DECEMBER 24TH
It was no earlier than two o'clock in the morning when the military plane set down on a runway in rural France. Its occupants had lifted off only eight hours before but due to the time difference of flying west to east; the day had passed in a flash. Kim, Shego, Ron, many members of GJ, and Team Go all departed in a dreary formation and stared up at the starless night as if failing to believe what time it was.
Kim hadn't felt tired, not since the previous night when she dreamed things… that she shouldn’t have been able to dream. The fact that Shego shared those dreams with her just made it that much more impossible. And yet, those were the facts, many of which were confirmed by Will Du during the ensuing flight. Kim began to wonder how much of her life had been strung on strange coincidences and last-minute rescues, the sort of hero's luck one would start to become skeptical about if not for the recent dreadful string of misery.
Will had updated Kim more on the Nakasumi plant raid in India during the flight. Apparently, based on surviving records and surplus parts, the estimate was that somewhere between three and four hundred PossiBots were manufactured there and shipped to Carcassonne. Ron had fretted about the possibility of three hundred bots impersonating people, children, police, and questioned whether they'd be able to trust anyone. But Kim assured him that there had been nowhere enough time to create three hundred unique ICs and that, in all likelihood, most of the manufactured PossiBots were still based on her own personality.
“Which will work to our advantage,” Kim had said. “I really don't work all too well as a team, despite my best intentions. That means most 'bots will probably pursue independent attacks in lieu of cooperative ones.”
“You're also generally non-violent but the ones in Colorado were quite the opposite,” said Ron.
“I think they have some sort of an obedience circuit,” said Kim. “Makes them have to follow Allucinere's commands, but they're still tied to my personality. If she says 'attack,' they'll fight until we yield, because I would never take a life if I could help it. But if she chooses her commands carefully, we could still be in trouble.”
“I think she's right,” Shego chimed in at that time. “At the convention center the PossiBots changed their tactics dramatically after Allucinere specifically told them to 'kill' us. They also never picked up a weapon against us, instead relying on hand-to-hand.”
“Right, because Allucinere never said how to kill us,” nodded Kim. “She can't possibly keep close enough track of all them to issue individual orders, so she'll have to rely mostly on the decisions her ICs make, which means they'll probably want to avoid seriously injuring anyone and, like I said before, only reluctantly use group tactics.”
Will had nodded then and took the information to the GJ agents in the plane. Several hours later, now, as Kim stared up at the sky, she regretting being so confident. There were so many things she didn't know about Allucinere, and her brief detour into her dreams had only raised questions rather than answering them. The whole thing was so surreal that it defied normal logic and Kim had to admit, there were many possibilities of how the PossiBots would react. There were many possibilities on how she, herself, would act.
“I'm a good person, right?” Kim asked Ron out of the blue as they walked across the tarmac to the hangar.
“Is that a trick question?” Ron said, surprised. “Of course you are. Nothing Allucinere has done is your fault.”
“My family, our friends, are in danger, maybe suffering,” said Kim. “If I hadn't crossed Maya the first time, they'd still be okay.”
“There'll always be someone,” said Ron, shrugging. “You can't control these villains, and you can't lower yourself to their level, so, in some capacity, you'll always have to deal with them.”
“I don't know if I can keep doing this,” said Kim.
“What happened to 'Kim Possible, she can do anything'?”
“That was just cheap marketing,” said Kim.
“Oh, come on,” gestured Ron.
“I'm serious,” said Kim. “All I really wanted to do was be a baby sitter.” She looked at the feet as she walked. “A small typo later and I was saving people from deadly security systems. Then there was the first rescue from that mudslide, and after that it was international.”
“You trying to say you never chose this life,” Shego suddenly said, appearing beside Kim. “That's bullshit.”
“Shego…” said Ron.
“You may have gotten an unexpected start, but don't say after nine years you never wanted to be the hero you became,” said Shego. Then she looked away. “It belittles those who suffered so you could succeed.”
Kim's eyes widened.
“But I appreciate the difficulty in trying to quit once you've played the game this far,” Shego finished.
With a sigh Kim looked up. “All those PossiBots are acting as if they were me and still doing all those atrocities. I'm just worried I really have those depths to myself. I've been angry before, furious even, and I've thought some pretty mean things. Have I always been just a hair away from being a villain?”
“Yes,” said Ron, definitively. Kim looked at him in a surprised manner, but he continued on. “But it's a hair you'll never cross, and one Maya never recognized. It may only be a hair, but it separates you from her, which makes it as big as a mountain.”
Ron half smiled. “Kim, for better or worse, these last few days I've seen a part of you that I didn't know existed, but I've enjoyed it. Whatever happens today, I just want you to know I am incredibly honored to have spent that time with you.”
“You don't have to be so formal Ron,” said Kim, abashed. “There'll be more days in the future.”
Ron's smile faltered, but just for a moment. “Not like those,” he said simply.
“Kim,” Will Du's voice carried from behind them. He walked up and then matched their stride. “We've got preliminary intel from the first team to Carcassonne. They've tracked down the shipment to a warehouse on the Aude, but it's been cleared out.”
“Great,” groaned Shego.
“But very recently a bulk of the fortress at Carcassonne has been sealed off while it underwent 'restoration.' Word has it that those particular sections of the castle were in excellent shape.” Will looked at his watch. “We set up heavy surveillance over the entire fortress. There should be an initial report available from the agent-in-charge there by the time we arrive.”
“How many people will you have in total?” asked Kim. “Given that you think she's got over three hundred PossiBots.”
“Total GJ resources number 120,” said Will.
“Ugh, nearly three to one,” said Shego.
“Including Team Go?” asked Ron.
“Yes,” nodded Will. “Local police support can throw another thirty or forty in if we want to involve them. Actually, if we go all out on this, they'll probably at least respond to the disturbance.”
“I just want to understand this correctly,” said Shego, raising a hand. “We're going to be storming a castle.”
Kim and Ron looked at her plainly.
“What?” asked Shego with a gleeful grin. “I just want to make sure I understand our stereotype right.”
( KP )
Kim stared at the schematics of Carcassonne until her eyes crossed and then stared some more. She wanted to commit the entire blueprint to memory and was reluctant to admit that her brain just wasn't wired that way. She was smart enough, and knew how to make herself remember things for tests and reports, but she was never the one who could glance at something and then recall it verbatim later. She was hoping she could change that by concentrating hard enough.
“You've got smoke coming out of your ears,” said a nearby voice lightly.
Kim looked up, startled, to see Mego standing beside her. They were both in one of the rooms of the building surveillance team occupied yesterday nearby to the fortress. While most of the agents from GJ had been hidden away in another area, the 'lead team', meaning the command GJ agents, representatives from the local police, as well as Team Go and Team Possible, were in this building. It was meager, and largely stripped down before everyone invaded and right now had many of its rooms repurposed. The room Kim and Mego were in was a planning area.
Mego himself was grinning slightly, standing somewhat proudly in his purple Team Go uniform. He sauntered over to Kim and looked at the castle plans. “I see,” he said after a minute. “The castle must have been built in phases, with different architects. The way some of these rooms are placed, it must have been an afterthought.”
“It's not intuitive,” agreed Kim. “Which is why I'm trying to memorize it.”
“Good luck,” scoffed Mego. “I doubt even the architects remembered it while building it.”
Kim sighed and rubbed her eyes.
“It's morning in Middleton now,” he said kindly. “Will said he talked to his agents there. Your grandma and the FBI agent are doing well. No lasting injuries.”
“That's a relief,” Kim said, but her appearance didn't match the sentiment.
“Are you going to cut yourself a break anytime soon?” asked Mego with his brows raised.
“Not while she's still out there,” said Kim with a determined nod. “Maybe when this is all wrapped up and over.”
Mego looked to the side then moved to walk around the desk holding the blueprints. He stood directly opposite Kim. “Listen, I hate to be a devil's advocate,” he started awkwardly. “But what if we bust in there and Allucinere's not there?”
“Then we'll find her,” said Kim. “What else?”
“Do you get a break then?”
“Of course not!” yelled Kim. “How can I relax with so many people missing or in danger? What kind of person do you think I am?”
“The kind who burns themselves out at… oh, say, the end of high school because they never learned how to pace themselves,” Mego said. He looked at her seriously.
Kim frowned, and felt angry. How dare he bother her with this right now? She can't be thinking about 'next' when there's still now to be worried about.
“Shego wouldn't rest,” said Kim.
“She is not your role model,” said Mego. “And she knows better than to pursue a plan to her destruction.”
“Not when it comes to you guys,” said Kim. “She takes family seriously.”
“Ah, yeah,” Mego said with an awkward chuckle. “You've got me there. I can't say I've really understood sis all these years. Only recently have I begun to scratch the surface on her.”
“She was just hiding her feelings to look cool,” said Kim.
“This is from the girl who thinks she can move mountains if she concentrates hard enough,” said Mego.
Kim sighed. “This isn't going to end like I want it.”
“What?”
“No matter what happens tonight…” Kim pulled out a chair and nearly collapsed into it. She looked into her hands. “I can't imagine a happy end to any of this. It's gone too far.”
“A happy end?” asked Mego, incredulously. “You serious?”
“Not… not everyone goes home happy and we all learn a lesson at the end,” Kim rolled her eyes. “But… something right. Something that evens the scales.”
Mego bit his lip. “It doesn't always work out that way,” he said.
Kim nodded. “It won't this time.” She looked up at Mego. He was looking down with a kind expression. “I can already tell.”
“Don't defeat yourself before the battle's begun,” he said. “If you don't believe you can win, you've already lost.” He looked at the blueprints on the table. “That said, don't kill yourself trying to save everyone. Trust a little bit in your team. We might not let you down.”
Kim laughed softly. Mego patted her on the shoulder and headed for the door.
“You've all become quite a team,” said Kim. Mego stopped by the door. “If only…” she stopped.
“It doesn't help, does it?” asked Mego, turning his head.
“I just don't have the energy anymore,” admitted Kim.
Mego hesitated. “I hate to encourage irresponsibility,” he started, then paused for several moments. “But you're back in the limelight again. You're never going to get a break of any kind as long as people know where you are.”
Kim frowned. “You mean--”
“I mean nothing.” Mego raised his hands. “You'd best find my sister. All this waiting is not her style, I imagine she's getting stir crazy about now.”
Shrugging, Mego slipped the rest of the way out of the room leaving Kim to herself and the blueprints.
( KP )
“There is a reason we're waiting, right?” asked Shego as soon as she heard Kim. She was sitting out on the street in front of the surveillance building when Kim finally found her. She was wearing a black top and olive slacks with her hair up in a ponytail. Kim had told her if she was going to be wandering about to not wearing her trademark colors lest Maya notice her, but the outfit she chose was actually more similar to her own.
“You're dressed like me,” said Kim, rather surprised.
“That's definitely not a good enough reason to wait.”
Kim sat down beside Shego. “Will wants to wait on the surveillance.”
“One day of surveillance isn't going to give him squat and it just increases the odds of Allucinere noticing us,” Shego grumbled. “Any good thief would tell you that lingering around your mark the day before the heist is a good way to end up in the box.”
“We're not stealing anything, though,” said Kim.
“We should be,” said Shego. She turned to look at Kim. “Let's just go, you and me. We could be in before Allucinere knew a thing, grab her and walk her out with no fuss.”
“The last time we jumped the gun on a plan what did we get?” asked Kim. “Nearly killed if not for your brothers showing up, and Allucinere was waiting for us with a trap.” Kim shook her head. “She may know we're here, but even then our odds are better with GJ than on our own.”
Shego frowned then turned back to stare out onto the street. “Don't let her rattle you like that,” she said. “She got lucky a few times, doesn't mean she can read your mind. We can still surprise her.”
“We don’t know how she's tracking us or if she's tracking us. We can't rely on a surprise until we know for sure, so we're sticking with Will's plan.”
“I don't like following other people's dumb plans,” said Shego.
Kim blinked and stared at her.
“Oh, well--” started Shego, blushing.
“Please, you can't even begin to justify that statement,” said Kim. “You've practically made it a career following other people's dumb plans!”
“Dammit Drakken, I don't even work for you anymore and you're still making me look like a fool,” said Shego, shaking her fist. After a few waves, she suddenly stopped and slumped.
“Shego…” started Kim.
“Will he recover?” Shego asked, plainly.
Kim's mouth became a line. “It's possible,” she said, sounding unsure.
“Senior didn't,” said Shego.
“No,” Kim shook her head. “He didn't.”
Neither said anything for several seconds.
“It's bad?” asked Shego.
“The worse,” nodded Kim.
“What's it like?”
Kim put hand to her forehead and sighed. “It starts by attacking your trust,” she said, forcing herself to remember. “The people you trust, the things you trust in. Somehow it just pulls it right out of your brain, the things you trust the most.” She breathed. “For me, I saw Ron.”
“He was betraying your trust,” said Shego.
Kim nodded. “He was making fun of me, then spreading lies about me, then goading my enemies into attacking at once, and finally attacking me himself. Torturing me. Each time was a different scenario. I wanted to believe that each one was just a dream but you know… somehow you just know it's not a dream. That it might be real. That it is real.”
Kim looked up, but her eyes were hollow. “He would tell me things, like how he loved me and cared for me, then twist a knife in my gut and laugh -- a cackling laugh -- for being so stupid to believe him. Then it would happen again. Just a dream. I wanted to scream out that it was a dream, but it wasn't.”
“It was a nightmare,” said Shego, softly running her hand on Kim's back.
Kim breathed deep. “Then it attacks your faith,” she said. “Things you believe in, things you've always known to be true. You'll see your parents, your friends, your brothers, all turning on you -- on each other. You lose all traction that way. You can't trust anyone and nothing you believe is true, there's nothing to base your reality on anymore. All you have left is what you see, and the only thing that damned device will show you is misery.”
“Then,” Kim sucked in her breath quickly. “When everything has worn away, when you've lost everything you know, your mind will just slip away. There's nothing left grounding it anymore, so it's like finally finding that dream you've been wishing it all was from the beginning.”
Kim looked over at Shego, her face pale. “Breaking out of it -- forcing myself away from the horror -- was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life.” She looked down. “And I couldn't do it again.”
Shego stared back, unmoving, before finally turning away. “I'm sorry.”
“Senior Senior Senior was a strong man,” said Kim. “But I think he had more to lose than me. I could still believe that even if all I saw was true, I had time to make thing better. I don't think Senior could believe that. In his mind, he really had nothing.”
Kim shook her head remembering the report from Wade about Senior. Even though he was in a hospital when he did it, they couldn't save him in time.
“You still have more to live for,” said Shego, defiantly. “You can do it again, if you need to.” She looked slightly weaker all of a sudden. “Can't you?”
Kim leaned against Shego, still looking stoic but some of the color returning to her cheeks. She smiled sadly. “You don't know what its like,” she said softly.
( KP )
“Okay, everybody,” said Dash Demond as he stood in the planning room before two dozen people. Everyone, save for two groups in the back, were dressed in with Global Justice combat uniforms and probably armed to the teeth. Kim, in one of the two non-conformist groups in the back, looked on uneasily at the multitude of weapons and shook her head. She wasn't sure what she thought about the PossiBots, but even if they weren't alive she was still reluctant to use lethal force on anything that even resembled a human.
“Does everyone understand the plan?” asked Dash. “Remember, there are four target points that we feel are most likely to contain Allucinere. She's the primary target along with any means she may have for controlling the PossiBots. As soon as any team confirms Allucinere's location, call it in and all the other teams will move to join.”
Dash polled for questions again and when nobody said anything, he nodded towards Will who was standing in the corner. “Agent Du?”
“All of you have been specially equipped with one of these,” said Will, holding up a small rod like a thin flashlight. An indigo light emitted from the end and he waved it around the room. “Thanks to the geniuses in our R&D department, we have a means of telling friend from foe. The light emitted from these tube will disrupt the holographic projections from a Luminocodec, revealing the true person or robot beneath the illusion.”
Will turned off the light and put it on the table. “It's not perfect, but give it a try before shooting anyone or anything. We can't have any mistakes tonight.”
“Is that what Wade and your brothers were working on?” asked Shego.
“I'm not sure,” shrugged Kim. “I haven't heard from Wade in a couple days and Will won't say anything more than 'he's at GJ headquarters.'”
“Sounds suspicious,” said Shego but then said nothing more.
Will dismissed the room and teams Go and Possible stood aside while the various team leads for the GJ squads filed out. Team Impossible, Will Du and a couple of the GJ commanders lingered behind.
“Kim,” said Will, waving over the two groups. “I want you to go ahead on the north-west 2nd group, which will be one of the follow-up entry teams. Odds are better you'll have a more clean route through the castle.”
“I don’t need to be coddled, Agent,” said Kim, a little annoyed.
“Maybe not,” admitted Will. “But this way you have to fight fewer PossiBots and stand a better chance at getting to Allucinere first. I've seen you in action enough to know you can handle yourself, and all things considered, you probably know her tactics better than anyone.” He looked between Kim and Dash. “Don't worry, I want you to be in front.”
“We'll take a more direct approach,” said Hego. “South entrance, first team.”
“Er-- oh. Okay,” said Will, looking back over the blueprints. “I though you might want to escort Kim.”
“You said it yourself, she can handle this on her own,” said Hego. “And we're better as a distraction. If we go in strong we'll draw them forward leaving rear teams with less to combat.”
“Are you sure?” asked Kim, frowning at Hego.
Hego smiled. “We'll rely on your finesse while we break down the front door. We'll call it a 'Go-ordinated' attack.”
Kim made a weak smile.
“We only have about a day and a half of recon,” said Dash. “But based on what we've seen, our best time to move in will be at 10:30pm. That's in twenty minutes. If you all don’t mind heading to where your squads are stationed, we're ready to start this sortie.”
“Right,” nodded Kim. She turned and looked at Ron, then Shego. They both nodded approval and then turned towards the door.
“Good luck, brothers,” Shego said over her shoulder just before leaving. Kim saw the four Team Go members smile slightly, as if happy to finally be on their sister's radar.
“Thank you,” Kim said to everyone left before nodded and following her team. Once outside, Kim ran up to Shego and leaned closely in so that no one could hear their talking.
“Are you ready?” said Kim.
“As ready as I'll ever be,” shrugged Shego.
“Did you take care of… you know?” said Kim, cautiously.
“We're good to go,” nodded Shego slightly. “Assuming we survive.”
“Gotta have hope,” said Kim.
“Yeah…” agreed Shego, blandly. “What else do we have?”
They reached the location of the squad they were assigned to. Five GJ soldiers stood ready, checking their guns and the status of their newly assigned indigo flashlights, before simply waiting to the countdown being sent over radio.
Kim peeked beside the building they were staged at and stared at the towering figure of the fortress at Carcassonne. She remembered her dream, the feeling she had looking up at the place in Maya's shoes. The awe was still there, even though it had not originally been hers.
She still had no idea what to think about that dream. Only she and Shego had it, not Ron or any others in the house at the time. Even if it was true, how did it happen? Kim had the vague impression she'd been involved in somewhat precognitive dreams before but couldn't remember when or what they were about. Forcing herself to remember her experiences with the PH Device earlier today had actually struck a chord with her dream. If she hadn't known better, she could have sworn the feeling she had during that dream was just like when Maya put the PH device on her. But that was impossible. She was guarded by the best of GJ at the time and those spidery devices were designed to cause pain, not transfer memories.
“Hey,” a deep voice said beside Kim and she looked to see Dash beside her, prepping his gun. He held out a pistol and several clips to Kim. “You'll probably want these.”
Kim shook her head. “They're not my style. Like I said at the briefing, the PossiBots won't use guns unless directly ordered and I know that because I wouldn't either.”
“They're just machines,” said Dash, but pocketing the pistol. “No need to be sentimental.”
“They look human,” said Kim. “They look like me, actually. The psychological ramifications of shooting myself are staggering. I'd rather just avoid it.”
Dash frowned and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “We can count on you, right?”
Kim scowled and stepped right up to Dash and, despite his towering physique, he took a half-step back. “This is a nightmare for me,” she said forcefully. “I will do everything I can do end it.”
Dash blinked but kept his grim expression. “Good,” he said, then grabbed her hand and pushed something cold and metal into it. “Then if you get a line on her, I can count on you to take the shot.”
He turned and walked away before Kim could protest.
Shego, however, was properly prepared. “Don't you hate it when a sourpuss dashes all your plans?”
Kim looked at her.
“What?” asked Shego. “It's funny.”
( KP )
The countdown was silent, the simple ticking down of watches around Carcassonne. GJ agents readied their guns and Luminocodec revealers and tried not to think about their palms sweating or the lack of light thanks to the cloudy night. Nobody wanted to think about the three to one odds against them, especially considering the enemy was an army of super-strong androids, but they did. They couldn't help it. It was a poorly prepped attack, against a strong and intelligent enemy who's complete plan had not yet been revealed. But there was a deadline to consider. Christmas, the Maya-PossiBot had said, would be when her agenda would come to fruition and that was only an hour away.
Tick.
The last minute before the battle began. Kim looked at Shego and Ron who looked at her back. Kim could remember days of a simpler life, when the worst thing she had to worry about was failing a test at school or looking bad at he next dance. She remembered when her enemies were silly, but honorable, and while dangerous, largely non-lethal. She remember when her allies could be counted on a hand but they were trustworthy until the end of days.
Glancing around at the five GJ agents around her, she didn't know any of them. She'd learned their names during the staging, but little else. Did they have families? Friends? Was their whole life contained to their GJ Agent status or was there more? If they died in this battle, would anyone not in uniform grieve?
Kim would, she knew. Even if she didn’t know their names, she would weep at the end of this. Shed the tears she'd refrained from shedding over the last two years. Cry for the soldiers around the world who died because of Allucinere. She'd cry for the friendships that were shattered by her first arrival. She'd cry for the not entirely innocent but completely unnecessary death of Senior Senior Senior, and the carefree life of his son that was harshly tossed aside when he succeeded the financial empire.
Most of all, though, she'd cry for herself. She wasn't even sure if she was using the word 'innocent' right anymore, she'd long lost her own claim to it. She had such plans, such ambition, only to have life crush her to a dust, forcing her to rebuild, to forge new friendships strong, and even learn to love again.
But then Allucinere returned to crush it all again. Maybe this was a sign. She didn’t deserve the happiness she reached for. Or maybe she just didn't belong in the world she was trying to create.
“Don't do it,” said Ron, softly.
Kim looked at him, surprised.
“Just get through tonight,” he continued. “Worry about your life afterwards.”
“Ron,” said Kim.
“He's right,” said Shego, nodding. “Don't distract yourself.”
“Shego,” Kim slowly smiled. She tried to rid herself of her depressing thoughts and was suddenly overwhelmed by another feeling that twisted her gut in a knot. Before her, about to run into the fray of a terribly dangerous battle, were two people she loved more than any others in the world and who loved her in return. They were different types of love, one romantic, one familial, but they were equally strong. Impossibly strong.
This is special! Her heart cried out loudly. How many times does a person form such powerful bonds and she had done it with two people. She barely deserved such tenderness from either and yet they gave it to her freely.
“I--” started Kim. She had to say something, something to sum up everything she was feeling. What were the words? How do you express something so abstract but so incredibly important? She wasn't a writer or a poet, she knew nothing of how to turn language from simple letters and words into beauty. How would they say it? Was it possible to even be said?
“I--” started Kim again, feeling the confused expressions on her friends faces and wished she could just open her mind and share with them her feeling.
Tick.
And then it was too late.
Without a word the GJ agents started to move, rushing forward and storming the castle. Kim, Ron, and Shego were with a second wave, so they didn't go first, but already all attention was on the first team. It was too late to say anything heartfelt now.
Kim closed her eyes and promised herself she would, when this was over. She would let them know how important they were to her.
The first explosion surprised her and she jumped. Turning her head south she could see the pillows of dark smoke rising from the front gate where Team Go and over thirty GJ agents were undoubtedly rushing into the castle. She hoped the explosion was good, that it meant several PossiBots were disabled and maybe that Hego was using his incredible strength to toss boulders. But the scared part of her, the weaker part, imagined PossiBots swarming the heroic team like wasps, converging and descending.
Closer, the first GJ team from Kim's staging area reached the wall and started to scale. They scrambled up as fast as running on land and were on the portcullis within moments. They immediately brought up their arms and seconds later they were firing at PossiBots, looking identical to Kim in her mission outfit, flying through the air at them. Largely they ignored the first wave of shots, flashing slightly as the metal ricocheted off their shiny metal skin.
Every now and then one of the GJ agents would swing their gun around and the indigo light would sweep over a group of PossiBots, revealing, for just a fraction of a second, their cold metal interiors and hydraulic joints. It was like pealing away someone's skin to the bone and seeing their white skeleton gleam in the pale light. Kim shivered when she saw it and tried not to imagine her own innards looking like that. She was real. The real Kim Possible. Not a robotic clone. Her mind repeated this mantra but fear was irrational, and each time the purple light randomly started moving her way, her muscles tensed.
Minutes passed and Kim had to keep herself from rushing out every time she saw a GJ agent fall to the ground. She knew this would happen, that the battle would have losses on either side, but she'd never been involved in something like this before. Her battles were vicious but bloodless. Even her first take-down of Allucinere had resulted only in her own injury, since she came alone.
But this time, Allucinere was better prepared. There wouldn't be an all happy end.
“Ready?” asked Shego, looking back at Kim. Kim only nodded. Words would only betray her.
They turned their eyes towards the wall. The first team had all but disappeared over the top edge, leaving their ropes behind which Kim and her team would use to climb. The GJ team had expressed interest in blowing open the wall, but the local police vehemently protested, saying that Cite do Carcassonne was a historical landmark and anything can could be done to preserve it must be done. Kim idly wondered at the time if they would have preferred Allucinere's domination over Carassonne instead, but kept it to herself.
The tiny radio in Kim's ear lurched to life unexpectedly. “This is team Santiago at site 'Tango',” it said. Tango was one of the probably locations of Allucinere. Kim bit her lip as she listened, hoping this was already over. “There's a helluva lot of enemy here but no target! Repeat, no target!”
One down, Kim checked off mentally. That left three other sites.
“B-teams, GO!” Dash's strong voice was easy to discern over the other chatter. Kim got to her feet and launched herself forward, dropping all other issues aside. She had to be playing at her A-game tonight.
Shego and Ron kept pace beside her easily and they were flanked by the rest of the GJ agents they were assigned to. Each step felt heavier than the last but Kim pushed through it. It wasn't that she was out of shape, but it felt like she was marching towards her own doom.
In moments they reached the wall and were climbing. She and Shego had a slightly easier time than Ron did but he was keeping up. He had to be in better shape than he was when they last fought together to be able to do as well as he was. Kim silently complemented him as they climbed upwards.
Then she saw it, the figure at the top of the wall looking down. It was herself, as she had grown to see as the enemy over the last few days, but she was holding a strange looking gun and pointing it downwards at all of them.
“Look out!” screamed one of the GJ agents and they began to scatter, some rappelling to the side, other down and still a few climbing higher. Kim strove to climb higher as Ron lurched to the side and Shego tried to match Kim.
Some of the GJ agents had pulled out guns and were firing at the PossiBot but it simply aimed and fired.
The beam was ring shaped and glowed green as it expanded broadly outwards striking two GJ agents and Kim and Shego. She held her breath as it struck her but, strangely it passed right through and she felt fine, unaffected.
“URRUGH!” came a gurgle and Kim looked over just in time to see Shego grow stiff, her eyes rolling up and her hand letting go of the rope. Kim's heart lurched as she let go of her own rope and launched off the wall towards the falling figure. With practiced form she grabbed Shego around the waist and reached out to snag another rope with which to slow her fall. They still struck the ground hard but Kim quickly pulled Shego to cover.
Kim heard more shots and shouts but ignored them as she stared at Shego, slapping her face gently. “Shego! Come back to me,” she said softly.
After a few moments Shego's muscles loosened again and she focused on Kim once more. “Oh god,” she said putting a hand to her head. “I feel like I just went on a bender.”
“It only affected you,” said Kim.
“I know,” nodded Shego, her eyes closed as she breathed deliberately. “It caused my symbiote to freak out.”
“What?” asked Kim. “How is that possible? How does Allucinere even know about--”
“She was at GJ when I went after Mason,” said Shego slowly. “That part makes sense. But how did she make a weapon so fast? Have we heard from DN Amy since that time?”
Kim shook her head. “I didn't even think to. She wasn't involved in the first round so I didn't figure she'd be involved this --” Kim stopped suddenly. “Drakken.”
“Drakken?” asked Shego, then it dawned on her. “Oh, man, that's why she attacked him.”
“He knew about the source of your powers?” asked Kim.
“I never told him directly,” said Shego, rubbing her forehead. She tried to stand up and though a little wobbly, she managed it quickly. “But we were together long enough he could have figured it out.” She flexed her fist. “Let's get back in there.”
“Are you sure?” asked Kim. “They have a weapon that's uniquely debilitating to you.”
“No more uniquely than a gun,” said Shego. “I'll just be more careful.”
Kim frowned but turned back towards the wall and ducked out from under the trees they were using as cover. She could see several GJ agents fighting on the wall and Ron was looking down by the ropes.
“You okay?” yelled Ron.
Kim and Shego ran up to the wall again and started to climb. This time their ascent was uneventful and they joined up with Ron and the GJ agents who were reloading.
“I'll manage,” said Shego, finally. “Which way?”
A GJ agent pointed and they quickly ran in the direction indicated.
( KP )
Things didn't get easier once they were inside.
Kim stared down the stone hallway from over and saw the group of five PossiBots on the other end firing back with regular pistols. She grimaced and looked back at Ron, Shego, and the two GJ agents who were on the opposite side of the hallway opening as Kim and one other agent. The gunfire had caught them off-guard and they had dove to opposite cover to escape it. Now they were stuck.
The GJ agents took up covered positions and tried to return fire but the PossiBots were also behind cover and not easy targets.
“Looks like they're using guns after all,” called Shego from the other side.
“I've noticed,” yelled back Kim. “Allucinere must have ordered them to.”
“Team Gromit,” came a voice in Kim's ear. She tried to listen to the radio over the gunfire. “We're at site Epsilon and there's no target! Repeat, no target!”
Kim sighed and leaned against the wall. “That leaves two more,” said Kim. “Both on this side of the fortress.”
“One north, one south,” said the GJ agent beside her. “We gotta be close to the target, none of the other teams have reported armed Bots.”
Kim looked over at Shego. Her expression didn't please Kim.
“We're not splitting up,” Kim said quickly over the fire before Shego could even suggest it.
“We're wasting time this way,” yelled Shego. She peeked around the corner and held out her hand towards the PossiBots. Her fist glowed green then suddenly exploded with luminescent fire, throwing small gobs of it everywhere down the corridor then quickly dissolving. “Shit!” cursed Shego. “I still need time to recover from that stupid gun.”
Kim frowned and looked towards Ron. He shrugged. “We'll handle ourselves,” he said. “You've gotta face Maya yourself and you know it. Its…” he trailed off, then finished with a unsatisfied sigh. “It's destiny.”
“Destiny?” Kim cocked her head to the side at that statement, confused to hear it from Ron of all people, but she had to admit, in her mind she always saw this ending with a confrontation between herself and Maya. But that didn't meant she had to sacrifice her friends for it.
“I'm not going to leave you behind,” yelled Kim.
“I'll toast these losers as soon as I get back to full power,” said Shego. “We're safe. You head to Beta site and we'll go to Gamma. If you find Maya, then you'll have to admit to Ron's 'destiny' statement.” She grinned.
“But--”
“Go, already! This is a war zone, no time for chit chat!” yelled Shego. She stepped around the corner and tried her power again to no avail. She also nearly got clipped by a bullet if Ron hadn't pulled her back in time. The PossiBots had incredibly good aim.
Kim swallowed and looked to the GJ agent beside her. “Come on,” she said and turned down the hall, away from her friends, her loved ones. She hoped she'd see them again, but she couldn’t be sure.
As they ran down the halls, the clicks of their boots were soon the only sounds save for distant shouts and explosions like thunder on the wind. They got to an intersection and the GJ agent consulted his small map looking for the way to the Beta site. He pointed north and the two of them ran, trying to be cautious, keeping their eyes peeled, but also trying to hurry to end the battle before more people died.
As soon as the entered the corridor leading up to where the Beta site was marked on the agent's map, Kim felt it. The tingling feeling on the back of her neck. They were in danger.
She dove at the agent and barely kept him from being crushed by a flying chunk of stone that fell from above. Kim looked up and saw tall rafters in the darkness and heard the scampering of feet but could see no figures nor shadows.
“You okay?” she asked as the agent breathed.
“Just got the wind knocked out of me for a second,” he nodded. “I'm fine.”
“I think they're in the rafters, but I can't see them,” said Kim. She pulled out the pistol that Dash had given her earlier and pointed it upwards, waving the indigo light around trying to catch a hint of silver.
She saw a glimmer just before the rumbling started and Kim looked up to see part of the wall where they were hiding sliding aside. Kim raised the gun at the slowly widening opening and saw the gleam from at least four PossiBots. The agent immediately had his gun out and was firing at the flashes of metal only to be rewarded by the sounds of the bullets ricocheting away.
Kim grabbed him by his collar and pulled. “Come on,” she yelled and started running away from the rumbling and down the hallway towards Beta site. After a few steps the agent got the idea and started running along with her, occasionally firing shots back at the half-dozen PossiBots coming after them from behind.
He looked forward at the empty hallway and large doors at the end, and then back at the slowly growing group of unarmed, marching PossiBots.
“We're being herded!” he yelled, not stopping his firing.
“What?” said Kim.
“They're not attacking! They're herding us forward,” he said. “They want us to go towards Beta site!”
“Another ambush?” asked Kim, already figuring out the answer in her head.
“There's no other way to go, unless you think we can stand up against them.” The agent ejected the clip from his pistol and loaded another.
Kim frowned, seeing her future becoming dim in her mind. “Gotta follow-through,” she said, futilely. They kept running down the hall. Each step echoed six more times behind them by the PossiBots. She looked up at the door and tried to run through scenarios in her mind as to what she would do once inside. Depending on how many PossiBots were there, they might stand a chance if the bar the door against the six behind them.
Of course, if the six were just herding them towards the ambush, there was no chance there were less than six inside.
Kim looked at the agent, dutifully trying to shoot down at least one PossiBot. “What's your name again?” asked Kim.
“What?” said the agent, Kim's words having been muffled by the shots.
“Your name?” asked Kim.
“Dyson LePleant,” said the agent, firing again.
“I'm sorry you got involved in this Dyson,” she said between breaths. They were near the door, just a few more steps and they would be ready to open it.
“Don't be,” he said, holstering his gun and reaching for the door just before it was in range. “Somebody has to fight for justice.”
They both gripped the handles of the doors and pulled. The agent looked to Kim as they started to part. “It's actually been my honor to fight beside you.”
Kim blinked in awe at Dyson.
Then a hand reached out from between the opening doors and grabbed his neck, pulled him forcefully against the partly opened left door, until Kim heard a loud crack, and then dropped his body to the floor.
Kim's jaw dropped as she stared at the unmoving. “DYSON!” she yelled just before a group of strong hands took hold of her arms and legs and lifted her into the air to carry her above their heads. All the while Kim tried to look back and see some bit of the agent, to see if he was still moving but the marching PossiBots merely ignored him and continued on despite her cries.
( KP )
The Beta side was gigantic, larger than the pictures at the surveillance house made it seem. Tall three story ceiling with large candle chandeliers swayed silently casting hundreds of shadows across the great hall. Four giant columns supported the tall ceiling cast in stone but accented in marble and brass. The room was no less than a hundred feet wide and three or four hundred feet long with a stepped dais at the end upon which was placed a large grandfather clock. Behind that loomed a large stained glass window depicting a valiant knight deflecting the fire breath from a green dragon. It reminded Kim slightly of St. George, but there was little other Christian artifacts to support the claim. The other windows also had stained glass in them but showed more neutral scenes of the majesty of kings, and were mostly covered by long canvas curtains.
Kim was forced down to her knees and held in place by two PossiBots in the middle of the hall. To either side of the hall were iron cages, primitive looking, but sturdy. Each held an unconscious body in them that caused Kim to shiver each time her eyes found another one in the shadows. Inside the cages she saw her parents, Monique, Beth, the tweebs, Ron's parents and his sister, and then, at the end, Ron himself.
Kim boggled. She couldn't believe Ron had gotten captured so quickly, she'd left him only minutes before and in the opposite direction. Kim surmised there must have been some undocumented secret passageway to this room that shorted the distance to the hallway they were trapped in. Thankfully, Shego was nowhere to be seen, and Kim hoped she was still out there, fighting to get to her and free them all.
“Kim,” came a soft voice from the shadows. It was dreadfully familiar and Kim shivered when she heard it. “Oh, so long it has been,” the voice continued.
“Maya,” said Kim, sounding weaker than she had intended.
The soft click of heels against the stone floor echoed though the hall as Maya stepped out from the shadows, from between the cages, and into the center of the hall. She stood proudly before Kim, looking much like her PossiBot clone from the convention center: her hair short and red, her face pale and draw, and wearing a silver-white nanosuit that had once belonged to Kim herself. The only big difference between this Maya and the one from before was she looked strangely fatigued and malnourished. Her eyes were slightly draw into her sockets and some of her once lithe figure was bony and scrawny.
“Are you the real deal?” asked Kim, gaining strength in her voice. Somehow, from the frail appearance and the way her eyes looked she knew it was the real Maya, but she wanted to be sure.
Maya walked over towards Kim and held out her hand. One of the PossiBots beside Kim held out the gun that Kim was carrying, with the indigo light attached. She pointed it at herself and Kim saw there was no change.
“Convinced?” she asked with a smile. She threw the gun to the side.
“Yes,” said Kim slowly.
“Well, you shouldn't be,” said Maya. “Oh, I am the real Allucinere, but I don't always disguise my PossiBots with Luminocodecs. I'm well versed in all sorts of illusions including the common disguise.” She snapped her fingers.
The clicking sound of boots accompanied by a somewhat unsettling sound of something heavy being dragged against the rough stone floor sounded throughout the hall. Kim looked around for the source but Maya saved her the trouble and simply pointed behind her.
Kim turned to look back at the door she came in from and saw a figure, a PossiBot to be sure given its appearance, dragging the unconscious form of Shego by her collar. Kim gasped as she looked on, unwilling to believe her eyes or her heart pounding in her chest asking her how could what she saw be true. Unable to hear the turmoil in her mind, the figure dragged Shego's body around to stand beside Maya and then slowly placed her head on the ground.
Kim condensed all her fear and confusion into a single emotion: anger. She shot an expression up at the figure who drug Shego in that would have stopped trains or parted rivers. The figure stared back with it's blonde haired, freckled face of Ron Stoppable.
Kim seethed but tried to contain her anger into few words. “How long?” she spat.
Maya's eyes lit up with joy. “The real Ron Stoppable never left France,” she said. “I grabbed him just before the end of the semester. My StoppaBot here took his final for him.” She stepped over Shego's body like it was trash and wrapped her arms around the StoppaBot, hanging off of him. The StoppaBot just stood still, his expression caught strangely somewhere between angry and sad. “He's not like my other PossiBots, he's made with artificial skin and hair rather than light and energy, and can simulate and heal injuries he gets.” She looked up at StoppaBot's face. “Isn't he cool?”
Kim sneered but said nothing.
“Come on, Kim,” said Maya releasing her hold on StoppaBot. “Aren't you going to deny it? Say 'that couldn't be true, he seemed so real?' Or maybe cover your confusion with arrogance and say 'oh, I knew it from the start.'” Maya stepped forward and put her face right up against Kim's so their noses touched. “Well go ahead and try, because you fell for every bit of information I fed you.”
She turned on her foot and skipped away. Kim looked up at StoppaBot, who, after a moment, gazed back neutrally. “It was all an act,” she summarized, then darkened. “I trusted you.”
Surprisingly, the StoppaBot knelt and looked into Kim's eyes with a frown. “It wasn't all an act,” he said softly.
“Yes, it was,” said Kim. “You're nothing but a lousy IC who clones the feelings of its source but has no real feelings of its own.”
The StoppaBot suddenly retreated, looking conflicted, and then turned away, standing.
“Actually, he's not an IC,” said Maya as she finally made her way back to Kim. “I knew an IC wouldn't fool someone so close to you. So I -- reluctantly -- made him an AI so he could grow and adapt his program based on what you did.”
“An AI?” said Kim, turning over what she remembered from Maya's ages old explanation of the difference between the two.
“Certainly not a perfect one,” scoffed Maya. She looked scornfully towards StoppaBot. “Or else he wouldn't have screwed up on the first day out.”
StoppaBot looked down and Kim couldn't see his face since he was turned away but it almost looked like he was sulking. “I didn't screw up,” he said, defiantly. “Humans--” he stopped and then started again with less energy. “Humans run away from painful things especially… emotional ones. I got hurt, so I ran. I was following my directives.” He concluded, but sounded less than sure.
Kim shook her head. “Why?” she asked. “Why do all this Maya? The games and subterfuge, why me?”
“Because you had to see, Kim,” said Maya spreading her hands out to either side. “See what I've done; see how you failed as an agent of justice so you can understand what it was you stopped from coming about two years ago.” She tilted her head slightly. “But to get to you see, I had to bring you here, and to bring you here when I wanted instead of before I was ready you had to be kept out of the way for a few days.” Maya put her hand to her chin. “So you see why all the 'games' and 'subterfuge' was necessary, yes?”
Kim looked away. “So now you have me here,” she said. “I've seen your glorious, soulless PossiBot army, your clever tricks to keep me in the dark, even how low you'll stoop,” she looked at StoppaBot, “to achieve what you want. What's next?”
“Tell me you see now,” said Maya, staring intensely at Kim. “Tell me you understand what I'm doing.”
“I don't,” said Kim, flatly. “How is justice served by this travesty?”
“How. Can. You. Not. See?” shouted Maya, taking a step closer with every syllable. “I explained it all to you the first time we stood here. You disagreed and we fought. Now its two years later and you've lived in the nightmare world left behind. How can you still tell me you don't understand?”
“Because I don't!” yelled Kim right back, then calmed. “I understand why you think you have to do something based on… based on what's happened to you in your life, but it's not right. This isn't justice!”
Maya started nodding her head back and forth. “Same old story,” she said. “Has your form of justice served you? Are your loved ones happy and safe? Can you live your life the way you want without having to worry about crime getting in your way? Are you satisfied in the way the world treats criminals?”
Kim said nothing.
“You see?” said Maya. “There's your dedication. You can't even look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong.”
“Everything you've done,” started Kim. “From three years ago until today, has been criminal. If birth a world of justice through criminal acts, what worth can your new world possibly have?”
Maya narrowed her eyes and bent over to look into Kim's. “The ends justify the means,” she said. “Only those too weak to face their actions say otherwise.”
“If Esme had to die again to create your world, could you kill her and be justified?” asked Kim.
Maya's eyes went wide and she quickly backpedaled to get away from Kim. She looked at her as if she'd said something terrifying, trembled, then stepped in front of StoppaBot to hide from view.
For several aching moments there was silence but for the breath of Kim and Maya. Then the latter stepped back into view, having regained her composure. “StoppaBot, pick up Shego.”
The StoppaBot looked at Maya with distain then reached down and lifted Shego easily in his arms, cradling her. Maya produced a metal box and held it out. “Hold this,” she said. The StoppaBot did as told.
“Leave her alone,” said Kim. “She's as important to me as Esme was to you.”
Maya shot Kim a furious glance. “I don't know what you think you know about me, but you are walking down a deadly path by brining up that name again and again.”
“So murder is okay in your new world?” asked Kim.
“The unjust must be punished,” she said lightly. “And those who cannot be guided back onto the path, must be dealt with.”
Maya looked at Shego's unconscious face. “This one is very malleable, she'll easily walk the road towards justice.” She looked at Kim. “You are much more stubborn. You cannot see my vision even when I have shown you its truths.”
She smiled. “But I'll give you one more chance!”
“Forget it!” yelled Kim, struggling against the PossiBots.
“Let me finish!” scolded Maya. “PossiBots, hold her still!”
The PossiBots she was looking at gripped Kim harder and held her firmly in place. Kim winced at the sharp pain in her shoulders where they grabbed her.
“Now, you have one more chance,” repeated Maya. “And there's a bonus this time if you choose wisely!” She laughed and then pulled gently at strands of her hair. “Accept my new world, my vision, and the inherent justice in it all now, and swear by your god that you have been bested, and I will order the PossiBots outside to stand down, and stop attacking your GJ friends.”
Maya tipped her head slightly down but kept her eyes trained on Kim. “Or don’t. And I tell the PossiBots to stop holdings themselves back and start killing everyone and, as an extra penalty,” she pointed to the box in StoppaBot's hand. “I'll tell him to put that on your dear girlfriend's face.” Maya narrowed her eyes. “You know what that is, right?”
Kim looked at Maya's serious eyes and at the PH device in StoppaBot's hands. There was no one left to save them. Everything relied on Kim and her ability to break free of the PossiBots, take down Maya, stop the war raging outside, keep Shego from getting the PH device put on her, save her family and friends, and keep from getting killed.
Kim's eyes fell.
“Fine, Maya,” she said softly. “I--”
“Oh! Wait,” interrupted Maya.
Kim looked up as Maya snatched the box from StoppaBot's hands and placed in on the ground in front of Kim. “I forgot: the way that you accept my new world is by willingly putting that on your own face.” She skipped back beside StoppaBot. “Just a little detail I failed to mention.”
“If I put this on,” said Kim, staring at the box and feeling bile build itself up in her throat. “I'll be…”
“You don't have a place here, Kim,” said Maya, sadly. “I'd love to keep you around for your sexy body, but it's…” she struggled for the word. “It's not just. Take yourself out of the picture willing and I'll try my hardest not to see any more lives lost tonight.”
Kim swallowed, but it did little to soothe the twisting in her chest.
“You have until midnight to decide,” said Maya.
Kim blinked and looked up. Past Maya and StoppaBot, on the dais, the large grandfather clock ticked loudly. The hands were touching. It couldn’t be earlier than 11:59.
Kim looked again at the box. It filled her with greater terror than even Maya. She wondered if she could even put it on her face if she wanted to. Her muscles might simply refuse to relive that--
GONG! GONG!
The grandfather clock rang out loudly.
“Oh, that wasn't long was it?” said Maya, lightly. “Well, put it on now or everyone dies.” She looked up slightly. “PossiBots, let go of her right arm.”
Kim pulled her hand from the doppelganger and grabbed the box. It felt wet and cold in her hands, like a snake. She couldn't control her shivering. She tried to move her arm, but couldn't.
“Is that a no?” asked Maya. She pulled another PH device from her pocket and held it in her hand delicately. “I guess Shego gets the box.”
“No!” yelled Kim. She wouldn't remove her eyes from the box.
“Then put it on,” snarled Maya. “May patience has run out.”
Kim gripped the box tightly and then raised it to her face. When it was still a few inches away it sprang legs like a spider and suddenly leapt at Kim's face. She tried to dodge but it was too close and grabbed her skull, lowering it's body over her eyes and she tried to grab it with her free hand. The tiny claws on its underbelly gripped her eyelids and pried them open, shining a bright light into her eyes, reading her mind, her thoughts, her fears, her dreams, her everything until…
Until…
--( TO BE CONCLUDED )--