He was feeling smug. Even more so than usual. But he had every right too. He had taken his ultimate source of annoyance and turned her into a puppet that a waited his every command. And there was no patch to remove this time. It was perfect.
Well, almost perfect. He was surprised to find Shego defecting. But when he had Possible attack his former assistant/bodyguard the woman didn't fight back. In fact it looked as if her very soul had been broken.
Even without her it was still a great plan. Now he just needed to pick a target to start with and begin his take over of the world.
Shego was curled up in a small ball when Ron found her. He was honestly worried about the woman. He couldn't explain it, probably his good nature getting the best of him, but he was worried. She looked like she had spent the night crying, the dark green mascara had left streaks down her face, and Ron felt a twinge of confusion about the woman.
Shego, the deadliest woman on the planet, and easily the biggest pain in the neck that could ever exist, had given up everything for Kim. Just like that. The acceptance from everyone was what had bothered Ron before, but now he believed it. She looked like she had managed to fall asleep, and not sure how long she had been able to do so, Ron turned to leave.
“Stoppable…?”
“Yeah, Shego?”
“You don't hate me do you?”
Ron stopped; he could tell she was weak right then. Her voice betrayed everything she had ever pretended to be in the past. He thought about it, and let his mouth answer while his brain worked on it, “Honestly? No. Then again I don't hate anyone. Well maybe Drakken now, but not you.”
She smiled softly, “Thanks Stoppable.”
Ron considered talking to her some more, but a soft snore was coming from the bed, which meant she had either fallen asleep again or was hoping he'd just leave it at that.
He walked out softly, knowing that she would need the sleep if she was going to be any help in the future.
Kim wasn't sure when she woke up exactly. Well mentally that is. Her body hadn't rested yet. It still hurt her to see those emerald eyes filled with so much pain. She had forgotten how weak Shego really was under all the emotional armor that she had usually clad herself in. Emotional armor that the woman had given up so she could confess her feelings. Emotional armor that had been given up in favor of a clean slate.
Kim wanted to cry, to scream, to hit Drakken. Anything to end the pain. But all she could do was sit there, in her own mind, hoping that the woman she had hurt so much could set her free.
Shego wasn't sure how long she laid there after Stoppable had left. She felt so responsible for it all, for everything. If she hadn't been so weak, she would have gotten over her infatuation for Kim, and then Kim would have never been put in that situation.
Quit lying to yourself. You've been harboring that secret for three years. Like you were just going to get over it. That incident was just the opportunity you'd been looking for to confess it.
She stopped; she had to be losing it now. No, Shego was not crazy. Nor does she talk to herself or refer to herself in the third person.
Alright she was feeling a little crazy. Not like anyone could blame her though. She had gained then lost the only person she had cared about in the matter of a week. She slinked out of the bed slowly and looked in the mirror. She was a wreck. And that was the good news.
At least I look better than I feel.
She picked up a hairbrush, and trembling at the thought it was Kim's, worked the knots out of her hair. It was one of those times she hated having so much hair. Though Kim had found great joy in spending a couple hours braiding it on one of the rare neutral Shego occasions that had arisen in the past.
Her lip trembled, but she forced herself to keep from crying. She had to get Kim back, and she couldn't do that by sobbing every time the redhead crossed her mind. She finished working the knots out and looked in the mirror.
It was strange; she and Kim had now technically switched places. She was going to go play the heroine, and Kim was the villain. She took a moment to appreciate how much she hated irony before she went downstairs.
Stoppable was on the couch, looking as much as a wreck as she had, if not more so. He was watching the television. Some soap opera Shego remember Kim mentioned liking.
“Get up Stoppable. We can't get Kimmie back by mopping around.”
He got up and looked at her. A look in his eyes suggested that for a moment he was blaming her for Kim being captured, but it disappeared into a sea of calm.
“And how do you suggest we do that?
“Easy. We storm the place, kick ass, take names, and capture Kimmie. We then keep her contained until we can free her from Drakken's grip on her mind.
“Good plan, save for the fact that storming a villain's fortress never ends well. Can't we sneak in?”
Shego smirked, “What? Can't hold your own in a fight?”
Ron took a stance that look remarkably like one that Monkey Fist used, “Wanna test that theory?”
Shego was grinning ear to ear now, “So you only play the buffoon. Good to know. Go home and get your gear ready, we head out at first light.”
Ron nodded, “Will do. Just answer me one question. Why Kim?”
Shego inhaled sharply, “The saying opposites attract is actually fairly wrong. You actually fall in love with someone your most like. And save, until now that is, for the whole I'm a villainess and Kim's the heroine thing she and I are damn near identical.”
Ron nodded, “I'll buy that. But you're going to have to tell me the real reason sooner or later.”
“Only after you beat me in a fight.”
“Oh, it is so on.”
“How about as soon as we fix this problem then?”
Ron nodded as he moved for the door, “It's a match. And don't think I'm not above hitting you.”
Shego grinned, trying to look cooler than she felt right then, “Wouldn't have it any other way.”
Shego collapsed onto the couch after Ron had left. Despite trying to act tougher she still felt so pathetic. She broke out of her train of self-pity at the sound of foot steps behind her. She looked up and saw Dr. Possible.
“So you're going to save Kim?”
“I'm going to try. I have to. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left her in his hands.”
Dr. Possible nodded, “I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I have the same question Ron has. Why Kim? Why did you fall in love with my daughter?”
Shego looked away, trying to find anything to keep her mind off of that subject. Nothing helped though.
“Because she cared. She didn't mind the fact I worked for Drakken, or stole things, or even the fact we've beaten each other senseless more times than I can count. She honestly wanted to help me, to heal me. I guess you could say she's everything I've ever really wanted and needed.”
The older woman didn't say anything as she sat down on the chair near the sofa. In fact it was a while before anything was said.
“Shego…it's unusual to think of my daughter loving another woman. Even more unusual to think that woman would be the one that had made my daughter's life difficult when it came to stopping Drew. I can live with it though seeing as you honestly care about what happens to her, and are willing to give up all of the shady things you've participated in.”
Shego bit her lip. It made sense now; the kindness was a show for Kim. Dr. Possible probably wasn't the only one who had been nice to her for Kim's sake. She looked away, trying to hide her guilt.
“Shego…you love Kim right?”
Shego nodded.
“And you'll take care of her, no matter what, wouldn't you?”
Shego nodded again.
“Then…when this is all over…you have my blessing. I'm not so sure about James, but you have my approval.”
Shego tried to contain herself, and managed to not squeal as she hugged the older woman. Granted Kim was still under Drakken's control, it still felt good to have approval from at least one of her love's parents.
Sleep for the night came a lot easier this time. A few hours and she'd be busting down Drakken's door to get back the woman of her dreams.
Ron sat in his room meditating. The Mystical Monkey Magic had been fighting for control with him, especially when he had been talking to Shego. It was looking for a chance to burst from him and unleash itself upon the nearest threat. It had always been a problem to control, but now, with so much pain inside it was close to impossible.
Rufus was lying on the bed, sleeping soundly. If the small rodent had ever once had a problem controlling his share of Mystical Monkey Magic, he never showed it. In fact Ron could almost swear the rodent had better control over it than he did.
He sighed, his mind refused to be calm. Shego and Kim just seemed so wrong. Sure she had every right to love Kim…but still. He had after all had a chance with Kim, but it had reverted back to being friends so quickly. Had it been her heart belonged to Shego back then?
There were too many questions. Too much pain. Too much of everything.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, forcing himself to relax and his mind to clear. He was useless if he couldn't control himself. He sighed, why was life so complicated?
Kim had managed to let herself see what was going on around her. Drakken wasn't letting her watch him work on his latest project though. Instead he had her sitting there staring at the wall. Though she wasn't exactly doing that. Instead her fingers had been drawing crude drawings of her and Shego in the dust.
It meant that either Drakken hadn't finished the control system, or that there was some other reason that she didn't obey him perfectly.
She nudged herself, testing the confines of her own mind. She shrunk back mentally at what she touched. It was a sense of violence, of anger, of grief, and of pure malevolence. It was in essence evil. That was why she hadn't obeyed him perfectly. He hadn't taken over her mind. He had created a new persona to occupy it. One that would quietly obey him, as long as it got to be as violent as it wished when the opportunity arisen.
She pushed against it again, trying to instigate the persona into paying attention to her. It casually ignored her, like she was an ant on the wall. At least that meant she had her part of her mind to herself. But she had to find a way to counter this thing that was now inside of her.
She mentally set to work, probing it, looking for something…anything that it didn't have complete control over. But she found nothing. She kept at it though, incase it slipped up for any reason. She'd just need a moment. A flicker of a second to gain control. She was Kim Possible, and she wasn't going to be beaten by herself.
“Honey?” Dr. Possible stood at the door of the kitchen. Her husband was raiding the fridge, as he had a habit of doing whenever Kim went missing for some reason or another.
“Yes dear?”
“We need to talk about Shego.”
“She and Kim like each other…what is there to talk about?”
“Dear, stop acting so innocent. I saw the look in your eyes when you found out that Kim wasn't well…straight.”
“I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Anything is possible for a Possible. Even dating someone of the same gender.”
“James. Be serious. How do you really feel about it?”
He sighed, “Honestly…I'm surprised. But if it makes Kimmicub happy, then she can date whomever she wants too. As long as they aren't actively trying to take over the world that is. And Shego has yet to personally try that, so I'm okay with it.”
She felt better about it, “Good. I already gave Shego my personal blessing on it, and I wanted to make sure you were okay about the whole thing.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, “Honestly dear, I'm not really that okay with it yet. But you did what you thought was best, so I can live with that.
Diary,
It's your favorite genius again! I have excellent news! My plan to turn that girl, Kim Possible into a tool of great evil has worked!
Sadly I've lost Shego in the process. Seems she had a crush on the girl. I'm afraid I'll never understand women.
Regardless of that set back I am sure that the world will be mine!
Yes, for it is inevitable after getting so close during the Lil’ Diablo plan. I have felt the rush of ultimate power, and since my greatest nemesis has become my minion, nothing can stop me. Not that buffoon and his rodent, not Shego, and especially not Kim Possible.
Author's notes:
Alright. I'm just a little crazy to be going this route. But so what? At least there hasn't been a delay in chapters yet only been working on this fic for four days now, and we're already through the fourth chapter! No idea how many we'll have in the end, but who cares, as long as the story works, right?