There were plenty of ways to wake up, and while a sharp tug of the hair wasn't one of Shego's favorites, it always did the trick. She nearly sat up with her hands blazing, but before she could, something in the back of her mind came to the forefront.
First, that weight on her chest was probably Kim, and sitting up would throw her off. Second, the glowing hands might spook her.
Shego's green eyes drifted open, only to find Kim's own pair staring right back at her. She sighed. “Kimmie, if this is supposed to be one of those cutesy middle-of-the-night baby things…” she began.
Kim whimpered and tugged on Shego's hair again, though not quite as hard this time, and pointed at the window.
Shego rolled her eyes. “Yes, it's night. That's when people normally sleep. Normally.”
Kim's whimper rose to whine, and she kept pointing at the window.
Shego scowled. “What? You want a midnight walk? The moon is full? You can see Uranus? WHAT?”
Her eyes brimming with tears, Kim said in a soft, clear voice, “Puppy.”
Shego nearly fell off of the couch. “Say what?”
“Puppy,” Kim said again, glancing back at the window.
“There had BETTER be more, Kimmie.”
“BIG puppy!” Kim cried, burying her face in Shego's hair.
“So you're not a dog person?” Shego guessed, patting Kim's back. “Nothing to be scared of. It's not like a puppy could get into the house, no matter how big it was.”
Immediately, there was a loud crunch that sounded suspiciously like the front door caving in against some enormous pressure.
Kim began to whine again.
“This is no time for I told you so!” Shego grabbed Kim and leaped to her feet, looking for a good hiding place. Her eyes went to the hall closet, which was a bit too obvious, and then to the couch she'd just been sitting on.
“Gonna need you to trust me on this one, Kimmie.” Shego bent down, lifted the front portion of the couch, and looked at Kim expectantly.
Kim didn't move.
“Hey, it's the last place I'd look. You want to be safe from the giant puppy or not?”
Kim looked like she was considering it now. “Go hide?” she asked, touching Shego's hair.
Shego shook her head. “Someone has to distract the puppy.”
“Go hide!” Kim insisted.
“No, Kimmie. I've got the best chance of holding them off, and I know your pals are good at running like wimps. They'll get you out if things get hairy.”
There was a louder crunch, followed by something heavy slamming into a wall.
Kim clutched at Shego's hair fearfully.
“I can't protect you with one arm, Kimmie. No sense in both of us getting hurt, right?” Shego lowered her voice. “Do it for me, okay? I won't be any good in a fight if I'm worrying about you.”
Kim didn't look happy, but she obediently crawled under the couch.
Shego stood up and turned slightly in time to catch sight of a huge figure shuffling into the room. “Whoa. She wasn't kidding about the big puppy.”
The creature that stood before her had definitely once been a puppy. Its cheerful face, panting breath, long tongue, and drooping ears were proof enough of that. But instead of ending in the expected dog's body, this animal widened into a massive, solid build of white fur and pure muscle. The fact that it stood on two thick legs only made it slightly more intimidating.
In all honestly, Shego couldn't understand why Kim had been afraid of it. Sure, it was big, but that was where the threat ended. If she could just keep from looking at its sickeningly adorable face, she'd have no problem taking it down inside a minute.
That is, until Monkey Fist appeared at the creature's side.
The simian supercriminal eyed Shego with a combination of grudging respect and slight disdain (only because she'd never seen fit to work for him, though). “Megabitch,” he said calmly, reverting to the rather unusual nickname he'd thought up for her at some point.
“Baboon Butt,” Shego replied easily, dropping a hand to her hip. “I didn't know you were a dog lover.”
“They have their uses,” Monkey Fist replied, reaching up to scratch the puppy's head absently. “I must admit I'm a bit surprised to find you here. I had assumed I was making the first strike on the newly vulnerable Kim Possible. I had no idea that Drakken could react so quickly.”
“I'm kinda flying solo here,” Shego corrected.
“Ah. I don't suppose you'd be willing to contribute to my plan of turning Kim Possible into my monkey servant?” he asked, his dark eyes narrowing the slightest bit.
“Not especially, no.”
“Very well. Then must I consider you a foe for the duration of this little engagement?”
“Consider away,” Shego answered, setting her face into a determined scowl.
Monkey Fist sighed. “As you wish. Huckleberry?”
The puppy's ears perked up at once, even as Shego resisted the urge to gag at the name.
Monkey Fist pointed at Shego. “Show her what you do to people who get in your way.”
Tongue wagging excitedly, Huckleberry shuffled forward.
Mrs. Dr. Possible woke up in her own bed with no memory of how she'd gotten there. All she knew was that the driver had drugged her with some sort of tranquilizer, and it had apparently worn off now.
It was then that she noticed the huge, dog-like creature in the corner, as well as what could only be monkey ninjas crowded around the bed.
The big dog let out a single bark, and a bespectacled woman stuck her head in the room.
“Oh, you're awake! Good! Everything is going just like we planned it!”
“You're…DNAmy, aren't you?” Mrs. Possible asked slowly.
Amy flushed with pleasure. “You've heard of me?”
“Kim told me you're the only mad geneticist that ever bothered to make cute creations,” Mrs. Possible explained, nodding at the dog.
“He is a darling, isn't he?” Amy cooed, reaching out to tickle her creation's chin.
“I'd always thought that monkey ninjas were someone else's MO, though.”
“Oh, you mean my sugar booger!” Amy gushed. “He's quite a wild man, that one. Or he used to be. Now he's my monkey man!”
“Why are you keeping me here?” Mrs. Possible asked directly.
“Didn't Monty tell you? We're going to turn your precious Kim into our own little monkey child.”
Mrs. Possible's eyes widened. “You wouldn't dare!”
“You're not really in a position to argue,” Amy reminded her. “And it's not as if we'd be cruel to her. Monty is only going through all this trouble because he sees such great potential in her.”
“You can't just take someone's child and make her your own!”
Amy shook her head gently. “We can, actually. A little monkey DNA, some radical gene surgery, and years of programming and training is all we need to make Kim Possible into the perfect monkey minion.”
“I won't let you get away with this!” Mrs. Possible swore.
“Now, now, you'll only excite yourself needlessly. Oh, are you cold? You're trembling.” Amy snapped her fingers. “Pluto, would you be a dear and keep Dr. Possible warm?”
Before Mrs. Possible could protest, the large dog creature moved over to the bed and swept her into its thick, powerful arms with all the gentleness any loving mother would possess.
“You see? They're not so bad. None of my children are,” Amy reasoned.
Mrs. Possible couldn't really reply, as her mouth was now blocked by a great deal of Pluto's soft, white fur.
Ron didn't really know what to think when he rushed in and found Shego locked in the comfortable-looking embrace of an oversized puppy.
That is, until Shego spotted him and snarled, “Don't just stand there, stupid! Help me!”
It wasn't even a monkey, but that wasn't why Ron hesitated.
“But…it's so cute!” he argued.
“It's here for Kimmie! Attack already!” Shego shouted.
That got Ron's attention. He looked up at the puppy's face. “Sorry, big fella, but Kim's cuter than you, especially now.” Setting his jaw, he let out a karate yell that was mostly for show and launched a decent flying kick that landed directly on the dog's elbow.
If the puppy felt the blow, he didn't show it.
Ron backed up a few feet, hoping Shego didn't realize he hadn't really been trying.
So of course, she did.
“Quit holding back, moron! Put some Mystical Monkey Buttwhoop on him!”
“That won't be necessary,” Monkey Fist interrupted smoothly. “Bingo, fetch.”
Ron didn't have time to avoid the huge arms that wrapped around him from behind. He hadn't expected that there would be more than one dog.
“Now,” Monkey Fist said quietly, “where is Kim Possible?”
Silence.
“Fine. If you're going to be difficult, I have my own ways of finding her.” He snapped his fingers, and a third dog entered the room. “Droopy, sniff out the child.”
Shego's face fell at that, but she hid it well enough.
Droopy sniffed only once, and immediately lumbered over to the couch, where he dropped to all fours and stuck his nose out. He'd only been there a few seconds when he suddenly scrambled back, pawing at his face and howling miserably.
Monkey Fist frowned and moved to the couch, yanking up the front portion and getting much the same treatment. He screeched in outrage and backpedaled, bumping into the wall.
Kim emerged from the back of the couch, armed with matching salt and pepper shakers. She quickly stuffed them into her big pocket and crawled for the door as fast as she could.
But Monkey Fist recovered too rapidly and crossed the room in a single bound, landing directly in her path. “That will be far enough, Kim Possible!” he growled.
Kim stopped and pulled out her shakers, wielding them as threateningly as she might a pair of short swords.
“You have already caused me considerable discomfort,” Monkey Fist reminded her, brushing some traces of pepper from his face. “If you were to escape now, I would be tempted to take my displeasure out on your friend.” He motioned to Bingo, who brought Ron over at once.
Kim looked helplessly between Ron and Monkey Fist, any thoughts of escape rapidly fading from her mind. She began to slip the shakers back into her pocket.
“No. Throw them away,” Monkey Fist ordered.
Kim obeyed, tossing the shakers a good distance away.
“Now, come here like a good little girl.”
Kim didn't move.
Almost casually, Monkey Fist's right arm snapped up and caught Ron full in the face, bloodying his nose.
“WONNIE!” Kim squealed in despair.
“KP, don't-” Ron began to say, but Monkey Fist's arm snapped up again, scoring a knockout blow this time.
“I don't like to repeat myself,” Monkey Fist stated, wiping his paw-like hand on Ron's shirt. “Come here.”
Her bottom lip trembling, Kim slowly and warily crawled toward Monkey Fist. She was only a few feet away when she suddenly sprang up, aiming a vicious headbutt at his crotch.
Monkey Fist didn't move, as he was very much prepared for such a maneuver. Kim was still inches away when something long, black, and furry shot out and wrapped tightly around her waist, suspending her in mid-air.
“Didn't I mention? I went back to my beloved Amy for one last treatment. Amazing creatures, spider monkeys. Their tails are just as strong as their paws. Stronger, in some cases.” He chuckled, his new tail tightening, making Kim whine with discomfort.
“Bet you really do have a baboon's butt by now,” Shego muttered.
“You'll never have the chance to find out, Shego. I'm spoken for.” With that, Monkey Fist turned and headed for what remained of the front door, the dogs falling in line behind him.
Shego found herself wondering if Kim would've given up faster, had Monkey Fist threatened her instead. That he hadn't was an obvious indicator that he knew nothing of their recent connection, which was a plus. He had enough leverage over Kim with just Ron as a hostage. She didn't even want to think about what Kim would do to keep her safe. Because deep down, she had a feeling that the answer was an awful lot.
Next Chapter: Monique gets a rescue team, and Monkey Fist makes Mrs. Possible an offer she can't refuse.
I think the mini-lesson on spider monkeys is true, but if not, then just chalk the strong tail up to Mystic Monkey muscle. The polar puppies, by the way, greatly resemble the puppy DNAmy created in “Partners”. (if you know all the dogs they’re named after…well, you’re probably getting old like me)