Unstoppable
Disclaimer: Disney has all rights to these characters. In no way are they mine or am I getting a half penny out of writing this fic.
Chapter Five: Mentally Challenged
Luckily for Kim, Mr. Barkin had found the two of them before they left the school. His voice boomed from across the parking lot just as Zorpox had went to turn the key. Ron had football practice…could she be any luckier? Sure, right after practice she would have to meet him at his house, but he could not watch her and the behemoths chasing him at the same time, right? That would give her at the least a chance to come up with a counter plan.
"The light looked so much brighter earlier." She grumbles from the stands.
Cheerleading practice was cut short, but Zorpox insisted Kim remain within spotting distance or else he would 'decrease the competition' among his fellow team members. The really messed up sitch about Zorpox always was that he could think like Ron and in return think like Kim as well. In her hands is her cell phone, her fingers doing what they do best. Texting without looking at the phone is a basic survival skill for the average teenage girl, after all.
'How do I fx this Wd?' She types.
'Ron's not gone…there's still time.' Wade replies.
'Nt gn? Time? He's alrdy Zrpx!' Kim has to quickly glance at Wade's answers just in case her boyfriend's watching.
'He's not complete.'
'Comp?'
'Kim it took two days for Zorpox to overtake Ron?'
Kim looks from the message to the field. That is right. Ron did not become Zorpox right away, just like the last time he turned Bad Boy. And that meant…Ron really is in there somewhere.
'You have till the end of tonight. Midnight.'
'Bt…that's only 1 dy! WTS?'
'Zorpox is mentally stronger than Ron…it'll probably take him less time.'
'So n ths case…'
'Ron's literally mentally challenged. He can't do a thing on his own at this point.'
'OMG'
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"Back out my grill Chad! Don't make me bring the hurt on your sorry hide!" Zorpox shouts, pushing one of the larger football players back.
"Chill dude. I'm just doing my job…you know, the one where I drive your geeky face into the dirt?" Chad replies mockingly.
He laughs, his shoulder being slapped by one of the line backers. Zorpox's eyes sharpen. Dealing with incompetent people struck a short fuse in him. Even he knew it was not entirely for that reason. Somewhere in his other half's mind a hatred tainted his thoughts. Mr. Barkin grabs him by the collar suddenly, lifting him up off the ground.
"Stoppable! Stop complaining. Besides, if you'd stop worrying about watching your girlfriend EVERY TWO SECONDS OF PRACTICE you might be able to see one of these soda machine sized blocks of muscle charging at you!" Mr. Barking yells, dropping Ron.
"So…you want me to not let them catch me then? By any means necessary?" Zorpox questions mischievously.
"Yeah. Just hurry up so we can get out of here!"
"Sure thing…coach."
His eyes narrow on the players. They are big…but he's better. With the right timing, he could send every one of them crying for their mommas.
"Down…set…hike!" The quarterback yells.
Zorpox makes a run for an opening. One defensive linesmen approaches him, but leaping into the air he gets his feet on the guys shoulders. The player is pushed to the ground as Zorpox uses the momentum to get high enough to catch the ball.
"Now run Stoppable!" Mr. Barkin yells.
Zorpox easily runs through the opposing players, though not as Ron usually did. Instead of randomly scrambling to remain unscathed, Zorpox times his movements. He turns and spins with ease around the players all the way down the field. Yeah, when he wants to…he can do anything as well.
"Move aside Mad Dogs…here comes the Big Dog! BOYAHAHAHAHAHA!" He yells, leaping into the air.
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Kim watches the helmet settle in the grass. Her hands covering her mouth, she hurriedly makes her way down to the rails. A tight grip on the metal, she watches for movement.
"How could he?" Leaping over the rail, Kim runs down to the field.
Upon her arrival, she is clothes hanged around the waist and pulled to Zorpox's side. She looks over at him, her mouth hanging open. He smirks arrogantly as he lifts his hand elegantly to close her mouth. The unconscious football player regains her attention for the moment and she does not back away from him.
"Get the nurse and tell her to bring a wheelchair!" Barkin shouts as he helps his player up.
"You didn't have to do that." Kim whispers angrily.
"Think of it…as a farewell to Ron." He leans over. "I may buy myself a football team once I rule Bueno Nacho."
"I'm not carrying any towels." She retorts.
"So…you'll be there then. The loser, me the victor."
"I…" She had not meant that he would win. "Forget it."
Mr. Barkin runs up to Zorpox, his face a bit red. Kim looks from one to the other. Hopefully, Ron would not be cut from the team. A loud scream of triumph makes her slightly jump.
"Stoppable that was AWSOME! Play like that on the field and we'll never lose another game. Good work." He goes to turn, but looks back. "Four laps…walk 'em, and you can head home early."
Zorpox nods. Slowly he looks over at Kim and raises an eyebrow. She crosses her arms and tries to pull away. He leans over, she tries to pull back…but the entire football team is there. Kim regretfully lets him lay one on her, thankful that he does not try to push it too much. She discretely rubs the spot on her cheek where his lips touched her as he heads for the track.
"Four laps…then over to my place KP." He cheers happily.
He waves as he runs down the field.
"Stoppable! Save those legs for game time!"
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"Ron's in there…I knew he was." Kim sighs as she leans against the cool metal of the bleachers. "But how do I get him out, I called his name, I begged and almost cried. Zorpox's level of control is too much for him." She lowers her head in thought.
Ron lost his control within two days of being hit by the ray. Wade confirmed that by midnight, Zorpox would completely faze Ron out. How does Zorpox have full control then? Ron is Ron for two days…Zorpox is Zorpox for one? And Ron becomes the lesser personality. Before, Zorpox was the lesser personality.
"This is too confusing. But there must be some connection, a loophole. Something!" Frustrated, Kim runs her hand through her red hair. "That beam has to be the key. It didn't just swap personalities, it awakened Ron's alter ego who then took over."
Tap. Tap. Tap-Tap. Tap, Tap, Tap.
Beam hits Ron.
Tap. Tap.
Ron slowly becomes Zorpox.
Tap. Tap-Tap.
Zorpox takes over and pretends to be Ron.
Tap.
She treated him like Zorpox, and the more he acted like Zorpox. Could it be the beam did not just swap personalities, possibly if she was lucky whatever Shego hit Ron with is not permanent. Zorpox has not won just yet, of course that only means more of his planning is up ahead. Kim taps her chin and quickly takes out her communicator.
'Wd, I thnk Z wz plyn me.'
'Kim? How?'
'Dz it mk sense tht he wld wnt me 2 treat hm lke Z? I Mean he cld hv plyd Ron n I wldnt hv spctd a thng.'
'Treat him like Zorpox? I suppose. Your reactions to him could have mentally stimulated his subconscious. Treat him like Zorpox, he is Zorpox.'
'Thn I jst hve 2 treat hm lke R. H'll b bck 2 nrml rt?'
'In a loose theory. Might not last. Could try shocking him, it might temporarily render Zorpox unconscious and give Ron some time to talk.'
'dnt wnt 2 cas brn dmg. Tme 2 shn. C ya Wd.'
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The whole time…he was giving her the answer. Zorpox wanted Kim to treat him like a criminal, so he made his presence known and then acted his heart out, like he wanted to be Ron just to throw her off his trail. This is her theory.
And his plan worked just like he knew it would, if this is his plan. Kim in return resented and loathed him for the blatant mockery and unwillingly allowed him to push Ron's personality back. He used her to change Ron's state of mind, and he on an even lower level tried to change her feelings for Ron.
"But I love Ron, and you can't change that Zorpox." She whispers as Zorpox reproaches her. "Oh, Heeeeeey." She tries to look sweet even after he ignores her blatant eyelash batting.
"Something's in your eye…deal with it. Okay. Enough of this activity. If I don't get you the antidote in two hours…you're going to croak." He says unsympathetically as he wipes his forehead. "Even more importantly I have something cook'n and I need to get it out to cool at midnight."
Kim's jaw drops.
"What? Just being honest, Kimberly Ann." He shrugs his shoulders.
"Honest?" Kim bites her tongue, she would have to start now if this was going to work. "Hahahah! That's funny Ron! Antidote!" Kim tries to imagine she is not really laughing about her own future death.
"What's so funny. Are you laughing at me?" He stomps his foot.
"Ron." She slings her arm over his shoulder as she ushers him to begin walking away. "C'mon, why don't we go and get some nacos?"
"Kimberly, is there a pom-pom lodged in your cranium, the poison is going to kill you in…Nacos…" He eyes her suspiciously. "You want to get a naco?"
"Of course!" She playfully punches him on his shoulder. "Silly!"
"With me." He raises one of his eyebrows. "You want to go get nacos…with me?"
Kim had not expected Zorpox to act so skeptical, even though planning was always his strongest suit this turn of events surly threw his game off. And he looks so utterly flabbergasted, Kim cannot tell whether he is frustrated or just dumbstruck for the moment as his ingenious mind begins calculating the odds of her accepting him as Ron. She smiles as he really does not bother hiding it, his expression showing how lost he is…almost like Ron's.
"You are my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?"
Kim gives him a wide smile, he is too confused to figure if the grin is genuine or otherwise. Grabbing his hand she begins pulling him to his scooter. He would let his guard down there, Kim is certain of that. All she has to do is appeal to the Ron within him.
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It almost scares Kim, how much Zorpox seems to almost genuinely change once they enter Bueno Nacho. He rushes right to the counter and takes in a deep scent floating from the kitchen, his feet almost floating above the ground…
"Two number threes, a number four, side order of nachos and two extra nacos on the side I JUST CAME FROM FOOTBALL PRACTICE AND I'M STARVING! So could ya put that order for here Ned?" He exclaims, frantically leaning over the counter. "KP'll have a salad." He points back to her a little dully.
Ned, the assistant manager, and often forced council to Ron in his various times of need, types the order into the machine. Seeing as he practically lives in the restaurant Ned takes his ridiculously large order as the usual and turns around to begin gathering the order. Meanwhile, Kim grabs Ron's…Zorpox's arm and clings lightly to him. She smiles as she leans forwards over the counter and with a soft voice adds to the order.
"Ned, add an extra naco on the order. For me." If he can mess with her head, she can mess with his.
Slowly, Zorpox turns to Kim, his face slightly pale. The sound of the heavy tray hitting the counter breaks his stare and he unconsciously grabs a hold of it. Kim walks ahead with the rinks and takes a seat at their favorite table, smiling as Zorpox sits across from her. He grabs a burrito and slowly takes a bite.
"So Ron, you were spankin in practice today. I think you just need to tone down the drama a sitch." She casually states as she is inserting her straw into her soda.
"There was no drama, just revenge KP. Giving those behemoths their just desserts." He jams his index finger against the table as if to make a point. "You know they need to be taught to have some respect for the Ron-man."
Ron-man? Not Zorpox. Did he even realize he said Ron, or is he just playing possum? No, he seems to be genuinely subconsciously changing, his mannerisms and tone, everything is starting to sound different. Like Ron. At least from what Kim figures and hopes he is reverting back to Ron. Kim inwardly grins as she watches Zorpox practically breath in his food.
Every know and then he pauses to wipe his greasy hands on a napkin. Ron would have just kept eating. Maybe this plan is missing something. What would snap Ron back into action, let him take over? Kim ponders for just a moment. She will hit him with the ultimate line…
"Ron?"
"Hm?" He mumbles in between a bite as he begins working on his nacos.
"I just want you to know that, I love you Ron." She folds her hands under her chin as her expression drops to a humble seriousness. "You need to remember this…"
"What?" The naco falls from his greasy hands as she leans over the table and softly kisses him. "KP?"
"…because its been two hours Ron." She looks very tired all of a sudden and slumps down onto the table.
"Kay Pee?" His face is contorted in confusion. "Kimberly get up thi-" Spastically his body jerks backwards. "N-No! Kimberly Ann…Kimberly." Roughly his teeth grind together as his mind feels like its about to overload.
He jerks around inside his seat for about a minute before he finally settles a little. His hand reaches out and roughly grabs Kim by her sleeve, his fingers clawing the material. He begins his attempts to stir her.
He shakes her, roughly at first and then more gently. Eventually the shaking stops all together and he just stares. Ron kicks his feet in anger, his knees hitting the bottom of the table and causing his soda to nearly topple over.
"This…can't…" Zorpox manages to force out as he grips his head with all his might, his voice coming from his throat like the roar of a crazed animal.
"RRRROOOOONNNN!"
His screaming stops as his eyes open wide. The air seems to still as his shoulders drop and his body makes sudden contact with the table. His harsh breathing almost stops all together as he lies motionless across from Kim.
"Kim…Ron? E-Everything okay over there?" Ned nervously calls to them.
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He stares wide eyed at the two teens that are now passed out on the table amongst their food. If it were just Ron, Ned would have assumed he finally had a heart attack from his constant gluttonizing. Kim is lying still as well and Ned reaches for the phone only to see Ron suddenly stir.
"Kim…"
His body feels tired, exhausted and heavy. Slowly he reaches over and gently brushes against the soft red locks with his fingertips. She remains still as his eyes slowly begin to water up. It takes only a moment before Ron scrambles to the opposite side of the table and pulls Kim into his arms with no care as to the wasted food now sprawled about the tile floor.
"KP. I'm so sorry I did this to you. I-I love you too you know. You'll remember that won't you, I-in the big Bueno Nacho in the sky-AUHHHHH!" He tightens his hold on her, not noticing her fingers being uncrossed at the end of her rising arm.
Softly her hand pats Ron's back as he begins bawling like a baby. He does not notice her touch until she tugs at his shirt. Kim softly smiles as Ron's entire body freezes and then goes limp, nearly falling out of the booth. She holds onto him.
"K-Kim…but you." He stutters.
"Faked. He didn't poison me." She states matter-of-factly. "Convincing much?"
"How did you…he poisoned…but didn't, and you…knew what? Zorpox took over my mind, oh! I thought I was sleeping!" He is completely lost and completely freaked out.
"You don't recall anything from the past couple of days? The ray, the poison, that tackle at practice?" She softly asks, using her hand to move some hair out of his face. "Nothing?"
"I remember…being in my room." His brows are tightly knitted together as he tries to remember. "A-And I remember being in the men's room, he was talking to me. I should have said something, but by the time I realized he wasn't going away…he'd been in my dreams before, I just, I-I thought he'd…go away…" He runs his hand through his hair at the thought of his other half actually being out, what he can do in two days. "I'm an idiot."
"It's okay Ron." She assures him. "We can fix it."
"But KP. I don't want him to hurt you. You said he poisoned you!?" Ron's eyes grow wide.
"He said he did…but didn't."
"How were, or rather are you so sure?"
"He said it himself. How could I possibly live without my precious KP. Zorpox thinks like you do on some level Ron, and you could never in a billion years hurt me…enough to kill me at least. He was bluffing, not that you knew he was…or that I was." She smiles and gives Ron a playful wink.
"Wow KP, you outsmarted Zorpox." He tightly hugs her, as if it were their last. "I'm just, so sorry Kim. I want you to know, that stuff he tried to do…Kim I would never! I'm so sorry, please don't-"
She lightly places her finger over his lips and he instantly stops talking. Her eyes are so gentle she really does not have to say she forgives him at all but hugs him anyway and whispers in his ear a soft 'No big'. Ron sighs as he revels in the return of his mental control and the freedom he has in moving his body. Before when Zorpox was in charge everything was so dark.
At first he could see everything and just could not control what he was doing or saying the whole time, then he could see but could not say or do what he wanted, and then nothing. Just an empty black bunch of nothing with random floating memories and voices. Sometimes there would be neither and he felt so alone. And most of all he missed Kim.
"Is he gone."
"He's never…really gone Ron."
"I'm not that crazy psychopath!"
"I'm not saying you are. But he did come from your brain, somewhere. More specifically he's still capable of escaping…even more specifically, he might be able to regain control at any moment." Kim pulls something out of her backpack that looks like rope. "Unbreakable rope. I'm sorry, but I can't take the chance. Wade has a cell waiting for you at his house."
"Cell?" Ron wines.
"To be safe. I'm sorry." Kim gently touches the side of his face. "And the rope will have to be tight…I don't want him escaping. He apparently has plans tonight."
Kim begins tying Ron's wrists together as quickly as she can. Not to down Ron, but Zorpox has somehow given himself the mental advantage. She has to subdue to him, so she does not have to fight him.
"I understand." Ron's eyes close for a moment, and his brows furrow and suddenly pop open, looking like they are on fire. "This won't be easy! You think you've outwitted me? WAHAHAHA!"
"Zorpox!" Kim tries not to flinch as he startles her with a wild kick.
"I'm the big dog Kimberly, and you're going to pay for trying to leash me!" He growls as he tries to kick her out of the booth. "And after I was trying to play nice, you still had to try and backstab me." Zorpox tries to use his left foot to kick her as she catches his right.
Kim jumps up on the table top to distance herself. At least she somewhat tied his hands already. Zorpox stumbles out of the booth furiously tugging at the rope with his teeth. He hit's the floor hard and Kim can hear his teeth coming together without resistance as they clamp shut. Picking up the tray Kim leaps off the table and heads for him.
"A little tied up at the moment are you? Let me help."
"Kimberly! When I get this rope off I'm going show you just how angry I am right now!" He grumbles as he rolls around the floor, knocking a smaller table for two over and sending a mother and her son running across the restaurant. "I'm going to…to…" He lets out a scream as he rolls onto his back. "Shut up Ronald! I'll do as I please! You're not in charge…I AM!"
Kim dives to the floor and pins Zorpox to the ground firmly, the tray pressed against his throat. He ceases his movement, but continues to growl at her like an injured animal. She is breathing a little raggedly, but so is he and so the two remain silent. After a moment, which both used to refill their lungs with air Zorpox is the first to speak.
"Let me up Kimberly." He orders between breaths in a calm demanding tone.
"No Kim, run!" Ron pleads, his face contorted in pain as he struggles for control.
"Can't one of you just take over, I can't tell whether to punch you or help you up!" She grumbles as she throws the tray aside and uses her weight to pin him. "Ron you have to keep control just long enough or me to finish tying you up."
"Sure thin…KP, just hurry!" Ron sounds like he is in pain, his breathing harsh and his willpower obviously draining by the second as Zorpox fights on the inside to stay out long enough to escape.
Kim tightly has his hands and feet tied just as Zorpox lets out a loud scream. His body twists and turns in frantic movements as he attempts to wiggle free of his bonds. And then after a moment stops all together. Kim cautiously looks over him, at his face and is shocked to see him just blankly starring back, one eyebrow raised coyly.
"Touché Kimberly."
(Chapter Talk): I know, no one wants to hear what the author has to say...ironic that the author always prays the readers have something to say. I put two chapters up because they almost should be one, but then it would have been over twenty pages long. Another reason is that i'm hoping this will inspire some of my readers to lend me some feedback, I would really appreciate a comment or two on how the story is going so far, as far as interesting and origonal...oh and if my writing's decent enough for you guys. Sometimes the longer the story goes the sloppier I write to finish it. Please review!