Kim Possible: The Dragon and the Lotus
Legal mumbo-jumbo: Kim Possible and all related characters are owned by Walt Disney Corporation. This piece is not-for-profit and intended solely for the enjoyment of the audience. Material in the work below is rated R for violence, language, and some sexual content.
A/N: Set during the fourth season of Kim Possible TV series. ((this season isn't done airing yet, so it may be slightly inconsistent in some points. Gomen nasai))
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Yori sighed and rubbed at the apex of her left eyebrow softly with the pad of her thumb. She carefully applied a small amount of pressure to the key point and felt a small amount of the tension ease away. Acupressure was a wonderful thing indeed, even if she did have to apply it to herself. She retreated to the small basement room she had graciously been offered by Ron-san's parents, and snapped off the one small lamp that kept it illuminated, closing the door behind her.
A few days before, Ron had helped to pinpoint the cause of her now-frequent headaches. As he was the only person in his part of America to have ever been to Yamanouchi, she had asked him to help her narrow down what was different between her venerable home and the Stoppable house. It was the lighting. Yori had rarely traveled away from her home at the dojo on Mt. Yamanouchi for more than a few days at a time. Now she had been here, in Middleton, for three weeks. Her eyes were not accustomed to the harsh artificial light that pervaded every single aspect of western society. Flourescent seemed to be worst of all.
While the dojo back home had electricity, driving necessary things like telephones, computers, and the kitchen; as well as the modern security system that supplemented the already vigilant ninja students, it was not free-flowing or abundant. Therefore much of the lighting of the school was provided by candles and torches when the sun was not overhead.
Not only did it add to the mystique of a school exclusively concerned with the training of ninja... Apparently, if her throbbing temples were any judge... it was far more healthy. A day spent watching over little Hanna-chan for Ron-san's parents, a day spent in the company of her blaring television, blinking electronic baby toys, and that ever-present electric lighting, needed even during the daylight hours, had taken a toll on the young ninja's endurance.
She had just about succeeded in soothing away the worst of the dull ache from her mind when another technological nuisance demanded her attention. 'Ron-com'. The word sprang unbidden to her mind. She turned over and picked up the device, but did not turn on it video screen. Her eyes had seen enough torture for one night without more electronic madness driving into her skull via the eye sockets.
"Konichiwa," She greeted who ever was calling over the small communicator. It could only be one of a select few people. As Ron had left the device specifically for her in case there were any emergencies while he and Kim were in Germany chasing someone called Dementor; no one aside from he and his 'Team Possible' knew her as anything more than the nanny the Stoppables had hired to help them with their adopted child. "Ah... Wade-san. Please inform me that Kim Possible-san and Ron-san will be returning shortly?"
Her manner was polite and polished as always, but Wade could tell Yori was imploring him to tell her she wouldn't have to babysit much longer. "No can do Yori-chan. Actually, I was hoping you could do us a little bit of a favor?"
Despite her wearyness, Yori smiled slightly at anyone other than Sensei still referring to her as '-chan.' She was glad the young hacker couldn't see the very faint blush it caused. "It would be my honor to assist in any way I can, Wade-kun."
On the other end of the unusually audio-only call, Wade chuckled and blushed as well. It was their little name-game. Yori had been thrilled to find a fellow member of the international CLAMP fan association in the computer genius, and soon they were trading all manner of social tidbits to each other to help both adjust to the temporary state of Team Possible having a fourth member (fifth counting Rufus). She was pleased when Wade had been able to explain, finally, her name suffixes to Ron-san and Kim possible-san.
"Is Hana-chan safely in bed where my baby monitor can keep an eye on her for a few hours, Yori-chan?"
Yori nodded, but then remembered that Wade could not see the gesture since she had blocked the video portion of the call, "Hai. She is. Hopefully for the night."
"Good. There's a break in at Alpha-Tronics. Kim's old nemesis, Doctor Drakken, seems to be up to something. Normally Kim would take care of this. But..." Wade trailed off, the rest of the statement obvious to both parties.
"However, Ron-san, Kim-san, and Rufus-chan are not on this continent tonight to deal with this break-on." Yori finished for him.
"...break-in."
"Is that not what I said?"
"Close enough."
"How will I get to this Alpha-Tronics?" Yori inquired as she sat up, suddenly ready for action that did not involve mind-rotting children's cartoons.
"Oh crap... that's right, only one in four have a license in Japan, huh?"
"Hai"
"And you're not one of them I guess?" Wade's voice displayed his sudden disappointment. "So much for taking the Sloth or Ron's scooter."
"It would not be my honour to drive Ron-san's... how does Kim-san put it... rolling death bike of doom? Even if I did know how to." Yori chuckled very slightly, as much as she ever laughed, and nodded agreement with her own statement. Her headache was forgotten in the face of a new duty to be performed, one without chasing a super-natural toddler.
"No problem.. Just a second, I'll arrange a ride for you Yori."
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"Whatcha doin' Dr. D.?"
"Gahhhhh!?!" there was a clatter as a high tech tool was dropped to the floor with a start. "Shego! Don't sneak up on me like that! Make some noise for crying out loud! These are very delicate calibrations."
Shego smirked wryly and shook her head... it might almost be worth the rants just to startle the blue buffoon like this every now and then. "But I did make noise Doc. I can't help it if you were to distracted to hear it. Take your head out of your ass for five minutes maybe?"
"You didn't make any noise Shego... Ninjas make more noise than you do! Even when you've got a head cold..." The blue man scowled at his helper and then looked pointedly at the heeled boots that refused to go click-click-click as good boots should when walking across the tile of this lab.
"Hey, don't go comparing me to those amateurs!" The malachite warrior snorted derisively at the mention of the supposedly sneaky assassins. "How many of them could do what I do while wearing lime green and heels? Not to mention glwoing in the dark half the time..."
"Meh... Just... just go guard the door or something, I'm trying to get this trans-temporal oscillator calibrated and I don't need you scaring the coco-moo out of me." Drakken growled and snorted in turn as he returned to his work with the item Shego had gotten them in in order to manipulate.
Shego parroted his words with her hand, opening and closing it like puppet sat astride it, and sneering as she turned away to indeed check the door they had broken in through. She continued silently mocking him, and made a point to stamp her feet theatrically as she left, doing so almost petulently.
She paused, though, as she approached the door. Something suddenly didn't seem right in the air tonight.
The door was still closed loosely where she had fried the lock... yes that was normal. The wires that used to connect it to the alarm system were still at exactly the same angle they had been when she'd gone to pester Drakken a few minutes ago. No additional lights had been turned on or off in the dimly lit lab, just as she preferred it...
And yet...
"mmmmrrrrpph!" The blow came from no where. What felt like a set of boots directly across her right temple.
"What the fucking fuck?!" Shego righted herself after stumbling several steps, and looked around while willing her vision to clear. She couldn't see anyone who could have wholloped her so hard. Absolutely no one was around as she slowly spun and rubbed her aggrieved skull. Seeing no one, sensing no movement in the room. She narrowed her eyes and dropped into a bit of a fighting stance... It was an awkward stance, considering she had no idea who was attacking, and therefore what type of pose to counter with.
"Gah!" a palm strike at the back of her head came a split second later. Shego stumbled forward, gritting her teeth and grabbing the back of her head through a thick mane of green-black hair,
Her vision went seriously crossed this time as someone had struck right at the part of her brain that controlled sight. She swept her arms out to the sides as she spun quickly, trying to take down whoever had hit her, again.
Nothing... no contact at her wrists or the one raised knee. She she shook her head, iridescent green-black hair flying, as she scowled into the gloom surrounding her. Again, she couldn't see any hint of movement. No one could move that fast...
Well, save for her and the Princess... And Kimmie wasn't one to slink about in the shadows. Her redheaded stubbornness wouldn't allow anything less than a full frontal assault.
Obviously Shego wasn't facing herself, either.
There, movement out of the corner of her left eye. She raised her left arm and sent a blast of her trademark flame into the shadows, and caught a glimpse of a black silhouette darting away at the very edge of the light.
"Un-fucking-believable. A god damned ninja. I'm going to have to tell the Doc to watch his mouth. Next it'll be demons, knowing him." Shego scowled at her luck and ignited both her hands, driving back the shadows slightly with an ethereal green light.
Her foe, obviously realizing the element of surprise was lost, slipped soundlessly out to the open area of the floor. Shego studied the figure carefully. Shinobi Shozoku+ hid the fighter's identity and sex very well. The slightly baggy black uniform allowed Shego to see only that her adversary was shorter than she was, and lightly built.
"But fucking strong... Damnit..." Shego kept rubbing the back of her head, which rang and still wanted to force her eyes crossed. If she were a mere mortal, she realized, the first blow alone probably would have laid her low for a few minutes at least.
Keen brown-black eyes peered out at her from beneath the mask, and were studying her just as intently. In a deft movement even Shego's sharp eye could barely perceive, a hand flicked in her direction. Shego brought her hands together in front of her, and the shuriken that she only just realized was headed for her throat was melted into so much steel vapor.
"Sneak sneaky... But two's my limit on gimme hits." She sent two bolts of plasma towards the shadowy fighter, but yelped at the same moment, not realizing that the throwing-star was a distraction for the chain whip that had just seized her ankle.
As she fell backwards, Shego growled and spun about to catch herself on her hands and knees. She also rolled to one side, and only just avoided catching a knee in the ribs as her foe landed where she'd been with incredible speed. Using the closeness, she clawed at the whip binding her ankle, and felt the slack chain between them melt away, freeing her up.
"Hmmmm, Kimmie too busy getting ready for prom to take care of us herself?" Shego snorted, trying to disguise her deeper than normal breathing with banter.
The ninja facing her said nothing, rolling clear of any more of those flaming slashes and resisting the urge to wipe phantom sweat from her masked brow at the heat her opponet was putting off. Once she was a few rolls away, she flipped elegantly to her feet.
Shego just shook her head and bounded to her feet as well, with less flourish of course. She was about to charge in again and finish this before things got out of hand, when of course, they did.
"Prom, Shego...? Don't tell me you didn't get the invite."
Shego groaned inwardly. She knew that voice as well as she knew her own. The cheerleader was somewhere behind her. And from the tone, she had one hand cockily on her hip.
"Oh! That's right, they don't send invites to convicted felons, do they?" ...and the doofus as well, from his grunting his pants were caught on something.
She called out over her shoulder, not removing her eyes from the shinobi who was standing off against her, "Accused felon, accused, Doofus... they can never actually get me to trial to convict me."
"We'll see about that, Shego!"
The mercenary groaned... tonight was just getting better and better it seemed.
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Kim waved cheerfully to the last news crew as they left and the patty wagon containing Shego and Drakken departed for the lockup. She counted off about thirty seconds after the last news van turned the corner and looked around through the various trees and shrubs. "Okay Yori-san... you can come out now."
With a very faint rustling of leaves, Yori dropped silently out of a tree near by and smiled, carefully unsnapping the mask portion of her hood and drawing it back from her onyx hair.
"Arrigato, Kim Possible-san. I do not think the Stoppable's would have liked to see their nanny on the morning news. I am most sorry that I could not defeat Shego-san and Drakken-san without your assistance."
Kim chuckled softly and patted Yori on the shoulder. "Hey, it's so not the big. How long were you in there anyways? Shego looked majorly ticked off when we got there."
"I was not there for long... But I am concerned. I landed two incapacitating blows on this Shego person. She did not go down." Yori's nearly onyx-brown eyes demonstrated how disturbed she was to Kim and Ron.
"Don't sweat it Yori... Shego's a tough cookie. Even KP has a hard time with her and she's been-- fighting her-- for years?" Ron's attempt at comforting the ninja trailed off as he caught a glare full force from his girlfriend's green eyes. "Yeah... Um... I'll be... over here now."
After glaring at Ron for an arbitrary amount of time, Kim's smile returned and she turned back to the ninja nanny. "Don't sweat it Yori... The bad guys are off to jail, and no one knows you're anything other than a nanny for Ron's mom and dad."
"Again, arrigato Kim Possible-san." Yori bowed at the waist. As she did so, she cast a glance towards Ron, who was embarrassedly rubbing the back of his neck and counting cracks in the concrete at Kim's verbal assault. She sighed inwardly at how he could look so defeated by one glance from Kim. "...and you as well Stoppable-san. It is most gratifying to know I am not the only one who needs more training to over-come Shego."
Ron visibly brightened at someone thanking him, even though Kim seemed to groan slightly at being reminded she had further to go. She finally moved towards her magenta-colored car, and signalled her friends to come with. "Come on, we better get you two home. I don't even want to think about what that place looks like if Hana woke up."
Yori, Ron, and Kim all cringed at that thought. Hell hath no fury like a ninja-toddler without her binky.
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Shinobi Shozoku; the technical term for a Ninja's black uniform.