Altered realities.

Kim dove under the gigantic stone gorilla, all along her mind running at high speed.

Who was this person who looked like her, to say noghitn of the giant gorilla, and all those other weirdo's. What had she done to them? Ron's panicked screaming was a refrain in her ears, as the older version spun around to avoid a crushing blow.

Kim did the same thing, but then, her foot caught on a rough place on the floor where the Gorilla had smashed his weapon down before, and she slipped…

Directly into the path of the stone club.

Kim felt a tremendous impact, and then agony in her back, agony so terrible that she couldn't even scream. The gorilla reared back to take another blow, but suddenly it shimmered and vanished. She looked over to the older version of her, but the older teens looked shocked, then horrified…and then with same odd shimmer, they and the other guys vanished.

Leaving the crumpled form of Kim in the middle of the vault.

Andrea moved into the hospital room faster than she ever had before. Her husband and her were enjoying a nice dinner, when all of a sudden they were plunged into a nightmare. The news that their daughter had been badly hurt in some kind of accident, was bad enough, but when she'd gotten into the hospital, things got worse.

"It looks like she was hit by a car… right after leaving the estate where she'd been called into help for something or other." The surgeon said. Andrea didn't quite understand—the report was very vague in many respects, but that just didn't seem important right now. She looked in at her child. Kim was laying in the bed, several tubes down her nose and mouth, hooked up to the CCU monitoring equipment.

"We managed to get her stabilized, but she's suffered a severe fracture to the lower pelvis…and…" The surgeon sighed, "This, Andrea." She closed her eyes after looking at the sheet.

"Massive fracturing of the lower spine and…"

"We checked twice, the spinal cord has been severed." He shrugged, "We can't do any tests until she wakes up…. But…" Andrea nodded. They didn't need to do any tests.

Kim would be paralyzed from the waist down, for certain. She moaned.

"And she was so…so happy today about her chance to try out for the cheer squad." She shook her head, and laid a hand gently on Kim's cheek.

"How…how is she?" Ron asked. Andrea looked down at the boy. Her husband was with Kim right now, but Ron was waiting for his parents who had been out of town. He'd been crying.

"She's resting, Ron." Andrea said, "But she's been seriously injured… are you okay?"

"Yes… I came out of the mansion and Kim was walking and then this car hit her and just…" He shook his head, "It's all so vague…"

Just like the police report. Andrea thought.

"If I'd only been faster… I could have helped her, I could have." He said, sniffing, which 12 year olds hated to do. Andrea sat down besides him.

"Ron…Ronald." She said, getting his attention. "You're my daughter's closest friend, and you would have done anything to help her. But sometimes, things just don't work out. Don't try and replay the past…" She took a breath and wiped her eyes, "Because I need you to help me with something else."

"Anything…" She smiled, blinking rapidly.

"Kim was…hurt very badly…and we think she may never walk again…her spine…"

"Oh no…"

"Yes…and she's going to need help. A lot of help, from us…and you, because you're her age. It may be hard…"

"I don't care." Ron said, and suddenly a trace of iron entered his voice, "I'm not going to let her be hurt again." Andrea hugged him.

"I know, Ron." She said, "And I know that Kim is very lucky to have a friend like you".

End Prologue.