Possible Residence. Late afternoon.
Kim Possible sat on the edge of her bed and stared into space. Thoughts ran though her head like sand in an egg timer and she sighed as her mind found it almost impossible to lock onto a specific thought.
Tomorrow morning… she would be nineteen years old! Nineteen years old… nineteen. She would be a young woman! It was both exciting and frightening… definitely both. But she was looking at a life-changing event here… So, so the drama!
Not the birthday… though that sounded like it would be fun… her mom had been trying to hide packages when Kim had walked into the kitchen. No, the big life-changing event was far more important to her. This was college… and possibly moving away from home.
“I mean, college.” Kim pondered quietly to herself. “Time to leave Middleton and see some of the world, in slow-mo this time! Get a degree… maybe find a normal life.”
Even as the words escaped her lips, she snorted in amusement. Life was never normal for her… ever.
Being a teen super hero for all those years, fighting crime, super villains… it had all come at a cost. That much she knew. She had never had time for much of a social life. Cheerleader practice took up all her free time, schoolwork that had to be done regardless of a mission or not… Yeah, it all mounted up.
Worse, the alternate life she had lived had affected her ability to perform in exams. Though she had been clever enough to actually finish her coursework, the exams had been a different matter. She had, quite simply, flunked them, thanks to mission call outs she couldn’t ignore!
So, she ended up taking them again an entire year of re-sits, which had not exactly flown past. But, with a lot of help from Wade and even more from her understanding parents… plus, a strangely quiet year for action, she had passed with flying colours.
So, here she was, almost nineteen years old… and about to take one hell of a big step forward in her life. She had to choose which college and decide if being a hero was still what she wan-
The Kimunicator chimed softly and Kim’s eyes flicked to it. It chimed again, insistent. Sighing, she reached over and gently hit a few buttons. With a flicker of light on its tiny screen, Wade’s face flashed into being.
Around the young computer genius, lay banks of computer monitors. It was hardly surprising to Kim that Wade had ended up deciding to do a computer science degree at home. With his ability, he’d motor though it. Seeing her he grinned.
“Hey Wade…” she whispered. “What’s the sitch this time?”
“Hey Kim… systems picking up a silent alarm at the Duotronics laboratory in LA. It’s being hacked remotely… which means that someone’s intending to steal from it.”
“Duotronics?” Kim asked, pulling herself upright and sliding to her feet. As she wandered across to her wardrobe and slid it open, she frowned. As her hands gently brushed over her usual combat trousers and black top, she hummed to herself. The name of the company was familiar. “Remind me Wade…”
“Duotronics are developing some pretty neat bio chips for use in medical research. They’re pretty much the leading company in the field right now. Some of the tech that created the moodulators came from that company.” Wade sighed, almost in love. “Especially the nano-tech required to integrate into the nervous system. Remember those?”
“How could I forget what Ron told me?” Kim muttered, pulling her combats up over her tanned thighs and starting to slide into her boots. Falling for Ron had been… interesting. “Even though I’ve sort of forgotten almost all of it! It was mostly a blur anyway, fuzzy… like I couldn’t form coherent thoughts?”
“Well, sure. Just glad the things came off. I got the biggest shock in my life when you two…” Wade broke off, realising he was getting close to a tender subject. “Anyway, that’s what they make there… so its pretty valuable stuff.”
As Kim left her room, dressed in her usual combat outfit, she glanced down at the Kimunicator once more. “Have you told Ron about this? I’ll need him. This’ll be the first bit of action for a while, so it’ll feel good to have him with me, keeping an eye out.” She frowned. “I suppose it was too big to hope they’d all given up…. That these quiet few months were anything but a fluke.”
“Yeah… Ron’s on his way to you right now. Guys at the local airforce base you once rescued from that rampant killer AI tank were happy to lend a plane. The fighter pilots in Florida are picking you up… you know why.” Wade watched as Kim smiled slightly and tilted his head. “Ron said he was looking forward to… well, he’s missed you a lot you know.”
“I’ve missed him.” Kim admitted softly, a amused and tender expression on her face. “Though I was so proud of him, going to cooking college like that. He may not be hot at many other things, but the guy is a genius in the kitchen!”
Ron had passed, to his own surprise, enough of the final exams at school to qualify for a position at one of the better colleges for cooking. Even more to his surprise, his first meal had been pronounced… genius.
“Yeah, mission or no… It’ll be fantastic to see my old friend again.” Kim smiled. “Make that Ron andRufus… the terrible twosome. Maybe afterwards, we can go to Beuno Nacho like the old days… catch up. Maybe… maybe we can talk about what happened with less pain this time.”
She sat silently for a few moments, staring into the darkening sky and sighed. Memories of Ron and what had happened between them, no matter how brief, assailed her.
“So…” Wade began, glancing at the radar his system was tracking the fighters heading to Kim. “Will you tell me why?”
“Why?” Kim settled onto the step of her parent’s doorway and tilted her head. Her long dark red hair falling against her shoulder. “Why what?”
“Everyone was so pleased to see you kissing at the ball at school.” Wade told her, confusion on his face. “You looked so happy, both of you. Then, a few months later you break it off. You end up retaking exams and Ron ends up miles away learning to be a chef… I mean, why?”
Wade watched as Kim’s face hardened.
“Personal… like really personal stuff, Wade.”
“Kim, I like to think of myself as a real friend of yours here… and you never told me.” He watched as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. “You didn’t tell Mon either, and that hurt her. We both had to watch whatever you two had managed to form, splinter back to it’s old foundation. But nobody can explain why… Heck, Ron’s been even tighter lipped than you!”
Kim sighed. “That’s very personal Wade, which is why I never told you. Very, very personal.” She noticed Wade looked hurt and smiled sadly. “Honestly, you’ll need to ask Ron first. If he’s okay with telling you, I’ll be fine with that. So not the drama!”
“Well, okay. I just hope this was something we couldn’t have fixed by talking it through.” Wade glanced over at a panel as it chimed and shrugged. “Here comes your transport Kim. Good luck!”
As the Kimunicator blipped into darkness, Kim stood up and glanced around, waiting. She looked up as two jet fighters roared overhead, looped and then rolled in sync, to land gently in front of her house. As the turbines slowed to a steady whine and the cockpits slid open, she grinned. “Captain McArthur!”
“Hey Kim, I hear you need a lift, and its gotta be quick!” The dark haired young man, eyes a sandy gray, offered her a wink. “We are here to serve the nations protectors!”
“Yeah, someone’s broken into a Lab and I’ve gotta get there to stop them.” Kim grinned at the Captain. “Can I bag that lift?”
“S’why we’re here little lady.” The Captains co-pilot, a young blond haired woman smiled at Kim and thumbed behind her. “Jump in the back and we’ll get going.”
“Cool!”
LA airport.
In the biting cold wind, Ron Stoppable waited with Rufus. His eyes and ears were peeled for the arrival of a car or plane… and his best friend.
It had been months since he’d last seen her, as his work to become a chef took up a lot of his time and, like Kim, the last few months had been surprisingly quiet for action. He had not been on a mission with her for quite some time, the last one being four months ago. But then, being apart from her made it hard to get together.
Of course, the fact that they were no longer together the way he’d wished made him apprehensive. He remembered that night so well, a surprise as events usually passed him by so easily.
The bruises that Shego, and that dratted Synthdrone had caused, covered with makeup. Her athletic body covered in a smooth, shining dress… He had danced with her, her soft red hair floating gently round her face. Yeah. He had never dreamed, not even after the Moodulator events, that Kim Possible would have danced with him.
Then came the moment that he would remember for life. Her eyes had sparkled at him, amused and tender. Those strong, smooth arms had slid up to curl around his neck and he had held her round the waist, trying to stop his hands shaking. She had looked down then, as they drifted so close to each other, looked down for courage, apprehension… he did not know. But when she looked up, and her eyes were calm, he had slipped in close to her and their lips had met so, so softly. Ron had enjoyed every minute of it. Her lips had been so warm and she tasted… well, sweet. Nothing could beat the taste of a fresh Naco… except her.
They had continued to date afterwards for four of the best months Ron had ever had. Kim Possible had been his girlfriend and she was, as at anything she tried, amazing at being one. She enjoyed the places he had taken her too, movies that they had gone to. Not chick flicks… not for Kim. She enjoyed the same films as he did… big noisy ones.
Yeah, it had been a sweet and, even now, he did not regret kissing her… hoping it would actually happen and Kim would stay with him.
Then… as time passed, Ron had noticed Kim was becoming more and more quiet. She was more… withdrawn when she spoke to him. It had worried him and he had somehow known it was him that was the problem. They had still gone out, she was still kissing him now and again but Ron could tell that something was worrying her, worse she was trying to hide it, and he knew it was to protect him.
After her eighteenth birthday, he had approached Kim with the decision to confront her. They had sat on her bed, her room still decorated with the same smooth style, and Ron had asked her the truth.
He had been forced to watch his lover cry as Kim had poured her heart out to him. She admitted she was unhappy, making Ron’s heart lurch at the sight of her dark eyes rimmed with tears. Ron had asked her then if it was something that he was doing wrong.
Kim had shaken her head and, in a quiet voice full of guilt, had told Ron the truth. It had started the first night they had danced. Though Ron had enjoyed the kiss, Kim had been… waiting. Ever since Josh, she had waited for the right kiss, she had admitted that to him finally. She had hoped, wanted with all her heart for it to be him… so she kissed him with everything she had, hope in her heart that Ron was the right person.
There had been no sparks for her though. She had enjoyed the kiss. The way her hand had tightened on his arm as he had sat there, listening to her pour her heart out ,had confirmed that. She had enjoyed it… but there had been no sparks or, to her shock, the feeling that Ron was the right one. But as she watched him sigh and grip her tightly, she knew that Ron did feel she was the right one.
So, as a true friend, she had decided to try her best to make it work. It had been good, for the first few months, but as time passed, she knew she was lying to Ron and herself. It had made her withdrawn and depressed.
Ron had listened with mounting horror as she poured out her feelings to him. She had been there for him, had wanted to badly to make it work… and it had affected her terribly. As much as she wanted to, she had found that her love for Ron could not progress past friendship… not for her.
He had sat there, holding her hand, and come to a decision. As Kim had sat there, frozen with grief and fright that Ron would end their relationship and never want to speak to her again, he had leaned across and kissed her forehead gently.
He told her that her happiness was all that mattered to him and, if she was not getting that feeling with him, that he wanted them to break up. Her eyes had shimmered with more tears and Kim had blurted out that she did not want their friendship to end… ever! What else could he do but smile and tell her that they would always be friends, like before.
He fondly remembered the way she had fallen into his arms then, overcome with relief and had gripped him tightly, almost as if she was worried he would vanish. They had held each other for hours, before he’d quietly watched her lull herself to sleep. Then, he had tucked her into her bed, kissed her one final time and left silently.
That had been months ago, and true to his word, they were once again the best buddies they had always been. Team Possible had reverted to what it knew best… kicking villains across the planet. If anything, their ended relationship had helped their friendship. They knew each other even better than before. The bad guys had stood no chance against them. Even better, Kim had not only cheered up, now she was going to go to college… and Ron knew that she would kick some major butt there! Plus, could you say house party?
Oh yeah, a party was definitely coming her way… and her roommates way too. Now that he and Kim were the best of buds again, the Ronster was back on the market! With Kim’s amused blessing no less. So, ladies beware, Kim Possible was Ron’s date doctor and the doctor was in!
Smiling into the cold, Ron glanced down at his naked mole rat.
“Who do you think it is this time, Ruf?” Ron smiled as Rufus tilted his tiny head and grinned. “Dr Dementor?”
“Drakko!” Rufus squeaked, waving his little paws into the air. “Kim, heh, heh… punch!”
Laughing, Ron nodded, only for his eyes to darken slightly. “Yeah, she’d kick his butt in a few seconds. But that’s why he has Shego.” Rufus shivered at that and Ron patted him on his head. “Don’t worry Ruf, Kim can handle Shego. She always has before.”
A sudden roar overhead made Ron look up. Two jet fighters shot over the darkening sky, afterburners flashing to roll into a spin that had them heading back to the area Wade had told him to wait at. As the two fighters smacked onto the wet tarmac, Ron began to run towards them, grinning.
The cockpit opened, and the figure in the back of the right fighter slid her helmet off and, laughing, jumped down to meet the gangly blond Ron. “Hey, hey! Its no team possible without Ron Stoppable!”
“KP!” Ron yelled, as she jumped out. He grabbed her tightly and hugged for all his worth. “It’s so damn good to see you!”
“You too.” Kim whispered, hugging him tightly. “It’s been too long, even these few months.”
“Yeah, well working to become a chef takes a lot of time.” Ron pulled back and his eyes gleamed. “But not enough I can’t make room for a mission. Not… rusty I hope?”
Kim laughed. It felt so good to laugh with Ron. “With Wade giving me a hologram training room? Come on! This is KP you’re talking to! I’ve been run ragged… by my parents!”
Laughing, Ron smiled and waved his hands. “Well KP, what’s the Sitch?” Ron tilted his head and glanced around. “We need a ride.”
“That’s easy…” Kim pointed into the distance and Ron blinked as a limo slid gently towards them. “Wade asked Mr Rigatto to pick us up. He’s got offices here. You remember him, I saved that diamond he liked so much.”
“Cool. So, any news on who’s trying to rob the place we’re off to?”
Kim shook her head. “Security camera’s are down.” As the limo slid to a halt in front of them, she slipped into the back, Ron on her heels. “To be honest I hope it’s just some thugs. I don’t want it to be Monkey Fist or Dementor…. I especially don’t want it to be Shego.”
“Why?” Ron asked, a frown on his face at her worried expression.
“I… I just don’t. She’s the one villain who keeps pushing me to perform all the time and I have to fight her, cause she refuses to give up! It gets a little tiring. I mean, why does she always have to fight me to a standstill? Even when she knows they’ve lost…”
“Yeah, you have a point.”
Kim snorted “Hell, even when Drakken is escaping, usually with you, Ron, hanging onto him,” Kim missed Ron’s smile. “She still fights me! Until the last second Drakken waits before deciding to escape without her. I mean… why?”
“I dunno.” Ron scratched his head and Rufus popped out of his pocket to watch the dark streets swish by. “Maybe she thinks she has to… you are her nemesis after all. Maybe she has to fight you… like chilli sauce and yoghurt do?”
“Chilli! Uh, huh. Uh huh!” Rufus licked his lips and Ron winked at him.
Kim felt her brain pause at that and she turned to give Ron a confused look. “What?”
“Well, you’re the yoghurt sauce… on spicy food. You get to be calm and smooth and stuff.” Ron missed Kim’s blush. “Now, Shego is the chilli. Fiery and hot… able to blow parts off… metaphorically speaking. When the two mix… it’s like elements blending. Usually makes an interesting battle in your mouth… cool and hot at the same time.”
Kim made a face. “Ron… cooking euphemisms really do notwork when discussing people.”
“I think it kinda works though… you’re opposites, always will be.” Ron shrugged. “Ah, you’ll win. Always do. Nothings impossible for Kim Possible.”
Kim smiled, only to sigh a second later and gaze out of the window. “I suppose so. I just wish I knew what her problem with me is… why can’t she just run away or give up?”
Duotronics. Main Chip storage.
The large hall was quiet at Duotronics. With the entire working staff home for the evening, and the security patrolling the outside, it was quiet. Inside, stacked to roof height, were various coloured boxes. Soft moonlight played across the boxes from the row of skylights set into the ceiling.
As the light played across the individual bar codes for each one, a shadow passed over them. It was quick, vanishing just as quickly as it arrived.
Silence… then a tiny keening noise echoed around the huge cavernous room as tiny specks of glass splashed onto the bare concrete floor, reflecting the red light of a laser. Finally, a huge circle of glass fell onto the floor and smashed into pieces.
“Doc… have you ever heard about a little thing known as stealth?” An annoyed female voice echoed into the room. “Its this little tiny thing we thieves usually rely on to, oh I don’t know, not get caught!”
“But there’s no one here, Shego!” The other voice was high pitched and whined. “You took care of the guards they have here, didn’t you?”
“There might be more inside, Dr D. Use that evil brain of yours for once.” A Platform slowly descended into the hole. “Look, you design the plots, I get the stuff… its simple Doc. If you make me end up wearing a prison outfit… I’ll do something very unpleasant”
Shego, clad in her signature green and black catsuit shook her long dark hair and fixed her dark emerald eyes on her employer. She tilted her head slightly, her hair spilling across her muscular shoulders. Drakken, blue and thin as always, flinched.
“I am your employer Shego, you could show me some respect.” Drakken whined. “I really don’t see the problem. You can take care of anything in here. Thats why I employ you!”
Shego smiled slyly. “It’s tough being the best sometimes.”
“Oh, you’re not the best.” Drakken announced stepping of the platform, only to have a green glove snag him by the neck. He let out a whimper as emerald eyes glowered at him. “What did you just say?”
“Nothing!” Drakken squeaked. “I’m sure you’ll beat Possible this time!”
“She is not better than me. She’s been lucky, that’s all!” Shego snarled at Drakken who nodded and grinned at her with desperation as her other hand sparked with green plasma. Shego grinned, sharply and let him go. Drakken fell onto his rear with a crack and rubbed his shoulder. “Now, why are we here?”
“Patience is a virtue.” Drakken brushed himself down and then stepped back as Shego snarled. “Okay, okay! We’re here to pick up some chips I need to finish the protein re-sequencer I’ve been constructing.”
“A what?” Shego asked, feeling her attention already waning.
“Shego, you never listen to me! It’s in your contract to!” Drakko sighed as Shego waved a hand in the air. “I told you. I need a protein re-sequencer to create the mutant coffee beans. Imagine! Everyone buying coffee and when they add water…. Killer tentacles! It’ll be chaos and when they realise only I have the antidote, they will have to let me rule the world!”
Shego closed her eyes as Drakkens laughter sounded into the corridor.
What an idiot! She had been forced to endure one dumb ass scheme after another while in his employ. This, this was one of the dumbest yet. Killer coffee? She was risking a fight with Kim Possible for killer coffee? Sighing, Shego watched as Drakken began to rummage excitedly through a pile of crates, cackling as he found the ones he wanted.
Why had she remained in his employ? Her current salary was high, Drakken didn’t want to let her go. So, he kept increasing her wage every time she threatened to leave. Still, she knew that if she placed her services on the open market again, she was sure to find someone willing to match, or go higher than even Drakken. Hell, she could even become a freelance thief again.
So why did she stay?
Possible… her mind teased, making her grimace. She had never come across anyone like her before. She was a prissy little do gooder. Smart, sassy… perfect in every way. The sort of girl who made Shego usually want to rip their eyes out.
Want being the word. Let’s face it, you’ve not exactly been able to do that. Shego sighed. The truth was even harder to swallow. You don’t want to anymore… damn it.
She had fought Kim for years now. Watched her grow from a gangly young teenager into a beautiful young woman. At the start, it had been her versus Kim… she would have destroyed her if she’d been able to hit the fast moving teenager often enough. But, it was that very athleticism that often made her pause when she could have hurt Kim badly. The fact that this woman was as good as she was, made her interesting. The fact that Shego had been pushed to perform, a very rare occurrence, even more so.
She had watched as Kim’s skills had improved as she grew older. Not only avoiding her strikes but starting to counter them. What use was the ability to control damn plasma with your hands, when the person you were trying to strike could use moves to block them? Worse, she had found herself… enjoying the conflicts, much to her horror.
The times she had managed to actually capture Kim had also been… fun. The way she could gloat, smirk, and generally rag on her. Plus, she loved to win, always had. It had nothing to do, Shego thought carefully, with the fact that Kim had a body almost as good as hers. Nothing to do with the way her muscles tensed as she struggled to escape… Nothing to do with that at all.
So, even though her nemesis would quickly escape, and she had to wonder about that, since it was often she who had tied her up in the first place. Even though Kim would nuke Drakkens latest stupid plan and force Shego to grab Drakken and save his sorry blue ass… She never felt angry about it. It was another chance to see her again… gloat… fight… touch.
Shego blinked as a box flew past her, Drakken squeaking in excitement as he shovelled the styrofoam protected contents into a bag.
“Soon… soon it will all be mine, Shego!”
“Mmm hmmn. A prison cell most likely. Though I bet you’ll end up sharing it with a guy called ‘Big Dave’.”
“What? Why would I want to live in a prison cell when I rule the world? Shego, sometimes I just don’t understand your reasoning.” Drakken glanced back for a second and Shego realised he was totally oblivious, as always. “Now, stop slouching and make yourself useful!”
Rolling her eyes, Shego propped herself on a box. She smoothed down the green checked catsuit, making sure the tight material followed her curves as it should do, and settled back, waiting for Drakken to finish. Her hands unconsciously moved to smooth the waves of her dark hair. For some reason, her mind started to wander again.
That Beuno Nacho incident… with the little diablo toys. That had been a turning point for her.
Drakken had kept her in the dark, hoping Kim wouldn’t be able to work out what he was up to. He’d been right.
The two of them were so similar that Possible hadn’t been able to work it out, unsurprisingly because it was the dumbest thing Shego had ever heard… So she wasn’t surprised Kim had been nonplussed. Of course, it could also have been the hunky synthdroid that Drakken had set on her.
Of all people… it had been Stoppable… the dweeb. A lanky moron who had somehow managed to work it out.
Kim had come to stop them… even though Shego had pretended to threaten that straight girls wet dream of a droid if she did. She had seen her creeping along a corridor, Stoppable in tow as always, and had fired a ball of plasma. Of course, Kim had dodged as she always did and they had come face to face…
She had been wearing a damn catsuit. A body hugging catsuit over that amazingly athletic body of hers. White, obviously… Shego rolled her eyes at the thought of it. Miss prissy had to, even then, announce how virginal and innocent she was. They had fought, and Shego had hit her… first time in months! She had smirked at that, her skills had been as sharp as ever and Possible had hissed in annoyance. It had felt good.
To see the hurt in Kim’s eyes had been… shaking though. Of course she had been too pumped to notice it truly back then. Being so close to Drakken actually winning had been a new sensation, it had made her drunk with power. She could admit that. So, thanks to that, she had missed the pain in Kim’s eyes… missed the conflict.
Then that damn suit interfered. The damn suit, that had clung to Kim like bloody water… not that she’d been paying attention to the way it had hugged Possible’s body, had healed in front of her eyes… both the wound and the rip.
After that, it was the first time Shego had seen anger, no… rage, in Kim’s eyes… and it had shocked her. Kim had pummelled her, she could admit that to herself. She had pummelled her badly and it was all due to her rage. It had been a shock to see her loose control like that. It was only due to the Synthdroid that Possible had been stopped from knocking her off the damn platform. Even then, instead of a good, honest… sometimes dirty, combat match… it had betrayed Kim and shocked her into unconsciousness.
She had knocked out Stoppable, but had taken no pleasure in it. The smirk… that had been fake. She felt it had been… dirty to win that way, which had struck her as odd even then. Dirty tactics were part of who she was, so why had she felt such a heel when Kim had been shocked into unconsciousness in the arms of the dammed droid? Why had the expression of horrified betrayal and hurt hit her deeply.
Had that been the reason for her insistence to Drakken, who for the first time had wanted to kill Kim, to just tie her up? Had that been the reason for her lacklustre fight with Kim on the roof? The fact that when Kim had blocked her escape, she had seen the foot coming her way, failed to move… and had ended up smashing into the pylon and having her poor soft hair… fried?
It had taken over a year to re-grow and gain its wave once more. But, strangely, Shego didn’t feel angry towards Kim… and she wondered why. She hated to lose… normally.
They had remained at each other’s throats for a few more months, and then Shego had decided to take a holiday… to recoup. God knows why, but Drakken had decided to upgrade his lair while she was gone. Now they were back, and Shego wondered when she would face Kim again. She had to be, what… Nineteen now?
Shego glanced around suddenly, feeling her senses tense. Green plasma burst into being around her hands and she slid to her feet. “Doc…”
“Quiet Shego, just two more boxes and we’ll have everything we need.” Drakken cackled. “Soon they will know that I-”
“Are just as dumb as you’ve always been?” a familiar male voice announced. Drakken looked up, Shego slipping backwards into the shadows. Ron stood on the low platform that was used to stack crates for shipping. He grinned as Rufus popped out of his pocket and swarmed up his arm. Together, they struck a pose “Ta Daaa! Booyah!”
“Just the man I wanted to see.” Drakken managed, quickly glancing at a piece of paper. As he read what was on it, his eyes flashed with anger. “Oh yes… Stoppable. You got quite involved with my Beuno Nacho scheme… and then you spoiled it! Shego…. Kill him, now!”
Shego ignored Drakken and watched as the dweeb landed gently into the middle of the room. Since when did he loose some of his natural klutz? Shaking her head and ignoring the idiot, who was approaching a worried Drakken, Shego glanced around. She was here… she knew it.
It was not the intake of breath, nor the quiet sound of soft soles on concrete that made Shego pause. It was the sudden waft of feminine perfume. Smooth, silky and light… a heady aroma of citrus and spice. She paused, hands curling inside her gloves. Tensing.
“Hello, Pumpkin.”
Spinning, her fist trailed through the air, glowing plasma spilling behind it as she did so. It never reached its target. Kim moved lithely and held out her palm. Shego thought she was mad, the plasma would burn her hand!
Suddenly, deep inside her and for just a second, part of her wanted to stop the swing. But, when the fist smacked harmlessly into the gloved palm and Kim stood there, focused and determined. The gloves flashed and spluttered with the burning plasma for a few seconds before Shego pulled away, eyes wide.
“Hello Shego… like Wades little upgrade? My gloves are able to take a few hits from your little trick now.”
Shego’s left leg snapped out and Kim had to back flip to avoid a kick to the midsection. The redhead flipped a metre back and slid into a martial arts pose, making Shego’s eyes widen. It was smooth and a far step from her usual confident fighting stance of fists in front of her. Now, Kim stood sideways, hands relaxed and focused on Shego’s own. Her body was bent slightly, all the muscles relaxed, not tensed as they used to be. As the dark haired thief looked down, she realised Kim’s feet now matched hers in their stance, ready to kick… or resist an attack. She looked up.
“What happened to the little cheerleader?” Shego asked, hoping to make Kim lose focus. “Get kicked off the team for getting chubby?”
Kim looked at her calmly, though a ripple ran though her composure.
“No, She grew up. Decided to invest in some more martial arts lessons from a few people. She thought the skills she had were not sufficient to take down a certain green, cat suited, nemesis.”
Shego smiled slyly. “So you docare! Enough to work really, really hard! How sweet! I take it the gloves are also thanks to a little request from said chubby cheerleader, Princess? You give Wade your pocket money, so you can force me to fight fair?”
“Could be.” Kim said, so softly that Shego had to tilt her head to hear her. “Could also be that I’ve gotten tired of us always fighting. Maybe I want to put you away finally.”
Shego laughed and took a small step forward. “Put me away where, Kimmy? As far as I know, there’s not a prison in the world that can hold me. How many times have I escaped? Hello? Flaming plasma from my hands that can burn though almost anything… Come on! I always get out and we always fight!”
“Maybe the next time, it won’t be me who goes after you… next time it could be guys with guns and less of an objection to killing.” Kim whispered, her eyes to Shego almost sparking with… regret? “Maybe I just don’t want to do this anymore. It’s my life, maybe I want to live it normally!”
Shego paused, eyes widening at Kim’s almost bitter tone. “Oh come on, Princess. You love this gig. Saving the world is who you are. Stealing anything that’s not nailed down is who I am. You have to fight me and I have to fight you. So, less talk and more action.”
“Sheg-“ Kim managed, before Shego attacked her.
Shego swung in low, unable to trust her fists to be avoided anymore by Kim’s hands. Kim stepped back smoothly, Shego’s flaming left fist missing her tanned stomach by millimetres as her body twisted and her left leg swung around in a kick. Shego ducked swiftly, feeling Kim’s boot whip over her head, just missing her.
Backing off, Shego leaped onto the side of a box and as she pushed off to jump to another column on the other side bolts of green plasma shot from her hands to impact against the concrete Kim had been standing on.
Looking warily around as she jumped from box to box, Shego saw the flash of Kim’s legs, but it was too late. The two women fell back to the pitted concrete and Shego felt the air leave her lungs.
Damn it Kimmy… you’ll pay for that. Shego staggered to her feet, hands bursting into flame once more and slipped into a defensive position as Kim rolled backwards and adopted her own position. The two women moved again, slamming into each other and trading blows. The dance, for that was how it seemed, grew in speed. It became not a matter of who would make a mistake, but when.
Ducking under a swipe of green plasma, Kim managed to push a fist past Shego’s defences and felt it impact on solid muscle. She blinked slightly as Shego let out a grunt, only to feel the world spin as Shego’s fist smashed into her shoulder. A green booted foot spun towards her head and Kim ducked.
Kim moved forwards while Shego fought to regain balance, slipping her right hand smoothly around the dark haired woman’s left. Shego fought back, breaking the grip and grabbing Kim’s arm with her left hand. To her shock, Kim span, her back slapping smoothly against hers and Shego blinked as Kims left hand gripped her right arm and yanked it back, curling around the wrist.
Shego couldn’t believe it. Possible had basically trapped them in a grip that meant both were unable to hurt each other. As she stared at the sight of Drakken wrestling with Stoppable for the bag of stolen chips, Shego felt the familiar taste of that strange anger… or was it frustration, that close contact with the damn red head had started to always bring on.
The warmth of Kim’s body was seeping though the tight material of her suit… and her perfume assailed her. Shego felt something tug inside her and she fought it desperately.
Damn Possible! Damn her for making her choose to do something she knew she was going to regret. Why did it always end like this? For once, she wanted to finish a fight, not have it end in stalemate!
Kim felt Shego’s struggles and gripped her hands tightly, the gloves protecting her as Shego’s hands ignited for a few seconds and then went out. She sighed and tilted her head back towards the dark haired thief. “It ends tonight Shego. I can’t do this anymore, and you will go to jail. I’m sorry.”
The struggles stopped and Kim wondered what Shego was thinking. It had gone very quiet behind her. Suddenly, she felt tremors running thorough her body… as Shego laughed softly.
“I’ve missed this, Kimmy. It’s been a total slice fighting someone who’s basically my opposite. I missed you while you were gone, Pumpkin. Missed the friendly banter, the adrenaline surge when we fight, the way you make me earn my pay. It’s a shame to know my best pal is quitting, cutie.”
Kim felt her blood heat and her voice snapped with anger. “We are not friends Shego. Stop trying to talk to me like we are! And stop using every damn nickname you have for it, it doesn’t work!”
Shego sighed and wiggled her booted feet. “Okay, okay… just this time. But you have to admit, we may not be friends, but we areopposite. Yin… yang… like, whatever. Without the other around, how will either of us know the answer? How will either of us feel it!”
Kim frowned. Shego had to be up to something. “Know the answer to what?”
“We want to know if someone understands our life… we want to feel alive, and the only way for that to happen, is when we fight for it.” Shego broke off, realising that her words were giving out too much truth. Truth she didn’t want Kim to know. She tried for bravado. “The fact that you know I’ll win and kill you one day!”
Kim tightened her grip. “You know that that’s not going to happen! You’ve been trying since I was sixteen years old, Shego. If you haven’t been able to kill me in three years, you’ll not do it now.” Kim broke off and Shego felt her shift slightly.
Suddenly, unable to help herself, Kim blurted. “Did you mean that?”
Shego closed her eyes, unable to stomach the buffoonery in front of her. Stoppable had managed to get his foot caught in the bag and had fallen over. “Mean what?”
“That stuff about feeling alive when we fight? That… that special someone who’s so close to who we are that they understandwhat we’re going through?”
Shego heard Drakken’s laugh of triumph and watched as her boss started to pull himself over the lip of the tiny platfiom they had descended on and grip the wire ladder in its centre.
She sighed slightly. It was time to show Kim she was still better than she was. Tensing her muscles though, she decided to answer Kim, what was the harm. To her shock, she heard herself speak the truth. “You damn well make me feel alive… that’s all I know!”
Kim blinked and then she felt Shego’s weight shift. “What?”
“As I said, it’s been a slice, Kimmy!” Shego whispered slyly, her right foot entwining with Kim’s own. The pale woman twisted and Kim screamed, falling as her leg gave way under Shego’s careful application of muscle pressure. “Sorry bout this, Princess… but duty calls.”
With a gentle thump, Shego landed on top of Kim, winding her. The young hero found herself face down, the pain of the impact making her let go of Shego’s hands. Realising that she was totally vulnerable to attack, Kim closed her eyes, waiting for the green plasma to burn into her skin and end her life. “Do it, Shego!”
A few seconds passed and Kim opened her eyes. She was still alive and there was no familiar sound of plasma based death anywhere near her. She flipped onto her back to see Ron flapping around in a box of polystyrene bits, the edges of the box smoking as the edges cooled.
Kim looked up, and growled at the sight of Shego, cat suit covered legs curled tightly round a bar slung under the platform, grinning ferally at her.
“Looks like we win this round, Pumpkin! But don’t feel bad… you can play catch up next time!” Shego flipped a salute and then gripped the bar, her athletic skill allowing her to hook her legs over the edge of the platform and pull herself over it.
Kim glanced round, desperate to stop Shego, and Drakken… wherever he’d got to. She reached down to her belt and pulled the grapple from its holster. As Shego’s head slid cautiously over the edge of the platform, she fired.
The hook exploded out of the gun with a blast of explosive force, rappelling out with a whine. The thin, but unbreakable chord speeding along behind it as it did so. Shego had time to blink, and then curse, as the grapple hooked itself around the bar she herself had hung onto. With a twang of tensioning wire, Kim felt her feet lift from the ground and she pulled the trigger so that the grapple began to pull her up.
Shego snarled softly as Kim zipped towards he. Damn it Kim! Give up for once! She swung forward, aiming a blast of plasma that would make her Nemesis lose her grip on the grapple and fall back to the concrete. You owe me Kimmy. It’ll hurt, but at least you’ll still have all your bones in one piece!
Suddenly, she felt a wrench, making her grip the cable in the middle of the platform, and looked up in shock. Drakken waved at her from the Hovercraft the small platform hung from and waved at her. “Shego, wait until she’s high enough, then blast her! She’ll break her spine landing… I’ll gain us some height.”
Shego looked down, trying to maintain her cool. But the sight of Kim swinging as Drakken yanked the protesting Hovercraft into the air made her wince. How far could she go… could she kill Kim like this? Her hand burst into flame, but she struggled with her, few but concrete, morals and the plasma flickered in her palm. Even as she closed her eyes and held out her hand, a sudden gentle ‘clink’ made them snap open.
The rocking of the platform had dislodged the grapple’s claw. Not well seated on the thin bar in the first place, Shego watched as it lifted, slid over and then dropped from the bar. Time seemed to almost slow into treacle as her adrenaline kicked in. She was going to watch Possible die… and it was nothing to do with her. It was a waste, it was unfair… it was… was.
Shego blinked once and then plunged over the edge of the platform, Kim’s scream as she felt the rope slacken just starting to register to her. Her right hand snagged the grapple claw and her left smacked onto the platform, leaving blistered metal in its wake as her fingers burned with plasma… melting the metal and letting her fingers gain a slight grip.
She swung there for a few seconds, sweat dripping down her forehead to splash onto the tight green material, as it stretched over her straining muscles. After a few seconds to catch her breath, Shego glanced down to see Kim staring up at her with wide, shocked eyes. The young redhead blinked.
“Why?” She managed, her voice choked.
You’ll never know. Shego thought, as the hand holding the grapple claw, snapped it onto a passing beam.
The dark haired woman nodded slightly satisfied it would hold, and then glanced down at Kim one last time, as the platform finally slipped though the hole in the skylight. “See you, Pumpkin.”
“Shego!” Kim cried out, confusion on her face. “Why?”
The sight of her young face vanished as the platform raised itself into the air.
Drakken glanced down at his mercenary and frowned at the sight of Kim Possible hanging from a girder, very much alive and not a broken, twisted and bleeding heap on the floor.
“Shego! What went wrong?” Drakken snapped, watching, as the green cat suit clad woman leaned against the metal cable that secured the platform to the hovercraft. “How did Possible end up on a girder?”
“She… she had another Grapple.” Shego lied, feeling exhausted. “Dr. D… just pull me up, damn it.”
Back inside the warehouse, Ron hauled himself out of the polystyrene filled box and looked around. As his gaze slid up, he blinked in horror. “KP! You okay?”
Kim hung from the grapple for dear life. The drop below her was… unappetising, but she was too busy replaying the last few minutes of her life to pay much attention.
Shego… her sworn nemesis, had saved her from a drop that would have left her crippled for life. There had been no mistaking that. She’d watched as Shego had swung over, gripped and secured the grapple hook on another girder. Why?
“KP! KP! Answer me!” Ron jumped up and down and whistled in Kim’s direction. “You need me to call for some aid?”
Finally, Kim shuddered and looked down, swinging from the secured grapple. She shook her head and activated the motor to pull her onto the girder. Exhusted, she hauled herself over the lip and let her arms and legs dangle. The drop below was a good fifty metres or more… maybe a hundred… it was that massive a warehouse.
As Kim stared at the tiny visage of Ron, waving at the security guards and police as they rushed into the hueg warehouse… she could only feel one thought run through her head.
It was still there while they checked her over in the Ambulance…. Still there when she commed Wade, asking to tell her parents she was on her way home. It was still there while she watched the rain splatter the window of the Lear jet, a gift from the Duotronoics chairwoman, as it sped them both home.
Why did Shego save my life?
As she reached the front door to her home and rang the bell, she looked back. Ron and Rufus waved goodbye as they wandered back up the hill and to his parent’s home.
Even as her parents had kissed her softly and offered her the slightly dry remains of a pizza, Kim could only shiver as another thought ripped its way into her. It was the chilling realisation that she owed her cat suited nemesis something she never thought she would end up having to… her existence.
Drakkens Lair. 11PM.
Drakken rummaged through the rescued bag of technical parts and chips that he and Shego had stolen from Duotronics with glee. Here was enough prime tech to keep him busy for weeks!
He rummaged deeper, barely noticing Shego, who ran a hand over her eyes and then slumped, feet propped over the arm, of an armchair. As his fingers brushed a familiar feeling chip, he grinned.
The lair they had escaped to was old, one of the first that Kim and Ron had visited and Drakken had been forced to escape from. Drakken had been intending to fix the damage that Kim had caused since her last visit, but had been so busy upgrading his main lair inside a mountain a few miles away, that he hadn’t had the time.
It was draughty, wet and smelled of mildew… and a small fire was all that kept it warm. But right now, it was safe and it had power. It also had a lab, still fully stocked, much to his cackling delight. Now, with the familiar chip gently cradled in his hand, he began to work.
Shego stared into the tiny fire that warmed the room and felt a cold chill pass into her. Why had she saved Possible? Why, when she was staring into those deep eyes of Kimmy’s, couldn’t she fire that burst that would have killed her? Was she going… soft?
The thought revolted her. It wasn’t possible. If she was going soft, then why did they fight beforehand? Why had she managed to get a few good solid hits that would make Kimmy remember that battle for a few days? It was frustrating!
She was a villain! A bad chick! Always had been, always would be! A thief par brilliance that had outwitted almost every goddamn police force, task force and global security division that existed! Yet, she couldn’t outwit Kim… she couldn’t. Plus, she had gone and saved the damn woman’s life now!
Idiot! What are you hoping for? Oh Hi Kimmy, look, I know Drakken pissed you off with that nuclear fusion cannon, but hey… give me some slack this time? I did save your life? No Kimmy, let us go… or I’ll cash in our little secret?
Shego groaned and buried her face into her hands. If they others got to hear of this, she’d be the laughing stock of the Villain community. Plus, there was the genuine threat that she could end up being fired by Drakken, or killed! Rule number two in her personal book… always look out for you!
A thief like her couldn’t play both sides… you were either good or evil. She’d chosen evil all those years ago… and she was happy with her damn choice!
So why had she been wondering recently if she’d made the right choice? Why, if she chose to admit it to herself, had some of the capers she’d been on lost their fun? Why did she enjoy fighting Kim more and more to a stand-off rather than death? Why, when she got right down to it… did she have a small chest at her own hideout, filled with… with… Gah!
Flipping out of the chair, Shego paced the room.
Drakken, oblivious to her conflicting emotions and confusion, waved a hand. “Shego, hand me that microprobe on the left bench would you?”
“Get it yourself!” Shego snapped.
“Hey, I pay your wages… microprobe please!” Drakken snapped, his eyes examining a tiny weld.
Shego stared at him, anger burning in her eyes… and she stalked over to the probe and picked it up.
“Here! I’m taking my Shi-jet! I have to… go somewhere for a few hours!”
Drakken nodded and then screamed in pain and dropped the microprobe desperately. It hit the concrete floor of the half-demolished lab and hissed on the damp surface, glowing a faint green.
Drakken whimpered and glanced back at the retreating form of Shego’s back.
“You only had to say ‘sorry, no can you get it yourself?’!” he called after her, wringing his burnt hand and sighing. Maybe it was time he considered more help around the lab…
Shego stalked to her private Jet, secured in the half dark and wet hanger, and slipped into the smooth green seat. Like her outfit, the entire jet was green and black. She liked it very much and sighed as the joystick’s familiar feel relaxed her.
Flipping a few buttons on the main control panel, the engines ignited with a blast of noise and heat and she rotated them ninety degrees to give her vertical lift. Pulling softly backwards on the control stick and revving the throttle to the engines, Shego felt the Jet slip smoothly into the space of the huge hanger and drift slowly upwards.
With a hiss of hydraulics, the doors to the hidden hanger creaked open, and Shego breathed deeply as the stars brightly reflected on her cockpit.
When she saw them staring down at her, and the Jet thrummed gently with power at her command, it made her feel better about her destination… a place as far from her control as you could get. A confusing place… where she found little solstice or a solution to her growing confusion. Indeed, the damn visit tonight, so soon after she had saved Possible’s life, would only confuse her more… but, she had to go!
She gunned the engines and shot across the sky.
She had been doing this for over a year now, on and off… always under the cloak of darkness. Plus, tonight, it was raining, so she was in for a cold few minutes as she would stare, wonder… worry. Then, as always, she would go back to her damn cold hideout, in that abandoned meat processing plant, the very height of comfort, and sit and stare. Sit and stare at the damn things in her box.
Why? What did that hold for her… the box held no answers, only frustrations… and it had been getting worse the past year or so. Why had she even taken anything? What was the point? She was a loner… always had been, so why did she feel a little more lonely every day?
She should torch the box, the diary she had… all of it and just carry on being the cool, sexy and evil thief she knew she was. It was simple, easy and… satisfying to be evil. So, why did she keep the damn thing and stare at it night after night… for the past year and a half?
Sighing as the familiar questions ran through her head, Shego landed the jet a few hundred metres from her destination. The engines shut down silently and she jumped out of the jet’s cockpit and hit a control on the tiny remote strapped to her belt.
With a silent shimmer, Drakken’s refractory light projector kicked into life and Shego watched with mild satisfaction as the entire Jet shimmered and then vanished. Satisfied that no one would see the Jet, Shego made her way slowly and stealthily along the tiny dirt track.
The wind tugged at her hair, and she cursed as the cold rain splattered her as she fought her way through the forest to her destination. As she did do, the mud splashing the tight fabric of her thighs, she let her mind drift. As always, it went back to one person.
Kim Possible. Saving her life had been a jolt… much like when she had realised, all those months ago, that she enjoyed their fights. That she enjoyed the challenge. It was an odd feeling, satisfying. Now, she wondered what would happen to their routine now that Kim knew Shego had saved her cute little body from being dashed to pieces on the cold floor. Would it change anything? Would she see a tiny glimmer of thanks, resentment… maybe anger? Something anyway, the next time she went into battle?
Feeling the confusion threaten to overwhelm her, Shego forced herself to push it all away. She knew that what she was doing was… strange, but it gave her peace. Tonight, she just wanted to sleep peacefully and relax. She could sort out the strange conflicts inside her tomorrow.
The sudden glow on the side of the hill made her pause. Glancing left and right, Shego slid to her feet and stealthily walked forwards towards it. As she reached the buff off the hill, she gazed around herself once more… and then crept forwards again.
The building was modern and not very well defended. Well, unless you knew what actually did defend it. If you did, then what she was doing could be considered idiotic. Shego considered it odd, but interesting and a definite challenge.
She reached the stone wall on the right hand side of the house and paused, listening for any movement. This late at night, especially for this family, and the events that had happened earlier, Shego was sure the person she wanted to see would be fast asleep.
Gently, she ran her hands up the wall and grinned as one gloved hand found purchase. She gripped the stone tightly and began to climb, cursing softly as her booted feet scrabbled against the stone for a purchase.
The damn rain was making it hard to climb, but Shego persevered. She was a world class thief and to find herself unable to actually break into a basic home such as this would have made her want to shoot herself and save the guards the trouble.
With a gentle flip of muscular green thighs, Shego cartwheeled onto the roof of the building and gently worked her way around the side of it. The edges were steep, but for someone who had once had to climb the outside of the Empire State building to reach a valuable blueprint, it was no big.
Finally, after a few more choice swear words and a brief pondering of final handholds, Shego reached her goal. She walked up to the rain soaked glass and stared through it into the dim light beyond.
There, lying fast asleep in bed was a figure. It slumbered peacefully and Shego quietly watched it, her emotions a wild mix of dark and light, good and evil. It made her feel… conflicted. But, as she had found the first time she had done it for amusement, only to come away feeling odd, it felt good.
Her emerald eyes, mysterious and dark, took in the sleeping form for five more minutes, ignoring the rain that soaked her long dark hair into a sodden ponytail. Her chest rose and fell slowly, ignoring the chill air and the moisture of it. She barely even felt the cold wind on her cat suits tight material.
Gently, she reached out and placed her hand on the single pane of glass that separated them. That spoke volumes of the barriers between them if anyone was there to watch. Shego sighed, a confused and tied sound and stepped a little closer. It was time to go back to doing what she always did. Stroke Drakken, steal, cheat and fight… Kim.
She pressed her forehead to the cold soaking glass and stared at the figure, female and young. The red hair so gently spread on the pillow, and a face that had a few hours before been staring at her intently. Kim Possible slumbered gently. The green and black figure, soaked to the bone, ignored… unnoticed. The emerald eyes so full of passion and confusion as they stared, unseen.
“Yin and Yang, dark and light… elemental opposites, if you believe that stuff…” Shego whispered into the night. “You and me, Kim. Only I know how it feels to be you. Only you know how it probably feels to be me. Both of us, so brilliant at what we do, we leave them all behind. I saved your life tonight, but that’s okay… you don’t need to pay me back. Life would be boring without our athletic fights, the way I chase you and you chase me. It’s so… passionate and deep when we fight. I… I’ve never found anyone like you before. Dying like that would have been stupid. As would dying by my hand.”
Shego broke off as a peal of thunder sounded in the distance. She cursed. It would be rough flying weather now, and it would get tougher the longer she stayed here.
Casting her eyes back, she shivered. This was wrong, to do this… it was wrong.
“See you, Pumpkin. Get a good night’s rest and I’ll see you the next time we fight. I hope this time, it’ll be longer and far more energetic.”
As Shego turned away from the window, her emerald eyes flashing in the dark, Kim turned slightly in her bed and gripped her pillow tightly. Despite the fact she almost died that night, her dreams were calm. They were of soft smooth hands, gripping her, soothing her and giving an answer to the question that had been running though her brain all evening…. “Because I wanted to… Kimmy.”
As the stealthed Jet roared off into the night, its one occupant sodden to the bone but too busy wrapped in her own conflicted thoughts to notice… movement could be seen on the hill near the house.
For a second, it almost seemed as if two figures stood on the hill, powerful night vision goggles strapped to their heads and dark clothing that absorbed light it was that black.
They turned to each other and one, obviously female from her shape, inclined her head.
“I told you, she cannot be trusted. When we perform our… business transaction tomorrow… she must not be allowed to escape.” The male shape whispered, his voice like smooth silk. “Though she is the key, we must make her more… pliable.”
“Yes, I agree.” The female shape bowed and crouched down to pick up a small microphone and recorder. “A shame. Shego is considered one of the best Theives around. It is a terrible disappointment she has never been able to kill. A foolish drawback in someone so young and looking to make waves in our business, Master.”
“True.” The male figure conceded, as it walked down the hill, the muscles under the suit under total control. “But I think once we begin our little maze of troubles…. She will become an excellent assassin.” The figure began to laugh and the female shape laughed with him. “even if she wants to or not!”
As they walked off into the night, the air became still once more.