Disclaimer: I don't own the characters I'm using, but if I did, I'd definitely let people write fanfic. And not sue them or anything, either.

Drum roll, please... the Finale. Archiving permission granted.
 

THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST

Synopsis: The showdown: Jonny and Jessie. Crescendo, finale, coda.

"QUARTET" chapter 9

by Eric R. Umali

Jessie had struggled. And thrashed. And kicked, and twisted and did everything she could to loosen the creature's grasp. It worked.

Unfortunately, it worked twenty feet above the ground. She hit the side of a small hill, and rolled with the impact. She headed straight for the woods, knowing the trees would limit the creature's maneuverability. It had banked and followed her, a few yards back.

Jessie scrambled up a tree and the thing passed right beneath her feet. It came back around, searching for her in the slivers of moonlight. It headed back to the same tree, dodging a low branch. Jessie dropped right on it from a higher branch, hitting it with all her weight.

They crashed to the ground. Jessie rolled off, and the creature staggered to its feet. Jessie crouched nearby, waiting. The creature straightened and let out a frightening howl, more enraged by the attack than weakened by it. It flew straight up, and Jessie lost it in the leaves and branches.

She decided to try to make it back to the house. At least there, her Dad and Agent Scully had weapons that would kill the thing. Jesse started off, staying to the relative cover of the trees. She stopped at a small clear spot that had been made by a fallen tree. Jessie rested at its edge, catching her breath. She looked up. There was a shadow on the moon.

She realized what happened the second before it hit her. Literally. The creature struck her in the back, sending her flying. As she hit the flat surface of the big uprooted stump, she cursed herself for falling for her own trick.

The compound's lights came back to life, and Jessie could see it in detail. She silently wished she couldn't.

The creature stepped in front of her, and she couldn't muster the power to move. The impact had knocked the wind from her. Its terrible face was now just a foot from hers. It opened its mouth wide, and its hot humid breath touched her skin.

In a close approximation to a human voice, spoke. "Do not be afraid, little one. Your youth and beauty will survive far longer than you will. You should be honored."

The creature lowered its head towards her. Jessie closed her eyes.

It stopped.

It turned.

The creature lashed out into the darkness with its powerful arm. Jessie heard a painful cry, and opened her eyes. Jonny lay sprawled at the creature's feet, blood trailing from his mouth. He still clutched the spear.

Jonny brought the spear around, but the creature grasped it. They struggled for a few moments until the creature wrenched Jonny off his feet and into a tree trunk, smashing him against it. He propped himself up against it.

The creature hefted the spear and was about to break it in half. It held it in one hand and cast it towards Jonny.

"ARRGGHHH!"

He had twisted and dodged, and the creature's aim was bad. But the spear found its way into Jonny's leg, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching the spear.

The creature turned back to Jessie, who had recovered and was trying to get away. The creature grabbed her by the arm with its long taloned hand and pulled her before it.

"Where were we?" it hissed.

"You were about to die," said a voice from behind them.

The creature spun around.

Jonny thrust the spear straight into its heart. The thing dropped Jessie and staggered back. Jonny kept his grip on the spear, limping to keep up with it. Jonny shoved again, and pinned the thing to the tree stump.

The creature let out a wailing cry. A sudden wind picked up. The creature's body began to collapse in on itself before disintegrating completely. The wind blew the dust that was left out towards the sea. The spear remained embedded in the stump, without a trace of the creature.

He moved to Jessie. "Are you all right?"

"That's a stupid question coming from a guy with a spear wound in his leg."

"I guess I won't be beating you in any races any time soon."

"You never did before."

He put his arm around her.

"Jonny-- thank you. You saved my life."

They hugged tightly. "Hey, we're a team. That's what we do."

"Always?"

"Always."

Jonny and Jessie walked back to the mansion-- slowly-- arm in arm.

**********

The black sedan and both vans pulled away from the compound, and disappeared onto the highway.

**********

Quest Compound, 7:41 PM

After some much needed medical attention and a good deal of tidying up, the six people had gathered around the dining room table. Before them sat the remains of a Chinese take-out feast. Everyone, understandably, was famished, particularly Jonny and Mulder, who had stuffed themselves silly.

Race turned to Agent Scully. "So what's the report gonna look like on this one?"

She smiled. "Oh, this was run-of-the-mill for an X-File. The cases on the particular murders are closed, but we still don't have any solid answers as to who disabled your power systems, or who knocked out Mr. Bannon."

Mulder and Jonny shared a knowing look. Scully smiled again. "Although I'm sure my partner has a few theories."

Now it was her and Jessie's turn. Jessie returned the smile, then squeezed Jonny's hand under the table.

Mulder placed his chopsticks on his plate in an "X" then pushed his chair back slightly. "Again, thank you very much for dinner, Dr. Quest, but Agent Scully and I really should be going."

"Not at all, Agent Mulder, although you're both welcome to rest and recuperate here tonight, if you'd like."

Scully opened her mouth to politely decline, then stopped. "That would be lovely, Dr. Quest," she said.

After some more talk and much sharing of outlandish theories and extreme possibilities, Dr. Quest and Race retired.

"So what do you do to relax around here," asked Mulder. Jessie saw a familiar mischeivous glimmer in his eyes.

**********

"...anywhere you want. Any environment, any place, any time, as long as it's in the computer. Where would you like to go?"

"The Anasazi ruins?"

Jonny and Jessie exchanged a subtle look. "Umm, how about Roswell?"

Now Mulder and Scully. "How about something a little more... distracting?"

The teenagers smiled. "Speeder race!" they cried in unison. Jessie loaded the module and set IRIS' automatic programs. Jonny handed out the headsets and gave the agents a brief explanation.

"Ready, everyone?" The other three nodded.

Mulder and Scully were in the center chairs, while Jonny and Jessie were at the control board. Jessie hit the button.

"QuestWorld log on. Subjects: Jonny Quest, Jessie Bannon, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Going hot!"

THE END.

Whew! That certainly took a lot out of me. Now that that's finished, I'll get back to all those other story ideas I've been working on. Tell me how you liked this part, and the whole thing overall.