“Hey look! It’s the freak girl with the glowing green hands!”
“Isn’t she supposed to be, like, a superhero or something?”
“What? Superhero?”
“Yeah – Team Go or something like that.”
“I don’t think so, man.”
“Hey! Let’s attack her! We’ll find out for sure that way!”
“I don’t know man – I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Aw, c’mon – chicken…”
“Dude, she could kill with those hands!”
“So? If she’s a superhero, she won’t kill us – right?”
When they got to school, it was just as it had been suspected it would be. Whispers in the hallway and such. The looks. Shego could feel everybody’s eyes move in synch with her footsteps as she walked down the halls. Could feel the breaths as heads seemed to turn as one mass in following her. It was like a snake following a mouse through grass. Except in this case, the mouse was smarter than the snake.
Society. Hah! Shego grinned to herself. So paranoid. Granted, they had a good right to be, but still—
The total absence of any green or black – save for the hair, fishnet, and boots – was obviously creating quite a stir of debate. People were starting to doubt other people. Rumours flew in both directions.
“That’s Shennen?”
“She looks so different from yesterday!”
“What the hell? You said Shego was staying with Kim!”
“Why the Christ would Kim’s archenemy be staying with her? Man, what in the hell are you smoking?”
Her first class was without Kim or Ron. It was so easy, Shego didn’t even feel the need to make snide comments. All for the better, anyways – acting all prim and proper was actually getting to be fun for her.
Of course she didn’t like doing it, but it was making people second-guess the conclusions they’d drawn the day before. Which, at the moment, was a good thing – the less suspicious the student body became, the less suspicious Kim would get. A snake’s body moved in ripples. It was only a matter of time before those ripples ran down the length of its body. But at the same time, Shego knew she couldn’t let her guard down. She still happened to be the mouse at this point in the game - and every time one of those ripples ran down the length of the snake’s body, it only served to bring the predator closer to its prey…
It was the same thing with the next class. Sit, look like she was listening and paying attention, take the assignments, finish them, hand ‘em in, write down the homework for tomorrow…mother hell, so easy.
She met Kim at Kim’s locker before lunch started. Kim was shutting the locker when she noticed her. “Oh, hey, Shennen. How’d your first batch of classes here go?”
“Could this school be any easier?” Shego wondered as they walked to the cafeteria. “I mean, honestly – those were the AP classes?”
“Yeah, those are, like, ridiculous easy – it’s mainly the classes later in the day you gotta worry about.”
“Really?” Shego deadpanned. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Having reached the cafeteria, they grabbed their lunch trays and got in line. Kim turned, looking back over her shoulder at Shego. “Oh, and you know how to get home, right, Shennen?”
“Uh…yeah. Why?”
“Nothing - Ron and I are gonna go check something out in Go City after school, and I was just concerned you didn’t know the way home yet, considering you just got here, oh…yesterday.”
Shego was barely able to suppress her reaction of surprise upon hearing the sentence. Go City? Shit…Granted, if anyone were to figure it out, it would most likely be Kim and her crew…
Something that looked like food was plopped onto her tray. At least some traditions never changed…
Ron and that black girl Kim was friends with were already at the table Kim showed Shego over to. “Shennen, I can’t remember if I introduced you yesterday, but: Monique? Shennen. Shennen? Monique,” Kim motioned to her friend.
Monique extended a hand to Shego. “So you’re the new girl? Nice to meet you.”
Shego took the handshake – though, not willingly. “Same here.”
“And of course, you’ve already met Ron.”
“Yeah – we’ve met,” Ron said, not even looking up at Shego. Rufus appeared from his pocket, gobbling up the food Ron didn’t eat, and looking quite contented afterwards. For the first time in pretty much forever, Shego almost let loose with a giggle. She usually found the damned rodent to be the most annoying little pest in the world – but now that she had to observe instead of fight, things were different.
“So! Uh…Shennen, what classes do you have next?” asked Kim.
“Huh? Oh.” Shego swallowed her bite and fished out her schedule. “Uh, Gym after lunch, Business Law after that-”
“Gym?” Monique interrupted. “Sweet! We’ll all see each other next period!”
“Swell,” Ron deadpanned.
Kim ignored him. “What’s your last class – oh, wait: Barkin. Duh…” Kim smacked her head.
“Yeah,” Shego laughed. “I feel like giving him a hard time today. Dunno why.”
“Uh, cause he’s Barkin?” Ron threw into the ring.
Shego thought about it. “Yeah, actually, that’s probably the reason.”
“You guys feel that?” Monique asked, looking around. There was a presence that hadn’t been there before.
“Feel what? The entire population of the cafeteria staring at us?” Shego turned to face the cafeteria as she said it, her voice loud enough to carry through it due to the sudden wasteland of silence that had reared its head in the past few minutes while the four had sat at the table and had their conversation.
“Y-yeah.” Monique stammered, “That.”
“Used to it.” The response came from Ron, Kim, and Shego all at once.
BEEP BEEP BEEP-BEEP! The noise made Shego jump – but then she remembered what it was.
Kim answered the Kimmunicator. “Go, Wade.”
“Kim, Go City’s gonna have to wait– Motor Ed’s terrorizing the Tokyo Motor Show right now!”
“On our way, Wade! C’mon, Ron!” Kim leaped up, grabbed Ron from the table, and ran towards the door – but then stopped. She turned around and tossed something to Shego. “Here, Shennen – catch!”
Shego caught it. “What is it?”
“It’s the house key. In case Mom and Dad aren’t home when you get there.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Have fun in Gym!” Kim waved as she ran out the door.
Shego turned to Monique. “So…What are we doing in Gym today?”
“Huh? Oh. Basketball. Wanna play against me? We gotta pick partners anyway.”
“Basketball…hmm…yeah, sure, I’ll bite,” Shego said, finally glad she was able to sneer evilly and no one would take it as something else. “But I’ll warn you now – I’m fairly competitive. So if you can-”
“Oh, I can bring it, girlfriend!” Monique challenged.
Shego grinned wickedly. “Shall we make a bet, then?”
Monique thought it over. “Alright – you win, I’ll get you one article of clothing with my employee’s discount at Club Banana – I win, and you - take me to Bueno Nacho after school for the next month.”
“You work at Club Banana?” Shego asked her.
“Yeah. Now do we have a bet or what, Shennen?” Monique asked, extending her hand.
Shego thought it over.
Then she sneered. “You got it, sister!” she cackled, accepting Monique’s handshake.
Fifteen minutes later, the two now in their Gym clothes, Shego eyed Monique carefully as their basketball match began. “Remember now!” the instructor reminded them. “First to 15 points wins. Let’s keep this game fair, girls!”
“Oh, it’s gonna be fair alright,” Monique taunted.
The teacher threw the jump ball to start the game. Instantly, Shego leaped into the air and grabbed the ball, just snatching it before Monique would’ve. She hit the ground on her feet and dribbling. She feigned left and right, watching Monique’s movements carefully.
Monique lunged in a steal attempt - but Shego saw it from a mile away and spun around, leaving Monique to crash on the floor while Shego planted her feet, aimed, and swished the easy 3-pointer.
3-0.
Taking the ball, Monique pressed forward towards the hoop. She spun, dribbled between the legs, and leaned back for a shot – only to have Shego come out of nowhere, swat the ball away, and race down the court to hit another 3-pointer.
6-0.
Once again, Monique got the ball. This time, she plowed straight into Shego, driving her back so she could get the easy layup.
6-2.
“C’mon, Monique!” some people in the class cheered.
“Go Shennen!” a few select dozen of students cheered.
It was increasingly clear neither woman was going to stop soon. Shego found herself faked out, but ran in front of the ball right before it started coming down and snatched it. She raced down the court, spun, faked, juked – then set back and swished another 3-pointer.
9-2.
Shego grinned. This was getting fun. “I have to admit, you’re pretty good!” she taunted Monique.
“I know I’m-” Monique swatted away the 3-point attempt Shego attempted. “-not gonna get fooled a 4th time!” she cried, diving after the loose ball, which was going out of bounds. Shego, however, leaped into a twisting backflip, and landed just in time to catch the basketball, keeping it from going out of bounds. Then she decided to drive right past the unsuspecting Monique, leap into the air, and slam the ball down into the net.
11-2
“YEAH! A WOMAN WHO CAN DUNK! SWEET! GO SHENNEN!” The crowd was beginning to grow unanimous with its cheering. “SHE-NNEN! SHE-NNEN!”
Shego was absorbing all of this, basking in all of it. It didn’t even register when she stole the ball from Monique twice more and hit her following 3-point and 2-point shot.
“16-2. Shennen wins!”
Shego threw her hands up in triumph. She turned to Monique. “Thanks. You couldn’t have played a more better game than that, Monique. Great game. However, you still owe me-”
“I know,” Monique interrupted. “Tell me what it is you want, and I’ll have it for you by tomorrow.”
“Miss O’Reilly!” The deep booming voice was unmistakable.
Barkin. She sludged over to him.
“I watched that whole game you played, Miss O’Reilly – and I think you’d be perfect as a member of the Middleton High School Girl’s Basketball team.” He handed her a paper. “Tryouts tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
Shego raised her eyebrow. “Think you could get me into something a little more…contact?” she asked.
Barkin narrowed his eyes. “I might be able to arrange something like that.”
“THIS IS RETRIBUTION FOR THE RECENT INCARCERATION OF MY COUSIN! YOU SHALL ALL FEEL THE WRATH OF MOTOR ED! NO, SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL! WAYAYAYAYA-YEAH!”
As Motor Ed finished his tirade, thousands upon thousands of cables descended down through the shattered roofs of the five buildings making up the Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex, and twice as many very-muscular men propelled down the ropes. Once on the ground, they latched the hooks at the end of the ropes up to all the cars on display in the Motor Show.
Motor Ed threw out his own rope and propelled down it into the building his airlift was over. “Man, I am not lettin’ the boys do all of this! Seriously!” He grabbed the hooks on the ropes and latched them onto the car in front of him. “TAKE IT UP, DUDE! SERIOUSLY!”
“I believe that stays here, Motor Ed!” Ed turned to see Kim Possible standing there. “MECHANIC NINJA DUDES, ATTACK! SERIOUSLY!” he pointed, then yanked the rope attached to the car.
“Mechanic ninja dudes?” Kim and Ron looked at each other. Then Ron heard a whistling getting closer. “KP, LOOK OUT!” he cried, diving in front of her and knocking the both of them down, as their adversary’s weapon lodged itself in the wall behind them. Ron tore the weapon out of the wall.
It was a monkey wrench.
Suddenly, about five more monkey wrenches came whistling at them with even more fury. “AHH!” Ron cried as he constantly dodged the monkey wrench “shurikens” being hurled at him nonstop. “MONKEY WRENCHES! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE MONKEY WRENCHES?” He ducked them once more.
Kim, meanwhile, was taking the more direct approach: About 20 monkey wrench-wielding henchmen had been laid out by her foot or fist, and she was busy knocking out the rest who were attacking Ron.
Then there was the sound of hundreds of engines starting. The entire complex rattled. Kim looked up.
“SO LONG, RED! SERIOUSLY! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Motor Ed laughed as his posse flew away.
END CHAPTER SIX