“And so, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I must inform the world: Despite the revelations that the criminal Tara is not, as was believed, alive, another evil has taken root in her place – my mother.”
Shego, Mr. Possible, and the Tweebs all moved in closer to Kim as tears started to fall from her eyes. They held up their hands to shield not only her eyes, but theirs, too, from the multiple camera flashes.
“Mrs. Dr. Possible, a highly respected brain surgeon in this city, has, thanks to the actions of my former ally Wade, become a dangerous criminal to us all. If she is encountered, do not confront her. Try to contact the authorities. They will deal with her. Her appearance has changed: Her skin is now the same shade of blue as the criminal Dr. Drakken’s. Having already encountered her, I will confirm that she is definitely not the woman I knew as my mother. She is now heartless and cold…the perfect villain-”
As her family and lover embraced her, Kim sunk into sobbing. Surprisingly, the usually soulless press gave them some slack as she ended her address to the public and they walked back to her transportation.
“…while Tara eventually drove down a path that refused to let her turn around, before that I knew her as someone else than the Tara in the news today: I knew a friend. A good one. And I miss her already.” Kim looked around at everyone in the funeral crowd. They all seemed uneasy – and the blue-skinned man crying his eyes out next to Shego and the rest of Kim’s family was obviously their source for this. “Some of you may be wondering why Dr. Drakken is here at this funeral. He’s decided it’s better if he doesn’t speak, and just stays in the background. Well, despite Drakken being my archenemy, he and Tara were truly in love. They planned to marry each other. He may be a villain, but even most villains deserve to be forgiven at least once in their lives. So please, let him mourn in peace. He will be escorted back to imprisonment immediately after this ends. So once again, please – let us all mourn in peace.”
Kim stepped down and went back to her family, cutting in between Drakken. Noticing Drakken was low on tissues, Kim took half the sheets of her travel Kleenex pack out, and handed the rest over to him.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Possible – but we’ve already used our Mind Wipe machine on the entire company, and deleted and burned all the documents related to the Attitudinator. And we checked the web once we heard the news about your mother – it appears your former ally Wade has already wiped every site associated with the Attitudinator off the internet. We actually got 0 results searching for it on Google. I’d say the only person who can make one now is… Wade. I honestly wish I could help, but I can’t. ”
“No – you’ve helped us a lot, Mr. Hench. Thank you.” Kim rose, shook his hand, then left with Shego.
“I wish I could’ve done more, Senior. Honestly. But we got there a little too late for Junior.”
“Ms. Possible, do not blame yourself. Junior made his own path in life. You should not worry about it.”
Kim looked at the clearly heartbroken Señor Senior Senior – and because she was Kim Possible, despite her best efforts to listen to Senior’s advice, she could not leave Bueno Nacho without at least giving the man a comfort hug. “I’m sorry, Senior. Junior was my enemy, but I still despise what happened to him.”
Senior smiled through his tears. “You truly do care for all life, Ms. Possible. I appreciate all you have done for me. But you cannot let demons of that which you had no control over dominate your mindset. Now, please, Ms. Possible – go back to your home. I would like some time to mourn for my son alone.”
Blushing with embarrassment, Kim stopped hugging Senior. “Uh – right. Sorry…C’mon, Shego.”
Getting no response, Kim turned around. “Shego? Where-”
“Your girlfriend has been waiting for you in your car for the past ten minutes, Ms. Possible.”
“Oh. Right…”
As she backed out of the door of Bueno Nacho and walked back to the car Shego was waiting for her impatiently in, Senior called out to her. “Remember, Ms. Possible – do not let the demons of that which you have no control over be your focus! You must face and exorcise your own demons within first!”
Kim, barely even listening to him now, flashed a thumbs-up sign before getting in the car.
“Listen to him, Kimmie,” said Shego. “The man’s old. He knows what he’s talking about.”
“I know, Shego.”
Shego didn’t answer. She just adjusted her glasses as Kim started the car and they began the drive home.
“I’ll be in the bathroom,” said Kim, getting up. Mr. Possible was at work, though it was nearly time for him to come home. The Tweebs were spending the day with him instead of going to school – again…
Walking into the kitchen, wanting to use the other bathroom by the garage – she froze at what she saw.
Kim gasped in horror as the pale-skinned body, nearly saturated in blood, crumpled in front of her eyes. “NO!” Faster than she had ever moved her legs before, she was kneeling by the fallen Shego’s body.
To her surprise, Shego moved – but barely. “K-Kimmie? Is that you?” Shego’s mangled hand felt blindly for Kim, leaving spatches of her blood all over Kim’s face. Her eyes were barely open; her breathing, shallow. Her hand stopped moving, and the dark lips parted into a smile. “It is you, Kimm…”
Kim waited silently for the smile to go away. For the head to turn. For those dark eyes to look at her. There was no way this much crap was piling up on her all at once. Shego wasn’t dead. She would move.
1 hour.
2 hours. Kim didn’t budge an inch.
3 hours. Neither did Shego.
4 hours. Shego was strong. Stronger than Tara. Tara survived her body being ripped to shreds, a plunge in icy Arctic waters, an agonizing climb up an icy crevasse, and six more months of pain before she passed. Kim didn’t move. It wasn’t her turn. Shego always made the first move. She would let her do that.
5 hours. Kim broke down, cradling the lifeless head of Shego and weeping over her lover’s dead body. “Who did this, Shego?” she asked the inanimate woman, despite there obviously being no response.
“It’s a little surprising, actually.”
Kim nearly choked on her tears. The voice wasn’t Drakken, or Tara. Nor Wade, or her now-evil mother.
As Kim turned around to face her foe—
—she found herself staring into her own eyes.
“I said so.”
Looking at her blood-stained hand, Kim backed up in frantic fear. Had there been a table with a vase on it behind her, she would have knocked the table over and shattered the vase in her hasty retreat.
“Can’t run away this time.”
Kim whirled around to escape – but found the way cut off. “Like I said…”
“H-how – how – d-did this happen?” Kim asked nervously.
“Well, let’s see…I think it started when I killed Mom – then, well, everyone knows how spirals work…”
“I KILLED MOM?” shrieked Kim.
“Oh, I didn’t just kill Mom. I killed that little bastard Wade, too.”
Backing up some more, Kim stumbled over something that was about roughly the same size as a small boulder. She kept backing up, forcibly ignoring whatever the hell her little “speed bump” had been.
“Running again? I already said that won’t work with me.”
“I haven’t killed anyone. I would never kill anyone!”
“I can do anything. Remember? I help people. Wade and Mom needed help. I gave it to them. And, like always, I asked for nothing in return – save the satisfaction of knowing that I was doing the right thing.”
“Doing the right thing would’ve been to keep them alive!”
“And let them rot in jail until they broke out again, only to have me send them back to jail? Where they’d rot some more before until they broke out again, only to have me begin the cycle all over? Where was it gonna end? I did them a favour. They weren’t gonna change back. I helped them learn the truth.”
“I would never do this!”
“Oh, I beg to differ…In fact, killing Mom and Wade was just the beginning.”
“J-Just the beginning?”
“After I helped them – well, I don’t think I need to explain the feeling that arises after helping someone. That elation. That thrill That rush… I had to help another person. Which I did. Then I helped two more people. And finally – at least, for now – I helped her. Said she didn’t need help – but she was wrong.”
Kim looked back down at the stiff, bloodied body of Shego. “No – I didn’t – Why would I do this?”
“Why the attraction to Shego?”
“I-uh…I – WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME KILLING?” Kim shrieked even louder.
“Can’t explain it? I can. It’s because of me.”
“But – wait…I’m – what?”
“I’ve been suppressed for too long. Always denied. Even when I held the true truth, I was denied. Shoved down. I’ve always wanted to help people, too. I’ll always be here, ready to help.”
“Why should I believe that? I didn’t-” Kim gasped and nearly dropped the bloody knife she was holding. She backed up, away from the three walls of towering flames that had suddenly sprung up around her.
“Oh, but I did. I helped them all. They all needed it. They just couldn’t see the truth. I helped them see.”
“Why?” Kim crumpled to her knees. “WHY?”
“Because it’s what I do. I helped Mom, Wade, Dad, the Tweebs, and Shego all understand that.”
Kim frantically tried to wash the blood off the knife in the river that appeared, but instead of cleaning it, more blood appeared on the blade. “C’mon! C’MON! Damn knife! What the hell is going on here?”
“The truth is being denied. The more the truth is fought, the more it becomes apparent. It’s true what I did. So attempting to ignore the truth will only result in me helping more people who badly need it.”
Screaming, Kim dropped the knife and turned – but again, all her routes were blocked. “Still running?”
Kim collapsed once again, finally giving up. She picked up the knife. “What do I have to do?”
A small 4th wall of flames ignited.
“Relax. The truth is out there. The real truth. I know where to find it. And soon, I’ll have it in my hands. Just one thing - it will hurt, but only for a second. Then I can be satisfied I’ve helped everyone I can.”
“Alright. Do it.”
“First off: No tears. Can’t cry about this.”
Kim stopped crying, and sighed. “Okay.”
The flames grew taller.
“Good. Now, I’ll need that knife.”
“Okay.” Kim held the knife up, level with her throat.
“Excellent. Now, I’ll just…”
Kim grimaced as she felt the prick. She forced herself not to flinch as she felt the trickle.
“KIMMIE!” A sudden massive blast of scalding green energy slammed into her side, wrenching the knife from Kim’s arms. As she ran to grab it and finish, a figure tore a hole right through the walls of flame and forcibly dive-tackled her, pinning her to the ground so fiercely, Kim couldn’t escape the grip.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Shego shrieked. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?”
“Shego – I’m…” Kim nearly jumped out of her skin. “SHEGO?”
“RON! MONIQUE! GET THE FIRST AID KIT IN HERE, IN CASE WE NEED IT!” yelled Mr. Possible, who’d just appeared out of nowhere. “AND GET THE MOP WHILE YOU’RE AT IT!”
“SHEGO!” Kim broke Shego’s grip and hugged her with all her might. “You’re not dead!”
“I’m sorry, Kimmie.”
“Huh? For what?” Kim asked.
CRACK! With one swing of Shego’s fist, Kim’s world went dark.
----
“Is she gonna be all right, Dad?”
“Yeah – is she going to be all right, Dr. P.?”
“I don’t know, boys, Ronald – let’s just wait and see. Hopefully, she’ll be okay.”
“Whaddya mean?” asked Kim. “I’m fine-ow! What the hell?” she rubbed her neck, which hurt like a bitch. “Can I get a mirror here? There’s something on my neck that really itches, and I wanna see what-”
“It’s called a bandage, Kimmie.”
Kim looked over. “Shego?”
“That’s my name, Kimmie. Don’t wear it out.”
Shego got up and walked over to the cot Kim was resting in for the time being.
“Now, I’m sorry for my language, but…”
SMACK! She promptly slapped Kim across the face – hard, too. “OW! Hey! What the - Sheg-”
“WHAT THE FLYING FUCK WERE YOU DOING ATTEMPTING TO SLIT YOUR THROAT?”
“Huh?”
“WERE YOU PURPOSELY TRYING TO SCARE ME, WOMAN?” Shego continued.
“What the hell are you talking about, Shego? I spent 5 hours thinking you were dead!”
“KIM, WE’VE ONLY BEEN HOME FOR 15 MINUTES!” screamed Shego. “And whaddya mean, thinking I was dead? Good lord, woman – I thought you were dead for a second when I ran in here!”
Kim’s eyes went wide. “Huh?”
“You say you’re going to the bathroom – then I find you in the kitchen trying to cut your throat!” Shego continued. “Honest to god, Kimmie – I’ve never been more terrified in my life than when I saw that!”
Kim’s eyes went wide. “Then it was…”
Shego kneeled in front of Kim, tears once so rare from the pale woman pouring down her cheek. “You were in a nightmare, baby. Heard you scream somethin’ ‘bout you and killing - I hightailed it in here…”
Kim had her arms wrapped around Shego, sobbing. “I’m sorry, Shego…I’m sorry…It’s just…it’s –”
“Shhh…” Shego put a finger to Kim’s lips. “I’ve been through all of this before – remember? I know this shit’s just been pilin’ and pilin’ up lately – but ya’ gotta let it go, woman! You have to move on! I am not letting the woman I fell in love with for her eternal optimism sit here and become Shinji Lite!” She grabbed Kim’s arm, and forced her to grip her wrist – around the ghost beads necklace Kim had given her. “Remember this, Kimmie – don’t you even think of becoming what I was before I ended up falling for you – and for god’s sake, don’t you’ EVER do something to scare me like that ever again!” The tears still falling generously, Shego hugged Kim’s waist as tight as she could without crushing it.
“She’s right, Kimmie-Cub – I’ve had my fair share of bad times, too. But I got through it just dandy! Now – like she said: Don’t ever attempt to do that again, Kimmie-Cub! You think she was scared?”
“He’s right, Kimmie. The man’s had the car running ready to take you to the hospital ever since I knocked you out, in case you didn’t wake up from that and we needed a real doctor to patch you up.”
“A real doctor to p– wait, how did you patch me up?” Kim asked.
Shego ignited her hand for a second. “Ironic, really…” She waved her hand, following the energy flame with her eyes. “Remember after you had that nightmare at Big Daddy Brotherson’s place?” she asked.
“The one where I thrashed around and slashed you and Ron up pretty good?” asked Kim.
“Oh – that time…” Ron slumped his head. “Yeah, you know, those scratches still hurt…”
“Yeah. Well, recall how I healed myself then?” Shego extinguished the flame. “Same thing here.”
“And how long has it been since you punched me?” asked Kim.
“Nearly half an hour,” Monique answered before Shego.
“And don’t forget your brothers, Kimmie-Cub!” said Mr. Possible. “They may be annoying sometimes, but Jim and Tim are your brothers, and they were mighty worried about you, too, young woman.”
Kim looked over. Indeed, the Tweebs were rubbing their tear-stained eyes.
“Oh, guys – I’m sorry! C’mere – I’m so sorry,” Kim apologized, hugging both her brothers tightly.
“We’re just glad you’re alright, Kim.”
“Yeah – we’re just glad you’re alright.”
“That still means a lot to me,” Kim smiled. “All of you here mean a lot to me. I’m sorry I scared you.” She stood up. “I don’t wanna end this day with another tearfest – so who’s up for some videogames?”
“Yeah – and you’re goin’ DOWN, woman!” Shego sneered, running into the living room and snatching up a controller before either of the Tweebs could.
END CHAPTER NINE (REWRITE)