Chapter VI: Heavy Assault
Ron sighed as he looked onto the horizon. It was a beautiful sight. The setting sun gave a somewhat calming light over the Building and towers of the Space Center.
He loved the view especially when viewed up in the air.
The only thing marring the great view at the moment was a big green airship approaching the Space Center.
"You would think that Global Justice would have noticed something that big coming towards the Space Center," Ron said as he sized up the opposition.
"Forget GJ. What about NORAD?" Keith said as he scanned to horizon for ground forces. "I'd expect there'd be a large blip in a radar station somewhere."
"Maybe they think that it belongs to the Space Center," Felix said through their communicator.
"With the communications shouting Help, SOS, Unidentified big-assed ship approaching the Space Center broadcasting in all frequencies? I don't think so. And the transmission isn't jammed. It's like they're looking for a fight," Keith said as he noticed something approaching from the distance. "Looks like they have ground support as well."
"Goodbye dinner for two," Ron sighed as he stretched. "Better get up there before all hell breaks loose."
"Yeah," Keith smirked. "Felix can handle the folks inside. He speaks their language."
"You realize I could still hear you guys," Felix said good naturedly.
"Ok," Keith smiled. "Let's do this. Be on your toes. He's not the Drakken you used to know."
"Good source?" Ron asked and Keith merely nodded. "That's good enough for me."
"Let's get dressed," Keith said as he activated his com unit. "I hate to get caught with my pants down. Keith Chapel to Sky Vault."
"I'm reading you, tough guy," Zita's face materialized on the small screen of his comlink.
"Beam down Sky Bolt for Ace and Wild Weasel for me," Keith said making Ron grimace.
"Would you stop calling me Ace," the said. "I don't think I've earned that title." Keith only grinned and waited for Zita to respond.
"Coming up," Zita said. "Or down I should say." Ron and Keith held up their arms and opened their legs wide as their assault systems materialized in front of them.
"POWER XTREME!" both shouted out loud prompting the command code to fuse the systems with their exo-frames.
Skybolt, now fused onto Ron, looked like a small jet fighter. It was taller than him complete with missiles and a front pack that contained a cannon. He had flight stabilizers in each leg to help him control his unit from the shear power of the engine on his back.
Ron frowned as he looked at his friend through his helmet.
"What's wrong Ace?" Keith asked now decked in Wild Weasel. Wild Weasel, for lack of a better term, looked like a rolling battle platform in its standing position. Along his back, Keith had a single chassis that held a large wheel on between his two feet. Balancing him was a smaller wheel at the back and two stabilizers beside the larger wheel. On his chest was a pair of blasters and instead of a helmet, he had a blast shield that was, for now, opened.
"We really didn't test these, did we?" Ron asked. Keith merely looked at the opposing forces and smirked.
"Think of it as a field test," Keith said but felt the burning gaze of his friend.
"Why do I get the feeling that from now on everything is a "field test"" Ron sighed as he checked his equipment.
"I checked everything before I buttoned up. You know me," Keith's confidence was not shared.
"The last time I "field tested" anything I almost crashed," Ron complained.
"You "field tested" a prototype jet into enemy territory," Keith pointed out. "You almost crashed because you were being chased by twenty Surface to Air Missiles."
"He's got you there," Felix said with a chuckle.
"Everyone keeps shooting me down," Ron sighed as he started his engine.
"Not to mention women he tries to pick up," Felix said much to Ron's embarrassment.
"I do not pick women up," Ron huffed.
"That will haunt you later," Keith smirked and lowered his blast shield. Suddenly, the blasters on his chest materialized onto his back and the small wheel was now on his chest. Wild Weasel was now in a prone position and Keith sped off like a motorcycle.
"What did he mean by that?" Ron asked as he took into the skies wondering what his friend meant.
Kim Possible was with her Dad when the alarms went off.
It was utter chaos.
Most of the scientists were rushing to evacuate while the truly curious, or in her opinion the truly crazy, went to wards the observation deck to look at the ship. She sighed as she noticed that one of the crowd as her father.
"DAAAD!!" Kim called as she went to his side. "This might be fascinating but to quote a very good friend of mine "That would be so cool if it wasn't here to kill us?"
"It is fascinating that someone has made a hover ship that size," Dr. Possible said. "The shear magnitude of the calculations involved into making one. He's either a genius or a maniac."
"If that's who I think it is, I'm leaning on both," Kim said with a sigh. It was doubtless that Drakken became a genius with his mechanical enhancements but it did affect his mind making him a cruel and ruthless adversary.
"I'm not sure about the design though," Dr. Possible admitted. "It looks like… well… help me out here."
"A frog?" a synthesized voice said making both Possibles turn and face the speaker.
Kim gasped as she saw who it was. Though she saw him from afar and the fact that his get-up was similar despite it being green and orange, she knew that he was one of the three who saved the people in Japan.
Dr. Possible, however, was merely curious as to why he was there.
"Aren't you bit out of your element?" Dr. Possible jokingly said.
"Well, Doc. If you had built that pond like you promised then I could go for a dip," the green man joked back.
"You know this guy?" Kim asked her father who simply smiled.
"Kimmy-cub, Let's just say I know his mother," Dr. Possible said.
"That being said could you close the blast doors?" The man in green pointed at the observation deck's large window. "I know this is fascinating and all but your safety is my primary concern."
"Why is it?" Kim asked the man. "Whom are you working for?"
"We work for no one," she could hear the smile from his helmet. "Anyway. We really need to secure the place before…"
"Before what?" Kim challenged but the man suddenly aimed his arm laser and shot the window, prompting the emergency override for the blast doors to activate. Kim turned and was shocked to see a couple of missiles heading their way. The man fired a couple of shots and hit the oncoming missiles.
"Everyone down!" he ordered and the Scientists followed. He was aiming at the missiles that was coming at them while waiting for the blast doors to close.
Kim just stood there looking at the battle that was beginning. She was transfixed at the lone figure fighting the Strafers in the air. His equipment was different but she knew it was the same guy that saved her.
He was valiantly fighting the air drones with amazing flying skills. It was almost like he was dancing in the air. Her gaze never left him until the doors obstructed her view.
She knew it was wrong, her being a part of the law. But she wished him luck.
He looked like he's going to need it.
"This is insane!" Ron said as he used his cannon to down another Strafer. "They're like flies!"
"Then swat them," Keith said as literally rammed at the Traumatizers on the ground. The Weasel's armored shell was going through the drones as if they were made of aluminum.
"Easy for you to say," Ron commented as he evaded another missile. "Any ideas?"
"Hitting that airship is one," Keith said as he blasted another Traumatizer. "Got a good look who's in it?"
"Ed," Ron answered. "I wonder what they want here?"
"Go ask him," Keith said as he used his speed to out maneuver the slow Traumatizers.
"Maybe I will," Ron suddenly changed directions and started his way towards the airship.
"What's taking so long Ed?" Doc Drakken asked through the ship's communication system.
"It's those guys again, dude," Ed said as he watched the battle from the bridge of the ship. "They're junking our toys, seriously." It was an understatement. They were decimating his entire load of Strafers and Traumatizers.
Drakken growled and struck his console with his robotic arm, destroying it in the process.
"Retreat," he ordered and the screen went blank.
"Seriously?" Ed asked the empty screen but when he saw what was coming, he smirked. "Seriously."
"Ed's getting away," Ron said as he followed the airship.
"Your call, Stoppable," Ron was taken back with his tone. It was not of encouragement or reprimand. But toneless. It was like the next move was up to him. Should he pursue?
He felt that anything he decided was okay but also felt that if he chose wrong, he might regret it.
"Galactic missiles, Heat seeking missiles, fire!" the missiles on the nosecone and on the tip of the wings fired straight and true. "Hey ED! Don't go away mad!" the missiled impacted the airship causing it to slow down and lose altitude. "Just go away!"
With a sigh, Ron turned back and found Keith waiting for him, his Wilde Weasel already recalled.
"What's that all about?" Ron asked, slightly annoyed that Keith didn't let him pursue.
"Have you checked your power level yet?" Keith simply asked. Ron just blinked and checked his helmet's Head's Up Display. True enough, if he had pursued Ed he would have run out of energy. Ron was caught up in the heat of battle that he forgot to check his remaining power.
"Zita, Recall Sky Bolt," Keith said and instantly the massive assault system vanished, leaving Ron rather humbled and ashamed.
"How did you know?" Ron asked. At this question, Keith smiled and shook his head.
"Because I ran out," he said making Ron look at him in disbelief.
"Really?" Ron was astonished.
"Well, I got 5% left," he admitted. "But still. I'm on the ground. You're in the air. You would run out before you could catch him. And there's a lot of unknowns. We can't risk it."
"Maybe you're right," Ron sighed. "At least I shot him down."
"Yeah. But I'll bet anything that he'd be long gone before anyone searched the wreckage," Keith sighed as he shook his head. "Come on. Better get that Exoframe off and on to your date."
"You sure?" Ron looked around at the carnage the have caused.
"Sure." Keith assured him. "We'll let GJ to the clean up. It was their job to protect the place."
"Okay," Ron smiled and went towards the nearest hangar to remove his Exoframe. Keith just shook his head and sighed. He was glad that Ron was happy again, but also hoped that his heart would not break again.
"Keith to Sky Vault. Stand by."
"It is ok for him to be with her?" Zita asked as she secured the line, making sure that they were the only ones who could hear.
"Do not judge a person in love," Keith said as he smirked. "Then again, a person in love usually have clouded judgments."
"That will bite you back," Zita smiled.
"I hope not," Keith sighed. "Call Felix. If it's clear, get him home."
"Ok. See ya later," the line was cut off. Keith started to walk towards the hangar Ron went into. He needed to make sense about the attacks so he needed to talk to her.
Maybe Zita's right. It could bite me back in the end, Keith shook the thought out of his mind and as soon as he was out of sight, pressed his communicator.
"Zita, Beam me to Centrum". And with a flash, he was gone.
End of chapter