Chapter 4

When Kim returned to school on Monday morning, she was met by Monique at the edge of the parking lot. The attractive African-American girl walked up to her the moment she got out of her car.

"Hey, Kim. How was the weekend?"

"Hi, Monique." Kim considered her answer as she extracted her backpack. "By weekend, do you mean the mission?"

"Mostly. How did the new clothes hold up in action?"

"Oh, they worked very nicely. Shego liked them, especially on me." Kim looked around to make absolutely certain they weren't being overheard. "I think she would have liked them on her bedroom floor, too."

"So, things went as planned, then." Oddly, Monique didn't sound very excited for her. She couldn't be jealous, could she? A strange thrill went through Kim at the thought. She took a moment to compose herself.

"Well, it was a bit of good news, a bit of bad news. She said she didn't mean everything she said to me when she ended things, but she's not interested in a relationship."

"Well, a relationship with someone like her would be a majorly bad idea. You know that, right?"

"I guess... she said she wouldn't mind occasional, uh, fun, if that was all it was."

"Do you think you could live with that kind of an arrangement?"

"She is so incredibly hot, Monique."

"That's not an answer. Is that enough?"

"I... don't know. But I'm only eighteen—well, practically eighteen. The point is, I have time to live a little before I settle down, right?"

"I think you are trying to justify making a bad call. She's not a healthy crush, girl. I'm pretty sure she's also the reason for that shiner you're trying to hide."

Kim decided it was time to change the subject. "Oh, thanks again for helping me with the outfit."

"As you say: 'no big'. You know I'm always down for helping my BFF. I just wish you'd have let me design it, too. I was dying to get a crack at it. I have a stack of sketches in my room."

"I know. I'm sorry, Monique, but I just felt like I needed a more experienced designer. Next time I update my look I'll talk to you first."

"You'd better. So, who'd you got to do it? I've been racking my brain for a while now, but I just don't recognize the style. Was it anyone famous?"

"Uh, they have some, uh, notoriety, I guess."

"Talk to me, girl. Fashion is my thing. I'm not just a glorified seamstress."

"Well, I guess you do deserve to know." Kim fell silent for a while. She tried to cover for her hesitation by holding the door open for Monique.

"Hello? Kim?"

"It was the Fashionistas." Kim couldn't help looking a little guilty.

"The Fashionistas. Who we put in jail."

"Them. I visited them in prison."

"How did you even get them to cooperate? I don't think they like you much."

"Well, they were intrigued by the challenge of designing my new mission clothes."

"You're deflecting. What did they want?"

Kim looked sheepish. "They wanted me to break them in by breaking them out."

"What? You have got to be kidding me, Kim."

"I bargained it down from there! I put in a good word with the authorities, negotiated some concessions from the warden."

Monique was silent for a while. "Why them, Kim?"

"Uh, they were the first designers I thought of that I had access to."

"As opposed to me? No, I think you went to them because they're criminals, so that you could strike a pose for Shego and go: 'Oh, it's no big, just a little something my pals in prison threw together for me.' She told you schoolgirls don't hold her interest, so you are trying to be a grown up wild girl for her."

"It's not like that, Monique." Kim didn't expect Monique to actually believe her, as she'd never been a very good liar.


They walked the rest of the way to the lockers in silence. Monique was annoyed with Kim, Kim was embarrassed, and there were too many people around for a candid discussion, anyway. They reached Kim's locker, and the moment she opened it, Wade's visage appeared on the monitor built into it.

"Morning, Kim."

"Morning, Wade. What's up?"

"Bad news, I'm afraid. Adrena Lynn escaped from prison over the weekend."

"Already? How did they mess up this fast? I told them how to deal with her powers."

"I'm not sure what exactly happened, all the cameras were down for the escape, but... eyewitness reports suggest Hego was involved."

"Isn't he a hero?" Monique looked confused.

"Yes he is." Kim grimaced. "I think I know what happened. Hego heard about Lynn's glow, and came to visit her. He probably tried to recruit her, since he feels his family was given the glow to fight the good fight. Adrena spun some sob-story that got him to lower his guard enough for her to control him."

"Maybe. Like I said, the cameras were down, but there is a great big hole in the side of Lynn's cell. Is Hego strong enough to do that?"

"Oh, yeah. I had that glow for a while. When I turned it on, it felt like the world was made of cardboard. Him under Adrena's control is bad news."

"Do you think she's going to come after you again?"

"I don't think there's any doubt about it. With Hego at her call... I need to warn my family."

"I'll do that, Kim."

"Thanks, Wade. And try to locate Adrena as fast as you can, please and thank you."

"I'll get right on it." Wade disconnected without a goodbye, his face serious.

"You seem really worried, Kim. I thought you said she wasn't much of a threat."

"Not to me, not by herself. But she can control most everybody else, and with Hego she has some serious muscle." Kim extracted the books for her first class on autopilot, lost in thought. She turned back to Monique. "I don't think Adrena knows you. You'd better keep some distance until I get this handled."

"It's sweet that you're worried, but I don't abandon my friends."

"I appreciate that, but this is something I'm equipped to handle, and Adrena's power means instant hostages—or minions."

"That danger thing again, huh?"

"Yes. Please, stay out of the line of fire."

"Okay, Kim, if you insist. No hanging out until the crazy girl is back behind bars. But we still have some classes together, you know."

"That's all right, but if a big man dressed in blue comes through the wall, you don't know me." Kim glanced at the clock on the wall. "Speaking of classes, we need to hurry or we'll be tardy."


Kim and Monique rushed for the class they shared, but they hadn't needed to hurry. Minutes passed with no teacher in sight. Monique pulled her chair next to Kim's desk.

"So, this thing with Lynn sidetracked our discussion. What are you going to do about the you-know-who?"

"Monique, I don't want to talk about that in class," Kim hissed.

"Eh, everybody's busy with their own affairs, they aren't going to eavesdrop." Monique still lowered her voice and leaned closer.

"I don't know, Monique. What do you think I should do?"

"Are you really asking me?"

"I just did, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but are you seriously going to listen to what I have to say?"

"I need some advice, and you're the only one I trust with this."

"I think you should forget her."

"That's not going to be easy."

"She was that good, huh?"

"Yeah." A foolish smile graced Kim's face for a moment. "And there's the fact that I will keep running into her."

"But that's work, right? Didn't you agree to keep that separate?"

"Well, it's not always that simple." A thought occurred to Kim. "I really need to contact her about the jailbreak. She might want to be involved. She was a big help the last time."

"I think it's you who wants to be involved. This isn't just an excuse to get close to her again, is it?"

"No!" Kim looked around, but no one seemed to have paid any attention to her little outburst. She lowered her voice again. "She has a grudge against Adrena, and even though she claims she doesn't like her brother, I doubt she wants to leave him as Adrena's puppet."

"I guess that makes sense. You don't have ulterior motives?"

"Well... it would give me an opportunity to spend some more time with her, maybe make her see what I have to offer."

"No, bad Kim. There's only one thing she wants from you, so unless you want to be her occasional chew toy, I suggest you keep things professional."

"I know you're right, Monique, but I just..."

Kim sighed. Acting clingy probably wouldn't convince Shego that she wasn't trying to pursue a schoolgirl crush. The smart thing to do would be to do as Monique suggested, and put the fling behind her. Even if she wanted to continue it on a purely physical basis, acting cool was probably a good move.

"You are right. I will keep my distance. From now on, I'll only interact with Shego on missions, and there won't be any fraternization."

"I'm proud of you, Kim. That's the..." Monique was cut off as the door opened and Mr. Barkin walked in. The students scrambled to return to their seats. Mr. Barkin might or might not be fair, but he was certainly tough.

"All right, listen up, people. Miss Carlson has been involved in an accident, and will be unable to teach this class for the time being."

"Oh, man, will you be taking over this class, too?"

"No talking out of turn, Brown. No, I will not be teaching this class. Miss Carlson gave us very little notice, but we have managed to arrange a substitute teacher for you. May I present: Miss Go."

Shego walked into the classroom with a friendly smile, dressed in a conservative jacket and a short skirt, her normally loose hair contained by a hair band. Flabbergasted Kim turned to look at Monique, who looked back at her, equally bewildered, her mouth also hanging open.