Shego looked from one of her hands to the other, trying to figure out what was going on and what was taking Kim so long to reveal herself, but she still couldn’t see anything. Kim’s hands on her own remained infuriatingly invisible and…strangely moist.
What are you doing, Kim?
Shego had never seen her arch-foe act like this before. In all of their encounters, Kim had been concerned about the lives that were threatened by Drakken’s latest scheme – or the welfare of her sidekick and his rat if lives weren’t being threatened by the amazing blue man’s frequently harebrained plots. Kimmie was always focused on her mission and the safety of whoever was with her, whether it be her blond-headed dork of a sidekick or her rather…young-looking mother. God, wasn’t that a memorable Mother’s Day? Shego had been just as surprised as Drakken at how young Kim Possible’s mother had looked, but she hadn’t been stupid enough to mistake her for Kimmie’s sister.
Sure, Kim had often – always, really – traded banter and witty quips with Shego, but not like this. Kim’s behaviour since the experienced thief had broken into her apartment had been erratic at best, moving constantly from relaxed to nervous, to frightened…and now…
Kim’s attitude in Shego’s hotel room was playful, confident, almost…flirtatious. And yet, there was an undercurrent of nervousness to Kim’s actions, as if she maybe wasn’t as confident as she was letting on – like she wasn’t as sure of herself as she normally was. Something had happened to her, Shego realised, in the time since they’d talked on that rooftop downtown. Somewhere, in the midst of the entire night’s adventure, Kim had slowly begun to draw some kind of conclusion about where this game was going, and in the past half-hour, that idea had solidified into something more. Kim’s mind was giving off the scent of certainty, determination, and something a little subtler that Shego couldn’t identify, but there was also some nervous anticipation, hope, and a fair shot of fear. Shego was quickly coming to the realization that Kim had come to a stunning realization of some kind – had learned something –, and was now about to do something that she didn’t think would go over very well.
Could it be? Shego considered the conclusion forming in her head. Has Kim finally connected to her own feelings? If that’s the case, then praise the Lord, this night wasn’t wasted. Well, she amended; I guess I did learn my own feelings for the girl, or at least the possibility of them.
“Here goes nothing.”
Shego heard Kim whisper the words, so close she could feel her breath on her cheeks. Then, the humidity in the air seemed to triple as Shego suddenly found herself standing in the middle of a thin but visible cloud of water vapour that had only just now become visible. Her vision was blurry, clouded by the increasingly dense cloud surrounding her, and she found herself inhaling whole mouthfuls of cold steam, filling her lungs with the strangely out-of-place moisture, and making her breath come in faintly wheezing gasps. After a moment, the cloud moved away slightly and shrank on itself, condensing into a roughly Kimmie-shaped pillar of water, standing only a few hairbreadths away from Shego. The villainess felt the water in her lungs being dragged back out – much to her relief –, as if drawn to water-Kim.
Finally, the tower of water vapour solidified and took on some colour and texture, turning into Kim Possible. The redhead’s eyes were closed as if in concentration, and her hands had moved up Shego’s arms to grasp her by the wrists, remaining safely away from the burning and unusually localized plasma energy of her hands.
For an eternity, Kim stood frozen, chest expanding and contracting slowly with her breathing and hands still wrapped around her captive’s wrists. Then, her eyes slowly opened and she gazed into Shego’s forest-green orbs, their faces centimetres apart. Kim’s breathing was slow, calm; Shego could still feel it on her own cheeks. Shego studied Kim’s eyes – a slightly brighter green –, as well as her nervous expression, speechless at what she’d just seen the former heroine do.
Kim moved first.
Slowly, as if she expected Shego to break away and run, Kim leaned in and just barely brushed her lips across Shego’s.
It was a feather-light touch really. Shyly, almost fearfully, Kim kissed Shego, her mouth closed but relaxed, her entire body tense with apprehension; fearing Shego’s reaction to this sudden bold move, and unwilling to proceed any further unless Shego asked for it.
But ask for it she did.
After a single heartbeat’s hesitation, during which she was too stunned by Kim’s unexpected attack to do anything more than stand still and take it in, Shego found herself using Kim’s grip on her wrists to pull the redhead closer, deepening the contact between them. Oh God, she thought as her knees weakened under the soft, warm touch of Kim’s lips on her own. I can’t believe she’s doing this…Shego pressed her lips more tightly to Kim’s, pushing to make sure that this was really happening – that the Kim that was bringing her to her knees was actually here, in her hotel room, kissing her with quickly growing passion. God, Kim…
All thoughts out of Shego’s head froze as she felt Kim’s lips part slightly, a soft, wet tongue reaching out to tentatively run along Shego’s upper lip, gently requesting permission to take this kiss further.
Just as Shego’s own lips parted in invitation, as if to taunt her, Kim pulled her face away from hers and broke off their first kiss. Her eyes, which had closed just before she’d leaned in, now opened to gaze into Shego’s own evergreen orbs. Kim let out the breath she’d been holding and took a moment to study her former enemy’s face. Shego remained where she was, not even daring to blink for fear that she’d wake up from this dream.
After an eternity, Kim seemed to be satisfied with her analysis of Shego’s face and looked away, her lips curving up to form a brilliant smile. It was another few moments before she spoke, though, in a voice that was barely more than a ghost of a whisper.
“You do feel the same way.”
Shego laughed at Kim’s cautious statement, her eyes brightening at the girl’s nervousness. “Um – doy.” She broke into a short, quiet giggle fit, calming herself after a few seconds. “No, I just let anybody kiss me like they’re starving for it.” She turned away quickly and pulled herself free of Kim’s grip, going against every instinct that told her to stay. Reaching out for her almleti-lined gloves, she quickly slipped them on and fastened them down. “Sure took you long enough to clue in to your own feelings; I’d have expected better of a telepath.”
She felt a self-satisfied grin spreading across her face as she turned back to face Kim’s surprised look. She moved over to one of the two dark green, simple armchairs that stood by the windows of the hotel room and sat down, knowing that it would probably be best if they had a little chat before anything else happened. God, more talking…but it’s not too bad with Kim. Talking with Drakken, on the other hand…
Kim came over and joined Shego at the small glass-topped table, taking her place in the other chair. “Yeah, well.” She stopped and narrowed her eyes at Shego, “hold on – you knew?”
Shego playfully pointed an accusing finger at her, her grin unfazed. “That’s your fault, Kimmie. You’re the one who flooded my head with all those images.” Her expression softened somewhat. “Still,” her thin smile grew more pleasant, “I like how it turned out.”
Kim grinned too. “Yeah, I was kinda hoping for that.”
Shego crossed her arms and sat back, turning serious. “So, where do we go from here?” She looked around the room carefully. “What do you want to talk about, hero-girl?”
Kim’s grin shrank, becoming secretive and somewhat nervous. “Well, that depends – is your offer still on the table?”
Is she serious? “Of course,” Shego replied, “Now more than ever, Kimmie.” She smirked knowingly. “So, are you in or out?”
Kim didn’t need to think hard about it; she’d spent the past half-hour doing that. “In. Kim Possible is about to present a new face to the world.”
“Perfect.” Shego’s face broke out into a light-hearted smile. “Now you get to agree to my terms.”
“Aw, crap.” Kim sighed, “you just have to win everything don’t you?”
Shego brightened even more. “We take turns.” She pointed a finger at Kim. “But you know, you were right, Princess; you did cheat. I walked through you three or four times I think – if you were solid, I’m pretty sure that would count as getting caught.”
Kim grinned sheepishly, “Yeah well, the game was really more in my favour. It’s pretty difficult to catch an elemental.”
“Oh, so that’s what you are.” Shego studied Kim for a moment, amazed at all the things that she was learning about the younger woman. “I was wondering if your turning-into-water act was somehow connected to your healing water trick, and I guess I was right.”
Kim shrugged, still smiling. “Pretty cool, eh?” She shifted a little in her chair, “but go on – you were about to lay out your terms?”
Shego nodded, growing confident and spreading her thin black-painted lips into another of those arrogant smirks. “Okay, let’s see. First condition probably won’t be too hard to agree to. If we’re going to be working together – for any length of time –, we’re going to have to build some kind of trust between us, and given our past history…well,” she snorted and allowed herself a moment to wink at her new partner. “You know, it could either be real easy or pretty difficult.” Shego looked away for a second. “Okay – now that I think about it, this may be a lot to ask, but I’d like to know any more interesting secrets you’ve hidden from the world; I don’t want any surprises.” Now, she sighed and her shoulders dropped just a little as she looked away from Kim. “In return, I’ll tell you my story.”
Kim thought about it, closing her eyes lightly. “Well, I have no problems; I’ve already revealed most of my secrets to you. Besides,” she stood and moved to stand by the long hotel room window, “Knowing a little more about you would be…interesting.” She turned back to smile at Shego.
“I don’t doubt that.” With a little shiver of pleasure, Shego realized that Kim’s particularly delicious excitement was slowly returning and growing more powerful as the retired heroine neared a reality she had never even dreamed of until these past few hours. Shego closed her eyes, and let herself enjoy the incredible taste for just a few seconds. God – I could sit here all day with that flavour in the air…but we have to move. Reluctantly, Shego stood from the bed and moved over to her bag, cursing herself for doing this – robbing herself of an opportunity to savour this moment, the beginning of a new life for Kim Possible. “Much as I’d like to stay and chat, we’ll have to do this somewhere else.” She opened her bag and tossed Kim a long blond wig. “You still can’t be seen with me, so wear this.”
Kim caught the wig out of midair and stared at it curiously. “Why, pray tell?”
Shego felt a little twitch of annoyance run through her, but it was nothing really. “Global Justice is still watching you, Kimmie. They don’t have any idea where I am, but if they catch any hint that we’ve teamed up, you and I will get one-way tickets straight to the top of their Most Wanted list. This hotel room isn’t really private enough for my comfort.”
She walked over to the closet and opened it, revealing the one place in the room that was completely bare of any trace of Kim’s curiosity. Amateur! Shego smiled. I can’t believe you didn’t check the closet; I guess you’ve lost your edge. But don’t worry…a few days with me and you’ll be back on your game. “Here Kim, wear this too.” Shego pulled her spare motorcycle helmet out of the closet and tossed it onto one of the hotel room’s two beds. It was jet-black, just like the majority of everything she owned, with an opaque but not reflective faceplate. Now, it was off to the bathroom. “Give me a few minutes to fix my makeup, and then we’ll be out of here.” She moved off to lock herself into the room’s bathroom. Pulling her kit out of her backpack, Shego set to work covering the smear she’d made in her own disguise.
A couple minutes later, she came out of the bathroom to find Kim staring wide-eyed into a wall mirror. She’d donned the wig as Shego had asked, and the effect was incredible. Because she’d gotten so used to seeing Kim with her bright, fiery red hair, Shego caught herself looking closely at the girl to make sure that it was really her. “Wow,” she remarked from where she stood in the bathroom doorway. “You look different.”
Kim looked from the mirror to Shego, pausing a few seconds before speaking. “I feel different – looking into a mirror and seeing someone else looking back.” She turned back at the mirror, “I feel alive…free…”
Shego grabbed her gym bag off the floor and swept the room with a searching gaze, looking for anything she’d be leaving behind. Then, satisfied that the motorcycle helmet she was lending Kim was the only item that remained in the room, she turned to Kim and stepped up close behind her. “Of course you feel alive, Kim – this is your passion. Maybe not villainy, but being active at least. You weren’t wired for the civilian life, Princess – didn’t you know that? I can’t believe you’ve stayed out of the game for this long without losing your mind.”
Kim shook her head slowly, her nervousness and slight fear brushing lightly against Shego’s senses. “Okay, what now?”
Shego picked the helmet up off the bed and held it out for Kim. “Now we head out.”
“Okay,” uncertainly, Kim took the helmet from Shego. “I don’t get it – if I’m wearing a helmet, why do I need a wig?”
Shego sighed in exasperation. “Man, have you ever worn a disguise? I’m pretty sure you have before.” She snorted at a fleeting memory. “Fine – here’s your first lesson in deception and stealth. If someone recognizes you with the helmet off, putting it on in front of them won’t really help. And just so you know, wearing your helmet when there’s no purpose for it will just draw unwanted attention.” She headed for the door, shifting her shoulders a little to settle her bag on her back. “Let’s go Kimmie,” she tossed behind her.
“Wait.” Kim turned the helmet over in her hands, her brow furrowed in thought. “There’s a purpose for the helmet? I didn’t know Ferrari made motorcycles.”
“If they do, you’re about to be sorely disappointed, because my ride isn’t a real Ferrari. She might have the heart of a Ferrari, but she sure doesn’t look like it.” Shego smirked at Kim’s dubious expression but before Kim could ask more, she ended that line of conversation. “Just you wait and see.” She opened the door and quickly stepped out into the hall.
Here we go, she thought as she glanced back at her new partner in crime. And perhaps more…?
Hope I don’t mess this up.
So, Kim thought. This is what it feels like to be a villain.
She stared herself in the mirror and barely recognized her reflection staring back. The blonde wig was good – really good. Kim could already see how people would have difficulty identifying her without a few minutes’ scrutiny. A change of clothes, some makeup, maybe even some coloured contact lenses, and who knew? She might even be able to pass by her own family unrecognized.
No. Kim turned away from the mirror at Shego’s voice. This isn’t villainy. This is what it feels like to play dress-up and I’ve done that before. Halloween and some of the missions were just a few times. But thereissomething different about dressing up like this – this feeling of preparing, of anticipating something. Maybe it’s the coming change of lifestyle perhaps – when I actuallywillbecome a villain. Of course, I won’t be a very evil villain, but I won’t really be the best friend of the law. If they try to stop us, we’ll have to fight. “I feel different,” she found herself replying to Shego’s remark. “Looking into a mirror and seeing someone else looking back.” She looked back at the mirror, feeling something stir inside her chest. It was that old twitch in her heart, the little tremor that had accompanied her throughout her career as a Heroine; the exhilaration, the excitement, the sense of purpose – of belonging. “I feel alive…free…”
She heard Shego move behind her, and then her voice brushed against her ear. Beautiful, she closed her eyes and savoured the quiet sound that she had never just stopped to listen to until now. Like music…the sweetest music I’ve ever heard in my entire life…How could I have missed seeing this when it was in front of me this whole time? “Of course you feel alive, Kim.” Now that she was taking the time to just listen to the sound of her one-time arch-foe’s voice, Kim felt a slight flutter echo through her chest. “This is your passion.”
Passion?
Kim looked at Shego through slightly wide eyes. Oh, I could think of another passion I’ve just discovered, Shego. I could easily think of another…Whoa! Kim stopped herself as she realized where her thoughts were leading. No. Bad, Kim! There are a lot of things that are supposed to – and should – go between a first kiss and…that.
Alot of things.
“She might have the heart of a Ferrari, but she sure doesn’t look like it.” Shego’s reply sounded amused, like the once raven-haired villainess was thoroughly pleased with herself.
What?
Kim came to her senses, realizing that she had been carrying on the conversation while she’d lost herself in her rather…racy thoughts. With a quick moment’s thought, Kim was able to remember what had been said – both by her and by Shego – so she could quite easily continue the conversation without anyone realizing what had just happened.
“Just you wait and see.” Shego stepped out into the hallway, and Kim picked up her thoughts:
‘Hope I don’t mess this up.’
Unable to help herself, Kim jogged to catch up with Shego and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about it, Shego – I’d forgive you if you did. And besides,” she stopped walking and pulled Shego close, turning her so they faced each other, “now that I realize what to do about this,” she waved a finger between the two of them, “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
Shego made no attempt to move away, and instead moved closer to wrap her arms around Kim’s waist. “You know, this isn’t so bad, Princess.” She studied Kim’s face with an unreadable expression. “But I’d like it if you could stay out of my head. I’d like to keep a few secrets – at least for now.”
Kim sighed quietly. “I’m sorry, Shego. My telepathy sometimes decides to do something without me, and all I can do is watch and feel. I’ve worked on controlling it for years, but I’ve never been this close to someone else’s mind for so long, so my focus is starting to slip.” She started moving her hips slowly from side to side; dancing to music only she could hear. “Is there any way I can make it up to you?”
Shego went along with Kim’s dancing, following her lead. “I can’t believe you, Kim.” Her voice was no louder than a whisper and close enough that her breath warmed Kim’s cheeks.
“What?” Kim continued their slow dance to silent music, her eyes closing lightly of their own accord as a soft, content smile spread across her face.
Shego looked at Kim, studying the younger woman’s expression carefully, “I’ve known about your feelings for almost four years, and I realized my own feelings for you last night.” She took a breath, gazing at Kim with something approaching respect or even awe. “I’ve known both sides all night, and I did nothing. But you,” she tilted her head to one side, “you only learned your side ten minutes ago.” She swayed gently with Kim, almost hearing the music herself. “You couldn’t have known how I’d take it – not without your telepathy, and you’re too noble to actively tear into someone else’s head –, but you still made the first move.” She smiled faintly. “How could you do it? I knew how you felt for me, but I couldn’t do anything because I thought you’d deny your own feelings, not knowing how you felt in the first place. Or maybe you’d be too ashamed to admit to anyone by yourself.”
Kim didn’t answer for a second; she was starting to lose herself in her dancing with Shego. “Never in a million years, Shego.” She opened her eyes and gazed straight into Shego’s – bright green staring into dark evergreen. “I did think about it, though, but I thought it would be unfair to you if I didn’t tell you how I felt.”
Shego continued gently swaying her hips slowly to their private, silent music. “I like how you talk,” she grinned, thinking about the way Kim had gone about confessing her feelings, and then grew serious again. “But weren’t you afraid?”
“Terrified,” Kim replied honestly. “Part of me thought everything I’d seen in you that I took for love was only an illusion – that you were no more than a guilty woman trying to make up for accusing me of mutating your hands. I thought you’d feed me some cheesy line like in the movies – how you’re flattered, but you don’t like me, ‘that way’.”
Shego laughed softly at that. “And still you went for it.” She beamed at the redhead. “That’s the fearless Kim I know.”
Kim stopped dancing and studied her new partner closely. “I thought we’d already established that I’m not fearless; I’m just not afraid of fear. I’m afraid of many things, but I will never fear facing them.”
Shego sighed quietly and pulled away from Kim’s embrace, evoking a little noise of protest from the natural redhead. “Oh, stop it.” She chuckled at a sudden thought. “If you had your way, we’d never get out of this hotel.”
Kim grinned widely. “Don’t I know it?” She reached out with one hand and grabbed one of Shego’s to keep her from escaping. “But you’re still not going anywhere.”
Shego’s reply was barely a whisper. “Who said I wanted to?” Turning away, she pulled Kim along behind her as she walked toward the elevator. “It’s a matter of necessity; we still have to get away from the prying eyes of Global Justice.” Coming to a stop, Shego tapped on the down button. “But seriously – this partnership is going to take a really long time to work out if you’ve lost your fighting spirit.” Kim looked about ready to argue that suggestion, but Shego spoke first, silencing the girl with a gloved finger to her lips. “The nature of fearlessness is not to be without fear, Kim – that’s stupidity. To be truly fearless is to understand your fears and face them – to know what your limits are and transcend them – to see your obstacles and overcome them.”
The elevator dinged at them, opening to reveal a thankfully empty car. Shego stepped on, her gloved hand still held in Kim’s grip.
Kim smiled again as she followed Shego, releasing her hold on the leather-encased hand. “That sounded very Zen, Shego – villainy 101?”
“No,” Shego leaned back against the far wall of the elevator car and crossed her arms. “Courage 101. The word has lost its true meaning in the modern world. My sensei was only half-Chinese, but he definitely preferred that side of his family. He taught me everything I know about fighting – pretty quickly too, I might add.” She sighed wearily. “I guess his idea was to make me more aware of myself and my world. Some student I am, eh? I was fooled for three years by a walking blueberry whose IQ was probably in the single digits.” Uncrossing her arms, Shego stared into her hands, suddenly saddened.
Kim resisted the urge to take the abruptly morose woman into her arms. Shego had been right about their need to get out of there to a safe hideout, and if anything could draw attention or delay their escape, it was the comforting gesture that Kim had just aborted – as well as the…“gestures” that would follow since both women would probably desire closer contact, regardless of Shego’s own ability – or inability – to do so.
No, Kim thought. I can ease Shego’s pain later. For now… “If your teacher taught you something like that, I definitely want to meet him.”
“And you will,” Shego brightened slightly. “He made me promise to visit him when I’d found my own apprentice.”
Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Kim recalled Shego’s words from earlier. “Apprentice? You said I played second to no one – that I was nobody’s sidekick.”
Shego studied her with an even look. “And I meant it.” She looked away, as if she felt a little guilty about her next words. “However, if you want to survive in my world, you’re going to have to learn a few of the finer points of this lifestyle. But don’t worry. You have everything you need; a quick mind, killer moves, and a friend to guide you until you’re ready to go solo – if that’s what you want.” She grinned knowingly.
Kim snorted derisively, “as if that’ll happen. I’m not going anywhere.”
Shego nodded, smiling, “Of course.” She clenched one hand into a fist, only to relax it a second later. “So, we’ll head to my place for a while; have a nice chat, and finally your first act of villainy.”
“Sounds like a plan,” the elevator came to a stop and Kim stepped off, feeling a tremor run up her spine. This is it, she thought. And so dawns a new day for Kim Possible. Watch out Global Justice – you’ve pissed off the wrong retired heroine… She started toward the greater area of the lobby. As she passed the front desk, she stopped and turned her faint smile on the man behind it. “Thanks again for your help.”
He blushed, his eyes wide. “It was my pleasure, Ms Nordham.” He narrowed his eyes at her suddenly, his eyes fixed on her head. “I didn’t realize you were wearing a wig earlier, ma’am.”
Kim carefully controlled her reaction to the concierge’s statement. Wow, she thought. This guy’s either an idiot or the wig really is that good; I’m impressed. Kim glanced behind her at Shego. The formerly solo villainess had stopped to watch how well Kim could think on her feet. “Yeah,” she turned back to face the all-too-helpful concierge. “I wanted to be able to slip by Teri if she was still here.” Kim smiled again. “Thanks again.”
The man nodded, turning to some papers on his desk. “Have a good day, Ms Nordham.”
“I plan to, thanks.” Kim smirked at Shego and headed for the doors. “Apprentice,” she muttered under her breath, “I think not.” She smiled widely at her partner, her brilliant green eyes shining.
Apparently, her smile and good mood were contagious. Shego’s grin matched Kim’s and her eyes gleamed with amusement. “That was pretty slick, Kim. Like I said – a quick mind,” she moved ahead to lead the way out of the hotel lobby and into the parking lot. “If that display back there was any indication, you’ll be ready in a few weeks, a month tops.”
Kim raised an eyebrow, “and then you’ll consider me an equal?”
Shego sighed as she scanned the parking lot – not for her car of course; Kim knew the villain had to have memorized the location of her own transport. Shego was more likely searching the parked cars for anything suspicious – like the few occupied cars that could potentially contain Global Justice agents that would follow them. “I already see you as an equal Kim,” she began, still scanning the parked cars and trucks. “You just need to expand your skills a little more before you’ll really be at my level – as a villain.” She emphasized the last word for Kim’s benefit.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’re a law-keeper, Kim. Retired or not, that is what you are.” Shego lowered her voice for the next part. “Back when you were active, a failed mission wasn’t necessarily the end of the world because you’d always get a chance to track down the bad guys later. So, you could afford to relax a little on a mission. In my line of work, on the other hand,” she placed a palm to her own collarbone, “I don’t often have the luxury of being able to get careless. A failed mission will usually end in arrests, so every detail has to be in place, every contingency ready.”
Kim smiled playfully. “So, you’re saying that you’re better than me because you’re a villain?”
“No,” Shego smirked. “I’m saying that my skills are trained to focus on something a little different than yours. If you want to work with me, you’re going to have to learn to think like me,” her smile turned amused. “And you’ll have to get back in shape.”
Kim scowled in mild annoyance. “Hey, I’ve been keeping in shape during my retirement. I’m better than I’ve ever been.” She stopped herself from wincing as she remembered her thoughts from earlier. Her self-training strategy had been more geared towards developing and controlling her more…superhuman powers. The frequent physical training sessions she’d held with those many hired thugs were hardly enough to keep her at the top of her game – not like when she used to fight for her life against the same woman who now stood beside her.
Still, it would probably be best if Kim didn’t back down on her hasty objection to Shego’s rather unfair judgement. “I don’t need you to train me more.” She narrowed her eyes at the villain. How dare she? I know we’ve always fought and mocked each other, but we never suggested that the other’s abilities were substandard – just poked fun and pointed out each other’s mistakes.
Kim felt Shego’s mind flood with guilt and a mild amount of shame. “Look, Kim. I didn’t mean to put you down with that, and it was hard for me to say it, but you have to understand. If our places were switched, you’d probably be saying that I’d have to relearn some things about hero-work that I’ve forgotten since leaving Team Go, and you’d no doubt be feeling just as uncomfortable as I am.” She relaxed a little. “But listen – I believe you, Kim. You’re fighting probably doesn’t need much work, but a practice fight or two will really prove it to me.”
Kim laughed. “That actually sounds like fun.” She thought for a second, and her heart fell when she realized that she couldn’t lie to Shego. Not now, not ever. “To tell you the truth, though, nothing I can come up with is really enough of a challenge to keep me in top shape.”
Shego nodded as they rounded a van to come face to face with a jet-black motorcycle. “Yeah,” she grinned knowingly at the former heroine beside her. “Hiring thugs to come after you can only do so much.”
Kim shook her head, amused. “You know what? I’m not even going to ask how you know my training methods – I’m sure you’ve been following me for a while.” She looked around the crowded parking lot, realizing finally that they had stopped walking. Narrowing her eyes, she turned back to Shego. “So, where’s your ride?” She followed Shego’s pleased gaze to the sleek, streamlined machine in front of them. “You’re joking.” She looked down at the helmet still held in her hands. Actually, no. It makes sense…sort of. Although…
Shego pulled her own motorcycle helmet out of her bag. “The Ghost is a one-of-a-kind bike, Kim; did you expect anything less from me?”
Kim turned her own borrowed helmet over in her hands and found something in her own memory that made her smile wryly. “No, I guess I don’t really see you driving a sports car. A week ago, I might have thought differently, but I’ve learned a lot about you in the past day, so I suppose my mental image of you has changed quite a bit.”
Shego looked thoughtful for a moment. “On the other hand, you know…Back when you were in the game I rarely took the Ghost outside the Montreal Lair. Teri Nordham was a clean identity – and still is, hopefully – so she needed a clean set of wheels. Back then, I was a sports car kind of girl, so your image of me wasn’t completely off.” Glancing at Kim, Shego pulled her small gym bag off her shoulder and held it out for Kim. “You get to carry this, Kimmie.”
Kim accepted the bag and trailed her gaze along the smooth curves of Shego’s bike, feeling an odd thrill trickle down her spine at the thought of riding through the city on this thing with the tall villainess she’d just thrown in with. She nodded her head slowly, acknowledging Shego’s words before their meaning actually really sank in. After a moment, her head snapped around to study her long-time rival’s face through wide eyes. “Wait – Drakken has a Montreal Lair?”
Shego shrugged. “It’s a long story, and not one that we should start now.” She threw one leg over the bike and slipped her helmet on. “For now, let’s ride.” In one smooth motion, she fired up the unimpressive-looking bike’s engine and slid forward on the bike to free up some space for her partner. “Hop on.”
Tightening the strap of Shego’s bag on her shoulder, Kim mounted the bike, taking the seat behind the slightly older woman. Slipping her helmet on over her blonde wig, she wrapped one arm around Shego’s waist. “I’m ready – hit it.”
“Alright Kimmie,” Shego popped the clutch, her mind streaming pleasure, satisfaction, and something else. “You asked for it.”
She gunned the engine.
It couldn’t have turned out any better than this.
Shego grinned inside her black helmet. The outcome of the past night’s events, and their after-effects that morning, was everything she could have hoped for – especially after the revelation she’d had when she’d toured Kim’s apartment alone. It had taken very little work on Shego’s part to bring Kim over to her side of the law, which really surprised the experienced thief.
Sparing a split second to glance behind her at Kim, whose expression was unreadable because of the impenetrable faceplate of the redhead’s helmet, Shego considered everything she’d seen since she broke into Kim’s apartment the evening before. I suppose Love can be a strong motivator, she thought, but I think there’s something else going on. Something else has happened tonight to convince her to take my offer. I could be reading too much into it, but I just can’t believe that Kimmie joined me simply because she found out she loves me. But, if I’m right, what other reason could she have to join me? She’s never had any love for the criminal life – why now?
Shego focused her mind back on her driving and she took note of her surroundings. They were about five minutes out from her new house. “Hold on Kim,” she shouted behind her, trying to get her voice to pierce through the rushing wind that surrounded the speeding bike. “We’re almost there!”
“Spankin’,” came the redhead’s reply, equally loud, “cuz this wig is starting to itch.”
“Now you know how I felt sitting in your apartment wearing my wig.” Shego thought back to the days after she’d left Drakken for dead – or paralysed at the very least. Cutting her hair almost all the way to her scalp hadn’t been a terribly difficult decision to make, but she had nevertheless been a little reluctant to part with one of her defining traits – the things that made her Shego. In the end, however, the necessity for a disguisable face won out over her personal preference. At the time, she had wanted to get back to the States for a little while, so she’d had to bury Shego – notorious criminal super-thief – and earn some experience as Teri. And I’d be lying if I said the look on Kaia’s face when I offered her my hair wasn’t damn cute. Besides, she eased up on the throttle as they approached the exit for Hudson. I know who I am and when it all boils down, does anyone else really matter? She glanced back at Kim again. Well, Kim matters a lot I suppose, especially now that we’ve established where we stand after four years apart.
“Well now,” Kim cried out from behind her. “Isn’t that a nice thought?”
Shego felt the taste of her new ally’s excitement in the air and couldn’t help but grin inside her helmet. Throughout the entire ride, Kim’s mind had never lost its excitement completely, much to Shego’s delight. Now, Shego realized that while Kim’s delicious excitement was no less sweet on her lips, as most real flavours became with too much constant exposure, and it also wasn’t distracting her from the road as much as it had been when they first left the hotel. Though that scent-flavour was still as exquisite as ever, she had become accustomed enough to it that she could focus on other things and lose herself in the sweetness when she could afford to split her attention.
Grinning more widely at this thought, she looked back at Kim again. “What did I tell you about digging through my head?” She feigned anger and disappointment, sensing that Kim would be able to see through her act. “I’d like it if you would keep out for a while.”
Kim giggled softly behind her before raising her voice. “You don’t fool me, Teri. You don’t care that I’m rummaging through your mind – completely by accident of course. You’re just angry because I’m not giving you a chance to talk about it – to share your thoughts on your own.” She paused and Shego heard her heave a quiet sigh. “You’d gladly share with me if I gave you the chance, but I keep forgetting that. Sorry, but like I said – sometimes I can’t control my telepathy.” She laughed again, “and spending so much time around you all at once isn’t really helping matters.”
Shego’s smile faded. “Don’t worry about it; you’ll learn it all eventually.” I promise. “I just want you to slow down – enjoy the ride a little.”
Kim didn’t reply as Shego turned off the highway. This area was heavily forested with buildings interspersed among the trees, as if playing hide-and-seek. Making her way through the twists and turns of the road, Shego was far too focused on her driving to do any more deep thinking. Besides, Kim’s excitement had suddenly spiked higher again, and she had to split her attention between driving the Ghost and building up some kind of mental block to keep Kim’s uniquely powerful emotions from affecting her thinking. Much as she wanted to lose herself in the deliciously exotic flavour, she knew it would be a colossally bad idea to do it at eighty kilometres an hour on a winding road that was quite well suited for rally racing.
There’ll be time enough to enjoy Kimmie’s excitement later.
Kim resisted the urge to cry out her excitement. She’d always loved driving on winding forest roads, and Shego must have sensed this; she was pushing the bike far past the posted speed limit, taking the sweeping the turns in the road at a pace that bordered on reckless, as if she were trying to frighten Kim with her dangerous driving.
The redhead wasn’t afraid, however, far from it. In fact, she hadn’t had this much fun since before she’d retired – the last time she’d faced Shego actually.
All too soon, the exhilarating ride came to an end at the bottom of a short dead-end street. Shego’s place was a cozy, medium-sized house with a small garage, surrounded all around by scatterings of tall trees. It screamed privacy, which was the thing Shego probably enjoyed the most about this property. Shego killed the bike’s engine and turned back to look at Kim.
“We’re here.”
Kim got off the parked bike and looked around at her surroundings. The house was situated towards the back end of the slightly longer than normal plot of land, giving it even more privacy. Marking the boundaries of this dead-ended mini-neighbourhood was a long four-metre high hedge on the left edge of Shego’s property that ran from the right edge of a neighbouring lot, past the left side of her house, around the corner to the back edge, and on into the backyard of her next-door neighbours property.
“Cozy.” Kim looked over as Shego dismounted. “I see you like your privacy.”
“I do,” Shego pushed her bike into the garage. “Come on, there’s not very much inside, but no one knows we’re here so we don’t have to worry about spies or GJ.”
“That’s good to hear…Teri.” Kim smiled at Shego’s remark. So, now they had their privacy – what would they do now?
Shego led Kim into the empty kitchen from the garage and coughed softly. “So, now that we’re here, let’s see what Nerdlinger gave you to play with.” She looked around, “come on upstairs. There’s more comfortable furniture.”
“Lead the way,” Kim sighed. So, I’ll be the first to lay all my cards on the table, eh? I can live with that. She followed Shego through the house, glancing quickly into the empty rooms. Shego was right – she didn’t have very much. Kim saw a couch, a dining table, and a rug on her way upstairs and that was about it.
Actually, the thought came to her suddenly half-way up the stairs. I’d kind of like to see what Wade gave me too. I’ve put it off long enough. She followed her hostess into one of the rooms on the second floor. I wonder what four years of time has done for Wade’s game.
Kim finally noticed where Shego had led her and she couldn’t help but laugh at her new partner. “Now, Shego – don’t you think you’re moving a little fast?”
Shego sat down on the queen-size bed and leaned back against the headboard, grinning widely. “Now, now Kim; where’s your head at? Neither of us is ready to take our relationship up to this level yet.” A spark of mischief ignited in her eyes. “So get your ass over her and let’s see your new toys.”
Kim stared at Shego in disbelief, but complied a moment later, dumping out her bag on the bed sheets – black and green, unsurprisingly. “Well, I haven’t had time to look at them myself so I guess I’m a little curious too.” She sat down cross-legged on the bed, her back to the plain green headboard.
Shego glanced the half-dozen items over and gasped suddenly. “No way…” She reached out and carefully picked up a thin banded silver bracelet. As it moved, the light in the room played along its surface, making it look like it was coated with some kind of oil, but it was completely dry. Oily smooth, but bone-dry.
“What?” Kim looked more closely at the bracelet in Shego’s hand. It looked vaguely familiar, almost like – “the Centurion Project?”
“I don’t believe it.” Shego stared at the harmless-looking little thing. “After all the trouble it caused everyone last time, super-nerd’s giving it back to you?”
“I don’t know.” Kim spoke hesitantly, pulling her Kimmunicator out of her pocket, “but I’m definitely looking up Wade’s file before I try this one out.” She powered up the new device, which was about the size of a bit of a bulky calculator and started to navigate her way through the menus. “Alright, where is that info file…?” She pressed keys quickly.
She found it a moment later – Centurion Project 3.0.
Shego was watching over Kim’s shoulder, her chin resting lightly on her new partner’s collarbone. “What the hell does that mean, ‘3.0’? What – could this thing turn into anymore of a problem?”
“Shh!” Kim opened the file. “It’s starting.”
“Hey Kim,” Wade’s face appeared onscreen. He didn’t wait for a response since the video was pre-recorded. “I see you’ve found my little pet project. Now, don’t overreact, I made sure to get every spec under control before I built it; there won’t be a disaster like last time.”
He paused to smile wryly at the camera. “First, a history lesson…about 2 years ago, Global Justice managed to obtain the Centurion Project from Centaur Labs, and they enlisted me and a team of three other scientists to work out the glitch that caused you so much trouble. The three stooges were told to work on modifying the armour and the weapons into something that would be more suitable for agents, since the original was created for soldiers, while I was supposed to work on the programming and eliminate the glitches that caused you so much trouble so we wouldn’t have agents shooting each other in the field.” He grimaced. “So, as much as I wanted to leave the programming as is, because the agents are all jerks now, I had to do what was ordered – you know, because of my contract and all.”
He paused, and took a quick sip from a water bottle he produced from outside the camera’s range.
“I kept it simple and eliminated the subconscious response subroutines in the programming. Now, if an agent wants the suit to do something, it now requires a verbal command, like, ‘lasers’ or, ‘jet-pack’. It’s kinda boring if you ask me, but Global asked for a simple alternative to subconscious response. That’s the Project that GJ has.”
The boy smiled smugly.
“It took me an entire year of weeks-off to make your version, but I’ve upgraded it considerably. Of course, I didn’t expect that you’d be the one to field test it since you’ve left the game. This was mainly just a precaution for me. See, I already knew that Global Justice was pretty dirty, so I designed 3.0 as a defence against 2.0. And, you know, I’m pretty proud of some of the mods I’ve made.”
Wade’s face vanished to be replaced by a series of still photos of various bits and pieces of the armoured battle-suit that the bracelet would expand into.
“Almost every program in the suit has been completely redesigned – by yours truly of course. I tore every subroutine apart and rebuilt it from the ground up.”
The still photos were replaced by an image of the original, complete suit.
“So, let’s get started. First of all,” the disembodied voice paused. “I’ve put all of the subconscious commands back into the programming, but they’re all inactive until you customize the user options when you first activate the bracelet. So, I’d suggest running through everything before you go into a hostile situation with the suit because it’ll be virtually useless until you activate at least some of the commands. As it stands, the suit is completely subconsciously-activated and controlled – all except the start-up command which will activate as soon as you put the bracelet on. But don’t worry; start-up will only bring you to the main menu, where you can customize security, commands, and everything else that has to do with the suit.”
Wade’s voice continued after a second.
“Now, about the suit itself: I’ve removed a lot of the blocky components that make the suit look so strange and unnatural, like the shoulder cannons – I remember you saying you didn’t have any use for them – and the head covering, which just looked weird. Everything I left behind, on the other hand, I took some time to streamline and thin down. All in all, when 3.0 expands, it won’t rip apart anything you’re wearing like last time, and your clothes should be able to cover it quite easily, giving you that added blessing of surprise if you activated it before going into a situation. The first thing I cut down was the jet-pack. Now, when it comes out, it’ll be wider and longer across your back, allowing it to stick out far less – no more than about ten or fifteen centimetres.”
As the young genius outlined each of the changes he’d made, each component appeared on the four-inch screen of the Kimmunicator as it had been originally, and then morphed as the computer programmer spoke.
“I think you’ll be happy to know that I worked a lot on the forearm blasters, too. They look a lot cooler – less Hollywood Sci-Fi and more classic. I also added a variable blast power switch; ranges from mild burn to something powerful enough to melt through several metres of concrete in about half-a-minute. I doubt you’ll ever use it, but just so you know it’s there. And just to keep it all safe, the power selector is completely manually operated – I didn’t want any subconscious impulses or reactions to be able to influence something that dangerous and blast someone like Monkey Fist to oblivion just because he got a lucky shot in and your immediate reaction is to get even. I know you’re not really like that, but every human being’s subconscious is wired about the same way, so you’d have at least an instant of bloodlust in response to something like that.”
There was another pause, and Kim heard Wade take a particularly loud drink of water as the image on the screen focused on the metal gloves of the suit.
“I’ve also added a grapple launcher into the palm side of each wrist, so you don’t have to rely completely on your own grappling gun.”
Wade’s face returned to the screen.
“So essentially, CP 3.0 is supposed to act as a lightweight suit of armour, but it should also be able to get you out of most tight spots. And where I programmed 2.0 to respond to verbal commands, 3.0 is engineered to respond to commands that you choose, be they gestures, verbal, or subconscious or conscious thoughts. And, as you know, the suit will augment all of your natural abilities, but I’ve made sure it won’t take over the action like last time. I remember you told me how worried you were that Shego would get hurt when you were fighting her in the suit, and while I find your compassion for your nemesis a little strange, I can understand your worries if there were an innocent bystander nearby. You don’t need to worry about the suit causing widespread destruction without your approval.”
He grinned. “If you want it to destroy a building, you’ll have to do it yourself.”
Shego gave Kim a strange look but said nothing, turning back to the small screen.
“Now,” Wade continued, “let’s talk about the menu of the suit. As I said before, the bracelet will activate as soon as you put it on, but it won’t deploy fully until you’ve configured it to your liking and saved your configuration. What’s going to happen is, the glove on that side will deploy, as well as a network of allow lines that will run up your arm, neck, and face to your eyes, forming a special VR-visor that I developed just for you. The visor – which actually resembles a rather slick set of shades – and the glove together make up CP 3.0’s central command menu, which is accessible through the default command of pressing the nosepiece of the visor.”
Wade mimicked adjusting a pair of glasses to sit higher on his nose.
“You can reprogram the menu-access command, but I figure this one could do until you got into the menu and messed around with the settings yourself. And about the menu itself,” he paused again, “the glove and the visor are linked together by the alloy-line network. The menu will appear on the visor and you can manipulate items in the menu by using the glove like a mouse. Activating icons is done by pressing on it, like a button on a wall.”
Wade paused and smiled suddenly, mischievously.
“You’ll have to figure everything else out on your own, but I do have one more upgrade to talk about; it’s the only other weapon that I’ve designed into the suit.”
He sat back as on of the suit’s hand’s appeared in a caption box on the right half of the screen.
“I actually feel pretty good about the way this one turned out. To make an extremely long story…a little less long, it’s the only weapon that should effectively take down another CP suit without too much trouble. As you know, the Centurion Project can heal itself, but that takes energy. The right glove of 3.0 is covered with microscopic energy-burst emitters, which I’ve programmed with only one purpose: to program lower-model suits. The other suits all broadcast an easily recognizable energy signature that – when detected – will activate the emitters in the palm of your right glove. 3.0’s energy signature is on a far higher frequency and I worked the emitters to be incapable of detecting that high, so you don’t have to worry about the glove backfiring. The only sign you’ll see that the emitters are active is that your bracelet will glow a light blue. If you can get your right palm in complete, unbroken contact with the other suit for one full second, the emitters will fire, and infect the other suit with a virus I’ve designed that will reprogram the lower-model suit to heal damage by draining energy from the wearer themselves instead of the unit’s rechargeable power core. I should say herself because it’s most likely that any CP-operator you run into will be the stuck-up girl who took your place as GJ’s top agent – not freelance, of course. Now, don’t worry, the reprogramming won’t cause the suit to kill its operator, but if the suit keeps trying to heal damage, its wearer will eventually faint from the strain and the suit will just shut down, shrinking back to a bracelet. Remember this – the emitters won’t work if you’re wearing something over the glove to hide the fact that you’re wearing the Centurion Project.”
The box on the screen collapsed, and Wade’s face took over again.
“Okay, last thing: deactivating the suit. I really think this part is kinda cool.”
An image of the VR-visor Wade had mentioned appeared on the screen. They really did look more like a pair of sunglasses than a virtual-reality display.
“After you’ve customized the suit and unlocked the complete suit, the arms of the glasses will expand to wrap around your head,” the glasses on the screen changed as Wade spoke, transforming into a large ring with lenses and a nosepiece. “Right at the back of your head, there’ll be a small, flat pad.”
The image changed again, and the part of the ring directly opposite the nosepiece expanded on itself into a small circular disc.
“There’re really two stages to deactivating the suit. The first step is deactivating the right glove. To do that just…uh – clap your hands.”
He shrugged, grinning sheepishly.
“Alright – it’s a lame command action, but I couldn’t think of anything else. You can reprogram that one to any command that isn’t already being used, but let’s move on…Um…right. Once your right glove has collapsed, just press your middle finger on the pad on the back of your head. It’s a fingerprint scanner, and will have to be programmed first thing as soon as you activate the start-up mode of the suit.” He paused for a moment and the box with the glasses collapsed so Wade could have the whole screen again. “That about wraps up my tutorial on CP 3.0 – good luck with it,” the screen of Kim’s new Kimmunicator went black for a moment before returning to the main menu.
Kim blinked for a few moments before looking from her Kimmunicator to the innocent-looking silver bracelet dangling from Shego’s finger. She sighed wearily before glancing behind her at the super-thief’s strangely thoughtful – and unusually close – face. “Do you have any idea how much trouble I was in because of this thing?” She took the silver-coloured bracelet from her partner.
Shego snapped out of her daze. “Eh?” It took her a moment to process the redhead’s words, but then she giggled quietly. “Yeah, I overheard while they were piling Dr D, Killigan and me into a paddy wagon.” Kim didn’t miss the way Shego’s anger spiked at the mention of her former boss. She still laughed softly, though, “It really shook those two that you weren’t actually the perfect little girl that they’d taken you for. They gossiped about it for hours – it was so annoying.”
“Because you hated even the mention of my name back then?” Kim’s voice held no bitterness or anger at the nature of their relationship over the last few years – that old animosity was obviously a thing of the distant past.
Shego hesitated before replying. “No…even back then, I hadn’t hated you for a long time. I just never realized that the feelings Drakken convinced me to feel weren’t real.”
Kim tilted her head curiously. “How? I never got any chances to explain myself.”
“You didn’t need to,” Shego replied simply. “Your innocence in my accident was proved in our encounters over the years.” She looked away guiltily. “I never consciously realized it until just before I left Drakken, but I stopped blaming you for my accident pretty early on. Drakken was good enough to fool me for a while, but I guess he thought I didn’t have much of a brain.”
Kim stood from the bed and stretched. “What do you mean by that?”
Closing her eyes, Shego looked back on her many encounters with the younger woman standing beside her bed and examined the revelations that were so clear now but had been all but invisible back then. “After meeting back up with you over and over and seeing that you never stooped to the level my oh-so-caring employer claimed you had, my subconscious mind began to build its own image of who you were, which was nothing like what Dr D ever said.” She frowned slightly, “it’s too bad it took so long for me to catch up to my subconscious.” She grinned as she waved a finger between herself and Kim. “We might have tried this sooner.”
The redheaded former heroine smiled gently. “Maybe, but I doubt it.” She turned around and sat heavily on the bed, ending up rather close to Shego. “You were a little too into Drakken’s whole ‘I want to rule the world’ gig for my taste.”
Shego burst into peals of laughter at that, nearly falling off the bed. “You’re kidding, right?” She paused to catch her breath, still giggling just a little. “I never bought into Dr D’s take-over-the-world ambitions. I was in it for the thrill, for the raw emotions that everyone around me would broadcast at my very appearance.” She glanced at Kim, “you too.”
“Yeah, about that,” Kim was a little uncomfortable with what she was about to ask, but her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. “Back in your hotel room, why were you talking about the taste of my excitement?”
Shego’s eyes brightened a little as she grinned sheepishly, obviously a little embarrassed about what she’d revealed in that moment. “That’s…a little…hard to explain.”
Kim just studied her new partner sceptically, “what – are you an emotion vampire?” When Shego didn’t reply, and instead ducked her head nervously, Kim’s eyes grew wide. “You are? Wow, that’s really cool; strange and a little freaky but cool just the same.”
An amused snort was Shego’s first attempt at a reply. “Well, I do have to eat still, just like you, but it’s pretty much the same as your magical power over water.” The short-haired redhead paused for an incredibly long-seeming few seconds, as if she had never put this into words before but, knowing Shego, she probably hadn’t, so Kim let her think out her words. “Okay – see, every living person gives off emotions, which isn’t so big a deal, but what matters is that, to me at least, every feeling has a certain taste or smell. You know – happy, sad, nervous, embarrassed, afraid, amazed, excited – they all have their own flavour.” She smiled distantly. “You can thank Fate that negative emotions have the sweeter flavours. It’s why I became a villain.” She paused again. “I can feed off emotions, so I guess you’re right in calling me a vampire. Of course, it’s not like I’m stealing their life-force or something. That would have been just a little too weird for me.”
Kim nodded her agreement with Shego’s sentiments. That would be a little too sick and wrong for me to stomach. “So you can feed off people’s emotions, but does that mean you aren’t affected by them, or do people’s emotions influence like you’re a mirror.”
Shego thought about it for a moment before smiling and nodding her approval. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to explain everything before you caught on.” She stood from her place on the bed and started pacing like she was starting to get restless. “I can prevent myself from copying other people’s feelings, but the bonus is I don’t have to give up feeding off of them to do it.”
Kim thought some more about the strange things she’d seen of Shego that might now be explained. “Back in the hotel room, you touched your bag before saying what I was feeling. Does that mean clothes and things act like sponges for emotions?” She looked up at the pacing Shego expectantly.
Shego smirked. “You know, this is a lot more fun than listening to Nerdlinger prattle on about his upgrades and working his programming mojo.” She snapped her fingers suddenly as if a great idea had suddenly occurred to her. “Say, Kimmie… what do you say we put the Tech support sessions on hold and do something a little more – I don’t know – us?”
Kim let out a soft sigh, but she couldn’t help but smile at Shego’s – well – Shego-ness. “You weren’t a very good student in school were you?”
“School?” Shego actually managed to look shocked – except for the tiniest of playful smirks. “What’s school? Oh, right – years on end of boredom and tedium; totally unappealing to any healthy, well-adjusted girl.” At Kim’s only mildly disapproving scowl, the more experienced villain simply grinned even more brightly. “What? Of course I did my stuff – doesn’t mean I liked it or made it easy for them.”
Kim responded with her own smile. “You wouldn’t be Shego if you had.” She looked away, her tone growing serious. “Still, you want to move onto other business, do you?” A spark of mischief entered into Kim’s expression. We haven’t done that in a long time. I’m kinda itching to go at it with her… “What do you say to a nice, old-fashioned sparring match to see where we stand after four years apart?”
Shego’s eyes brightened. Even her tone changed, almost returning to what Kim remembered of the old Shego. “I say that’s the best idea you’ve ever had – except, you know, whichever decision it was that made you kiss me, of course.” Kim blushed a little at that, much to Shego’s apparent delight. “But,” Shego reached into her gym bag, which Kim had carried up for her, and snatched out a pair of pure-leather gloves. “Let’s take it outside, shall we?” She glanced around the room. “I’ve kinda grown to like my walls the way they are – intact.”
Kim nodded absently, just a little distracted by the thrill of anticipation and excitement that shot from one end of her spine to the other and back again. “Lead the way, Shego.”
Spare gloves in hand, Shego made a move for the door. “Gladly.”
A/N: MUWAHHAAAA! Another Cliff-hanger!
Next Chapter: Kim and Shego have an actual fight (not angry, mind you), and one of them gets hurt. Whether it’s a physical injury or just a bruised pride, you’ll have to wait a couple weeks…cuz I’m not tellin’ you diddly!
Sorry, guys and gals…
Please review. I enjoy many of your comments on how I’m portraying my two main/only characters.