A\N This is my new long-running series. Updates won't be regular, as my main focus still on Wicked Bonds. This story will be a mix of slice of life and adventure, with a LOT of cameos and crossovers from other media, like a certain character in this chapter who i borrowed from another awesome cartoon show. Some of you might recognize that idea, since i partially used it in my other RonGo fanfic, but don't worry, this is its own separate thing. Hope you'll like it!
READ AND REVIEW.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kim Possible.
Chapter 1
Unusual team
Shego stood before the most bland and unassuming building she ever saw. There was no signs, no markers, and it was covered all around by other tall structures, leaving one small alleyway leading towards it. After all, it was meant to be hidden. Not many people knew about actual location this place, outside of the people who worked here, but many people in underground world knew about what it was.
"No use of stalling this." Shego mumbled, moving her hand to the cold handle, pulling it down.
After a short stroll through the dark hallway, she stepped into a spacious room with marble floor, several giant screens hanged on the walls around, several sofas and coffee tables, a vending machine and a single circular desk at the farther wall. A woman stood in perfect posture behind it. She had brown hair, tied professionally in a bun, with two bangs framing her face, grey eyes, hidden slightly behind big circular glasses, and a strict brown and dark green suit.
"Hello and welcome to MerCo." she said unemotionally. "How can i help you?"
"Hi, i'm here about my application…"
"Name?" strict-looking woman cut her off.
"Shego."
"Is it your full name?"
"Yes, I changed it legally a long time ago."
After several quick stokes on the keyboard, the woman at the desk pulled out a plastic card and two copies of the document from under the desk.
"Your application was personally reviewed and approved by Mr. Blackstone. All we need is you signature on the bottom of this contract, one copy will stay with us. The other one will be handed to you. MerCo strongly recommends for you to get acquainted with the contract beforehand to avoid unnecessary legal issues."
After reading carefully each passage of the document, and getting ensured it wasn't a scam, she signed both papers, and handed them back to the woman at the reception desk.
"Good. I officially welcome you as part of MerCo now. My name is Zhulia Moonski, here's your employee id card, it contains your basic data and rank. As a newbie you start as rank E. Every mercenary below rank B must have a partner in order to take missions from our board. You can either leave your info on the current free agents list for other mercenaries to contact you, or look at the list yourself to contact anyone you want to team up with. Any questions?"
"Can i call you Zhuli?" Shego tried to ease up the conversation.
"Absolutely not." woman answered with same stoic face.
"I see. So, is there no way for me to do some missions solo? I am capable, your boss surely checked my history when he got my application."
"I'm sorry miss Shego, but rules are rules, and you abided by the contract, that you've just read, to follow it."
"Let me guess, it's really a precautionary method of controlling a bunch of mercs, right? I mean, if one guy'll get cold feet, or do something that breaches your contract, the other one would rather rat him out to safe own skin, and vice versa."
"That is right."
"And what if both of them conspire in their own interests?"
"MerCo will know about it anyway, it'll just take us a bit more time than usual. B rank mercenaries are picked only from the most trustworthy employees."
"OK, about the whole partner thing, do i choose one permanently, or it's per mission kinda deal."
"Both. Some prefer to have different partners for different missions, some prefer to stick to the single partner for a long-term. It's up to you." Zhulia handed her a tablet computer. "Here's the list. If you'll need help to find or put information, please ask me."
After founding her way to the nearest sofa and putting her legs comfortably on the coffee table, much to Zhulia's disapproving look, she began to look into the list. A variety of different skills and specialty fields were stunning. No wonder some preferred to choose different partner for different missions. However that is not what Shego was looking for. Honestly working with so many people sounded like a pain, she used to work for many villains in the past, and sticking to one idiot was a bit less stress inducing than working with many. She needed somebody to not get in her way, until she's allowed to go solo.
Scrolling down the list, one photo caught her attention, jogging her memory. Young man, blond, big ears, brown eyes with freckles underneath. His face looked a bit different from what she remembered, less round, with more prominent jawline.
"No way!" she exclaimed checking his info for a name. "It's the Buffoon!"
Just to be sure, she checked the rest of the list for the certain redhead, since they usually come in a package, but found nothing.
"Hey Zhuli." Shego ran back to the receptionist's desk.
"It's Zhulia." she corrected her in a stoic way.
"Does this guy really work here?" she pointed at the list entry in question.
"Yes, if he's on the list, he does work for us. Mr. Stoppable became a part of MerCo a week ago. No mission was taken under his name, yet."
"Do you remember if he came to you alone or along with a redhead girl, Kim Possible?"
"He applied and got accepted by his own. There are no mercenary agents named Kim Possible in MerCo."
"I see!" Shego smirked, and copied the contact data into her phone. "This might be just what i need."
She returned tablet and walked out of the building, with her hand typing a message on a green phone.
Hey, found you on the list. Want to talk about teaming up for a mission, where can we meet?
The answer came less than a minute later with an address. Shen put it into her phone's GPS app, and went towards green Ducati EVO parked right outside.
~(=_=)~
Ron paced from one wall to the other in the cheap motel room he's been staying lately. It wasn't bad per se, especially for its price, bed was soft enough and sheets were changed daily. No TV though, and isolation was a bit lousy.
He checked the message on his phone again. Whoever person who sent it had wrote him back, telling to expect they'll meet at Ron's current location in an hour, and it was almost the time. A sound of motorcycle approaching could be clearly heard from his room. It stopped soon, presumably being parked, and was replaced by the sound of boots getting closer to the door. By the time somebody knocked, Ron's hand was ready to turn the doorknob.
"Hello there, Stoppable!" she let herself in, sliding past shocked young man with her lips stretched in a fake smile.
"Sh-she sheg…" Ron stammered, following her movements with pointed finger.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" she rested her rear at the corner of motel's undone bed, moving one leg on top of another. "Last time we met was before your graduation, I think? Wow, six years flies fast."
"Shego!" he managed to collect enough of his chaotically shifting thoughts to speak. "What… what are you doing here?"
"Meeting with my partner for a job, obviously." she kept her innocent demeanor and showed him a message on her phone. "Since today I am working at MerCo."
"YOU sent that?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
Instead of immediate answer, much to Shego's surprise, Ron took a deep breath of air, moving his palms downwards. tips of his fingers parallel to each other. His look shifted from panicked to serene, as he closed his eyelids. He learned by this age that at times like this it's better to go with clear head. Master Sensei's lessons weren't wasted on him.
"Alright. Breathe in, breath out. Let's straight things out." he spoke in his head. "Shego is here. Why? She said she's my MerCo partner for a job. It is good, because I need a job. It is bad, because it's Shego and she's bad."
He opened his eyes, catching her slightly bewildered look. She was a bit different from when he saw her last time, but just a bit. There were slight changes, like couple small wrinkles at the corner of her eyes, and somehow even more defined, but still athletic, figure. However her most noticeable change was a narrow white strip of hair on the right side of her bangs.
"She looks good though… That is bad too. Don't let gorgeous villain use you, you are your own man now."
"No, not at all." he smiled, speaking and calm soothing voice. "I'm sorry, for a freak out, but you understand, considering our past and all."
"Ow, of course I do." her voice stayed the same, despite feeling uneasy from his sudden change of demeanor. "Now, let's get to business. How about, you let me do the work without any meddling, and we split the money 80 percent me 20 percent you, ok?."
"No."
"Great that settles it…" she clapped her hands, as his answer finally sunk in. "Wait, come again?"
"I said no, Shego. If we do the work, we do it together and rewarded fifty-fifty. Either that or you can look for someone else for a job."
She was expecting a bubbling buffoon. Insecure, loud and suggestible schoolboy she remembered from her run-ins with Kim Possible. But his voice showed confidence in his own words, not a single shiver, or uneven breathing. He was standing tall, looking right in her eyes, making her feel even more uncomfortable and, and also just a little bit intimidated.
"Listen, it's easy money for you, I even throw you a bone, seventy-thirty."
"Fifty-fifty, I do half of the work, or no deal."
"What is your problem here?" tired of him literally looking down at her, she jumped on her feet, with irritation boiling behind her eyes, and pseudo-friendly smile replaced with a scowl. "We both need a second person to do a job, and I basically wrapping it up for you with a pretty bow on top! Just be a good boy and accept it before lose my patience."
"Listen, I have to reasons not to accept your conditions." he kept himself calm and collected, despite her little outburst. "First, is that I'm trying to take my job at MerCo very serious. I'm tired of being stringed along and playing second fiddle. I'm not a sidekick anymore." as he said that he caught an amused look on his intruder's face. "And yes, looking objectively in the past, I do admit that I was mostly her sidekick now, just as much as you were Draken's."
That hit she sore spot in Shego, she was almost ready to verbally rip the guy to shreds, and probably afterwards physically as well, however she held herself long enough from that as Ron continued to explained his reasoning.
"Second reason is a bit less important, but crucial as well. Have you seen the awards for E missions? It's miniscule. If I agree on your terms I'll be living in a box in a week or so. That's why I only accept equal terms here. How about, we do our job together, as a team, this one time, and see how it goes."
A hand was reached towards her as she contemplated her situation here. In the end, she decided, one time couldn't hurt. She wanted to start her missions as soon as possible anyway, and she always could choose another teammate for the future jobs. She could tolerate this weird creature in buffoon's skin for at least today, she reasoned, after all, she endured working with Drakken for much longer.
"Deal." She sighed with discontent, and shook his hand.
As their hands separated, the tall confident figure before her instantly deflated. His shoulders slumped, eyes softened, mouth took a form of a goofy smile. It was hard to see, but young man was shaking slightly in his knees.
"Great!" he explained excitingly. "Looking forward to work with you today, Shego."
"Woah, back up." she stepped to the side, baffled from this back and forth transformation. "What the hell are you pulling here, Stappable?"
"What are you talking about?" he put one arm before at chest defensively, in fear of green beauty's explosive temper.
"This whole Jekyll and Hyde thing you just pulled off." she pointed at him accusingly.
"I kinda learned to be more assertive over the years, just something i picked up to better myself."
"Well, you definitely stood your ground there." she admitted.
"Thanks!" he beamed.
'It's like he was a whole different person.' she noted. 'Hope it's not another Zorpox deal. Heaven knows i'm not looking for that lunatic to come back.'
"So, shall we go to MerCo now?" Ron snapped her for disturbing thoughts and gestured towards the door.
"Yeah, sure sure. We'll take our bike. Oh, and also…" she smirked evilly. "I don't have extra helmet with me."
~(=_=)~
"Holy shit, you weren't kidding… Rank E missions suck!"
She stared at the big screen on the left wall, with a big E letter glued to its frame below, as lines of mission names and payment rewards was scrolling down one after another.
"Working on the kitchen, moving equipment, moving couch, gardening… Those are all odd-jobs."
"Yup, we are literally arms for hire."
"At least B missions sound better. Kidnapping, guarding, sabotage. That is what i'm good at, not dog walking."
"Who would pay five bucks for dishwashing?" Ron mused.
"Twenty dollars for grocery shopping."
"MerCo provides its services for a wide array of clients." Zhulia intervened to explain. "Some of them are not able to go out for one reason or another, usually because of different problems with a law, some are perfectly fine with a law, but got stuck in a situation with a time constraints and some are just lazy people with disposable income."
"Thanks Zhuli." Shego said teasingly.
"Please don't call me that." She answered in flat tone.
"Alright, if we take a job, let's take the one that pays best. That one, vermin catching/extermination, 100 dollars reward."
"Fine with me." Ron agreed.
"Zhuli, sign us up."
"Done. Here's the address." Zhulia printed out small piece of paper with info and put it on the reception desk. "And please stop calling me that."
"No promises!"
With a paper now held in between of her fingers she went back to her bike, with Ron hot on her heels. She started the engine, while her temporary partner sat behind her and locked his arms around her waist. He learned the hard way that she likes driving fast and reckless with many sharp turns, and having no helmet only make him more cautious. What he didn't know is that she drove this way on purpose, to get back at him for his unexpected behavior. She could feel how strong his arms were, as they hugged her waist so tightly, leaving a little to imagination. She had to admit, even if she hadn't really checked him out properly earlier, since in her head he was still the same boy from all those years before, but feeling his body pressed tightly to her back did raise her curiosity. The fact that she hasn't felt a man's or woman's touch for years didn't help the situation. Life was lonesome in solitary confinement.
"We're arrived." She said, bringing her vehicle to a halt nearby a large warehouse. "You can stop fondling me."
"To your information i wasn't fondling!" Ron felt offended by her accusation, while getting of her bike on shaking legs. "I am gentleman, thank you very much."
"Hey, you two there!" a middle-age man, with a blue Smarty Mart employee cap on top, paced hastily towards them. "Are you from MerCo."
"Yes sir." Ron answered to the man, finally getting his groove back. "We're here to take care of your vermin problem."
"Great, let's hope you can do it. Regular exterminators just running away, who knew one animal can cause so many troubles."
"One?" Shego asked. "What the hell are we dealing here?"
"No idea mam." the man tugged on his cap. "Slick's too fast for us to have a single good look. It trashes our goods and we can't do a thing about it. Boss told us to contact your organization if thing go out of our hands. We tried to catch it with bear traps even, it takes the bait without triggering it. You sure you two can handle it?"
"Pft please." Shego scoffed. "If anyone has experience with weird it's me and this guy over here."
"True that." Ron nodded.
"Here's something to keep this thing in." he picked up an animal cage with thick iron bars and handed it to Ron. "And good luck."
Another employee opened a door into the building with a card key, letting the team in. The spacious building was filled with high rows of stored crates and boxes. Some path ways was blocked by stacks of packaged items.
"We're gonna waste our whole day here." Shego grumbled. "Let's split up."
"Shout me if you'll find it." Ron said, disappearing in the nearest aisle.
'As if!' she thought. 'When i'll find the vermin i'm gonna take it out myself. Since i'll do the whole work, plus i drove him here, i'll just convince him that he basically did nothing and shake at least half of his part of the payment, maybe even all of the money if he'd feel extra useless.'
If it wasn't for her current financial, she might even give Ron a proper chance to prove himself, and shared the reward properly, but there was no way for her to pay her rent in time with rates like that. They got lucky with a 100 dollar job, only several of the others got barely up to 40 or 50 bucks, most of them was 20 and lower, and they weren't the only ones who took up the missions. That meant that she'll have to work her butt off to keep a roof above her head and having her fridge at least semi-full. Sadly, that meant either breaking Ron's spirit, or letting him go altogether and searching for a new dimwit ready to follow her and cut their part to her.
'There IS a third option.' Shego mused herself with an idea, scoffing almost immediately after. 'Hm…nah, that would never work'
Her train of thoughts got interrupted by something moving fast through the crates to her right side. It moved around, constantly out of sight. Stepping as silent as she could, she approached closer to the area the creature was in. One thing for sure, this vermin was really hard to keep up with, which started to annoy Shego. One moment it was to her right, the next second behind her, and after that over the other side.
"Gotcha!" she said in hushed voice, so Ron couldn't hear her, and leaped above stacked crates.
Shocked creature screeched loud, as Shego's relatively towering figure cornered it to the wall. Finally she got a good look at her target. It was an unnatural crossbreed, with body and ears of the bunny, but the beak and tail of platypus. The most peculiar however was the color of its fur: muddy red plaid.
"You are one ugly sin of nature." she said, doubting that there was anything actually natural about it. "Come on, come to momma!"
Instead of obediently following her orders, it spawned three blades from its tails and leaped forward, spinning around itself. Shego barely avoided this flying blender by doing a backwards bridge. Platypus-bunny continued spinning on, moving fast towards its hunter. All Shego could do at the moment is dodge the continuous onslaught of attacks, that was coming from all of the sides. Out of sheer frustration her arms was already flaming, ready to scorch the furry creature, but she didn't shoot it once, fearing setting the warehouse on fire, which would totally affect her payment.
All she needed is one clear hit, preferably without cutting herself, but the creature didn't give her that chance. As it kept its speed, one of the attacks came dangerously close to Shego's face, forcing her to step back. Unfortunately, her leg stumbled upon a coil of rope, making her lose her balance and fall right into it. Before she could get away, Platypus-bunny leaped to her, spinning, however, before it even came close, much to Shego's surprise and relief, a 10 kilogram pack of dogfood flew towards it and smacked the creature mid-air, right into the crates.
"What just happened?" Shego asked in confusion, standing up.
"I told you to shout me, didn't i?" Ron appeared nearby with slight irritation in his voice and carefully put now unconscious creature in the cage.
"Did you throw that bag?" she asked in awe.
"Yes i did, you're welcome by the way."
"Yeah, thanks, or, whatever…"
"Come on." Ron smiled and picked up the cage. "Let's finish this up."
'He did his part…' Shego thought as they went to the exit. 'I've found it, and he knocked it off. He earned his half fair and square… And if he didn't throw that thing i… Damn it. It looked heavy, buffoon did filled up nice over the years… He is useful, and looks like he got more competent since our last encounter… Maybe, the third option might actually work…'
"Here's your creature of indeterminate species." Ron smiled, putting the cage at client's feet. "It's not dead, merely unconscious."
"Well i'll be!" a middle-age man with a cap whistled. "Good job fellas. I'll call MerCo, and tell that you did a darn good job."
Client picked up the cage and walked towards his office, he had several calls to make, including animal control services. Ron meanwhile turned around, noticing Shego leaning on her bike, looking at him.
"Hey, Stoppable. You did fine there."
"Uhm, thanks…" he felt a bit bashful, since there wasn't even a hint of sarcasm in what heard. "You've found it, so i guess we both did great."
"True." she shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, since we did fine, i think i'd like to continue our partnership."
"Really?" Ron shined like a happy pup.
"Yes, but on one condition." she said, seeing his shine fading away a bit. "You'll have to live with me."
"Wait what?" young man was utterly confused.
"I can't pay my rent with current job rewards, and since you'll taking half of it, i'd like you to live with me and pay half of the rent. I have an extra room, but no furniture, so you'll have to sleep on a couch for some time…"
"So, you want to me to be your roommate, and a partner?" as he pronounced the words he realized the double meaning. "Work-wise i mean."
"Yup."
"Well, beats living in a motel."
"Great! Now, get on the bike, we might grab one or two more jobs today."
Shego started her engine, feeling his arms around her, and drove off towards MerCo. It was a new start for her, it was a new start for Ron as well. And, by chance or by fate, they were walking this new path together.
