"...that concludes my report ma'am." Du finished straitening up. He along with team Possible and Shego were standing in front of very distraught Dr. Director. Betty looked like she aged another decade. She messaged her temple feeling that the headache was about to rip her head. She wasn't expecting that the prison would be taken by an outside enemy.
Only selected few knew about the existence of Genesis Facility. The thought of having a mole within that exclusive group was troubling to say the least. The gears were spinning in Betty's head as the implications hit her.
Their network was compromised.
"Ma'am? Are you ok?" Du's voice interrupted her increasingly depressing trail of thoughts." If I may there is one more observation I would like to share."
"Proceed."
" The mission...it was too easy." Du stated shocking the gathered.
"Too easy? Shego parroted." Losing over half of our squad and almost dying is too easy for you?!"
"If you let me finish." Du told her not intimidated by her dark stare." By my rough estimates we have encountered about 100 of super-powered inmates during our mission with the rest being regular ones...the date we received spoke about 500 of such individuals." Du paused letting the information sink in.
"We're short of about 400 super-powered criminals..." Ron spoke feeling blood leaving his face. "We can't assume that they all died during the explosion."
The silence filled the room.
"That's not all...we have not encountered prisoner X-21, which means..."
"That this person is at large." Shego finished.
"Du, go rest. The day after tomorrow you're going to be a captain of our hunter team. Your primary objective is to find and neutralize X-21 at all costs. You will have access to all of our resources and by my authority I grant you clearance Omega."
The agent's eyes widened.
"Ma'am!" He saluted snapping his heels.
"Do whatever it takes to complete this mission." Betty said wearily." Dismissed. All of you except for Agent Shego."
Ron looked at his girlfriend face but she refused to met his stare.
"See ya at Middleton Sheila." Ron said as he left with Kim. When the doors shut behind them Shego let the breath she was holding looking straight into Betty's sole eye waiting for verdict.
"So? Say it." She asked impatiently.
"Unexpected." Betty replied leaning back in her chair." I didn't think you had be guts to kill so many people."
Shego felt her stomach twisted in knot when Betty's blunt response hit her. She broke the only rule she truly adhered. Always no matter what she never went for the kill but now she was a mass murderer. Yes the people she killed were scum of the earth but still exhausting hundreds of lives no matter how crooked weighted on her consciousness.
"I love to surprise." She boasted trying to hide her anxiousness.
"No need for false bravado Shego, I can see that your hands are shaking." She pointed out making Shego curse her traitorous body.
"I want it to be stricken from records no one can know." Shego demanded trying to sound calm.
"Anyone in particular?" Betty asked back seeing the younger woman nervously swallow." I gave you those codes breaking protocol so it is obvious that it's going off record, don't worry, Ron will never know."
"Thank you." Shego let the breath she was holding.
"Don't beat yourself over what you did, I made sure that no one there was innocent...still it's good that such place is gone now." Betty closed her eyes." Now go I need to work a bit more, tell team Possible that they have a week off...make that two for Kim." She added after a thought.
"Why she gets two weeks while I get only one?" Shego protested making Betty chuckle.
"That's why, now shoo before I change my mind." Betty waved at her.
"Yes ma'am." Shego mock saluted her and left the office leaving the woman to her pondering. What she wasn't expecting was to almost walk into Drakken carrying two cups of coffee and a tablet under his arm.
"Oh...hey...how are you Shego?"Drakken said awkwardly trying to look casual.
It failed.
"Since when you make coffee Drew?" She smirked coyly happy to have some fun on her former boss expense. There weren't seeing each other that often anymore and she kind off, maybe, slightly missed him." Also two? do you plan to stay for longer?"
The man's cheeks turned purple much to her amusement.
"I got few reports I need to present to Dr. Director..." He replied lamely.
"Dr. Director? No Betty anymore?" She asked with mirth barely able to hold chuckle.
"Shego isn't it time for you to leave?" Betty asked narrowing her eye.
"Woah I'm gone, don't go all jealous lover one me." She slipped past Drakken leaving him stunned while Betty was reaching for the handgun." Just don't hurt him or else..."
She speed up not wanting to get into that conversation anytime soon.
'Drew and Betty sitting on a tree, the world must be ending...oh wait we're in forever after part.' She freaked few agents out while leaving the HQ with small smile on her face.
Ron was growing increasingly worried about his best friend. Kim was basically a drone at this point. After she cried herself to sleep on the way back she hadn't uttered one word, wearing the same blank expression on her ashen face.
Ron was holding her hand all the time hoping to reach her somehow but right now her aura was snapped shut with no crack to squeeze in so he opted for silent support on the way for Middleton. He guessed that she needs her family now the most. They would probably be able to crack her out of her shell.
The blonde sighed. He felt real deep sympathy for his best friend. His first kill was a murderous, vicious alien and that devastated him. He couldn't even imagine what killing a human being would feel like…
Oh wait he could.
Yet from what he gathered from Shego, Legion was a victim of horrible experiment and he wanted to end his life. Fukushima on the other hand was pure evil, on his own accord so there was the difference.
But what puzzled Ron the most was...surprisingly little remorse for ending that life. Maybe surprised was a bad world. It freaked him out to be honest.
Only the fact that Kim needed his calm was keeping him from throwing a fit. Was he adapting to killing people slowly or rather very fast since Fukushima was his second. Was he growing indifferent to taking other people live's?
That was a disturbing thought.
Maybe he needed to speak with Sensei about it. The older man always knew that to say to comfort him, or to give him valuable advise.
If only he could cut on riddles. That would make understanding his advises way easier.
The flight passed in heavy silence and Ron was kind of glad that it ended. The jet dropped them nearly at the Kim's doorstep. He waved at the pilot silently thanking him for the transport.
"Will you be ok Kim?" He asked tenderly.
"Probably not." She mumbled moving towards her home."Ron...I'm glad you're ok...I was worried when you were gone." Kim gave him a ghost of a smile." Don't disappear on me like that."
"Will Du." He joked weakly." Visit me when you feel like, maybe we'll go grab something to bite and relax a bit."
Kim nodded gratefully.
"Till later Ron." Kim told him walking inside her house. She closed the door behind her and felt that she was about to collapse. She didn't knew how she would face her family.
She was a murderer now and had blood on her hands. If she had anything in her stomach she would puke from nervousness.
Would they accept her? Or would they chase her away. They accepted Ron but he killed an Alien not human and he did it in defense of the whole world. Not because he was too weak to knock his opponent out.
Kim was aware that Legion would have killed them both if she didn't do what she did...but that went against her whole moral backbone. To take another person life just because she was too weak. To take another life regardless of reason. It was an anathema to her whole being.
A shiver went down her spine when she recalled that bloody smile. That would probably haunt her dreams for a while. She took a shaky breath ans she moved down to the corridor where her family would be.
She heard Jim and Tim's voiced first followed by her mother and father laughing about something.
Kim slowly as if walking through the water. Like a ghost she stepped over the corner at first unnoticed by her family.
Usually when she came back her brothers came running to her asking how her mission went. Like always they were first ones to notice her. She didn't know if it was her face or general vibe but both of them froze the moment their eyes landed on her with smiles slipping from their faces.
Her parents followed soon after their previously happy look replaced by concern.
Ann being an emphatic woman she was instantly was at Kim's side wrapping her arms around her daughter giving her a bit of comfort.
"Kimmy what's wrong?" She asked gently.
"I..." How was a girl supposed to tell her family that she killed a person?"I..."
"Kimmy-cub you can tell us everything we're your family." Her father said joining the hug.
"Yeah sis! No matter how lame-" Tim started.
"It was we're a team!" Jim added. Both of them hugging her too.
"I killed someone!" She blurted using the second long courage surge. Her gut growled when she felt her family stiffen at once. She dared to look up seeing the terrifying eyes of her mother.
She dropped her head instantly waiting for the verdict. Oh how the years of her moral superiority rants burned her with living flame. How all the lectures that she gave Ron about killing came to bite her back in ass. The phrase Karma's a bitch fit her like a custom made dress.
'Please don't hate me, please don't have me!' She silently begged whatever deity was listening. She wouldn't know what she would do if her family rejected her…
"Jesus Kimmy." Ann chocked as she tightened her hug as much as possible."It will be alright sweetheart."
The male part of the family gave their massive silent support as they hugged her as strongly as they could but were too stunned for words.
To call the feeling Kim felt right now a relief would be an understatement of century. The tears started to flow again as she melted into her family's hug.
After few minutes or so Ann motioned Kim to sit on a couch and held her hands.
"Can you tell me how it happened?" Ann asked tenderly.
"A lot of details are classified to I'll have to skip some parts..." Kim began explaining what occurred at Genesis Facility purposely skipping all the vital details. When she was done her family could only stare at her in stunned silence.
"...that's all." She sighed leaning against the couch.
"Good Lord...what was that place?" James thought aloud gaping like a goldfish.
"You don't want to know dad." The way Kim looked at him make shiver go down his spine. He didn't even want to imagine what horrors she have witnessed since most details were vague. " And that was just a beginning..."
"What do you mean?" Ann dared to ask.
"We fought only the most basic and a fraction of elite forces they had there...with the most dangerous of them at large somewhere under control of the one behind it." Kim rubbed her numb face feeling extremely tired." it's going to get worse if those creatures will get among the civilians."
"Kimmy… it's too dangerous to involve yourself with GJ right now." James spoke with passion. "You have to leave."
"Dad I'm too tired to have this argument right now." Kim sighed half-expecting that from him." We'll talk more tomorrow...I need a bath."
Without further ado she stood up and left her family behind to their own thoughts. She needed to clean herself and then fall into hopefully dreamless sleep.
Ron's bedroom.
"Hn! Angry!" Rufus hissed refusing to accept the apology cheese.
"Oh come on! I'm telling you that our missions now are too dangerous for me to take you." Ron pleaded offering yet another slice of the yellow delicacy." I can't lose you buddy."
"Team! Rufus good!" The mole rat protested.
"The people we will meet from now on are not some mindless henchmen or dumb super villains, they won't be a stun rays or the let's see how fast you can escape with this slow trap going on anymore." Ron started to munch on the cheese seeing that Rufus will was breaking." I'm sorry buddy but I barely protect myself right now not to mention anyone else for that fact. He kept silent about the choice he would make if Kim, Shego, and Rufus lives were at stake. Sadly the mole rat would be the very last choice. As much as he loved him he would put his loved one's lives before Rufus…
Feeling particularly guilty he threw even larger slice of cheese at the ever growing mountain of forgive me gift.
"Hn, Ron stronger?" Rufus suggested finally diving into the cheese not being able to hold any longer.
" Yeah buddy, that's the idea. I need to speak about it with Sensei so if you pardon me." Ron sat in Lotus position and dived into meditative state. As ususal she arrived at the sunny field sitting beneath the only tree for miles.
"Sensei? Hello you're there?" Ron asked aloud knowing that it was pointless but he felt weird not talking.
As soon as he said that he felt a presence pressuring against his mental barriers. He instinctively went to block it and repel the attacker.
The pressure was gone almost as soon as he started his counter attack.
Second later he heard a sound of clapping.
"You are growing more and more aware Stoppable-san." Sensie smiled at him." I was trying to be a bit sneaky and you still felt me, very good!"
"But not good enough." Ron sighed.
"Even a tiny droplet of water can can shape a rock given time, or as you westerns like to you the Rome wasn't built in one day."
"I know Sensei it's just I'm worried for my friends...I also..." Ron paused realizing that he just killed a former student of Sensei. He wasn't sure how the man would take that." I...killed Fukushima..."
The man closed his eyes humming sadly.
"Fukushima had a large potential and was a dear student of mine. The news about his death at your hands pains me but I do not and will not hold it against you. He have chosen his path and that is where it lead it." He told him not without pain in his voice.
"I'm sorry Sensei...I should do something other than killing him." Ron began.
"Tell me how the fight went, every detail Stoppable-san." The youth explained what occurred as faithfully as he could." So it is happening."
"Sensei?"
"You see the weapon you encountered was called the blade of Hwang. As you said it allows the user to duplicate it and have near perfect synchronization with other wielders at cost of the power. Alone it's a very powerful blade, boosting the users own reflexes and reaction time." The man frowned. "The Blade was in possession of Yono the Destroyer."
Ron grimaced, the vile aura he felt coming from Fukushima was disturbingly familiar to the one of the tainted MMP user.
"He is beginning to influence the natural flow of MMP drawing more weak-willed individuals to his side."
"What for Sensei?" Ron felt that his stomach dropped at the thought of fighting people...killing people.
The man rubbed his beard.
"I do not know." He replied simply." He only craves destruction nothing more and rarely uses proxy to do his work since he takes joy in the act. His actions puzzles me."
"Not a one normal day eh Sensei?" Ron tried to joke.
"Times are indeed dark if an individual who lived by the ,,never be normal" motto says that."
"Touche." Ron paused." Sensei...about Fukushima..." He didn't know how to properly phase that." Is it possible to get used to killing? I mean not to...feel so bad about it."
"You worry that you change Stoppable-san. That you would grow to enjoy the act of killing?" The blonde nodded." The truth is that it is possible, to the point where taking other person life, no matter who she or he is is like swatting a fly."
That didn't make Ron feel better.
"But there's a difference between killing an opponent and killing an innocent or defeated enemy. Sometimes things happened in heat of battle when emotions cloud your judgment or in quite opposite it's clear that it is the only solution. Like I explained before some individuals are far too lost to be redeemed and will only cause harm if not stopped. Fukushima for all his talents and skills could not overcome his pride and was willing to harm to prove himself. Life like yours Stoppable-san will be full of hard choices, there's no denying that. But what matter is what you have here." He pressed his index finger against Ron's chest, right where the heart was." A good, honest heart will always help you make right choice, and I want to stress on right not good one. Sometimes we have to chose lesser evil."
"But if I don't want to chose evil at all!" Ron stated with passion making Sensei smile.
"Keep that conviction at heart Ron-san but do not let it cloud the big picture for sometimes we mus at with the choice presented to us not the one of our own choosing...like you will in about 3...2...1"
"Wha?"
"WAKE UP!" Shego's voice pierced his mind as he was violently ripped apart from his dream world.
Ron's eyes snapped open as he gasped in shock.
"Sheila?"
"No Madonna, course it's me! It's not like any other girl beside Princess and your mom visits you." she commented off handily causing a sick burn.
"Ouch." Ron mumbled." Still I can't complain about the quality of my female visitors."
"You better don't!" She gave him playful aka quite hard punch in shoulder.
"Ouch!" He massaged his sore spot, but soon his movement slowed down as he stared at his feet.
Shego had seen his grim expression instantly feeling that something was very wrong.
"Ronnie?"
"When were you planning to tell me?" He asked quietly still not looking at her.
Sheila Go felt just like someone slapped her, no scratch that like a train just drove over her. Her unnaturally green face turned into pale white as horrible realization dawned on her.
Ron knew.
'Impossible! how?! I was discrete!' She felt panic rise inside of her." Tell you what Ronnie?"
To her credit she managed to keep her voice still. Somewhere deep inside of her she still had hope that he could mean something else.
"You owe me a big one for this Betty."
Only for it to be crushed like a bug beneath a heel. Sheila's heart beat like a hammer against her rib-case as Ron slowly rose his head to meet her eyes.
Seeing disgust, hate and concept in them would kill her. To make matters worse a little voice in her head told her that it was what she deserved for killing so many people. In other time she would hate how weak she got if something as trivial as breakup shakes her up so much. But deep down she knew that she loved the life she had now and the man before her. She wanted to keep waking up with him, teasing him or sparring with him.
'Please don't hate me, please don't hate me!' she silently begged unaware how similar she was in that regard to the person that she wasn't similar at all.
As the dreaded moment of eye contact came she let a breath she was holding. All that she could she in Ron's eyes was sadness.
No hate, no malice, just sadness. Wordlessly he stood up and embraced her pulling her close. She returned the hug taking solace in their contact.
She wanted to ask thousands questions but for now the hug was all she needed. To simply feel safe and not alone in this dark world.
For there is nothing more frightening than to be alone in darkness. Or rather on your own because you're never truly alone in the dark...
A/N
Short chapter for now but I needed to sum this mini arc up.
Review&Review