Frank Clarkson, photographer for the Edison Motion Picture Studio, cranked his camera for another ten seconds. ‘That should be enough for now', he thought. He smiled as he picked up the camera and it's tripod, that woman seemed to just appear out of thin air! Funny how things can look distorted through the view finder.
Shego looked around before moving on. For years she had become accustomed to “the past” being shown in black and white movies, but seeing it in full, living color was rather startling! ‘D'oy, Shego’ she thought. ‘Did you expect everyone to be talking in title cards like a Buster Keaton or Charley Chaplin movie?’ The woman strolled around the immediate area, feeling rather foolish that she was gawking like a common tourist, but took comfort in the fact that that was the perfect cover; thousands of men and women were here to do just that and one more would not be noticed. But of course, rather than looking at the sights, Shego was looking for a certain someone. Someone who should stand out in her ridiculous garb of cargo pants and crop-top. This shouldn't take long.
A sudden thought came to her; what if Kim had gotten here before she did? What if she has already met Mim Possible? Suddenly, Shego's plan didn't look so brilliant. But no matter. The main objective was to stop Kimmie from capturing Bart Lipsky and to make sure that Mimsie was accused of the crime. That would not happen until tonight and according to the clock near-by, she had three or four hours until then. Plenty of time to get a bite to eat and check out the crime scene.
Slipping behind a tree, Shego took a small lap-top from her satchel. She and Drakken had downloaded several websites about the fair and the era onto a disk and Shego wanted to check the map to get her bearings. She then ran a quick 3D program from the Expo's centennial site to check out a virtual display of the Fair's buildings, including the Hall Of Electricity. Already a plan was forming in her mind.
Shego's first stop was the Aviation Exhibit where she watched a squad of solders in khaki uniforms and cowboy hats fill an observation balloon. A check of the prevailing winds gave her an idea that might be useful. As a pilot, the primitive gliders also caught her interest, but she was disappointed when the owners turned down Shego's offer to let her fly one. Oh well, on to the main target: the Hall Of Electricty…
…Where she quickly became bored. Living at the turn of the next century and working with a mad scientist, Shego viewed the “latest innovations” here as the sort of things you would find in a middle school science fair. The woman tried not to yawn too much as she watched a demonstration and Shego's mind wandered. At one point she thought about renting a booth to demonstrate the computer she had brought with her. Heh, these yokels would probably fall down and worship her if she did that! Shego didn't realize that she had laughed out loud until she realized that the people around her were staring.
“Did I say something you find amusing, Miss?” Asked the scientist conducting the demonstration.
“Um, no. I just think that it's so wonderful that your machine is so simple!” The villianess said quickly and hurried off.
Not knowing if the pale-skinned woman was being sweet or sarcastic, the man went on with his lecture.
A curtained off stage drew her attention and Shego read the sign before it. It announced that a Professor D'Minz would demonstrate his latest invention at 5:00 pm and again at 7:00pm. Nodding, she started to walk away slowly when a chuckle made her turn around. The man reading the sign could be none other than Bart Lipsky, Dr Drakken's ancestor! Shego rolled her eyes as she observed him, he was grinning in a half-wicked, half-crazed way while rubbing his hands together and chuckling.
‘Good grief! why doesn't he just twill his mustache and say nyah, ha ha! like Snidely Whiplash?’ Shego thought. it was time make her move.
“I wonder what this invention is,” she said, loud enough to get Bart's attention. “Do you know, sir?”
“Professor D'Minz keeps saying that it's his ‘greatest invention',” He responded. “I do know that he has worked with Tesla on broadcast energy. It has to do with electricity, I'm sure.”
‘No duh!’ Shego thought, rolling her eyes. ‘This is the Hall Of Electricity!’
“I'll bet it's very valuable,” she suggested aloud. “It would no doubt bring a high price if one could sell it.”
“True, but it could also be valuable if one could study it and learn how to put it to use.”
“Yes, but Professor D'Minz might not want to part with it. Unless he was persuaded…”
“It would take a great deal of money and reasoning to accomplish that. D'Minz is very protective of his work.”
“Yes, but you're thinking of gaining control of the patent. One would only need the machine itself.” Shego said, casting a quick glance at Bart, who paused before answering.
“True. But of course, D'Minz wouldn't allow that.” He was getting the hint.
“But if he could be persuaded to let someone borrow it for a time… I've always believed that inventions should be shared so that everyone would benefit from the free exchange of ideas,” She paused and looked him in the eye. “Don't you agree?”
“Of course I do,” He responded with a grin much like Dr, D's. “I am an amateur scientist and I am always willing to lend my experience to my brothers. Of course, there are those who are selfish and are not willing to share. Forgive me for being forward, but you seem to be an intelligent woman, perhaps we could continue this discussion elsewhere?”
“Certainly,” Shego smiled, allowing him to take her arm. “I hope our conversation will be most…rewarding.”
She smirked as Bart Lipsky led her to a side entrance. ‘He doesn't seem to be the type to let a stranger in on his plot.’ she decided. ‘And probably has plans to get me out of the way. I'll just have to REASON with him.’
Bart suddenly steeped back and there was a muffled CLICK as a derringer slid out from under his sleeve. He pointed it at Shego's nose!
“Now then, my dear lady. Perhaps you would be so kind as to explain yourself? From what you hinted at, I think that I should call the police!”
“Oh my goodness!” Shego gasped, throwing up her hands. “What--what do you want?”
“I want you to answer my ACK!”
Shego had shot out her right hand, slamming it into his solar plexus, driving the air from his lungs. Her hand then grabbed his shirt front and pulled him forward, her left arm going around his right arm and twisting it into his back. Grabbing the gun, Shego kicked Bart behind the knee, bringing him to a kneeling position. She pressed the pistol to his ear.
“Carrying a concealed weapon and assault with a deadly weapon,” she noted. “Perhaps it is I who should call the police. But that would ruin BOTH our plans, wouldn't it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that we both want to steal Professor D'Minz's device. You will never do it unless you team up with me.”
Lipsky was allowed to rise and took back his small Remington. He looked at the strange woman with a touch of awe.
“Why would I need your help?”
“As you've seen, I can handle myself well. I am a burglar and have been forming a plan to steal the invention, however my plans would work better with two people. I'm a stranger in this town and I'm sure you have contacts who would prove very useful and since you are a scientist, you can exploit the device for greater profit.”
“That's true, it would seem that we do need each other,” Bart pondered. “But I've never heard of a lady burglar before.”
“That's the best part,” Shego smiled. “No one believes that a woman could commit the crimes I do, so I can move about freely and not be suspected.”
“Very good,” Bart said with a gleam in his eyes. “Where are my manners? We haven't even been introduced. I am Bartholomew Lipsky; inventor and student of science.”
“I am Shego,” the black-haired woman responded, shaking his hand.
“Well then Miss Go, let us go someplace where we can talk undisturbed.”
A TOWNHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN MIDDLETON, At about the Same Time:
“Here, I'll do up the buttons,” Mim was saying. “There, much better. Not to criticize your taste in clothing Kim, but we couldn't have you running about in baggy trousers with your tummy showing; someone might have mistaken you for Little Egypt and asked to see you dance!”
Kim Possible had to laugh at her mission clothes being compared to the costume of the woman who introduced Belly Dancing to the United States.
“It was very nice of you to lend me an outfit, Mimsie. Ah, my luggage was lost in an accident.”
“It's nothing, I help a lot of people. And please call me ‘Mim’. You say you're my cousin?”
“Distant cousin,” Kim lied. “I just can't get over how much we look alike!”
“It is uncanny. Except for our ages and eye color, we could be twin sisters! But we must hurry, I have to cover the Tri-City Expo for the Gazette. You can repay my kindness by helping me. I'm going to meet a friend at the fair, he was recently promoted to police detective!”
Kim buckled on her utility belt as the two hurried to the curb where a (Then-new) Oldsmobile “runabout” stood. To Kim's surprise, Mim Possible motioned her to get in and then adjusted a lever and flipped a switch before taking hold of a crank.
“You can drive a car?” Kim asked in amazement.
Mimsie gave the crank a quick turn and smiled at her double as the engine coughed and chugged into action.
“Certainly I can,” the reporter told the girl as she climbed aboard. “It's a new century and we must keep up with the latest technology.”
“Yes but not many women drive, do they?”
Mim looked at the girl from the future with an amused expression.
“Kim, this is America, we can do anything! We even have men who can fly!”
NEAR THE FERRIS WHEEL, later.
Kim and Mimsie had arrived at the fairgrounds before three o'clock and Kim had a chance to get to know her better as Mim hurried around the various exhibits and taking notes, pausing only to interview someone or pick up a brochure. The reporter was hard-working, no-nonsense and eager to dig deeper than others considered necessary to get the job done.
‘In short, a Blue Fox', Kim thought with amusement.
“What is keeping Johnathan?” Mim said with exasperation. “That man can be so frustrating at times!”
“Mim, the demonstration is starting any minute,” Kim pointed out, trying to keep up while maneuvering her long skirts. “Shouldn't we get back to the Hall Of Electricity?”
“We agreed to meet by the Ferris Wheel if we were ever separated,” Mim explained. “and I want to give him a piece of my mind. There he is! Johnathan! John, you were supposed to meet met at the Hall Of Electricity an hour ago!”
Kim couldn't help but stare at a young man who could have been Ron's double! She decided one thing right there; if Ron decided to grow a mustache, she would talk him out of it. She noted the familiar look on his face and smiled because he was watching a vendor holding out a pair of TACOS!
“Hey, ya want ‘em or not?” the vendor demanded.
“Trust me, he wants them!” Kim grinned and Mim tossed the man a coin.
“Crunchy, cheesy, spicy,” John muttered through a mouthful of taco. “The tomatoes nicely compliments the corn shell… I am one satisfied customer!”
“Huh, my ONLY satisfied customer,” the vendor told them as a woman nearby dropped her taco and ran to a stand selling soda water.
“Take heart, my good taco hawker,” John Stoppable told him. “No one applauds real pioneers in their own time. OK, I'm confused,” He added, looking from one girl to the other.
“John, this is my third cousin, Kim. Kim, this is Johnathan Stoppable. Now make haste John, we must get to the Hall Of Electricity before Professor D'Minz begins his demonstration.”
“What demonstration?”
“Everyone at the fair is a-twitter about it! He calls it the ‘Electro Static Illuminator'!”
HALL OF ELECTRICITY, 5:01pm
The three just made it as the demonstration began.
“That's right! The Electro Static Illuminator!” D'Minz cried, holding the device over his head. “A timer! I set it for sixty seconds and now, it will absorb, contain and control power from the very air! Observe!”
“Typical mad scientist,” Kim whispered to John.
A bell rang and a lightning bolt shot from the machine to the ceiling with a crack of thunder! Even the ultra-modern Kim was impressed!
“It's no taco,” John observed.
“Just imagine how this marvel can be used!” D'Minz concluded.
“Excuse me, professor!” Mim cried, pushing through the crowd. “Um ow can this marvel be used?”
“I said, ‘imagine', Miss. So go ahead, I'll wait.”
“You don't know what to do with it, do you?” Officer Stoppable asked.
“Well, it makes lightning, that has to be good for something, jah?”
“Something dangerous, I'm afraid,” Mim told him and Kim had to agree.
“In the wrong hands, I suppose,” D'Minz admitted. “Maybe. Stop that!” He snapped at John who just had to touch the thing.
“I'm concerned that some nefarious character might try to steal it!” Mim announced.
“Oh my dear girl,” chuckled the professor. “You are such a worry-wart. What sort of nefarious character would be bent on wrecking such havoc?”
“Oh I have a good idea,” Mim said with a certain look in her eyes that Kim recognized.
“Who, Mim?” She asked.
“I'd rather not say his name without proof, but he's been a thorn in my side for some time. No one has ever been able to prove anything, but it's suspected that he has been stealing scientific devices to commit crimes! Kim, why don't you and John look around the hall? See if you can find anyone suspicious? I want to ask the professor some more questions.”
Kim had the feeling that she wanted the two of them out of her hair for a while (The Blue Fox!) but didn't object because she wanted to check out the building for ways it could be burglarized. The redhead and the cop walked off, not knowing that they were being observed from the mezzanine above.
Shego couldn't believe her luck. Kim and the cop were out of the way, the hall was nearly deserted and Mimsie was left alone with D'Minz who was packing his device away. Forget the plans, she thought. Just grab it and go!
“I'm sick of waiting, Lipsky,” she told her new partner. “Let's steal the fool thing and get it over with!”
“Patience, Miss Go. Tonight when there are no witnesses, that is when we strike! And when the Electro Static Illuminator is mine, the whole World's Fair will bow before me!”
With a scowl, Shego tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a recorder that Bart had accidentally activated with his theatrical gesturing. Worse, his ranting had attracted the attention of the two below!
“Ah, testing, one, two, three!” Lipsky mumbled into the sound horn. With a lame grin, he grabbed the record and ran off with “Miss Go” following before Mimsie could get a good look at him.
LATER, Just after the last demonstration in the Hall Of Electricity.
Wayne Load polished the special light-gathering lens on his camera, looking about for something interesting to photograph. As he filled the flash-light with powder, he saw Mim and Kim walking with Johnathan. ‘Twins are always good subjects!’ he thought and luckily they stopped long enough for him to focus. That's when he saw something incredible!
Running and jumping across the rooftops was a WOMAN! She was not hindered by her long dress and sprang performed like a seasoned acrobat! Wayne hurried along after her and seeing her working on a window, rushed into the Hall of Electricity. Nearby everyone's attention was attracted by Bart Lipsky, who--playing the role of the clumsey tourist--had launched the Signal Corps balloon with himself inside! Shego's diversion was in motion!
Shego easily jimmied the latch and went inside. As she lept from the window to the mezzanine where she and Bart had watched the demonstration, there was a flash. Shego looked around for the source, but continued her mission. Since there were dozens of electrical gadgets in this place, Shego had guessed that one had just sparked, causing the light. The lights were turned down for the night and the thief moved confidently through the shadows to the place where she would attack. D'Minz was packing his device away and Mimsie walked up to try to convince him to lock his invention away safely. Shego's green eyes narrowed and she jumped, slamming her fist into the back of D'Minz's head! Snatching up the case, she was off in a flash, unaware that Kim Possible had just arrived!
Professor D'Minz looked up at Mimsie with a dizzy mind and came to the wrong conclusion.
“YOU! Help! Constables! Help!” he cried before he fainted.
Kim and Mim took off after her, as did Wayne. Kim ran up to the second floor display area, drawing her grappling gun and leaned out a window. The thief came out the side door and Kim fired her gun, catching an over-hanging sign and swinging to land the woman.
Shego had heard the familiar “bam!” and judging Kimmie's next actions from experience, counted softly to herself.
“One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, DODGE!”
Surprised at the sudden move, Kim mistimed her landing and fell hard, clenching her teeth at the sudden pain.
“Nice try, princess!” Shego taunted.
Kim looked at her with surprise. ‘It can't be!’ she thought.
Shego made a “kissie-face” at her favorite foe and took off, but was tackled seconds later by Mim. As they wrestled over the case, Wayne tried to get a good angle for his picture. One of the fighting women touched the release, the case popped open, and they fell back wards. With her lightning reflexes, Shego caught the ESI while it was in mid air and turned to run. Wayne turned his camera on her, pressed the shutter and…
…Mim stood up, holding the empty case. Dazzled by the flash, she quickly recovered and ran off after shego. Wayne ran over to Kim, who was being helped onto a bench by John Stoppable and Chief Barkin.
“I'm all right,” She told them.
“Where did the thief go?” The chief demanded.
“That way,” Kim responded, pointing and the cops ran in that direction.
“Do you need anything, Miss?” Wayne asked as she rubbed her leg.
“I hurt my ankle, I need a ride,” she told the boy. “Whoa, deja vu!” She exclaimed when she saw the familiar face.
“I know some one who owes me a favor,” he reported. “The place is nearby.”
After taking Kim to a stand where she could hire a combination bicycle/rickshaw, Wayne took off, looking for the action. Just when he thought he had lost them, the young photographer heard screams and shouts from the Ferris Wheel. As the wheel turned, an amazing sight came into view: two women were fighting ON TOP of one of the cars!
Shego had to admit that Mim was a worthy foe. Not only was she determined, but she fought with a combination of grappling and bare-knuckles boxing! If Shego's hands had not been full and she was not being careful not to harm Kim's ancestor, she would have given this woman the fight she deserved! But Shego was still able to use D'Minz's device to block Mim's punches and occasionally hit her with it. Mim tackled Shego again and retrieved the machine. Shego then returned the tackle and they were once again playing “tug-of-war” with it.
Looking past Mim, Shego saw the army balloon approach and with a twist and trip, sent Mim sliding toward the edge of the car! Shego felt a moment of panic, but sighed in relief when Mim grabbed the edge. Possibles are true survivors, she remembered.
“Toss up the Illuminator, Miss Go!” Lipsky shouted.
“Toss it up, he says,” Shego sneered. “This thing must weigh thirty pounds! HEGO got all the muscles in the family, I got all the good looks!”
Holding the thing over her head, Shego smiled. Who needed jets, lasers and electronic safe crackers? This is the REAL THING! Just raw skill and smarts! A wicked thought entered her mind: why go back to the future? Why not stay here and become a criminal master mind! And as a bonus, she would have Kimmie trapped here with her! Sooner or later the loneliness would force Kim to seek Shego out as her only contact with her old life and they would join forces and with their skills and knowledge of the future, they would soon OWN the world! Of course, Shego would have to convince Kim that it would be for the best: they could introduce medicines and prevent wars, saving millions of lives, for instance. Yes, and Kimmie could be a REAL “princess” and Shego would be called “The Supreme One”. No, that's a stupid title. Maybe she could be called-- “OOF!”
Lost in her dreams of power, Shego didn't notice Mimsie scramble back onto the car until the other woman slammed into her. The ESI flew from her hands and fell off the Ferris Wheel.
“Scrub the mission,” the black-haired woman muttered, slamming her elbow into Mim's temple. Shego dove for one of the mooring lines on the balloon and got away.
“NO!” Screamed Bart. “Go back! Get the dingus! How do you stop this thing? Uh oh,”
Pulling on the lines, Bart had yanked the gas release valve. Shego knew what had happened as soon as she saw the midway getting closer. Swinging, she let go of the rope and fell onto a sideshow tent. Without the extra weight, the balloon rose enough for Bart to land outside the fairgrounds and make his escape.
A crowd gathered at the sideshow gawked as Shego slid to the edge and did a mid-air somersault to the ground where she fluffed out her skirts casually and walked away.
“And THAT is just a sample of what you will see inside, ladies and gentlemen!” Shouted the barker. “Just one dime for an adult, five measly cents for a child under 13!”
Back at the Ferris Wheel, Chief barkin and John Stoppable ran up as the wheel stopped. Mim recovered from the blow to her head and saw them.
“Chief Barkin, the criminals…”
“Mimsie Possible, you're under arrest!”
John couldn't watch as Mim was helped down and handcuffed to the chief. Kim arrived just in time to see her double's shame.
“Wait! You can't arrest her, she's innocent!” Kim insisted. “I know the real crooks! It was Dr Drakken and Shego! I mean, they LOOKED like Drakken and Shego. I fought them in the futu… I mean, I can identify them!”
“Interesting,” Barkin said dryly. “ Why don't you come down to the station tomorrow. Maybe you can tell a straight story then.”
“Johnathan, I'm innocent,” cried Mim as she was led away. “You have to believe me!”
“I believe you, Mim! And I'll find some way to clear your name!”
“The Illuminator, it fell from the Ferris Wheel as I was fighting that woman. please find it!”
“I will, I promise!”
LATER.
Kim sat on a bench, trying hard not to cry. She had failed and Mimsie will leave town in disgrace. John had searched all around the Ferris Wheel, but had to leave because of his other police duties. He vowed to return and continue his search.
“Oh why did I have to do this?” Kim moaned. “This was way stupid! I should never have tried to clear her name this way. What was I thinking?”
“You're Kim Possible, pumpkin,” Said a woman who had sat unnoticed beside her. “You HAD to do it because it's in your nature.”
Kim jerked her head up a the all-too familiar voice.
“Shego! It was you! You're the cause of all this!”
“Wait, Kim. Before we get into our usual exercise program, I want you to look at something.” Shego pulled her computer out and started it up. “Look. Here is the future that happened after you disappeared into the time stream. Here is your ancestor, Mim. And here she is after she married John Stoppable. That was NOT supposed to happen, Kim. You are NOT supposed to be related to your sidekick!”
“Wait. I don't understand, what are you saying?”
“You changed history, princess. Recognize these pictures? It's from your school and here's your cheer leading squad. THAT is Kim Possible!”
“No way! She doesn't look anything like me!”
“Read the caption, it says so right there: Tara King, Bonnie Rockwaller, KIM POSSIBLE. Stoppable says that your father married that extreme TV nut Adrena-Lynn. That's what Kim Possible looks like in the future you made.”
“I did all that? Oh no,” Kim groaned, putting her head in her hands. “I didn't know. I was only trying to help Mim…”
Shego sighed and put the laptop back in her shoulder bag.
“Sometimes when we think we're right, we are dead wrong, Kim,” Her foe said, taking her hand. “I came back to set things right. To save you from oblivion.”
“You did this for me?” Kim asked in amazement. “Why?”
“I had to come back and stop you from making a huge mistake, because…well because you're the only one in the whole goodie-two-shoes world I actually respect.” Kim looked up at her with wide eyes. “Yes, RESPECT. There, I said it and I'm glad. Now come on, it's time to go home.”
“Thank you, Shego,” Kim said as the woman placed a supporting arm around her. “Did you know that I have a picture of you in my locker?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Oh nothing, I guess. I just thought I'd mention it.”
Moving out of sight behind the taco stand, Shego took out the Quantum Reverser and activated it. A “hole” opened in mid air and they stepped through.
TO BE CONTINUED.