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Kim Possible: In Loving Memory - Avoidance: Ida Mae
The sun hung high in the sky, as bright and blazing as ever, while it's heat hung low across the dunes, baking the desert and all that occupied it in an ever constant sear. Though with each step forward her legs shaked a bit more Kim did not relent, knowing that she needed to press forward across the dunes and sandy hills if ever she wanted to escape the seemingly endless prison. Her head pounded as if in a vice and her thirst for water, which had already been something of a pressing need earlier, now crossed into a demand. It was perhaps due to that need, or maybe just to distract herself from the current situation, that Kim began to talk to herself.
"God, I haven't sweated this much since our last cheerleading finals. I bet I must look like a gigantic mess. It's a good thing Ron isn't here…"
She paused mid speech. Why wasn't Ron here? Hadn't he come with her to stop…to stop…Who had she come to stop?
She growled in frustration.
"Argh! God I can't even think straight in this heat."
She knew she had come to stop…someone…from doing…something. And now she was walking across the desert because….
She frowned, now genuinely concerned about her inability to string together any memory of what had brought her to this point. She stopped her trek mid step, staring hard at the wavering air in front of her, as if trying to force some relevant piece of information to the forefront of her mind. It could have been called a success as she could almost see it on the heart waves….something familiar…something…laughing? No, a flickering thing…no, a fading silhouette burning out in the sun…
It was maddingly right there on the tip of her brain, taunting her, akin to a mental mirage that she was desperately trying to grab. If only the heat would stop, just for a second…
The over-bearing, scorching, unrelenting heat, burning into her brain…
...
Kim didn't wake up so much as come to the realization that she was awake, her eyes staring unfocused at her closet doors. She blinked rapidly and sat up, her head drenched in sweat and pounding quite resoundingly. She was in her room…which was reassuring to say the least. Though it had seemed all to real at the time, judging by her current condition the dream has likely been more a symptom of an oncoming illness then dire warning. She did her best to extract herself from her drenched sheets and made her way to her open window. The cool breeze blowing inward did quite a lot to soothe her both mentally and physically, though the headache remained.
It had been a long time since Kim had just starred out at the lights of neighborhood at night. Usually at this time of night…
Kim spared a glance over to her alarm clock and groaned slightly at the 3:13 that stared back.
Usually she'd be asleep right now, should be asleep right now what with the college classes she had in the morning. Either that or she'd have been in some far off country saving some well to do rich man or high up political advisor. Perhaps that was the long and short of it she realized, the dream was nothing more the her own sub-conscious mind's warning that she was pushing herself to hard lately, over-working herself to a dangerous degree. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had even had a night to herself. She gave resigned sigh and continued to stare out from her small window. Not that it really mattered though, she'd fuss and hedge and plan but in the end she'd keep going as she always had, dream or not.
Her headache abated at least somewhat by the cool breeze and quiet scenery, Kim allowed herself the small acknowledgement that sometimes, even with everything she had done, the simple nothingness that she gazed out upon could make even her feel just the smallest bit empty inside.
...
At some point she had gone back to bed, at some point she had risen and gone to class, and at some point she had come home and gone back to bed. Same in, same out for three days, a fine if practiced and somewhat hollow routine. It wasn't until that third night that Wade rang her with a familiar change of pace.
"The Lowerton naval history museum's silent alarm was tripped about 10 minutes ago. The manager sent a hit straight to the site for your help. Seems you saved his son a while back and he wants someone he can trust not to destroy the delicate artifacts while it's check out."
"Any idea what they could be after Wade?"
Wade shrugged.
"Hard to say Kim. Nothing really state of the art….their only big attraction right now is some navigation charts and log books from an old turn of the century war ship called the Ida Mae."
Kim chewed the information over but couldn't divine any direct connection to any of her normal villains that would indicate who she might be coming after..
"Where and when Wade?"
"Backyard in five Kim but Ron said he'd cover if you're still not feeling well."
Kim had in fact caught something of a annoying cold, much as she had expected, but had not let it offset her normal life. She couldn't recall ever informing Wade or Ron of it, but given how foggy her brain had felt over the last three days she chalked it up to simply blanking out the conversation due to the illness, a not uncommon occurrence when she became truly ill…either that or Wade truly did have the entire world wired. She did her best to allay his concern for her before closing the kimmunicator and quickly switching into her mission clothing. When she finally proceeded out her back door she found Ron waiting for her, as big a smile as ever gracing his face.
"Kim! Glad to see you feeling better, you made it sound bad."
Kim gave Ron a small but friendly shrug
"It was just a cold Ron, I've had worse."
Ron nodded and both stood awkwardly silent as they waited for whatever vehicle Wade was sending.
"Soooo Kim. I'm thinking we bust whatever crooks are doing this late night museum tour and then movie night! Got some great choices I have to watch for my history of film class!"
Kim gave Ron a small but sly grin
"You mean the class you only took so you could get an easy A?"
"I'll have you know I took that class for all the free movies. The easy A is just a side benefit."
Kim gave a small laugh. Though things had cooled somewhat between her and Ron, between world saving, college and jobs neither had had the energy to maintain the original frenzy of their relationship, she found the idea of a simple night with someone she cared about appealing in that moment.
"Sure Ron! Just…something with a happy ending this time?."
"Happy Ending! Got it!"
Ron gave her an enthused thumbs up as the familiar sound of chopper blades filled the air.
...
The flight to the museum had taken only a small amount of time and obtaining the keys, which allowed them to slip silently through a rear door, from the manger had taken even less. Museums during the day had always had an air of civility and class to Kim. Museums at night tended to have an air of menace and foreboding, a fact that was not lost on Ron.
"I swear Kim if something jumps out from one of these shadows I can't be held responsible for what I do."
Kim rolled her eyes
"Don't be a baby Ron, it's no more dangerous then during the day, which is not at all."
"Need I remind you of a little Egyptian adventure we had at the last museum we visited at night?"
Kim shot Ron a silencing glance and waved for him to crouch. A pair of voices could be heard from further down the hall, an arguing and all too familiar pair of voices.
"…I said no. You've already used up all your vacation time and sick days and you're not getting any more until you help me with this so keep looking."
"It would help if I knew what I was looking for here. Rusted ship parts isn't really your typical M.O. Doc."
"Hmph. If someone would listen when I explain things maybe I wouldn't have to repeat myself."
Drakken made a sweeping gesture across the collection of books and documents kept under glass.
"One of these log books will prove that my great, great, great, grandfather served on that ship. His name will be listed in the crew roster and that'll prove I was right and it will be Dementor who is forced to pay me the $10."
Kim and Ron had inched their way along the shadowed wall and thus had a clear view as Shego turned with too clearly an angry gaze and began marching toward Drakken.
"Your stupid bar bet? You dragged me all the way out here to help settle a stupid drunken wager?"
"It's the principal Shego. When a man is right…"
Shego grabbed Drakken hard, eliciting an audible squeak in fear from the man.
"One thing Drakken. I told you there was just one thing I didn't want to be doing anytime soon and you send us right into the lion's den."
Seeing that as something of the perfect cue Kim strode out from the shadows, Ron following close behind
"Don't worry Shego, you'll get a nice long vacation away when the police take you back to jail"
Drakken, though still held by Shego, turned in surprise at the words and gave a familiar utterance.
"Kim Possible!"
Ron moved slightly further away from Kim as he spoke, already aware of how things would inevitably pair out.
"Hello! I'm right here! Why do you always say her name first?"
"Oh and ummm Ron…Stoppable?"
"Oh I just cannot believe this. Still?"
Drakken seemed to have lost already lost interest in the verbal sparring.
"Shego, if you could umm let me go and get them? Much obliged."
Shego look back and forth between Drakken and the pair of teen heroes before releasing Drakken and turning her back on the group.
"Yeah, no."
Kim had never been one to attack unprovoked, but in her experience Shego had never been one to turn down a fight let alone her back on an opponent. Trusting that Ron could handle Drakken Kim built up a small run and flipped over Shego's turned form, landing directly in front of the thief.
"Giving up already Shego? That's not like you."
Shego regarded Kim with an almost appraising gaze, as if searching for something beyond the teen hero herself.
"Lets just say I'm having an off week Princess."
"The only place you're going from here Shego is jail. If you're going to make it easy for once I won't stop you."
Shego gave a resigned sigh and immediately struck forward with a single lit swipe as she spoke.
"Fine! You want a fight?"
As if someone had flipped a switch on Shego herself, the green skinned thief pressed forward with a rage, volleying between swipes and kicks that succeeded in placing Kim immediately on the defensive. Any attempt she made at pressing her own attack was batted off by Shego with little effort and soon Kim found herself backed up against a rather large display case. She was only saved from a close encounter with Shego's fist thanks to a timely duck, the passing strike drawing a small if superficially bloody scratch along the side her neck. The display case was less lucky.
"Fight Back!"
The words came more as a growl then anything else. Kim managed to roll her way away from the now shattered display case but even as she found her footing and struck a defensive stance, Shego fell on her again. Shego had never been this aggressive in their fights, not when Kim herself hadn't been powered up in someway to match, but now it was if the thief was giving her every ounce of focus and sudden rage to fight and only the fight. Call it bad luck, or perhaps the disadvantage of not truly wanting to hurt her opponent, but as Kim planted her foot back to begin a low sweeping kick, she felt it slip slightly. Compounding it was the fact that she was forced to lean her upper body back to avoid a high strike from Shego, which culminated in a rare loss of balance and an even rarer hard landing on her back. With the wind momentarily taken from her lungs, Kim found herself defenseless. Shego towered over her but surprisingly no killing strike came, instead Shego's fist stopped mere inches from Kim's face, close enough for Kim to observe bits of Shego's flame break off and extinguish in the air.
"Fight Me Damn It!"
Shego's tone was no less deadly but the fact that her fist suddenly extinguished itself and roughly pulled Kim to her feet, mere inches from Shego's own face, betrayed that tone. She could feel Shego's breath on her face, the heavy breathing a clear indication that the woman had in fact been going all out, and the rage she had been displaying shone clearly in her eyes, which were focused directly into Kim's own. Despite a history of such moments, being so close to Shego felt suddenly strange in a way Kim had never before experienced, as if something inside her echoed for just the briefest flash, before vanishing quite as if it had never been there to begin with. In that less then a second neither woman said anything but just as Kim was prepared to shove Shego off of her, Shego released her grip and pushed Kim back with her own small shove.
"You're not worth it."
It was all Shego said as she turned away from the momentarily stunned Kim.
"Drakken I'm leaving. Come or stay, I don't really care at the moment"
From across the room Drakken and Ron could clearly be seen grappling, though in loosest sense of the term.
"Hmm, yes, leaving, good. We'll try again later when it's less…crowded."
Drakken kicked Ron's shin with all the force he could muster. Though not the manliest of attacks it had two effects. It caused Ron enough direct pain to force him to release Drakken and it afforded Drakken enough time to run full speed past Shego and down a darkened hallway.
"Kim! They're getting away."
Kim briefly considered chasing down Shego, and to a lesser extent Drakken, but Shego's actions during the fight convinced her that it would be smarter to have Wade track them down after they left, less of a chance of someone being seriously hurt at the end of the night,
"Let them go Ron. They obviously didn't get what they came for and I don't think we're taking down Shego without some more preparation."
Ron wanted to object, it wasn't at all like Kim to just let the bad guy walk, but something in her tone told him it was better to just agree.
...
The manager had been happy that nothing was stolen but far less happy when he saw the damage caused by Shego during the fight. Rushing through her apology Kim promised to reimburse the museum for what had been done before she and Ron slipped back into the same helicopter and began the ride home.
It was Ron who finally voiced the question that both had clearly been pondering.
"What was with Shego tonight Kim?"
Kim shook her head.
"I don't know Ron, it was like she wanted to really kill me."
"Doesn't she always"
"Yeah but not like that. I think…I think she was really angry about something and was taking it out on me, as best as I can figure."
"Hmmm. Maybe you did something last time you two fought?"
"Ron, we haven't seen Shego in well over a month and that ended with her going to jail."
"You think that could have been it?"
"Doubt it. We've sent her there before and she's never held a grudge about it. She just breaks out and makes us send her back."
"Huh. Maybe she's having…."
Kim shot Ron a death glare.
"Don't even finish that sentence."
"I was going to say having family problems. You know how much she hates her brothers. Geeze, I'm not totally classless Kim."
Kim sighed.
"I'm sorry Ron, I shouldn't have snapped."
The pair drifted off into a short silence before Kim spoke again.
"I know you wanted to do a movie night when we got back but I'm kinda not in the mood anymore. Would you hate me if I wanted to do it later?"
"Aww Kim, I had the perfect movie all picked out in my head."
Kim flashed him her famous pout
"Ack! No fair! Fine, I guess we can do it this weekend or something."
Kim grinned and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
"I know I don't say it enough but you really are a good boyfriend"
"Yes, Yes I am."
...
Though they hadn't gotten back all that late, just past 10 in point of fact, Kim poured herself directly into her bed, hoping that a longer night's sleep would help avoid sore muscles in the morning and allow her minor gash to continue to heal quickly, as it had already begun to do. She drifted out from the waking world almost immediately and when she awoke the next morning she did so feeling …off. She reasoned this was due to the fact that she had woken herself up by slamming her palm down onto the bare surface of her bed side table, a half conscious action she had no clear explanation for performing. The odd start to her day mentally tucked away for later examination, Kim made her way down stairs to her family's kitchen table where, as ever, she found her cheerful mother and father in the midst's of their own morning rituals. Her father was the first to greet her, from behind his usual paper.
"Morning Sweetie. Big plans for the day?"
Kim shrugged and gave a small yawn, attempting to banish the last remnants of sleep from her brain.
"I have two classes this afternoon and Monique is meeting me later to do date wear shopping but other then that, not really."
Kim could feel her father's raised eyebrow even from behind his paper and gave a small laugh.
"It's not for me Dad, it's for Monique."
"Good. You know how I feel about you going out with boys I haven't met yet."
"I'm only going out with Ron dad, you know that."
Kim's mom took that moment to join in on the conversation.
"You said you and Ronald had decided to just be friends."
Kim frowned, her tone tinged with a slight confusion as she drew out her first word.
"Nooooo… I know things have slowed down a little between us but that's just because we've both been busy. We're still trying to find the right balance but we've got a movie date this weekend."
"Kimmie…."
Kim sighed.
"It's Ron dad."
"Well…just see that you don't let any boy, even Ron, distract you from your studies."
Kim moved behind her dad and hugged him in acknowledgement of his statement. Though he, and sometimes to a lesser extent her mom, could be a tad over protective of her, she knew they did it out of a loving place and tried not to let it bother her.
...
She was crossing the campus toward her first class when she decided to finally pull out her kimmunicator and contact Wade. Unsurprisingly he answered quickly.
"What's up Kim?"
"Need you to see if you can track down Drakken and Shego. They were the ones breaking into the museum last night."
"They got away?"
Kim hesitated slightly before answering
"I kinda…let them go. Shego was acting really strange. One minute she doesn't want to fight and the next she's trying to tear my head off. It wasn't like her."
Kim briefly considered that statement, a little distressed that she had come to know Shego so well that she could spot such abnormal instances. She shook off the feeling before continuing.
"I thought it was better to let her cool off a bit before trying to catch her again since they didn't actually steal anything."
Wade simply nodded.
"I'll do the usual search and let you know what I find."
Kim flashed Wade a friendly smile.
"Please and thank you."
Kim closed the kimmunicator and slide it back into her pocket, making it to class with time to spare. She was joined only a few moments later by Ron, who was doing best to conceal a happy looking Rufus riding in his lower pocket.
"K.P. What's up?"
Kim motioned toward Rufus.
"Why'd you bring Rufus. You know what happened the last time Ms. Monserrate
caught you with him."
Rufus gave a small muttering of displeasure at the mention of the teacher's name but otherwise did his best to remain quiet.
"Don't worry K.P. we got a system. And besides, what with all my classes and my new hours at Smarty Mart, Rufus and I haven't had a lot of buddy time together. So we're spending the whole day together!"
Kim rolled her eyes but smiled good naturedly. It was only as the teacher arrived and began setting up for the class that a question occurred to Kim, who leaned in close to better whisper to Ron.
"Hey, did you tell my parents we'd decided to just be friends?"
Ron looked first confused then panicky at the question.
"No. Wait, are you saying there's something wrong with us? Are we going to have one of those "talks"?"
Kim gave Ron a clearly indicated calm down look.
"We're fine Ron, it's just something my mom said. She must have gotten the wrong idea because we haven't been doing much dating dating recently."
"Hey, we do our best. Besides, we've got a movie night this Saturday. Right?"
"Nothing I'm looking forward to more Ron."
A clearly focused throat clearing from the teacher gave Kim a chance to look both chagrined and repentant as she returned her focus to subject at hand. As the class went on Kim silently decided that despite the few odd instances she had thus far, her life was finally reaching a balance she could be happy with and even should it end tomorrow, it would do so with more happiness then true regrets.