Chapter 15: The Monkey Goes to the Birds
Kim really didn't feel like opening her eyes. She wanted to just go back to sleep, no matter how late it was. For the first time in her life, she felt like sleeping until noon. Unfortunately, she knew it was a vain hope. Once she woke up in the morning, she was awake for the day. She stared, bleary eyed at her alarm clock and was actually happy to note that she had slept in a full two hours past her usual wake up time. With a bittersweet sigh, she crawled out of bed and headed for the shower to start her morning routine.
Freshly showered, Kim wandered to the kitchen to grab a late breakfast, or early lunch, or whatever you called a meal at this time of the morning. Once in the kitchen, she decided to have the best of both worlds by grabbing a bowl of cereal and making a sandwich. Once finished, she checked the clock. Ron was probably still at Temple, so she decided to veg in the den until after noon. She was surprised to find her mother waiting for her.
"Someone filmed you and Ronald in action yesterday." Anne Possible informed her daughter with simultaneous gestures at the television and the couch. Kim took the hint and joined her mother on the couch, so that she could describe what they had done.
"Just why did Global Justice call you in to assist Team Go, anyway?" Anne asked, as Kim took her seat. "I thought that Team Go generally took care of Aviarius without help."
"Mego and the Wego were visiting Shego's hospital room," Kim informed her mother. "And Aviarius has come up with some sort of Go-power stealing crystal. Global Justice's intelligence reports indicated that while he could steal Team Go's powers, he couldn't steal Team Possible's kung-fu skills."
"Where is Shego, by the way?" Anne wondered.
"I don't know," Kim answered. "The National Security Agency is having her treated at a secret location. Not even Hego knows where she's at."
"I guess that makes sense," Anne accepted the explanation. "So who was the cameraman who captured the action?" Anne asked.
"Warren, he's a roving cameraman for Middleton Channel 6. Ever since he caught Ron and me taking down Shego and Eric, the network has given him an unlimited travel budget and Global Justice lets him tag along with the affiliated teams. They like to be able to review the footage and suggest alternate courses of action."
"That's a good plan," Anne nodded. "So, tell me what's happening here."
"Okay, Global Justice's intelligence service had found out that Aviarius had just set up housekeeping in this warehouse in Rochester, Minnesota. Ron, Hego, and I met up in an office a couple of blocks away and made our plans."
"What was the villain doing in Rochester? The only thing of any prominence there is the Mayo Clinic and I don't see him as the medical minded sort."
"I don't know, mom. Global Justice's intelligence had tracked him there and called us in to bring him down."
"What plan did you come up with?"
"What you see here; Hego went in first, since we figured that Aviarius was expecting to tangle with him. The footage isn't the best, since Warren had to duck and dodge, but you get the main idea."
"Okay, Hego is dodging some sort of beams coming from Aviarius's staff," Anne commented. "Is that how Aviarius expected to steal his super power?"
"Yes," Kim answered. "Now, you see here? Several robot penguins have emerged from packing crates and are attacking Hego. He's getting so tied up with them that he can't avoid the staff blasts. That's where Ron and I came in."
"Ah, yes!" Anne exclaimed. "There you are, jumping in and helping Hego with those robots. Where's Ronald?"
"He's sneaking up on Aviarius. He slipped in a skylight and is swinging from the rafters, approaching Aviarius from behind."
"Oh, I see him now," Anne giggled. "For a boy who hates monkeys as much as he does, he can certainly move like one!"
"Uh, yeah. Anyway we hadn't expected that Aviarius would have those robotic, flying condors watching his back. There! They come out of nowhere and attack Ron."
"Ouch!" Anne sympathized with her daughter's boyfriend, then she suddenly giggled. "But his 'Wonder Weasel' boxers are so cute. So we have Ronald tangling with two of those flying things while the third one is flying in circles with Ron's pants on its head."
Kim smiled, "I never thought one of Ron's pants incidents would be so helpful. Anyway, here's what really messed me up."
The two women watched as the beam from Aviarius's staff struck Hego. The big man stiffened, then slumped as a ball of blue light left his body and flew towards the bird-obsessed villain. Kim, struggling with the penguin-robots, inadvertently jumped in the light's path. The blue light struck her, causing her to glow blue. She stumbled for just a moment, then kicked one of the robots, breaking it in half.
"What was that, Kimmie?" Anne asked her daughter.
That blue glow was Hego's power," Kim explained. "When it hit me, I suddenly had Hego's super strength. You can see that I didn't really have much control over it. Right about…now…I try a back flip."
"Oh, my goodness," Anne Possible's mouth dropped open when she saw her daughter's enhanced legs send her flying up into the building's rafters. At ground level, Hego returned to his feet and continued to fight the robots.
"Hego's still in the fight?" Anne asked. "Why didn't he run away?"
"Even though he lost his super strength, he's still a large, strong, well-trained man," Kim answered. "He's not about to back down from Aviarius. I jumped down to help him and that's when Ron got hit."
Anne watched it unfold on television. Kim jumped from the rafters and into the midst of the attacking robots. Aviarius aimed his staff at her and fired. Ron, struggling with one of the condor robots, swept into the beam's path. The beam hit the boy, creating a light blue glow to surround him for just a moment. Ron flinched, then continued his struggle as Aviarius gave his staff a quick examination. By the time he satisfied himself that it was in working order, Ron had maneuvered himself onto the robot condor's back and had gained control of its direction. The boy steered the mechanical bird into a collision with the villain, even as Aviarius was aiming his staff at Kim. Boy, villain and robot tumbled to the ground.
The rest was anticlimactic. Ron tangled Aviarius up in a martial arts grappling hold and applied a carotid artery choke to the villain, quickly rendering him unconscious. Without the distraction of Aviarius' beams, Kim and Hego were able to quickly disable the remaining penguin robots. Kim and Ron then used their wrist-grapples to bring down the two remaining condor robots.
Wade used the Kimmunicator to scan Aviarius' staff and told Hego how to operate it. Hego fired the beam at Kim, which returned his super power to its rightful owner. Local Police arrived a few minutes later and took Aviarius into custody. A Global Justice team arrived and began disassembling and inspecting the robots and the staff. The coverage ended as Ron was shaking hands (flinching with pain) with Hego and Kim was contacting Wade to arrange for a ride home. Anne Possible turned off the television and turned to her daughter.
"That's not the only television coverage about the two of you," She informed Kim. "I saw the interview that Richards woman conducted. I'm very proud of the way you and Ronald handled yourselves, but I have to ask you, how is Ronald holding up?"
"He's still a little shook up," Kim informed her mother. "Dr. Director called us on our ride back and had Ron talk to a sort of on-call mental health professional that Global Justice keeps on staff. She had me step away so that she could have a short, private conversation with Ron. He seemed to be feeling better when it was done. Then she talked to me, in private. She asked me if he was talking about quitting the hero business or more…drastic things, which he wasn't. She said that what he was going through was normal, and as long as he wasn't rejected by friends or family, he would be fine. She said that I should make sure that he didn't spend a lot of time alone for the rest of the weekend, and she scheduled a time to visit with him on Monday, just to be sure."
"Did she ask you to do anything else?" Anne asked.
"Yeah," Kim blushed just a little bit. "She suggested that I cuddle up to him on the trip home."
"Make him feel safe and loved?" Anne suggested, with a gentle smile.
"There was actually more to it than that," Kim commented. "According to her, by cuddling up to him, having him put his arms around me, in much the same way that he destroyed…Eric," the name came out as a disgusted growl. "I was showing him that I trusted him; that I…accepted him despite what he had done."
"You didn't really mind having his arms around you, did you?" Anne asked, her smile growing somewhat sly. Kim shook her head. "You intended to do that anyway, didn't you?" Anne's smile grew slightly as Kim nodded, with just a little bit of red showing on her face.
"Let's set Ronald on the back burner for just a moment," Anne's expression became more concerned. "And talk about you. How are you holding up after yesterday."
"It was weird having Hego's super strength," Kim admitted. "I didn't know how to handle it. But when Hego took it back it was…tiring."
"I saw that you staggered somewhat," Anne admitted. "But that's not what I was talking about. How are you after that interview?"
"It was no big, mom."
"Kimmie, I'm your mother. You were very upset and you're still wound up tighter than normal. Some of that might be the mission, but I don't think so. That interview bothered you more than you're letting on. Ronald's at Temple and your father has the twins out launching their rockets. I'm all yours. What's bothering you about the interview?"
Kim sat in silence for several endless seconds, recalling the experience. Finally, with her thoughts more or less collected, she addressed her mother.
"Mom, could any of the things that that Richards woman said be true?"
"You mean about you and Shego-"
"No! I know that I'm not attracted to other girls. I mean the other things; the things about me and Ron."
Anne took a few minutes to review the interview in her mind. She considered the interviewer's various innuendo's and suggestions. Suddenly, things clicked into place in her mind.
"Let's see how close I am to describing what you're feeling right now," Anne told her daughter. "That way, you'll be able to tell if I'm ready to offer some advice." Kim sat back and motioned for her to continue.
"Those interview questions made you think," Anne started. "First, you're wondering why you haven't become intimate with Ronald; is it common sense and restraint or is it cold feet? Secondly, even though you know you're in love with him, you have some doubts in the back of your mind. First, you're wondering if you really are in love with him, or if what you're feeling is deep friendship and strong gratitude for him sticking with you, despite how you pushed him aside when you chased after the latest hottie."
"You're also wondering about Ronald's feelings," Anne continued. "Ron knew you for those same twelve years, yet he never expressed any sort of romantic interest in you. Yet, he started dating Sue within weeks of meeting her, he asked Dessie out the day they met and he asked Monique out to the prom. You're wondering if Rita was correct, maybe the two of you did exhaust your options and are now settling for each other. It's not a very serious thought, but it's there, in the back of your mind and it's bothering you." She caught Kim's eyes with her own. "How am I doing so far?"
"Creeping me out, actually," Kim admitted. "Read minds much?"
"No, it wasn't THAT long ago that I was a teenager," Anne smiled. "Now, where was I, oh yes. Although you know it's never going to happen, you're terrified that Ronald might drop you if a real Dessie shows up. You're even more terrified that you might drop Ronald if a real Eric shows up. You know you're in love, but it's human nature to worry about these things."
"Are you done showing off yet?" Kim asked.
"Almost," Anne replied, with a short laugh. "But here's where it's going to get more personal. Right now, I think that you're debating taking your relationship with Ronald to the next level." Anne paused for a moment, "the fact that you're just sitting there with you mouth open tells me I must be dead on again."
Kim closed her mouth as her mother continued, "it's not that hard to figure out, Kimmie. Take what I've already said and add a couple more things: a healthy teenager's libido and the fact that you deal with situations by taking decisive action. If you were to take that step, you would reassure yourself and Ronald that your feelings are real. You would also show Ronald your trust and acceptance, beyond the cuddling you did last night. Finally, you would really enjoy it."
"Of course, you have reasons for not taking the relationship to that level," Anne continued. "First of all, like Ronald told that Richards woman, the two of you are underage, unemployed and not ready for adult responsibilities and consequences. You're also thinking that it's too soon, in your relationship, to take that step. How am I doing?"
"Like I said, creepy," Kim was looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Are you mad at me?"
"Whatever for, Kimmie? I'd actually wonder about you if you didn't think about a…physical relationship with Ronald. No, what you're feeling right now is perfectly normal. What's also perfectly normal is the talk that I'm about to have with you." Kim flinched.
"Don't do that, Kim, I said I wasn't mad at you," Anne shook her head with a smile. "I'm not even disappointed with you. However, I will be disappointed if you choose to take your relationship to the next level at this time. I'm not telling you when the time is going to be right for you and Ronald; I'm asking you to talk to me when you think that it is. At that time, we'll discuss it like two grown women. I trust you Kim; I trust you and Ronald to think that decision through. Both of you are smart enough to realize that there are consequences to that sort of thing that the two of you just aren't ready to face at this time."
Kim waited for several moments, "that's it, just come talk to you when I think we're ready?"
"Does there have to be more?" Anne asked. "Well, actually there is more. I think that it would do the two of you a world of good to go out and do something fun today. Didn't you say that your date up at Lake Middleton was about the most fun that you've ever had?" Kim nodded. "Then call up some more friends, talk your boyfriend into running the two of you up there on his bike, and have some fun. You and Ronald could use the friendly company. You could catch a movie tonight." Anne's smile grew sly, "Your father and brothers will be exhausted after chasing rockets all day. They'll be asleep early, so the two of you can come home from the movie and make out on the couch. Within reason, of course."
"Mom!"
"Something wrong with the plan?"
"Well…no."
It had been about the best summer Saturday that Kim could ever remember. She had surprised her boyfriend, simply informing him that he was taking her up to the lake. The motorcycle ride was wonderful and Ron's eyes lit up when he saw Felix, Oscar, Monique and Cindy already at the beach. Tara, Josh, Bonnie, and Brick were sunbathing and (except for Bonnie) offered friendly waves. While Ron had been a little reserved at first, the presence of so many friends, with the fun they were all having, quickly broke him out of his funk.
Felix had what could only be described as monster tires on his wheelchair, which allowed him to operate surprisingly well on the soft sand. The handicapped boy loved to swim, so Ron and Oscar helped him into the water, where he was right at home. After swimming for a short time, Kim, Ron, Cindy, and Oscar soon wound up camel fighting again. Before long, Tara and Josh joined in the fun. The high point, at least from Kim's view, was when Brick got tired of being Bonnie's fashion accessory and joined them. Soon, Monique was on his shoulders for the four-way free-for-all, while Bonnie fumed at them.
Kim was just about ready to call it quits and soak up some rays, when the Kimmunicator went off. She slid down from Ron's shoulders and quick-stepped across the beach to her bag. In the meantime, Felix wanted to get back in his chair so Ron went to help his friend.
"So what's the sitch," Kim asked, a little irritated at the notion of being called away from the beach.
"No missions, Kim," Wade reported. "Just two items. First, how's Ron doing? I'm curious and there's a lot of hits to the site asking the same question."
"He was a still a little down when we got here," Kim reported. "But good friends and good times seem to have made all the difference."
"Good, is it okay if I post that on the site?" At Kim's nod, Wade performed some more keyboard magic. "Second item, Warren would like to meet you again."
"When, where, and why?" Kim asked.
"He's says he has some coverage of your get together at the beach. He intends on airing some of it as a personal interest piece and he would like to describe it to you before he does."
"Oh, when can he meet with me?"
"Right now," Wade smiled. "He's about one hundred yards back from the swim area."
"On it, Wade."
Kim slipped on her sandals and told Ron where she was going. While Kim left to speak to Warren, Ron decided that the amount of sleep he had managed the night before was a few hours short of what a growing, teenaged boy required. He spread out a towel, grabbed a cold drink from the cooler, and sprawled out on his belly to rectify the situation while the rest of the party started to throw a Frisbee around the beach.
Kim's meeting with Warren was quick and cordial. The cameraman had caught some video footage of the teens enjoying themselves on the beach. While Warren didn't need Kim's consent to air the footage, he felt guilty about the ambush Team Possible had walked into the previous day. He played back his footage, showing Ron acting a little down when he arrived, but cheering up after spending time with friends. All in all, the footage showed a boy who was affected by some traumatic events but was dealing with it, with the help of his friends and his girlfriend. Kim wholeheartedly approved of the proposed story.
Shortly after Kim left to talk with Warren, Monique decided to take a break. She shook her head, thinking that she might want to take up some sort of sport or exercise program, if she wanted to keep up with this bunch. Kim, Ron, Oscar and Cindy were all athletes of some sort. Monique knew that she was far from being out of condition but these four friends of hers seemed to be just getting warmed up even when she was worn out. She knew that Ron would still be going strong if he hadn't had that rough experience yesterday.
Monique spread out her beach towel next to the dozing, blonde boy and looked at him affectionately. She sometimes felt a very small twinge of regret that nothing had come out of their prom date, but she knew that it wouldn't have worked out anyway. When it really came down to it, Kim and Ron had spent years molding their lives around each other. Ron was a good guy, but he had always been about the most unavailable, single guy on the planet. She was actually glad that he and Kim had finally gotten together. Another, affectionate glance at her friend told her that he might have a problem if she didn't do something about it.
"Hey Blondie," she addressed him, as she dug into her beach bag.
"Huh?" He wasn't completely asleep, but he was definitely in 'out of it' mode.
"Kim's butt rubbed the sunscreen off of the back of your neck," she told him, retrieving a bottle of the aforementioned substance from the bag. "Hold still, I'll get it."
"Thangs…EYIEE!" The spurt of cold sunscreen hitting his back sent Ron shooting up a good foot above his towel; his eyes the size of the Frisbee flying around the beach. Monique, once she got over her shock, convulsed with laughter.
"S-s-sorry, Ron," she managed to force out, between her giggles. Ron grumbled something about rude wakeups and settled himself down again. Monique, still chuckling, reached out and quickly rubbed the lotion into Ron's skin.
Kim finished her discussion and returned to the beach. She walked around the dressing area and stopped cold at the sight that greeted her, a smiling Monique rubbing Ron's shoulders.
Monique looked up and saw Kim, positively fuming, stalking forward. She looked down are realized that what she was doing, although innocent, could be easily misconstrued by a high-strung, ultra-competitive redhead. Thinking quickly, she jumped to her feet as her best friend approached.
"Dang! I think I left my shades in Felix's van," she announced, as Kim stomped to a halt. "Kim, care to come help me look for them?"
Kim spluttered for just a moment, then seeing Monique's obvious and meaningful glance first at Ron, then to the parking lot, she complied. The two maintained their silence until they got away from the dozing boy.
"Care to tell me what that glare was all about?" Monique demanded, as she led her friend past the parking lot and to the picnic area.
"I was just jumping to the wrong conclusion," Kim admitted. The short walk had given her precious seconds to calm down and think things through. She had spotted the smear of lotion on Ron's skin. Monique hadn't been caressing him, massaging the stuff into his skin like…well, like the way Kim and rubbed sunscreen into his back when they got here. Of course, Ron had returned the favor for her in exactly the same way.
"You thought I was making a play for your boyfriend, didn't you?" Monique's tone was both accusing and indignant.
"I…uh," Kim took a deep breath. "Fine, for just a moment back there, yeah."
"Girlfriend, I don't go for lost causes," Monique shook her head as the two of them sat across from each other at a picnic table. "That boy is so wound up in you it isn't even funny."
"I know, Mon, it just that…I don't know."
"Let me try," Monique stepped in. "That interview yesterday has you really tweaked and now you don't like the idea of another girl close to the guy?" Kim nodded. "You really think that anything could pull him away from you?"
"I know he isn't about to ditch me," Kim explained. "But I guess I can't help myself…Monique, put your hands out on the table just like this." Kim placed her hands on the table, one palm down and the other palm up. Monique followed suit. "Now," Kim continued. "Look at my hands."
Monique looked at her friend's hands. The first thing that she noticed was the thick calluses on Kim's knuckles especially the first two. Looking closer, she noticed more calluses running down both the inside and outside edges of Kim's hands.
"Touch my palm," Kim instructed her, after noticing her expression. Monique did so. Although Kim's skin was smooth, it wasn't soft. Her skin felt almost like leather.
"That's the side effects of freak fighting and saving the world," Kim said, with just a touch of bitterness in her voice. "Even though I wear mission gloves, all of the punches, knife-hand strikes, ridge-hand strikes, and rappelling takes a toll." She sighed, "and it isn't just the hands."
Monique nodded in sympathy while looking at her friend. Kim was attractive, there was no getting around it, but her adventurous lifestyle had left her somewhat less attractive than she could have been. The intense physical activity had worn off any non-glandular fat and had toned her muscles. As a result, Kim was rather…angular where the classic, western definition of feminine beauty called for her to be…rounded. Her skin, while smooth and blemish-free, was taunt and solid, rather than soft and supple. She also carried just a little more muscle than would be perfect for a girl with her build. The result was a very attractive girl, rather than a drop-dead gorgeous girl.
"When you were rubbing the lotion into Ron's shoulders," Kim remarked. "I was thinking about how nice it would have been to have soft hands when I rubbed it into his back."
Monique nodded, "I suppose Ron's picked up some pretty rough hands as well."
Kim nodded.
"Now," Monique continued, "when he was rubbing the sunscreen into your back, were you thinking about how much nicer it would have been if his hands were softer?"
"No," Kim replied, with a faint blush. "I was just…enjoying it."
"So, why do you think your rough hands bother him?"
"Well, I see you and Tara and Cindy and…Bonnie," Kim snarled out the last name. "And I can't help but think that I'm not really very…girly."
"You know, girlfriend," Monique told her, with a shake of her head. "For someone who's a potential valedictorian, your LOT is so whacked that I don't know where to begin."
"LOT?"
"Line of thought. Of course, I don't know if I can call what you're doing right now thinking."
Kim sat there, open-mouthed. This, of course, gave Monique the silence she needed to continue.
"So you're not the fashion-magazine definition of the perfect girl. Ron isn't exactly the fashion-magazine definition of the perfect guy. Of all of us here today, I'd say that Tara comes the closest to the so-called ideal girl, and Brick comes closest to the so-called ideal guy. So why aren't they together?"
"They just don't seem interested in each other," Kim replied.
"Exactly! Tara is attracted to the good-looking, artistic type, so she pursued Josh once the two of you broke up. So far, the two of them seem to be getting along fine. As for Brick, who knows what he sees in Bonnie? Bottom line up front, GF, we've all got a different vision of perfect in the looks department. Your boyfriend just happens to be drawn to slender, athletic redheads." Kim had to smile at that.
"Next point, you're selling that boy short if you think good looks are all he's looking for and the same goes for you. If good looks were all you wanted, you'd still be with Josh. If good looks were all Ron wanted, Dessie would have succeeded in her mission. So don't you dare be acting like you don't measure up for that boy; I'd do just about anything to have that nice of a guy that crazy about me."
"I take it I had this lecture coming?" Kim asked, once she regained speech.
"You better believe it. Now, if you don't like me being around Ron, just let me know. I'm sure he'd get a little surly if some guy started rubbing lotion on your back."
"Thanks Mon,"
"No charge, what say we get back to the beach?"
"Sounds good to me. One thing?"
"Yeah?"
"The next time Ron needs something rubbed into his back, let me know and I'll do it."
"Deal!"
Aviarius perched on his bunk in the Rochester City Jail. He hated jail cells; not only did they remind him of birdcages, but also he was slightly claustrophobic. His jailers had had the decency to leave his window open, which eased some of his mental condition. However, the bars over the window were far too stout for him to damage.
He was in a fowl mood. He had come so close! His goal had been to acquire the first of Team Go's powers while in Rochester. This would have given him enough time to master it before moving on to his next target. Instead, Hego and Team Possible had plucked his fledgling plan before it could take flight. He would probably be in this cell for a few days before being extradited to Go City.
"Aviarius," a low, polite, conversational voice flowed in through the open window. "I wonder if I could inconvenience you for a bit of conversation about today's activities?" Aviarius was rather startled, since his cell was on the building's fourth floor, but saw no harm in playing along.
"Not at all," he answered. "Would you be nice enough to tell me your name?"
"Perhaps after a bit, pending some agreements at which we may arrive," the voice had a distinct, British accent.
"I've got nothing better to do, speak your piece."
"Excellent, old boy," the voice seemed slightly amused. "I saw the footage today of your little altercation with Hego and Team Possible. The news reported that you intended to use your staff to steal the large man's powers. Is this true?"
"Steal?" Aviarius demanded. "How can I steal something that was never really his in the first place? He just happened to be at the right place, at the right time. I'd say those powers belong to whomever can acquire and make use of them."
"I believe that we're going to get along famously," the voice responded. "Lets talk a bit about what happened when that boy, Stoppable, encountered the staff's beam."
"So that's his name? No matter, he seems to have some sort of power, but my staff wasn't…attuned…to acquire it."
"Ah," the voice became intent. "I happen to know that the boy is highly skilled in the art of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar, monkey kung fu, could your staff have attempted to seize this skill?"
"No," Aviarius shook his head, even though he wasn't sure the voice's owner could see him. "These aren't powers, they're skills, like carpentry or knowing history. The staff cannot acquire skills. That boy has some form of unnatural power."
"You are correct, sir," now the voice sounded satisfied. "Since you've grasped this truth, I find myself in a position to offer you a proposal. I shall break you free of this cell and offer you sanctuary. In return, you will assist me in acquiring the power Mr. Stoppable possesses. After which, I shall use this power in assisting you to acquire Team Go's powers. Do you find this offer acceptable?"
"Under one condition, I want to know, for sure, whom I'm dealing with. Judging by your voice and manners I'd say I'm talking to Monkeyfist."
"Lord Montgomery Fisk, at your service," the villain's face appeared at the window. "Not to rush you, old boy, but do we have an agreement? The night is wearing on."
"Yeah, we have an agreement. When are you going to get me out of here?"
"Right now, of course." The altered nobleman produced a small, glass bottle and dribbled a thick fluid from it onto the tops and bottoms of the bars. The bars began to smoke. "My current lodging has a rather impressive collection of chemistry equipment and notes. However, I must say that you're going to need to be prepared to move quickly in a few moments."
"No problem at all," Aviarius practically purred. "So what do we do once you get me out of here?"
"That depends upon how quickly you will be prepared to fulfill your part of the bargain," Fisk informed him. "While we are waiting for this hyper-acid to do its work, why don't you tell me what you'll need?"
"Well, I suppose the cops have my staff," Aviarius mused. "It'll take me a couple of months to build a new one."
"No need, old boy," Fisk replied. "The Rochester Police had it in their evidence locker. I took the liberty of obtaining it before coming here. You may, of course, need to repair it."
"No problem, but taking Stoppable's power may be difficult."
"Oh, how's this?" Fisk asked.
"Acquiring supernatural powers is a very exact science. I had tuned, for want of a better term, the staff to acquire Team Go's powers. That's why it didn't latch on to, what's his name, Stoppable's power. Since Team Go all acquired their super powers from the same comet, I can take all of their powers with the same configuration. I have to modify the staff to take Stoppable's."
"How long will it take to re-configure the staff for Stoppable?" Asked Fisk. "Oh, step back and to the side, old boy."
Aviarius complied with Fisk's instructions. The Englishman struck each of the bars a sharp, powerful blow, which sent the middle section clattering into Aviarius' cell. A shout sounded from inside the cellblock.
"Quickly now," Fisk shouted. "Through the window and up this rope. I have an aircraft on the roof."
The bird-man followed the monkey-man up the rope and onto the roof. He was about to jump into the small aircraft when Fisk halted him with a hand on his shoulder. Fisk reached into the craft and pressed a button. The aircraft took off and flew to the north, leaving the two villains on the roof.
"My statement about aircraft was for the benefit of anybody, who may have been listening," Fisk informed Aviarius, as he led the newly freed man to the opposite side of the roof. "Let the authorities pursue that aircraft while we make our escape in the opposite direction."
Aviarius followed Fisk down another rope (which Fisk recovered) then down several back alleys to where a service van was parked.
"I'm afraid you'll have to sit in the back," Fisk told his guest. "There will be far too many people looking for your rather unique face. You'll find your staff in the large, metal box on the shelf."
Soon, Fisk was driving the two of them south, out of the City of Rochester. Fisk had to concentrate on using the right-hand side of the road, but it wasn't long before they were out of town.
"I have taken the liberty of securing a farmhouse just over the border, in Iowa," Fisk called over his back. "We should be there in about two hours. Why don't you relax and continue your explanation about the difficulties in acquiring Stoppable's power?"
"Right," Aviarius answered, examining his staff. "Like I said, I had tuned the staff to take Team Go's powers, not Stoppable's. Re-tuning it is going to take some time."
"How much time?"
"First, I'm going to need to adjust the staff from 'acquire' mode to 'scan' mode. That will take me a couple of days. Then, I'm going to need to scan Stoppable while he's using his power. After that, it will take me anywhere from a week to three months to tune it to his power. Then, his power is all mine…er…yours. Sorry about that."
"No need, old boy. I understand that you had your heart set on taking power for yourself. No bother, Team Go's power will soon be yours." Fisk paused. "If you had your staff tuned to Team Go's frequency, what were you doing in Rochester? The only thing here is the Mayo….of course!" A light had gone on in Fisk's head. "A world renown medical center, dedicated to cutting edge and sometimes experimental medicine! Shego is receiving treatment somewhere in the Mayo Clinic and you wanted to take her powers while she was unable to defend herself! Brilliant plan, old boy, how did you track her here?"
"I'm not giving up all of my secrets," Aviarius informed his host. "All I'll say is that if you get me to a computer with internet access, I can find her, anywhere on Earth, in a matter of a few days. Now, how are we going to get a scan of Stoppable? Rush in and take him on?"
"No, I think you've just given me the tool I need," Fisk mused. "Configure your staff for scanning, then track Shego again. I suspect that she will be moved again, shortly. We will then need to acquire some resources. I think that I can arrange for Team Possible to come to us."
A/N: Before I say anything else, I have to mention that the bots were down the last time that I updated. As a result, I'm not 100 sure that I responded to every review. I would like to offer my most sincere apology to anybody who left a review, but did not receive a response.
Again, thank you to everybody who has left a review. The reviews, and the PM's that I'm receiving, are a big encouragement. Thank you.
Finally, thank you again to Joe Stoppinghem, for his patient beta reading services.
Till next update, best wishes
daccu65