Summary:
All Ron's suppressed bad feelings rolled into one, with no sense of morality, his hidden mechanical and fighting talents, and a bit of Ron's natural flamboyancy- only Ron himself, with the help of Kim and the ninjas from Yamanouchi, can stop this supervillain mastermind! But Kim doesn't even know Ron still exists...
A/N: In my story, I mention events or effects of events recorded in several Kim Possible episodes, including "Monkey Fist Strikes", "Exchange", "Bad Boy", "Stop Team Go", and "So the Drama". I tried to write this so you could understand without watching all of these episodes, but the plot follows both Zorpox and the gang from Yamanouchi, so for complete understanding, please refer back to some of these.
There has been some debate on the boards on whether or not "Zorpox" is the official name for Ron's evil side. I call him "Zorpox" so there is no confusion between Ron and his alter ego.
The time period in which this would have happened, I haven't quite decided. Kim and Ron are dating, but are not in school, and have not yet graduated, so I guess that places it in the summer after "So the Drama" happened.
I am definitely no scientist, and in all likelihood an invention like the Lunar Magnet would be impossible to build. For that matter, so would a Mega-Weather-Generator or an Attitudinator, but I tried the best I could to make an almost believable invention.
I also have some of the story set in Japan. I have never visited, nor do I know anyone from Japan, so a few cultural references might be a bit off. I have tried as best as I know how to accurately use terms like "Stoppable San" and "gi" from my limited knowledge and research and from what I have seen and read in the show and fanfictions.
I gave Ron the ability to speak Japanese a bit. The show never said that he did, but it's possible (no pun intended).
The story I have written is rated K+ because the only thing I can find even mildly questionable is the quick glimpse of nonsexual nudity and some kissing near the end. I do not like it when people use the KP characters to have intensely suggestive moments or have them curse. The way they are depicted in the cartoon, though a children's show it may be, has convinced me that they have high morals, and I try to keep that consistent. However, and correct me if I'm wrong, I find that a child would not be able to completely comprehend the ideas I have placed in my story. Nonetheless, they should still be able to make some sense of it and enjoy reading it.
Gasp! A trailer for this fanfiction is now watchable at: /watch?vPkqQ69L0R4M.
The characters used in this story, as well as a few of their quotes, belong to Disney, but the words and storyline are my own. I have made no profit from them whatsoever, except (hopefully) satisfaction in a job well done and perhaps constructive criticism from my peers and fellow writers.
Kimberly Ann Possible gulped as she viewed the figure of her best-friend-turned-boyfriend, still in his mission clothes of a black sweater and grey cargo pants, motionless in the clean white hospital bed. The monitor next to him steadily beeped as his chest rose and fell. She sighed as she thought about the previous days events.
Yesterday, Dr. Drakken had tried yet another take-over-the-world scheme. Shego, Drakken's sarcastic green-skinned sidekick with a super-powered plasma attack that provided the muscle for Drakken's mechanical genius, had, as usual, gotten locked in an intense fight with Kim. As the mad scientist put his typically complicated and confusing plan in motion, Ron, the ever-reliable yet clumsy sidekick, had provided a distraction. Unfortunately, as the battle neared its end, Ron had accidentally gotten in the way of Kim and Shego. The two young ladies were concentrating on their battle too hard to move out of the way, and Ron and Shego were both thrown forcefully against the wall, knocking both of them out. Thankfully, the authorities came and locked away Shego, but Drakken had gotten away and Ron was still out cold. Kim, her mind focused on these troubles, turned, startled, as she heard her mother approach behind her.
"Will he be okay, Mom? He doesn't usually get hurt on missions-"
"He'll be fine, Kimmie," the brain surgeon replied, giving her daughter a reassuring smile. "He's only got a bruise on his head. He should be recovered by tomorrow." Kim grinned, relieved. "But there's one thing that puzzles me." Mrs. Dr. Possible consulted her clipboard to make sure she had read it correctly. "Our machines have picked up two different brain waves in Ronald's head. That should be an impossibility." The doctor shook her head as Kim's smile faded. "Don't worry, dear. I'm sure it's just a bug in the system." The teen crime fighter nodded absently and turned back to Ron. His eyes were twitching under his eyelids, and she found herself wondering what he was thinking.
Ron was in utter darkness. He gulped nervously. Nervously, he called out, "Hello? Anybody here? Rufus? Kim?" He squinted. He could just barely make out a hallway... He felt his way around as his eyes got used to the lack of light. He could see a door up ahead. It seemed to have warning tape and chains strewn across it, but these were all completely broken through. He made his way towards it. His footsteps echoed in the emptiness, and he was getting really freaked out. "Am I... dead?" he whispered uncertainly, feeling stupid even as he said it, and took hold of the doorknob and pulled it open. He was instantly blinded by the light streaming from the room he entered.
"No, you're not dead." A mysterious, yet spookily familiar voice chuckled. Ron squinted, trying to distinguish the speaker from the white. He wondered where in the world he was.
"This, Ron Stoppable, is your mind." The voice answered his unspoken question, almost as if it knew what he was going to say. "It holds your thoughts, your memories, your fears, your secrets. And..." The voice rang out as Ron gasped in recognition, finally able to see amidst the dazzling luminosity. "It holds me!"
"Zorpox!" Ron instinctively jumped into a Tai Shing Pek Kwar stance as he viewed the teenager in front of him. With rather large ears, short and messy blond hair, brown eyes, and freckles, the boy was his exact look-alike, albeit a few changes. His skin was an unnatural pale blue, he had an air of confidence about him- something Ron had never possessed- and a malevolent grin graced his features, giving him a distinctly fiendish impression. He wore a bright red cape, matching goggles, and a purple beanie. Around his waist was a red, orange, and black belt that had a spacious pocket attached. He was dressed in a black spandex suit with purple tights, and on his chest was a scarlet Z. "What are you doing here? How did you-"
"Zorpox" laughed- a malicious laugh, a laugh filled with evil intent, one that sent shivers up Ron's spine with its familiarity. "I was kept in that," he sneered and began to explain as he gestured towards a cage in a corner of the otherwise empty room. It looked as if it had been in an earthquake, and one full side was ripped off completely. "You never realized I existed until those- how shall I put it- 'incidents'" – here he used air quotes- "with the Attitudinator. When that machine switched around your and Dr. Drakken's 'evil/good energies', and later 'made you evil'"- he again air quoted- "once more, when you were fighting Team Go, you were actually competent!" He stepped forward, advancing on the quivering Ron. "Instead of being the bumbling idiot, you were the capable one! The brilliant one! The skilled one! The threat! And you never forgot that feeling of confidence, of proficiency, of power!
"Sure, you stuffed me into a little corner of your brain, pretending I wasn't there, but you never had the guts to destroy me. You kept your guard up, even while you were asleep, and you wouldn't let me out for even a moment! Most people would either let their evil side out, or destroy it entirely. But you- you needed me, Ron!
"Whenever you were angry, whenever you were hurt, whenever you wanted to punch the wall in frustration, you simply gave those feelings to me. Bottled them up, if you will. I became the keeper for all your negative emotions, because you rarely- if ever- talked about them. You were 'Ron, the happy-go-lucky little doormat', letting people walk all over you, because you 'didn't want to hurt their feelings'!" Zorpox mocked, waving his arms around. He tried to recompose himself, but his eyes began to glint, blinded by rage. "When you got knocked out, though- and it was only a matter of time until you did, going on all those risky missions- you finally let your guard down. And I escaped!"
Ron gulped, taking a step back in fear, but managed to squeak out something mildly near a threat. "Get- get outta my body, Zorpox!"
Zorpox only laughed. "Au contraire, Ronnie boy, I'm not in your body- you're in mine!"
Zorpox shoved Ron into the remains of the cage, and somehow reattached the side and locked it. "But- how..." Ron stuttered, taken aback at the sheer absurdity of what was happening.
Zorpox smirked. "My brain, my rules. I intend to do what you never could- completely destroy my alter ego!" And with a "Booyahahahahaha!" for good measure, Zorpox turned off the light and locked the door behind him, leaving Ron all alone as the box containing him grew smaller... and smaller... until, eventually, it was not there at all.
In the hospital, Kim watched as Ron slowly started to wake out of his coma. She breathed out slowly as her mother put her hand on her shoulder. "Good news, Kimberly, it's all fixed." Mrs. Dr. Possible told her daughter. "The machines now only register one brain wave in his head. Everything's fine." Kim sighed again with relief. Suddenly Ron began to stir. The two women turned to look at him welcomely, but were horrified. Beginning with his right arm and ending with his left, his skin tone transformed into a sickly, livid pale blue. "Oh my word..." Kim heard her mother gasp behind her as the boy flashed her a grin.
"Hello, Kimberly Ann Possible!"
Too stunned to move, Kim fell back into a chair as Zorpox saucily winked at her and sprinted out the door, apparently recovered from the bump on his head. He ran into the street and ducked into a side alley, catching his breath.
"You'd think that saving the world all the time would keep him in shape," he muttered, taking deep breaths. Leaning against a brick wall, his arms behind his head, he felt something sharp on the back of his neck. "Well, well, well, lookie here," he said sarcastically, painstakingly pulling away a small piece of metal. "A tracking chip. How convenient for Team Possible. They've got their little Ronnie on a leash." He flicked it to the ground, rolling his eyes. He then picked himself up and turned to the nearby prison. "Now," he said to himself, "time to visit an old friend."
Somewhere in Japan, an old man was meditating. He levitated slightly as he concentrated. Suddenly his perfect Lotus Pose fell apart as his eyes flew open. "Stoppable San is no more!"
A young, attractive ninja girl was at his side in an instant. "No, Sensei, it cannot be so! See, the Lotus Blade is calling for him!" Sure enough, the carved box that held the ancient mystical sword was glowing a faint light blue. "He is being summoned, and he will come! He cannot be dead!" She spoke with a fierce determination, almost a fire in her eyes.
"I did not say he was dead, Yori. I said he was no more." The teacher paused and thought quietly to himself. "But perhaps... Come, Yori," he said, leading her out of the room and away from the sword. "Let the Blade call its own in private."
Woop! Woop! Woop!
The alarm to the prison went off, and nearly all the guards deserted their respective posts. The lady inside the cell, whose skin bore an oddly pale green tint, looked up with passing interest. There were still too many guards to take out herself, even while aided by her plasma-shooting super powered hands. She picked at her bright orange prison-issued jumpsuit, bored to pieces. No chance for an escape.
"Psst, Shego!" She turned her head towards the cell door as she heard her name whispered through the bars. Kim Possible's sidekick was half hidden in the dark shadows of early evening. Shego sighed, annoyed. "Whaddya want, buffoon? Some more info on Dr. Do-nothing's latest scheme? Well, I told you, I'm all interrogated out. Go save the world or something."
The sidekick made a disgusted noise. "Look, Shego, do you wanna get out of here or not?"
She blinked, clearly surprised, but she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Alright, whatever."
The boy smiled and muttered to her, still wary of the few remaining guards, "Okay, I've already sounded the alarm. The heavy artillery should be out of here by now. I'll take out the remaining guards, you just plasma your way out of the cell."
"You!? Take out all those guards? Don't make me la-" But to Shego's surprise, half the guards were already on the floor, groaning in pain, and the rest were on their way as the boy kicked, punched, and spun. As some of the moonlight fell on him, Shego could have sworn his skin was a pale blue.
He finished with the guards and turned back to the villainess. "C'mon, we don't have all day!" he called, already out the door and in a car. Shego melted her bars and followed, climbing into an obviously stolen Mercedes. The former sidekick paused to smile at something in the upper corner of the building and floored it, and the duo was off. Shego turned towards the teenager in the driver's seat, finally giving him a look of recognition- and fear.
"Zorpox!" she exclaimed.
"That's mah name." He grinned evilly. "Miss me, baby?"
The Lotus Blade vibrated. It was calling for its master, just as he had called for it so many times before. The case holding it shook with power. It could feel its master was nearby. Just a little closer, and...
"Oof!"
A blond, freckled boy fell from nothingness into the Yamanouchi school. Disoriented, he looked around. Realizing he was unclothed, he blushed and grabbed someone's gi from a nearby shelf. He pulled it on, wondering how he had gotten here. He tried to think- when was he last awake? He and Kim were fighting Drakken and Shego... and then he got hit on the head... and then, nothing. But, wait... wasn't there something about... Zorpox? He quickly pushed the uncomfortable thought away.
"Hello?" he called. "Anybody here? Hello... Rufus? Kim?" He grabbed his head- Major déjà vu! he thought as he felt a tug from behind. He spun around, but nobody was there. He felt himself being jerked towards an intricately carved, glowing wooden case. He turned the other way, but the near-magnetic pull yanked him off his feet and back to the long, skinny box. He gave up his struggle and walked to it.
He lifted the lid and beheld the Lotus Blade.
"Whoa," was all he could say as he picked it up. It glow was now a brilliant, almost blinding blue, but the boy had a sense of ease with the ancient weapon and was not intimidated, although awed.
He suddenly got the feeling of being watched. He spun around to face a Japanese girl about his age, with chin length raven black hair accentuated with a scarlet headband, her only ornamentation. She was dressed similarly to him in a plain black gi.
"Yori!" he greeted her, comforted to see a familiar face.
"Ron San!" Her face lit up, but she refrained from any outward show of affection besides a polite bow. "I am... relieved to see that you are well."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be?" Granted, I've just fallen into a secret ninja school in Japan as naked as the day I was born, Ron thought as he rolled his eyes, but I feel fine, physically. The bump on his head, which he must have had from the fight the day before, was completely gone.
Yori bit her lip. "Come, Stoppable San," she said, using the more formal name for the several times savior of Yamanouchi. "Sensei will explain all." She beckoned for him to follow her. He was glad to comply, still reverently clasping the Lotus Blade.
In another, simpler room, Sensei sat in the Lotus Pose. Yori sat down on one of the two mats in front of Sensei, and Ron followed suit. The air was still for several moments.
"A great evil has been unleashed," Sensei said in a low voice, almost a whisper. The three sat in silence, their eyes closed in deep thought.
After about five minutes, Yori glanced at the boy beside her, his eyes shut tightly, then faced her teacher. "Sensei," she whispered uncertainly, "I think Stoppable San has fallen asleep."
Sensei chuckled, but then his expression became one of grave earnest. "No, Yori, he is remembering something, something important. Be patient, and he will tell us."
The room was once again silent, and remained so for the better part of an hour, until Ron's eyes flew open and he jumped up as if he had been electrically shocked. "Zorpox! He... he... the cage... my head..."
"Sit down, Stoppable San. Tell us everything."
Ron calmed himself down and began to explain.
Kim opened her eyes to find her mother shaking her awake in worry. "Wha... What happened?" she murmured, pushing herself out of the chair.
"You passed out, Kimmie. Ron frightened us both when he rushed out like that. Poor boy, he must be very sick, what with that horrid blue rash-"
Kim's eyes widened as she remembered. "Mom! That wasn't Ron!" Kim darted into the bathroom nearby and changed into her mission clothes. She ran out of the hospital, leaving behind her very stunned mother. She flipped on her new wristwatch/Kimmunicator. "Wade! Get me a GPS lock on Ron's coordinates!"
The African-American tech guru knew from her tone of voice that Kim meant business. His hands were a blur as he typed commands into his computer. "Three blocks away, Kim, in an alley on Main Street."
Kim thanked him and dashed to the place Ron should be. She raised an eyebrow at the abandoned alley. She bent over and plucked a small piece of metal from the dirty cement. "Wade..." she moaned, holding the chip between her index finger and thumb.
"Oops." Wade said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess he found the chip. What's the emergency?" Kim began to explain, but Wade held up a hand to stop her as his computer monitor began blinking. "Hold on, there's a hit on your website." He paused to take a sip of his seemingly ever-present soda. "Apparently... a blue boy and a green-skinned woman have stolen a Mercedes..."
"Okay, so, um, thanks for busting me out of prison, Zorpox- woo hoo, extra hoo- but what do we do now? We don't have a lair to use, and one's not just gonna pop up out of thin air! And you can't do anything if you don't have a lair..." Shego complained as the two oddly-complexioned villains zoomed along the highway.
Zorpox smirked, and his hand instinctively gripped the pistol he had "secretly borrowed" from one of the prison security guards. "I figured we'd... convince Drakken to lend us his lair. It worked well enough last time."
"Granted, Drakken might act a bit buffoonish at times, but he's a big time super villain, Zorpox." Shego rolled her eyes. "Do you really think he'd be intimidated by a handgun?"
"Aaah!" a girlish squeal echoed through Drakken's lair as the blue skinned mad scientist cowered in fear. "Please don't shoot! I'll leave quietly!" Drakken glared at Shego for her betrayal. "Shego, I thought we had something special!" Shego rolled her eyes again and powered up her plasma, annoyed at her former employer. He gulped nervously as he scrambled up and fled out of the lair.
Zorpox strutted over the computers, resetting the access code, tracking the Kimmunicator's frequency, and generally getting settled in. Shego followed. "Okay, so I was wrong..." she began, fully expecting to get an "In your face!" or at least an "I told you so!", but was hushed by Zorpox.
"Do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate. Sidekicks should be seen and not heard." The villainess gaped at his gall, then scowled. She was about to activate her plasma when he spun around on his heel, raising an eyebrow. "Riiiiiight?"
Shego was quickly and unpleasantly reminded of what Zorpox could do. She shivered as she remembered how close she had been to that pool of sharks as Zorpox laughed; a product of the last time she had tried to attack him after being degraded. Sidekicks need to know their place, riiiiiight? he had said menacingly. He had threatened her so casually, too- almost as if he didn't care about her fear; he knew she would obey, and that was all he needed from her. Shego would have admired a take-charge villain like that, but she was too full of fear- an emotion she wasn't too used to experiencing. As it was, she would go along with Zorpox. He had gotten her out of prison, after all, when he could have broken out anybody. Despite herself, inside she beamed with pride. The teenager that was probably the most powerful villain in the world- the one that had come closest to defeating Kim Possible, the mechanical genius, the master of Monkey Kung Fu- had thought to rescue her. That was something, even if she was "just" a sidekick.
Kim and Wade stared at the images caught by the outdoor prison security camera. Kim shook her head. "Why anyone would drive their Mercedes to a holding place for criminals is beyond me," she said as she watched the driver park his car. Wade fast forwarded the video to when the driver walked to the car. Someone in the shadows punched his head, leaving him on the ground as they snatched his keys. A few moments later, the same figure came running out the door with-
"Shego! Wade, you didn't tell me she broke out of jail!"
"I didn't know," Wade replied, shaking his head. "The prison hadn't called us yet by the time we called them."
They turned their attention back to the screen. The driver's head was turned away, but right before they drove off, the criminal swiveled around on the seat to face the camera. Zorpox waved, grinning, at the camera. The simple smile chilled Kim to her core. Ron had often used that silly grin to make Kim forget all her worries and just laugh. When it was on Zorpox, though, it was somehow... wicked. It was the utmost of insults, to corrupt the image of Ron still lingering in her mind. She would never be able to think of her boyfriend's carefree, smiling face without being reminded of Zorpox. She glared at the screen as Zorpox drove away, Shego holding on for dear life and trying to fasten her seat belt. The screen went blank as Wade pressed a button and blanched.
"Zorpox!? Kim, why didn't you tell me?"
"I tried!" Kim sighed and explained what had happened. Wade gave a low whistle. "Wade, what happened to Ron in his coma?"
Wade paused. "You said there were two thought wavelengths inside his brain, and then there was only one?"
Kim gasped. "Wade, you can't mean-"
He sighed. "Remember, Kim, this is only a theory. But if Zorpox somehow managed to get rid of Ron's wavelength..."
"Then- our Ron is gone for good!" A lone tear trickled down Kim's cheek.
"Kim, it- it's just a theory! I've been wrong about this type of stuff before, like that time... wait..." Wade paused, stammering. "No, I haven't been wrong like this before, but that doesn't mean-"
It was too late. Kim was already sobbing. Wade looked at her with pity, then bowed his head in a moment of silence for Ron's presumed passing. His head suddenly shot up. He growled with a rage nearly surpassing that which he had when someone had once spiked his system. "I'm going to give Hench Co. a call," he said determinedly.
"I assure you, sir, we had no idea that the Attitudinator could do such a thing," Jack Hench, head of Hench, Co., said as he straightened the paperwork on his desk. "I suppose it could be one of its side effects. I had better add that to the warning label-"
Wade tapped his foot impatiently. He had left his room for this? "You do know we could sue for this, right?"
"Only if the customer is unhappy with the results. From what you've told me, he's quite delighted in his newfound evil. Besides, in our contract it states that-"
"Ron didn't sign a contract. He was zapped in an accident, and your invention created his evil side!"
"Oh, no, sir, you have it all wrong." Jack Hench said, fruitlessly attempting to pacify the angry computer genius. "Our invention doesn't create evil, it simply releases it. Most heroes don't have much to release; that's why we market it towards villains. I was quite surprised that a supposedly good guy like that 'Zorpox' fellow had so much evil in him. If you ever get him back, I would recommend some counseling."
Wade blinked. Zorpox was really a part of Ron? The part simply with no inhibitions? Everything Zorpox did was something Ron had wanted to do all along? Surely not, Wade thought. Ron was one of the kindest people he knew. And yet- everybody has a dark side. Everybody does, thinks, and says things they regret. But Ron rarely acted on them. Maybe he kept them inside of him. How many times had Wade seen Ron get teased, put down, or mistreated? Ron had just bit his tongue and smiled back at his tormentors. Maybe Zorpox was a combination of all those feelings of anger, sadness, and pain...
Wade shook his head to clear it. These thoughts were pretty deep, even for a super genius. But still...
All Ron's suppressed bad feelings rolled into one, with no sense of morality, his hidden mechanical and fighting talents, and a bit of Ron's natural flamboyancy- These all could add up to create the worst supervillain the world has ever known!
Wade gulped. Please, he pleaded, please let me be wrong for once! But he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he forced himself to smile, thank Mr. Hench for his time, pick up his papers, and leave.
Sensei and his pupil were silent, taking in all that Ron had told them. Finally, Yori spoke. "This... is a grave misfortune."
Sensei nodded, but gently chastened her. "Yori, there are few instances when misfortune cannot be turned into an opportunity." Both of the young ninja stared at their teacher, awaiting an explanation. "From what you have told me, Stoppable San, Zorpox has grown out of your negative emotions because you neglected to confront them." Ron lowered his head in shame. "None of us are perfect, but perhaps this misfortune can be turned into an opportunity to confront these broken feelings and repair them. If this Zorpox had not escaped now, he would have escaped later, maybe after having grown stronger, and attacked you when you had been at a greater disadvantage. Or worse, you may have released him all at once, and actually became him, to a lesser degree; having a sour disposition, resenting those who have done you harm, and so on." Noticing Ron's guilty expression, he said, "It was good to not let these emotions out in ways that hurt the ones you care about, but it was wrong to suppress them. It was only a matter of time until they revealed themselves. Do you see that?"
Ron nodded, staring at the floor. "I see that, Sensei. And I am so sorry." As he looked up at his mentor, his eyes misted up.
Sensei stood. "You are forgiven, Stoppable San. But come, we have much to do. Only you can defeat Zorpox, and we must train."
Ron moaned inwardly. Why do I have be the one to fight Zorpox? Can't somebody else do it? He sighed as he answered his own question. I'm the one who unleashed him- though unintentionally. It will be my honor to fight as hard as I can to conquer him.He stood up, feeling a bit bolder. He noticed Yori and Sensei staring at him. He checked himself- he was wearing a gi, not pants, so they couldn't have fallen down. He suddenly noticed a bright blue aura around him. He sighed, relieved. Is that all? Just my MMP kicking in. It's about time, if I do say so myself. He then realized that both he and the few decorations in the room were levitating as he mentally prepared for battle. He laughed nervously as he descended, slowly so as not to break Sensei's things. "Sorry 'bout that. It comes and goes, y'know."
Sensei smiled at his unwitting prodigy. Yori, however, had never seen much of Ron's mystical monkey power before and sought to compose herself. Ron had first gotten this power in a self-sacrificial effort to stop a villain known as Monkey Fist. Ignoring his intense fear of all things simian for the common good, Ron had exposed himself to magically enhanced monkey statues, thereby acquiring the "mystical monkey power", so he could fight Monkey Fist at his own level. Destroying the statues soon after, Ron and his pet naked mole rat, Rufus, who had been in his pocket at the time, made sure nobody else could abuse that power. Only Monkey Fist, Ron, and Rufus possessed this magical ability. No one knew exactly what it did, but it seemed to give the user superhuman strength, an eerie blue glow, and an instinctive knowledge of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, also known as Monkey Kung Fu. Only one with mystical monkey power could use the shape-shifting Lotus Blade to its fullest extent. Ron had yet to get full control over the power, and it revealed itself in unexpected and seemingly random ways. For some reason, neither Rufus nor Monkey Fist glowed or levitated when using the power- only Ron did so. Yori suspected Sensei knew the reason for this, but he never told her, and she did not ask for fear of being disrespectful. When both she and Ron were ready, she was sure he would tell them.
The next few weeks were hard work. Ron had wanted to call Kim and tell her that he was alright, but Sensei would not allow it. Zorpox might have tapped into Kim's phone lines, and he had intercepted messages on the Kimmunicator before. Hopefully, Zorpox did not know Ron was alive, and they desperately needed the element of surprise. Ron's training had to remain a secret.
Ron woke up at four o' clock each morning and trained mentally and physically for battle. He worked hard on getting his mystical monkey power under control, and after four weeks of practice, he was able to call on it and it would respond. There was no telling how strong it would be, how long it would last, or in what way it would reveal itself, but it seemed that if Ron was physically or mentally drained, it would be weaker. If he was emotionally active, though, it was much stronger than if he was calm. However, if he was cool and collected, he was able to control what he did more easily.
Zorpox was preparing for battle as well, although he was planning on fighting with Kim. He had, in a matter of four weeks, managed to spike Wade's computer system, intercept all of the messages to Kim (on her phone, computer, and even the Kimmunicator), trained Shego to fight much harder, buffed up on the defenses to the lair, and built the "Lunar Magnet". His pride and joy, the Lunar Magnet was designed to slightly increase the magnetic pull of the earth, as he proudly boasted to Shego. It would bring the moon closer, therefore creating giant tidal waves, which would cause great destruction to all the seaside properties, beaches, and islands in the world.
"Okay, and what do you want in return for not using this 'Lunar Magnet'?" Shego asked Zorpox when he explained his invention to her. "Not the world's supply of nacos again?"
"So what if it was?" Zorpox frowned as he indignantly jutted out his chin in a rather childish pout for a supervillain. "But no, my demands are simple. Once Kim Possible comes to stop me, I can capture her. Once she is in my power, the world- and all of its nacos- will be mine!"
"And how do you figure on capturing Miss 'I-can-do-anything'?"
"That's the easy part! She will hand herself over to me in exchange for the world's safety!"
Shego mulled it over. "You know, it just might work."
Kim had done almost nothing in the past four weeks. She had, strangely enough, received no calls or missions from Wade, and after school and cheer practice, she had almost nothing to do. Sure, she had friends other than Ron, but her best friend/boyfriend/sidekick may never be seen- as his normal self, at least- again. It had taken a while, but she gradually began to see that Zorpox was not Ron; he was just another villain.
She spent most of her time watching TV. She would hardly eat anything at meals. After dinner, she would shut herself up in her room and stare at the ceiling. Her grades were steadily dropping. She was depressed, and that's all there was to it.
When she turned on the television to watch her favorite show, Agony County, one evening, she was surprised to see the face of Zorpox, listing a bunch of random demands and threatening the world with some kind of magnet. Despite herself, she felt thrilled- this would be her first mission in almost a month. She got suited up and grabbed Rufus- she had been taking care of him after Ron had left- and called Wade on her Kimmunicator. He apologized, telling her that his system had been mysteriously spiked and he had just got it up and running again. He easily traced the signal Zorpox was sending out to Drakken's old lair, called in a favor, and Kim was on her way.
As she crept through the lair's ventilation system, she began to feel much more like her old self- enthusiastic, energetic, and commanding. She would ace this mission, and the next, and the next! She would snap out of the funk she was in- Ron would have wanted it that way. Look out, Zorpox! thought Kim. The old Kim Possible is back!
Ron quickly slipped into his street clothes. Early that morning, Japan, like the rest of the world, had gotten Zorpox's threat. Ron had listened to the demands used as a ransom for the world's safety: Ten million dollars, a private island, gold, diamonds, artillery... The list went on and on. As Ron listened, though, he realized that none of the things Zorpox asked for were things Ron (and therefore Zorpox) would really want. Sure, money would be nice, but what would he do with ten million- buy Bonnie a ruby belt buckle again? Ron snorted at the thought. Why does he want gold? Or diamonds? It didn't add up. If I could have anything in the world, I would ask for all the nacos or something, not jewels.
Suddenly an idea struck Ron. This was all a trap! Kim was the only person who had come close to stopping Zorpox before. Zorpox would list a bunch of generic things any villain would want, and wait for Kim to come running. He finished dressing and hurried to Sensei's room. He rapped on the door, breathless not from his hurry but from fear for Kim.
"Enter, Stoppable San. I have been waiting for you," Sensei said.
Ron did so and explained everything. Sensei nodded. "I had a feeling you would want to assist Kim Possible on her mission. Come." Sensei led Ron out to the courtyard where a jet black airplane waited. Ron's jaw dropped.
"You guys have a secret ninja jet!?"
Sensei nodded again. "Hurry, Stoppable San. Use these." Sensei held out a black gi and the Lotus Blade.
"The Lotus Blade? Sensei, I don't know if I'm ready-"
"You are ready enough. Now go quickly, for you don't have much time."
Ron nodded grimly, realizing the seriousness of the task before him. He took the gi and the sword and boarded the plane.
Zorpox glanced up at the ventilation shaft above his head. She sure is taking her time,he thought. Shego sat near him, filing her nails. Suddenly he heard a couple muffled thumps and saw a small pink rodent chewing through the shaft's grate. He smiled and pointed at the naked mole rat.
"What is that? That freaky thing?" he sang as he grabbed Rufus and stuffed him in his pocket, making sure to zip it.
The redheaded teenage girl peering down at him gasped. "Zorpox!"
He grinned up at her. "Kimberly Ann Possible! We meet again!"
As if on cue, several henchmen jumped out and grabbed for her arms. She felt herself being pulled down. Making use of sixteen different styles of kung fu, she incapacitated each of them, one by one. She took a deep breath and stepped toward the supervillain threateningly. "Game's over, Zorpox!" she shouted angrily.
"Oh, really, KP?" he said, using his old pet name for Kim. Her blood boiled and she lashed out, hard, aiming for his chest. To her surprise, he easily blocked her kick and retaliated with one of his own. Unlike hers, it connected, driving Kim against a wall. As she sat there, stunned by the blow, Zorpox picked up a remote control. "Kimberly Ann, I have a proposition to make. I'll give you the Lunar Magnet and you can destroy it or whatever. I really don't care. In exchange, you give yourself over to me. Got it?"
Kim shook her head defiantly as she tried to get up. I never knew Ron was that strong, she thought, wincing. Zorpox shrugged and pressed a button on the remote. Kim waited for blinking lights or something to signify that the Lunar Magnet had activated, but the only thing that happened was that the television turned on.
"That's the TV remote, Zorpox," Shego said, rolling her eyes. Zorpox huffed.
"I know, Shego. I'm just turning on the news."
"I'm Summer Gale, live at the Hawaiian islands, where terrible tidal waves are tearing this beautiful island paradise apart," said the blonde reporter on TV. "The same thing is happening all over the world, and anybody anywhere near an ocean is having their homes torn apart by these walls of water. Authorities believe that this may be connected to a threat made by one 'Zorpox', who tried to intimidate the world leaders into giving them their wealth and artillery. Teen hero Kim Possible is rumored to be confronting him, but has, apparently, failed."
"You already turned it on!?" Shego shouted in disbelief.
Zorpox shrugged. "Better safe than sorry."
Shego turned to Kim. "So what do you say, Princess? Are you going to put your life above everybody else's? Or are you willing to go through a mind-numbing, torturous existence for the rest of your life, however short it may be, for the benefit of the people of the world?"
"Actually, the room I have set up is pretty nice," Zorpox interrupted. "It has its own hot tub, and you'd get gourmet meals. I'm a pretty good cook."
Shego and Kim simultaneously rolled their eyes. Frustrated, Shego scowled. "Anyway, Kimmie, point is, give yourself up. You have no other choice."
Kim looked at the television screen once again. She watched the destruction for a few seconds. She realized what had to be done. She sighed and resigned herself to her fate.
"Okay, Zorpox, you win. I give up."
"Good girl." Zorpox pressed a button on his belt, and immediately the tidal waves on the TV slowed and came to a stop. Shego grinned like a lion that has cornered its prey as she made her way towards Kim. She held up a rope and proceeded to bind Kim with it. The teen stared at the wall, keeping back tears.
He'd won. Zorpox had won. Not only that, but she, Kim Possible, the girl that could do anything... lost.
Suddenly Shego pulled back with a cry of pain. Kim jerked her head up as a person clothed completely in black stepped out of the shadows. All of his face was covered, barring his chocolate brown eyes. He wielded a sword Kim had never seen before. Everybody stared at the newcomer, but only Zorpox seemed to recognize him and the weapon he handled.
"No," he whispered. Then he stomped his foot. "No, no, no!" he shouted like a child throwing a temper tantrum. "This wasn't supposed to happen! You were supposed to be gone! Everything was perfect until you came along! Now you're going to ruin everything!"
Shego stared at her employer like he'd gone mad (judging from his actions, perhaps he had). Her hands began to glow green. "Ooh, that was a wrong move, buddy!" But to her surprise, the stranger powered up a glow of his own, although his was a light blue- but certainly not Hego's Team Go Glow. His eyes turned a chilled blue to match, and her skin began to crawl. Whatever was happening was just not natural. The stranger rushed at her, then dropped and kicked at her heels, catching her off guard and knocking her down. He gamely waited for her to get up before approaching her again. The sword in his hand glowed and disappeared as a staff took its place. Taken aback, Shego paused in hesitation. This gave the attacker a window of opportunity to whack the back of her knees, reuniting Shego with the ground. The ninja, for that is what Shego now realized that he was, stomped his foot on the ground so strongly that it created a series of miniature earthquakes. That was the last thing Shego saw before she blacked out.
Changing the staff back into a sword, the ninja began advancing on Zorpox, who cowered in the corner. The supervillain may have been a genius and a master of Monkey Kung Fu, but he knew that he was no match for the Lotus Blade. The ninja sliced open the pocket attached to Zorpox's belt, releasing Rufus, who scampered safely behind the ninja's ankle and stuck his tongue out at Zorpox, blowing a raspberry. Zorpox glared back and raised his hands in a kung fu pose. If he was going down, he was going down fighting.
Kim watched in horrified fascination as the two rushed at each other. A bright blue flash of light suddenly erupted, and she shielded her eyes from the dazzling radiance. When at last the light died down, there was only one left standing. It was the ninja.
His mask was missing, but he still wore his gi. He was breathing heavily and was drenched with sweat. His blond locks of hair hung down limply over his chocolate brown eyes and his freckles greatly contrasted to his skin, for the blood had drained from his face. His eyes were closed in fatigue, but he slowly opened them and turned to Kim.
"Ron!" she exclaimed ecstatically. She ran to him and embraced him, ignoring the sheet of perspiration that covered his skin. His arms- had they always been that strong?- wrapped around her, and she felt herself being pulled in. Their lips met as they clung to one another, not wanted to break apart, feeling the other's heartbeat for the first time in what felt like an eternity. They were together again, and that's what mattered.
What seemed like hours later but must have been only a few minutes, they reluctantly pulled away, still clutching one another's hands as the familiar Beep-beep-be-beep! chirped from the Kimmunicator. Wade's face popped up on the wristwatch's tiny screen. "Kim, you haven't called to update me on the mission, so I- WOAH!" Wade fell out of his chair in surprise as he spotted Ron standing behind Kim. He scrambled up, pointing at Ron. "Kim, wha? How? Zorpox... he, he, he..."
"It's okay, Wade," Kim reassured the flabbergasted genius. She turned to her boyfriend and clasped her hands around his neck. "For the first time in four weeks, everything's okay."
"Booyah," Ron murmured as he leaned in for another kiss. They held each other for several moments- nauseating moments, in Wade's opinion. He swallowed the bile that had begun to rise in his throat as he convinced himself not to further interrupt this obviously tender scene.
Finally, Kim pulled back, letting the moment slip away. "Where were you?" she asked Ron, her eyes pleading up at him as she fingered the belt of his gi. "I thought you were..." she couldn't bring herself to say the d word, "gone."
"I'm sorry, Kim," he said with remorse as he stroked Kim's shoulder. "If I told you, it would have put you in danger. I knew you'd hunt down Zorpox sooner or later, and I had to get ready to help without him knowing. Believe me; I came as soon as I could."
"I could have handled him myself," Kim said confidently, although everyone present knew she was lying through her teeth. "What did you do to him, anyway? Where is he?"
Ron shifted his weight uncomfortably. "If there's one thing I've learned, Kim, it's that you can't run from your problems. Zorpox grew out of my negative emotions that I tried to ignore. I need to confront my feelings and get rid of them, not pretend they're not there. When we get home, I'm going to have a heart-to-heart talk with Rabbi Katz."
Kim wisely decided not to push the matter further and changed the subject. "Okay, then, how'd you get... away... from Zorpox? And how'd you beat Shego so easily?"
Ron beamed with pride as he held out the Lotus Blade. "The Blade did it all, KP. Got me to Yamanouchi, fought Shego, everything. I just came along for the ride."
Kim raised an eyebrow. "And the fancy footwork?"
Ron forced himself to act confident. "Well, you know me, KP. Mad fu skills, remember?" To prove his point, he kicked at the air as he gave a battle cry. His foot slipped out from under him and he fell flat on his back.
As he lay sprawled out on the floor, he absently wondered why he let himself be the clumsy buffoon, why he would goof off. Surely, with his skill in ninjutsu and Tai Shing Pek Kwar, he would be able to stand up, let alone move gracefully and with confidence.
Then he heard Kim laugh.
That was why. That was why he was content to be the sidekick, the buffoon, the comic relief. That laugh made it all worthwhile. How could Zorpox have forgotten that laugh?
Kim giggled as she bent down. "Sorry, Ron, let me help you up."
"'S okay, Kim, my bad." Ron pushed himself up off the ground and grinned.
How Kim had missed that goofy grin. That was why she had kept after Ron, not forgetting him after he had left, pursuing Zorpox whenever possible to find some way to somehow change him back. That grin made it all worthwhile. How did she live without that lopsided, reassuring smile?
She switched off her Kimmunicator. Somehow, she thought Wade wouldn't mind if they wanted to be alone.
"C'mon, Kim, let's go home." Ron stood up and walked to the door. Kim hesitantly followed. Ron turned around and smiled at his girlfriend. He took her hand and led her to the jet outside. Kim gaped at the impressive plane. The pilot, outfitted in a black ninja's outfit much like Ron's, walked down the ramp. Ron rattled off something in Japanese, and the ninja replied. They bowed to each other and the ninja gestured for Kim to board the plane. Astonished, she turned uncertainly to Ron. "Go ahead, KP," he said. "I gotta change my clothes. What would your folks think of you bringing a strange ninja home?"
"Better than a supervillain," she answered. Ron gave her a quick peck on the cheek and darted inside the lair. About ten minutes later, he emerged in street clothes, carrying a suitcase. They boarded the plane together, hand in hand.