Author' Note: This one's not going to be very long. It's just meant to show the reactions of the people who are most important to Ron. Please Rate and Review.
FYI: Minor Rewrite so that the situation is clearer.
Disclaimer: Kim Possible is owned by Disney Channel.
Proving Ground- As Luck Would Have It
By EnigmaticPseudonym
Chapter 4- The People Around You
"Yeah mom, I'm fine...
"I'm coming home, GCU allowed me to take a break...
"It's alright, I just need sometime to think about what just happened...
She wiped her eyes with an already soaked handkerchief. "We'll miss him, we'll all miss him. I'll see you later mom."
The JT-05 "Serenity" rolled to a smooth stop at Middleton Airport. Serenity was the most advanced commercial airliner in the air, and it only cost three-quarters of the price of its counterparts. Originally designed as a scout for the Air Force, the plane's powerful engines were almost inaudible. Its two engines were built in to the air frame and barely made a noise as they began their shutdown sequence. Serenity looked like a cross between a tear drop and an arrow; a design its two creators believed would allow it to cut through the air faster. The on-board speakers buzzed to life, closely followed by the LCD screens attached to the backs of every seat.
"This is Captain Lee. We have arrived in Middleton, Colorado. The local time is nine p.m. Don't forget your umbrellas; the city is currently experiencing heavy rainfall. Thank you for flying Mercury Airlines, and have a nice day!"
Rain unceasingly pelted the Serenity; the tiny droplets punching her fuselage with all the might that they could muster. Blades of grass bowed in response to the sweeping wind, praying for the storm to stop. Streaks of lightning commanded attention as they blazed across the sky. The storm seemed to be amplified by the emotions of a single passenger on the Serenity.
Kim Possible unlocked her seat belt and gathered her belongings: her worn out 'mission' backpack and a lettered jacket from Go City University. Kim departed immediately without changing out of her senior-class mission outfit. She left her first class seat and headed for the exit closest to the cockpit. Even though she felt safe in a plane her brothers designed, the faster she got home, the better. All along the way, passengers and crew members alike thanked her for her actions in Heaven's Gate; it took all her strength to maintain a smile. She was just about to exit the plane when Captain Lee called to her from the cockpit.
"Excuse me! Miss Possible! Can you please enter the cockpit?"
Startled, Kim turned 180 degrees on her heels and waltzed into the cockpit. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the low light.
Captain Lee left his seat and walked up to the heroine. "Miss Possible, thank you so much for saving my daughter!" He shook her hands vigorously.
"No big," she said kindly. "It's my job. Thanks for the seat in first class, Mr. Lee."
"No, no. Don't worry about it! You saved the families of most of the crew! Oh, and by the way, where's your boyfriend? Ron Stoppable?"
Tears began to collect above her lower eyelid. It became harder to breathe and speak. "He's…not here right now."
"Well, tell him that I owe him, too. Okay?"
The air in the room suddenly got heavier. "Please excuse me," Kim said as she ran out of the cockpit. The pilot stood there scratching his head.
It didn't take long for Kim's ride to pick her up from the airport; due to the bad weather, the police cruiser ended up five minutes early. She pressed two buttons on her watch simultaneously, bringing up a holographic image of Wade. The device showed him sitting in a swivel chair; his computers weren't included in the image.
The African-American teen smiled warmly at her. "Hey Kim, how are you doing?"
"I'm kinda shaken, but I'll manage," she replied. Wade could see she was agitated and immediately remembered her request.
"I've searched everywhere for any information regarding Ron. And… I found nothing. News reports, witness reports…anything. Even the military's records showed nothing. Either they have a report on him in paper or on a network that isn't connected to any outside network, or he just completely disappeared."
A pang of sorrow hit Kim like a brick wall. She quickly wiped away a tear before it could run down her cheek. She smiled at Wade, trying to hide her true emotions. "Thanks Wade. Thanks for everything that you've ever done. Oh, and thank the Tweebs for the plane."
"No problem, Kim. That's what friends do. I'll make sure your brothers hear a compliment from the 'Dragon Lady' of Middleton." He turned away from Kim and he seemingly faced the window. "Ron was the best. That day he tried to hook me up with Monique was the most fun I'd ever had- even though I crashed and burned. I'm going to miss him, too. See you later Kim."
"We're all going to miss Ron. Wade, you still rock."
Wade smiled at his university-junior friend. "I know. Wade out."
Kim watched Middleton's houses and cars go by. She had memorized the layout of her suburb by heart as a child. (After all, what could two bored second-graders do?) Every rock, every tree, and every street reminded her of Ron. Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she looked down and saw the shivering pink body of Rufus.
"C-c-cold!" the little naked mole rat stuttered.
"Oh, sorry Rufus," Kim said. "Hop in my arms." Rufus happily obliged and curled up in Kim's warm embrace.
"Ron… Gone?"
Kim hugged Rufus tighter as tears began to fall again. "Yes. He's never coming back."
"Who take care of me?"
"I will. From now on, you're staying in my room. We'll move your stuff over."
Rufus looked up at his weeping female human. He felt her pain; it was hard to lose a friend. Ron was about to give her a present that looked like a shiny cheese ring before he… disappeared. Rufus made a pact with himself: he would never leave his female friend's side. He owed his former master, his former friend, that much. His first goal was to cheer her up.
"Cheer up! Ron wouldn't like it," he said as he climbed up her shirt and stood on her shoulder.
Kim took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her eyes dry. "You're right, Rufus," she said as she smiled at her tiny friend. "We can't have that, can we?"
"We must be happy. We owe it to Ron."
She hugged the tiny figure on her shoulder; he was her only link to Ron. "I'll take good care of you. I'm not feeding you any more gift card microchips." Last time she did that, Kim was thrust into combat with Monkey Fist, Duff Killigan, and Shego— all at the same time.
"Ick! Nasty!"
Kim laughed at the cringing reaction Rufus made. She tapped Officer Harvey's shoulder. The middle-aged police officer stopped the car and faced away from the wind shield.
The Louisiana-born police officer began, "Is there something you want, Miss Possible?"
"Yes, Officer. Take the road on the right."
"Towards Mr. Stoppable's house?"
Kim beckoned for Rufus to hop back down into her arms. She turned and faced the police officer with a genuine smile. "Yes, sir. Toward Ron's house."
To Be Continued…
FYI: The word 'Dragon Lady' is from my top favorite story, "Nachoboy and the Dragon Lady," by MrDrP.
Author's Note: Now that it's finished, I can go back to Ron. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
