be roughly in five hours. You all are to meet back with me at that hanger over there," which Cleburne pointed at, "and we'll load up in the C-130 and get on with the mission. And kid, about an hour before the mission I want a talk with you alone, alright?"
Cleburne went quiet and started to leave the group. While Cleburne walked away, the others watched him for a second before Kim took Ron by the arm, who looked puzzled over why Cleburne wanted to talk with him alone, before she looked at Shego.
"Well, Shego. Ron and I are off to find something to do to kill the time. What are you planning to do," Kim asked while she and Ron started walking away.
"Not sure, Princess, don't think there's much I can do inside a military base," Shego stated while she kept watching Cleburne walking away.
"You could see if he wants company before the mission, Shego," Kim said when she noticed what Shego was looking at.
"I just might princess," Shego stated while she turned to see Kim and Ron walking off.
While Shego watched the teens walking away, laughing and carrying on, a thought hit her, Someday I hope I have something as good as you got, Kim. You two were made for one another. That kind of life be hard to have with someone like me though. Not sure if even Cleburne would enjoy my kind of life. Crazy thoughts, Shego. Surely you won't turn your ways for a man.
Shego continued to watch the teens until they were out of sight before she took off running to catch up with Cleburne.
While she got near him, she yelled out, "Wait up!"
At hearing Shego's voice, Cleburne stopped walking and turn around to watch her running to him.
"Yes," was all Cleburne questioned after Shego was standing by him.
"You mind me coming along with you? Seeing I will get bored on my own before long," Shego said tenderly and it dawned on Shego that she hadn't used that tone of voice in a long time.
"Not at all, Shego. All I was going to do was walk around a bit before I had to change cloths myself---kinda cause people to stare at me when I'm dressed up like this," Cleburne said before he continued to walk on, leaving Shego standing where she was at.
Shego shook her head at the man's backside and she had to run back up to him. She stopped beside him and started walking with a grin on her face.
"You want to ask me something don't you, Shego," Cleburne questioned Shego while they walked around the corner of a building.
"Yes. Just wondering if you can remember any more about why you know me," Shego stated while faking the hint of not being interested.
It amazed her that the man knew what she was thinking about and she felt that had happened to her before somewhere in her past. For some reason she felt someone had read her thoughts before and even was right every time they guessed her thoughts. But she still couldn't remember if it actually happened, to her it was more like a dream instead of an actual event. Still, her feelings were telling her that it did happen and now, Cleburne was able to read her mind like he was in her head.
"Sorry, no, my memory is coming back to me everyday, little by little, but nothing came back on that," Cleburne said while he shook his head.
"Oh," was all Shego said while a disappointed look etched across her face.
"You were hoping I would remember something. I did too. It still puzzles me," Cleburne stated while his eyes strain showing he was trying to remember.
Shego wasn't sure how he was able to read her thoughts, but her feeling of knowing him was too strong. If she only knew his real name, she knew she would know where she met him at before, but with his memory lapses, she might never know. She began to name off every person she could remember meeting in her life and none of the people she remembered fit her description of Cleburne. At the feeling of coming no closer to knowing who Cleburne really was, Shego finally gave into waiting out on his memory returning completely.
"I did, and its bugging me as much," Shego said with a defeated tone.
"Well, being honest. The memories I do have, make me have some kind of feeling when your close by," Cleburne said while he stopped walking and looked Shego right in the eyes.
"Feeling? What kind of feeling," Shego questioned while she tried not to hide her being curious.
Cleburne shrugged his shoulders before he stated, "That I don't know. Feels like some kind of love. Not sure if its love like family and friends or the other."
"Love, uh? You don't think we dated or something do you," Shego stated while she thought over who she dated in her life.
She could only name two at most but she knew where they were. They were alive and well in the world somewhere. The notion of Cleburne was crushing on Shego, entered her mind and she thought hard over who it could be. The only one she could think of was a creep from high school, but Cleburne couldn't be him because the creep didn't act like him. Cleburne was brave and the creep was a coward, the two couldn't be the same person, at least Shego hoped they weren't the same person.
"Not sure there either. Maybe we did. I just wish I knew," Cleburne stated with no hint of excitement over the possibly of dating Shego in the past.
"Well, me too," Shego said before there came a lull of silence between her and Cleburne.
Finally, Cleburne broke the silence after a minute by saying, "So, you still going back to your old ways after this?"
"Yep. What about you? Have you thought about what your going to do," Shego said in a hope that Cleburne would reveal more about his life.
"Yes, I have. We have to wait and see if we all come out of this. If we do, I'll answer that one," Cleburne said slyly before he stopped and looked at Shego again.
"You like being a mystery. Don't you," Shego said with dislike of Cleburne not revealing much to her.
Cleburne nodded his head while he stated, "Yes, I do. I been a mystery for more than five years to most people."
"I wish you quit it around me," Shego said with annoyance at getting nowhere with Cleburne.
"Well, sorry, Shego. It's my nature. I got use to having no one depend on me. I got tied down with people being that way before. Which cause me to have bad memories," Cleburne said sadly while he went back to walking.
Shego would have been happy at Cleburne finally opening up to her but she couldn't because of the way he sounded with his last statement and him mention him having bad memories. But she was now completely curious about him and the only way she could find out was to ask what ever she wanted to know, even if he couldn't answer because of his memory gaps.
After a moment of silence, Shego let out a sigh and asked, "What caused you to have bad memories?"
Cleburne walked on for a minute before he sighed and looked right into Shego's eyes with sad eyes that hinted he was thinking about such a bad memory. The look in his eyes, crushed her for some reason and she wanted his eyes to look happy instead, but she was confused on why she rather see him be happy.
"One is about my first mission. I was to protect the Prime Minster of the Republic of Georgia, including his family. I failed. Ever since then, I haven't let people get close to me. I guess I'm afraid I might fail them too. That's why I'm not letting any of you get close to me. Hopefully when it's over, you all will get to go back to your old lives and leave me out of the picture---even if I enjoy having you kind of people around," Cleburne said before he fell silent again.
Shego waited during a few more minutes of silence. She didn't want to press her luck with questions, but she was interested about Cleburne's life now. Shego thought her life had lows until she heard how sad the odd man was over telling about just one of his memories. Even though Shego couldn't figure it out, she wanted to make Cleburne feel better and she hoped by just talking would help him.
Shego let out a sigh after the long silence and she asked "So, what happened on your first mission?"
Cleburne, however, acted like he didn't hear her and continue walking. Shego let the unanswered question die, figuring he will tell her when he was ready. But he continued to be silent long after her question. After awhile, he stopped back at the barracks where Shego and the teens changed cloths.
He stood there for a moment before he turned to Shego and said with no emotion in his voice, "Well, I need to change. I see you all later at the hangar."
After his statement, Cleburne turned from Shego and headed to the barracks. She was confused over how she was feeling while she was close to Cleburne. It was as if she wanted to make him feel better but she couldn't because he wasn't letting her.
Shego only said, "But," while she watched him walk away from her. Hearing her voice, he stopped walking and replied back, "I see you later at the hangar."
He said nothing else while he went into the building, shutting the door behind him. Shego stood there for a minute staring at the closed door. She was so messed up over her feelings. It started with just hearing Cleburne speak with his normal voice in Drakken's lair and now she cared enough to want to help the man feel better without her ever seeing his face. Shego shook her head at the confusion and she knew she had met the odd man somewhere before, just she couldn't place her finger on where in her past had she met him.
While she continued to stare at the door, she thought, Well I got answers. I know now he likes me, even might love me, but he doesn't want me to get close because he is afraid he might lose me. Now I got to figure out if I feel the same way.
While looking around the base, Shego's shoulders slummed before she started walking back to her barracks. All the way on her walk, she thought over her life and she realized she couldn't remember exactly why she became evil. She always thought it was because she enjoyed the idea of being different than her brothers and the freedom she had over being wicked. But during her final year in school, her memory had lapses and all she could remember was her thinking about being evil before she left Go City for good one month before her senior prom, only to come back the day of the prom.
Why did I come back for, Shego mentally commented to herself before her head started to hurt.
Once her headache subsided, Shego went back to thinking about how she knew Cleburne, but she could never figure it out and she gave up right before she got to the barracks. When Shego came into the barracks, she heard all kinds of laughter and she saw Kim and Ron in a tickle fight, which Kim was winning with ease. Kim and Ron stopped what they were doing when they saw Shego standing there looking at them.
After seeing Shego, Kim raised up with her hair in a mess while she asked with laughter still in her voice, "So how it go?"
"Seemed like I disturbed you two, so I go find something else to do," Shego said while she turned to held back outside.
"No, Shego you didn't disturb us. We needed a break anyways," Kim replied with a wondering look on her face, stopping Shego at the door, who turned back around and walked over to a bed beside them.
Shego let out a soft sigh while she sat down on the bed.
Kim wondering about this new Shego and she asked, "What happened?"
"Well princess, I found out he likes me to the point he might even love me. But he doesn't know why," Shego explained while she turned her stare to the floor.
At hearing Shego's statement, Ron got up off the bed Kim and he was on and starting to leave while he said, "This is girl to girl talk, so I'm going out and find something to do. Besides, I got to find Cleburne anyways in a little while to see what he wants," with Rufus in tow.
After both the ladies watched Ron leave, Kim turned her look to Shego, who was to the point of crying.
With sympathy, Kim asked in a quieter voice, "What's wrong with that?"
"Because he as good as told me he doesn't want me to get close to him," Shego said while she covered her face in her hands.
Kim squinted her eyes at the surprise Shego gave her and Kim asked, "Oh, well why he say that?"
Shego told Kim about everything Cleburne and she talked about on their walk while she continued to cover her face.
"I see. It looks like to me you like him as much as he does you. If you didn't then what he said wouldn't be bothering you," Kim said as she moved closer to Shego, who turned to hide her face from Kim because tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"I guess that's true. I sure can pick them. I don't even know what he looks like and I'm starting to have feelings for him," Shego said this while she wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Looks sometimes have nothing to do with it, Shego. You two might have had a bond long ago that was separated and during the years, you both forgot about it because of the events that happened in your lives," Kim said while she put a hand on Shego's shoulder, which recoiled at first but relaxed under it.
Kim continued to speak while she caressed Shego's shoulder with her hand, "I can understand why he doesn't want you to get close because if you two were close once, he doesn't want it to lose you again. I know how that feels or at least the way I been thinking it will feel since we got this mission. I been wondering what ifs. Like what if something happens to me or Ron. I'm not sure how Ron would react. I know how I would. I be heartbroken, devastated, and wouldn't have the will to go on. I will because I would have to. That's the same feeling Cleburne might be going through."
Shego stayed quiet for a moment while she tried to get her feelings under control. This was unlike her to break down in front of a person who would jump at the chance to hurt her reputation, especially over a man.
"Maybe so. But I don't know what to do. I could go and try to find him then talk to him about it. But in the state I last saw him, it might make things worse if I did," Shego finally said after the long silence.
"I'm not sure about that, but if he was in the state you described, letting him come to his senses before the mission might be better. No sense letting both of you being like this. This is not like you Shego," Kim stated while she realized she was comforting the very woman she had fought so many times and at their last encounter, she told the woman she hated her.
It was odd to Kim just like how odd it was for her to be talking to the woman like nothing had happened between them.
"I know. It's as if I changed over night," Shego finally said while she uncovered her face and peeked at Kim over her shoulder.
Kim flashed Shego a smile and said, "I want the woman that tried to kill me so often over the years."
Strangely Shego returned the smile with an evil one and she laughed a little while she said, "Just because we had this talk still doesn't make us buddies. I still got a score to settle with you."
"There we go and tell you what, if you want, we can go out into the parade ground and spar a bit to kill the time. And don't worry what was said here, it won't go beyond me," Kim said while she took her hand off of Shego's shoulder
"It better not and ok. It give me something to do. I haven't fought in days. Well, except with Cleburne a day ago. Which left a bruise on my chest," Shego stated while she rubbed the bruise on her chest.
After the talk, the ladies got up and headed out. While they neared the door, Ron came bursting in, panting as he spoke, "I can't find Cleburne any where. I looked everywhere, even places I wasn't suppose to go, and I didn't see him."
It puzzled both of the ladies that Cleburne wasn't around and Kim said, "Ron, he's somewhere. He wouldn't leave so soon to the mission time," while she felt not sure of what she just said was true.
Right as they left the barracks, Shego caught something in the corner of her eye, which caused her to stop walking. When Shego stopped walking, she caused the teens to stop too and made them look at what Shego was looking at. While studying what she saw, Shego realized the clouds were very funny looking at one of the corners of the building about half way cross the base. It was as if the clouds were warped and twisted.
While Shego kept looking at the strange sight, there appeared an outline of a figure sitting up there. She shook her head and pointed out what she was seeing to the teens while she said, "There is where Cleburne is at, you buffoon."
Ron looked at the strange sight for a second before he asked, "How in the world he's doing that and how did he get up there? That is so cool!"
"Don't know, don't care. Come on Kim, we got some sparring to do," Shego replied while she continued walking, waving Kim to follow her.
Kim hesitated for a second because of the strange sight before she turned to Ron and asked, "Want to come with?"
While Ron continued to stare at Cleburne, he replied back with, "Nah, I'm going to see what Cleburne wants.
Kim only shredded her shoulders to his answer and replied back while she went back to following Shego, "Suit yourself."
Ron, while listening to Kim, started toward where Cleburne was, who by the time Ron got to him was already gone.
All day long Kim and Shego sparred, which got the attention of most of the people on the base. The crowd grew around the pair while they fought. Some people were hollering and were making all kinds of other noises, while some betted on the fight. Not once did Kim or Shego try to hurt the other, however, once or twice they let their anger get the best of them which resulted in not too friendly jousts.
One time, a pilot called Shego, "a green, hot momma." Shego, however, responded back with an evil smile and a plasma blast into the guy's chest.
This caused him to go to the infirmary after some of the other pilots helped him up. No one else in the crowd called Shego nor Kim anything after that incident. By the time Kim and Shego decided to call it the day, Ron finally came by to watch them go at it. Ron spent most of the day looking for Cleburne or any warped and twisted clouds, but to no prevail. It looked like Cleburne wasn't there anymore.
A couple hours before sunset, Shego and Kim went to their barracks with some of the crowd still following them, which Kim and Shego ignored. Mainly because they were tired and needed a rest before the mission started. Before Shego entered the barracks, she turned to the crowd and flamed up her hands, which caused the crowd to leave the area as fast as they could.
While Shego went into the barracks, she had her evil smirk showing. Ron got the same idea too but as he entered, he stopped at the doorway when he saw Cleburne sitting on one of the beds. When Ron saw him, he noticed Cleburne was wearing the same looking cloths like Kim and he had on but without a helmet. Cleburne had also replaced the mask he was wearing with a new one that had holes only for the eyes.
When Cleburne noticed Ron standing there looking back at him, he stood up and faced Ron before he said, "Kid, you might make what you're wearing look cool, but I make it look good."
His statement got Ron to laugh at before he said, "You sure do. Now since I found you what is you want to talk to me about?"
Cleburne stared at Ron for a second before he said, "Well, its about Kim and you."
"What about us," Ron questioned with a wondering look as he sat on a bed.
Again Cleburne said nothing for a second before he stated, "Let me ask you this, kid. Is your relationship one were you are looking for a possible wedding one day?"
"Well, we haven't talked about it yet. But yeah it could be. I mean I hope it is," Ron stammered out while he knew such thoughts were too soon.
"In that case, I thought about doing something special for the two of you besides what the contracts say. Look at it as a wedding gift from me," Cleburne said while he raised his arms at his sides.
Ron gave Cleburne a puzzled look before he said, "What you have in mind? Besides, Kim and I were wondering why you showing us favor for."
"Well kid, the gift is going to be a secret until you both are ready to get married, but I don't have time right now to get it. So, after the mission I will. As for showing you two favors. Well, I put it this was. If I knew I would waste six years of my life when I was your age, then I would have done something different. It's my way of not letting others have a difficult time when they get out of school," Cleburne said while Ron caught on to how old Cleburne was.
He was only six older than Ron and Ron started to think over the possibly of Shego being the same age.
"You know Cle, you not half bad as I thought," Ron said with excitement over hopefully learning something about Shego.
"Neither are you, kid, when you're not so annoying, but kid, I kept you from your nap it seems. When we go on the mission, leave your buddy here. I'll come wake you up when its time to go. One last thing kid, don't tell Kim about what we said here. If you do, your not getting the gift and I find somewhere to test the theory of you being able to fly or not," Cleburne said sternly which told Ron that Cleburne was serious about his last statement.
After Cleburne went silent, he walked by Ron and went outside while Ron stood up while he went by.Ron stood there blinking and shook his head as if he was struck by disbelief of what just happened.
He looked down at Rufus after he stopped shaking his head and he said, "What you know little buddy, Cle seemed to have changed a lot," before he realized Rufus was asleep in his pocket.
Ron shrugged and said in a near whisper, "Still I think that suit is so cool," which caused a knock come to the door that led into the barracks.
Ron heard Cleburne's voice on the other side of the door saying, "I heard that, kid!"
After Cleburne talked through the door, Ron to stammer out, "Sorry, I shut up now and get some sleep," while he smiled, took off running, and jumped into one of the beds in such a way so he landed on his back, sighing as he drifted off to sleep.
A few minutes later, while Shego was taking a shower and Kim was laying in one of the beds dozing off to sleep, there came a knock on their door.
Kim raised up and asked, "Who is it?"
She heard Cleburne's voice on the other side saying, "Kim? Could you meet me out here for a second?"
Kim sat up in the bed for a moment before she replied with, "Sure, just give me a minute."
While Kim got up to go outside, Shego poked her head out of the shower room with her wet hair dripping on the floor and asked Kim, "Where you going?"
"Cleburne said he wanted to talk to me," Kim said while she pointed at the door.
Shego narrowed her eyes at the door before she said, "Wonder why? Hey, could you see if he's still like he was earlier?"
"Will do. You want to talk to him after you finished," Kim said before she saw Shego shaking her head.
"No, I let him ask me to talk to him," Shego replied while she disappeared back into the shower room.
When Kim came outside, she noticed Cleburne was dressed just like she was while he was turned from her with his hands in his pockets, staring up at the stars that started to appear in the sky. It was puzzling her why he wanted to talk to her.
One way to find out she thought, Ask him before he says anything.
Which she did by saying, "So, Cleburne what you want to speak to me about?"
"Was just wondering something is all. Its mainly about you and Ron going on this mission together and well, how you feel about it," Cleburne said while he continued to gaze at the stars.
Kim looked at Cleburne's backside for a second before she looked up at the stars while she said, "Well, we been on several dangerous missions together. Nothing ever has happened. I really never think about it. But I admit if something happened to Ron I wouldn't be the same."
"I see. So, it's better not to let people get close to you. That way if something happens then you don't get heartbroken over it," Cleburne stated while he turned his gaze from the stars to the ground below him.
Kim snapped her look from the stars to Cleburne before she said, "What!? No. Well yes it would hurt me if something happens to Ron but I rather love him then never have at all. Even when we weren't dating I cared about him. If something happened to him then the feeling of lost would be the same."
"I vowed a long time ago to never feel such a lost again," Cleburne said but he stopped speaking and shook his head. "I don't know why I just said that. I'm just so messed up with my feelings coming back and trying to remember things."
"This has something to do with Shego, doesn't it," Kim asked and hearing Shego's name, Cleburne turned and looked at Kim with sad eyes hinting to her he was about to break down crying.
Cleburne continued to stare at Kim for a second before he spoke by saying, "Yes, this does. I started having feelings for her even before I went and got her out of that lair. Why? I don't know. It had something to do with me remembering her. Its as if we knew each other long ago. After I knew you and Ron were friends before you two started dating, I wonder if that was the same case for me. That's possible and if that's true, then it explains why I have these feelings. Ron told you his but I might have never told Shego."
"Well you can, you know that. She's in there," Kim said while she nodded behind her toward the barracks.
"No, I can't. Until I figure this out, I can't. Hopefully after we get back I can," Cleburne stated while he looked over Kim's shoulder at the barracks.
"Look Cleburne, Shego likes you as much as you do her. The reason she don't say it is well its Shego," Kim said while she gave up on trying to get Cleburne t speak to Shego.
"Yeah tell me about it. And sorry about keeping you from getting some rest. I let you go and see you at the hangar," Cleburne said before he left Kim standing in front of the barracks.
Cleburne walked away toward the setting sun while he had his chin lowered to his chest.
While Kim watched him walk away, she wondered why its being so hard on Cleburne to tell his feelings to Shego. She had given up on trying to figure out what was going on but after seeing how trouble Cleburne was over Shego, she had to stick around to see what developed. There was more truth than she thought to the claim of him knowing Shego. Kim hoped Cleburne would eventually shed light on their past together. After Cleburne was out of sight, Kim turned around and went back into the barracks. After she was inside, Kim saw Shego was already fast asleep.
Well, at least its not bothering her as much, thought Kim as she laid down on the bed beside Shego. While Kim laid her head on the pillow, she noticed a tear stain on Shego's cheek.
Well, maybe it is, thought Kim while she closed her eyes and with hopes of everything turns out ok on the mission.