Ch.03
Rufus had lost an alarming amount of weight since Ron went through the portal. The little guy's appetite was practically none existent and the only reason he managed to stomach anything was because somewhere in his being he knew Ron was alive. Rufus couldn't explain it but it was like a core part to his existence told him that Ron, being alive, was fact.
Like he'd done ever since the accident, Rufus went into the twins room in the Possible household and turned on the computer. He started randomly browsing without much focus until he stopped on a page about mini black hole research and his interest was peaked. Summarizing everything the page had to say there were three points. One, black holes COULD lead somewhere given that they figure out how to SAFELY get pass the gravitational pull and compression. Two, generating and containing an artificial black hole is theoretically POSSIBLE and one man has done just that before taking his life and research with him but leaving a working prototype. And three, the prototype was called P.D.V.I.(Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer). Exactly what caused the problem!
Just as Rufus was pondering what he read, he detected a presence in the room. When he turned he saw a glowing apparition in the shape of Master Sensei as the elder astral projected.
"Rufus-san, we at Yamanouchi need your help in our attempts to retrieve Stoppable-san." Master Sensei said.
"How?" Rufus squeaked.
"All will be explained in person, Rufus-san." Master Sensei said. "Now, transportation awaits out front."
"Okay!" Rufus agreed and made his way out the Possible household.
Outside awaited a lone sedan and a driver holding the door open. When Rufus entered the car, the driver closed the door and got into his seat behind the wheel, seemingly unsurprised that his passenger was a Naked Mole Rat.
~~~
"Wade, am I glad to see you!" Ron said while strapped down.
Wade looked slimer than Ron's own counterpart in his original dimension. And for a thirteen year old genius he looked as if he'd been working out.
"Yeah!" Wade agreed though there was an undertone of sadness to the word.
In a moment, Wade seemed to have given the command and Ron's restraints were released. Ron stood and stretched before moving over to where Shego was restrained. Wade had anticipated this as the moment Ron was ready to grab Shego, her restraints released. Grabbing Shego, Ron held her in a princess carry and turned back to Wade, finally spotting Dr Director standing in the room with them.
"So Wade, any clue where we can find the P.D.V.I?" Ron asked.
"Assuming Warmonga retrieved it after finding out how you got here, there's only one place it'd be." Wade answered solemnly.
"Drakanada!" Dr Director said prompting Wade to add to her answer. "The new name for former Canada and where the Great Blue's lair is. The whole country is under heavy surveillance and he lives off of Hudson Bay in Ontario."
"How do you know where he lives if he has so much surveillance?" Ron asked a prudent question.
"He announced it when he declared his hold over earth." Dr Director said bitterly.
"I believe his words were, 'To those living in Drakanada, rejoice for I shall live among you in Ontario, with a lovely view of Hudson Bay.' the man fears nothing after his victory." Wade said.
"That's not entirely accurate, Drakken is simply an idiot that got the world handed to him on a silver plater because an alien misunderstood his goals and skin tone as identity." Ron said.
Wade sighed upon hearing Ron's words, seemingly loosing himself to memories. His Ron and Kim thought much the same before Warmonga killed them and Shego. The villainess had sided with Kim when her family was among expected casualties and only ended up joining them.
"Ron, don't underestimate him." Wade warned, adding. "The man saw his chance and seized it, THOROUGHLY!"
"Any government or group that so much as hesitated to meet his demands met their end." Dr Director said, explaining. "The first year he broadcasted attempts to end his rule and the punishment they recieved if they survived the attacks. Let's just say the Lowardian's have perfected how to destroy the morale of their conquered."
"So we know where he is." Ron said, nodding. "Do we have schematics? A floor plan? Anything that could guide me around?" Ron asked.
"Guide you?" Shego asked into the silence Ron's questions created. "Are you planning on doing this alone?"
Wade seemed to pale at Shego's statement. "Ron you can't be serious, that's a suicide mission on the bests of days and that's assuming it's done with a heavily armed and trained army. Alone you'd stand no chance!"
"It has to be this way." Ron insisted. "An army is just going to sacrifice their lives and there's only Shego who I'd suspect can keep up with the OP and as we can see she's wounded. No offense Dr Director."
"Then get me on my feet, Stoppable!" Shego roared.
The room started devolving into an argument and Wade seeing as this was getting them nowhere took a deep breath and whistled, getting everyone's attention. "Ron, you need to think this through. Our Kim, Ron and Shego together failed. What can 1/3 of the team, you, do alone?"
"You'd be surprised."
~~~
Shego and Ron ended up bunking in the same room seeing as Ron was pretty much taking care of her and Shego did not trust Dr Director enough to be left alone with the woman while she was so vulnerable.
"Don't do it." Shego said into the silence in their room.
Ron didn't respond the way Shego expected and instead she heard him step out of the room into the adjacent bathroom and heard running water soon after.
"Stoppable, I know you're planning a suicidal mission into Drakken's domain to get the P.D.V.I but for the love of everything you hold dear DON'T. DO. IT!" Shego tried again. "At least wait till I'm on my feet and we can do it together."
Again Ron didn't respond as Shego expected and stepped back into the room and into her view.
"Shego, I know this will make you uncomfortable but hygiene is important and I don't know about you but I'm dying to get cleaned." Ron started talking. "And seeing as I'm your arms and legs at the moment I thought to ask, would you like to get clean? I can call Dr Director to help you, I'm sure the woman wouldn't mind."
Surprised.
That is the only way Shego could be described and for that you couldn't blame her for forgetting to persue her earlier topic.
".... I." Shego began but fell into her thoughts about the offer that Ron had just made. "....Ron is do want to get clean.."
"Great I'll go get Dr Director." Ron said cutting her off.
"Ron wait!" Shego called out before Ron took more than one step. Seeing him stop she continued. "Ron I don't trust Dr Director and much less the kid but I do want to get clean!"
Shego could see the realization of what she was implying sink in.
"Shego..." Ron said her name seeming to understand her request but not knowing what to do with it. "... I, Shego, this is... I..."
Feeling a reluctant smile creep onto her lips Shego spoke up before Ron's brain shut down. "Ron, we're both adults and I really don't feel safe with the others so I need you to man up and help me get clean!"
Ron's eyes opened so wide that Shego absentmindedly wonder if they'll pop out of his skull for a moment before he closed them and his mouth and took a deep breath. He did that three times before he opened his eyes that had a serious look in them and nodded to her.
Shego for her part maintains her nonchalant look and waits as he picks her up and carries her to the bathroom.
Then for the next 30mins Shego though showing no outward reaction is treated like a goddess in the mortal plane as Ron cleans her body from the most filthy state it has ever been without so much as a complaint. All with a gentle caress that had Shego wondering if this is how Princes was always treated? If so, life truly had favorites. After her cleaning her body Ron swapped the dirty water and drew a new bath so that Shego could soak for a while. Then making the best use of the time he took a shower. Another half an hour later and Ron had them both dressed in the clothes Wade provided and in their bunk beds.
That's finally when Shego whose heart had been beating so loudly she was sure Ron heard it, finally started calming down. Shego could honestly say she was embarrassed to the extreme to have someone, especially a male, witness her body in the condition it had been. And yet Ron didn't so much as make a face when he was cleaning her or take advantage of her. Shego was mortified of what Ron must be thinking of her. With those thoughts Shego was distracted the rest of the night and the following day though for most she displayed a nonchalant expression.
~~~
After getting cleaned, Ron spent an hour doing his absolute best to clear his thoughts from Shego.
When he finally accomplished that, he cast his mind to the past, to finish what he started when he consciously accessed his powers to get him and Shego away from Warmonga. It was time to fully release the seal he'd asked Master Sensei to place on the memories of his training at Yamanouchi. The why was simple, Ron couldn't afford to half ass the mission and for his universe among others to pay the price.
As Ron's body glowed a fain blue he accessed his mindscape. Like the first time he was here he marveled at the size. A planet in its own right, all representing his power and that's when you focused inward, for when one looked outward the constellations greeted back. The MMP was immense and Ron was planning to use every ounce of it to either get P.D.V.I or destroy it.
In the back of his mind, Ron suspected that this universe's version of himself hadn't done what he was currently doing out of confidence in KP and Shego teaming up. And that was where this bid to successfully get the P.D.V.I came from.
Ron knew himself and if there was one person he'd never doubt it was Kim, now you add Shego into the mix and he knew that even himself might make the same choice as the other Ron. Still he already knew where that would lead and he hoped his gut feeling was on point. After getting his mind back on track he started walking in a seemingly random direction. In reality it wasn't a random direction but where the pull of his MMP was guiding him.
It took Ron around a month of trekking through his mindscape, though that time for his real body was probably in the minutes as the time dilation his powers provided was insane, to reach the source of the MMP. He stood atop a huge waterfall that branched out to rivers and eventually the ocean. The only difference was that no water flowed and the reason was the Lotus Blade stabbed into the ground and emiting a silver radiance. Ron knew there was no turning back once he removed the blade and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
You might think it silly that he was nervous since it was his memories but Ron knew the truth. Those memories sealed who he became when confronted with the question, would he take a life to save those he cared about?
"It's your turn!" Ron said and grabbed the hilt of the Lotus Blade. He met no resistance as the blade slid free of the ground and water started flowing again. Ron embraced the MMP once again flexing, growing and flowing within his being.
A bright blue light began to emit from Ron, growing brighter and brighter before eventually reaching its peak and beginning to diminish. When the light disappeared Ron stood at it's center, seemingly the same but upon closer inspection one would see the subtle differences. Ron stood to his full hight of 6ft, back straight and seemingly relaxed but when one took in his eyes they'd tell you that his was constantly scanning his surroundings, ready for combat and with a steel like determination to end any threat to those he cares for like he ended Tsukishima when he nearly cut down Yori. This Ron had found the answer to the question and yes, he would take a live if it meant protecting his loved ones.
~~~
With a slow exhale Ron opens his eyes which glowed blue. The moment he blinked the glow was nowhere to be seen. Then with an incredible control of his muscles Ron flipped over the side of the bunk bed and landed soundlessly next to Shego whom he noticed was awake but distractedly looking at the bed he occupied above her own. Keeping out of her line of sight Ron reached out and grabbed her hand letting his MMP senses scan her body.
Ron was silent for a few minutes as his power filled Shego and fed him the information he needed to keep his earlier promise to her. Once his MMP confirmed that it could indeed heal her Ron did what it required, fill Shego with enough MMP for the injured area, her spine, to glow like neon lights.
That done Ron, slipped out of the room undetected. Making his way around Wade's hideout Ron found the control room and Wade sitting at his chair.
"Hey, Wade!" Ron greeted. "Any way you can let me borrow a computer?"
"Hey, Ron." Wade replied not at all surprised to see him. "What for? Internet access is monitored and getting a secured line is hard even for me."
"I was hoping to contact some friend out in Japan." Ron explained.
"Japan... that would be Yamanouchi, sorry to be the bearer of bad news Ron but the ninja clan went underground when my Ron failed." Wade said, adding. "They left a sentence behind though. 'The chosen one need only call upon her and there it shall be!' Any idea what it could mean?"
"Yeah, I do!" Ron said, explaining. "It's means that I was right!" 'Your Ron didn't go all out.' He said the last part to himself.
"Right about what?" Wade asked and Ron seemingly about to answer put his hand on his shoulder.
The next instant, Wade was unconscious in his chair after Ron pressed his pressure point. Ron knew he had to move quickly, it was almost dawn after all and he needed to be gone before Dr Director woke up and checked on them.
Ron first checked how to exit Wade's hideout without leaving them unprotected and then a few maps that led to Drakken's base up north. Quickly memorizing everything he left for his hunt.
~~~
Rufus arrived at Yamanouchi by air as driver escorted him from one jet to another, then to a helicopter that ended up hovering above the school. Seeing that they've arrived Rufus waited for the door to open and jumped towards the waiting figures of Master Sensei and Yori. When he was almost upon them, he glowed and slowed to a halt, missing the near instantaneous smile that his actions brought to Yori.
Upon touching the ground, Rufus squeaked out. "Explain!"
"Rufus-san, do you recall the abilities of the Lotus Blade?" Master Sensei asked instead.
After a moment of silence, Rufus squeaked. "Transforms, becomes anything the user needs."
"Precisely, Rufus-san!" Master Sensei exclaimed.
Rufus brain took the information provided and ran with it at speeds that would make some humans jealous. In an instant he reached the same conclusion as Master Sensei and Yori.
"To me, Lotus Blade!" Rufus squeaked, his body once again glowing.
After a moment of tense silence, the Lotus Blade burst into existence above Rufus.
"Good, Rufus-san." Master Sensei commented. "Now, try to change it into the P.D.V.I!"
Nodding Rufus did just that but even after a minute there was no change so they waited. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. 20 minutes and still nothing. There was no reaction, even though Rufus was pouring a ridiculous amount of MMP into the blade.