Streetlamps cast a dim glow on the sidewalk. Puddles of light revealed a path through the darkness. In between these lights, there was seemingly nothing. It seemed to be that if you stepped in the darkness rather than the light, you would somehow fall into a bottomless pit and never be heard from again.
That was how it appeared to the six year old girl who raced frantically down the abandoned sidewalk, each breath forming small clouds in the cool night air as her lungs fought for oxygen with short, rapid intakes of air. Her green eyes darted back and forth, and every few seconds her head would flip around to see if she was still being followed. She was.
The girl picked up the pace, running as fast as her six year old legs could carry her. Behind her was a shadow. She could not make out who it was at this distance, but it clearly had one thing on its mind: her death.
The girl’s chest burned and her legs began to give out. She tripped involuntarily as she looked back to check on the distance of her pursuer. It was gaining quickly. A massive cloak concealed most of its features, so she had no idea who (or what) it was. She ducked into a side alley, but the man followed. She reached a dead end and turned around to see that the shadowy creature stood not five feet away, its razor sharp scythe gleaming in the moonlight. The girl covered her eyes and opened her mouth to scream as the weapon came towards her.
Kim woke up to the sound of a shrill scream. Getting out of bed to investigate, she found Shego in the living room looking as though she was having a seizure. She screamed and convulsed, shouting, “NO! DON’T LET HIM TAKE ME! DON’T LET HIM TAKE ME!”
Kim had never seen Shego this afraid before. Acting purely on instinct, she ran over and shook the pale woman awake. Shego’s eyes shot open in fear, and her immediate reaction was to grab the closest thing to her, which just happened to be Kim. With the green woman’s arms around her, Kim could barely breathe. Shego was hyperventilating and had sweat a great deal. It was clear that whatever her nightmare was about, it was intense. The frightened woman’s eyes were wide with panic, and she held on to Kim as though her life depended on it. Kim offered no resistance as she was not sure of how Shego would react and just held the embrace for now.
Eventually, Shego’s breathing settled down and she released her death grip on Kim, who let Shego be for now and just headed back to bed. Shego was too shaken up to discuss this right now, and she eventually drifted back off to sleep.
“What was that last night?” Kim asked, actually seeming concerned for once. But then again, if something was scary enough to freak out Shego, then it was certainly worthy of her attention.
“What was what?” Shego replied, pretending not to know what she was talking about. Vulnerability was not something that Shego liked to let show, especially not to Kim.
“You had a nightmare,” Kim reminded her. “What was it about?”
“What nightmare?” Shego asked, now in full-fledged denial mode.
“The one that made you nearly crush my ribs,” Kim answered.
Shego pondered this for a second, then spoke. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about, Princess.”
Kim got the hint. “Alright,” she said as she raised her hands in a surrender gesture. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But if it has anything to do with your past it might help us with the investigation.”
“Again, Kimmie, I don’t remember having any nightmares.”
“Tell that to the 32 neighbors who called here last night saying they heard screaming.” Kim retorted.
“Damn it Princess, will you just DROP IT ALREADY?!!” Shego yelled, causing Kim to spill her coffee.
Kim sat there with a blank face for a second. “Alright,” she said meekly, which was very unlike her. She resumed the “business mode” that she had displayed for the past two days and stood to her feet, grabbing a rag from the sink and washing down the table to clean up the coffee stain. For some reason Shego found herself watching Kim’s every movement. Brown liquid dripped from the rag as Kim wrung it out in the sink. Shego saw the event occur in slow motion. Why this mattered to her she didn’t know. All she knew is that she was extremely shaken up about last night and needed a distraction. Anything to avoid talking about it.
The details of the dream were already slipping away from Shego, but the part just before she woke up was burned into her mind. It was a memory of her past that she had worked hard to forget. Why it was coming back now she did not know. All she knew was that she didn’t want to talk about it, especially not with Kim.
Though she was grateful that her former rival had opened up her home to her, Shego remained suspicious. It seemed highly curious that Kim would be that willing to let go of the past, and her behavior this morning was even stranger. Why did she seem so concerned with Shego’s past? Was it because it might help on the investigation like she said, or did some part of the old Kim remain? Shego wasn’t sure that she wanted to find out if waking up in the middle of the night from the most terrifying dream she’d ever had was the only way to do it. She shook off the feeling and just collapsed on the couch.
“Get up,” Kim ordered, and Shego complied. “We need to be at Headquarters to go over forensics.”
“Are you sure they’ll let me in there without trying to kill me?” Shego asked. She’d burned more than a few bridges at GJ.
Kim smiled, which was very odd for her these days. “As long as you’re with me, you’ll be fine. Now let’s go!” The two women left the penthouse and began the drive to GJ.
Even though there was a launch tube connected directly to GJ in her house, Kim enjoyed driving over there every day. It was very cathartic to take out her emotions on the road. To Shego, she didn’t seem nearly as angry as the day before, which struck her as, once again, odd. She ignored the feeling for now. Too many weird things were going on lately and she didn’t have time to focus on every single one.
They arrived outside a small warehouse. Shego, who had never been to GJ headquarters before, was in for quite a surprise. There were two phone booths along the outer wall. Kim stepped into one. Shego was a bit confused.
“What, are you Supergirl now? Why are you in a phone booth?” Shego asked in her ignorance.
“Just get in the other one.” Kim growled. She was in no mood to explain anything.
“Okay, okay,” Shego said with her hands raised in surrender. “All I’m sayin’ is this is getting weirder by the second.”
Kim flashed her a mischievous grin. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” she quoted from a famous song before pushing a button on the phone.
“What’s that supposed to—” Shego was cut off when the floor beneath her disappeared and she found herself plummeting deep into the earth. She was in a tube of some sort, and she was traveling somewhere around 80 miles per hour. She wasn’t scared by any means, just a bit surprised. That Kim hadn’t told her about this made Shego all the more suspicious that her old rival was trying to get back at her.
Eventually the tubes stopped and the doors opened. Shego fell to the ground panting. “Holy shit, you people go through THAT every day? I’m getting too fucking old for that kind of shit.” She was obviously quite upset to be swearing like she was.
“Shego, you’re 29,” Kim retorted, helping the green woman to her feet. “You’re not old at all.”
“Tell that to my—”
“AHEM!” Kim stood there with her hands on her hips, demanding that Shego drop the subject.
“Okay, okay, whatever.” Shego stood up and followed Kim as she walked towards the office of Dr. Director.
Dr. Elizabeth Director had been the head of GJ for longer than most of the people working there could remember. For her age (which she refused to reveal for “official reasons”), she was damned attractive, even with that eye patch that made her look more like a pirate than the head of a law enforcement agency. She wore her brown hair short and cut off just above her shoulders, and her uniform that she’d worn for over twenty years hugged along her curves in a very eye-pleasing way. All in all, she was quite a sight for those who had not been trained to respectfully look away.
Despite being blind in one eye, Dr. Director saw and heard everything that went on in Global Justice. An agent couldn’t even sneeze without her knowing about it. If it’s true that all women have eyes in the back of their heads, then Dr. Director was simply made of eyes that compensated for her lack of one. As a former spy, not much could get past her.
Which is why she wasn’t the least bit surprised when Kim Possible walked into her office even though she had not made an appointment. Nor did it surprise her that the woman she was with was a long time enemy of Global Justice. What did surprise her was the willingness with which Shego followed her former rival. Dr. Director had expected at least some resistance. She was only surprised for a brief second before she shook it off. It took more than that to freak out Betty Director. A lot more.
Dr. Director had been watching Kim closely these past few years. She had taken a heartbroken teen hero mourning the death of her lover and forged her into an emotionless soldier who was far more useful in the field. She was of the belief that people were either useful or dead weight. Kim was now definitely the former. Dr. Director had taken her under her wing, showing her all the tricks of the trade and how to separate one’s personal life from their professional life. She was so good nobody was sure if Betty even had a personal life. As Kim’s mentor, Dr. Director felt it was her duty to ensure that Kim was the same if the redhead was to replace her someday.
“Welcome Kimberly. Welcome Shego,” Dr. Director greeted them as she stood. Shego flashed Dr. Director a glare. The head of GJ seemed to lose her composure for a moment as she returned the look. Kim noticed this, but decided to ignore it for now. After all, Shego had caused a lot of trouble for Global Justice in the past. Still, it might be worth mentioning to Shego later. Kim didn’t know why she wanted to do that. After all, Shego was only here as a formality. It was at Dr. Director’s insistence that she had been released. Kim was against the idea at first, but if she wanted to maintain her position and hope to take over Global Justice one day, she had to obey.
“I’m sure you know why we’re here.” Kim spoke up, cutting to the chase.
“Yes, I do,” Dr. Director replied, sitting back down in her chair and motioning for Kim and Shego to do the same. “I’ve alerted the forensics lab that you’re on your way. I trust the investigation is running smoothly?”
“Yes ma'am,” Kim responded. “We went over the files last night and Shego is all caught up on what’s been going on so far.”
Shego was about to open her mouth to object, but decided against it. The truth of the matter was that she hadn’t heard a damn thing Kim said last night because she was so lost in thought. They didn’t need to know that, however, so Shego just decided to play along. She was able to think on her feet; she would probably figure it out before they even realized she was completely uninformed. It wasn’t the first time she’d crossed paths with those mooks at Global Justice, but this was the first time she was with Kim while she did it. The redhead would be able to tell what Shego was really listening to and thinking about the night before. She decided to be extra careful and not say anything that might reveal her ignorance. She would speak only when spoken to.
They stood up and turned to leave the office. Just before they left, Dr. Director said one last thing. “Oh, by the way Shego,” The green woman turned around. “It’s good to see you again.” Dr. Director punctuated her closing remark with a wink.
The Global Justice Forensics Lab was located in the deepest part of the underground complex, so separated from the rest of the headquarters that it took another network of tubes just to get down there. But the technology used there was so advanced that it required the extra buffer. It had been developed by Dr. Wade Load, Kim’s old tech guy and world-renowned supergenius. Well, he would have been world-renowned if he had ever come out of his room. Wade suffered from agoraphobia, the fear of going out into public. This isolated location fit him perfectly.
The 18 year old supergenius greeted the two women at the airlock. He had undergone quite a change in appearance. Kim felt as though she had seen Wade like this before, but she couldn’t quite place it. His classic blue shirt had the sleeves cut off to emphasize Wade’s buff new physique. He had really filled out in the last several years, getting a barrel chest, tree trunk legs, and arms that looked as though they could snap a man’s spine in two. He had Mr. Steve Barkin to thank for being his personal trainer. His once spiky hair had been grown long and been pulled back into a pony tail.
“Hey Kim!” he shouted excitedly as he embraced his long time friend. His voice had changed too, deepening to the point where he sounded like that one guy from The Green Mile. Again, Kim swore she had heard that voice before, but she couldn’t remember where. Wade eventually released her and looked at the pale woman she had brought with her. “Oh, hey Shego,” he said with far less enthusiasm.
“Hey Nerdlinger,” Shego responded. Wade let out a low growl and his face distorted to resemble a snarling bull as he let out an angry snort. Shego rolled her eyes.
Kim interrupted the duel between the two and insisted that they get on with the investigation. “Whatever,” they both mumbled.
Wade led them over to where the body of Hego was being dissected for an autopsy. Kim and Wade looked on dispassionately, but Shego had to cover her mouth to hold back the bile that was building up in the back of her throat. Sensing that Shego wasn’t able to handle this, Kim insisted they move on. Wade nodded and brought them into another room where they could discuss the investigation in private.
“Have you determined the cause of death?” Kim asked.
“Well, you don’t have to be a trained forensics expert to tell that he got cut up good…” Wade answered. “…but it helps.” he added as a joke. Shego didn’t think it was funny and glared at him furiously. He let out a quiet chuckle and Kim continued to ask her questions.
“Murder weapon?” she inquired.
Wade dipped his head and let out a deep sigh. “That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out. It doesn’t look like any of the murder weapons we’ve come across.” He gestured to a rather grotesque picture of Hego’s dead body. “The wounds are too long to have been a knife and they’re too deep to have just been a sword. It looks more like a…”
“…Kafziel.” Shego finished. Her face had grown even more pale than usual, if that was even possible. She stood frozen, unable to move her eyes from the picture.
“A what?” Kim asked, turning to face Shego.
“Kafziel. Death Scythe,” she translated.
“Now that’s just wacked,” Wade spoke up. “Who the hell goes around killing people with a scythe? Hell, who even carries a scythe nowadays?”
“The Reaper.” Shego answered quietly, her eyes transfixed on the picture. She was drawn to it, even though all her instincts told her to look away. It seemed that Kim was right about her dream last night. But she never thought it would be like this.
“Who?” Kim and Wade asked at the same time, neither one bothering to call “jinx.”
“The Reaper,” Shego repeated, finally turning away from the vile picture and facing them. “He’s an old enemy of mine. From my hero days.” She placed her hands on the steel table and dropped her head, letting out a deep sigh. “That’s what the nightmare was about. The first time I met him. I almost got killed.”
“Do you want to—” Kim started, but Shego cut her off.
“NO!” she screamed, startling Kim and Wade. “No,” she repeated in a calmer tone. “That’s all I remember about the dream. That he was in it. I don’t remember anything else.”
“Well, at least now we know whodunit,” Wade spoke up through the awkward silence. “Do you know where he is?”
“No,” Shego answered. “If I did I wouldn’t be here. I thought he was gone. He always did swear he’d get his revenge on me and my brothers.” Her eyes opened as wide as dinner plates. “My brothers!” She raced out of the room.
Kim and Wade exchanged a glance. “Go ahead,” Wade told her. Kim nodded and ran off after Shego.
“Shego, wait!”
I hope this helps to answer some of the concerns people had with this story. Thank you for all your comments and reviews. The first two chapters were really just the necessary KiGo setup. It will be all action from here on out, I promise. You’ll notice that Dr. Director is responsible for Kim’s OOCness, rather than just Shego as I had originally planned. Trust me, she plays a HUGE role in the story, and I have a killer twist planned that will blow your mind. For those of you who say that I’m making too many loose ends, don’t worry; I plan on tying them all up in the end. The plot strings revealed in this chapter will have a huge impact on this story. I have at least 9 chapters planned, maybe even more if the inspiration strikes me. Please read and review. No flames, please.
beeftony