Chapter 1: Deceiving Appearances

"So Kim, what exactly is this place again?"

"I already told you, Sean, it's not on the map!"

It was late in the morning and already Kim was frustrated. She and her new sidekick were parachuting themselves onto a remote island codenamed "Area 46". It couldn't be located on any map, but thanks to some of Wade's satellite photos, it was revealed to be in the middle of the Atlantic. At first Kim thought the Señors had bought another island and was causing problems again, but instead it was the rumored site of an underground weapons facility, known as "Second Earth". It was given that name because the underground was miles wider than the island itself, which was no leaf in the pond. It sounded like another one of Drakken's lairs, if not for the reason of the hit on Kim's website.

Earlier that morning, Wade informed Kim of the hit, saying that many people working there suddenly went missing. However, the video was too dark to reveal a face, and there was nothing to prove it. There were no records of the place, other than what the person who called revealed. But Wade successfully tracked where the call originated from. So, even with their suspicions, Kim and her sidekick went in to investigate.

Kim released her parachute early as she usually did, and she was used to the sight of Sean having a hard time releasing his. This was the fifth time he had gone on a mission with her, and he got himself tangled on a tree near the shore. After helping him get out of it, Kim used the radar on her Kimmunicator to look for some kind of hidden entrance that led to the underground. Not to her amusement, the switch was under a small rock. Much less to her amusement, the entrance was in the mouth of a giant tiki statue that seemed out of place, the only one on the island.

Upon entering the underground, it was no wonder that people might have gone missing. Second Earth was a pitch black dark and desolate underground maze with endless tunnels. There was no light, so Kim reached for her flashlight, only for Sean to take it from her and go on ahead. Fortunately for her, the Kimmunicator had its own flashlight for her to use. But because they were deep underground, Wade couldn't use his satellites to help the two with where they were going, or with a map of any kind, although Kim and Sean's steps were being traced for backtracking.

"Anything, Kim?"

"No, Sean."

Sean Hanteren, Kim's new sidekick. Lately, she had been regretting giving him the position, but she really needed some help. Unfortunately, in the last four missions he's been anything but.

"Anything yet?"

"No."

Things haven't been going well for Kim ever since college started, and her separation with Ron only made matters worse. Kim couldn't exactly figure out how the last part had happened, and not only did it put her under a lot of stress, but it was also the key to causing a landslide in her reputation. Without Ron's help or support, she had a hard time against all of her usual villains and school. There wasn't a day that she didn't think about him, and it affected her performance in combat and her academic performance in college.

That was how she met Sean. He was a fellow classmate in her advanced physics class and sat next to her at the beginning of the recent fall semester. Kim was already struggling because she just couldn't focus in the class. She might have been a straight-A student back in high school, but living without Ron was like living in a different world for her, add to the fact that she was living away from home. It wasn't the only reason she was struggling in the class, though. The professor was worse than all generations of Barkin. If you didn't agree with what he said, he would fail you, no questions asked. And Kim found that she knew more than her professors at times.

For Sean, the course was cake and he offered to help Kim out. To him, it was a painful sight to see a pretty young girl like Kim depressed in class everyday, and he was aware of her separation with Ron. He offered to be Kim's study partner to help her out to take her mind off things. She was so embarrassed that it was so obvious she was struggling with everything, from saving the world to school, but she accepted the offer. She didn't mind help, though she had an odd feeling about him.

The final was announced halfway through the semester, and she had to go to his place to study. However, Sean wasn't home, leaving a note on the door saying that he went out to get a pizza. The day had been hot, but the clouds moved in after the sun had set, and it was already snowing when Kim saw the note. She wasn't going to wait a few minutes outside, not when she forgot her sweatshirt. So after actually waiting a few minutes, she swallowed her pride and snuck inside his apartment. She was in shock to see that his bedroom was filled with all kinds of weapons from guns to swords. They weren't there for decoration. But just as she checked the clip for one of his assault rifles, which was fully loaded, Sean came back. Kim was embarrassed, trying to make up an excuse why she snuck into his apartment, but he was just as embarrassed with trying to explain why his apartment was filled with loaded guns and sharpened swords.

Over pizza, Sean explained that he was actually a huge fan of Kim's work, which explained the posters of various teen heroes around the apartment. Most were of lesser-known heroes, some who turned bad, but Kim was familiar with all of them and their work. Sean successfully convinced Kim that he wanted to get into the business himself, after showing her a video of some of her best battles caught on tape. After the two had studied for class, he told Kim that he knew of her desperate need of help since Ron left. He said he really wanted to help her out, and after some thought, Kim accepted, but warned him that this was only temporary.

"Anything?"

"No."

Kim thought it might have been a good idea at first, but Sean couldn't do anything other than operate a weapon. He was academically skilled, but he lacked everything else needed for survival. He was serious in school, but on missions he revealed his immature side which Kim quickly disliked. Speaking of dislikes, Sean didn't get along with Wade, especially in telling Kim's 13-year old operator that he needed to get a life and look for some girls. Wade didn't take to this so-called advice well. He couldn't be happier knowing that Kim's partnership with Sean was anything but permanent.

"Kim?"

"Yeah?" she asked with an annoyed tone.

"Be right back. Pee break."

Kim cleared her throat. "Thanks for the information, Sean!" she sarcastically cried as she let out a sigh. "Gross."

Sean ran off into the darkness, leaving Kim all alone. He might have been a pretty boy, tall, dark and handsome, but Kim had no interest in him whatsoever. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the Kimmunicator started beeping. Since it was already in her hand, she answered it quickly, but there was nothing but static on the screen. It was like a TV channel with no signal.

"Wade, your signal's bad."

"Kim, be careful."

It wasn't Wade's voice. It's the voice of someone much older.

"Careful of what? Who are you?"

"Never mind about that. Listen, be weary of Sean. He isn't who you think he is."

"That might actually be a good thing considering how he's been on missions lately."

The unfamiliar sighed. "Kim, it's a trap. There are no missing people down here."

"What? How do you know this? Tell me who you are, at least."

"Believe me, you'd rather not know."

"No, I'm serious."

"Just heed my advice. Watch yourself."

The caller hung up. Kim couldn't help but think that he or she was in bad need of something to clear their throat. The word doesn't come as a surprise, though, as the thought of this place being a trap had come to mind some time back. Kim decided to call Wade about this, and it was much more noticeable that the signal is much better.

"Wade? I just-"

"I know. I heard." he answered. "The call's coming from right where you're at, but I can't pinpoint the exact location."

"Do you think he or she might be right?"

"Don't know. Still, keep an eye out. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"You and me both."

In a place like this, how can you not get a creepy feeling? If not for the flashlight on the Kimmunicator, Kim would have been lost. Suddenly, she heard the sound of running coming from nearby, accompanied by a fly zipping.

It was Sean. "Hey, sorry about that… What's wrong?"

"N… nothing." she answered.

He didn't even bother to listen, walking past her and waving the flashlight around trying to be cool, only to drop it.

An hour passed with no news, as Kim looked to one direction and Sean looked in the other.

"Sean, I could use more light."

No answer.

"Sean?"

Kim turned around expecting Sean to be there, only that he wasn't. Before she could get frustrated, assuming he got lost or went ahead, the flashlight on her Kimmunicator suddenly died. This only happens for one of two reasons: The batteries die, which never happens ever, or two, something was interfering with the signal. Even though the Kimmunicator was heavily upgraded in both appearance and technology, it was still prone to those. Suddenly, the light came on, but it flickered. She noticed another light approaching from her left.

"Kim!" It was Sean. "Kim? Gee, I thought I lost you. Why did you go ahead?"

"I didn't. I told you to stay behind me and focus the light behind me."

Sean just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care. He was a nice guy in college, but on a lot of missions lately he had been nothing but a jerk. Before Kim was ready to tell him this, his light focused on something that was white.

"Found something!" he yelled. He pointed his light on what appeared to be a transport train that led further underground.

Kim couldn't believe it. It was right next to her and she didn't even see it. She didn't know how she missed it.

"I don't think it's a good idea that we go-"

"We're going in," she said.

"Okay, great!" Sean suddenly said in a cheerful manner. Expecting a smile, he instead received a baffled, skeptical and annoyed look from Kim, noting his sudden change in opinion.

Without saying a word, Kim made her way inside the abandoned train and found the controls. The power unit was in the same area, and she restored power to it using the Kimmunicator. Finally, the two were in a place of light and had no further need for flashlights. Kim, familiar with operating trains, started it up and let it head toward its destination. It made several rusty noises as it started up, as if it hadn't been used in decades. She relaxed herself in the operator's seat, and Sean made himself comfortable behind her. The ride was a long one, without a change in scenery for the next half hour.

Kim quickly grew suspicious as she sensed Sean attempting to put a hand on her shoulder. She quickly shoved it away before it even touched her.

"Not now."

He was quiet, and to her that was a bad thing. She actually got a bit freaked out when he didn't open his big mouth.

"Kim?"

"What?"

"Why do you always reject me when I ask you on a date?"

Kim didn't even turn around to face him. "Haven't known you that long, and we've only been doing this hero thing for… not even a month," she quickly and dryly replied.

"Um, Kim, we've known each other for three."

"Not long enough for me."

"But Kim, we-"

This was probably the fifteenth time Sean's done this on a mission, and Kim couldn't take it anymore.

"Sean, how many times do I need to remind you that Ron and I never OFFICIALLY broke up in the first place? I've told you over again, Ron-"

He got up. "It's always Ron, Ron, Ron Ron RON!"

Out of nowhere, Kim found her head slammed through the glass windows of the front car before being pulled back and slammed into the floor. The car didn't shake or hit a bump, it was by force from a big hand grabbing her head. Appearing completely shocked of his actions, Sean took a few steps back until he was in the car behind him. A scared look on his face turned into an excited one.

"God, that felt good."

Suddenly, he fell back onto the steel floor from something striking his legs. Much to his surprise, Kim was far from unconscious, tripping him over as she got up.

"Sean! What on earth?" she demanded with clear fury in her voice.

Kim didn't even wait for an answer. As soon as Sean got up, she quickly charged at him and attacked him with everything she had. Unfortunately, Kim made a fatal mistake: Underestimating her opponent. Out of nowhere, Sean revealed that he was just as much as a fighter as Kim, and was able to defend himself using various CQC maneuvers, all of which knocked Kim off her feet. She refused to give up even though she was bleeding from the side of her head. All punches were shoved aside, except for one in which Sean caught her arm, tripped her, and kicked her in her back before she fell on it. Sean let out a maniacal laugh as he did this.

She wound up back at the controls. Kim was actually more in disbelief over the fact that Sean was actually better skilled in combat than he gave off, more over the fact that he just betrayed her. She went back on the offensive on Sean, but he was a fast one. She couldn't get through his defenses and wound up being knocked back into the controls yet again. Again, she wouldn't give up. Kim had a lot of training since high school graduation, but no matter how hard she tried to break through, he kicked her straight in the face and sent her back into the controls. He wanted her to keep her there.

Sean broke the vocal silence with another laugh as he reached into his utility belt.

Kim tried to get up. "Sean, why are you doing this? Who are you?"

He was quick to confess. "An assassin sent by Hard Police. I just wanted you to know this before I kill you."

Kim couldn't believe it. Hard Police was a sister company to Global Justice, and they sent an assassin after her? She tried to pick herself up to continue the fight, but not before being knocked back by an explosive that separated the two cars. Sean was on one, leaving Kim on the one with the controls. He had her trapped. As the debris cleared, not only did Kim find herself hurt, but Sean was too far away in the other car. It was too much for a jump. Kim tried to move but instantly felt an unbearable pain in her leg. Some kind of metal pipe flew into her leg from the explosion, letting out a painful cry as she pulled it out. Fortunately, it wasn't as deep as she thought it would be.

Sean only laughed at Kim's pain. "Oh, and to think I'm the one to finish off the legend herself! Kim! I'm going to give you one more chance: Go out with me and I'll consider sparing your life!"

Kim didn't bother to think twice. "As if! I probably would have considered if you didn't slam my head through a glass window!"

"Really?"

"NO!"

The traitor didn't take the rejection lightly, growling angrily at Kim's answer before he pulled a grenade out of his pocket. "Last chance…"

"No!"

Before Sean's fingers neared the pin, the trains had run over a large rock stuck on the rails. For Sean, it nearly knocked him off the car and the grenade out of his hand, but he was able to maintain his balance and keep the said weapon in his grip. Unfortunately for Kim, this forced her to fly against the brakes at full speed, head-first. She was barely conscious, and she knew she was losing it. Her vision and feeling was fading. She couldn't tell if she was hallucinating, but out of nowhere, she could hear footsteps as if someone was in front of her. She could see someone in a dark coat walk no less than two feet away from her. She couldn't turn her head upward to see who it was, but they weren't facing her. She could only make out the bottom of his coat and a pair of boots.

She could barely hear Sean's voice. "W… Y… You again? What are you doing here? This doesn't involve you! Stay out of this!"

She couldn't make out the voice of the person between her and Sean. "I saw her first…"

Sean quickly lost any patience he had, pulled the pin of the grenade and hurled it toward the one standing in the way. "GO TO HELL!"

Kim's vision completely blacked out, but her hearing didn't cease then. She only heard a few things before losing consciousness: The sound of metal clashing, a high-pitched scream, and an explosion.

A blinding light woke Kim up an hour later, along with the sound of her Kimmunicator beeping endlessly. As soon as Kim opened her eyes, she realized she was back on the shore of the island, but nowhere near where she originally landed. Having no idea what just happened, she reached out for the Kimmunicator, in which she also realized that her arm had been bandaged, along with every other wound on her body. Exhausted, she answered the beeping device.

"Kim? Kim? Are you okay?"

Her head dropped back into the sand. "I've been better…"

"Kim, I'm so sorry. I just found a deleted blog entry on Sean's myspace saying… well, now we know."

"I don't know how I missed it… Darn it… I'm sorry, Wade… I should've listened to you guys from day one…"

"Kim, never mind that, you're not out of trouble yet."

Kim let out an exasperated sigh. "Uh oh. Spill…"

"Sean called for backup about the time you got onto the train. Reinforcements are on their way to finish his job. You've gotta get off that island, pronto."

She still didn't know what happened or what was really going on, but she took Wade's word for it and slowly got onto her feet, despite irreparable sharp pains all over her body. She noticed upon further inspection of her bandages that they were all applied with care. They all had an odd smell coming from them that was neither disgusting nor pleasant. Kim was definitely going to hit the showers when she got back.

Then she remembered what she saw last on the train.

"Wade, someone just saved me from that freak. By any chance was it-"

"Ron? Sorry Kim, it wasn't. You won't believe this, but-"

"You found something on him?"

Wade sighed. "Negative… Never mind. Kim, the reinforcements are coming in from the east near Africa. In case you missed it, there's a civilized island a few hundred miles west of here. You should be able to get there with your rocket pack, and I've already got a plane to Upperton waiting for you there."

"Thanks Wade," Kim let out a sigh of relief, "I probably don't say this much anymore, but I really appreciate it."

Wade smiled, "Just doin' what I always have been."

He cut the communication, allowing Kim to slowly get up and take out her rocket pack. She popped her neck and checked her bandages before taking off.

Meanwhile, a few feet away on the island, someone in the shadows leaned against a tree. He was attending to his own injuries, eavesdropping on the conversation between Kim and Wade. He didn't appear surprised or amused to any of what he had just heard. If anything, it sounded like he expected everything word for word.

"I knew Hanteren was bad news… Heh… So sister companies of GJ's betrayed her… can't say I'm surprised of the turn of events…" He sighed as he tightened a bandage. "I told her this was bound to happen… but something isn't right about this…"

Pieces of bloody shrapnel were tossed aside as he placed bandages all over his body, taking all kinds of first-aid equipment out of his nearby coat. He finished, stretching his arms out, one arm popping, the other making all kinds of mechanical sounds. The island froze in silence after he was done.

"And here comes the cavalry."

Right on cue, the wind had picked up and the roars of helicopters could be heard approaching. He quickly picked up his equipment and hid himself between several bushes. He pulled out a pair of enhanced binoculars to get a better visual and to shield his eyes from the oncoming sandstorm from the helicopter blades, which came to a full stop about five minutes later. Five black suits came out, all with combed-back blond hair and sunshades. After the noise came to an end, he pulled out what appeared to be a directional microphone and a headset to listen in.

"Search the area for Commander Hanteren!" one of them yelled.

One conclusion was made based on that one order alone. "All teenagers. My, the teen hero and villain scene is expanding, isn't it?" It was the pitch of the voice that gave it away.

The stranger then realized all of them were running toward a particular area, and turned his focus there. They had found somebody, who was holding his right arm and limping from both legs. He was breathing heavily and painted red in various places on his body. None of his wounds had been attended to, but based on the way he walked, it was clear that miraculously he didn't suffer any fractured bones of any kind.

"Commander Hanteren! We got your message an-"

A loud slap was heard throughout the small island as Sean knocked one of the black suits down and spat on him.

"You IDIOTS! You're all late! She got away!"

"Sir, how is that po-"

He slapped another one down before letting out an enraged yell. "He interfered! That sonovab- sonov- Legion interfered! I had her right where I wanted her, and he interfered! He ruined everything!"

The overhearing stranger, this 'Legion', rolled his eyes with a smug look on his face. "You're welcome."

Sean growled more as he tried to stand up straight. He was pulling several pieces of shrapnel out of his arms and legs, all with painful grunts as the black suits went back into the helicopter and pulled out all kinds of first-aid equipment.

"He's no assassin…" the eavesdropper told himself, "and I don't think he's in on official orders…"

After Sean was ambushed and bandaged by his men, he got up. He looked to the air, noticing a smell. He sniffed and sucked in the air hard and loud. The eavesdropper in turn also sniffed for any kind of scent, and at the same time both found the source. It was a faint smoke trail. Sean appeared somewhat confused at the curve of the trail, knowing that smoke usually goes straight upward, and the area was anything but windy. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, and he not only sucked in the smoke from the cigarette, but the smoke from the trail.

The eavesdropper seemed somewhat disturbed with what he saw.

"It's from Kim's rocket pack." Sean confirmed.

The eavesdropper rolled his eyes. You didn't have to throw away five years of your life to figure that out.

Sean breathed in more smoke, appearing to be in thought. "Kim…"

One of the black suits approached him from behind. "Uh, sir, are you okay? You don't appear bothered by the fact that you're no closer to the reward money…"

Sean didn't respond, smoking his cigarette until there was no flavor. He then put it out on his shirt, revealing torn and busted body armor underneath it.

"I don't care about the reward money, Lest. No woman on earth has ever said no to Sean Hanteren. No girl says no to me… NO ONE!"

All of the suits took a few steps back by their leader's rage.

"Ready the helicopter!" Sean commanded.

"Sir, what next?"

"She already knows who I am and what my intentions are. It's best we don't make our move immediately. We'll return to HQ and report for now… for now…"

"But sir…" He stopped when he noticed Sean was about to backhand him. "Right away."

Ten minutes passed before the helicopter departed from the island, heading in another direction from Kim's smoke trail, which completely disappeared. The eavesdropper appeared to keep his ground, then walked toward the shore. He hid his jacket in some kind of backpack as he pulled out some scuba equipment and put it on.

"This should be more fun than I thought it would be…"

With that, he dove into the ocean water. Minutes later, a plane took off for Upperton.