"In the dark skies,
With no worldly cares,
The demon flies,
For he has no tears"
(Personal poem)

Chapter 7: Plane Ride

Cleburne kept his promise to wake Ron up when it was time to get going. Ron, however, didn't wake up when Cleburne knocked on the door.

So, Cleburne had to come in the barracks and poked Ron in the ribs after he got to the bed Ron was in, while saying in a whisper, "Come on kid, time to get up."

The only response he got out of Ron was him turning over in the bed and saying, "Please mommy, just five more minutes."

Cleburne had lost his patience with Ron and grabbed Ron by the collar of his jacket, lifting him up out of bed and planted Ron on his feet.

Ron awoke the second his feet touched the floor and he said, "Hey, hey watch the threads," while Cleburne continued to hold onto Ron's collar.

Cleburne said, "I do more than rip a jacket if you don't get your tail in gear," while he let go of Ron's collar and glared at the boy.

"Alright. Cle. Ever thought about taking an anger management class," Ron said while he dusted his jacket off.

Ron's statement got a chuckle out of Cleburne while he turned to leave the barracks and Ron had to run to him to catch up with him..

When they both were outside, Cleburne said, "Kid, the last thing I need is some quack trying to tell me how to control my anger. No one has ever seen me angry. You just annoy the hell out of me sometimes."

"Well, sorry, Cle. It's my nature and it's my duty on missions to distract people," Ron said while he lifted his hands apologetically.

Cleburne shook his head at Ron's statement and he said, "Well, on this mission try not doing that and try to do what Kim would do. You get yourself killed doing what you normally do."

"I'm trying real hard not to think about death or being killed," Ron said in a sober tone.

Cleburne let out a sigh and said, "Walk in my shoes, kid. I seen enough of it. The way I see it, your dying the day you're born. The days your given is up to you how to use them but the more days you use that others will remember the better. Even if you're dead as they remember them."

Ron stopped walking for a second and stated, "Wow, Cle. That's deep,"

"You think? Still, it's true. You don't have to worry about dying, kid. Its natural," Cleburne said while he stopped and looked back at Ron walking with him again.

"You ever think of death, Cle," Ron asked while they got near the hangar.

"Actually I do kid. I have had some close calls. I'm as human as you are, just I got this tin can that covers me much of the time that should have killed me," Cleburne said while his suit covered him for a second before it disappeared.

"I still wish I had one of those," Ron said after the suit disappeared.

Cleburne shook his head and said, "Yeah, kid, I know. But take my word for it, you don't really want one, and did you leave Rufus back at the barracks."

"Yeah, the little guy's still snoozing, but I wonder why I got to leave him," Ron said while he pointed a thumb back at the barracks they just left.

Cleburne let out a loud sigh and he said, "Well, kid, for one thing we don't have an oxygen mask small enough for him and there be no way you can watch out for him while you jump."

"I see. Hey, Cle, I was wondering something. Why do you keep calling me kid," Ron questioned while they neared the plane.

"Cause you can act like one," Cleburne explained while he went up into the C-130.

Ron stopped behind the plane and asked, "What does that suppose to mean," but he never got an answer.

After a few seconds, Cleburne came back out of the plane and handed Ron a headset that had miniature earphones and it had a slim microphone sticking out to the side.

When the mic was in his hands, Ron asked about while looking at it, "What is this?"

"Something to talk to me with while we're on the mission, Cleburne stated while he kneeled down and started to fool with something in a crate.

"How does it work," Ron asked while still looking at the headset before he looked up at Cleburne, who had stood and turned around facing Ron.

Ron saw what Cleburne was messing with in the crate, which was a M-29 with a grenade launcher attached to it. Ron had never seen a gun like it before and he wondered what Cleburne had planned for such a weapon.

While Cleburne started toward Ron, he slung the gun onto his back with the strap across his chest and the barrel pointed down at an angle.

When Cleburne got to Ron he said, "Here, I show you," while he reached for the headset and pulled Ron's helmet off his head.

When Ron's helmet was off, Cleburne put the head set on Ron's head.

After Ron was situated, Cleburne said, "You know to talk here," while he tapped on the mic with a finger, ⌠and you change channels with this," while he tapped on Ron's right earphone, "turn it to channel four when you want to talk to me and these headsets are very sensitive. So, I can hear you whispering to me and I hear everything you say. When the ladies get here I give the both of them one too,"

When Cleburne finished speaking, he put Ron's helmet back on and slapped the top of it while he walked back to the crate he was at before. The slap on the helmet caused it to roll down over Ron's eyes. Ron had to move it back up to the right place with a look as if he was displeased by what Cleburne caused.

Ron look changed when a thought hit him, He mention three sets. What about him. He don't have one on.

When Ron got the nerve, he asked, "Hey Cle, you only mentioned three sets. What about you?"

At hearing Ron's question, Cleburne turned on his heels while he was putting clips in his vest and he looked at Ron as if he expected Ron to answer that one himself, which Ron did after a second by stating, "Oh, it must be like the goggles, you don't need one."

"That's right kid," Cleburne said while he turned back around to the crate.

"Hey Cle, can I try mine out while we wait on the others," Ron questioned after a few seconds of standing there watching Cleburne.

"Sure, kid," Cleburne said while he got up and he dusted his pants off.

He looked at Ron for a second before he started walking toward the other end of the hangar. When he was at the end of the hangar, Cleburne turned around and held up four fingers with one hand while he pressed against his temple using his other hand. When Ron seen the four fingers sign, he got the hint and nodded to Cleburne before he tapped on his right earphone.

After a few seconds, Ron heard Cleburne saying, "Ok, kid, if you don't have dead batteries, you should be hearing me loud and clear even if I'm whispering."

"I sure do," exclaimed Ron.

"Good. Now, kid, I'm going to try something. So, stay right where you are, alright," Cleburne said over the mic.

"Ok," was all Ron said while he watch Cleburne turn and started walking in front of the plane and out of sight.

After a few seconds of silence, Cleburne came back on the mic asking, "Can you still see me, kid?"

Ron shook his head and responded with a no.

After a short silence, Ron heard Cleburne say over the mic, "Ok, still hearing me though. Give me a few more seconds."

"Alright," was all Ron said while he keep looking to where he last seen Cleburne.

After a moment, Cleburne came back on the mic saying, "Do you see me now?"

Ron looked all over the hangar and said back to Cleburne, "No."

While he continued to look around in the hangar, Ron felt someone tap him on the shoulder. The tapping caused Ron to recoil at the touch, he screamed, and he turn around to see Cleburne standing there looking at him.

Ron stammered out because of the surprise, ⌠"How!? You were over there. Then here. How," while he pointed out the places.

Cleburne just looked at Ron for a second before he started laughing and while he started laughing, Kim came running up with Shego lagging behind.

When Kim realized what happened, she turned and looked back at Shego while she said, "I told you that sounded like Ron screaming."

After the ladies learned of the joke Cleburne was playing on Ron, they started laughing while Cleburne walked over to the crate he was at before.

He still was chuckling but stopped and looked back at Kim when she said, "Ron, You have to admit he got you," before she laughed again herself.

Ron however was pouting with his arms across his chest and he said, "Not cool, not cool at all."

"Aw, Ron, at least he's got a sense of humor," Kim said while she looked at Cleburne, who had laughter still in his eyes.

"Yeah, he likes to sneak up on people then scare them half to death," Ron said still pouting and he look at Cleburne, who stopped what he was doing and started laughing again but stopped as quick as he started.

After Cleburne stopped laughing, he stood up again and looked at the ladies while he asked, "Well, are you both ready to get this show on the road?"

Both Kim and Shego nodded a yes.

"Well, alright," Cleburne said, who turned and went into the plane again.

After a moment, he came back out with two headsets like Ron had.

While handing them to Kim and Shego, he said, "No need explaining anything except Channel four, we all can talk on. Channel one is for Kim and Ron only and two is for Shego and me only. And please use four only to talk to me other than Shego. The higher ups will be recording what we say on one and two. So, they will have a fit if someone talks on a channel who weren't suppose to. If you must talk to me, Kim or Ron, click on two twice and go to four. I meet you there if I can, and we be on our way when the pilots and crew get here. So, on the plane with all of you and when you in there load up on everything you can carry."

All of them did as asked, right into the plane, with Cleburne being the last one on the plane.

When they all got in the plane, they sat on the benches that were in the plane, after they loaded up on explosives and Ron and Kim putting their pistols in their holsters. The ladies were on one side and the guys on the other. Everyone was looking about the plane except Cleburne who was looking at his M-29, which he took off his back while he came into the plane. Everyone noticed what Cleburne was doing, which was loading the gun and looking down the sights. This in turn made everyone else uncomfortable and turn their gaze back anywhere besides to Cleburne and his gun. After a moment, Cleburne chuckled just loud enough for everyone to hear him, which caused them to look back at him with a puzzled look.

Cleburne looked up at everyone of them and asked, "You all really hate guns, don't you?"

Following his statement, Cleburne sat the gun between his legs with the barrel pointed up, as if he was waiting for one of them to answer him.

Kim answer for herself, but was answering for the others as well, "Yes, I don't like them and I really never planned to use one. I don't even think I'll use the one your making me carry on this mission."

"Good for you," Cleburne said while he looked back at Kim, "but as I said if you don't want to, then you better get ready to use something besides your martial arts to subdue these guys," before he laid his head against the side of the plane and looked at the ceiling.

"Well, I will, Cleburne. Ron and I been in all kinds of situations were we had to deal with people trying to kill us. Even Shego here has tried several times in the past," Kim said while she looked at Shego for a second.

At the mention of Shego's name, Shego spoke up by saying, "Yes, princess, in a way. But I never really tried to kill you. Just delay you while either Drakken got away or so I can knock you somewhere so I could get him away."

"Well, that's nice," Cleburne said while he still looked at the ceiling before he closed his eyes like he was going to sleep.

The sight of Cleburne closing his eyes puzzled Shego because he told her he hadn't slept in five years.

"I thought you said you don't sleep, Cleburne," Shego questioned.

"I'm not going to sleep. I'm just thinking," Cleburne stated with his eyes still closed.

"Thinking about what," Ron asked while he tapped on his right ear.

"Well, kid, if you must know. I'm thinking about what I'm going to do when this is over," Cleburne said with his eyes still close and his head still against the side of the plane.

"What you mean," Kim asked while she still hated the sight of the gun, but she was curious what he was talking about.

Cleburne didn't answer at first but after a second of silence, he sighed, opened his eyes and lowered his head so he could look at Kim.

While looking at Kim, Cleburne said, "Well, Kim, this is my last mission. Call it retirement if you want. So, I was thinking about what I do when its over. Course, I promised Shego I tell her what it be when this is over. She'll be the first to know."

After Cleburne went silent, he reached down on his gun and flipped a switch on the gun, which turned the gun from shooting one shot at a time to a three round burst. He sat the gun on the bench beside him and laid back against the plane again with his arms crossed in front of him and he closed his eyes again. Everyone looked at him for a second then to each other and shrugged. After a few minutes of silence, there came the sound of footsteps nearing the plane then four men dressed up like pilots right into the back of the plane. The teens and Shego watched them while they hurried by but Cleburne, who keep the same stance even after two of the pilots went into the cockpit, slamming the door behind them.

After the door slammed, Cleburne said still in the same stance, "I really hate when they do that," which caused Shego and the teens to turn from looking at the crew to Cleburne.

The two other men came back and shut the back cargo door while the plane's engines fired up.

While the crewmen stood in the back of the plane, one of the men asked, "So whose in charge?"

Cleburne pointing at Ron with one of his hands and he said, "He is."

At Cleburne pointing at Ron, Ron went wide-eyed for a second before he started shaking his head while he said, "No, no I'm not!"

The same crewman that asked before said, "Well who is? So, stop jerking us around and tell us."

"I am. Name is Captain Cleburne," Cleburne said while he brought his head down and looked at the man.

The glare Cleburne was giving the man unnerved him.

"O...ok... sir. Sorry, was just wanting to know because we were ordered to find out by the pilot up front so we can put it on the papers," stammered out the man while he looked away from Cleburne and waved the other crewman with him to follow him back up.

After both men left, Cleburne laughed just quiet enough for the teens and Shego to hear before he laid his head back against the plane again while the plane began to move and be taxied out to the runway.

"Captain," Ron asked with amazement while he watched the crewmen sit on the bench at the front of the plane.

"Yes, captain. The general thought it be a good idea to give me a rank. So, I can throw my weight around I guess. I admit its fun to do when I feel like it," Cleburne said with laughter

"So, do we get a rank also on this mission," Ron asked while he still stared at the front of the plane.

Cleburne brought his head back down and said, "Sure you can. I think I need a corporal and a sergeant."

"Really," Ron questioned while he turned back around and looked at Cleburne with a hopeful expression, who at hearing Ron's reply, laughed.

Cleburne shook his head and stated, "Not for you though. Your too young to be in the military anyways. But if you got a rank it be private."

"Aw, man. I was hoping for something better, but who gets the ranks," Ron said with disappointment.

"No one, kid. I was just pulling your chain. This isn't exactly a military operation," Cleburne said with laughter in his voice.

"What is it with you tonight? Do I have a pick on me sign somewhere," asked Ron, who was getting annoyed with Cleburne picking at him.

At hearing how Ron sounded, Cleburne busted out in laughter.

"Well, I felt like poking fun at you, but don't take it personally because I'm trying to get your mind off things is all and its working it looks like," Cleburne said after he stopped laughing.

Ron made a confused look and asked "Keeping my mind off what?"

"What we talked about while we were walking to the hangar," Cleburne explained calmly.

"Oh, I see. Sorry about the outburst and thanks," Ron said while he got the idea why Cleburne is being the way he was to him.

"What were you talking about," Kim asked with a wondering look.

Cleburne and Ron looked at her for a moment before they stared at one another.

"Well, kid. Go answer her up there," Cleburne said while he nodded toward the front of the plane, "think you to need to be alone with that one."

After hearing Cleburne's statement, Ron gave a, "help me, please," look to Cleburne.

Cleburne, however, waved him to go on, which Ron did with Kim following behind him and they sat down in the middle of the plane and started to talk.

Cleburne watched them for second while they talked before he turned to see Shego looking at him, causing him to narrow his eyes and he asked, "Yes?"

"Why are you doing that to them," Shego said while she uncrossed her arms.

"What," Cleburne said with laughter in his voice.

Shego shook her head and said, "You know what. Let them tell what their thinking right now. Its not helpful for them this close to the mission."

"Well the best way to get something off one's mind is to tell someone. They both are thinking what if something happens to the other. They need to find out how much they care about one another now before we jump. One of them could very well be killed in the jump," Cleburne said, sounding as if he was sadden about the thought of the teens dying.

"Yes. Its better to tell what your thinking. So, I will also,' Shego said while she looked back up at the teens, seeing them hugging one another and smiling at one another with tears in their eyes.

Shego continued while she turned her look back at Cleburne, who was staring back at her with a knowing look, "I been wondering if I liked you or it was some kind of strange non-sense. But after today, after we talked, I realized I do. Its hard for me to understand why I do but some strange feeling is telling me I knew you too from somewhere in the past."

"Well, being honest I'm not sure of my feelings. One part of me is saying I did love you, but the other part is telling me I'm just mistaking someone else for you. If I had all my memories I can be sure. I was hoping after this mission I'll know for sure especially when they reverse what the experiment did to me. But, right now, I can't tell you the truth because I don't know if what I say will be true," Cleburne said while he cupped his hands in front of him.

"Is it that hard for you to admit your feelings," Shego said while she felt herself say the same thing in the past.

"Look, Shego. Be patient with this. Give it a day or two after this mission. I be able to tell you everything you want to know without the feeling of lying to you. Well hopefully anyways," Cleburne said while he bent forward and looked down at the floor of the plane.

"Fine. But if what you say is true and when you go back to a normal person and don't tell me everything, I'll hunt you down and get it out of you the hard way," Shego said while she flamed up her hands.

When Cleburne noticed the green glow, he laughed a little but stopped when the planed jolted everyone.

He snapped up his head, looked right at the teens and yell, "Hey! Kids either get back down here and buckle up or do it up there because we're about to start taking off," before he buckled himself up and reached for his gun, holding it between his legs while Shego buckled up too.

Kim and Ron came running back to Cleburne and Shego, sitting down as fast as they could and buckled in while the plane started speeding down the runway and lifting off into the night sky, heading North then East.

The take off was not very pleasant because it shook everyone in the back of the plane in every direction, even Cleburne had trouble holding on to his gun. After the plane banked and headed East, the ride was smoother.

Everyone was fine by then except Ron, who was making awful groaning sounds, which Shego, Kim and Cleburne noticed and Kim asked, "Ron you alright?"

"No, KP, I don't feel so good. I think I ate too much before my..." Ron started to say but wasn't able to finish what he was saying.

He unbuckled himself and ran up to the front of the plane while holding his hand over his mouth. When he got to the crewmen, he started dancing around in front of them, pointing at himself with his free hand.

While the crewmen were watching this, one of them asked, "What's wrong?"

Cleburne turned to look up to the front of the plane and answered for Ron by yelling, "He's about to throw up!"

Hearing Cleburne's statement, the crewman, that asked the question to Ron, got up and ran toward the back of the plane and pulled out a large plastic bag out from under one of the benches. He turned and opened it for Ron, who stuck his head in it and filled up the bag. After Ron finished, he came back to his seat holding the bag in one of his hands and the other hand over his stomach.

While Ron sat down, Cleburne asked, "Feel better, kid?"

Ron nodded a yes and started moaning again while he rocked back and forth. After a few minutes, Cleburne unbuckled, stood up, and grabbed a rein that was flapping above him. He looked down to where the crewmen where sitting and got one of the crewmen's attention by motioning the man to him. While the crewman made his way down to him, Cleburne reached over and slung his gun onto his back.

When the crewman got to Cleburne, he asked, "What is it, sir?"

"How long is it to drop time," Cleburne asked while he held onto the rein and swayed.

The crewman looked at his watch and he said, "15 minutes, sir."

"Well, in that case, shouldn't we be getting our oxygen mask by now," Cleburne said while he held onto the rein and rocked back and forth.

The crewman nodded his head and said, "Yes, sir. I be back in a minute."

The crewman ran back up and came back with four oxygen mask with one on himself. He handed one to everyone except Cleburne who waved off the crewman and said, "I don't need one."

Hearing Cleburne's statement, surprised the crewman as well as Shego and the teens, who looked up at Cleburne.

The crewman shrugged his shoulders and said in a muffled voice because of the mask, "Your funeral, sir," before he turned and motioned the other crewman to put his mask on and come down to where everyone else was.

Cleburne, when it got time for his jump, reached over and pulled his parachute bag up and put it on.

He said loud enough for Shego and the teens to hear, "Remember, five minutes after me, all you jump. Stay calm and remember what I said to do as you come down. Watch your ticker," while he tapped on his device that told how high they were, "at three miles pull your cords. I meet you when you land."

While he finished speaking, the crewmen started lowering the cargo door. Cleburne turned and looked at the door lowering then back at Shego and the teens and said, "And remember no showing off in this jump."

He let go of the rein and took off running toward the back of the plane right as the green light came on. He jumped out the back and spun around in mid air to wave at everyone in the plane before he went into a back flip and went out of sight.

At seeing that display, a fuzzy image flashed before Shego's eyes. All she could see was a lake out in the middle of nowhere and she heard a splash. She blinked her eyes and she went back to looking at Cleburne disappearing below the plane.

What in the world was that about, Shego questioned to herself.

The last thing everyone on the plane heard before Cleburne went out of sight, was him screaming, "Yahooooooo!"

"No showing out. What you call that," Ron asked while he got up and put his parachute bag on and attached his goggles to his helmet.

"Well, he meant that for you, Ron," Kim explained while she put her bag and goggles on too.

When the crewmen came back by Shego and the teens, one of them turned and asked in his mask muffling voice, "Where did you get that guy from?"

"From right where we're jumping into," Shego said while she got ready to jump, even though she still wondered about her strange vision.