I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only.
Kim Possible: Impossibilities
By LJ58
1
"Will!"
Kim's shout echoed over the sheer cliffs as she belatedly realized she might have just given their pursuers a new direction.
Then again, from the way the echoes bounced around her, she had little doubt they might be as confused as she was just then.
"I'm…..okay," the Global Justice agent accompanying her on what was supposed to be a simple, diplomatic sitch rasped as she looked over the cliff to see him clinging to an outcropping with one hand.
"Can you climb back up," she asked, her heart still hammering after seeing him go flying over the cliff neither had realized was ahead as they ran from the mob still somewhere behind them.
The growing fog had not helped, and the forest had made it seem as if it went on for some miles. Until they suddenly came right to the edge of a jagged cliff that opened up on a series of canyons that made the ground ahead look like some giant had simply carved out random gouges in the earth.
"Not just yet," the lean, still often dour man replied. "I think I hurt my arm. My shoulder, for certain," he told her, his face paler than usual.
Or, it could have just been the fog.
Kim doubted it.
With Will's mastery of understatement, if he said he was hurt, then he was hurt.
Behind her, Kim tensed as she heard angry shouts, and the sounds of the mob growing closer.
"Looks like we have to go down," she told him, and used her grapple to lower herself to where he dangled.
"Even your device can't get us both safely down from this height," he wryly informed her as if they weren't both facing death just then.
"Actually, I was thinking we could jump," she told him as the redhead stopped her descent so she dangled just inches from him.
"I know I've not said it lately," he replied dour as ever, "But are you insane, Possible?"
She looked down.
She couldn't see a thing for the darkness, and the fog, but her Kimmunicator had a very good topographical map, and just then it told her all she needed.
"If we do fall, there's a river just below us," she began to explain, their breath making small, misty clouds before their faces.
"And in this weather, it's going to be beyond frigid," he reminded her, sweating in spite of the cold.
That, Kim knew, was never good.
"I don't know about you, but going back up isn't a good idea," she told him. "I think they're just about caught up to us. But if you let me explain, I will tell you the river is a definite last resort," she tried to grin at the man that was obviously in pain. Even if he loathed showing it.
"But, you said we would….."
"Jump," she nodded. "You push yourself out as far as you can, and I jump behind you. I catch you, fire my grapple at that cliff," she nodded with her chin, "And we climb back up to safety, putting an entire canyon between us, and the angry mob."
"I don't suppose you missed that part where I said I couldn't climb?"
"I'm pretty sure my grapple can lift us both," she grinned back as she dangled there beside him.
He grimaced, then eyed her wrist where the small Kimmunicator screen glowed brightly in the dim light. Almost the only light they had as the sun was setting, and with the overcast skies, the area was fast growing dark.
"I don't suppose you managed to reach anyone yet?"
"Whatever is jamming communications is still keeping me from calling out. You can bet Wade has noticed by now, though, and is hopefully working on something."
"Meanwhile, we just have to stay alive long enough to let people know what is really going on in this backwater province," Will grimaced.
"No big," Kim beamed. "So, think you can jump?"
Will stared at her with a saturnine expression.
"You, Possible, have yet to learn that your family credo doesn't truly make you invincible."
Kim did smile now.
"When that time comes, Will, I'll remind you that even then, I will never stop trying. How about you?"
"We do have a duty….."
"Jump on three. Don't worry, I won't drop you," she grinned.
"That was…the least of my worries," he said, and moved his left arm only to pale, and moan softly.
"That bad?"
"I may have dislocated it."
"I can fix it. Once we're on safe ground. Don't give me that look. Just jump out, and we can get moving. I doubt even those guys are going to give up if they find us dangling here like piñatas."
"That goes without saying," he told her, moving his feet carefully into place. "Considering my current circumstances, I'll have to try to jump out backwards from my current position. Will that be an issue?"
"No big. It'll be even better, since I'll be able to better catch you, and you can hold on to me, too. Ready? On three….."
"Three, and go? Or, go on three," he asked cautiously.
"Something tells me you've had issues with that one," Kim chortled softly, thinking about a few mishaps with her former boyfriend and partner, Ron Stoppable.
He might be a genuine hero-saving ninja master now, but she suspected he would still be freaking out if he were here just now. Ron was, after all, still just Ron.
"You have no idea," he drawled, cutting into her thoughts.
"Go on three. Ready," she said, planting her own feet after spinning around to find leverage on the virtually sheer outcropping.
Will couldn't help but scowl as she made the effort look easy in spite of the fact she was rarely in the field these days.
"Ready. One…."
"Two," Will nodded, and tensed again.
"Three," they said as one, and both shoved out and away from the rock's face into the unknown dark before them.
"Gotcha," Kim hissed, even as her free hand whipped out, and he heard the pneumatic hiss of her grapple firing again even as it had retracted the moment she had released her own grip on the cliff.
"We're still falling," he hissed uneasily.
"Not for long," she said, "But unlike you, I don't want a dislocated shoulder. Just hang on," she told him, and they suddenly stopped falling to swing diagonally, and then Kim's feet moved knowingly, and bounced them off the far wall of the cliff they had just reached faster than he would have expected.
"I didn't realize….we were so close," Will hissed, holding onto her with his good arm as they dangled there even as the lights and voices of their pursuers now reached the far cliff they had just left.
"Let's hope they don't have….."
A bullet ricocheted out of the dark fog near Kim's head.
"They have some kind of IFR," Will guessed as Kim switched the button on her grapple, and it began carrying them upwards.
"Good guess," she said, cringing when another bullet ricocheted nearby. "Just be glad they apparently only have one gun."
"They only need one," Will said, tensing when something bounced off the cliff over their head.
"Uh-oh," Kim rasped.
"What?"
"I think he decided to fire on my grapple. If he dislodges it….."
The next gunshot sounded like thunder as her words seemed almost prophetic even as they began to fall.
"Can you fire again…?"
"He severed the claw," she said, already having retracted the line. "And my spare is back in our hotel, with the rest of our gear," she reminded him, and looked down.
"Let's hope we're over the river," Will swore, "And not the banks."
"We're going to get cold, either way. Push away, and go loose. Try to drop in feet first, arms close to your chest," she told him even as she did so.
"I know the drill," Will complained, even as he pushed away from her as she spoke. "You don't have to….."
He plunged down through the thin, slushy surface of the river, cutting off his complaint.
Kim plunged into the nearly frozen water barely an instant after him, and felt the swift, frigid current tearing at her with icy fingers that stole her breath, and her strength as one. She felt something hit her in the side, and realized it was Will's body.
He was limp, too limp, and sinking without struggle.
She forced her hands to reach for him, and pulled him to her as she kicked for the surface, every move a struggle that took every ounce of her nearly spent energy, and then some. If there was ever a time she could have used her battle-suit, it was now. She wasn't sure how far the current carried her, but her lungs were aching badly by the time she managed to break the icy surface now in danger of freezing over solid if she went much farther.
She struggled to pull Will up after her, and after what felt an eternity, managed to get him up on the muddy bank, and out of the water.
Okay, the easy part was over.
Now, she just had to keep them alive long enough for them to survive until rescue showed.
Then she realized that where her own breath was sending out white wisps of vapor into the cold air, Will's pale lips weren't so much as showing a hint of breath.
She swore, and leaned over him, checking for a pulse.
Weak, but present. She started CPR all the same, and water gurgled up out of his lungs at the first push. When she blew air into his cold lips, she tried very hard not to think of the last time she had even kissed anyone, and kept blowing until he began to choke, and tried to roll over, moaning loudly as he rolled right onto his bad shoulder.
"Possss…."
"Take it easy. We're alive. Can you stand up?"
He just stared up at her, shivering violently now as he met her eyes, and for a moment, Kim saw a very human reaction in his dark eyes.
"I don't think so," he admitted, actually sounding worried.
"Okay, give yourself a minute. I'm going to look around, scout a place to build a shelter. We have to get dried off, and fast, or we're both in trouble. Will you be all right for a few minutes alone?"
"I doubt….anyone will be….following our route," he grimaced. "I should be….fine," he told her in a pained voice.
"Okay. Good. Good. Just stay calm, and stay still. And don't fall asleep. I'll try to be back as fast as I can," she told him.
"I do know…..survival skills…..Posss'ble," he muttered, but his eyes were drooping, and that wasn't a good sign.
"Wake up," she hissed, and slapped his cheek.
His eyes flared, and he glared up at her.
"You fall asleep, Will, and you really are finished. Stay awake, and stay alert. Listen for any pursuit while I scout the area. Can you do that, Agent Du," she purposely got gruff with him. "Can you?"
"Of course I can," he spat, and made himself sit up now, almost sliding a few inches back toward the river.
"C'mon," she groaned, and dragged him higher up on the bank. "You don't want to risk another swim."
"Funny," he muttered sourly as ever, but said no more.
"I shouldn't be long," she told him.
He eyed the willowy redhead in casual slacks, and a light jacket over her top as she walked away. They had been dressed casually, touring the city while awaiting the summons to the royal palace. Only they ended up fleeing the city, one step ahead of a literal mob after they belatedly realized the entire trip was a trap just to take her out.
Even he wasn't sure where she had hidden her grapple, or why she still carried it, but he was very glad she still did.
Kim glanced back once, then disappeared into the foggy trees, her feet crunching softly on the snow. She had gotten used to people overlooking her of late since she was now more often involved in diplomacy than active missions. Only this one was fast turning into a genuine life-and-death sitch, and Will Du, her GJ liaison for this trip, had literally been caught off-guard as much as she had. Two agents down, maybe dead, and they were next in line if she didn't fine shelter, and fast.
She could just imagine the look on Dr. Director's face when she learned two of her best had been caught flat-footed, and without a clue.
Yeah, that would go over big at debriefing. She could hear the lectures now.
She moved as swiftly as she could, using her Kimmunicator's mapping function to study the terrain around her as she did. She was lucky that whatever was jamming her communications wasn't also jamming the other functions of her often life-saving device. She moved up, and away from the river, and before she had gone very far, she discovered the Possible luck was still holding.
Grinning, she turned, and all but ran back toward Will.
The man was trying hard not to doze off, but he was still pushing it. She understood. She was virtually running on fumes herself. While she was still in pretty good shape, it had been a few years since she had been active in field missions. Just now, it made a genuine difference.
"Time to get up, Will. I found a shallow cave not far up that slope. We can make a shelter, and warm up fast there. We just have to get you there. Up for a stroll?"
"Your attempts at humor…..are as…..ill-placed as your…"
"Will?"
The agent hissed as she helped pull him to his feet, and his face was paler than ever as he continued to shiver.
"I'm…..okay."
"I doubt that," she told him. "But we'll get you sorted out as soon as we reach the cave," he was told as she eyed his quilted jacket, and sturdy GJ jumpsuit. All of which were as sodden as her own clothing just then.
"Lead the way," he said, still shivering.
KP
"Wade," Dr. Director frowned as she looked up from the day's morning reports, and eyed the young man that didn't often show on her screens since Kimberly had taken a post with the United Nations, involving herself more in diplomacy, and human rights than the old missions she once chased as if for sport.
"We have a situation," Wade told her bluntly.
"Go on," she nodded, having learned the hard way to listen to the young genius, even when he could be annoying. Which he often was at the best of times.
"Last night, at around eleven local time, I lost contact with Kim's Kimmunicator signal."
"Malfunction?"
"Not my design," he told her bluntly. "I went to investigate, and found a jamming signal covering the area of the province of Tazakistahn she's visiting. The signal blankets the entire area. When I attempted to contact the Premier himself, he claimed Kimberly never reached the city. That her helicopter had crashed in the mountains, and they were still hunting the wreckage."
"Good God," Betty gasped.
"He's lying," Wade cut in before she could absorb that claim. "I still can't pierce the jamming signal, but I did get a ping off Kim's GPS. She's somewhere in the mountains, but just outside the city, not in the mountains. And she's still alive."
"How can you be sure," Betty asked, just to be thorough.
"Their jamming, while steady, isn't perfect. I got this much off a satellite when I set up a monitoring frequency," he told her, and played a hissing, static-filled recording that had one very clear voice demanding; "….Are you insane, Possible?"
Betty wasn't sure what had prompted those words, but knowing both of them, it couldn't be good. Which meant that Premier Ben al Javier was lying to them. Which meant that if they had lied about the crash, what else was that ambitious little toad covering up?
"I'm sending in a full strike team. To help with the recovery," Dr. Director told Wade.
"I already offered to send aid when his people told me about her alleged crash. They told me that outside intervention was unnecessary, and unwanted," Wade scowled.
"Yes, but the difference is, Wade, is that I'm not asking. In fact, I think I'd better call in Team Impossible, too. Something else is going on if someone is trying to attack Kimberly like this under the guise of an accident, and we have best find out what, before it turns into a fiasco."
Wade only nodded.
"I'll let you know if I can find anything else."
"I don't suppose that GPS ping gave you coordinates?"
"Only a general area. The jamming gives imprecise coordinates," Wade told her. "But she was moving, so she is obviously alive. And in trouble."
"Well, Will Du is a good agent. He can help….."
She paused at both Wade's expression, and recalled the stunned tone of her top agent she had just heard in that recording.
"Hopefully, they won't kill each other before we can reach them," she added.
"Anything is possible," Wade quipped, but looked skeptical.
Dr. Director didn't call him on it as the young man vanished, and she reached for her intercom to get to work in earnest.
It was time, she decided, to find out what was really going on in that small province that claimed to want independence from its imperial neighbors.
To Be Continued….