Disney owns, I don't. Life sucks. Well folks, the start of the Shego prequel is here. The life story, before, during, and after the comet, and her eventual descent into villainy. As well, be sure to check out Commander Argus' series, The Trinity Sitch. Action, adventure, romance, heartbreak, and healthy doses of smuff to boot!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ascent and Descent – Chapter 1
"ARRRGGGG!"
Susan stormed from her bathroom, her eyes livid as they scanned the hallway. Ensuring the towel wrapped around her was tight, she stormed down the hall, throwing open the first she came to.
"Henry, have you been going into my bathroom?"
Henry jumped, the comic book in his hands falling quickly to the floor. "Geez, don't you knock?"
Susan sneered slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "If I thought there was a possibility of seeing you doing anything other than reading a comic book, I might. You didn't answer my question though, have you been going into my bathroom?"
Henry bent down, picking up the comic book, taking great care not to crease it further. "No, I haven't. Why would I want to?" Henry pushed the glasses further up on his nose, settling back down onto his bed. "Why don't you check on the others? Whatever you're missing, one of them probably took it."
Susan glanced around the room. She didn't think Henry would have anything to do with her favorite brush being missing, but she wasn't taking any chances. Especially with Jason due to pick her up shortly. She snorted derisively at the track pants and sweater that her brother was wearing, that he always seemed to be wearing, and wondered how she could possibly be related to such a scrawny nerd. "Just make sure you STAY out of my bathroom!"
She slammed his door behind her, and stalked down the hall to her next target. Throwing open the door, she noticed him sitting by his stereo, head phones on, unheedful of the wrath that was to befall him. She glanced around the room, noting the multitude of posters that adorned the walls, covering every square inch of wall space, giving the room a very dark feel. She moved behind him, noting he had changed his hair to blue this week, and made a note to keep her hair dye in her own room, where he couldn't get it if he changed his mind.
With his head bobbing back and forth, Susan waited till his head paused a moment before snatching the headphones right off his head, wincing as the loud, irritating music, a cross between nails on a chalkboard and a cat being strangled, suddenly filled the air.
"Hey… what's…"
Susan bent down closely. "Michael, have you been in my bathroom?"
Michael grabbed the headphones back quickly. "I've never gone in your bathroom."
Susan glared at him, her eyes narrowing. "Like you didn't steal a bottle of hair gel last week? Or how about my nail clippers a couple weeks ago. I want my brush back. NOW!"
"Geez, PMS much? I don't have your brush. Go talk to the Terrible Two. I'm sure they have it. They get into everything else."
She glared further at him, but he just put his headphones back on, ignoring her now. With a huff, she stormed out of the room, slamming yet another door behind her. She quickly went to the room of her youngest brothers, throwing open the door quickly, only to find the room empty. Tossing a few toys to the side in a vain effort to find what she was looking for, she began to grow frustrated. At seven, Will and Wendell got into everything, and even a lock on her bedroom door didn't keep them out.
Susan tramped to the top of the stairs, anger flowing through her. A blur of motion at the bottom of the stairs told her she had found her quarry. "WILL, WENDELL, I WANT MY BRUSH BACK NOW!"
Susan charged down the stairs, catching sight of the pair as they rounded the corner, past the living room. With her dressed only in a towel, she knew just where they were heading, and spurred herself to move faster. She caught up to them as Will was reaching for the doorknob to the front door, but the pair froze when they saw her standing there, her teeth clenched in fury.
"I want my brush back, you little monsters!"
Will and Wendell looked at each other, and a silent grin formed on their faces. Wendell, brush in hand, turned quickly to her. "Catch!"
He lobbed the brush high, and Susan reached quickly for it with both hands, stretching to catch it as it flew by her head.
Will quickly opened the door, but quickly turned and ran past her, surprising her. Wendell did the same, but grabbed her towel as he passed by, ripping it off her as he did. She spun quickly, watching them tear off down the hallway laughing, towel dragging on the floor behind them. Susan quickly covered herself as she yelled after them. "You little MONSTERS! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU…"
"Whoa…"
Susan's eyes widened greatly, and she turned quickly to see a very stunned Jason standing in the doorway, his hand raised as if to knock, though that was obviously the last thing on his mind at the moment. He stood frozen in place as his eyes locked onto her, and Susan moved quickly to cover up. "Ja… Jason… oh my God… I… I mean…"
Susan bolted quickly down the hallway as quickly as she could, certain that she wasn't moving fast enough, despite setting records that would have put track athletes to shame.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan, fully dressed, made her way slowly down the stairs, her face bright red. A faint smile came to her face when she heard her parents voices, but that disappeared as she realized that Jason was also downstairs waiting for her. As she approached the living room, she could make out just what her parents were saying.
"… was completely unacceptable behavior! When your sister gets down here, you are going to apologize to her, as well as to Jason. Have you got me?"
The reply was synchronous, as it always was with the two of them. "Yes, Mom."
"You will be on your best behavior for Henry while we are gone. If he tells us you were up to any mischief…"
"We'll be good."
Susan entered the living room just as they finished nodding, and she blushed again when she saw Jason sitting on the couch, still obviously a little stunned, as he nursed a glass of water in his hands. She averted her gaze quickly before he looked up, turning to her parents.
Her father looked at the two boys, his displeasure evident. "I believe you boys have something to say to Jason and your sister?"
The twins looked back and forth between the two teens, their heads hung in shame. "We're sorry."
With a motion from their mother, the twins took off, heading quickly to their rooms. Henry dodged around them as he walked in, a slightly goofy grin on his face. "Did I miss something?"
"Nothing you need to worry about honey. Just let us know if the boys act up on you, all right?" Their mother moved quickly to Henry, pulling him in for a hug, and kissing him lightly on the forehead. "I'm so glad you're home for the holidays."
She did the same for Susan, smiling at her. "Don't let them spoil your fun tonight, dear. You have fun at your party."
Grabbing their coats, their father paused a moment. "Remember, we're at the office ballroom if you need to get a hold of us. As well, I have my cell phone with me for any emergencies. Our New Year's party should finish up at one, and make sure the boys are in bed by 8:30 tonight."
Henry began pushing them out the door, laughing slightly. "We'll be fine Dad. I've watched the twins before. It's not a big deal."
Susan quickly grabbed Jason's hand when her parents had pulled away, pulling him to the door quickly. "We're out of here too."
Henry chased quickly after them, as they rushed to the car. "You know the rules. Home by…"
"I got it, I got it."
Susan hopped into the passenger seat before her brother could embarrass her further, waiting as Jason hopped in himself, and it wasn't long before they were tearing off into town.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan shivered slightly, and wondered if a dress had been the way to go, as it seemed to take forever for Jason's car to warm up. But she would be damned if she didn't plan on looking her best at her first real party. Freshmen didn't often get invited to these things, and knew it was only her relationship with Jason, a junior and star running back with the football team, that she was even going.
She glanced over at Jason, her first real boyfriend, and began to blush slightly. They had only been dating for a month now, and really hadn't planned on him seeing her like that for at least some time. She noticed him nervously glance over, quickly averting his gaze when he noticed her watching him.
Susan sighed, still blushing slightly. "It's all right to look at me you know. I am fully dressed."
Jason glanced back at her, and even in the dim light, she could see he was blushing as well. "It's not that. It's just… every time I look… I see… I mean…"
Susan looked away now, almost self-consciously. "Did… did you like what you saw?"
"No… I mean, I did… but I didn't… I mean, I've never… I've seen pictures, but that…" Jason's head hung as he realized he was babbling. "I just completely blew it, didn't I?"
"No… no, you didn't. I just… I didn't expect you to see me like that… that way at least."
Jason's eyes widened slightly, and his lips curled slightly into a grin. "So… you've thought about…"
"Let's not push it, shall we?" Susan chuckled lightly, feelingthe tension between them break. "Let's just go have a good time tonight first."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan helped a shambling Jason up to the steps of his house, wondering just how stupid her boyfriend really was. She'd never had alcohol before tonight either, but she had used her judgment to know she shouldn't push it. Jason, however, had decided to join in on the football team's drinking contest, and had fallen out pretty early. Now, she had to drive him home herself, and borrow his car just to get home.
Jason stumbled to the right slightly, and Susan braced herself, bearing the weight as best she could. When they got to the door, she fumbled in his pocket for the keys, and heard him laugh.
"I thought we was waiting on that, but if you're ready…"
Susan glared up at him, contempt showing, and he quickly hung his head. "S'rry… I'm just bein stupid. But you are the best, you know that, right? What I ever do to deserve you?"
"Kinda wondering that myself right now." Susan made sure to keep her response to a mumble, noticing he hadn't heard her.
The door opened quickly, and Jason, who had been leaning some of his weight against it, quickly fell through, pulling Susan down with him. Looking up trepidatiously, Susan saw the look on Jason's mother, and quickly wondered if she could disentangle herself quickly enough.
Jason's mother looked both shocked and furious. "Just what the hell is this?"
"Umm… hi, Mrs. Taylor. I was…"
"Are you both drunk?"
Jason scrambled to his feet, seeming more somber than he had been a moment ago. "Susan is fine, she had nothing to do with it. Me and some of the guys…"
"I don't want to hear it. You'll get into this house right now, you are grounded!"
"Mom, I… OWW!"
Mrs. Taylor quickly grabbed him by and ear, pulling him inside. She turned back to Susan, still standing in the doorway and smiled lightly. "Do you have a way to get home, dear?"
"I… I was going to borrow Jason's car, just to get home, and then Jason…"
"Dear, do you have a license yet?"
Susan cast her eyes downward, looking sheepish. "I have a learner's permit."
Mrs. Taylor sighed. "Give me a minute dear, and I'll give you a ride home myself. You really shouldn't have driven here as it is."
Mrs. Taylor quickly dragged Jason further into the house, releasing him only when they hit the stairs, and she quickly grabbed her coat and purse. "You head right to your room. We'll discuss this with your father in the morning."
Closing the door quickly, Mrs. Taylor led Susan to her car, and they quickly pulled away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan was surprised to see a cop car in the front driveway, and Mrs. Taylor slowed the car to a crawl as she pulled up alongside it. Susan rushed out of the car as soon as it stopped, rushing to the entrance without a word to Jason's mother, barreling through the front door. Two police officers stood in the entryway, turning to look at her, their faces heavy. Glancing past them, she saw Henry and Michael. Michael looked stunned, but Henry had tears falling down his face, not even trying to hide his despair.
The first officer, a younger woman, stopped her quickly, and Susan looked at her with desperation. "What's going on? Why…"
"I'm… afraid there was an accident. A tractor trailer overturned downtown, and… I'm sorry, you're parents were hit."
"But… but they're all right, aren't they? I mean, they have to be all right!"
The officer's face fell further. "I'm sorry… there was nothing we could do for them."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes – Just to warn, this will get dark later on, as anyone who has read Redemption can attest to. Probably be at least 10 chapters, but I never can tell when it comes to these sorts of things.