Chapter 1
It had been about eight months since the fiasco at GJ when Betty Director had tried testing young Ronald Stoppable in a Virtual Reality. She remembered the severe headaches and bouts of confusion between what was real and what wasn't for about a month afterwards, and it was only after a forced vacation of 2 weeks that the director of GJ seemed to have her head finally right. Or so the doctors thought.
…x x x x…
"Doctor Director…" Will Du said with worry on his face as he stood across from his superior officer, "Don't you think that we've actually put Miss Possible and Mr. Stoppable through enough? I mean really… Another simulation?" He dropped the proposal he had just perused back onto Betty's desk.
"But this time, it won't be anything staged or a VR Simulation, Will. It will be real life. Real danger, and real consequences." Betty said with a bit of a twinkle in her eye. "I like to think of it as a… Training Mission. Something that would be a true test of their character and fortitude."
"But… we already know that they work great together as a… team." Will said with grudging respect.
"Ah… But what we need to find out is if they continue to work well as a team even if they both have… how shall I say… different priorities." Will raised a finger to make another comment, but Dr. Director spoke again, causing him to keep silent. "And this time, there won't be any computers, or electronics that can be circumvented or break down. It's… dare I say it… perfect. After this, we will know for sure if Kim Possible and Ronald Stoppable are truly ready to become the worlds best crime-fighting team."
…x x x x…
At the exact same time, in two different Dorm rooms, the exact same alarm sounded early one Saturday morning waking up two very groggy College Freshmen.
Beep beep bee deep… beep beep bee deep…
The reactions of the two were… a whole different matter.
Slim fingers walked out from underneath the bedcovers and searched for the source of the now irritating tone, and found it in the form of a small bracelet. A button was pushed while the hand pulled the small communications device under the covers so the owner of said hand could give a tongue lashing to the individual who was calling.
Kim's voice was muffled by the blankets covering her head, but her words were crystal clear. "Wade… you had better have a real good reason for calling this early on a Saturday."
But it wasn't Wade's voice that came out of the speaker, as Kim had expertly pressed the 'Audio Only' button as well before responding.
"I'm sorry Kimberly, did I wake you?" It was none other than Betty Director, the Director of GJ.
Kim pushed the blankets down from over her head revealing a mass of tangled red hair. She pressed the "Video" button, and as soon as Betty's face appeared, the older woman's expression went to one of shock at seeing the wildness of what Kim jokingly called her "Morning Look".
"I guess I did."
"So what's the sitch Dr. Director?" Kim said with her green eyes saying that she was none to happy with the wake-up call. "Shego giving you fits again with the training regimen you made up for her?"
"Well, you're not too far off. It does involve Shego… and Drakken as well. And for good measure you may as well throw in Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn." Dr. Director said as she attempted to hide her bemusement at Kim's appearance.
"What do you mean? Are my foes starting to team up again? And I thought Drakken and Shego were trying to go legit." The red head drew a hand lazily across one side of her face while trying to comprehend the implications of what Dr. Director was saying.
"I can't say much more until I contact Ronald, as he certainly has a vested interest in the events that have occurred as well. But for some reason I'm having trouble getting him to answer his communications device." Betty then turned off to the side and spoke to someone else off-screen. "Can you increase the volume to maximum on Ronald's communicator?"
After a few more seconds, the screen on Kim's Kimmunicator split in two, and Betty was on one side, and Ron's disheveled face was on the other. Essentially, Kim, Dr. Director, and Ron were on a 3-way Video Conference call.
"Dr. Director?" Ron said as he dragged a hand through his messy blond hair, and then he saw Kim. "Whoa! What happened Kim? When I left you last night you didn't look…" Ron shut up as soon as he saw green daggers shooting right at him.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Dr. Director said, and then continued. "So now that both of you are here and… somewhat… awake, I can fill you in on what's happening.
"Like I already told Kimberly here, it looks like Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn have teamed up, and I believe that Shego and Dr. Drakken are coming out of their… retirement, as it were. I don't want to say much more over an open channel, so I would like the two of you to come down to GJ so I can explain things completely. Can the two of you be here in an hour?"
"I don't suppose you could make it an hour and a half?" Kim said with a raised eyebrow.
"Sure, that's fine." The Director of GJ replied and then glanced at her watch. "So I'll see the two of you around… 0830?"
"That's… 8:30 am, right Kim?" Ron asked and his girlfriend gave him a playful smirk, which was tinged with a bit of sympathy as she knew if it was hard for her to get up, it must have been monumentally hard for Ron to wake up at this time.
"We'll be there, Dr. Director." Kim replied. "Team Possible out." With that the screen for all three individuals went to static.
…x x x x
The ride to GJ for both Kim and Ron was pretty much in silence, that is if you didn't count the short stop at Moon Bucks, where Kim purchased a double Espresso with chocolate and half-foam with half-n-half cream. Ron just opted for an extra large Slurpster of Valley Dew. Needless to say when the two arrived at GJ, they were definitely awake.
When they walked into the GJ facility, Dr. Director was there at the front desk, waiting for them. "Follow me please." Was all she said, and Kim and Ron fell into step behind the Director of GJ.
It didn't take long for all three to arrive at Dr. Director's office, and as she sat behind her large Mahogany desk, Kim and Ron pulled up a couple of comfortable chairs and sat down right in front of her.
"So…" Betty started, "Do you want the bad news first, or the bad news first?"
The two eighteen year olds glanced at each other with worried looks on their faces, and Kim was the first to speak. "What's happened Betty?"
"First, let me show you this." The head of GJ plopped a manila envelope down in front of Kim. The red head took the envelope, opened it, and removed a single piece of paper, which she immediately started to read out loud
Dear Dr. Director….
It has come to our attention what your true intentions are for our rehabilitation into your organization.
"That's so Dr. Drakken." Kim said with a chuckle, and then continued to read.
We feel that the two of us, Shego and I, cannot abide by your stringent rules and regulations. Therefore we are tendering our resignation of any connection between us and anyone associated with Global Justice.
The world will tremble once again under the Might of Dr. Drakken! That is, anytime between the hours of 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday. We're going back to being Corporate.
Sincerely,
Drakken and Company
Dr. Drakken, CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
Shego, COORM (Chief Operating Officer of Random Mayhem)
"So Drakken's gone Corporate again." Ron said when Kim finished reading. "This could actually be kinda bad. His Goons were actually pretty good under that Incentive Driven Bonus System."
"One of our operatives was able to get these pictures taken as well." Betty said, dropping another envelope on the desk, which Kim picked up and opened. Inside were three 8x10 glossies of Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn. One was of the two standing very close to each other in front of a Pawn Shop, apparently holding hands. The second one was of the two unloading a large crate from a van, and the third was of the two in a lip lock that made both Ron and Kim turn their heads in disgust.
Kim set the pictures back down on the desk and said, "That just looks like those two have…" Kim shuddered a bit, "Hooked up."
"It's more than that Kimberly. It appears that Motor Ed and Lynn have been making several large purchases of car parts, along with a few rocket engines as well." She then paused and looked at both Kim and Ron with deep concern.
Kim immediately picked up on it. "What is it Betty… What aren't you telling us?"
We have also received what appears to be USB Drives in the mail. At least that's what they feel like through the packaging. One from Drakken and Co., and one from Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn. The one from Drakken and Co. is addressed to you Ronald, and the one from Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn is addressed to you, Kimberly. Of course we haven't looked at them yet."
Dr. Director then brought out the two small packages. One addressed to Kim, in Care of Global Justice, and the other was addressed to Ron in the same manner. She then handed a Me-Pad and headphones to each teen so they could watch, and hear what was on their respective thumb-drives.
"I'll let you play yours first Kim, but I need to scan it for viruses before seeing what's on the drive." Kim opened her package and handed the Drive to Dr. Director, who pushed it into her computer and did a quick scan. There weren't any viruses, so she handed the Drive back to Kim, who insterted the drive into her Tablet Computer.
The video started out with Motor Ed filling the screen. "Hey Red… just wanted to let ya know that I've decided to pick up my game a little bit. No more 'Random Destruction'… as you so eloquently put it… seriously. This time, I've got a crack team that's going to build me the fastest, and most Rockeness vehicle ever, and then use it to deliver a highly explosive cargo anywhere I want.
"Now while I'm building this most awesome vehicle, I needed some insurance that you wouldn't come near me and mess things up. So let me introduce you to my new team, and I think you might know them."
The picture changed to show an area that looked like it was inside any one of a hundred or so warehouses in the Tri-State area. But it wasn't the building that Kim was looking at, it was the four individuals that were being held in the center of the room inside a steel cage.
Motor Ed spoke again while the picture stayed on the screen of those four people. "It includes a Rocket Scientist for the rocket engines I need, a couple of genius kids who can build almost anything, and I also have a doctor as well, in case I smash my finger or something."
Kim's jaw had dropped open when she saw who was caged up like animals. It was her entire family: Her mom, dad, and her twin brothers.
…x x x x…
While Kim was watching her video, Ron had been watching the one he had received as well, of which Dr. Director had scanned and found no viruses either.
It started out with Dr. Drakken sitting in a high-backed chair that almost looked Elizabethan in style, and Shego was standing off to one side, leaning on the edge of the back.
Looking quite serious, Drakken was the first to speak.
"So Buffoon…After your little show with Warmonga and her… whatever he was… Shego and I decided to do some research on you and this… monkey mystical thingamajig that you apparently have going on. As a result we've found some things that are quite interesting.
"The first is that it had quite a bit to do with Monkey Fist." Drakken looked over at Shego. "Whatever happened to him anyway? I haven't seen that old sod it quite some time." He then looked back at the camera. "Be that as it may, we discovered some of his writings and research and found some interesting things concerning this power that you supposedly have, and I want it. Shego? Would you care to fill him in on the rest?"
"Sure Drewbie." The camera panned up and focused on the green woman's face. "You see Stoppable, we've decided that we want you to work for us from now on, but we know of your tendencies to be a bit… non-directional… as it were. So, we needed some insurance to make sure that you don't screw around, or screw up. So… I went and visited a quaint little house in Middleton and brought back some guests."
The picture then changed to what looked for all intense and purposes just like a dungeon. Where bars would normally be located, it appeared to be thick plexiglass with holes, and behind this barrier were three people that Ron knew very well.
Sitting on what looked to be a very old couch was his father and mother. On his mom's knee was Hana, and all three seemed to be staring at the camera with thinly veiled anger and resentment. Hana suddenly jumped off of her mom's knee and proceeded to run along the walls, ceiling and floor screaming out something that sounded a lot like "Bruther! Get us out of here!"
…x x x x…
After each teen finished watching their respective videos, which seemed to end at the exact same time, both heads snapped to look at each other in surprise and worry. Each of them spoke at the same time saying something similar, but actually different.
"Ron!" ("Kim!") We have to save my family!"
"Drakken and Shego" ("Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn") Have taken everyone! We've got to save them!"
"What?" ("What?") "We'll save your family first!"
During this little exchange between the two, Rufus… who had been sitting on Dr. Director's desk ever since they had sat down… was looking back and forth at the two as if he were watching a tennis match. Finally he just slapped a paw on his head and fell over as if he fainted.
"OK Kim…" Ron said in an effort to break out of the pattern, "In an effort to work together, we can save my family first, and then we'll go get yours from Ed and Lynn."
"What? Why does your family get to be saved first Ron? Isn't my family important enough? Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn are obviously the most dangerous of these villain teams since they are the wild-card here, so it stands to reason to get my family first!" Without realizing it, Kim had stood from her chair and was now looking down at Ron.
"Look Kim…" The blond boy started, "We've got to work this out so both of us can save each of our respective families, but Drakken and Shego have a history of being the most dangerous! I mean, they tried to take over the entire planet! They are the most dangerous, therefore my family is in more danger! Besides… They have my sister, who is still just a toddler!"
Not knowing what he was doing, Ron had also stood from his chair, and when he finished, he was almost screaming into Kim's face. Both were breathing hard from the high tension in the room, and Dr. Director looked at both teens, wondering who was going to kill whom.
Both teens had their fists clenched at their sides. Ron's had a it of a blue glow to them, and Kim had unlatched her leg pouch, in which she had a grip on her grappling gun, which in a pinch could be used as an effective weapon.
"Kimberly… Ronald?" Dr. Elizabeth Director slowly started to say. She SO did not want the situation to get any worse. "It seems that the two of you have some serious issues to work out here. Please… go outside, get a breath of fresh air, and then talk this over."
"Fine." Both teens said in unison, and then Kim spoke. "But when we get outside, I'm not speaking to you Ronald Dean Stoppable. I'm going home, where I can talk to Wade and start a plan for saving my family." With that said, Kim stomped out of Dr. Director's office, who looked at Ron for a few seconds.
The blond boy's head was hung down, and she could tell by the features on his face that Ron was torn as to what to do. After a moment, he scooped up a sleeping mole rat from the desk and headed out of Dr. Director's office.
Elizabeth Director sat back hard in her chair. She had not expected this kind of a reaction at all between the two young heroes. She couldn't stop what had been started, and she had no control over anything. "Great Hera… what have I done?"
To be continued…