Bad Moon Rising
Oo000ooo000oO
Through the travail of the ages,
Midst the pomp and toil of war,
Have I fought and strove and perished
Countless times upon this star.
THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY
by Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
Oo000ooo000oO
Chapter Nine
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Ron's eyes flickered open, and spent several confused moments trying to figure out why the ceiling in his room had suddenly developed roughly hewn logs for the rafters, and why there was a soft, warm, body pressing up against him-
"Oh." he said as his brain became fully awake. "Yeah."
Next to him, Shego mumbled something unintelligible into his chest and snuggled closer to him. Lifting his head, he looked down at the tangled black mass that was Shego's hair and poked her.
"Hey." Ron croaked out. "Shego."
There was a short muffled groan that he translated as "Yes?"
"It's time to wake up."
Shego somehow managed to groan and whine at the same time while she burrowed under the covers.
"Shego, wake up." Ron said again. "I gotta go meet my parents today, remember?"
Shego groaned something, the only intelligible part being "Coffee." Pulling the covers back, Ron was about to swing his legs out of bed when he saw that Shego was still firmly wrapped around him.
"Shego." he said, poking her in the shoulder again. "Leggy. I cant make coffee if you're wrapped around me."
Shego groaned again, released her hold on him, and then slithered back under covers as Ron got out of bed.
"What time is it?" he thought, standing by the bed and rubbing his eyes.
Casting his gaze around the room, he found the alarm clock sitting on the bed stand and discovered that it was ten thirty in the morning.
"Crap." he thought and ran his hand through his hair. "Well, plenty of time to wake up."
With that, he stumbled off for the kitchen, not awake enough at that point to realize (or care) that he was currently without a stitch of clothing on.
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Shego's face twitched as Ron pulled the covers away from her face slightly and he poked her in the shoulder.
"Hey." he said. "Wake up."
Shego groaned and ground her face into the pillow. Ron looked down at her, arched an eyebrow in thought for a second, and then was struck by inspiration. Smirking in amusement, he leaned over slightly and held the cup of coffee close to her face and waved his hand over it, fanning the scent towards her.
The scent hit her nostrils and she took a deeper breath, then sniffed a couple of times. Her eyes fluttered opened and it took her a moment before she focused on the mug being held in front of her.
"Coffee?" Ron asked.
"Yes, please." was Shego's response. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she gratefully accepted the steaming mug from Ron. "Thanks." she said.
Reaching over, Ron retrieved his mug from the night stand and took a sip as Shego did the same.
"Good coffee." Ron commented.
"Yeah." Shego agreed. "How'd you make it?"
"I used bottled water after cleaning the coffeepot." Ron explained.
Shego nodded and took a large sip. "So." she said, cradling the mug in her hands. "What's the plan?"
"Plan?" Ron asked.
"Yeah." Shego said. "Plan. As in, how are we gonna get to your parents place?" she clarified, then as a sign that the caffeine was beginning to take effect a rather lascivious smirk came across her face. "Or do you just want to stand there swinging that dick in front of me all day?"
Ron merely grunted and took a sip of his coffee before responding. "As much as you'd enjoy that, no." he said, way past caring that Shego's gaze was fixated slightly below his waist. "I thought it over while I was making the coffee and I think I got a plan."
"Do tell." Shego said, sparing a glance upward at him.
Ron swirled his coffee around a couple of times as he framed the explanation in his mind. "Well."he began. "I was thinking that at first, I call Mrs Dr P-"
"Who?" Shego asked.
"Kim's mom." Ron clarified.
"Oh." Shego said. "Keep going."
"As I was saying, I call Kim's mom, and then we have her call my parents and give her a heads up."
"Sounds complicated." Shego commented.
Ron nodded. "Yeah, then I remembered that there's a creek running behind the house that also runs past a failed housing development. We can park there, and then sneak along the creek to my house, hop the back fence, and let myself in."
"We?" Shego asked. "What's this we business, sidekick?"
Ron sipped his coffee. "You think it's a good idea to sit in a van, in a abandoned housing development, and have the Sheriffs department spot you?"
Shego frowned as she thought about the thought of the county sheriff arresting her, and had to nod in agreement with his point.
"Okay." she said. "So when do we do this?"
"This afternoon." Ron said. "About five o'clock. They both should be home from work by then."
Shego got a surprised look on her face after Ron said that. "Your parents are working with all that's going on?" she asked.
Ron smirked. "Just because their only son is missing and there is a media circus parked outside their door, is no reason for them not to go into work." he said, then frowned. "I swear, I think they'd go into work if the world was coming to an end."
"Workaholics?" Shego asked.
"You have no idea." Ron said with a roll of his eyes. "They also like to 'surprise' me. And not in the good way."
"Sounds fun." Shego quipped.
"Well, in their defense, they have kept a roof over my head and they are my biggest fans." Ron pointed out.
"You have a point there." Shego said. "And speaking of big..." she added, grabbing hold of him "I think I know a way to kill some time before we have to go."
"Gently, GENTLY!" Ron yelped as she gave him a gentle tug.
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Gloria Stoppable felt the by now all-too-familiar lead weight settling into her stomach as she walked down the stairs from Ron's room. She and her husband had gotten home, forced their way through the slavering pack of reporters encamped outside their house, and she had gone up her sons room to check on Rufus.
Rufus was... not doing well. He'd had a stomachache the night the incident and thus had not accompanied Ron. In the years that he had joined the family- and he was just as much a part of the family as Ron was- she had gotten to know him.
She knew how frightfully intelligent he was, and could see that he was blaming himself for what had happened to the two people that he cared about most in the world. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she heard the back door open.
"You see something in the back yard, Gene?" she asked as she headed into the kitchen.
"No..." her husband responded from the living room. "I'm in here."
"Then why did the back door open- oh my God..." Gloria started to say as she came into the kitchen but stopped dead, her mouth agape.
"Gloria, what's wrong-" Gene started to say as he came to his wife, but he also stopped dead when he saw what his wife had seen.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad." Ron said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm home."
He said nothing more before his parents enveloped him in a twin pair of bear hugs.
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Several minutes of tearful hysterics later, followed by some brief introductions later, Ron, Shego, Rufus, and his parents sat down at the kitchen table with coffee.
"Okay, I think I should start with what happened." Ron began.
"That would bee best." Gloria said with a sniffle.
"Well, long story short, Drakken killed Kim, and then tried to Shego and I, and now we have to hunt him down before he figures out that we're not dead and tries to do it again." Ron explained.
His mother immediately voiced her objections. "No." she said. "No nononononononono, no." she said. "It's too dangerous. This is something for true law enforcement-"
Ron shook his head. "No, mom, this is something that they can't handle." he said. "Trust me on this. What's Drakken's become- it's something they can't deal with."
"Son..." Gene said. "Do you know what he's did to Kim-"
"Yes." Ron said, his voice shifting into an animal growl.
Gene and Gloria's eyes went to the size of dinner plates as they saw Ron's eyes shift from blue to yellow and his teeth start to lengthen before he got control and stopped himself.
"Son... w-what happened to you?" his father asked, his analysts mind getting over his shock first.
Ron sighed and looked at his hands for a moment before he answered his father. "Dad, when I said that he's something that law enforcement can't deal with, that's what I meant.
He's not human anymore. And neither are Shego and I."
"So what did he-?" Gloria started to ask.
"Werewolves. As corny as that sounds" Shego answered.
Gene sighed and massaged his forehead. "No, Miss Shego, that doesn't sound corny at all when you consider that I was told by a group of very polite and very scary ninjas that my son is the one chosen to wield a Mystical Monkey Power, or half a dozen other things that have happened over the past year."
"You're taking this well." Shego commented.
"Thats because I'm still in shock, miss." Gene responded. "When that wears off, I'm going to make judicious use of that bottle of Scotch that James gave me for Hanukkah."
"Oh." was her response.
"How are you going to catch this Drakken?" asked Gloria.
"Shego and I are going to go talk to the Yamanuchi, first of all." Ron began. "And we're gonna be hiding out at her place."
"You're not staying here?" Gloria asked.
Ron shook his head. "It's too dangerous." he said. "If that media circus outside sees me, it's all over. Plus, I don't know if I can fully control myself yet. I've been able to so far. My temper's gotten a lot worse, and my fuse has gotten a lot shorter.
Combine that with the fact I can turn into an eight foot killing machine, and I'd rather not be in a place where someone can get hurt."
"Oh." Gloria said, and visibly deflated as her hopes that her son would be staying evaporated.
"Don't worry, I'll stay in touch." Ron said, and then his gaze fell on Rufus. "Speaking of which, I got job for, little buddy."
Rufus, who had been quietly watching the conversation wondering why his master had teamed up with the mean green skinned woman, and why their scents had changed so radically, perked up.
"Yeah?" he squeaked hopefully.
"I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Mom and Dad for me since I can't do it, okay?" Ron asked the mole rat. "Think you do that?"
Rufus snapped up ramrod straight and snapped off a salute to Ron, then took a toothpick out of their little jar in the center of the table, shouldered it, and began to march back and forth on the table.
Ron smiled at his friends antics, then shifted his attention back to the matter at hand. "So, yeah, I'll be keeping in touch. I'll just have to keep it quiet so that the whole damn world knows." he said, then glanced at the clock. "And I really hate having to leave, but we gotta go. We've been here long enough."
"Hold on." Gloria said as Ron and Shego stood up.
Getting up, she put her son into a bear hug for several moments. "Be safe out there." she said, sniffling and wiping a tear from her eye.
"I will, Mom." he said as Glen came up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Kick his ass, son." he said. "Give him one from me."
"I will, Dad." Ron said.
And with that, he turned and walked out the door.
Oo000ooo000oO
Gloria waited several moments until she was sure he was out of hearing range before she turned to her husband and buried her head in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.
"My baby... .my baby..." she wailed. "He's gone."
"I know." Glen said as he hugged his wife tightly to him. "I know."
Oo000ooo000oO
"Feeling a little bummed out?" Shego asked Ron as they navigated their way through Middleton.
Slumped slightly in the passenger seat, Ron looked up. "Wouldn't you be, in my situation?" he asked.
"Good point." Shego said. "I really don't think that there's any good way put it. I mean, basically, you're telling your parents 'Hey, Mom, Dad, I gotta go track down and stop a psychotic mad scientist who's a werewolf, risking violent, bloody death by dismemberment and then being cloned as part of his twisted, malevolent, plans. Don't wait up!'."
Ron couldn't help but snort in amusement at Shego's synopsis of the situation. "At least they took it well." he said. "I was expecting more screaming."
"Me too." Shego said. "Though, if you've really got your heart set on some hardcore screaming, when we get back to the cabin, we can lay out a blanket on the floor in front of the fireplace and we can get it on."
Ron shot her a look from across the cab of the van. "Don't you ever think about something other than sex?" he asked.
"Hey, it's my way of dealing with stress." Shego defended. "Some people do hobbies or meditate. I fuck.
Been doing it since I was twelve and first rubbed one off."
Ron grimaced and shook his head. "Your teenage years could not have been that bad." he said in disbelief.
"You remember what I've told you about my brother Hego, right?" Shego asked.
"Yeah." Ron said, nodding for a second before it clicked in his head. "Oh." he said, recognition dawning on his features. "Dare I ask how you-"
"Right hand, shower attachment, and the odd vegetable until I wised up at fifteen and forged Herbert's name and mail ordered a vibrator through an add in one of his porn mags."
"Okay then." Ron said and ran a hand through his hair. "That's... interesting."
"So, what about you?" Shego asked.
"What about me?" Ron asked back, dreading where she was heading with her question.
"How do you do it?" Shego clarified.
"Ahhh... why are we-" Ron started to ask.
"Hey, I told you about my habits, now you gotta tell me about how you whack one off." Shego told him.
Ron groaned.
"That ain't gonna get you out of it, and you know it." Shego said.
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Fifteen minutes and one flustered Ron later, they had pulled into the driveway and Shego was unlocking the front door.
"So you've never-" Shego started to say as she swung the door open, then stopped dead.
"What the-"
"Good evening, Missus Goizargi, Mister stoppable." the brown haired man seated in the middle of Shego's living room on one of her kitchen chairs said. "I have a proposition for you."
Shego gaped, then her hand flew to the back of her waistband where she had her Taurus holstered. Before she could even get a grip on the weapon the intruder had drawn his own weapon, a M1911AI SOC, and had it leveled at her head.
"Do not even think about it." the man said, his voice projecting raw authority.
Shego swallowed nervously and slowly withdrew her hand. She had gotten a look in the mans eyes, and saw there was no hesitation in them whatsoever.
Ron found himself cowed by the power in the mans voice alone, and unconsciously kept his hands where the man could see them without any prompting from him whatsoever.
"Come on in." the man said, flipping the safety on and putting his pistol away. "Have a seat and listen to my offer."
Cautiously, Ron and Shego stepped into the cabin, Ron shutting the door behind him. After they were seated, he folded his hands together and leaned forward slightly in his chair.
"Before I begin, introductions are in order." the man said. "My name is Major Johnathan Winters."
As he was talking Shego sniffed and tilted her head to one side slightly. "Are you a werewolf?" she interrupted.
Winters merely blinked and nodded slightly. "Yes." he said. "As I was saying, I am here to make an offer."
"W-what kind of offer?" Ron asked.
Winters paused for a second to frame his proposal in his mind. Then, clearing his throat, he began.
"Before I begin, a brief explanation is in order. Within our government, there is an organization dedicated to protecting the Republic. I represent this organization.
This organization has existed since the beginning of the Republic, and was founded by several prominent signers of the Declaration of Independence."
"Which ones?" Ron asked.
"And do you have any proof?" added Shego.
Winters leaned back and began to fish around in his jacket pocket. "You will know when if you accept the offer, and I have worked with said signers." he answered. "And here is the proof."
He then withdrew an envelope from his pocket and tossed it to Shego. "Have a look." he said.
Shego looked at the envelope in her hand, then glanced up at Winters, shrugged, and opened it. Inside the envelope was a small bundle of photos. Taking them out, she and Ron began to flip through them.
The first photo was a color snapshot from what looked like Vietnam, and it showed a group of men in green fatigues, and one man in camouflage fatigues- Winters. Looking exactly the same as he did now.
The second photograph was an older one, in black and white, from what looked like World War Two- again, it was a group of men, and Winters was among them, unaged.
The third one was an even older, sepia toned, one. It was of a man, standing in front of a wagon, wearing a uniform of that era- again, it was Winters.
The fourth and final photo was from the Civil War. It showed a man wearing a Union uniform. Winters.
Wide eyed, Shego and Ron looked up from the photos at the man sitting in front of them.
"How-?" Shego asked.
Winters merely stared at them, and then for a second his eyes flashed yellow.
"Oh." was Shego's response.
"Just how old are you?" Ron asked.
Winters shifted his gaze over to Ron. "I was part of the settlement at Roanoke Island." he said.
"Roanoke..." Ron said, then his eyes went wide. "Holy shit." he said.
"Indeed." Winters said. "And now that we have established that I am telling the truth, here is the offer: I am here to recruit you."
Ron and Shego glanced at each other, then back at Winters.
"What's in it for us?" Shego asked.
"A good question." Winters said with a nod. "You two want revenge on Drakken, correct?" he asked. "Specifically, you, Mr stoppable, want revenge for your friend, and you, Miss Goizargi, wish revenge for his betrayal of you. Correct?"
Both of them nodded.
"Join us, and you'll be able to do just that." Winters said. "You'll get your revenge, and you'll be serving your country."
"Ahem." Shego said, clearing her throat. "Just so you know, I'm a mercenary, not a patriot-"
"You will be well compensated Miss Goizargi, do not worry." Winters told her. "Although, I do have to point out that you will have the chance to save the world in the way that you wanted to when you were with Team Go."
Shego narrowed her eyes at Winters. "How the hell do you know about that?" she asked. "I only said that in private to my less idiot of a brother."
"We make it point to keep tabs on dangerous people." Winters replied. "And you are a very dangerous person."
"So are you." Shego countered.
"And you are very perceptive." Winters said. "So, what is your decision?"
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End.
Authors note: And I end it with a cliffhanger... Well, I gotta have a reason for you guys to want to read the next chapter, right?
Anyways, read and review please!