Outpost Gamma - 9:00
The gun was steady in his hands as he waited behind the mound of bloody dirt. Explosions roared around him, continuously raining death and destruction on those unlucky enough to be caught in the blast. Pain was flaring erratically in his arm at the wound received hours earlier, but no longer bleeding. There was no-one else left, he was the only survivor. He face was muddied with the blood of enemies and comrades alike, his blonde hair no longer what it was. To him, it felt like a lifetime ago when he was running away, when he helped save the world. The dark of night was all the protection he could get.
Now he was a Sergeant, Sergeant Ron Stoppable. For the past two years he had been fighting against those who would seek world domination, those who would see America and it's Allies wiped from the face of the earth. Rufus, his faithful naked mole rat, was waiting with Monique in what was left of Middleton. Kim had left him after an attempt on her life just before the world crisis began, before he was forced to defend his country.
"Command? Command? This is Sergeant Ron Stoppable. I need backup at outpost Gamma. I repeat, I need backup at outpost Gamma now!"
"Sergeant? I'm sending a squad your way, just hang tight." Came a muffled response from the battle worn radio.
"That won't be enough, I'm under heavy fire. Everyone else is dead. You're going to need to send more." Ron replied, barely able to keep his panic under control.
"Scrambling hyper-jets and sending a small evac fighter Sergeant. Response will be there ETA three minutes."
Ron sat there, exhausted but grateful that help was on the way. The attack had surprised his entire team, and only he was able to stay alive. There had been no time to send a distress signal and half the squad had been gunned down within minutes of the enemy's arrival. No-one could have know they had plasma grenades, nor did they have Mystical Monkey Power to keep them on their toes. Ron had been forced out of the small outpost by advanced commandos, but had killed many of them before making a tactical retreat. It had been a brutal and bloody fight, taking great toll on both sides. The Sergeant could hear the faint roar of the hyper-jets engines. He smiled to himself, hoping that it would be enough to regain the outpost. The jets approached quickly, a squad carrier and evac jet not far behind. He prepared his rifle and what ammo he had left to help the arriving squad retake the outpost. He didn't care what the Captain would say, knowing they would need all the help they could get.
The carrier touched down just thirty yards from Ron. The evac jet touching down on the other side. The fresh squad jogged over to the Sergeant. The Captain was five years older than Ron, yet he was just as tall. He was an African-American that could strike fear into lesser men. His short hair scar just above his top lip only added to the intimidation factor he presented.
"Sergeant Stoppable, what's the situation?" The Captain asked.
"Captain Rix Sir, there are at least ten advanced commandos, my entire squad was killed in their initial assault. I held the enemy off as long as I could but was eventually forced out."
"What about all the data?"
"I got it all with me sir, I then proceeded to destroy the console to prevent access." Ron replied, almost proud of thinking of doing it.
"Good work Sergeant. You should get back to base." Rix encouraged with slight concern.
"If it's all the same to you sir, I would like to join in your assault. You're going to need all the help you can get."
"I appreciate it Sergeant. Let's move out!" Not that he was willing to argue about it, after all, Stoppable was a damn good soldier despite the name.
The small group approached the outpost silently under the night sky, the moon providing their only light. They entered the building in silence, taking down any enemies with ease using silencers and successfully catching them by complete surprise. They passed through three corridors, each one with only a single commando, before arriving just outside the main control room. Ron pressed his ear to the door in an effort to hear the voices inside. But no-one had expected to hear what they did, and Ron went pale listening to the conversation within.
"…still no closer to finding her sir. One of the bastards destroyed and wiped the computer."
"And you let him get away. Why does he even bother hiring people like you. Why didn't you shoot them?" Ron could tell it was the leader from his gruff, angered voice.
"He was to fast sir, he was able to evade all of our shots."
"Look we need that information to find and kill Kim Possible. So get the hard-drive and send it for analysis."
Captain Rix looked at his men, and made a variety of hand signals telling them to prepare to enter. He then used his fingers to count down, and when he got to one, they pushed open the door with a tremendous shove, bursting in with guns blazing wildly. Four of their seven opponents in the room were down in seconds, but there were three that remained upright, and stubbornly refusing to stop fighting. They clearly were the elite commandos of the Worldwide Evil Empire, but they didn't remain that standing for long.
After Ron had gotten over his shock at the reason for the attack on the base, he got into full monkey swing, feeling his power of monkey kung-fu taking hold, and grabbed like lightning the nearest pole to use as a weapon. The commandos weren't expecting a full on melee attack, not since the time when Kim Possible was still around and would pursue them when a plot to take over the world was set in motion, added to the fact was that no-one had bothered to remember that Ron Stoppable had stepped up Monkey Style. He spun the pole quickly, confusing his opposition and hit the first one side on, knocking him unconscious with ease. The second didn't fare much better, but managed to get over his surprise enough to make an effort to dodge the raging Monkey Master but to no avail. The last one was not so easily dropped, and the new arrivals dare not shoot for fear of hitting Ron with their bullets. Finally the commando made his mistake after making a series of good blocks, and made to attack Ron, but received a pole to the crotch and then subsequently to the head.
"Good work Sergeant. I swear you're one of the best we have." Captain Rix congratulated, but Ron was not pleased.
"Thanks Sir, but I need to get back to Middleton and try to find Kim…"
"No-one's found her since just after her birthday Stoppable." Rix reminded the boy.
"I know, I was one of the last to see her, but people are still after her and I need to warn her. I've known her since pre-k so it's the least I could do." Ron stubbornly replied.
"After that show you just put on, I would be surprised if they didn't give you some leave. I am recommending that you be promoted to Captain for your heroic actions and performance in the field. Now get back to HQ while we clean up here. I'll contact you if there's anymore trouble."
Middleton Mall - Nearly Three Years Ago
The Mall was bustling with hundreds of people. All sorts of Middleton residents were shopping and talking and eating and working. The day was warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Many of the shops and the building itself had been rebuilt after the invasion by the Lorwardians the year before, and thus collages had decided to shut down until the world had recovered enough to give students a decent education.
Kim, Monique and Ron were at the rebuilt Bueno Nacho restaurant, which had been redesigned with marvelous new features. Both Monique and Ron were stuffing their faces with Naco's while Kim was poking her boredly salad with her fork. Kim and Ron had come back from a mission against the WEE just a couple hours earlier, preventing them from obtaining an advanced AI chip from the Middleton Space Centre, it was no wonder why she was so down..
"So GF, you still coming to the movies this weekend?" Monique tried to cheer her friend up.
"Yeah." Kim said unenthusiastically.
"Girlfriend, what is wrong with you?"
"Sorry Mon, I'm just trying to understand what the WEE wants with all this stuff it's trying to steal." The redhead replied, her mind spinning.
"KP, don't worry about it. If we need to be worried, GJ will contact us." Ron assured.
"I know Ron, it's just, just…"
"Look GF, I know you got someone on your mind." Well, it wasn't untrue exactly, "So it's a good thing you two aren't dating anymore. So spill."
"Well…" Kim was cut off by the piercingly sudden sound of a gunshot and glass shattering within milliseconds of each other. The roof above the trio of friends shattered into a thousand pieces, and three large burly figures abseiled down with professionalism and landed on the table in between the three teens, one lading right in Ron's Naco.
"Hey! You owe me a Naco!" The blonde yelled in surprise and anger.
The one that landed in front of Kim was standing in her salad, not a care in the world, and pulled out a handgun, aiming steadily it right between her eyes. Kim looked into the barre, gulping audibly as panic shot through her a moment. Just as he was about to press the trigger, she gained enough composure to bat the barrel away, swinging her other arm into the back of his knee to destabilise him. With a quick glance, she noticed other two had already knocked Ron and Monique out and away from her, leaving Kim no choice but to fend for herself.
Kim's opponent landed on his back, and was rendered unconscious with a quick, skilled hit to the head. Kim started to make her way out of the restaurant to keep the bystanders out of danger when they came at her from either side, forcing her to the ground. The smaller of the two brutes kneeled on the girl while the other pulled out his own gun. She stopped struggling, fear and panic once again moving to race throughout her body as she was faced with imminent death when a particularly large and angry blast of green plasma knocked the large one away. His friend looked up from Kim to see a very pissed off ex-villain with hands-a-blazing, almost as if the fire wanted to spread around her body.
"Me and Kimmie aren't the best of friends, doesn't mean I won't protect her ass when fuckers like you mess with her!" The newcomer yelled.
Using the welcome distraction, Kim managed to unbalance her captor and push him off of her. He was immobilised by a swift kick to the crotch by a less than happy Kim Possible.
"Thanks Shego. I owe you one."
"How do you say it Princess? No big. Anyway, I wanted to see you." Shego smiled.
"Really? What could you possibly want from a girl like me?" Kim teased playfully.
"Oh, I can think of something." Shego replied, teasing her back, as she moved to embrace the redhead.
"Urgh. My head. What happened?" Ron groaned as he woke up. The two girls quickly moved away from each other when he spoke, not wanting for him to see them together, lest he make unwelcome assumptions about them.. Monique sat up beside him, equally groggy.
"Guys? We need to talk…" Kim said.
Middleton Military Command Centre - 12:00
Ron look at his commanding officer, who regarded the twenty-two year old with his usual steely gaze. His commanding officer was none other than General Barkin, who had asked to be re-instated into the Military when war erupted across the planet, his help welcomed with the onslaught of total war. Yet, within the past few years, Barkin's hair had grown a slight grey tinge to it from the stress of commanding, and his former student, but he remained as intimidating as ever. General Barkin looked at the data Sergeant Stoppable was able to save, and was very impressed at the young adult's initiative in recovering the data and preventing the enemy from obtaining it.
"You may have been annoying in high school Stoppable, but you have proved yourself a competent soldier as much as it pains me to admit." He grumbled.
"Thank you sir."
"As a result of your actions I have filed for you to be promoted to Captain. Now regarding what you heard-"
"Permission to speak freely sir." Ron interrupted unapologetically
"Permission granted." Barkin allowed.
"What made them think that the data could help the find Kim? Neither she nor her family had been seen in near enough three years."
"You're right Sergeant, they haven't. But we believe that Mr Load may have been able to track her down. We have reports of her family being sighted in Go City with Team Go and reports suggesting Kim has been sighted around this general." He paused, "there's more. Recently, an enemy covert assault team entered her old house, and came out barely on their feet."
"Are you suggesting that Kim has come out of hiding Sir?"
"Yes, and we have decided that it would be prudent to ask certain people to see if this is true, people she trusts. More specifically, her closest friends."
"So, me and Monique sir?"
"Yes. Are you willing?" Barkin perked his eyebrow.
"More than you know General." Ron replied quietly, quiet enough so that General Barkin did not hear. Ron waited to be dismissed by his commanding officer, even though he still didn't like Barkin that much, but he didn't dislike him at least.
"Stoppable. Go to your friends house to pick up Miss Montgomery and check out the situation and the former Possible household. Dismissed."
Ron fell out and went to prepare to meet his old friend once again.
Former Possible Residence - 15:00
Monique and Ron looked up at the house they knew so well. After the Lorwardian invasion, the house had been rebuilt to look the same except, barring a few improvements such as an underground base for Team Possible with an armoury and training area. But only Kim ever used it, and it was quickly abandoned when Kim's life was in evident danger. Although you couldn't tell what secret lay beneath the house from the outside, and that was the beauty of it. Ron took a deep breath to steel his nerves before he started to walk towards the door. Monique followed quickly behind, Rufus resting on her shoulder.
Opening the door, Ron expected the house to have fallen into disrepair, yet everything was the same with only a layer of dust that had settled over everything. But nothing could hide the recent shoe prints, nor the signs of a recent struggle in the entrance. But neither of the two realised they were being watched intently by someone, Ron didn't even suspect with all his heightened senses that a person was following their every move. The pair walked into the lounge area, immediately picking up further signs of the struggle along with the clear presence of fresh blood. It happened so fast neither person could react. Ron was on the floor in mere seconds, a heavy foot resting on his back to keep him face down while Monique was violently pressed against the wall, neither able to glimpse their attacker.
"What are you doing here and what do you want?" The assailant asked in a feminine and very voice. She wore dark clothing, but her red hair was a tell tail sign of who it was as Ron managed to get a sidelong glance at her.
"KP! You're alive!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Ron? What the fuck are you doing here?" The attacker asked.
"Don't forget about the girl you have pinned to the wall girlfriend."
"Monique?" Kim let go of her old friend, "Jesus, I never expected to see you guys here."
Monique turned around while Kim lifted her foot from Ron, and helping him up off the floor.
"Look KP, the General sent us, there were reports of you being sighted." He informed her.
"General…"
"Oh…uh, General Barkin, my CO."
"Your CO?"
"Yeah. I'm in the army now, heh, Sergeant Ronald Stoppable."
"That's great Ron! I'm proud of you! So update me, what's the situation?"
"Well, after you went underground World War Three started. The WEE is helping the other side, while GJ has sided with us." Monique began.
"But the war was going south for us, so young men were encouraged to join up. I was one of them. I moved up the ranks quickly, but my outpost was attacked earlier today and I was the only survivor. Got a promotion to Captain, not confirmed yet, and helped retake the outpost." Ron finished.
"I figured about the war, it was kinda hard to miss the whole warzone thing."
"Hey, so why are you back KP? They'll try and kill you when they know you're back around." Ron worried.
"I wasn't completely unaware of what was going on in the world while we were hiding. Something big is brewing, I know about how villains have decided to make use of my absence yet still failing to successfully complete their plans. But last I heard one of them has made a breakthrough in mind control, something that as you know could spell disaster for us all."
"OK, I'll need to inform the General as soon as possible KP. So I'm going to need you both to come with me. Wait, where's Rufus?" Ron panicked for a moment.
"In my pocket Ron. I still kept up on training. I have become and excellent pickpocket you know." She took the pink mole rat out of her pocket and handed him back to Ron. The naked mole rat let out a series of angry squeaks before calming down and realising that Kim was the one who had attacked.
"Kim! Hi." Rufus squeaked, "missed you."
"I missed you too little guy." She smiled, "so any news on Drakken and Shego I should be aware of?" She probed.
"Well, Drakken decided to go back to being evil and is helping the enemy." Ron informed.
"How predictable...and what about Shego?" The redhead prompted.
"Well, she quit working for Drakken when he went back to evil. She helped us for a while but is currently MIA, and our mole confirms she hasn't defected."
"Shit!" Kim punched the wall.
"What's wrong KP?"
"I was hoping that wasn't the case, as I said I wasn't completely unaware of events. When I heard she was missing-."
"Wait a minute. Shego is the reason you're here?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Yes Ron. She is. Can we get going? I don't want to waste time."