General Disclaimer by MrDust
Whatever fictional setting, be it book, cartoon, anime, videogame, etc., was originally thought up by their respective creators.
My fanfics that include the settings, characters, ideas, concepts and personalities from copyrighted material are written knowing that I don't have any claim to the copyrights, and are only selected out of appreciation of the quality of the original creator's imagination.
The fics are written for non-profit amusement of readers.
Although I will take ideas from sources, I don't take credit for their initial creation, and always endeavor to write my own stories with plots of my design, regardless of what ideas I might include within the story. I am a bit better at mix-matching sourced ideas than some, but if you see an idea that you know is from somewhere else, it is there with no intent of harm or plagerism. It just means I really liked that idea for that story.
I do not steal other peoples stories or claim other people's works as mine, and I seriously hope that no-one will steal my fics and claim them as theirs, since I put so much effort into what I write to make it properly laid out.
Even if some of my stories may so very closely mimic other authors' stories, such occurrences are completely coincidental and accidental, as I have not read every story out there, and would have no idea what exists. It's just chance that different people have their own versions of similar ideas.
Imagination Rocks!
Thank you for your time.
AN: This was started before the release of the fourth season, but may have one or two ideas from the fourth season in the latter portions, as I was still writting it at the time.
Sweet Treat of the Trick
"A bon-diggity boyah to all, Possible clan!" Ron called as he came strutting in through the front door, covered in a blue outfit from helmet to boots. He stopped in the living room of his second home (though lately he'd been having trouble making that distinction, after all, home is where the heart is), to see the gathered Possible family. Well, three of the five, anyway, as Ann Kathryn Possible, aka, MrsDrP, and Jim and Tim, aka, the Tweebs, stood anxiously waiting for the two missing individuals.
"Hello Ron! We're ready, and James and Kim should be ready by now. KIM! JAMES! RON IS HERE!" MrsP called up the stairs, which was immediately followed by a yelp.
"I'm ready! I'm ready!" Kim came rocketing out of her room and down the stairs, well, halfway down the stairs, as she held the railing and leapt over, dropping to the floor with a THUMP
"Kimberly Ann Possible!" Came a shout from the upstairs bathroom.
"Sorry dad!" Kim yelled as she skidded into the living room, right face-to-face with Ron. "Hi!" She smiled delightfully.
"Hi KP..." Ron smiled back, gazing deep into her sparkling emerald eyes. Well, they sparkled to him, to heck with whatever other people would say. He always noticed her eyes first. Regardless of what anyone else would say was her most attractive feature, her hot athletic body, her silky red hair, to Ron it was only the eyes... at least for the first few seconds. "Whoa KP!" Ron smirked, "That is a... well, very nice outfit! Um... What character is it again?" He mocked slightly, knowing full well who she was. White bustier and knee length skirt, gold crest on the chest/upper abdomen, simple gold bracers and boots, gold side winged tiara with a red crystal in the forehead, and with a light red cape that hung down to just past her butt. A white purse hung on a long strap from one shoulder.
"She-Ra, Princess of Power. Someone that can keep even you in line, my Mega-Ron-Man!" Kim giggled slightly. Ron turned to take another look at the other Possibles.
"And you two? Look like... Hmm, representatives from the insurance agency for the victims of reptile attacks?" Ron snickered at the two blue and black suited squirts.
"No, we're Tomax and Xamot-" Jim started,
"-Cobra's twin terror team!" Tim finished. MrsP looked at them warily.
"There just had better be no terror trouble at the party." She warned accusingly. Jim and Tim gave their all too innocent 'who us?' look.
"I gotta say MrsP, you'll probably be the main star of the shin-dig tonight!" Ron gave a low whistle, prompting a hit to the arm from Kim. MrsP was dressed in a turquoise light leather torso bustier armor that had gold pattern wrapped lines circling her abdomen and sides, and also coiled gently up around her prominently bulging bosom, her flawlessly smooth cleavage shown by a distractingly low neckline beneath a soft turquoise neck brace and framed on either side by golden shoulder pads. The bustier stopped at her waist, where a quadra-bar banded golden belt held it attached to a sheer silken folded skirt that only barely reached a third of the way down her thighs, half-way at most, depending how she moved. A falcon head half hat/helm with turquoise neck guard, matching boots and golden bracelets finished the look with a set of medium sized fake wings that were attached to her back.
"You think? I don't know," MrsP blushed tremendously. "I thought it would be fun to dress to match Kim, instead of that same old witch's costume. For some reason I just couldn't stomach the thought of wearing it for Halloween... again." She sighed.
"Well, don't worry Sorceress mom, I definitely agree with the change. Stick with it." Kim assured, as the sound of footsteps down the stairs prompted everyone to look, and stare.
"Well everyone? What do you think?" MrP asked. Everyone stared for a moment in silence.
"SO... WRONG!" Kim shuddered creepily. Her dad had dyed out the gray in his hair to black, BUT... He had a fake scar under his left eye, and... blue skin, with a blue lab suit/coat.
"Eeeewwww! MrP! Do you have any idea the trauma you have just subjected KP and me to? Why dress like DRAKKEN?" Ron exclaimed, looking like he might be sick at any moment.
"I, uh, thought you were going to wear the vampire outfit dear." MrsP said, looking a little queasy herself.
"Well, since you decided to try something new, and that meant we wouldn't match, I decided to change out also. And the idea is to dress as something scary, right?" MrP said, putting the finishing touch on his look. A clip-on false mini ponytail.
"Wrong-sick, wrong-sick, wrong-sick..." Kim chanted to herself, refusing to look at her dad. She instead turned back to Ron. "Well, since now we're all ready," She glanced at the clock that read 7:45pm, "We can get to the school gym right for the start of the party and - ahh!" Kim flinched as a small figure jumped at her with a knife. Or so it looked.
"Hyk, Hi Kim!" Rufus chuckled, pulling up the small hockey mask he wore, waving the fake rubber knife that had a bit of red paint on the tip. He jumped from the counter he stood on up to Ron's shoulder.
"OK... NOW that we're ALL ready..." Kim giggled, moving towards the door, leaning in to take Ron's arm, but was stopped by a stern harrumph from her dad.
"Ok you two, remember that there are going to be younger students at the dance also, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. So keep things respectable." MrP said with disturbing severity as he motioned everyone to the door.
"Cooties" - "Yuk!" J&T laughed. Everyone else rolled their eyes thinking the same thing: 'within the next year for sure, they'll change their minds. Maybe even at this dance if we're lucky, or unlucky, as the case may be.'
After Mr. and MrsP and Kim all checked to make sure they had their house keys, they left to walk to the school in the pleasantly cool, and thankfully clear October night. Regardless of the unfairly critical eye of her dad, Kim still confidently walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Ron.
"Well, I must admit, no matter what else may happen, this will definitely be a Halloween to remember. The first time ever that Ron Stoppable would rather go to a party than trick-or-treating." Kim smiled, remembering the shocking conversation at the beginning of the month.
FLASHBACK
Kim and Ron were sitting in Bueno Nacho, like they always did, eating their favorite foods, like they always did, sitting across from each-other, like they always did, holding hands and feeding the occasional bite to each-other, like they had... for the past several months at least.
"So KP, its October. Got a costume picked out for Halloween?" Ron asked, munching nachos almost as fast as Rufus as he half-buried himself in his plate.
"I think so. Something I'm sure you'll like, and should help stuff the bags when we TOT." Kim smiled, imagining the feast of sugar that would probably leave them both sick for a day or two. But she blinked as Ron scratched the back of his neck, a trademark sign of his awkward nervousness.
"Um, actually KP, I was kinda hoping we could go together to the school Halloween party this year." He said. Kim promptly choked on her soda.
"W-what? Are you serious?" She gasped wide-eyed. Ron gave her the look.
"Note-serious-face. Really KP, I'd have thought you'd have noticed by now. I am serious when it comes to us. All this past summer, didn't I pay real close attention to you? The studying, the school course planning," Ron explained.
"The extra hard physical training you kept insisting on. That, I believe has been even more shocking than your incredible rise in your schoolwork grades. Not that I mind the fringe benefits." Kim smiled, poking his chest, that his usually baggy shirts, though not so baggy anymore, still managed to hide the deliciously toned lean muscled body Ron had been sporting for some time.
"Well, who knows how much time we'll have together after we graduate? I'm not that stupid KP," Ron held up a hand to stop her objection to his self put-down, "I've already figured that we're not going to be attending the same college, no matter how hard I work at my grades this year. So I figure the least I could do for you is to make sure what time we have now is a little more to your liking. Especially the important times. Birthdays, holidays. I mean, I managed to make the fourth of July pretty nice this time around, didn't I?" Ron asked curiously. Kim's hand squeezed his... hard.
"Definitely." Kim breathed. 'Oh heavens! What an event THAT was! I still get goose bumps thinking about it!' Kim thought, suddenly excited. "Ron, I know you're a bit nervous about the thought of us having to split up for any length of time for any reason. But I'm not planning on losing you, and there is no reason to worry. I am very proud of your hard work. Hmmm, seems to me your energetic streak started... right after junior prom?" Kim smiled knowingly at her beloved boyfriend.
"Well, you know KP, potential boy... I mean... All it takes is the right motivation, and all that." Ron blushed, gently rubbing Kim's hand with his thumb.
"Yes Ron, motivation. And my motivation to keep us together through school, college, in all missions, and maybe... well, you know... later in life," Kim blushed herself. "Is nothing less than everything we have. We grew up together, being there with each-other, each of us literally shaping who the other is. Our defining years of our lives, who we will be for the rest of our lives. And who I am, is part of you. And you are part of me. That can't be changed, not by anyone or anything. Ok?" Kim leaned over the table, now clear of messy food thanks to the pink black hole sitting lazily to the side, and gave Ron a light kiss at the corner of his mouth.
"Ok. So, Halloween party?" Ron smiled.
"Absolutely. And I think my costume choice will work even better for the party than for TOT'ing." Kim smirked smugly.
"That's great! I'd hate for all my hard work to have gone to waste." Ron said, getting up to get more food.
"What does homework have to do with a Halloween party?" Kim asked, confused. Ron stopped dead in his tracks to look at her sheepishly.
"Ah, oh, nothing?" He said. Kim raised an eyebrow.
"Rooonnnn?" She said with suspicion.
END FLASHBACK
Kim sighed against Ron. That conversation had been scary, romantic, confusing and exciting all at once. And afterward, she had managed to weasel a confession out of Ron that he had been planning something special for the Halloween party all summer, putting in a lot of work on something, but wouldn't say exactly what. Even her trusty puppy-dog-pout had only gotten her the response: 'KP, it will be exciting, unexpected, and allow us both to get away with a bit of fun in front of anyone without trouble. It will be something truly wicked. Trust me.'
"I admit Ron, this MegaMan suit is pretty sweet." Kim said in approval, looking him over again. Helmet, boots, blocked belt, and rounded gloves of a polished hard plastic, and the fabric of the suit was a highly durable cloth, just barely tight enough to show the faintest of outlines of his muscles. To anyone else, that is, those who would not expect his athleticism, they would just figure that he had a very thin layer of 'muscle padding' underneath the blue clothing. An insult to Ron's hard work, but considering he did nothing to show otherwise, Kim would have to just let it go.
"Ah yes, it is, isn't it? And it has a nice little trick to it also. Wanna see?" Ron smirked mischievously. Kim raised a wary eyebrow.
"Um, ok, sure." She said, but stepped away from him a bit. Just in case, you know.
Ron pulled the large rounded left plastic cuff forward on his arm until his hand was hidden inside. Twisting it, the opening clicked shut with some kind of lens. Ron then reached up with his right hand and pushed a concealed button on his helmet, causing a tinted visor to come down over his eyes. He raised his left arm, pointing it at a car across the street. Suddenly two balls of light BZYOWNED out of the casing, streaking over to hit the car with sizable explosions.
"YEEK!" "RONALD!" "WHOA-COOL!" The others cried.
"RON! What are you doing? Why would you... you... huh?" Kim had grabbed Ron's arm, but as she shoved it, the 'fire' from the blasts had shifted and fizzed, showing the unharmed car behind it.
"Ha-ha-ha! Gotcha KP! This," He pulled his arm from her hand and held it up so she could see clearly, "Is an audio-visual hologram emitter, compliments of Wade Enterprises! The HUD in the visor measures the distance to whatever I point the emitter at, so it can project a realistic show of energy bolts firing out to explode on contact! Wade may have made it, but the idea was all mine!" Ron laughed at the still slightly freaked faces of the others.
"Oh man, why didn't we-" "Think of doing something like that?" J&T smacked their heads.
"Because we wouldn't have let you if you did." MrP said sternly.
"Considering if you two did it, the explosions would likely be real, intentional or not." Kim sneered.
"Hyk, party! Party!" Rufus waved franticly at everyone.
"Oh, Rufus is right! We'd better get moving, or we'll be late for the start of the party!" MrsP said, shooing everyone along. After a minute or two of silent rushing, just as the school came into view, Kim turned to Ron.
"So that was the surprise you've been working on?" She asked, curiously.
"Pfft! Oh please KP! This is just my Halloween enthusiasm! The real special surprise is yet to come! Remember KP, I said it was going to be exciting, unexpected and real wicked. In fact, it's going to be so unbelievable, I'm going to be beside myself with pride!" Ron smiled in a way that made Kim anxious to find out.
The group walked up to the exterior gym doors that were open, as a few other partygoers were entering as well. Already, the loud music played from inside as they went in. There were already a lot of people filling the gym, maybe as many as 200 of the school students, and about a dozen or so adult chaperones. Jim and Tim instantly scrambled into the crowd, to do who knows what. Mr and MrsP waved off to Kim and Ron and moved to say hello to the other parents and few adult volunteers for the party.
"Ha, knew it." Ron chuckled. Kim looked at him funny. He pointed, "I knew your mom would turn heads." Kim looked to see, indeed, lots of guys were following MrsP's movement, some discreetly, some ogling like wolves. Kim made a disqueezic face.
"Hey yo power princess!" Called a female voice to the far right. Kim and Ron made their way over to where Monique was standing in front of the DJ table, behind which sat Felix, mixing it up.
"Hey Monique! Hmm. Um, a little help?" Kim shrugged sheepishly, gesturing to Monique's costume of full covering white cloth, relatively form-fitting from neck down to her legs, but a large draping fold of cloth hung beneath her arms, connected at the wrists, and her belt. A red and yellow X patch was positioned over each shoulder/breast conjuncture.
"Girl, how can you be familiar with the 80's She-Ra, but not the 90's X-Men? I'm Storm! You know, major hip team leader, zappin' the jerks who stand me up with lightning?" Monique huffed.
"I thought Cyclops was the team leader." Ron said, already munching a bowl of some sort of candy mints he seemingly pulled out of nowhere, with Rufus helping gladly.
"Nu-Uh! Nu-Uh! Professor!" Rufus chirped pointing at Felix, who was wearing a tan office suit, his wheelchair was accessorized with fitted yellow plastic covers, and his head looked bald due to a skin cap that covered his hair.
"My little Ruf-Master is on cue! The brilliant Professor X knows all, sees all, and controls all... the music!" Felix pumped the air.
"Matching costumes?" Kim smirked with a suspicious eyebrow directed at Monique, who looked a bit POTS, Put On The Spot. Monique avoided eye contact for a moment, but then shrugged and giggled.
"So, Felix and I have been hanging a bit... ok, a LOT the last few weeks. No big, at least not yet, but its scoping girl!" Monique winked at Felix who suddenly had an intent interest in the CD selection in front of him.
"It's interesting to see you two in the scene light for a change instead of Ron and I." Kim mused, but started when she noticed said Ron absent. She looked around to see him moving through the crowd, checking out other costumes with interest, talking and saying hello to whoever he knew.
"Speaking of your other half, Kim, how in the world did you convince Ron to skip TOT'ing and come to the party? Spill girl, I gotta know! In case I ever have to short circuit Free-Wheels here." Monique shot another look at Felix, who glanced back, a bit red faced, but smiling.
"Wasn't me Monique. Ron wanted to come. Yeah, shocking, I know. He's been planning for this for at least two months, even during the summer as far as I can tell. He says he's got some major mondo gargantuan surprise fun planned, and I admit, I'm MORE than a bit curious. I haven't been able to find out anything from anyone! Even wade doesn't know what the sitch is." Kim shrugged frustrated.
"Whoa, if brain boy can't figure it out... Well, it must be real important for Ron to be that careful. I say, be grateful for the hint, and just wait for it girl. After all, he has been pouring on the gold since you two finally hooked up, hasn't he?" Monique smiled. "Not many guys put out the GRE Kim."
"Monique, what have I told you about the acronyms?" Kim scolded harshly.
"Sorry. GRE, Genuine Relationship Effort. That guy worships you girl. You're not going to start taking him for granted, are you?" Monique asked seriously.
"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be able to keep her well aware of my very significant presence." Ron said, stepping back into the conversation and moving closely to Kim, brushing his hand over her shoulder.
"Oh please! As if there is anything significant about being a LOSER!" Interrupted the ever irritating voice of Bonnie. Kim growled, but Ron stopped her.
"Bonnie, you really should heed the golden ru... golden ru... gold... guh!" Ron trailed off to drop-jaw as he saw what Bonnie was wearing, or rather, nearly NOT wearing. She stood in a red and black outfit that somehow seemed a cross between an elegant gown, and a low-necked lingerie teddy. Seemingly a bit more the latter than the former.
"Oh, NO WAY! Bonnie, why in the world would you wear such a... UGH! And how exactly did you get MrBarkin to allow you to stay if you're wearing that? And who are you supposed to be anyway!?" Kim freaked.
"I'm exactly what I've always been! Queen of the school's food chain! And as such only a royal persona could befit my dominant presence! Queen of hearts, Alice in wonderland. Ruler of the whole kingdom, gets what she wants-" Bonnie waved a hand airily.
"Rude, bossy, short-tempered, loud-mouthed, self-absorbed, egotistical, a whiner when she doesn't get her way..." Ron counted off his fingers. Kim, Monique and Rufus all chuckled, causing Bonnie to nearly hiss in fury.
"Doesn't matter Mega-Loser! You and your 'princess' will have to stand back and watch the real queen here win the Queen Of The Night best costume prize tonight. It's voted on by everyone, and in case you haven't noticed, there are slightly more boys here than girls." Bonnie put a hand behind her head and thrust out her nearly bare bulging chest. "But don't kid yourself Kim, it doesn't suit you to try to show off skin, because you just don't have the right... qualities, to pull it off. I'm going to win, and I'm going to gloat." Bonnie sashayed away, drawing the eyes of every boy around.
"She needs to fix that 'tude, before she gets hurt by it." Ron scowled rather intently at the departing royal pain, a look that made Kim frown slightly. She couldn't remember ever seeing such a look on him before.
"Give it up Ron. She's a bitch and a slut, and it's extremely unlikely that she will change. She'll just have to deal with the consequences of her actions, especially once she is past the protection of school, out in the real world." Kim muttered quietly. But then she brightened up as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl headed their way, a boy with a long gray beard and brown and tan aristocratic robes in tow.
"Hi Kim! Hi Ron." Tara said sweetly. She was wearing plastic knight armor bearing the signet of the Fleur' De Lee.
"Hey Tara! Or is it Joan de' Arc? Hanging with civilian Santa to boot!" Ron smiled, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Ha-ha-ha! One out of two Ron! I'm Joan alright, but Josh isn't Santa, he's-" Tara laughed.
"Leonardo Da Vinci. Honestly Ron, how could you guess Tara's costume and not know Joshes?" Kim rolled her eyes at his selective memory.
"Hey KP, I knows what I like. Strong, confident, kick-butt girls!" Ron smiled, touching her shoulder again, but was shifting foot to foot as he rubbed his stomach with his other hand.
"Dude, you ok?" Josh asked through the prickly beard, lifting his artist cap out of his eyes.
"Ohh, KP, I'm crummy in the tummy." Ron groaned.
"What? Already?" Kim asked in surprise, and disappointment. 'If he gets sick now, he'll probably not get the chance to show me that big surprise he was planning. So not fair!' Kim thought sourly.
"Ughn, well, not to bad I think." Ron straightened up. "But I better take a pilgrimage to the bathroom just to be certain. Save me a dance KP!" Ron smiled before rushing out the interior doors leading to the school main building.
"Well, so much for his big surprise tonight." Kim sighed as she watched as he left.
"Hey, you don't know that. The night has barely begun. Stand by your Ron girl." Monique said confidently. Kim raised an accusing eyebrow at her.
"Gee, why does THAT sound so familiar? As I recall, it was immediately followed by: 'Girl, I just went from so, to whoa!' Isn't that about right?" Kim made an impression of Monique sarcastically.
"Ah, I think I'll go get some soda." Monique quickly departed, leaving trails of burning cheeks behind. Felix gave a curious look at Kim.
"Are you ever going to forgive her for that innocent slip?" He asked, putting in another CD in the stereo player. Kim just shrugged.
The group turned their attention to snacks and the music, checking out costumes, as the chaperones were already starting to make rounds with clipboards, taking votes for the best costumes. MrBarkin, however, was circling the outer edge of the whole gym, dressed in his military fatigues, marching to some unheard beat, watching the party, seemingly looking for any excuse to butt in on the students' fun. Not that he was a deliberate sourpuss, but he just couldn't get past his rules and 'discipline'. MrsP and MrP had taken a place near the gym stage. It was funny to watch some of the other adults, and even students, trying to pass close enough to them to get a good leer at MrsP's finely costumed figure, but always hurried past, looking slightly nauseous at MrP's Drakken appearance. It seemed that people didn't agree with the blue-skinned look, at least on him. But he seemed to be split in his attention, trying to follow the Tweeb's movements around the gym, and keep and eye on Kim at the same time. Bonnie was keeping herself busy by making sure that she passed right under the nose of nearly every guy in the room, giving a smile and slight shoulder drop while 'asking' them to be sure to vote for her costume.
"Well I must admit, this is more exciting than I expected! Seriously dear, it's been years since we attended a real Halloween party or dance! For so long, Kim and Ron, and Jim and Tim would go trick-or-treating, or we'd be doing the charity drives, and, OH!" MrsP smiled excitedly, and gave a glance to her husband. "And just maybe, if you lighten up a bit, we'll have a dance for ourselves before the night is over. So don't stress so much. MrBarkin will surly be able to keep an eye on Jim and Tim, in fact, I think he has already, and I know Kim and Ron have been looking forward to this, so try not to ruin it for them?" MrsP pleaded, throwing out the dreaded weapon: the puppy dog pout. MrP had been watching Kim intently, but at his wife's tone, he turned to look at her, right into the line of fire.
"Oh, alright. As long as things don't get to out of control, I'll... try to relax." He grumphed, but blushed as MrsP pressed up against his side.
"Thank you dear." She whispered huskily.
Out side the school gym, a shadowed female figure climbed up a tree up the side of the building, vaulting up onto the roof. She moved over to the heavy-duty window skylight that had been unshuttered for the night. Shego was her name, causing trouble was her game.
'Well, well. A party for all, and I wasn't invited. Tsk, tsk, Princess. Such rude manners, neglecting to inform all potentially interested persons to your little ball.' Shego thought mischievously as she looked in the window down on the mass of costumes below. 'After all, I wasn't about to sit around the lair alone and bored tonight. What with DrD having gone off to that ridiculous and geeky 'supervillan superhero' costume party. Villains dressing as so-called heroes as their mock costumes? I'll pass on the hurl-inducing environment thank you. I'm going to have much more fun crashing your peaceful night, Princess.' Shego smiled as she spotted Kim taking a seat to one side of the main floor up towards the stage. 'HA! Princess of Power indeed! Such a shame DrD passed this up. I'm sure he would have had much more fun seeing this.' Shego rolled her eyes slightly thinking of earlier.
FLASHBACK
"Oh come on Shego! Surely you don't intend to pass up this chance! DrDementor actually sent us invites to his Halloween party! Us! Invited! I'm not going to give up a chance to show up that half-stock villain for creative genius! There is no way he'll be able to top my costume!" Dr. Drakken stood proudly, with hands on hips.
Shego sat at a table, her face in her hands, half to prevent herself from looking, half to keep herself from laughing out loud, instead, only managing to stifle the giggling to a minimum.
"I (hummph!) doubt anyone (guffhha!) would have thought to dress (hymphhymph!) like a giant (fffpppttaa!) orange-red (heermmmph!) fuzzy faced alien cat (tttffffppp!) named OZBERT! HA! HA! HA!" Shego couldn't hold it any more, guffawing long and loud.
"Exactly Shego! I will be the most unexpected character there! Sure to beat the others! At the very least you could come to witness my victory!" Dr. Drakken pleaded to her. But Shego held up a hand.
"And have to deal with seeing henchmen dressed up as my obnoxious brothers? No way DrD! In case you've forgotten, I try to distance myself from that unfortunate reminder of past embarrassments. Besides I already have my own plan for tonight, so you're on you own!" She got up and headed out the door, avoiding the potential lint from Drakken's suit. 'I don't know how he keeps himself from sweating like a pig in that ridiculous getup!' She thought, laughing more.
END FLASHBACK
'Nothing to strenuous here, just bust in, cause a little commotion, and make sure the precious heroine's night is ruined. Don't see any potential threats from any of the adults, so it should be easy to... wait! Is that DrD!? What is he doing here!? Trying to have fun without me!? Lying to ME!? Oh I'm going to tear him limb from... no... That's not Drakken.' Shego squinted slightly to see the figure. 'No, that's... That's Mr. Possible? Kimmie's dad? ... ... SO... WRONG!' Shego turned away, gagging slightly. "Wrong-sick, wrong-sick, wrong-sick!" She coughed, composing herself. Turning back, and focusing on Kim, not on... uuuggghh...
She hooked a rope cable she had with her to a pipe around the glass support, and was about to break through the window, when...
SLA-BAMM
Shego jumped slightly, and looked down...
SLA-BAMM
The booming echo of the gym doors snapped the attention of everyone in the gym, and the startlement caused Felix to accidentally stop the music so that focused silence was all that remained.
The figure in the doorway might have been a nightmare, or a harshly realistic dream, depending who you asked at the time. Over sixty percent dark gray high elegance quality long sleeve shirt and pants, he (?) wore a shoulderless high neck collar deep crimson red breastplate. Patterns of silver lines etched into it simulated major muscle patterns, although there was a silver etched 'Z' over the left breast. He wore shin high heavy metal plate boots of the same red color, symmetrical silver etchings visible across the front. Metal gauntlets of full encircling bracers and articulated hand/finger encompassing covering. Same red color, same silver line etchings. He wore a long black cape, not as heavy as velvet, not as sheer as silk, but as it wavered and drifted in the breeze from outside, it seemed as if waves of red shifted across it, down it. Almost like... blood. But his head... a mask of black metal, encasing his whole head, ears and whatever hair he might have, completely concealed. The mask covered over the top of his nose, and carefully framed around his mouth, the only skin visible, to cup the underside of his chin. The majority of the mask/cap was black, but a silver etched flame style motif framing his facial area, along with six symmetrical horns/spines drew in the attention to the eyes. The featureless, opaque, red eyes.
Kim and Monique were as stunned as everyone else as they gazed at him, though both their minds were working, they were each thinking different directions.
'Whoa and more whoa! That is one sweetly bad hottie! Though... why does he look familiar? I'd swear I know him from somewhere... Darn! It's like trying to remember some vague fuzzy dream. But that outfit...' Monique looked the newcomer up and down, unable to tear her gaze from him.
'Oh, holy smoke! Looks like someone is even more crazy about Halloween than Ron is! That actually looks like real metal! Not to mention expensive! And real scary! And real... hot...' Kim thought wide eyed. 'No Kim, no hottie ogling. You swore to that when you chose to be with Ron, my hottie. But still... that is one bad boy!' Kim admonished herself.
On the other side of the gym however, Bonnie was having her own thoughts.
'Oh, my god! Totally superior hottie and then some! Now HE is King Of The Food Chain material! And so bad! Ohhh, now he would be perfect to stand by my side tonight! The King and Queen of the Night, both as gorgeous as royalty should be. Hmm, and maybe after our coronation, we can have our consummation.' Bonnie wet her lips and pushed up her chest a bit, already planning to add to her prizes of victory of the night.
Slowly, the fiend in the doorway looked across the crowded gym, some people actually cringing under his gaze. When his scan stopped, it was directed on one intent line. Right at Kim and Monique. His eyes flashed with a momentary glow as he immediately started walking across the gym with solid, purposefully intense steps that echoed through the room, the crowd parting like a school of fish before a shark. There were gasps from scattered onlookers in his wake, as they pointed in shock to the glowing, smoking footprints behind him. Like lava burns outlining his boot tread, they faded after a moment, without a trace.
Shego's eyes were nearly bulging out of her head as she followed the moving figure. She drank in the appearance of the mysterious individual with unfamiliar astonishment.
'WOW! Now THAT is what I call an entrance! Who is that? I can't believe a student would have such impressive evil fashion sense! Those burning foot prints... He... He couldn't be for real... Could he?' Shego licked her lips, not even aware that she had, of all things, actually forgotten about Kim Possible for the time being. 'Maybe... if I'm real lucky... I could hold a little audition for him... and myself. Hmmm. I wonder, how far beyond the looks does his badness go?' Shego made herself comfortable to observe, the rope beside her completely forgotten.
MrsP was watching the unfolding event with great excitement, thinking that this was so much better that TOT'ing or standing around doing nothing for fundraisers (noble causes aside). She looked at the entree with anxious anticipation, wondering what was going to happen next. She looked at the way he was standing so tall and confident, and she felt her womanly instincts stir in her belly, a tingle that focused her attention. She unconsciously raised an eyebrow as she saw the dark fiend heading towards her daughter.
'Oh Kimmie, why do you always get to have all the fun? Why can't I experience some action for once?' MrsP thought wistfully, enjoying the adrenaline rush.
MrP frowned at the unpleasant-looking individual. He didn't like the feel of things at all. The way everyone was looking at this BOY, or at least that was the only assumption he could figure, was obviously a case of unhealthy disruption. He glanced a moment at his wife, and nearly choked.
'What the-? What is going on? Is everyone going bonkers? The way Ann is... is... ogling him! This is a bad boy through and through. Wha-! He's heading for my Kimmi-Cub! There is no way she'd deal with the likes of him!' MrP nearly scowled, thinking only trouble would come of all this. And he REALLY didn't like the way his wife was looking at him. But he focused on Kim and the approaching person.
Bonnie was rabidly drooling over the newest and hottest of hotties, but she nearly blew a fuse when she saw him heading towards Kim.
'Aaarrgh! Always with Possible! She messes up everything! She'll probably do something stupid and scare this hottie off, her and the looser sidekick of hers... Well at least he's gone now. But who cares! I am going to have that hottie!' Bonnie was grinding her teeth, a rather unfortunate habit she was trying to break.
Kim and Monique felt like a pair of doe in the burning lights of an oncoming train. The figure came to a stop right in front of them. He looked at a wide-eyed Kim, then to a jittering Monique, then back to a red-faced Kim.
"Kim Possible." Said a voice that was harmonious, deep but not overly so, and most of all, commanding.
"Yeep!" Kim squeaked, then cleared her throat. She was glad she was sitting, because she doubted her legs would have held her up at that moment. Monique, standing next to her however, was not having much luck with her knees. The only thing keeping her up was her split attention between the guy, and what he was wearing.
'A bell is going off, but I can't remember what it's for! All I know is that I could swear that his outfit seems so vaguely familiar. Or maybe I just can't focus because I'm in hottie lock!' Monique tried to keep from drooling.
"Ah, yes, I'm Kim Possible." Kim said, her voice a little more steady. The fiend reached down and grabbed her hand, yanking her up.
"A dance." He said, pulling her out to the floor.
Kim tried to object, but for some reason, her voice and mouth wouldn't work. She tried to pull her hand away, but his grip, his strong, cool, surprisingly soft grip, wouldn't relent. In the middle of the gym, he stopped abruptly, spinning to face her. Kim, surprised by the feel of his touch, took one fraction of a second to look at his hand. The metal of his gauntlet only covered the top of his hand and fingers. His palm and fingers were in a black fabric the coloring like his cape, only it was definitely silk. It was too exquisite to be other-wise.
Kim's attention was pulled back to his masked face when his eyes glowed briefly. Just as it seemed the shock of his entrance was about to wear off, just as the first whispers of conversation were edging in the crowd...
"DJ!" His voice boomed off the walls and ceiling, making people jump, and Kim nearly jumped out of her costume. He pulled a CD from behind his back, holding it up for all to see.
"W-who... are... you?" Kim whispered so meekly, she was shocked at herself.
"Zormok, the Vile." He stated. Barely twisting his gaze to one side, he suddenly threw the CD over the heads of the re-stunned crowd, the reflective disk zipping straight into the fumbling hands of Felix. "PLAY IT!" Zormok shouted as he raised Kim's hand in his own, while his other positioned itself low on her hip, nearly on her thigh. Kim's eyes blazed with momentary rage, but vanished as his eyes glowed again, the red light drowning her thoughts. He led slow, matching the beginning music, gently twirling her around to the first moments of notes.
When the devil is too busy
And death's a bit too much
They call on me by name you see,
For my special touch.
To the gentlemen I'm miss fortune
To the ladies I'm sir prize
But call me by any name
Any way it's all the same
Zormok moved his hand from her hip to around her back and yanked her tightly against him. She gasped at how cold the chestplate was against her breasts, prompting her to shiver as her body responded to his cold, and her own heat. Now pressed close, the music and steps quickened. She began to feel a suspicious edge in her gut at the boldness and familiarity of his touch and movements.
I'm the fly in your soup
I'm the pebble in your shoe
I'm the pea beneath your bed
I'm a bump on every head
I'm the peel on which you slip
I'm a pin in every hip
I'm the thorn in your side
Makes you wiggle and writhe
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free-
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
Kim was feeling uneasy being in this mans arms, but even as Zormok's hands continued touching and holding her in a most brazenly inappropriate way, caressing her even as they moved in perfect time with the music, Kim couldn't understand why her voice still refused to work. Why her hands and feet wouldn't pull away from him. When a familiar thrill began to grow in her heart, she felt a sly suspicion begin to creep into a smile on her face as her eyes widened in gaze upon him. 'He must be...'
While there's children to make sad
While there's candy to be had
While there's pockets left to pick
While there's grannies left to trip down the stairs
I'll be there, I'll be waiting 'round the corner
It's a game I'm glad I'm in it
'Cause there's one born every minute
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free-
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
Zormok twirled and dipped Kim with easy strength as she was beginning to arch herself into the movements. But when he dipped her backwards again, her gaze fell to the upside-down audience behind her, she felt her heart stop and her blood freeze. Standing over by the snack table, dressed in the all blue MegaMan suit, was Ron. He had a blank, neutral look on his face as he watched her. Others around were flickering their gaze back and forth, shock evident in their own faces. Panic ripped through Kim even as in the background, large dark shadow figures began to appear on the walls, only to pull away and drift through the freaked audience like ghosts of the dammed.
'NO! OH GOD, PLEASE NO! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?' Kim's mind screamed in despair, only to have her gaze drawn back to Zormok once again by his glowing eyes.
I pledge my allegiance, to all things dark
And I promise on my damned soul
To do as I am told, lord Beelxebub
Has never seen a soldier quite like me
Not only does his job, but does it happily
I'm the fear that keeps you 'wake
I'm the shadows on the wall
I'm the monsters they become
I'm the nightmare in your skull
I'm a dagger in your back
An extra turn upon the rack
I'm the quivering of your heart
A stabbing pain, a sudden start
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The devil tips his hat to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
Kim was pulled to a sudden stop, standing upright, facing Zormok as the music slowed. She was surrounded by people. She was surrounded by shadowy monsters drifting through the crowd. All she wanted to do was run away, but she couldn't. Something in her was stopping her. She couldn't understand her body's betrayal as tears began to stream down her face.
'Take your hands off me you disgusting bastard! Let me go! I can't betray Ron! I c-cant... betray... Ron... Why do I feel so hot...?' Her mind burned with grief and her body burned with energy, as Zormok gently stroked her face and neck, his masked face so close as his icy cold breath brushed her skin. They were just standing in the middle of the floor, Zormok holding her shoulders, his head almost resting against hers. Kim closed her eyes and turned her head away from him, trying to block out his presence.
It gets so lonely being evil
What I'd do to see a smile
Even for a little while
And no-one loves you when you're evil
Without warning, Zormok leaned down to plant his mouth on Kim's neck, sucking fiercely. Kim, against all logic, against all sense, moaned out loud. Gasps of shock and excitement sprang out of the on-looking crowd, everyone too stunned to make a move.
I'm lying through my teeth!
Your tears are all the company I need!
'Oh god! Oh... no... NO! I c-can't... Stop... I'm so... I-I-I f-feel... No! NO! Oh GOD! I'm... about to... I'M GOING TO-' Kim's mind screeched, and her body tensed up, every muscle tight, about to...
Abruptly, Zormok let go of her neck and pulled away a step, still holding her by the shoulders. Kim's eyes snapped open, mouth hanging open, her whole body sweaty and twitching. A very large and obviously visible hicky was burned onto her neck. The music had stopped, all talking and movement had stopped, and every single set of eyes in the gym were locked on the pair standing in the middle of the floor.
"Now everyone knows that you belong to me." Zormok stated with such infuriating boldness. He let go of Kim's shoulders, and she instantly collapsed to her knees, still trembling. Zormok turned and began striding towards the gyms outside doors, but he held up a hand, and the CD that Felix had played, and had just taken out of the player, jumped out of his grip and flew past startled onlookers, straight in to Zormok's outstretched hand.
The crowd was in brain-lock as the shadow creatures that had been drifting around instantly swarmed forward, falling in line behind Zormok. As he approached the doors, Bonnie suddenly jumped out into his path.
"Hey there hot-stuff! No reason to leave already. One dance with a second rate cheerleader isn't enough to really enjoy the night of nights! I bet I could show you a fine time if you're interes-HEY!" Bonnie yelped as he didn't even pause.
"I have no time for losers right now!" Zormok growled as his eyes blazed brighter than ever, and he grabbed Bonnie by the shoulder, shoving her aside and down to the floor. Continuing past, he raised his hand again, and the doors yanked themselves open. He marched out as the shadows vanished in all directions, the doors slamming closed behind him, leaving 200 some-odd people trying to re-start their brains, and one sobbing powerless princess in white on the floor, desperately wishing to wake up from a nightmare.
Shego was nearly hyperventilating. She watched the fiend dance the dance of passion with Kim around the floor. She nearly fainted as shadows came to life off the walls and floors. She gripped her own throat on reflex as she watched Kim's be attacked by the individual that was quickly becoming Shego's new obsession. When she saw him start towards the doors, she sprung away from the window, and scrambled down the gym's outer wall.
'I HAVE to see him up close! I can't let this opportunity get away! The dance was tantalizing! The music, prophetic! His very look, intoxicating! How could such things happen? Was it a trick? Even if it was, he has the makings for the greatest supervillan I've ever seen! For someone to be able to do that to Possible in plain sight of everyone... I wonder what he could do... to me?' She vaulted off a tree just as Zormok exited the gym, slamming the doors closed, without touching them. When she dropped down in front of him, he stopped in his tracks.
"Shego!" He cried in surprise. His head whipped around as he looked all around. "I thought you were in prison! What are you doing here!?" He snarled, his eyes burning with red light as he dropped into a fighting stance.
"WHOA! Whoa! Take it easy Zormok! Or do you prefer Mr. Vile? I'm not interested in fighting you. Quite the opposite really." Shego waved in defense before putting her hands on her tilted hips, a sultry smile on her face.
"What? You're not? I mean, you are? What-?" Zormok's eyes stopped glowing for a moment, and he looked down. A seemingly odd and strange action to Shego, but when he looked back up at her, his eyes were glowing again. "Whatever you want, make it FAST! I'm on a schedule!" He seethed in a much more vicious tone.
"Fast, hmmm? Ok, how's this? Your bad, your hot, so am I, I want to know what you're capable of, and I promise..." Shego smiled hungrily, slowly looking him up and down, "I will make it a VERY enjoyable interview." She took a few steps forward, swaying her hips with long-practiced, but seldom-used, enticement. "So? What do you think of my... offer?"
"There's no denying that you're the best of what you do, even despite the lack of even half-competent competitive comparison." He said slowly, straightening up. "And at any earlier point of time, I might have taken you for that offer quite seriously. But sorry, between you're recent flop in the diablo incident and your bad references, despite your otherwise tempting qualifications, you're just not quite what I want to bother with right now." He waved her off, walking past her, or trying to as she suddenly yanked him around, holding up a flaming hand.
"WHAT!? I honestly get the hots for a guy for the first time in years, actually wanting to play the submissive role for once in the hopes of a prodigy supervillan being forged in my hands, and you're TURNING ME DOWN!?" Shego shrieked.
"Yes." Zormok said softly as his eyes bathed red light over her pale face, and as he raised one hand, a short solid metal pole lying in the dirt by the building wall instantly leapt up, flying into his hand. A hand that then squeezed the pole tighter and tighter, until the creaking metal snapped in two. Shego blanched as he opened his hand again, nearly powdered metal flakes flitting out of his grip.
"Um, heh, what I meant was, uh, well, you know, Dr. Drakken came up with that whole crazy diablo idea, and um... hey, w-what did you mean by 'bad references'?" Shego backed off, looking confused, scared, but confused. Did I mention scared?
"Well, the last time I talked to Zorpox the Conqueror," He said, turning and beginning to walk away, "He said you were an unfocused, unreliable, cowardly traitor!" He called, disappearing around the corner, only to poke his head back for a moment. "But don't take it personally. I hear you were having an off-day!" He remarked, disappearing beyond the wall again. Shego stood silently for a moment, blinking into the night.
"W-wait... he talked... to Z-zorpox? If he... travels in circles THAT evil..." Shego held her forehead, looking like she was about to faint. "Ok... Maybe I don't want to associate with him..." She stumbled off into the dark.
In the gym, everyone was buzzing with talk. Everyone talking to everyone else. Bonnie was nearly clawing through a table, and sparks were almost flying from her grinding teeth, so to say she was mad would be a nearly fatal understatement. Mr and MrsP were trying to get through the crowd to Kim, but everyone was so engrossed in their speculation, that their chaotic movements kept pushing them back. Monique, however, was having more luck, masterfully weaving through the ruckus, moving towards the crumpled form of Kim that everyone else was keeping away from. Even as Monique came up to her, her sobbing was clear.
"Kim, what's wrong?" Monique asked, very concerned. Kim, face in hands, shook her head in despair.
"(sob)... How... How could I... I... (sob)... Let that happen? (sob, sob) I c-can't... why did this happen? WHY!?" Kim cried miserably, shaking, presumably in shock. Monique was freaked.
"Girl, what is going on? Why are you so freaked about this? It was incredible!" Monique tried to smile, but it didn't feel right.
"Incredible? INCREDIBLE!? It's a nightmare! I can't believe what I've done!" Kim sobbed again. Monique was now looking frightfully confused.
"Did what? Look, if you'll just calm down, when Ron gets back-" Monique went to give Kim a comforting hug.
"RON! Oh god... Oh god! No! I, I can't face him! I, I, I can't! I CAN'T!!" Kim suddenly launched up from her position, bolting past Monique, bowling over others as she charged for the exit door.
"WAIT! KIM, WAIT!" Monique shrieked as she sprinted after her BGF (Best Girl Friend).
Even as both girls raced from the gym, the crowd was only gaining in volume as their gossiping grew more outrageous. And none of them, not one, was of the favorable variety. Josh, Tara and Felix kept together, not gossiping, but, realistically, they knew they couldn't stop everyone else from doing so. And despite their friendships with Kim and Ron, they were uncertain as to what had just happened. They just watched helplessly as Mr and MrsP talked heatedly with MrBarkin for a moment before slowly pushing their way to the exit door.
"It's just a party, right? I mean, Ron wouldn't really ditch Kim just for dancing with some hottie, right?" Tara looked quite upset, almost as if she had been the one to have screwed up the relationship herself.
"One, don't call that jerk a hottie. It only makes it sound worse. Two, although they have been through this type of situation before, they weren't dating then, so this is a new deal for them. Third, despite the harshness, they're way too connected to be permanently broken up just because of this. It'll be rough for a while, but they'll be OK. And Monique went after Kim to help-" Felix was explaining, only to be interrupted by a blue hand dropping on his shoulder.
"'Went after Kim'? What are you talking about Felix? What just happened?" Ron asked, looking confusedly at three of his friends, seemingly looking for the other two.
"What just happened? What just HAPPENED!?" Felix shouted. "Did you dunk your head in the punch bowl? Kim just ran out in tears-"
"TEARS!? What is going on? I just... Huh? What is it Rufus?" Ron looked at the franticly chattering mole rat that had jumped on the table, yanking on Ron's suit. The others could only watch dumbly, for when Rufus was chattering that fast, only Ron was able to understand him. But even naked mole rats need to breath, and Rufus dropped down out of breath.
"Huh, Go! Go!" Rufus squeaked, pointing at the exit doors that were getting a lot of use that night.
"Look guys, we'll have to compare notes on everything later, right now I gotta talk to Kim!" Ron said hurriedly as he headed towards the exit, but was stopped short by the worst possible person.
"Well, well mega-loser! Seems like Kim finally realized that you're just the floormat that you've always been!" Bonnie sneered in triumph. Ron just glared at her for a moment.
"When Kim and I are enjoying our golden years, you're going to be screaming out your self-constructed delusions in a padded room, because that attitude will be the death of you when you're unable to handle the real world after you leave your beloved high school fantasy." Ron hissed, and shoved Bonnie down as he rushed out the door.
"Grrrr! I am starting to get really fed up with that loser! He is going to learn his place! And he is going to learn that he can NOT treat me like that!" Bonnie seethed as she picked herself up, and after a shot glare at the others, stormed off back into the crowd. The four friends, the artist, the martyr, the professor and the zombie killer mole rat regarded the departed queen's outburst.
"Think she's finally realizing that she never had any chance against Ron in the integrity department?" Josh asked amusedly.
"Still sounds like the last stages of denial to me. And she doesn't like to be reminded that her precious food-chain doesn't reach past high school. Or maybe college, but I doubt that she'll be attending the same one that Kim and Ron will." Felix tapped his chin in thought.
"I... don't know. She sounded AWFULLY mad this time. Aren't you two worried that she'll try to do something bad to Ron?" Tara asked nervously.
"Hyk! Ron tough! Kim tough!" Rufus chimed in confidently, then taking a bite of a cheeseball.
"I'm... sure you're right Rufus. ... I hope." Tara nibbled on candycorn.
Kim was running down the sidewalk at an unsteady sprint, with Monique close behind, calling after her friend.
"Kim! Kim, stop! Oh for the love of-! Kim, I... said... STOP!" Monique shouted, finally managing to grab one of Kim's arms, and pull her to a halt under an unusually bright streetlamp. Kim wouldn't look at her, her face downcast as tears still streamed down her cheek. "Kim, what is WRONG!? I don't understand why you're so upset! Ok sure, so you got a little crazy on the dance floor in front of your parents, half the school-"
"SHUT UP!" Kim screeched into her friend's shocked face. "Why won't you leave me alone!? I don't know what to do! I don't... I don't know why I did that... I can't believe I let it happen..." Kim sobbed, one hand trying to cover the hicky on her neck. "Why, why did Ron have to see...?"
"Well, that's your own fault for picking that costume! I don't doubt he could and did get a good look of your cleavage, when he wasn't pinching you butt!" Monique was trying not to laugh, but at the same time, trying to lighten the mood.
"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" Kim screamed, grabbing Monique's arms a bit forcefully. "This was going to be such a wonderful night for Ron and me! We've been doing so well together! Now who knows how much damage has been done by that perverted monster!" Kim yanked away from Monique and backed up against the streetlamp.
"Hey! I think you're being unfairly harsh here! So you weren't in control for once! I'd say you should've seen it coming! After all the time he's been following you, for Ron to step up for once like that, I think-" Monique started to rant, but was cut off by an ever increasingly upset and angry Kim.
"What are you talking about!? Ron didn't even get a chance to show me his surprise because of that bastard, and who knows what he thinks of me! Ever since we hooked up, I've been swearing up and down that I wouldn't betray him because of our bond and-"
"What are you saying girl?" Monique now looked totally confused. "First you say Ron's golden, then you call him a jerk, then-"
"No! I said that, that, FREAK Zormok guy is the jerk!" Kim said exasperatedly. Monique stood silently, blinking.
"Wait... you... oh no, don't tell me... you couldn't... DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW!" Monique somehow managed to look red with freak rage, and pale with wack fear at the same time.
"Know... what?" Kim asked in a mousy voice.
"ZORMOK WAS RON! I mean Ron was Zormok! I mean... GRRR! Kim, you danced with Ron!" Monique blurted desperately, trying to clear up the facts. Kim looked ready to slug her.
"Wishful thinking will not help matters! I SAW Ron by the food table in the MIDDLE of the dance!" Kim's grief had seemed to vanish, but now she was unfairly projecting her rage onto her friend.
"And so did I and everyone else. But as much as I know Ron would never pass UP a candy snack, this was the first time I've ever seen him pass THROUGH one before!" Monique smiled as Kim suddenly frowned in confusion, prompting Monique to continue. "I almost didn't see it, considering the show you and 'Zormok' were putting on, and that was probably the idea. Because I watched 'Ron' for a few moments more than everyone else, long enough to see him turn and walk through the table, then disappear! You were dancing with Ron, Kim! The other was one of those hologram things that Wade uses! Though I doubt that Wade was the one behind it. That had to be the big surprise that Ron was talking about! And you two totally blew everyone away! No-one and I mean NO-ONE, is going to forget this Halloween for a LONG time! So you see, there's no problem! You didn't betray Ron, unless you count his 'naughty side' as another guy," Monique chuckled, "So we can just go back and enjoy the rest of the night, and you and Ron will have another personal memory to cherish!" Monique triumphantly finished with a grand flourish. Kim had been listening, slowly smiling more and more as Monique had gone on.
"You're right! Oh god, why didn't I realize it sooner!" Kim nearly broke out laughing with relief.
"Gee, I can't imagine why." Monique smirked. Kim was literally hopping around in excitement.
"No, no! I get it! All the hints he kept dropping me! He kept saying how his surprise was going to be 'wicked', that he'd be 'beside himself wit pride', how he made a point to go through the crowd to make sure everyone saw him in the MegaMan suit, right before he went to the 'bathroom', and he specifically told me to save a dance for him! He wanted it to be a surprise, but he wanted to make sure I knew... it was... him..." Kim trailed off, her jumping around stopping, and she went pale for the second time that night. But because her back was to Monique, the X-Men friend didn't immediately see that.
"Yeah girl! He's got it goin' on! And I think he's earned some MLLA for his hard work! I'm talkin' Major Lip-Lock Action girl! You'll be having fun tonight!" Monique cheered, but stopped as Kim turned to her.
"Except for one problem." Kim said shakily, tears beginning to fall again. "What is Ron going to say when I tell him," Kim swallowed hard to keep from choking, "That I allowed him to take me through that lewd dance, putting his hands all over me, giving me THIS," Kim pointed to the hicky that almost seemed to glow in recognition, "BEFORE I realized it was him? That I thought it was some... other guy?" Kim was trembling. Monique stood in place for a moment, her mouth moving, but nothing coming out. Finally, she paled as well, her shoulders dropping.
"Oh snap girl! You're dead!" Monique gasped. Kim burst into sobs once more as she took off down the street again, making a bee-line for her house with Monique right behind.
Ron huffed as he braced against a mailbox.
'Ok, apparently Kim is upset over something. It couldn't have been the dance, she's done more aggressive things than that to me in the past. I didn't step on her feet, I've been practicing too much to make sure I didn't. Was it... the hicky? Oh man! That's it! Why did I have to add that at the last minute? The plan was fine on its own! But nooooo... I just had to go that extra mile! Now she's all pissed at me! Way to go, I try for exciting, and wind up with insulting, or worse.' Ron smacked himself. 'Ok, so now I have to find her to apologize. Where does she go when she's mad? The mall is closed, Bueno Nacho... no, that's me. Treehouse? No, that's more of a happy/think about things place. So, that leaves... her house.' Ron snapped his fingers, and turned to backtrack the way he came to head down the street. 'I wish I could have gotten back in before she took off! Pfft, Shego, you're in BIG trouble next time we face off!' Ron thought harshly.
Shego was letting herself into her own apartment, when she sneezed hard. Entering, she made sure to thoroughly lock the heavy door behind her, so as to not be disturbed by a most likely drunk and fowl-mooded DrDrakken should he come looking for her after his wacky party night. She moved around the very cozy and very much lived-in furnished den as she tried to calm herself. She sat down, taking off her suit jacket. When she reached for her hairbrush, she noticed her hand was shaking.
'Damn it! Why am I so freaked? I shouldn't be! I mean, it's not as if he hurt me... though I'm sure he could have. Ok, so he had me shaking in my boots, so what. It's happened before... Ok, only once before... OH WHO AM I KIDDING!? I've never felt so meek in my life! Was that why I just let him walk away? Was he too evil, even for me? But he was just a kid! ... I think. But that wouldn't have mattered in the slightest! I should have stuck to him! Oh, right, and what, have him snap my neck easier than he did that metal bar? So not fair... What are the chances I will ever meet another like him? Maybe it was the power of all-hollows-eve. But, maybe its better I chickened out. Oh, I can't believe I just thought that. But, even I have some morals. I wouldn't want to betray my secret crush. Aww man! And to top it all off, I never got a chance to ruin the Princess' night. Though Zormok seemed to do worse to her than I could have.' Shego smiled to herself, feeling a little better at that fact.
She pushed her hairbrush aside, opting instead to just take a hot shower. After that, feeling much more relaxed, she changed into her green robe and hopped into bed, realizing that her night was pretty much over. Any other time, it wouldn't have been, but she had already goofed her original plan, and she just felt it would be taunting back luck to go bar-hopping tonight. Getting up long enough to make some sweet hot lemon tea, she settled back into bed. After a moments thought, she reached into her night stand drawer to pull out a randomized rubix cube. Fourteen seconds later, the solved cube opened in half to reveal a key. Taking the key, she reached under the headboard of her bed, pulling the sheets aside to reveal a metal safe hatch. Entering the combination, she opened the door, revealing a second hatch behind it. Using the key, she opened that one, to pull out a medium sized, plain, covered box. Lifting the lid, she pulled out an album from inside.
'If anyone found out I had this, I'd never be able to show my face in the civilized world again. Unless, by some chance of a miracle dream come true, he were to accept me... protect me. And I bet he would too. Even if it isn't for the reasons I'd hope.' Shego smiled to herself as she slowly looked through the collection of photos, pictures, and images she had accumulated of her secret crush.
And she let herself sink into quiet contemplation comparing her feelings for him, to the feelings she had experienced earlier with a masked force of evil.
At the Possible house, Kim and Monique sat in the living room on the couch, the former still crying her eyes out, the latter still trying to think of some way to comfort her friend. They had both gone over the situation in their minds, but neither had yet been able to find any easy way out of it for Kim.
"I think you should just 'fess up. The quicker you get it over with, the shorter the pain of the argument will be, hopefully." Monique tried to sound confident, but truthfully, she didn't really have any way to offer real advice. None of her boyfriends had ever lasted too long, or got even remotely serious. Even her new relationship with Felix, nice as it was in the direction it was going, was next to nothing compared to the complexly interwoven life-long bond Kim and Ron shared.
"That... That's the only thing I can do. It's what I should do anyway." Kim sniffled. "But what about everyone else? It certainly didn't seem like anyone else knew it was Ron. If Bonnie was any indication that is." Kim looked at Monique. "I mean, you figured it out easily enough, so what if..." Monique held up a hand in defense.
"Pure chance girl. I only noticed the hologram thing because I wasn't as totally brain locked as everyone else. That Zormok outfit of Ron's kept setting off a bell, but I couldn't figure out what. Still can't. That's what was distracting my mind enough to not be completely distracted by the dance you two were dishing out. But everyone else was duped as far as I could see. Even your parents. Er, oh, and speaking of which, judging by the look on your dad's face during that whole thing, you might have to run interference if you don't want Ron sent BHDS, ah! I mean Black Hole Deep Space! Sorry girl, that is not an easy habit to break!" Monique winced apologetically. Kim looked at her blankly, then slumped again.
"At this point I DERC, Don't Even Really Care. And, yeah, my dad is going to be a bit of a problem. But I only have to put up with him until I move out. It's Ron I'm really worried about." Kim looked up, her tears finally seemed to have dried out. "It doesn't mater how short the pain of the argument is, it IS going to hurt us both." Kim suddenly sat up straight, an off topic worried frown on her face. "I just hope it doesn't turn around for him to-"
"Kim honey! Are you here!?" Came a frantic Mrs. Possible bursting through the front door, with an equally concerned, yet somehow much more grim looking Mr. Possible right behind her. Spotting the girls on the couch, MrsP immediately zipped over and dropped down next to Kim, putting her arms around her only daughter. "Oh my, are you alright? That was a... a... well, it was unexpected a least."
"Are you hurt?" Was the first sharp question out of MrP's mouth. Kim sighed at his 'overprotecting-my-not-so-modest-not-so-little-Kimmie-cub-turned-tigress' tone of voice.
"Only my pride." Kim rolled her eyes. But her dad nearly scowled in response.
"Last time I checked, that was called a 'neck', not pride!" He pointed a shaking finger at Kim's betraying skin discoloration. "I-I-I can't believe that BOY would DARE do such a thing to you! When I find out who that was, I'm going to see to it he spends the rest of his days in sensory depravation!" MrP raged to the walls, to no one, to anyone. Monique shot a questioning look at Kim, who had gone pale, again.
"Um, girl, is that bad?" Monique asked carefully. Kim swallowed once before answering, and even her mom looked a bit disturbed, and she got up to try to calm down her husband.
"Ah, well, you know basically what it is right? Well, when I was real little, I, foolishly, asked dad about it, and he let me try it at the lab. ... ... Well, now you know why I can't sleep at night without my pandaroo." Kim looked embarrassed, scared, worried, and angry all at once. The last, of course, was directed at her dad. But Monique just looked flat out freaked.
"Oh." She squeaked. "But, that's harsh. Too harsh. Your dad can't do that to Ron!" Monique whispered fiercely. Kim's eyes darted to her parents briefly, then leaned in closer to Monique.
"I know, but be careful! Don't tell him about Ron yet! I'm going to make sure things go right from now on!" Kim stood up. "Mom, Dad, I'm feeling better now. We can go back to the dance now. I didn't mean to freak anyone out."
"What? Are you sure honey? After all that, er, unfortunate excitement, you really want to go back? I mean, things seemed to be getting a bit out of control," MrsP blushed, thankfully her back was to MrP, "or maybe things we too much in control." She whispered under her breath.
"Come on mom, it's Halloween. Things are supposed to be a bit wild. Although if we don't get back quick, the Tweebs might take matters out of control completely. Come on Monique, let's get back to the team. We still have to see who wins best costumes!" Kim said in a deceptively bright tone, as she started for the door.
"No way young lady! We're done with Halloween tonight! In fact, I think we're done with Halloween forever!" MrP stamped his foot, and winced at the self inflicted pain.
"OH LIGHTEN UP!" Kim shouted, then 'eeped', slapping her hands over her mouth. A moment of surprised silence ticked past at Kim's unexpected outburst. Kim cleared her throat, knowing that this was going to be a hard first step in getting her dad to let go of his obsessive delusion of her immortal innocence. "Look, dad, you can't-"
"Kim! Kim! You in here?" Ron's voice barely preceded his blue self as he rushed in the door. He came to an abrupt halt in front of the group, a look of worry and uncertainty holding him. His eyes flicked between the four faces, a greater note of blankness when he looked at the scowling MrP, though whether it was from worry or the disqueezic effect of the Dr's costume, it was hard to say. Ron's eyes settled on Kim's, a look of resignated sacrifice creasing his features. "Uh... Kim... can I talk to you... please?"
Kim could see the fear in his eyes, and the wish not to say anything in front of others.
'He still thinks this is a secret between us. He's probably trying to figure out why I ran out on him. I can't let him think he did anything wrong. If all his work ends in blame...' Kim swallowed slightly. "Could you guys excuse use please?" She asked.
"Ron, I think Kimmie's been through quite enough already tonight! I'm sorry that-ULP!" MrP was sharply cut short as MrsP yanked him away with an iron grip into the kitchen. Monique jumped up.
"Uh, yeah! I could use a drink too!" Monique said, following right behind the Dr'sP. When they had moved out of sight, Kim slowly walked over to Ron, who had placed himself right next to the wall doorframe, to further deflect the sound of their voices.
"Ron, about what happened-" Kim started, hoping to just blurt out her guilt, but Ron interrupted her.
"I know, I know, I totally went over the line with the hicky! I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to upset you, in fact, I'm not even really sure why I did that. I had originally just planned to kiss you, well, you know, a pretty big kiss, but when I got to it... I guess... I got a little too excited in the moment. I'm really sorry! But... it seemed as if you... you were enjoying it... I mean, you, oh, jeez. When Felix told me you ran out crying... I'm really sorry. If you want to tar and feather me during our next sparing match, well, I guess I deserve it." Ron scratched the back of his neck, nervous about the impending Kimsplosion. Kim gulped, not wanting to do what she was going to do, but her heart wouldn't dare let her chicken out.
"Well, other than that little, um, alteration, things went as you planned?" Kim asked carefully. Despite the hushed and slightly tense situation, Ron seemed to brighten up a little.
"It certainly seemed to! And that's saying a lot! The shadow holograms were supposed to be intangible, but I was worried someone might try to 'touch' the hologram of me. That certainly would have messed things up real fast." Ron sighed, taking a brief glance towards the kitchen.
"Actually, Monique saw it move through the snack table," Kim said, making Ron gasp, "But I think she was the only one, and she already promised not to say anything." Kim said quickly. After a moment, Ron breathed out.
"Oh, I certainly hope so. Wouldn't that be just my luck that they moved the table after I had already programmed the spatial dimensions. But how did she see that?" Ron frowned.
"She was saying that something about your Z... Zormok outfit, that there was something familiar about it to her. It distracted her from being completely distracted by your performance." Kim said, her heart pounding harder. 'I have to tell him... but... how?' She thought miserably.
"Ah, so that's it. I was hoping she wouldn't have remembered. I had asked her one point about 'scary clothing colors' when I was designing the outfit. We were in club banana, and I just sketched out a 'hypothetical' suit, and asked her about it. I thought that since she wouldn't see it for a long time, she wouldn't think I was up to anything, or, you know, not remember. But at least, she was the only one who would have had any inside clue about it. So hopefully I managed to fool everyone else, especially your dad." Ron chuckled.
"Yes, you fooled everyone. Bonnie, my dad," Kim wanted so bad not to say it, not to hurt him, but her heart lurched in her chest and forced the words out. "Even me."
Behold the whisper that shattered the mountain.
"What? What are you talking about? You knew it was me. You've said as much just now." Ron had been whispering before to keep quiet from the others in the kitchen, but now his voice was unnervingly 'normal'. And he was looking intently into Kim's eyes.
"N-now... after... Monique... t-told me." Kim's voice threatened to crack, and her hands were shaking. As hard as she tried to keep herself from fidgeting, her eyes stayed locked on Ron's, and she didn't like what she was seeing. "B-but... before... during... during the... d-dance... I..."
Ron was silent for a moment, the quiet ticking of the hall clock, and the faint voices of the others in the kitchen alarmingly distinct.
"You didn't know. And you let it happen. You didn't know. How... could you NOT know?" Ron actually growled through clenched teeth. "You, are the one person, I wasn't trying to fool. You didn't know. And you let it happen. You... let it... happen. If you didn't know it was me, why didn't you say something? If you didn't know it was me, why didn't you push away?" Ron was shaking, his fist's clenched so hard, the plastic of his costume was audibly cracking.
"I-I tried Ron! I really did! I don't know why I couldn't-" Kim's red face was scrunching up, her eyes pushing out the first tears.
"You're the strong one Kim. You're the smart one. You expect me to believe that with all the complex villain plans you've solved, the honors student grades that you maintain despite your hectic schedule, that when I play one simple non-dangerous holiday trick, you're suddenly more clueless than Drakken? So when you think I'm out of sight, and some new guy walks in out of nowhere, YOU LET HIM PUT HIS HANDS ALL OVER YOU!?!" Ron finally snapped, screaming out his rage and hurt.
"Ron... I... tried..." Kim sobbed.
Monique, along with Mr and MrsP (the latter pushing the former), walked into the kitchen with mixed expressions. Monique, a look of concealed worry. MrP, a look of insulted frustration. MrsP, her look of seemingly ever-knowing self-control.
"So, uh, chocolate milk anyone?" Monique chuckled nervously, opening the fridge.
"Oh, that would be just perfect!" MrsP smiled, getting glasses out of the cupboard. MrP looked like the sickest, most horrified being in the world. But, it could have just been the Drakken costume. Ugggh.
"I do not think you're responding to this situation in a proper way!" MrP scolded coldly. MrsP and Monique looked up from their milk stirring questioningly.
"Which one of us?" MrsP asked innocently.
"I'm serious Ann!" MrP scowled even more darkly.
"So am I. Do you mean Monique, me... or Kimmie? Is that why you're so upset? Not about how she's acting now, but how she wasn't reacting the way you wanted her to earlier?" MrsP finally frowned herself, crossing her arms to glare at her most unsightly husband. Costume not withstanding.
"This has nothing to do with Kim! It's that - that - that... unnatural boy who was - was... violating her that's my problem! I'm going to find out who that was, and when I do-" MrP was shaking his fist. Monique was looking pale and freaked, but MrsP took an uncharacteristically menacing step forward.
"I seriously doubt you'll do anything, James Timothy Possible! Even if, and that is a veeerrrrryyy big IF, even IF you found out who that person was, I don't think you could do anything to him even if you wanted to. Because I don't think Kim will let you. I've tried not to take sides, but it's time you realize Kim is old enough to make her own decisions, and as far as handling her own problems, she been doing that for quite a while. You have to back off before you make her so mad that she won't want to come to you for help for anything when she really needs it!" MrsP sighed in frustration, picked up and sipped her milk.
"But this is more than just screening what boys she hangs out with! That thug came in uninvited, forcibly manhandled Kim against her will and tried to molest her!" MrP snarled, making Monique choke and look up with an alarmed expression, turning red when she saw MrsP looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "I could easily charge him with sexual assault, maybe even attempted rape! I'm sure even Ron would agree with me on this!" MrP smiled in self assurance.
Monique looked like she might have a stroke at the stress she was feeling, knowing if she cracked and said anything about what had happened, she might be the one to wind up in a black hole. She was also drinking her milk in a most unnerving way. Sipsipsipsipsipsipsipsip. It was a fluke she could even breathe right.
"Oh, don't even think about it buster! Don't even try to start telling Ron what he should or shouldn't do! Its bad enough how you started criticizing him so much right after Kim and he finally got together, but you can't tell them how to deal with their relationship! This whole thing probably isn't even what you think it is! It's Halloween, it was a party! People are going to be doing crazy things! And the guy might have just picked Kim at random! I'd bet my doctorate that it wouldn't have mattered which girl he had gone after, they all would've been willing to get burned by him! Heck, if he had chosen me, I probably would've given him a hicky of his own to thank him!" This earned her a deathly look from her counterpart. "You're only mad about this because he chose Kim, and that she didn't do as YOU would have in her place! She'll handle her problems her way, and Ron will handle his problems his way!" MrsP fumed. It was interesting actually. She was a plenty strong willed woman as it was, but some might say her normally more conservative fashion sense might dull the effectiveness of her anger. But in the turquoise and gold, form-fitting, revealing, imposing sorceress costume, any regular man would do whatever it took to get her mad at them. But then again, when has MrP ever been regular? He was still at a loss for words at his wife's admission to having wanted to go after the violator herself.
"Yeah, and it's not like they've ever really needed help anyway." Monique spoke for the first time, thinking it a safe point to do so. "They've been through everything together, and nothing, I mean NOTH-THING has ever been able to break Ron away from Kim in any real way. And I got a feeling he's going to be very understanding about this whole thing." Monique smiled.
"- YOU LET HIM PUT HIS HANDS ALL OVER YOU!?!" Came the vicious voice of Ron from the other room.
"But then again, I have been feeling nauseous lately." Monique squeaked in a near whimper, as the three of them rushed out of the kitchen. They halted to see a red-faced seething Ron, and a trembling, pale, crying Kim.
"Ron... I... tried..." Kim sobbed.
"Is it really so hard to understand!? When some stranger starts messing with you, doing things you don't like, you say something! You DO SOMETHING! I wouldn't have cared if you had made a scene, gotten violent, or ruined the whole party! As long as you had done something to let me know!" Ron ranted viciously.
"You're right, you're right!" Kim cried into her hands. Seeing Kim so upset instantly undid any progress of calming MrP that might have been accomplished in the minutes previous.
"Ron, you stop that right now!" MrP raged. "You can't judge Kim for something so horrible! I won't tolerate you behaving this way in this house and especially not to Kim! I want you out now!" MrP declared, making MrsP and Monique gasp in shock. Kim and Ron however, either didn't hear, or didn't care.
"Ron, I wanted to get away! My mind was screaming, but I swear, I don't know why I couldn't do anything! I was trying!" Kim pleaded.
"Why now!? Why, when you are always so strong and decisive, why is THIS something that suddenly is so difficult for you!?" Ron's tone was ever so slowly starting to shift from pure anger to mixed anguish, and his eyes were showing signs of impending tears.
"Ron, I said get out now!" MrP finally lost his temper and grabbed at Ron.
Whoa. What... a... mistake. SERIOUSLY!
Ron became, for an instant, a blue blur, as he whipped around and seized MrP, then effortlessly launched the doctor over his shoulder to rocket across the entire living room. MrP slammed into the wall with a terrible CRUNCH, nearly going through it, but instead crumpled to the floor unconscious as the impacted wall dropped chunks of debris on him.
"JAMES!" MrsP screeched in shock as she raced to her husband's side. Monique's hair was nearly standing on end, and she had never been so close to looking white in her life. Kim couldn't believe her eyes as she gasped at the sight of her father lying on the floor.
"Oh god... Oh god! What... I didn't mean to-!" Ron sounded hysteric. Kim whipped back to look at a totally horrified Ron, looking more like a ghost of the dead than a living person.
"R-ron?" Kim whispered in shock. Ron backed away from Kim like she was the grim reaper.
"No... I didn't... I'm sorry... I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!" Ron turn and bolted, crashing right through the front door, sending a hail of wood splinters flying into the front yard as Ron raced down the street, past groups of very surprised TOT'ers.
"Kim! What did-, how did-, Ron, he... threw... he... door..." Monique was a rattling wreck, pointing from where Ron had been standing, to the prone MrP, to the busted front door. Kim scrambled to her mother's side.
"Is he alright?" Kim gasped as her mother carefully checked her unconscious other for injuries and broken bones.
"Oh my! He's going to have a monster headache when he wakes up, not to mention he's probably going to be very angry!" MrsP groaned in agitation. "But I don't think he has any serious injuries, so he should be fine otherwise." MrsP turned from the prone body to look at her daughter. "Kim, you have to go after Ron."
"What? Mom, that can wait! Dad's hurt-" Kim choked in shock, only to be cut short.
"NO Kim, it CAN'T wait! Don't you realize how DANGEROUS Ron is as long as he's this upset? I've watched you two spar plenty of times to know he's every bit your equal in martial arts! Even more so because of the mystic monkey power he has! He just smashed right through our front door," MrsP gestured wildly to the obliterated wall portal, "and I don't doubt he could rip a bus in half if you were in danger! But with him so upset and emotional right now, if you don't go find him and calm him down, it might only take one accidental push for him to put someone in the hospital, or... worse." The terrible implication of her words hung in the air for a moment, till a THUMP caused the two redheads to look behind them. Monique had finally fainted.
"You're r-right." Kim swallowed nervously as she got up, her body shaking from the unused built-up adrenaline racing in her blood.
"It's ok Kimmie. I'll make sure he... er, both of them," MrsP corrected herself, looking at Monique, "are ok. Go find Ron, quick!"
Kim gave a last look at her father, and her friend on the floor before carefully exiting the smashed front door. Standing on the sidewalk, she thought franticly about where to find Ron, trying to hold back her pounding heart.
'I know him. This is easy. Where would he go?' Kim tried to slow her breathing as she closed her eyes. 'I know him. I... know... him...'
PARK
Kim's eyes snapped open even as her legs were already propelling her down the street. She, who was normally so attentive to her surroundings, barely even noticed the groups of people she nearly bowled over in route. Poor courtesy was a minor sacrifice if it meant she could fix this terrible night. As she turned a corner, she found a blocked off square of broken sidewalk blocking her way, but she just easily jumped, hand springing off a caution drum, and noticing her arm and hand were covered in blue cloth and plastic.
Kim actually stumbled on landing, stopping to look at her hand, that was only clad with the gold colored bracer she had been wearing all night. She looked at the caution drum, noticing the top was indented ever so slightly. She looked closely, noticing a very tiny scratch in it, with a nearly unnoticeable flake of blue ingrained.
'Ron jumped over this too. He's heavier than me, so his weight bent the top down. But why did I...?' Kim looked at her hand again for a moment, before resuming her course towards the park. Just a few hundred feet further however, she stopped again she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her left hand, specifically, through her knuckles. Although there was no sign of injury, her hand was shaking slightly. Looking behind her for a possible cause, she felt a chill as she noticed a tree next to the sidewalk had a medium sized chunk seemingly ripped right out of it. Her heart, having slowed a bit after leaving her house, began to speed up again. Kim raised her fist up to the tree, and unfortunately, it seemed to be what she thought. Someone passing by had taken a swing at it, ripping a chunk right out of solid oak wood. 'But even though my hand hurts, I couldn't have done it without noticing. Even I couldn't do something like that without messing up my hand some. And... the hole is bigger than my fist could have made. It's closer to... ... Oh no... Ron...' New threatening tears jarred Kim and she sprinted off, now nearly desperate to find Ron as she fought off feelings of guilt and hopelessness, thinking she had wasted too much time already. But now, a new thought was beginning to form in her mind. 'Am I really feeling what he's feeling? We've always joked about being so completely in tune with each-other, but... It's not just a joke. Not now. Not anymore ever again.' Kim suddenly found herself running so fast she almost couldn't react in time to the obstacles in front of her. Even as the outer edge of the park came into view, a new realization warmed her spirit. 'THAT'S IT! That's the reason! Oh, I swear, when this is all over... There had just better not be any more problems!'
In the school gym, although most of the conversations now focused on recent events, the party had resumed. People seemed to think that the most excitement that was going to happen tonight, other than the costume awards, was already over. They thought that, since they didn't notice the two covertly dressed shadowy figures at the gym stages edge. One was peeking through the edge of the large heavy curtain to the stage behind, who turned to smile at his companion.
"Hika-Bika-Boo?"
"Boo-Sha!"
Kim wasn't really looking where she was going, but her feet seemed to know just fine. She had finally slowed to an only minorly brisk walk as she made her way through the park, looking for Ron. Although she honestly wasn't even sure what to look for. It was most likely he was still wearing the MegaMan suit, so she was looking for any sign of blue. But if he had taken it off, or, knowing Ron, he had gotten dirty somehow, he may very well blend right into the shadows. But there was no way she couldn't not notice him at that moment.
'Whoa... Night vision without the baggage of the goggles.' Kim was a little freaked at the clarity of her sight, even in the darkest areas of the park. She paused to look at an impressionism sculpture art that she didn't remember seeing the last time she was there. Then she noticed the cement slab it was bolted to on one side, with holes of missing bolts on the other. 'That's not a sculpture, it's a metal park bench that's been punished rather badly.' Kim gulped slightly, but a flutter in her gut told her she was very close to her goal.
Through the picnic area, then towards the bicycle trail, Kim froze solid when she spotted a hunched form on the rocks by the park pond. She slowly approached, as silently as she had ever done to any bad guy, until she was about 12 feet from the blue phantom.
"Go away Kim... stay away from me... I don't want to hurt you..." Ron sobbed quietly, never having looked up.
"How did you know it was me, and not Monique? Or my mom?" Kim said carefully after a moments thought.
"I knew it was you. I always know when it's you." Ron mumbled, his left hand, the plastic cuff and glove badly scratched up, nervously clenching.
"Oh? And how is it you're able to know that?" Kim asked, trying to sound casual, hoping to keep this a calm conversation instead of the emotional train wreck they had just a little while ago.
"I just do. Through my bones, in my heart. I've memorized it so completely over the years, it wouldn't matter if I was tied up, hanging upside down and was in a coma, I'd still know if you were with me. Now go away." Ron sniffled, but sat straighter.
"No Ron." Kim said firmly, moving closer, about six feet away. "I won't leave you. Not now, not ever. I promised you that, remember?"
"Pretty words Kim. Just words. Its actions that determine their meaning. And obviously, yours don't mean diddily. Go away." Ron actually growled slightly as he tensed up.
"Ron please, I swear on my soul that I did know it was you, I just didn't immediately realize I knew!" Kim cracked slightly, a begging tone entering her voice. "It was something so completely out of the norm for you that it threw my mind off, but my heart still knew it was you!" Kim reached out imploringly, but continued in a rush as Ron seemed about to interrupt. "Why would you find that so hard to believe? After all, you can do it! What you just said a second ago, about not having to be able to see, or even be conscious, but you still know when I'm with you? Why can't you believe I feel the same way about you?" Kim stopped, breathing hard as her adrenaline kept pushing her anxiety higher. But Ron's silence made that breath catch and she peered closer. It was still difficult to see his face, helmeted, dark, and half turned away as it was, but it seemed as if she had finally made him think, and he was trying to decide on an answer.
"Whenever we go on missions," Ron started slowly, "I'm only there, only driven, because of your bravery. You're not older than me, you're not bigger than me. You're a student, like me. You have problems, like me." Ron tilted his head back slightly, looking up at the sky, letting the moonlight reflect on the tears that were still falling down his cheeks. "You believe you can accomplish something good, and feel you can do anything. So I do too. But I'm not you. You're not me. You can't feel what I do. If you could you'd feel-"
"Small? Overwhelmed? Afraid? Terrified of loosing someone you care about, or being blamed for not being able to do anything?" Kim interrupted. Ron's reaction of instantly whipping around to gape at her said everything Kim needed to know. She was RIGHT. "Ron, what good would all my bravery and confidence be if I didn't have anything that I thought was worth the effort to protect? And I'm not talking about the world or a sense of justice or anything so idealistically debatable. I'm talking about YOU. And your parents. And mom, and the tweebs, Wade, Monique, Felix, Tara, all our friends and family. It's not courage or fancy skills that get us through the hard stuff. It's heart. And you have the biggest, grandest, purest, most wonderful heart of anyone I have ever met. You're the reason I go out there. So why would I ever risk loosing you?" Kim rushed forward, kneeling down in front of Ron as she grabbed his hands. "Ron, I'm so sorry that what happened hurt you the way it did. But I felt so horrible when I thought I had betrayed you, I had to tell you, even if you hadn't known that I hadn't known it wasn't... known, that... um... You know what I mean?" Kim smiled her very rare confused goofy smile. Ron looked down at her, and it was clear he was still having trouble calming himself completely, but was already much better.
"I didn't know you didn't know. But when you realized I didn't know, you told me, instead of just letting me think everything was fine. Well, that was honest of you. Painfully honest as they say, but honest." Ron gave a weak half smile. "That's definitely something that only the bestest of best girlfriends would do."
"Boyah." Kim smiled widely, and put Ron's hands to her face, to which he winced. Blinking in momentary confusion, Kim's eyes widened in remembrance of something. She pulled off the plastic cuffs of his costume, then pulled off his blue gloves. Sure enough, the knuckles on his left hand looked red and the majority of the hand in general looked bruised. "Oh Ron, the tree..." Kim cooed comfortingly as she lightly kissed each of his knuckles. Ron, blushing hard at her actions still managed to raise an eyebrow.
"How do you know I did that on a tree?" He asked curiously. Kim, still massaging his hand with her lips looked up at him as she held up her own left hand, showing her slightly reddish knuckles. "Kim?" Ron gasped slightly.
"Maybe it was this event, the severe emotional shock, but... I feel even closer to you now than ever. And it's a bit strange. I feel what you feel. At least, a little bit. I think its more heart than physical. At least, so far." Kim said the last part with a teasingly husky tone as she moved up onto the rock with Ron, sitting herself in his lap as she pressed against him with unmistaken deliberateness.
"Kim?" Ron squeaked, his face a pink glow in the moonlight and his eyes wide with slight, very Ronish panic.
"Shhhh." Kim hushed as she gently took off his helmet and set it aside, then proceeded to run her fingers through his ruffly hair. "We both need this." She whispered as she leaned forward and kissed him.
Ron didn't jump, or scream, or flinch, or anything. He just carefully wrapped his arms around his beloved girlfriend as they kissed. A kiss that went on.
And on.
And on.
And on.
They finally broke with equal gasps, but didn't immediately get up or move. Kim placed her head on his shoulder, seeming VERY relaxed.
"Feel good?" She murmured into Ron's ear while running her fingertips down his spine, pleased at the shiver she got as answer.
"You sure do." Ron sighed, not a trace of anxiety or anger left in his voice. Kim giggled ever so lightly before contenting herself with nuzzling her BFBF's neck.
"So." She sighed, the relief of ending the short, but far too painful fight, near bliss to her.
"So." He sighed back, his infinite Ron-ness allowing him to forgive his magnificent partner of business and love of anything.
"Sooooo?" Kim said again, playfulness filling her voice as she leaned back to smile at the most mega of men in her world. Ron suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a lack of understanding.
"So, what?" Ron asked sheepishly.
"So, now that the misunderstanding is understood, you can tell me the details, please and thank you. Where did you get that totally spankin evil outfit?" Kim twirled a finger in his hair.
"I made it. Well, I had help actually making it, but I came up with the idea for it on my own a long time ago. Not long after the original Zorpox incident, actually. I had wondered what would happen if both of us were to go evil. If just me going Drakken level evil was that bad, you know, what would happen if you went Drakken bad? Or Shego bad? Then I wondered what would happen if I went totally genuine bad on my own. Then, of course, I figured I'd have to have a new, even more badical look. So I took the original Zorpox outfit and just tried to, well, evilfy it?" Ron quirked his head in uncertain terms.
"Not a word, but I get it." Kim giggled. "But what about the stuff that happened at the dance? Which, by the way, we are going back to." Kim said firmly, getting up and pulling Ron with her. But he instantly halted.
"No Kim." He said, his voice suddenly cold again. Kim gave him a look of startled confusion, to which he continued. "After what I screwed up, if we go back, every one will be bugging us with everything from questions, to speculation, to insults. And everyone is going to give you a real hard time. I don't want that." Ron's relaxed calm vanished into a depressed slump as his head and shoulders dropped.
"Ron, don't-" Kim's eyes went wide, as she opened her mouth to stop him, but it was too late.
"Oh man, I screwed everything up! I couldn't just be happy with a regular Halloween! I had to try some crazy, pathetically showy stunt!" Ron kicked the blue helmet that flew across to smash to pieces against the rocks. "I always screw up big things! Who the HELL was I trying to fool thinking I could ever pull something like that off!?" Ron was nearly screaming. "Now the whole school will never leave us alone, your dad will probably want to lock you in your room till your ninety, MrBarkin will have me expelled-" Ron was cut short by the sudden reeling impact that exploded across his face. Even as he staggered back, Kim rushed him, pushing him back until he slammed against a tree.
"STOP THAT!" Kim screamed into his face. She took a breath as she still held him, her right forearm pinning at his collarbone, her left hand just below, pressing as hard as she could against his chest. "This problem is already over and dealt with. Now, repeat after me: 'I Ron Stoppable,'" Kim started.
"Kim, what-" Ron tried to object, but stopped as Kim pressed even harder on him.
"'I Ron Stoppable,'" She said again in as threatening a tone as she could as she strained against her BFBF. 'Holy smoke, I had temporarily forgotten how sweetly ripped Ron has gotten! I can feel his muscles right through his suit! I just hope I'll get to feel them more directly later on- FOCUS Kim! Focus on the now!'
"... I... Ron Stoppable," Ron slowly said, looking into Kim's eyes, unsure as to the purpose of her actions.
"'Did not do anything wrong.'" Kim prompted. Ron's eyes widened, then his face became unsure as he looked away for a moment. Kim lessened her grip a bit, trying to keep his gaze with her own eyes. Ron took a slow deep breath and released it, then looked back into Kim's eyes.
"Did... not... do anything... wrong." He said, although it seemed as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Could you please repeat that with a bit more conviction?" Kim tilted her head slightly, a fresh pleading look on her gentle face. "You're always too hard on yourself. There's no reason to go so far. The sooner you get that through your trivia cluttered brain, the better off we'll both be. Please say it." Kim had stopped pressing against him, and was simply resting her hands on his chest.
"I didn't do anything wrong." Ron said again, then sighed. "Happy?"
"Getting there. Start walking buster." Kim allowed a slight smile as she pulled Ron along. "Now, tell me DETAILS! How'd you do it?"
"What, you mean you don't already have it all figured out? You ARE the smart one after all." Ron raised a surprised and disbelieving eyebrow, pausing to gather up the fragments of his busted helmet.
"Well, honestly, I've been more preoccupied with dealing with you, so I haven't really had any time to think about it. I might be able to think of some possibilities, but I'd really prefer you tell me. To hear the brilliant Ron Stoppable hoax that even fooled the world famous Kim Possible!" Kim giggled as Ron dumped the broken plastic in a trash can. 'The more I make light of this, and not let it be a serious topic, the quicker Ron will be his ok self again.' Kim thought.
"Well, I planned everything, but I needed the help of four... yeah, four people to get it all made and set up." Ron said, starting to sound casual already. "Monique obviously, for her unassuming aid in the outer outfit design. Actually, that was probably the hardest part." Ron nodded in reflection. "Because I couldn't sit her down and draw out detailed plans, or else she not only would have been freaked out, she would have told you, then you'd have gotten all suspicious, and then you'd follow me around, pressing and nagging." Ron jab-jawed his hand.
"I don't nag." Kim humphed, but was smiling despite herself.
"Riiiiight. Anyway, then there was Wade of course, for the holograms. Again, tricky, because I had to make it sound like an unrelated issue. I asked him about the projectors already set up in the school, and where he kept a stash of extras when he needed to swap them out. Since I had to step up in the learning for the team you know. Then I had to get a crash course in the programming and recording. That was hard. My brain hurt for days." Ron knuckle-knocked his head, prompting a massive fit of giggles from Kim as they exited the park. "I had to do the holo-programming in secret of course, and had to do several measurements of the gym to know where to project what. I bet you didn't even notice the few extra tape marks on the floor while we were dancing. I had to make sure to get you into the right spot to see the hologram of me." Ron said.
"No I didn't. I was too busy enjoying the feel of your hands all over my body." Kim said with a sultry tone, but at a brief hard glare from Ron, she had the good sense to clear her throat and look elsewhere.
"So," Ron said with a sigh, though more in a tone of exasperation than annoyance. "I covered up the help from Wade by asking him to make this megaman suit. Since I explained the arm projector, Wade would just think I was making sure I could fix it if I busted it."
"Certainly a believable likelihood." Kim smirked.
"Hey, you want to hear the details or not?" Ron gave an over exaggerated scowl, and the only way Kim could prevent from squealing in laughter was to shut her mouth tight and nod. "So, for the evil suit itself, I managed to get DrPorter and Felix's' mom to help."
"Doctor who?" Kim asked, trying to remember the faintly familiar name.
"Doctor Porter. You know, the DrP that works with DrP? Doc Vivian Porter at your dad's lab? Robotics and Metallurgy division? I can't believe you'd forget her." Ron said, giving Kim a surprised sideways glance.
"Oh! Yeah, now I remember." Kim nodded, swallowing slightly as she forced her smile to remain intact. 'Ok, don't panic Kim. Just wait for his explanation. His explanation as to why he would ask that woman, that gorgeous, twenty-something, single, genius, busty blond woman, for help. After all, he said Felix's' mom helped also. They're scientists. Just relax.'
"Alright, so to begin, the helmet mask. Obviously, it needed to be just the right fit, but it also had to hide my face as completely as possible. And to top it off, I needed a design to draw in the gaze of an onlooker to the eyes. Because the eyes were linked to a kind of 'tension sensor' lining the inside of the mask." Ron was gesturing as his face was a look of steady concentration. Kim was fixated on him, surprised at this, a rare time of Ron showing his real intellectual capacity. "The circuitry detected tension in my facial muscles and activated the illuminators. The higher the tension, the brighter they glowed. So, if I worked my eyebrows, or tensed my ears and temples, I controlled the time and intensity of the activation. Unless I actually got angry, like with BONIE!" Ron rolled his eyes.
"So that's what you meant by her hurting herself with her own attitude. She's going to totally flip when she finds out it's you under the mask." Kim smirked smugly at the thought of MsFoodChain drooling over the Vile hotness, only to find out it's the one guy she never gave any slack, and the one guy she would never, EVER have any chance with. Ever. Hee hee.
"Uh, well, we'll just see how things turn out." Ron said quickly, nearly under his breath. "So, the chestplate had a cooling system, because it would have been really embarrassing to be stinking in a sweat drenched suit while trying to sweep you off your feet." He wafted his hand in front of his face.
"Oh, so THAT'S the reason I was feeling so... pointedly perky during the dance." Kim giggled, hugging tighter against her BF as the school came into view. (Yes, they have been walking all this time, just so you remember.)
"That was completely, accidentally, side-effectish." Ron blurted apologetically, his face turning red once again at his GF's tight embrace. "So, uh, what else was there?" Ron scratched his head, having been distracted by the beautifully insistent red-head clinging to him.
"Flying CD's, telekinetic gym doors, and burning foot prints. Oh, and a very... interesting voice." Kim supplied helpfully.
"Right. Well the CD and the gym doors were the same thing. A powerful mono-polarized directional electro-magnet in my right gauntlet. Remember that the gym doors swing inward. So I just made sure to disable the latches when I came in, and the magnet pulled the doors inward as I was leaving." Ron turned away from the line that they had been heading towards the school gym, angling around to a side.
"But CD's are plastic." Kim quirked a confused look. "So how could a magnet have affected it?"
"I lined the setting hole edge with special alloy coating to make it very magnetic reactive. It had to be in order to yank it out of Felix's' hands at a distance, even with how powerful the magnet is, considering the minor mass of the alloy. The foot prints, well that actually was a bit of a tricky spot. My boots have small reservoirs of a special chemical that was released through the soles as I walked. The hard part was to get a chemical that wasn't dangerous itself, but that when put under pressure, it would evaporate on release of that pressure, while at the same time having a luminous quality to the chemical breakdown. But since to store the chemical in my boots under pressure would cause the reac-MMPH!" Ron was abruptly cut off as Kim yanked him around and crushed her lips on his. It was a vicious hold as she pushed him up against the wall, and held him tightly like that for a moment. When she released his lips they both gasped for breath.
"Ron, if you would apply even half of this, your real intelligence, to your schoolwork, you could easily attend the same college as me. Why don't you?" Kim asked so softly as if she was afraid of someone overhearing, and daring to argue to the contrary. But Ron suddenly looked uncomfortable, and pushed past her to head towards a window.
"As long as I make sure no one expects anything great from me, I'll be free to do what I want, rather than what would be expected of me. What I'd be pressured to do." Ron said solemnly as he opened the window and climbed inside.
"What? Wait, Ron, does that mean you've always been holding back? But, you've been doing better this year. What-" Kim asked perplexed as she climbed in after him.
"It's just because I've been more relaxed. But, could we please put off this particular topic for now?" Ron pleaded pitifully. Kim was about to press further until she realized where they were.
"OK! OK! I'll drop it, AS LONG AS WE GET OUT OF THE BOYS BATHROOM!" Kim shrieked as she dashed out, with Ron following behind, amused.
"Well, how did you think I got in and out of the school unnoticed? I sure wasn't about to sneak through the GIRLS bathroom. Over here." Ron beckoned, walking over to a janitor's supply closet. "Just wait here." He said and went in, pulling the door closed, but not quite latched. Kim stood to one side, and leaned against the wall. After a moment she blinked at the room number on the door.
"I'm a little surprised you'd choose this place to hide your costume." She said carefully. 'Or maybe not. I haven't wanted to even think about this horrible closet since freshman year. He must have figured it would be the best place to hide the suit, since I would never go in there. Just another twist of the knife in my guilty conscience, it being one of the worst things Iever did to him.' Kim winced at yet another memory of a time she didn't treat Ron so well, all in the name of hottie-chasing.
"It needed to be a spot in or very close to school so I could get to it and change as quickly as possible, as well as someplace that would be minimalistic in the odds of anyone coming across it by accident. And besides," Ron paused for a moment before adding, "At one point, I had the... opportunity, to search this entire room very thoroughly. I found a good hiding spot behind a shelf for whatever reason I might need it." Ron sounded casual, but ever so slightly rushed. Kim grit her teeth and nearly slapped herself, but stopped and took a breath to compose herself.
"Ok, so... ah..." Kim was slightly blanked, having been badly diverted from her intent of light-heartedness by the sudden unpleasant memory.
"You think Monique is going to come back to the dance looking for us?" Ron asked, with the thumpthump indicating he was hopping around.
"If she wakes up again tonight." Kim sighed.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron asked in a confused tone.
"She, uh, fainted, after you bolted from the house. Mom was looking after her and dad when I came after you." Kim said quickly. "Maybe if we're lucky, she'll be able to catch up before the end of the night." She remarked as the door opened. She turned to look, as Ron stepped out, dressed in most of his armored suit, but still held his mask/helmet in his hands.
"Kim… I think I will enjoy this night while I can." Ron said, but his resignated sigh interrupted Kim's sudden impending burst of joy. "BECAUSE, once tomorrow rolls around, your dad will probably have issued a restraining order on me. Face it KP. I screwed up big." Ron muttered as he carefully placed the helmet on his head, fitting the mask carefully over his face. Once it was latched, Kim stood face to face with the Vile one once more. Kim stepped close to him, putting her arms around his neck.
"No-you-didn't. We went over this. My dad is way too over possessive. He can't tell us what to do. If he tries, he'll regret it. If he tries to make me chose between him and you-" She was stopped as Ron's silk gloved hand abruptly shushed her lips.
"Please, don't even go there. Perhaps, just sum it up with: 'I love you, and I want to spend my life with you.'" Ron whispered.
"Completely and always!" Kim nearly squeaked before demanding yet another kiss from her unique companion. Funny how a little emotional scare can suddenly make you very, VERY appreciative of what you have. Once they broke off, Kim reluctantly let go.
"So. I believe that the only remaining mystery, is the seductive tyrant voice you had." Kim said sweetly. Ron just smiled, then carefully reached into the collar of his breastplate, fingering something. He pulled his hand out and straightened the armor.
"Just a simple voice enhancer built into the collar. Duh!" Ron said, his voice now the sound of corruption as it was before. Kim shivered at the sound. But as Ron started back towards the boy's bathroom, Kim stopped him.
"The gym's that way." Kim said, slightly confused. Ron shook his head.
"Have to keep continuity. 'Zormok' left the gym to go outside. It might raise untimely questions if I reenter from the direction of the inside of the school. So, shall we?" Ron started off again, but Kim smirked as she shook her head. She headed towards the girls bathroom.
"I'll take my own exit and see you outside, thank you very much." She flipped her hair as she went into the bathroom. Ron snickered (an interesting sound with his enhanced voice, use your imagination), and went into his own bathroom.
A moment later, they met up again just outside the gym doors, about to enter. Ron hesitated.
"Um, one last time, just so I'm sure. What are we going to do?" Ron asked, adjusting his suit repeatedly, nervously, unnecessarily.
"Well, we go in, we have fun, we wait to see who wins the costume contest. You reveal it's you under the mask, then we go home." Kim said in a confident tone. "I'll pretend to be 'under your spell,' as it were," Kim chuckled, lifting her chin to show off her still present hicky, "And you play the 'bad boy' down to the wire." She smiled, but Ron shifted slightly.
"How 'bout a compromise. I'll show the others it's me under here, only if you win the costume contest." Ron looked at Kim, and it made her stop short of agreeing immediately.
'Great, that mask makes it all but impossible to tell what he's thinking. Sneaky, waiting till after he had it on to say that. There's no way I'll win considering what Bonnie was wearing. Heck, even Tara has a better chance of winning than me. But the compromise sounded like such an innocent proposal, I almost missed it.' Kim considered carefully before responding. "How about this, you don't have to give away your identity, unless YOU win the contest. If you win, you can reveal your accomplishment to everyone from up on stage. If you don't win, this will all remain our own personal naughty secret. Deal?" Kim raised a challenging eyebrow.
"OK." Ron said after only the briefest of moments, then turned his attention towards the gym doors. 'Ha! I did it! There's no way I'll win the costume contest. So I can avoid the trouble of everyone giving us grief, 'cause I won't have to reveal myself!' Ron thought smugly, struggling not to smile. Kim was also not trying to smile.
'He agreed pretty fast to that. He doesn't think he'll win. Poor Ron. He still has some lingering self-confidence issues. Well, too bad! He already promised!' Kim thought triumphantly as she took a moment to adjust her own outfit. When she was sure Ron wasn't looking, she quickly pushed up her bustier, increasing the prominence of the spherical masses of skin she was showing. She linked her arm around Ron's.
"Kim… Just so you know, if I'm really going to play this character, I'm going to have to act… different than myself. I mean, obviously I won't be acting like myself, I'll be acting the character, but it means I'll be doing some things that… well…" Ron hesitated. "It was supposed to be a one-shot, in and out thing. So I figured I could handle being a bit… unruly. But to do it for a… ah… um, well, to do it for a lengthly duration…"
"Its ok, I understand. I promise I won't take offense or hold anything you do or don't do tonight against you. As long as you don't take any lip from Bonnie. In fact, feel free to string her along. Put her in the receiving position for once. Now, no more stalling. The night is already wasting away, and you, my master, have a crowd to astonish." Kim batted her eyelashes while pouting her lips sensuously at him.
"Ok… Of the list of things I never ever expected to hear you say, calling me 'master' has got to be in the top five." Ron commented off-handedly as he straightened up and marched forward, shoving open the gym doors, with Kim hanging tightly on his arm.
Monique groaned as she stirred on the couch in the home of the Possibles. She slowly sat up, blinking, trying to remember where she was. She looked over to the damaged wall, and it all came back to her. She jumped up, and promptly wobbled and nearly fell from instant dizziness. Steadying herself, she headed towards the voices she heard in the kitchen. She walked in to see MrP sitting at the table, holding an ice pack on his head and looking VERY unhappy, and MrsP was on the phone, not looking too much happier herself.
"…Yes, I see. (sigh) Alright, we'll be back over shortly to pick them up. … Yes, alright. Thank you, good- Oh! Incidentally, don't leave them alone in a room with a computer. … Just because, trust me. Good-bye." MrsP hung up the phone and turned to regard her husband. "Well, that was MrBarkin. We have to go get Jim and Tim." She turned to look at Monique. "Oh! Are you ok dear?"
"Uh… I think so. How are… things?" Monique asked carefully, edging around the kitchen, staying as far away from MrP as politeness allowed.
"Well, as you probably just heard, the boys are in trouble. So we'll have to go get them. Kim went after Ron, but we don't know where they went. I wasn't planning on leaving James alone, but if you need or want help getting home, one of us could take you." MrsP tilted her head in offering question.
"No, I'm ok. I think... that I'm going to go back to the dance. There's a… minor chance that they might show back up there." Monique said, and flinched as MrP grumphed. "But that's just my opinion." She added quickly.
"Alright, why don't you walk with us, as long as we're both heading that way. Let's go James. I'm not going leave you alone as long as you're in such a mood." MrsP declared firmly as she pulled him up.
As they walked out the front door… Monique blinked with a double take, then looked at the Dr'sP.
"Uh, didn't Ron turn this door into toothpicks earlier?" Monique asked. MrsP shrugged.
"Consider the damage to the house that the boys inflict on a regular basis. We've gotten very good at quick, make-shift repairs. Much to our embarrassment." The sorceress doctor awkwardly confessed.
As they walked down the street, Monique deliberately kept MrsP between her and MrP, who continued to look decisively unpleasant, and strangely, had yet to say anything. After a few minutes of a growing unbearable silence, Monique finally decided to speak.
"You're not going to make things hard for Kim later, are you?" Monique asked meekly.
"That's none of your concern Monique! It's best you keep out of it until the matter is… dealt with!" MrP snapped before his wife could respond, to which she glared harshly at him.
"No Monique," She said firmly, staring down her counterpart, "We won't be making anything hard for Kim. Once this night is over, everything will be back to normal tomorrow."
"It's not Kimberly that is going to have a hard time! When I get my hands on Ronald-!" MrP growled, but was cut off as MrsP finally snapped, grabbing him and nearly yanking him off his feet.
"JAMES TIMOTHY POSSIBLE, GET OVER YOURSELF!" She screamed, making the sickly blue looking doctor go nearly ghost white in shock. "This is the LAST time I'm going to warn you! You will NOT hassle or punish Kim for acting differently than what YOU wanted, and you will NOT threaten or attempt to punish Ron for acting like the young man that loves our daughter who was distraught over a bump in THEIR relationship!" MrsP lessened her grip slightly, allowing her lesser half to stand on his own again. "Now repeat after me, 'I, James Possible,'"
"I James Possible!" He squeaked quickly, having been in this situation before, and knew that he had just lost.
"Will no longer interfere…" MrsP continued, still vicious, staring him down.
"Will no longer interfere!" MrP yelped.
"With my daughter's life!" MrsP gave the poor blue fool an extra shake for emphasis. Monique meanwhile, had stopped looking so nervous, and actually was struggling not to snicker at the amusing sight.
"With… um, With…" MrP stammered, trying futilely to muster some guts, but an even icier glare from the steamed sorceress shattered him. "With my daughter's life!" He whimpered. MrsP instantly released him, causing him to stagger back.
"Good. I'll hold you to that, DEAR." She snapped. Then in an instant, she became her usual bright, giggly self as she turned to Monique. "Oh my! So sorry you had to see that! How terribly embarrassing!" She chirped, daintily fanning her hand to her face.
"Um... (Hymmph), yeah. (sneh) It's ok MrsP. I, (ahem), I won't mention it to anyone." Monique tried to compose herself, but only managed half the task. Now as the trio resumed walking towards the school, the two ladies walking casually, the blue doctor slinking behind.
"Monique," MrsP said in a strange tone after a moment, "As strange as it may sound, I just realized something, or rather, I just thought of something I should ask you." She looked over at the young woman. "I understand you and Felix have been quite the couple lately." She smiled as Monique blushed.
"Well, yeah, he's a sweetie. I like him. What about it?" Monique asked, worried at the sudden interest in her love life, but genuinely curious. She greatly respected the motherly DrP, and considering her reputation of giving nearly miraculous advice to improve relationships, according to rumor, as well as Kim, Monique was eager to hear whatever she had to say.
"Well, I was just hoping, you're not going to let this problem between Kim and Ron discourage you, are you? I mean, I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but those two have a much more deeply rooted bond than you will probably ever have with someone, and I don't want you to start thinking you'll have the same kinds of problems they do. I mean, I hope you don't let the intensity of their problems scare you out of your own relationship, you know, getting so scared of what your own problems will be like that you'll back out of it completely. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" MrsP said with complete seriousness, afraid she wasn't being clear enough, but Monique smiled.
"Yeah, I understand. Don't worry, I know comparing my life to theirs is way not realistic. I may envy the joys they'll have together in life, and I definitely freak out seeing their pains. But, as mondo harsh as it sounds, their life ain't my life. … Ouch, that did sound pretty harsh didn't it?" Monique frowned slightly.
"Yes, well… On second thought, maybe we shouldn't be talking about this. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry or doubt your relationship. But just to be sure…" MrsP smiled naughtily, "Maybe you should give Felix a biiiiiig kiss next time you see him." Monique almost tripped over her own feet at the married woman's suggestive tone, and blushed viciously hard at the possible scenarios that instantly popped into her head.
"Interesting suggestion, especially considering," Monique paused as the three of them stopped in front of the school gym doors, "that I'll be seeing him in about thirty sexonds."
"What did you say?" MrP asked with a very surprised and almost uncontrollably amused voice.
"That I'll be seeing him inside. He's the DJ, remember?" Monique replied, but tried to hide her face that was so hot with embarrassment, she was afraid it was glowing in the dark.
"Oh, riiiiight." MrsP snickered. They opened the doors and stepped inside, taking note that the party seemed to have resumed since the earlier incident. "Well, we have to go collect Jim and Tim." MrsP sighed. "I hope we won't have to escort them home. I was really looking forward to enjoying the party. Maybe MrBarkin will be willing to go easy on them." She noticed Monique giving her a 'say what?' look. "I said maybe. Alright, let's go DEAR. We have to collect your boys." She snapped at MrP as the two of them headed towards the hall leading to the office, while Monique headed through the crowd heading for the DJ table.
Only few, if any, even noticed the re-arrivals, so engrossed was every one in either the chaos of the party, or in their own continued gossiping. Monique worked her way forward, deciding she didn't really want to hear the outrageous speculation going on from people who had absolutely no clue what really happened. She frowned as she carefully maneuvered side ways to avoid a now seemingly ever more motivated Bonnie, who had a noticeable edge to her voice and expressions as she was nearly rubbing up against various boys through the crowd.
'Please oh please, someone give her a clue. She just won't quit. Honestly, what is it going to take to finally crush that girl's ego?' Monique thought in aggravation. She turned away, and moved the last few feet to the DJ table, around which still remained Tara, Josh and Felix. As she got close enough to talk and be heard, a little pink friend scurried along the table and stopped to wave at her.
"Hyk, Hi Monique!" Rufus squeaked. The sound caught the attention of the others as they turned around.
"Monique! Are you alright? Is Ron alright? Is Kim alright?" Tara blurted out fast and worried.
"Did you catch Kim? Did Ron catch up to you? What happened?" Felix asked in equal concern, but paused and blinked at the strange look Monique gave him. "What?" he asked, confused. Monique suddenly lunged forward and grabbed him in a frantic lip-lock that lasted five sizzling hot seconds before she pulled away.
"Awwww. Hyk, hyk." Rufus chuckled as Felix sat with a look of total shock on his red-cheeked face. Monique blushed hard as Tara and Josh gawked.
"I'll explain later." Monique whispered to Felix. "Well, I did manage to catch Kim," she said slightly louder, but quiet enough so hopefully no one else would accidentally overhear. "But she wasn't in very good shape. I managed to talk her down some, but not much. I stayed with Kim back to her house, where her parents met us. And then… Ron showed up." The subdued tone in her last statement was so obvious, the others couldn't help but slump a little with drooped shoulders.
"It's bad isn't it? Oh I knew it was bad!" Tara whimpered. "They don't deserve this!"
"Monique, it… it isn't over between them… is it?" Felix asked nervously. 'If those two are stuck for the rest of the school year confronting each other every day in a hostile attitude, it'll be the rest of us who get caught in the crossfire! Nasty, painful crossfire!' It was actually a scary thought about the kinds of problems that might occur in school if it was suddenly faced with a feuding Kim/Ron.
"I… don't know. There was yelling… and crying… but then Ron, he… he was angry. Very upset. But then he ran out and… and… well, I, uh, fainted." Monique sheepishly admitted. "It was all a bit overwhelming."
"Fainted? You?" Felix asked in disbelief.
"Hey, you didn't see Ron freaking out! I can barely believe our sweet care-free Ron could be so… intense." Monique shivered.
"So… what exactly happened? Why is this so drastically bad for them? Why didn't Kim just bash that Zork guy's head in and solve all this right away?" Tara asked no one in particular, but they all noticed both Monique, and Rufus, instantly looking quite uncomfortable.
"Do you… think we should tell them, or wait for Kim and Ron?" Monique addressed to Rufus. The little mole rat blinked in surprise.
"Huh? Tell?" Rufus asked in confusion.
"You know, about what really happened tonight? Or do you think we should let Kim and Ron decide what they want to explain?" Monique pressed. Rufus seemed to ponder as he walked in a circle for a moment.
"Hmmmm. Hyk, Better wait!" Rufus chirped seriously as he shook his head. Monique turned back to the others.
"Well, there you are, straight from the mole rat's mouth. He's right. It really will be better to wait for Kim and Ron." Monique shrugged then shivered again. "I so do NOT want to risk saying anything that will get Kim or Ron angry at me."
"But who knows if they'll even show up here again tonight. We might have to wait till Monday, if they even want to talk at all. So I guess there's no point worrying about what we have no control over. We'll just have to try to enjoy the rest of the night…" Felix drifted off with the last comment, though he obviously didn't really mean it very much.
"I don't know if I'll be able to. I'm just so worried about them." Tara sighed, sipping some soda.
"It is kinda weird how they can deal with everything else so easily, but when it comes to each-other, they always seem to either walk on eggshells, or totally feud it out." Josh said, startling everyone else. They didn't really think he would be someone who would notice that kind of thing, considering his limited connection to the friends in mention.
"Yeah, weird." Monique muttered. Rufus, seeing the deteriorating mood of the friends, starting hopping up and down.
"Hyk, Hyk! Jim Tim! Jim Tim!" He waved at Felix, who blinked at him in confusion a moment before brightening up a bit.
"Oh! Yeah! Hey Monique, there was another event that happened after you left! Courtesy of the Tweebs, we had an interesting follow-up act." Felix smiled with amusement, with Tara and Josh snickering.
"Oh? What happened?" Monique raised a curious eyebrow. But before Felix could answer, the background noise of the party suddenly stopped, causing him and the others to look at the direction of the interruption. "I can't see." Monique said as she tried to look around the rest of the crowd. But when several people moved to one side, Monique and the others gasped as they spotted Kim and… HIM, walking into the gym, arm in arm.
"Wait a minute, did Kim bring him back? Why would she do that!?" Tara gasped in shock as she frowned in obvious hostility to the GUY.
"Chill everyone. Kim will say what the sitch is, if she wants to." Monique snipped quickly, wondering why Ron had put the evil suit back on. 'Kim must be ok with it. She wouldn't have let him, and he probably wouldn't have wanted to otherwise if she wasn't. And considering that calm and in-control look on her face, as well as how tightly she's hanging on him, they must have reached some kind of arrangement.' Monique thought intently.
"What's the matter? Have you all suddenly lost the ability to party!?" RonZ (Ron/Zormok) shouted at the silent staring crowd. Like flipping a switch, the party resumed, though it was no secret or surprise that plenty of the people kept an over-the-shoulder watch on the fiend in their midst.
Kim and RonZ wandered forward a few steps before Kim spotted their friends at the DJ table, and so made their way over. Kim saw the expected look of steady anticipation on Monique, but the wary, and in Tara's case, hostile, look on the others, let Kim know that, thankfully, Monique hadn't told the others the details.
"Now, before you all freak out-" Kim started to say as the pair walked up to the group, but Tara cut her off.
"Let go of her you monster! Let her go and go away!" She snapped at RonZ angrily.
"Alas I cannot, for as you can see, I do not hold her, it is her that holds me." RonZ recited in a soft soothing voice of calm and patience. 'I'm so sorry Tara, I don't want you to be upset, but I'm not sure how to tell you without angering Kim. All I can do is hope you will listen to her, and forgive me for deceiving all of you.' RonZ though sadly, for the sweet innocent Tara was one that he completely believed should always remain happy and friendly.
"Take it easy Tara, everything is fine. Ron and I worked things out." Kim tried to convince her overly sensitive friend.
"Then why isn't he here? Why aren't you with him instead of… HIM?" Tara nearly spit at what she thought was an enemy, not knowing her caring friend resided behind the mask.
"Ron has something very important to do. We decided that since he had to finish that matter, I could come back to the dance. And I figured it wouldn't be so bad to be in the company of someone who really knows how to get the most out of a party." Kim said seriously as she pressed harder against RonZ's side. "Tara, I assure you, Ron is ok with this. I suspect that he'll show his face again by the end of the night," Kim's eyes flickered across RonZ's and Monique's face, "And if, by some odd circumstance, he doesn't, I promise that by Monday at lunch, you will know what's been going on. Please trust me Tara, everything is fine." Kim said confidently. Tara and the others regarded her carefully, and eyed the armored companion Kim was inexplicably clinging to.
"Y-you're… sure?" Tara asked cautiously, since she really did want to believe Kim, but the lack of Ron to confirm what she was saying seemed to put doubt on matters. 'But, Kim has never lied about important matters. In fact Kim never lies. Except that one time during… Halloween. But that was different. Kind of. There's no reason not to believe her. Have a little faith Tara.' She thought to herself. "Well, ok Kim. I guess so. But I'm going to be watching you buster!" She finished determinedly, poking RonZ in the chest plate, and promptly yanking her hand back to nurse her hurt finger. When RonZ reached for her in concern, she humphed and turned and walked away, pulling Josh along with her.
"Don't worry R-" Kim started to say to RonZ, but caught herself as she noticed that Felix was still present, watching closely with a slightly odd look on his face. "Don't worry right now hot stuff. I'm sure Tara will be ok once everything is over." Kim patted RonZ's arm, easily able to feel how tense he was from his ridged muscles under the fabric. She turned to the others. "So, Monique, feeling ok? After that fainting spell you had back at the house?"
"Yeah, I'll be ok. Hopefully the party will recharge me… though, actually, Felix already did a good job of that." Monique blushed hard at the admission, and Felix also turned red and wide-eyed. Before he could comment on the comment, Monique continued. "And incidentally Kim, just as you came in, he was about to tell me about something happening involving your brothers. Something that, actually, your parents had to come back with me to pick them up for."
"Oh no." Kim rolled her eyes, turning to the wheeled wonder. "So what did they do now?"
"Oh yeah! It was hilarious! They-" Felix started excitedly, but stopped and gave a glare to RonZ. Kim nearly scowled.
"Felix, for the last time, it's alright! Will you just spit it out already?" Kim snapped. "What did the tweebs do?"
"Yeah Feel-Lix," Monique gave a hot sultry smile to her beau as she leaned in close to him, "What kind of excitement has been happening while I was absent?" She breathed lightly. Kim stood in wide-eyed shock at her BGF's behavior. RonZ would have had the same look, except his mask hid it. Felix however, turned bright red as he gazed into the pleading eyes of his GF, having completely forgotten about anything else around him.
"Earlier, after you had left, when the party was resuming, the stage curtain suddenly went up." Felix explained, his gaze never leaving Monique's face. "And there, for everyone to see, was MrBarkin and MsDinkley, making out hotter than if they had been coached by Bonnie herself!" Felix snickered, as the others suddenly lost their eyebrows somewhere in orbit over Neptune.
"W-w-what?" Kim sputtered, instantly struggling to hold back a massive giggle fit at the mental image of the ridged uptight MrBarkin necking with the new librarian. 'Although I'm surprised she would actually be interested in MrBarkin. He doesn't seem her type.' Kim pondered as she thought of the 5'9" brunette. Cute freckled face but completely dependent on her prescription glasses, and despite the bulky sweaters and long skirts that made her look every bit the quiet, conservative librarian, any girl who knew clothing motivation could tell that underneath, MsDinkley had one of the most unbelievably incredible busty hourglass figures in the tri-area.
"That's kinda hard to believe." Monique straightened up, giving Felix a skeptical look.
"It's true! MrBarkin was so steamed at his own embarrassment, he actually picked up Jim and Tim, and carried them out to the office. Poor MsDinkley though, she ran out looking even more embarrassed than MrBarkin, though I'm thinking it might be for different reasons. Don't ask me what, though." Felix shrugged. The girls giggled slightly, but were cut short by a low growl.
"I don't believe it. The once chance I might have had to finally have something I could of held over Barkin, and I miss it!" RonZ snarled low, his left fist clenched so hard it was shaking. Kim and Monique gave him a startled and shocked look, neither knowing if he really meant it, or he was just playing the part. RonZ turned to Kim. "We can dance later. I'm going to get a drink." He turned to go, but paused. "Oh, and Felix, in case we don't speak again tonight, be sure to give your mother a kiss for me. She'll know what for." He said with a smirk as he moved off through a still very wary crowd.
"He-! He-!" Felix sputtered, looking like he wanted to jump out of his chair and strangle the arrogant fiend. Kim and Monique shared a quick glance, with Monique giving an almost unnoticeable nod.
"Relax Felix." Monique nearly cooed as she moved around behind him, and began rubbing his shoulders. "Don't let your anger get the better of you. After all, you're the ever-important DJ. If the music suffers from your distracted state, the party might be ruined. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Monique leaned right down next to his face and gave him the PDP. And, like seemingly every other red-blooded male in Middleton, he was helpless against it.
"Well, ok. But keep him away from me!" Felix gritted his teeth as he turned his attention back to the music table. Monique gave Kim a hidden nod, implying she'd try to keep Felix out of trouble. Kim nodded back.
'Ok, Tara doesn't want anything to do with him, Felix doesn't want anything to do with him… Well, I guess that means they won't get in the way with Ron's act. So, I guess there's nothing left to do but enjoy the party… and hope people aren't to mad at Ron and I after this all comes out and over.' Kim thought to herself as she headed towards the snack and juice table.
At the snack table, as RonZ was sipping some juice, the other dark influence of the night had zeroed in on him.
"Nice to see you back." Bonnie said carefully as she glided up next to him.
"My schedule changed, so I decided to see how this so-called party was going to play out." RonZ said flatly, his eyes already glowing even though he didn't even bother to look at her.
"So you're going to stick around till the end of the party?" Bonnie asked with a smile as she blatantly gave him a close-up up-down check out that she hadn't had the chance to do before.
"No, I thought I learn about its conclusion from second hand gossip. OF COURSE I'M STAYING! I JUST SAID SO YOU DENSE BIMBO!" RonZ snapped as he turned towards her and his empty juice cup shattered in his grip. Bonnie blanched as she flinched backwards.
'How dare he! No one calls ME a bimbo!' Bonnie started to recover and was about to snap back, but looking up into the black metal face, the merciless, burning red light of his eyes just turned her numb, even as it excited her. "Oh, right. Of course. … So, are you voting in the costume contest?" Bonnie asked innocently as she slowly inched closer to him again.
"No point. I have no interest in it. And by the look of your… outfit, you seem more interested in getting people interested in your body, rather than what you put on it. A strangely honest intent. Though I doubt you would care about the philosophies behind that reasoning. Why are you bothering me?" RonZ said in an annoyed tone as he brushed the pieces of broken plastic from his hand and turned his attention to the crowd mass.
"I'm not trying to bother you. I'm just interested in you, and hoping we could enjoy this party… together. After all, it would be so fitting for us to win the costume contest, since we match so perfectly. We could… celebrate, afterwards." Bonnie was purring, now in full 'enticement' mode. "Cold metal… hot flesh…" She whispered as best she could over the music as RonZ turned to look at her straight-on again. "I've only seen you for a short time, and yet, I know that you are the strongest, fiercest, and most perfectly hottest of hotties that I've ever seen. The kind of man that I've fantasized about meeting. A man like you, deserves a queen… like me." Bonnie cautiously moved forward, so that her body just barely pressed against RonZ. "Just give me a chance. And when this party is over, I could show you my… royal treasure." Bonnie gave a little growl and shiver at the cold of the chestplate. "I'll rock your world harder than you've ever dreamed." She whispered as she pressed harder against RonZ, who suddenly pushed her back, none too gently.
"I sincerely doubt that." He remarked. "Not that I doubt you'd try, but rather, that you'd try too hard."
"What to you mean?" Bonnie blinked in confusion, but then snarled as Kim walked up to them from the crowd, holding a small bowl of candy mints.
"Zormok, I hope these are to your liking." Kim said quietly as she presented the bowl to RonZ. But instead of reaching for one, he grabbed Kim by the waist and pulled her tight against him, the bowl caught between them, nearly resting on Kim's chest. RonZ kept his focus on Kim's face as he bared his teeth just slightly. Kim immediately took a mint with her free hand and held it up to his mouth, then popped it in.
"What the heck?" Bonnie gasped with her eyes wide. "Kim, what's with you?"
"I have to make sure he's enjoying himself. I have to make sure he's pleased." Kim said, keeping her eyes on RonZ as she fed him another mint.
"What are you up to Kim? You really think you can fool anyone with such a lame act?" Bonnie leaned in to RonZ. "She's up to something. She's such a goody-two-shoes, she couldn't understand a bad boy like you. You should get rid of her. Get rid of her, and we can have some real fun." She hissed.
"I'm not done with her yet." RonZ said, turning to regard Bonnie as he let go of Kim. "I knew she was the biggest goody-two-shoes in the school. That's why I chose her. Do you understand? The thrill, is in the corruption of the sweet. She posed the greatest challenge, and so, would be the greatest prize." RonZ glanced back at Kim who just stood with a waiting smile. "If you're interested in gaining my attention miss… Rockwaller, is it? Then you'll have to prove that you would indeed be even sweeter company than she could be. So the question is: Just how badly do you want me?" RonZ casually picked up another cup of juice as he waited for Bonnie's reply.
"Well Kim," Bonnie said after a moment, a large confident smile on her face, "You really think you can compete against me in this kind of contest? I don't think you have it in you. By the end of the night, I'll have every prize, and you'll be stuck with your looser friends as I leave here with this hottie wrapped around my—GRK!" Bonnie choked as RonZ's hand suddenly clamped around her throat, and yanked her face to within inches of his.
"Three things. One: Your conversation is with me and you haven't answered my question. Two: If you are so witless as to not be able to focus on your goal, then you're not worth my time. And THREE:" RonZ growled as he squeezed a little harder, causing Bonnie to claw at his hand, "Don't you dare even think that you have any kind of say in this. I'm giving YOU the chance to accompany ME. Not the other way around!" RonZ pushed Bonnie away, causing her to bump into the table, holding her throat protectively as she stared back with apprehension and more than a little excited interest.
"Oh yes… I definitely want you… I want you real bad!" Bonnie gasped deeply, her chest nearly popping out of her tightly tied dress teddy.
"Alright then. So, you two will not interfere with each-others actions, and at the end of the party, you'll find out which of you will be allowed to… entertain me, for the rest of the night. Don't hold back." RonZ smiled at them as he wandered into the crowd, leaving Kim and Bonnie glaring at each-other.
"What's your game Kim? Why are you suddenly so interested in the bad boy? What about your mega-loser?" Bonnie sneered suspiciously. Kim raised an eyebrow, and flipped a mint into her mouth.
"No game. I want what he can give me. And you just dissed Ron for the last time. You're going to regret it, big time!" Kim abruptly turned and walked off, leaving Bonnie steaming.
Kim was looking for where RonZ had gone, when she spotted her parents entering the gym with Jim & Tim, and MrBarkin following behind. MrBarkin spoke briefly to Mr and MrsP before starting on his way around the edge of the gym like he had been doing originally. Kim worked her way over to them, who, surprisingly, didn't look all too upset. Just her dad looked a bit leadened.
"Ok, so what's the sitch? What did MrBarkin punish the tweebs with? Detention? Extra homework?" Kim was confused at the twin-terrors' smiles.
"Nope! He didn't punish us-"/"-at all!" They beamed.
"What!?" Kim gasped, flabbergasted. MrBarkin, NOT punishing someone?
"Oh Kimmie! I'm so glad you're alright. I was worried. So, I take it this means you and Ron are… OK?" MrsP asked anxiously.
"Yeah mom, don't worry. We came to a… understanding. I'll tell you about it later, I promise. So, the tweebs?" Kim asked pointedly.
"I talked to MrBarkin, and regardless of how embarrassed he was, he couldn't actually punish Jim and Tim for what they did. They-" MrsP started to explain.
"Yeah, I know. Felix told me." Kim nodded with a smirk.
"So, since technically it was MrBarkin's own indiscretion, he couldn't do anything to the boys without getting himself in trouble with the school board. He just insisted that your father and I pay extra close attention to them for the rest of the night." MrsP shrugged.
"Yeah, like that would make any difference." Kim rolled her eyes.
"Kimberly, what are you doing?" Came RonZ voice as he walked up behind her.
"Just checking on my brothers. That's alright isn't it?" Kim turned to him with a smile and gentle voice.
"Oh? Hmm, and twin younger brothers to boot." RonZ smirked as he kneeled down in front of them. "You two look like you're a real load of trouble. Nice."
"Who! That's an-"/"-Awesome costume!" J&T exclaimed as they looked him up and down.
"Oh, it's not just a costume. It's the end result of serious intentions towards a very worth-while goal." RonZ smiled as he cast a glance at Kim, who blushed as she stood in a most uncharacteristically submissive manner. "When you want something so much, sometimes you'll surprise yourself at how much work you'll put into getting it."
"Oh yes! That is so true!" MrsP laughed. "Why, you wouldn't believe some of the things James and I used to do in our youth! Isn't that right dear?" She turned to look at MrP, but started when she saw that his previously blue skin was now an alarming purple, as his very red face mixed with his blue make-up.
"You-You-YOU!" MrP sputtered as he took a menacing step forward. Well, it would have been menacing to anyone else, that is.
"What about me?" RonZ said slowly as he stood up. "Do you have something you want to say to me?" He turned to MrP, as his eyes glowed in a silent challenge.
"How dare you! You dare to speak to us, to me, after the way you violated my Kimmie-cub!?" MrP seethed.
"DEAR, you promised not to get involved, REMEMBER?" MrsP warned as she put a hand on his shoulder, but he batted it off and got right up to RonZ.
"I doubt you could give me even one reason not to press charges against you!" MrP prodded. RonZ tilted his head to the side slightly, gazing at MrP for a moment. Then his hand lashed out and grabbed MrP's belt, and in a split second, RonZ was holding a very surprised doctor clear over his own head.
"Now, excuse me if I seem a little confused." RonZ said calmly. "To press charges, I would have to have committed a crime. But to commit a crime would imply I did something wrong or unwanted." RonZ looked at Kim. "Did I do anything to you that you have objections about?"
"Not at all. This has all been very… exciting. I'm eager to see what will happen next. Daddy, please just back off. I'd be very angry with you if you were to ruin this night for me." Kim said with all seriousness, though it was hard to keep a straight face. 'Jeez! Just how strong is Ron? I mean, the tree, the park bench… oh god, what will it be like when he holds me with that strength? Ohhh… careful Kim… Don't get ahead of yourself… That fun will come later, away from prying eyes.' Kim couldn't help but lick her lips.
"Ok then. No harm, no foul." RonZ placed MrP back on his feet. "This is a night of many ideas, feelings, and actions. Some find it a reason for fun. Some need it for a time of reflection. And then there are some, who just want an excuse to be… naughty." RonZ gave an obvious glowing red look in the specific direction of MrsP, who instantly blushed hard across every inch of exposed skin. And it was quite a sight!
"Don't you dare-" MrP sputtered in disbelief.
"Don't what? Give helpful advice?" RonZ shrugged as he turned away. "Fine. Your loss. Now, if you'll go about your way, I'll go about mine. Let's continue our night Kimberly." RonZ said as he walked past her, and she immediately followed behind him.
"I don't believe that boy! Who does he think he is?" MrP scowled.
"Someone with very good ideas." MrsP breathed into his ear, making him jump.
"A-anne?" MrP gasped. "W-what are you d-doing?"
"I can't help it. All this excitement tonight. It's working a little… black magic, on me. And you know how I get when the magic starts flowing." MrsP purred, nearly making her husband's hair stand up.
Meanwhile, RonZ had pulled Kim to the side.
"Kim, if you can talk to your brothers in private, I would like you to ask them to help with something… just in case. Not that I'm paranoid or anything." RonZ whispered to her. Kim couldn't help but raise a suspicious eyebrow.
'Asking the tweebs for help? Hmmm. Maybe that mask is starting to get a little too realistically evil for Ron.' Kim thought.
The night progressed remarkably slowly. Monique spent her time keeping Felix distracted. MrsP spent her time keeping MrP distracted. MrBarkin couldn't focus on the crowd in general because he was always looking over his shoulder at Jim & Tim. Tara, unfortunately, wasn't so distracted. She was constantly watching Kim and RonZ. Every time Kim tried to approach her, Tara simply refused to talk. Every time RonZ tried to approach her, she promptly walked the other way. A rather sad blow to their friendship, at least in Ron's heart, even if Tara didn't know it was him.
Bonnie was still working for attention, but had switched to making sure she was seen next to RonZ as much as possible. And seen next to Possible as little as she could manage. But even so, Bonnie was in total 'competition' mode, as she and Kim both followed RonZ around. Kim acting very submissive and obedient, while Bonnie was hanging on him like an over eager ornament. She looked like she was itching for an opportunity to tear his armor off… the fun way. And as much as Kim hated to admit it, and she reaaaallllly hated to admit it, even she would say that Ron and Bonnie's costumes did look like they went together. Ron as the evil lord, Bonnie as his… er, well, as his.
But as the night lingered on, Kim could tell, even through the mask, that behaving like an evil arrogant jerk was beginning to take its toll on her gold-hearted boyfriend. He began checking the clock on the gym wall repeatedly. He began fidgeting, ever so slightly, as Kim noticed his hand shaking slightly when he would pick up a piece of candy. And of course, the fact that he was only nibbling on candy instead of sucking it down like a black hole was a major sign, as he only passed on food of any kind when he was seriously upset or obsessing over something. And Kim was worried this event was turning into a case of both.
Kim was right to worry. Ron was not really enjoying himself anymore. Every time he looked at Tara or Felix, and they gave him such a nasty look back, he would feel another jolt of ache in his heart. He really hated what people were saying about Kim, wanting so much to tear off the mask and tell them to shut up. But he was also still afraid of what would happen to him if people found out it was him that was under the mask.
Consequences. That was the name of the game. Truth and consequences. If the truth came out, bad things would happen. Things that would most likely mean that Ron would be separated from Kim for a long time. That's what he thought. The only things keeping him even remotely comforted were, A: Kim and he were ok after the misunderstanding and she supported his creative prank, B: The thought of the look on Bonnie's face if she were to learn that it was him she was drooling for, and C: The certainty, at least in his mind, that no one would find out it was him, and that he'd be able to leave, go home, and bury the accursed suit in the back yard. Out of sight, out of mind. Simple.
Kim was more optimistic, despite her concern for her BFBF. She couldn't help but enjoy seeing Bonnie fall all over herself coming onto Ron harder than she ever had for any other boy. She was completely unaware of the social suicide she was committing. Once Ron showed his face, she wouldn't be able to put him down any more without dragging herself down at the same time. So it would either be she just wouldn't say anything, and people would think she really did have a thing for Ron, or she would have to be nice, and people would think she really did have a thing for Ron. There wasn't any way out for her.
But Kim knew that Bonnie wasn't the only one who was going to be mad at Ron and herself once everything came out. Tara and Felix would probably give them an earful for being left out of the loop, even though Kim hadn't known what Ron had been planning either. MrBarkin, well, Ron hadn't done anything to him directly, but undoubtedly he would give them both a major lecture on their 'improper behavior' once Monday rolled around. And then, there was dear old daddy. Kim was actually the most worried about what her dad would say, or do, when he found out it was Ron that had... handled her. He would over-react, just like always. Kim couldn't understand why her dad had actually become more strict and, and, suspicious of Ron since she and he had finally gotten together. It was like her dad was looking for any reason to keep her and Ron apart. Something that Kim was very angry about. But, strangely, she wasn't as worried as she thought she would be. Sure, two years ago, heck, even one year ago, it would have been danger major. But after seeing more and more of what Ron was really capable of, and just how much he could do just for her sake, not to mention the ease in which he had dealt with her dad tonight, unintentional or not, Kim just knew that her Ron, the real Ron, was plenty capable of defending himself. Just like her mom had always said.
Kim couldn't help but smirk whenever she thought of her mom. She had always been extremely fond of Ron, almost as much as her daughter, and considering her ever so subtle actions in the past to keep Kim and Ron together, when added to just how well she knew Ron, and how well she was taking the events of the night, Kim figured the likelihood that her mom didn't know it was Ron under the mask was about as likely as Shego wanting to go TOT'ing with them.
The clock was approaching midnight, the end of the party, and it was announced there would be one more song, then the costume contest would be held. And Bonnie wanted that dance. She argued with RonZ that since he already had a dance with Kim alone, she should get one also. For fair comparison of course. And even as Bonnie begged, Kim had a feeling that Ron wouldn't go for it without permission. It had to have been one of the most careful and subtle messages Kim had ever sent anyone, but she managed to let Ron know it was ok to humor Bonnie. But just because she had given the ok, it didn't mean she would be completely ok with it. It stung, just a bit, watching RonZ dance with Bonnie. If you could call what Bonnie was doing, dancing. Kim also noticed that Ron was a bit more rough with Bonnie than he had been with her. Kim figured Ron had intended to excite her during their dance, but he obviously wasn't as genuinely concerned for Bonnie's enjoyment as he was in just adding another notch to the growing list of humiliations she would be stuck with. Kim noticed, with slight distaste, that while her dance had been reminiscent of an elegant tango, Bonnie's was more borderline on the style, or lack thereof, of a lapdance.
As the music wound down, Bonnie was clinging to RonZ harder than she was entitled, and was breathing harder than she probably needed to. An in-shape athletic cheerleader being winded by a dance was not exactly normal. Bonnie had performed cheers more physically demanding. But Kim doubted that Bonnie's resulted state had less to credit to what she was doing, but rather why and who she was doing it with. As the two walked over to Kim, Bonnie with a smug look of self-declared triumph on her face, MrBarkin got up on stage.
"All right, settle down people! We have one last order of business before you all go home tonight! You're votes have just been counted, and it's time to announce the winners for best costumes! One boy and one girl, to be titled the 'King and Queen of the Night'!" MrBarkin exasperated as he rolled his eyes. "The results are final, and no recounts! So no crying if it turns out that your outfit isn't as spectacular as you thought!" MrBarkin snapped. After being handed a pair of envelopes, he stepped over to the microphone next to the table with the prizes.
"You ok?" Kim asked RonZ in a whisper.
"Just glad the cooling system in the suit is still working, or else they'd be mopping up the swimming pool of sweat I would've shed by now." RonZ whispered back. Kim smiled briefly, then turned sly.
"Don't forget your promise. If you win, you reveal your face up there, for everyone to see." Kim hissed gently with a very pleasant tone. RonZ turned his head towards her by the merest fraction. His masked equivalent of a sideways glance.
"I know. But don't hold your breath KP. We both know that there is no way I'll win. I've had everyone either too freaked out or ticked off for anyone to vote for me. And quite frankly, I'll be glad when this is all over. This may be our secret, but I won't be able to tell you till later if it's a good or bad memory." RonZ mumbled. Kim merely raised a 'we'll see' eyebrow and turned her attention back to MrBarkin.
"Ok everyone! And here it is! The girl who wins the title of Queen of the Night is... Bonnie Rockwaller!" MrBarkin bellowed.
Bonnie quickly and easily got up on stage amid the applause, though a careful listener could tell that only some of it was honestly meant. The rest was just courtesy applause. And of course those that meant it were mostly boys.
"Of course this is completely expected-" Bonnie started to say after accepting a beautiful tiara of imitation onyx and amethyst, but was cut off.
"Save it till after the other winner is announced Rockwaller! Then you can talk yourself all the way home!" MrBarkin ordered, making Bonnie give a huff of annoyance, but then she smiled as stepped aside slightly, with a seemingly knowing look on her face.
"Ok! Now, the boy who wins as King of the Night is... Huh?" MrBarkin stopped, looking at the card in confusion. "Is this some kind of joke?" He asked one of the other teachers standing on the floor next to the stage. The woman just shrugged and shook her head. MrBarkin looked over the crowd with an angry look. "Alright, I don't know the joker responsible for all this, but I'm dying to find out! So get up here and take your crown... Zormok the Vile!" MrBarkin pronounced the title with vicious mockery.
RonZ stood stunned as the whole gym erupted into massive cheers. He looked at a very pleased Kim for a moment before slowly moving forward towards the stage as everyone moved aside for him. He stopped in front of the stage, looking up at MrBarkin.
"What, pray tell, in the WORLD, makes you think, that I need, or want, your puny, insulting, inadequate recognition!?" RonZ snarled up at the stunned ex-military man.
"Put a cork in it mister! Your attended this party and your costume won the most votes, so get up here and take your place!" MrBarkin snapped.
"Yeah! Go on!" Kim suddenly shouted, and instantly everyone in the gym was chanting 'go on'!
RonZ gave a red-eyed glare at Kim a moment before turning and somersaulting straight up and forward onto the stage, which caused another massive burst of applause. He slowly walked over to MrBarkin who was holding a crown, bigger than Bonnie's tiara, made of imitation onyx and ruby. After a moment of staring at MrBarkin, RonZ slowly took the crown, and gazed at it for a moment. He then tried putting it on his head, but it had absolutely no chance of fitting down over his mask/helmet, especially with the spike-spines in the way. RonZ stopped the attempt and held it out in front of him again, before looking up at MrBarkin.
"Well imagine that. It doesn't fit." RonZ said coldly.
"Then take off the mask!" Bonnie instantly and eagerly blurted, almost faster than her breath would allow. And with Kim leading, the whole crowd started chanting 'take it off!' After a few recitations, RonZ turned to face everyone.
"SILENCE!" He shouted, and the enhancer in his suit made his voice so loud that the walls boomed, and many people had to cover their ears. After everyone had quieted, he regarded them carefully. "What reason would I have to do so? Just to fulfill your wishes? Because it's what you want? USE YOUR BRAINS! The whole reason the mask was invented was to HIDE a person's identity! If I had wanted you to know who I am, I'd have told you by now!" RonZ shouted angrily. Kim had a look of shocked disbelief on her face. A look that slowly started to turn to anger as she thought Ron was going back on his promise.
"Oh, no way! There is no way I'm letting you out of here until I see your face!" Bonnie declared as she gazed at RonZ with a very determined and very... hungry look.
"Oh really? And just why is that?" RonZ turned to her, crossing his arms.
"You claim to be evil? Well, isn't evil also selfish? Why the sudden modest shyness? Come on, admit it, you're just as desperate to show us as we are to see! You want to show us just how great you are! You'd be sealed as the King of the Food chain for life! No one in this room will ever forget you as long as they live!" Bonnie was almost wild-eyed as she took a few steps towards RonZ. "The party to end all parties. You've already accomplished that. Now, you should be immortalized in our memories as the one who had the mind, the guts, and the relentless will to do it! Those that accomplish should be recognized! You obviously worked for this, so you deserve the rewards!... ALL of the rewards." Bonnie licked her lips slowly. "You deserve your wedding night with your queen."
RonZ gazed at her for several moments before making a quick glance into the crowd, making a pointed hand gesture. Everyone was confused as Jim and Tim suddenly scrambled past people to go out the side door of the gym, prompting a worried look from MrBarkin. Kim was also confused, not having understood the message Ron had had her give to the two little terrors. It was something about a computer that could read a digital memory chip.
"So, you're saying, I deserve this. That it's the ways things should be." RonZ said to Bonnie as he took a few steps, pacing the stage. "You want to... reward me for what I've done. You certainly seemed to have enjoyed my company tonight. So, I take off my mask and what? Are you going to give me a kiss or something?" RonZ asked.
"As many as you want. And I promise that they'll be everything that you deserve." Bonnie smiled, sensing triumph. RonZ paced a few more steps before turning back to her.
"No. You're lying. You won't keep that promise." He said with a shake of his head. Bonnie blinked in surprise.
"But I-" She tried to say.
"No Bonnie, you won't! You can say anything you want, but I know that you won't keep that promise. You'll go back on anything and everything you've said or done, you'll yell, scream, complain, and whatever you think will work to get out of it. Because you won't be able to handle it. You're just not capable of it." RonZ sneered at her.
"I can, and will, handle anything you want to throw at me. And we both know that there is only one way to settle this argument. Take off that mask, and we'll see who can and can't handle it." Bonnie challenged. RonZ considered for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Well, how about that. For the first time, you're actually right. We'd just argue in circles on and on, because it's all determinate on what's under here." RonZ tapped the side of his mask. "Well then. I guess that's that. Ok then Bonnie," RonZ reached into the collar of his armor and switched off the voice enhancer, "Time to face the truth." Ron finished in his normal voice.
Even as he then reached to take off the mask, Bonnie had already frozen, a look of panic on her face. Some of those in the crowd that were familiar enough with Ron to know his voice were also stunned as the rest of everyone else waited anxiously to see who it was. Ron released the fasteners on the helmet as he lifted to slide the mask off. And there Ron stood, in his blond haired, freckled faced, big eared glory. And he was surprised by the deathly silence. He had expected some kind of reaction. After a few seconds, he got it.
"I can't believe I let him get away!" Came Tara's lamentful cry.
The gym nearly exploded as people went crazy with cheers. If Kim thought the reception for them at their junior prom had been a blast, this was outright nuclear. She bolted forward and leapt onto the stage, and GLOMPHED Ron, who barely got the dangerous spined mask out of the way in time. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, relieved beyond relief that he had kept his promise, and the two looked over at a completely freaking Bonnie.
"No, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!!!!" She screamed, holding her head. "You can't be him! You must've stolen the real guys' suit or something! I refuse to believe a LOSER like you could've done something like this! You've never been capable of anything like this before, you clumsy slacker!" Bonnie practically spat with hissing fury.
"So I was right. You won't keep your promise." Ron shrugged. "But before you ramble on any further about how this is all a mistake or something, you might want to hear the testimony of a key participant who made it all possible." Ron said as Jim and Tim suddenly came out on stage, pushing a cart table with a laptop computer and a digital projector on it.
Jim plugged the equipment into the receptacles in the floor, as Tim went over to the wall, and began lowering the projector screen. Bonnie watched with confusion.
"What's this about?" She asked suspiciously. Ron let go of Kim, and turned his mask upside down, reaching into it for a moment. His hand came out with what looked like a computer chip.
"There's a spy video camera in my mask. It's been recording everything that I've done, and this is the memory chip for it." Ron held it up as he handed his helmet to Kim.
"You never mentioned a camera." Kim pouted slightly but her eyes were bright with renewed excitement.
"I wanted it to be a surprise. Surprise." Ron smiled and walked over to the laptop. He and Jim plugged in the chip and worked for a moment, before Ron turned back to Bonnie. "So Bonnie, do you want to see who is responsible for causing your humiliation here? They're right here, their very words that got you into this recorded clear as day."
"Darn right I want to see it! And the person responsible is going to regret what they've done! Play it already!" Bonnie fumed impatiently, rapidly tapping her foot.
"Alright." Ron said, and cast a sly smirk at Kim as he turned on the projector, and the up-close and personal image of Bonnie's face appeared on the wall screen. Ron hit 'play' on the laptop.
"I've only seen you for a short time, and yet, I know that you are the strongest, fiercest, and most perfectly hottest of hotties that I've ever seen. The kind of man that I've fantasized about meeting. A man like you, deserves a queen… like me. Just give me a chance. And when this party is over, I could show you my… royal treasure. I'll rock your world harder than you've ever dreamed." The video paused again, the video Bonnie's face frozen in a look that couldn't possibly be confused for anything except genuine lust.
"Well, there they are Bonnie. The one responsible for your involvement. You. I only did all this to have fun with Kim at a Halloween party. It was entirely your own choice to take interest in me. I only played out what I had planned, and you kept insisting on including yourself." Ron said quietly, though in the silence of the gym from the watching crowd, he was heard clearly by all. Bonnie was just standing silently, staring up at herself on the screen. "You said I wasn't ever capable of pulling something like this before. How could you possibly know? You never cared enough to bother finding out. I was always capable, I just didn't really have a reason or the confidence. So you thought I was worthless, without talent or guts. Well, I've changed, just a little. I found a reason. And the reason gave me confidence. So now you see that I do have talent. What you decide to do about this realization of yours is your own business. But," Ron turned off the projector and laptop, taking the chip and pocketing it, "You can never again say that I'm not worth noticing." Ron turned away and got down off stage, then offered a hand to Kim, who snatched the black crown from MrBarkin.
Since Kim was holding the crown in one hand, and the mask in the other, Ron didn't have any other option than to lift Kim down by the waist, an act that caused the crowd to burst into applause, and Ron to blush just a little.
"Possible! Stoppable! Monday, my office!" MrBarkin shouted over the ruckus. Kim shot him an angry glare.
"For what, having fun at a party? I don't think so! And before you even start in on the whole, 'improper behavior at a school function' bit, you might want to talk it over with MsDinkley first before accusing us of anything!" Kim shot with a smug smile, leaving MrBarkin gape-mouthed as Jim and Tim passed him and jumped off the stage to join Kim and Ron as they made their way over to the DJ table, where Felix, Monique, Tara, MrsP and MrP were all gathered.
Ron tried to gauge their faces as he and Kim walked up to them. Monique was smiling plenty big and bright, and actually looked quite proud, though of what, who could guess. Felix was looking a bit confused, slightly guilty, and majorly embarrassed. And the light lipstick prints on his face were probably half the cause. MrP looked a little dazed and spacey, but still had a frown aimed Ron's way. MrsP was ALL smiles and glowing eyes, but something was a little off, as she was leaning on MrP quite snugly with a seemingly very relaxed air about her. Tara however, was looking very upset and guilty, and couldn't look Ron in the eye, rather, she kept studying her feet.
"Mer-CY girl! You sure know how to pick'um!" Monique laughed.
"The burdens of saving the world. Having to deal with all the bad boys that want to tie me up." Kim winked back as she set the mask and crown on the table.
"Ok Ron, spill. How come you didn't tell us about this?" Felix asked. "And of course, by the way, sorry for turning snake on you." Felix shrugged helplessly.
"That's ok. I figured you would. I wanted this to be a secret surprise for Kim, and I knew if I told anyone, Kim would eventually get wind of it. It wasn't personal. I hope you'll all forgive my unruly behavior tonight. I just wanted to play the part, you know?" Ron said apologetically.
"NO!" Tara squealed, making everyone jump. She kept her gaze on the floor. "You didn't do anything wrong. We were the ones who acted like jerks. We might have ruined your plan if we had let our anger get the better of us. ... ... I'm sorry." Tara nearly choked out. Ron immediately reached out and took her shoulders, but she cringed.
"Hey, I said it was ok. No one was hurt. Well, except maybe Bonnie's ego. But everything's ok now." Ron said soothingly, but Tara still wouldn't meet his gaze.
"But you and Kim had a fight." Tara whimpered, that made Ron wince.
"Ah, yeah, well, that was kinda my fault. Um, guys could you give us a moment?" Ron asked the others while giving a look to Kim, who nodded. Ron then took a shuffling Tara over a few steps out of ear-shot. While he was dealing with his blonde friend, Kim looked back at the others.
"Sorry about all this. You know Ron and Halloween." Kim sighed, then smiled. "But it sure beat the heck out of TOT'ing!"
"That's the understatement of the year!" MrsP squealed. "We definitely have to do this again next year! I'm getting goosebumps thinking if and how Ron will ever top this! Oh my!" She gave a shiver. "I almost can't believe it WAS Ron who did all this! My heart nearly stopped when I saw his face!"
"What? You mean you didn't know?" Monique asked.
"Why no! I had no idea! After all, who would've guessed that our sweet carefree Ron was so... so... so BAD!" MrsP smiled with half-closed eyes as she shivered again.
"I had a feeling he'd turn into a typical boy eventual---AH!" MrP started to snip, but stopped when MrsP grabbed the back of his head, and pulled his hair slightly.
"No no dear. Be nice. And I'll be nice." She purred into his ear.
"Eeww!"/"Yuck!" J&T said. "Hey mom, would you mind if we"/"Stayed at Arnie's house tonight?"
"Why, that will be perfect! When we get back to the house, make sure you grab extra cloths." MrsP nodded.
"But if you didn't know, why were you giving me the mother's eye when I was at your place?" Monique asked, confused.
"Well, I didn't know what exactly was going on, but I could tell you knew more than you were saying. I was curious what Kim had told you." MrsP shrugged. Kim stared at her mom in disbelief.
"Wait a minute, mom, are you saying you really didn't know Ron was under the mask?" Kim asked, wide-eyed. "But, you seemed so ok with me being with Zormok, I mean, you always wanted Ron and I to be together, so why...?"
"Because I trust you to be honest, and I trust Ron to protect you. If 'Zormok' really was doing something to you against your will, I knew Ron would have ripped him apart. After your argument, when we came back here, I asked if things were ok between you and Ron, and you said yes. So I decided it was ok, and didn't worry. So don't you worry Kimmie, I'm not mad. Far from it actually..." MrsP trailed off as she pressed up against her husband, scritching her nails in his hair.
"Ok, right." Kim said, turning to look away. So what if she had a mega-hottie boyfriend that she went ga-ga over. It was still weird seeing her own parents act that way. 'Wow, Ron even fooled mom? She usually sees straight through things like this. If she couldn't see it, I guess I really don't have too much of a reason to beat on myself... oh, that's right... I also have a promise to keep.' Kim straightened up as she remembered her own plans.
"Well, if you'll excuse us, this party is over, and we have another to go to." Monique suddenly said as she started pushing a surprised Felix towards the exit.
"What other party?" Felix asked as they left, making Monique's answer unheard.
"Somebody's going to be having fun." MrsP giggled and Kim joined her. Kim watched as Ron was talking to Tara, and flinched slightly when Tara gave him a kiss on the cheek before leaving. Everyone was slowly filing out of the gym, more than a few grabbing what was left of the candy and snacks on the way out. Ron walked back over to Kim and the others.
"I think Tara will be ok. Geez. I really didn't like upsetting her. She just too nice not to be happy all the time." Ron sighed. "And the way she's acting, it's almost as if she still has a thing for me or something." Ron shrugged.
"Uh, Ron, she does." Kim said slowly with an amused smile. Ron blinked.
"What? She does? Why didn't someone tell me?" Ron smacked his head. Kim raised an eyebrow.
"Why? Thinking of trading up on your girlfriend?" Kim asked pointedly. Ron blinked, then gave a goofy smile as he moved over and wrapped his arms around her. Kim couldn't help but smile.
"Can't go any higher that the lady that can do anything." Ron gave her a tiny peck on the nose. "So, I guess it's over. Time to go home, right?" He started to pull Kim towards the exit, with the Dr'sP and Tweebs also making their way out, but Kim stopped him.
"Hey! Don't forget these." Kim pulled away to grab the mask and crown from the table, but her hand on the mask was promptly stopped by-
"Hyk! 'Bout time!" Rufus grumbled as he popped out from a large bowl of cheeseballs.
"Oh, Rufus! Right! Heh, we, uh, almost forgot." Kim smiled sheepishly. Ron picked up Rufus and slipped him into his pocket as best he could. Kim turned to Ron holding out the two pieces of headwear. "Now these are some first rate souvenirs." She smiled as she placed the crown on Ron's head, and handed him the mask.
"You sure? I don't know if I feel right wearing this crown. Or the mask anymore for that matter." Ron sighed as they made their way out of the gym.
"Seems just fine to me. And you had better hang on to those. It will be very nice to see those on display years from now." Kim said with pleasant dreaminess.
"I already had a souvenir. The video chip? It has more on it than just Bonnie embarrassing herself you know." Ron whispered into her ear, making Kim's face turn red. And in fact, that little bit of information kept Kim silent all the way back to her house. As they reached the front door, Jim and Tim raced in first as MrP opened the door and followed them in. MrsP turned to Ron.
"Excuse me dear, but would you please wait out here for a few minutes?" She asked sweetly. A little too sweetly.
"Uh, sure?" Ron asked uncertainly glancing at Kim, who looked just as confused.
"Thank you. Come on in Kim." MrsP said, pulling Kim inside and shutting the door.
Ron stood there, on the front porch, probably as confused as he had ever been, with a weird gut feeling to boot. Not something bad, just, different. He looked down at Rufus.
"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Ron asked.
"Huh, Uh-Uh!" Rufus shook his head and shrugged in his cluelessness.
The two stayed still for several minutes until the door opened again, and Jim and Tim rocketed past carrying duffle bags.
"BYE RON!" They yelled as they ran down the street towards Arnie's house. Ron watched them go, but then turned as Kim came out, also carrying a duffle bag, and she had a completely dazed look on her face.
"Bye Ron! Good night!" MrsP said with a smile as she closed the door, there was a click of the lock, and the porch light went out. Standing in the dark a moment, Ron turned to a still spaced-out Kim.
"Ok KP. What, just, happened." Ron asked seriously. Kim turned to him with a suddenly intense look.
"Mom just said... that I can stay with you... ALL WEEKEND." Kim said with excited breathlessness. Ron stared at her.
"You're joking." He said flatly.
"No, and neither was mom!" Kim had a smile you could land a space shuttle on. And her hands were twitching.
"But why would she, I mean why would your dad let you..." Ron asked. The two looked at the closed door, and the now dark inside, then looked back at each-other. "Er, don't want to think about it. Let's go!" Ron said quickly as Kim nodded and the two rushed towards Ron's house.
The poor girl in red. Would that be what everyone would be calling her Monday morning? Would they laugh at her? Tease her? Ignore her? How bad would it be? These were not the only thoughts running through Bonnie's head as she cried into her pillow. She had left the gym right after Kim and Ron had gotten off stage, and not a single person had noticed. As worried as Bonnie was about her shattered status in the food chain, there was something else that was really driving her mad.
She was tossing and turning in bed, her costume having been thrown aside. She was pounding her bed with her fists, as images and feelings kept flashing in her mind. Images of silver muscles. Images of hellish red eyes. Feelings of ice cold metal. Feelings of searing aching heat. She cried and sobbed and growled at herself.
'No! No, no, NO! I won't! I can't!' Bonnie thought viciously, thrashing around even more, until she wound up in a tense ball, her hands... 'NO! I AM NOT CRUSHING ON RON STOPPABLE!!!' She was whimpering, her body trembling as sweat beaded off her. 'But... he's... just so hot... just so BAD...'
Poor Bonnie. She got sleep, but the dreams were relentless.
"I let him get away. I let him get away. I can't believe I let him get away. I let him get away? I let him get away." Tara was mumbling to herself as she walked down the sidewalk with Josh beside her.
"Hey, Tara? You ok?" Josh asked as he pulled off his false beard and took off the hat that been falling down over his eyes all night.
"I let him get away. I let him get away away? I let him get away away." Tara kept talking to herself, seemingly oblivious to Josh's question.
"Uh, Tara? If you're still hung up on him, does that mean we're over?" Josh asked a little nervously.
"I can't believe I let him get away. I can't believe I let him get away away." Tara continued, unresponsive.
"(sigh). Yeah, that's what I thought." Josh rolled his eyes slightly, sounding a bit disapointed, but not really unexpected.
"I... let... him... get... away... (sniffle)." Tara whispered to herself.
Monique walked in the front door of Felix's house as he closed the door behind them.
"Strange, I thought mom would still be up." Felix wondered aloud as he looked around. Empty, silent, and only one light had been left on. Felix moved himself over to it, picking up a piece of paper next to it.
"Note?" Monique whispered, not wanting to wake anyone.
"Yeah." Felix nodded, unfolding the paper. "Uhhh, 'Felix, had to go to the lab... left some food in fridge... don't worry about waiting... don't-'" Felix suddenly stopped, looking at the note, wide-eyed.
"What is it?" Monique asked, curious.
"Uh, nothing!" Felix said much too quickly, trying to fold up the paper. Monique narrowed her eyes.
"Let me see." She said, grabbing for it.
They struggled for a moment, Felix trying to hold the note out of her reach, but in doing so, at one point, Monique leaned forward to grab it, but lost her balance, and stumbled, landing herself squarely on Felix's lap. They both went still. Monique completely pressed against him, her lips inches from his.
"Caught you." Felix whispered.
"Yeah. Tell me, what's the note say?" She whispered back, not making any attempt to get up.
"Well, actually, it concerns... this." Felix swallowed hard.
"Do tell. Or better yet, show me." Monique let her lips drift forward.
"Ulp!" Felix gulped hard.
MrP had taken off the blue lab coat and removed the false ponytail. He was eagerly waiting for his wife from the adjoining room where she had gone to take off her costume. Even though his mind was filled with the thoughts of the impending events, he did notice it was rather quiet, even with the boys gone. But then the door opened and his vision of beauty walked in wearing nothing but a very thin bedgown. THAT bedgown.
"Ohhh, honey, are you sure? Kimmie's had a long night. You might want to tell her to put in her earplugs before we get started." MrP smiled, walking over to his glowing wife.
"No need. I sent Kim to stay with Ron for the weekend." MrsP said, embracing him, but he nearly yanked away.
"WHAT!? Why in the world did you-" MrP gasped as MrsP stroked a finger over his face.
"Tell me, is this body paint... edible?" She whispered huskily.
"No." MrP squeaked.
"Pity. Well, there's no way I'll stay in the mood as long as you look like Drew. So I guess I'll just have to give you a... vigorous... sponge bath, to wash it ALL off." MrsP purred as she pulled the blue... faced, man towards the master bathroom.
"Ulp!" MrP gulped hard.
Kim and Ron were in his bedroom, after having gotten in and saying goodnight to Ron's parents. They were both changing out of their costumes, Ron of course taking a bit longer due to the heavy qualities of his armor.
"This has been one crazy night." Ron sighed, his back to Kim.
"Oh yeah. Craziest night of my life. And that's certainly saying something." Kim giggled. She had been giggling since they had left her house, actually.
"You know," Ron said slowly after a moment, "Hindsight is a remarkable thing. I can't help but think just how badly tonight might have gone if I had caught you still in the gym after our first dance." Ron said quietly.
"Hey, it's alright. Everything turned out alright." Kim tried to assure him.
"But think about it. If I had gotten back into the gym, you still crying, and we had had our fight right there, in front of everyone... I guess I owe Shego a thank you next time I see her." Ron placed the last of his costume on his dresser, now just standing in his boxers.
"SHEGO!?" Kim gasped, making Ron wince. "What does Shego have to do with it?" Kim demanded.
"Oh, uh, yeah. I ran into Shego just outside the gym after our dance. Scaring her off is what delayed me from getting back in right away. I could have sworn I had mentioned... it." Ron trailed off when he turned to face Kim, who was kneeling on his bed, wearing only her underwear, with his cape draped around herself. "K-k-k-k... P-puhguh gaah..." Ron articulated. "G-ggg-gor-geous..." Kim just couldn't help but giggle again. Ron's expression was exactly what she had been hoping for.
"Ok, ok. We'll... talk, about Shego at a later time. But for now..." Kim switched to full-strength Puppy-Dog-Pout, "There's something important we have to deal with. You see, I made a promise to myself earlier tonight. A promise that I would have to be punished for not having faith in you." Kim pouted, twirling her finger in the corner of the cape.
"P-p-punished? Wh-what do you mean?" Ron asked, wide eyed and flushed red.
"Well, you know... Punished the only way a... proper girl like me should be punished." Kim slowly turned around on Ron's bed, leaning down onto the sheets, her rear raised up at him. "Your big hands don't always have to be so gentle you know." She purred huskily as she gazed back at him.
"Ulp!" Ron gulped hard.
Shego was starting to get drowsy as she was sorting through her personal picture collection of her secret crush, still replaying the encounter with Zormok in her mind. And strangely, it is in fact in this dazed, half-awake state, that sometimes the mind makes instant connections between thoughts that the fully conscious mind would struggle and strain to realize.
'Evil... bad boy... scary... only one to ever scare me... strong... secretly... smarter than appears... Zorpox... suit... Zormok... Z... Z... ... ZORPOX!' Shego bolted upright in bed. 'The only ones to ever know about Zorpox... RON! Zormok was Ron! I WAS LUSTING FOR R--Oh! Wait! Duh! I already do anyway!' Shego smacked her head. 'What a relief.' She picked up a picture of Ron back when he had turned into Zorpox. 'Ohhh Ron. You could be so bad if you just let it out. I thought Zorpox had been the last of it. A fluke of the attitudinator. But, it seems the badness wasn't gone, just suppressed. And Halloween seems to have brought it back out, if only for a night. Hmmm.' Shego began putting her personal album away, tucking each picture carefully back into place. 'Next year, those two will be off to college. Separate colleges. Maybe... I could drop in on Ron, and see if I could convince him to let me go Trick Or Treating with him. Lots of tricks, and very sweet... treats.' Shego smiled at the thought as she glanced over at the costume she hadn't had the chance to use this Halloween, but might use next time. The full black leather suit, almost special-ops looking, but designed to cling and hug the curves, with a prominant red symbol of a flared cobra head on the chest. 'Maybe lord Ron will have command of his loyal Baroness next time he wants to cause trouble.' Shego's smile became larger and much deeper in intent as she thought of future 'missions' she would undertake.
She put her album back into the safe beneath her bed, and after only the smallest of pauses, pulled out the only other thing in the safe before closing and locking it. She turned off the light and curled up tightly with her smile still on her face. Snuggled in her arms was the one thing that always guaranteed her very pleasant dreams without fail. Her pink sloth plushy.
FIN
