Chapter 2. Pride.

Kim was sitting in the grass of a small hill on the outside of a city. The wind was playing softly with her beautiful red hair. She put her hand on hear hair and lead it away to have a clear view of what was in front of her. Her green eyes expressed a peaceful aura. She was looking at a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. It was a small building with nothing special about it, but she was observing it thoroughly, like expecting that something could happen at any moment. She, then, picked up the kimmunicator and pressed the talk button.

"Wade, are you there?"

"Kim? What are you doing, weren't you in the warehouse?"

"I'm just waiting for the biggest and most stupid trap ever to come to an end."

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

"Never mind that, you'll find out very soon. Can you contact the fire-fighters and give them my position?"

"Sure. Done, but, for what?"

The read head put the kimmunicator in the direction of the warehouse. Suddenly, a big explosion destroyed the building clearing all the doubts of the genius boy.

Wade was sweating, and his voice was shaking. He really looked worried. "Kim, was that a trap?"

"I think so, but I just can't call that thing a trap. It was lame, even for Drakken's standards."

Kim explained the trap to Wade. It was a clocked bomb that was activated by a motion sensor. The worst part it was regressive 5 minutes count that triggered the explosion. She only needed 30 seconds to leave the building, and she wasn't rushing.

Wade scratched his head trying to figured out what Drakken was thinking. "I just don't get it. First, they were so perfect on their bank's theft. Second, Shego messed up the last one. And, third, this trap. But, for what?"

"Maybe they where trying to distract us to, I don't know, another sweat-dinator or what-dinator thingy." Kim's voice gave away that she was being sarcastic. "Drakken has never made sense at all."

"That it is! Maybe he really has something big this time and he planned all this thing to really distract you."

"Wade, you're giving Drakken too much credit. Anyway, lets find out, I'll go to his old lair."

"Ok, I'll send you a ride, and I'm going to get you a back up."

"That wont be necessary, Wade, I can handle Drakken by myself."

"If you say so, take care."

With a small smile Kim gave Wade her usual way of being thankful. "Please and thank you."

Meanwhile, in Drakken's lair a dispute between Shego and Ron was being held. Ron mocked her for her constants failures to stop Kim Possible and she wasn't in the mood to tolerate that kind of offences.

Ron was being playful, dancing and moving like a little kid in a party. "Now, this time Kim will fall, not like when you, Greeny, fight against her. Ha ha ha."

A small vein was ready to explode in Shego's head. "Kim is more than you can handle little Wolfy, but I am more than anyone can handle."

"Yes, yes, what ever you said, sore loser. If that were true Drakken's plans wouldn't be a total failure."

"What did you said? Maybe Drakken's plans were ridiculous but he never hide behind an extremely ugly mask."

"I don't know why you are so angry for him."- And, I didn't say that his plans were ridiculous.- "You are only a hired help."

Those last words made Shego really angry. She put all her might in her hands and blasted Ron with the strength to blow a small tank. "Grrrraaaaaaa! Fire in the hole!"

The smoke started to fade out, small air-like waves surrounded Ron shielding him from the blast. Shego was shocked, not only her power was useless, but also Ron's hands glowed like hers.

"Do you like my new belt and gloves, Greeny? I made them myself." Ron smirked behind his mask. His voice was like a sarcastic demon trying to scare a little girl, and finding pleasure on her scared face. "You see, Greeny, I'm not as soft as Drakken. I don't mind to break two or three bones of a hired help to make my point. And, by the way, if I can nullify your power I can also imitated it!" Saying that, Ron shot behind her making a small explosion. "Sidekicks should know their place, right?"

Shego was sweating cold. She never, in her life, had been so scared like she was in that moment. Her voice was fading while she was trying to walk away from Ron. "I got it, ermm," she was trying to fake a smile, "I'm going to watch the monitors. And by the way, I love your mask. Just love it. He he he."

Ron found amusing the way Shego left. -Shego scared is cute, but the angry one is scary. Good that she left just with that. The shield use little energy, but the battery almost died out with just one shot. I don't think I can use her powers like she does without her innate powers, it's a shame.

Few hours later.

Drakken was revising the plan. He was happy because everything was going accordingly. He also received the news that Kim bit the bait. He was so immersed that he didn't sense that Shego approached him.

"Dr. D, we need to talk."

"Shego!" Drakken jumped. "How many times I need to tell you; don't be so ninja."

"Many times, but that is not important. We really need to get ride of the Wolf. "

"Shego, come on, we already talked about it, when the business we have with him end I'll fire him."

"But," Shego was trembling like a little girl trying to tell her dad that she saw a ghost, "he really is dangerous, and I, I."-I can't say it. I can't say that I was afraid of him. Not to Drakken, if he finds that I'm not that brave I don't know what he would do. He may fire me and I just don't want that. Breath and calm down.- "I think that he can betray us at any moment."

"Wow, that really has a nice ring on it, eh. Betray." Ron suddenly spoke out of the blue. "Sadly for you, Greeny, I just don't like to betray people."

Drakken jumped again. "Kya! Why everybody has to be sooo ninja! Where are we, in Japan?"

Ron. "Whatever, red-head is almost here."

"Just in time." Drakken smiled and with joy in his voice pushed the alarm button. "Come here, Kim Possible, we were just dying to meet you again."

Kim jumped from an air conduct. She was surprised that she was discovered so easily. Ron used this opportunity to slipped away quietly. He didn't want that Kim found about him right now, it was too soon.

Kim was seizing the situation. It did look like Drakken or Shego had something in their hands. Only the strange big tower that was behind Drakken. "Hi Drakken, in what new and not-so-intersting plan are you in now? Let me guess, a fart-generator?"

"Mock as much as you want Kim, this is the pulse-annihilator," Drakken proudly stated. "It emulate the vibrations of an earthquake and destroy all the buildings in the city I choose. And the best part, I can do it from here. Ha ha ha ha ha."

"That is a bad plan, you know? If you destroy the buildings when you conquer the world you'll need to rebuild them."

"Oh, Kim, I know that. Not that I care that much, I'm evil, you know. But I'll use it to hold captive cities all over the world and make them surrender. Ha ha ha ha."

"That's an unexpected twist." Kim said with a serious tone. "But, I only have to pass Shego and you to destroy your new toy, Drakken."

Drakken got near his console and, with a big smile, pressed a big round red button. "That, Kim, is your first mistake. I didn't make Shego steal all that money to build my pulse-annihilator, but to hire those, the Armoured Knights!"

From the floor lots of small door opened, and knights wearing full metal armours emerged. Kim was perplexed and realised that she took Drakken too lightly this time.

"You! It was a trap! But, how?"

"Kim, Kim, Kim, a good magician never reveal his tricks."

The knights were shooting their laser trying to take down Kim. She, as usual, was good enough to avoid being hit but, not enough to get closer and destroy the device. What made the things worse, the armours of the knights absorbed most of the impact of her kicks and punches, making them quite hard to KO. - What can I do now? If I had a partner he could distract the knights giving me the opportunity to destroy the machine. I know! I packed a small grappling bomb that I can use to destroy the device.

She took out form her backpack a glove-like rocket launcher. The missile had the form of a grappling hook. She run across the lair, avoiding the lasers and Shego. She threw some smoke bombs to divert the attention of the knights, and opening a window to shot the missile. Kim felt relived, the missile can't be stopped now, or that were her thoughts. A big blue barrier appeared and destroyed the missile leaving the machine intact.

Kim was impressed. "What?!" Her thoughts aimed to two things now; to flee or die trying to stop Drakken. She knew that the first option was the best, live to fight another day. But, she couldn't do that. Her pride halted her. She rushed straight into the mob kicking and punching. Her fist began to bleed and her knees to shake. She sensed Shego approaching. Kim stood up, and drew up her fighting stance. Even though Kim's efforts to defend herself, Shego landed a heavy kick on her chest sending her flying through the air. Drakken was laughing loudly.

"Ha ha ha ha, serve you right, Kim Possible."-I have to admit, that Smiling Wolfis quite impressive. He developed a nice plan.

Kim touched her chest to examine her bones to measured the damage received. -Damn, two, maybe three broken ribs. My fists are about to crumble and I don't feel my knees.- She observed fiercely how all the enemies were getting closer, surrounding her.

Shego raised her hand enveloped on her power. She stood in front of Kim proudly, like reclaiming a trophy. "Deliver the final blow is a pleasure that belongs to me only, princess."

Unexpectedly, the sound of explosions echoed in the lair. Fire and rocks fell from the ceiling, distracting everyone, even Shego, for a second. Kim took advantage of that instant to kick the hand of Shego and fled out of the reach of the knights. Several commandos came down from the roof dispatching, like an elite group, the knights. Most of the knights were defeated in the initial confusion while the leftovers were trying to control the situation with little success.

Maybe Draken wasn't the coldest strategist out there, but he knew that he didn't have the manpower to stop the sudden assault. "Shego, we are leaving NOW!"

"Coming." Shego fought her way out. "We are going to lose the deposit of this lair again."

"Don't say something that I already know, Shego, it was my favourite lair."

Just few minutes after, in a helicopter.

The common melody of a lair exploding filled the air, just to be obscured by the sound of the blades of the helicopter. A voice called the teen heroine. "Rest, Kim Possible, you're heavily injured."

Kim was restless, she was in an unknown aircraft with a group of soldiers that defeated Drakken in a blink of an eye. "Who are you?"

One of the commandos gave Kim a compact TV, similar to her Kimmunicator. A woman showed on the screen. "They are the elite force of Global Justice, Kim Possible."

"Dr Betty Director? But, how you knew that I was there?"

"It was a personal request of your friend, Wade. He told us to help you."

"And I'm really grateful to you. I have a lot of questions, but now, I want to rest."

Dr. Director portrayed a serious face. As woman and as ex-field agent she knew how Kim felt in those moments. "Sure, no problem. Sargent! The lady is sweating, give her a towel."

"Thank you Dr. Director."

The towel covered Kim face absorbing some of the small tears she dropped from her eyes. Even it helped to soften the sobs that left her mouth here and there. None of the soldiers said anything, all of them were seasoned soldiers that passed thought that at some point in their lives. Her body was in pain, but nothing compared to her pride. - Who cares who stopped Drakken, it was my battle. The battle that I lost because I took him too lightly.- She pressed tightly her fist and discharged all her rage on the floor of the aircraft. -It's so frustrating. Damn, why do I feel so helpless, so lonely?


Ron, on a branch on the hillside, near Drakken's lair, observed the explosion. -Mmm, Drakken lost. That was expected. I gave Drakken a plan with a lot of holes. But, how Global Justice knew about this plan? Well, it doesn't matter, I have what I was looking for.- He put in his bag a small device and a CD that he stole from Drakken during the battle. He was ready lo leave but, one of the bushes behind the tree made a sound. "You're late." A ninja came out from the bushes and delivered a small compact media. "Did you record everything from warehouse incident? Good, I'll deposit the money after I verify that all the info is here."


Few days later.

"Kim!, your kimmunicator is ringing." That were the first words in a common morning in Kim's house.

"Thanks mom."

"Don't forget to eat your breakfast, Kimmy."

"Yes, mom, I'll eat it later. So, Wade, what is the sitch?"

"Hi Kim. This time is an uncommon request, someone needs you as a bodyguard."

"Who will be the client, Wade?"

"Does the name Ron Stoppable sound familiar to you?"