Bad Hand
By mkusenagi2
The story
concept © 5-19-2006
All Marvel characters are © Marvel
Comics.
Kim Possible and other characters
from the show are ©
Disney Co.
I don't own Dark Horse Comics'
characters
either.
Part I
1-8-2003
Roxxon
Oil's
North Atlantic Research Facility
The Azores, 900 miles
west
of Portugal
The Research Lab
0400 hrs
Slim Possible and his team were watching through the armored glass windows of the control room as techs cleaned the latest artifact that had been recovered from the ancient city that had been discovered hidden in the depths…
Several of the artifacts had shown that there had been a culture here that rivaled Western Civilization in the sciences… and suggested that they surpassed them… in other ways…
"Sir, we're getting some anomalous readings from the artifact… should we continue?" The lead tech, a man named Johnson asked.
"Y'all go ahead… it's probably some o' thet residual magnetism that's comin' from thet place… Go on now!" he drawled.
"Yes sir."
The techs finished cleaning the coral and sediment of the stone object… to reveal a pristine block of black stone that had 50 seals carved on each face.
The techs ran a miniature mass spectrometer probe over the block.
"!" The techs thought. "UHHH…" 'This thing gives me the creeps… we need to toss it back…' Johnson thought.
The techs got a sense of dread and stepped away from the stone.
"What's wrong with you guys… hold on I'm comin' down there…" Slim said before he marched out of the room and stomped into the lab.
Slim looked at the computer's readout, took off his hat and scratched his head.
"Now thet can't be right…"
"We just calibrated it before you brought the item in sir… according to the industry standard…"
"Ok son… what's the scan on the coral and sediment deposits say?" Slim asked.
"The deposits are 13 to 14,000 years old…"
"And the stone?"
"It's scanning as… brand new… hold on… there's an energy field surrounding the stone… it's a foot deep except the top of the stone… there's a square seam in the top of the stone along the join…"
"Run a deep ultra sound… I wanna get a pic of what's inside." Slim.
"Yes sir…" Johnson ran the ultrasound probe over the stone.
"!" 'Gorchy!' "God in Heaven!" he gasped.
The ultrasound revealed a perfectly preserved head… that appeared to be watching Slim and Johnson while they were scanning the object!
Slim grabbed a plasma cutter from the wall and walked over to the block.
"Stand back. I wanna take a closer look at that varmint." Slim growled as he plugged the cutter into the table and clicked it on. "Ain't NO way thet there's a live head in thet dang thing!"
"NO! Throw it back! It's CURSED" cried another tech by the name of Hernandez.
Slim pressed the trigger and touched the cutter to the stone's joined edges…
"FSSHSHHH!"
"Sir! I'm getting an energy spike… OH GOD…"
"BLAMMM!" The platform was rocked by a HUGE explosion.
---
1-8-2003
Middleton,
CO
The Possible Residence
Kim Possible's Room
0430 hrs
"Beep Beep BeDeep!"
"MMM."
"Beep Beep BeDeep!"
"mmmhhh"
"Beep Beep BeDeep!"
"NOOO… wanna sleep…"
"Beep Beep BeDeep!"
"go 'way…"
"Beep Beep Be…KIM ANSWER THE GODDAMN KIMMUNICATOR! GET THE FUCK UP!"
18 year old Kim Possible sprang out of her bed and grabbed the unit.
"WHAT? … What's the sitch Wade?" she growled. 'I'D LIKE TO GET SOME SLEEP FOR A CHANGE! Now that Drakken's dead and Shego's in custody, I should've been able to get some rest. It's a shame about Rufus though…'
"You need to get dressed… there's been an explosion at Roxxon's Azores drilling platform… You should wear… the Suit…" Wade said, "Sorry about the cursing… I thought you'd like to get there 1st… Col. Fury has a ride enroute… Ron's on board with the Lotus Blade…"
"The SAME platform…"
"That Slim's on… yeah… uh I'm getting strange energy readings from the area… I'll keep you posted… Wade out."
"…" 'SHIT!' Kim got dressed and told her family the news before she rushed out the door.
---
30 minutes later…
A power suited Kim and Ron sat inside a multi-purpose Harpy jumpjet waiting with SHIELD's 10 man Special Rescue team. They passed the time by checking their gear.
'Damnit… I begged Unc' not to take this job… Fury said Roxxon's crooked as hell… but no one's been able to pin anything on them…' Kim thought. "SHIT!"
A gentle hand clasped her shoulder.
"Calm down KP… we'll do everything we can to help Slim and the other guys on that rig… Remember… We've got to keep our Heads In The Game." Ron said to her.
Kim took Ron's hand and squeezed it…
"Sorry Ron…" she patted the seat next to her; Ron sat down and let her lean on him.
"I know how you feel… We'll find out what happened… I hope he's ok too." He said as he looked into her eyes and hugged her.
'I NEED to TELL him…' she mused.
"KP, you ok?"
"Yeah. You're right Ron. Head In The Game." 'Dammit!'
---
Earlier…
1-8-2003
177A
Bleecker Street
Greenwich Village
New York, NY
The Home
of
Dr. Stephen Strange, MD, ThD
Master of the Mystic Arts
0400
hrs
"!" Dr. Strange had awakened…
"Mhhh… Stephen?"
"Go back to sleep Clea… I won't be long." Strange said as he tucked her in, 'I hope…'
Strange grabbed a robe, walked up the hall, entered his Sanctum Sanctorum, walked into the Chamber Of Shadows, and stood before the Orb of Agamotto…
"By The Power Of The Vishanti Show Me What Has Happened!"
The Orb's housing opened… The Orb floated free to show…
The explosion on the Roxxon platform…
Something cloaked in Darkness walking and slithering through the corridors of the platform… devouring ALL it touched…
The entity turned it's 'head' towards Strange and clouded his view of the platform…
"!" "Show Me Who Will Reach The Area First…" The Orb focused on a Harpy jumpjet… Pierced the wall… and revealed Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable!
Strange formed a mudra with his right hand, dressed himself with a spell, and focused…
---
'Ron Stoppable…'
"Huh?" Ron.
"What?" Kim.
"Did you say something KP?"
"No."
'His defenses are TOO strong. I'll have to astrally project…'
"…"
"!"
Dr. Strange appeared before a startled Kim, Ron, and their equally stunned team.
"Beware Ron Stoppable… There is GREAT danger ahead… I am Dr. Strange…"
"Coolio! You're real!" Ron.
Kim whipped out her Kimmunicator.
"Wade! You won't believe…"
"Dr. Strange just appeared to you guys… It's cool… he's a fan. BTW, whatever he says take it as gospel."
"How?"
"I put some experimental sensors in the Kimmunicator… old Soviet Kirlian tech… glad to see it works. Look inside your backpack."
Kim reached inside her pack and found two pairs of goggles.
"What're these?"
"Those goggles should let you see bioplasmic fields emitted by lifeforms or other things … they're based on the same tech as the new sensors in your Kimmunicator."
"AHEMM!"
"Uh… Sorry sir…" Sheepish Kim. "Please continue."
"Something is walking the halls of Roxxon's Azores platform, Ms Possible… be on your guard. Ron Stoppable!"
"Yes Sir?"
"The ONLY thing standing between your team and the evil that walks there is YOU and the Lotus Blade… I'm sending help your way by mystical means… It should be there when you arrive."
"I'll do my best Sir."
"May The Vishanti Protect You All!"
And with that he disappeared…
---
1-8-2003
The
El Diablo Bar
The City of Ponta Delgada
São Miguel
Island
The Azores
0515 hrs
Dr. Strange walked through a mystic portal, conjured a disguise, and walked into the bar before him.
He looked around until he found the one he sought… and sat in front of him…
"What the HELL do YOU want?" the man growled as he nursed his beer.
"Someone you respect needs YOUR help… something's been… released…"
"So? Get the Defenders to handle it… they're YOUR team…"
"Time's Short… Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable need your help…"
"WHAT?"
"I'm sorry my friend…" Strange made a mystic pass… and the man was gone.
'I'll do what I can…' Strange said.
---
1-8-2003
Roxxon
Oil's
North Atlantic Research Facility
The Azores, 900 miles
west
of Portugal
The Landing Pad
0518 hrs
Kim and Ron cautiously exited the Harpy, turned on their goggles and recorders, checked the area, and gave the all clear to their team.
"What's our next move?" Ron linked to Kim.
"#'s 1 to 5 you're with me and Ron… the rest of you hold our position… Let's go!"
They crept down into the bowels of the rig, armed their MP5's, and turned on their LED shoulder lights…
And found the floor was littered with slime and broken shards of glass!
Ron drew the Lotus Blade, tapped Kim on her shoulder, and pointed upwards.
All of the lights had been shattered…
"!" Kim.
Eventually they made it to the lab floor and came to a junction…
"Ok people split up! 1 & 2 take the left hall, 3 & 4 take the right, #5 you're with us."
"Copy." They said.
"Oh and Stay Frosty guys."
"You too Ma'am."
So began the search for survivors.
---
The thing that had been released from its prison schemed and watched as Kim and her team searched the facility… and came to a decision…
"!" Part of its being was rebelling as it moved towards #3 and 4…
'I SHALL do this… your kind are crumbs to me…' "Klank!" went a piece of debris as the entity brushed against it.
"Did you hear that?" #4. "Yeah." #3. "#3 to Diva."
"Go ahead." Kim.
"We have a Contact… Something's down here with us… We're going ahead…"
"What kind of contact?"
"Something moved a hunk of debris… hold on… We've got something… I'm sending you a vfeed now." #3 said as he piped a signal into teammates goggles as he came upon a severed arm… poked it… and watched it turn to DUST!
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT… Ma'am something slithered around the corner… I THOUGHT IT WAS A SHADOW… BUT…" #4.
"ALL TEAMS, PULL BACK! I REPEAT PULL BACK! NOW PEOPLE!" Kim roared over the link as she, Ron, and #5 moved backwards from a shadow that had taken on shape and definition 20' up the hall and was slithering towards them.
"AAGGHHH …" 1 and 2.
A dark blur RUSHED towards 3 and 4… and they were gone.
"Diva to 1 or 2… 3… 4? Answer me DAMNIT!" 'They didn't even get a chance to scream!'
No response.
While Kim was trying to contact her team the shadow in front of them started to slither towards them at a rapid pace… then it stopped!
Ron jumped in front of Kim and sliced at the shadow with the Lotus Blade. The shadow JUMPED back 10' and held its position.
Team Possible went back to back, slowly retreated and prayed for a miracle… Only to find out they were surrounded by Shadows when they got to the Lab entrance.
'We're in it now!' they thought as the Shadows rose from the floor and lurched towards them.
One of the Shadows… the same one that they had run across… ATTACKED the others…
A flare landed at their feet and drove the Shadows back further giving Team Possible an opening…
"Hurry up! We AIN'T got all night… Those wraiths WON'T wait forever!" a rough voice growled from 40' up the hall, "Pick up the damn flare and come on!"
Ron grabbed the flare with his left and parried at the Shadows with the Lotus Blade in his right, while Kim and #5 ran towards a HUGE figure in a trench coat.
"HA! I gotcha now!" Ron said as he stood his ground, 'C'mon Kim…'
"Ron! STOP PLAYING AROUND AND GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"
"Get to the pad… I've set charges throughout the rig… Don't worry about your boyfriend, I'll get him." The man told Kim as he ran down the hall towards Ron and drew out a mystic seal.
"But…" Kim. 'BOYFRIEND!'
"C'mon! Let's go!" #5 said as he threw Kim over his shoulder and RAN towards the pad.
---
As Kim and her teammate made their way towards the pad Ron stepped forward and lunged at the Shadows.
'Gotta Give 'em more time…' Ron.
"No! Kid DON'T!" The man roared as he realized what was coming.
The Shadows merged together and FLOWED over the Lotus Blade and Ron's right arm!
"." PAIN… then unconsciousness.
---
1-9-2003
Condor
1/SHIELD Helicarrier flagship
In hover mode over
London,
England
The Infirmary
0630 hrs
"Beep, Beep, Beep…"
"OHHH… MMMM…" 'Hurts SO bad I've GOTTA be alive… KP!'
18 year old Ron Stoppable had returned to the world of the living… and found himself covered in bandages!
"Don't worry kid… the docs told me you'll be ok…" a rough voice said. "Kim's ok… she's right here… sleeping on your left… You got dinged up pretty bad… they put a nerve induction unit on the base of your skull so you can't feel anything…"
"…"
"That was the damndest thing I've seen in a while… I've only met a FEW people that are willing to do what you did back there for your pals… and that blade of yours… it BURNED those wraiths off you…"
"Who are… you?" Ron grunted through the bandages on his face.
"Oh… sorry about that kid…" a face hove into view…
Ron's eyes got big as saucers… and a SMILE formed on his face. "Coolio! You're…"
"Hellboy… at your service."
---
Later that day after Kim and Hellboy were escorted out of his room and taken to the Pentagon to be debriefed for an undetermined time about the incident; Ron was visited by several Docs from SHIELD's EXTECH OP division…
And found out…
He had lost his right hand…
95 percent of his skin…
And had a 'strange' prosthesis attached to the stump where his hand had been…
The surgeons said that it seemed to be made of living metal and had merged with the flesh of his arm!
The Good news was that they were able to replace his skin with an ultra-Kevlar prosthesis that would repair itself when damaged and looked like his original skin…
Except for his right arm…
---
3 weeks later…
Kim finally was 'released' from the Pentagon…
She had been placed before a tribunal and faced with a court-martial…
Until Fury, Hellboy, and the B.P.R.D. came to her defense…
She HAD kept her Special Agent status… but she was Fury's TOTAL responsibility…
Hellboy had been released because they NEEDED him.
She hurried towards his quarters.
'I'm gonna kick his ass for ignoring my emails!'
Entered…
And found he was gone!
Kim slumped against the wall and cried.
"What's goin' on?" Fury asked as he walked in and gave Kim a handkerchief.
"Uh… nothing sir…" she sobbed.
"He gave us the slip… Shego too… but hers was legal… She's workin' fer Bruttenholm… Some B.P.R.D. crap… Sorry kid." Nick said as he took her to her quarters. "I'll keep an eye out… If I hear anything, I'll let you know."
"Thanks."
End Part I