Previous Story: "For Hire"

Previously on Kim Possible (WARNING: Spoilers!)

Kim Possible is a girl who can do anything: stop an avalanche or an evil super villain. She goes to high school with her friend and sidekick, Ron Stoppable (and his pet mole rat Rufus), by day; by night she tackles the baddies that threaten the world. She's helped by a computer genius, Wade, and a network of grateful people that she's helped in the past, who give her free rides all around the planet to where she's needed.

Recently, Kim encountered a new threat in the form of the villain, Mercenary. He proved to be quite a challenge and Kim learned not to underestimate the guy's sadistic mentality. Mercenary's motives were not clear when he was temporarily working for Dr. Drakken, as became known to Kim when he abruptly switched sides because Global Justice offered a larger payoff. Also, Kim met and welcomed a new boy at school, Nathan "Nate" Porter, who engaged in a brief relationship with Kim's best friend, Monique. The two broke up, though.

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"Lost Cause"

High above the city, a single seated silver jet soared through the midnight sky. Inside sat Mercenary, wearing the same battle suit as he had before. The outfit was a mix of black and white, although his arms, legs, and chest were silver. Mercenary sported gauntlets on the forearms, which housed several projectile launchers.

His head was covered by a silver helmet as well, but the face of the helmet reminded one of a paint ball mask. The eyes behind that helmet glanced at the jet's heads up display. On a small screen to his left, the words, "Target: Joe Barracuda," glowed. Mercenary smirked under his helmet. It was time to go to work, again.

Joe Barracuda was not exactly an honest, legitimate business man, though that's what most of the world knew him as. He was actually a dangerous crime lord, though himself a coward. Barracuda was being transported via convoy and rode in the back seat of a limo. Since she didn't know about Barracuda's double life, Kim Possible was escorting him. Besides, Joe hadn't done anything wrong today, and Kim felt obligated to help when he called her for assistance and protection.

"Are you sure he can't get me?" Barracuda asked nervously, wiping the sweat off his hands. He was an overweight, balding fellow, who wore a gray buttoned shirt that was wet at the armpits. Kim rolled her eyes, "Relax, Mr. Barracuda, as long as I'm here, you're safe."

"Do you know what Mercenary is capable of? I've heard stories! No one escapes him!"

"I've actually faced Mercenary in combat, and yes, he can be quite a handful. But I know his tricks by now."

"Really? I don't think you know what you're up against, Ms. Possible!"

"Mr. Barracuda," Kim began, "you have your men following and leading you in this convoy, plus you called me for help. Besides, why would Mercenary want to capture you?"

"I don't know! There's no price on my head, I don't think! I just heard that he was looking for me! What did I ever do to him?" Then Joe Barracuda was suddenly silent, as he didn't want to arouse suspicion in Kim by bringing up his criminal career. Perhaps he had insulted Mercenary somehow, and now he would pay for it…

…with his life!

Mercenary's jet flew overhead, unknown to Barracuda's convoy below. He pressed a button on the console, and two handlebars appeared above his head. He held them as the seat and bottom of the jet opened up. He lifted his legs as the jet descended quickly to his target. The handlebars lowered Mercenary through the opening of the jet's seat, and he looked as though he were hanging from the bottom of the plane.

With a quick movement, Mercenary let go. He fell speedily towards the convoy and activated the jetpack on his back. He was then hovering in the air, leaned toward the convoy, and rocketed himself to it. Meanwhile, Kim checked with Wade on the Kimmunicator, wondering if there was secretly a price on Barracuda's head. Her hunch was wrong, and there wasn't.

Joe Barracuda began to sweat more and more as he continuously glanced at the tiny splinter-sized hands on his wrist watch, making the near-annoying tick tock sound. "I told you to chill," Kim said to him, "I can assure you that I won't let Mercenary get to you. Who has the better reputation, him or me?"

At this, he raised an eyebrow, "Oh, but who has the better motivation, you or him?"

Kim scowled. The driver, meanwhile, was grinning from what he was hearing behind him. His amusement, however, was cut short when someone peeked into his window. "Clean your windshield, mister?" Mercenary asked. The driver screamed, realizing that Mercenary was on top of the car and was peering right into the driver's eyes.

At the sound of the driver's scream, Kim whipped out her Kimmunicator. "Ron! Now!" Mercenary was delighted to see Kim Possible again, but he was surprised when her goofy sidekick burst out of the sunroof of the car in front of them. Ron Stoppable's rocket skates propelled him at Mercenary, who glanced up and rolled to the left, making Ron bounce off the roof and go straight at the car that followed Barracuda's.

Mercenary shook his head with dissatisfaction. He felt someone grab his right foot; it was Kim. She had an aggravated look on her face, evidenced by the frown. She was sitting on the side window's ledge; her legs were still in the car for balance. Mercenary sighed and kicked her in the face, making her wobble back and forth. Mercenary instantly got to his feet and used his force-shields to cut a large rectangle in the roof of the car.

Barracuda screamed in fear as Mercenary grabbed him by the collar. "Why don't we have a little talk, huh?" Mercenary asked grimly. His voice was raspy and cold, a trait which annoyed Kim: she didn't like the bad guys getting away. Mercenary gave Kim a little wave as he boosted fifty feet upwards, away from the limo. Kim whipped out her hair dryer grappling gun and shot it at him. It was supposed to wrap around Mercenary, but it instead caught onto Barracuda's foot.

Kim was pulled up with Mercenary. He noticed the extra weight and growled with frustration. With his free hand, he pulled out one of the holstered pistols and shot a beam that cut Kim's rope. She gasped as she fell towards the street full of traffic. Kim managed to land gracefully, but she was forced to jump onto the sidewalk before she was hit by an oncoming truck. She gritted her teeth as she watched Mercenary carry Joe Barracuda to a rooftop.

Just before Kim could follow Mercenary, she noticed that his silver jet flew down near the street, toward her. There was no one in the pilot seat! How could it be flying on its own? Well, Kim didn't have time for distractions; she had to get to Mercenary before he did something to Joe Barracuda. She readied herself as the jet got closer and closer; it was going to hit her. Kim took a deep breath and grunted as she jumped on top of the jet's hull.

"Wade," Kim said as she pulled out the Kimmunicator, "I think this jet is remote controlled, can you hack into it?"

"Not for long, I see that the jet has an automated hacker block!"

"How long to I have?" she asked.

"About thirty seconds; use the Kimmunicator as the remote; you'll have minimal steering time."

Thirty seconds was all Kim needed. She held on tightly as she pressed the left and right buttons on her Kimmunicator, controlling the jet's direction of flight. Kim glanced back and looked at the rooftop that Mercenary was standing. She could see that he wasn't going anything to Barracuda. That was odd, she thought. Anyway, Kim made the jet do a sharp u-turn and head straight for the rooftop. When she was close enough, Kim jumped off the jet and landed on the rooftop, not startling Mercenary at all. The jet regained control and flew away. Standing in a heroic stance, Kim yelled, "It's over, Mercenary!"

He turned around. Kim then saw that Joe was simply cowering by him, not injured at all. The guy wasn't even tied up. What, was Mercenary waiting for Kim to arrive so that he could fight her? No, Mercenary didn't work like that. "What did you do to him?" Kim asked in a very loud voice.

"He had some information I wanted, that's all."

"What kind of information?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Sorry, Kim, you won't get anything out of me unless I want to tell you. You know, we actually made a pretty good team last time…"

"Oh, I know you're not asking me to join you!"

"Suit yourself. I have what I came for."

Ron had somehow snuck onto the rooftop as well, and he made sure not to alert Mercenary. Kim spotted him, though. She put up her fists at the masked hunter, ready for a fight. Mercenary groaned, "Oh, another duel? You're beginning to bore me, Kim." The teen heroine was somewhat confused by Mercenary's remark: it was like he didn't want to fight her. Or it could just be mind games – Mercenary was good at that.

Kim's best friend slowly pulled out his grappling gun and aimed at Mercenary. Joe Barracuda whimpered as he watched Mercenary's cold complexion not move an inch. The crime lord was eager to get away from the killer, stepping near the edge of the building. Ron stepped quietly closer, holding his breath. Kim kept her eyes fixed on Mercenary, so as not to give away Ron's position.

A small blip appeared in the corner of Mercenary's heads up display, located inside his helmet. It alerted him that someone was about to attack him from behind. Mercenary grinned under the helmet and snorted, still disappointed in Ron. The sidekick fired the grapple, but Mercenary sidestepped to the right, making Ron's grapple hit Joe Barracuda square in the face and knocking him over the edge.

Kim gasped and dived after him. Mercenary turned around and looked at Ron, who smiled nervously. He was so dead. However, Mercenary didn't attack or anything; he just uttered a couple words at Ron, "Nice one, Freckles." After which, Mercenary's jetpack carried him off the rooftop abruptly, and the hunter grabbed his jet, which flew overhead at that moment.

Ron Stoppable ran back down the stairs to the ground floor. He learned that Kim had saved Barracuda from becoming street pizza, but the man had fainted from fear of hitting the pavement. Kim brushed herself off as Ron ran up to her. "What was that all about?" she asked her sidekick.

"I don't know," Ron replied without a clue, "maybe Joe really didn't have a price on his head."

"Why would Mercenary want to probe Joe Barracuda for information? What did he profit from all this?"

Ron rubbed the back of his head and answered Kim, "Um, maybe seeing your belly button again?"

Kim rolled her eyes at him, "Very funny."