A/N: yes, I know this is an awfully late update – sorry about that, but it was one busy and overall crappy month. I'm so happy it's almost over XD

Enjoy.



"You know, dude, it's not like I don't appreciate your visits…especially when you don't use mystery meat to write on the wall," Ron said, quickly putting his shirt on and wondering if it was some kind of course – of all people he knew, he wasn't sure there was anyone who hadn't seen him without his pants at least once "but, uh…couldn't you warn before doing the ghost-thing? I could be sitting on the toilet or something right now, and it wouldn't really be fun…"

"My apologies, Stoppable-san," Sensei said, bowing his head slightly "I was impatient to see you as soon as I sensed your powers growing."

"My powers? Oh, right, the blue thing! So it is monkey power…thing, right?" he asked, rather unsure if he should feel disturbed by the thought – he still had a little problem with monkeys, and the whole Yono thing hadn't helped – or excited because maybe, just maybe that could mean he would actually be able to help against the Lowardians.

"Yes, Mystical Monkey Power is getting stronger inside you," Sensei said solemnly, apparently oblivious that his audience was scrambling to get his pants on "you are almost ready, Stoppable-san. Almost ready to unleash your power and take your rightful place as the Monkey Master."

"Uh…yeah, that's cool," Ron said as he finally succeeded to put his pants back on "do you really think I am the Monkey Master anyway?" he asked, looking rather sceptical."

"I've always been certain you are, and the way you used your powers earlier proves it. You are the Monkey Master."

"Well, about that…there's just one problem – it seems like it's a one-time thing. It didn't happen when I tried again."

"The fact you managed to unleash it once is a victory already – now that you unlocked it, there is nothing stopping you from using it."

"But I didn't manage to do that again!"

"That's simply because you keep rejecting it," the old man said calmly "I have to correct myself – there is one thing that is stopping you from using your powers, and it's yourself."

"Hey, not true! I really tried to so the whole blue glow thing again…!"

"Yes, you tried – but deep inside, you still reject that power. That rejection is what blocks it from unleashing its full potential, Stoppable-san; you must accept it, let it become one with your being. You must not give up at the first attempt – it requires time and concentration to actually control Mystical Monkey Power…"

"Er…yeah. The problem is, I kinda lack of time. I kinda lack of focus too, really," Ron said with a sheepish grin "isn't there some intensive training thing for that or something? Like that 'learn a language in a week' stuff you can find in libraries…"

"You can't achieve much in little time, Stoppable-san," Sensei replied, looking slightly amused.

Ron groaned inwardly – that guy sounded too much like Kim when she told him that no, he couldn't print out something from the net and pretend it was his own work for school. "But I have little time, Sensei!" he insisted, "I don't know if you got the news lately in Yamanouchi, but Earth could go bye-bye pretty soon."

"Yes, I am aware of this threat," Sensei said with a sigh "and it is true that you have little time. Then again, this could help. Maybe being under a such pressure could help you unleashing your powers as you did before."

"Er…good!" Ron said, trying to sound optimistic "speaking of pressure…how about starting now?"

Sensei raised an eyebrow. "Starting?"

"Well, with the training, or whatever you have in mind to make me start using the…monkey magic here," Ron shuddered just a little "…you are going to teach me, right?" he added as Sensei slowly shook his head.

"I'm afraid I have nothing to teach you, Stoppable-san. I don't know anything about Mystical Monkey power that I haven't told you already."

Ron blinked. "What? Hey, wait – there's gotta be something more! I can't make it by myself, I have no time and I don't even know how to start! Isn't there anyone that can help me out?"

"Well…" Sensei frowned in thought before speaking again "I can only think of one person that could help you getting more aquatinted to your powers, but I don't know how willing he would be to do so…"

"No problem, I'll convince him somehow," Ron waved his hand with a grin "out with the name!"

The old man raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. The silence lasted a few more moments, then Ron's grin slowly began to fade.

"…wait. Tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."

"I'm afraid so. There is no one else besides you and him who has been exposed to Mystical Monkey Power."

"And I should ask him to help me controlling it?" Ron nearly shrieked "he'd kill me just for asking!"

Sensei chuckled. "As long as the Han is by your side, I doubt he would get so bold. Besides, I honestly don't see many options. As you pointed out, there isn't much time left."

"Are you kidding? He would never help me to control this stuff! He thinks I deserve to die just because I got it stealing it from him!"

Sensei frowned slightly. "Monkey Fist is nothing but an arrogant fool. Mystical Monkey Power never belonged and will never belong to him – it belongs to you. It is your destiny, not his. He will have to accept it sooner or later."

Ron honestly still had his doubts about the whole Monkey Master thing, but he decided to forget about it for now – he had more important matters to take care of…such as learning how to control that monkey magic stuff as soon as he could, no matter if it belonged to him or not. "Dude, he will never accept it. Trying to kick sense in him is like trying to kick sense into a rock," he paused "hey, that was a good one!"

"In that case, he's simply dooming himself to a life of endless defeats," the old man stated "but that hardly matters now – whatever he does with himself is none of our concern."

"Uh…yeah, but whatever he does with me is of my concern. He's the new Yono, you know," Ron paused "…is he?"

"Yes, he is the Yono now – but you don't have to worry about it. Not if you manage to gain control of your powers before he gains control of his at least."

Ron groaned. "I'm so screwed."

"You should have more faith in yourself, Stoppable-san," the old man mildly chided him "years taught me many things, but if there is one thing I learned above any doubt is that destiny cannot be stopped. I'm certain you will be ready to take your rightful place as the Monkey Master sooner than you think."

"But what if that's not soon enough?"

"The Han is by your side – as long as your love for her is unyielding, the Yono is hardly a threat to you and your loved ones..."

The thought seemed to rather reassure Ron. "Oh, right, that. Almost forgot," he grinned a little, wondering if he shouldn't take advantage of it and see what it could be like bossing him around just a little.

"…although you better not play with fire," Sensei added as if he had just read his mind, an hint of amusement in his voice, causing Ron to smile sheepishly.

"Er…of course not. I wasn't thinking to use Hana to boss him around and have some fun. Not at all," he lied poorly, causing the old man to raise an eyebrow "okay, maybe the idea kinda crossed my mind, but…" he sighed ad held up his hands "okay, forget it. I won't."

"Wise decision, Stoppable-san," Sensei said, smiling faintly "I wish you good luck – have the ferocity of the ancients within you. Never forget that."

"Uh?" Ron blinked "hey, wait! Could, you…sum up what I have to do a little? I got lost towards the end."

"Believe in yourself, Stoppable-san, and accept your powers. Let them guide you, and you will be unstoppable," he said, his voice starting to fade just like his ghost-like form "claim your place as the Monkey Master and protect your loved ones."

"Oookay…" Ron muttered, glancing down at Rufus "did you write that down? Learn to control some freaky monkey power I never wanted to have, avoid being killed by the guy I took them from, defeat nine-feet tall aliens with uber-mega-ultra technological weapons…is that all?"

Rufus nodded, scribbling something on a notebook he had apparently produced from nowhere. "Uh-hu, that's all."

"Great! So that's all I gotta do," Ron exclaimed enthusiastically, then he paused, his small wavering and finally vanishing "…I'm so screwed."


"What in the world…?" Monkey Fist's eyes snapped open as a low, threatening rumble reached his still sensitive ears, snapping him from his meditation. He jumped on his feet, immediately taking a fighting stance as that rumbling sound filled the room again. His blue eyes carefully scanned his surroundings, trying to find the source of the threatening sound.

"What's there?" he snarled as he heard that rumble , the room seemed to be empty. For a moment he thought it could be a earthquake, but nothing in the room was moving. Monkey Fist frowned, lowering his arms…then he finally glanced down as he realized what the source of that rumbling sound was – his own stomach. "…oh."

Monkey Fist had always had a high opinion of himself, but there were some occasions, however rare, in which he actually felt like an idiot – and this was one of those. He frowned as a thought crossed his mind for the first time: when had he eaten last time? He honestly couldn't recall, but it had certainly been before his…accident with the Han, which had occurred, from what he had gathered, more than four months before.

Quite impressive, he thought as his stomach grumbled again. And he hadn't eaten after he was awakened…had it been the previous day? Two days before? He honestly couldn't tell for certain, especially since he had probably spent some time drifting in and out of consciousness, and after that he had been too busy trying to adjust the new situation – having to escape DNAmy had been quite a distraction as well – and trying to find out more about the nature of the powers he hoped he had gained to bother much with trivial things like eating.

Trivial or not, he thought with a hint of amusement as his stomach protested again, he better actually eat something now. He hadn't even noticed how hungry he was until now, but he guessed this had something to do with the fact he was – he probably was – the Yono. He hadn't actually explored the subject, but he got the impression the Yono didn't actually require either food or water in order to survive: its power made the Yono virtually immortal. The mere idea of gaining immortality caused him to grin excitedly but the grin vanished as his stomach grumbled again.

Well, needing food or not was beside the point: he was hungry. His body probably still wasn't used to the fact it didn't actually need food, he mused as he walked outside – the light was annoying, but not nearly as blinding it had felt before, and he simply refused to wear sunglasses again – and neither was his mind.

He would have to start training himself to stay without nourishment later, but as for now he had no time for that: the most important thing now was trying to create a connection between his mind and the power within him – because there was a power in him that was not Mystical Monkey Power, he could sense it – and he would need all his concentration to do so.

He would be able to meditate again once his body's requirements were satisfied, he decided, looking around. Now he just had to find a way to the kitchen, or…whenever the food was kept. After all, he used to explore forests and ancient temples filled with traps – how hard could it be finding his way in a lair like that one?


"Tsk tsk."

Drakken gritted his teeth as he heard his cousin clicking his tongue disapprovingly as he watched him work. It was annoying to say the least – wasn't he supposed to be working on his own stuff anyway?

"Aw, c'mon…"

Drakken took a deep breath and did his best to ignore him as he kept working on the laser cannon. Now he just had to connect those wires to--

"No, no, no!" Ed protested "you're doing it all wrong, seriously! That is supposed to be…"

"A laser cannon, right!" Drakken snapped "not a car. A weapon. And I'm the expert here!" he pointed out, his eyes still fixed on the wires he was working with.

"A expert? Ah, hardly," Dementor piped in, stopping to work onto the mind-control chip DNAmy had required him "you can't even tell the difference between…vhat?" he asked with a frown as Motor Ed approached one of the machines he had been working on and shook his head disapprovingly. That guy was even more annoying than his cousin sometimes.

"You're totally doing it wrong too, dude, that's what," Ed said with a shrug, causing Dementor to grit his teeth – criticism had never been something he was willing to take.

"Oh, really? And vhat exactly am I doing vrong?"

"Well, it could work this way too, but you'll be wasting a lot of energy, seriously" he reached for the some tools "if you let me modify…ouch!" he yelped as Dementor hit his hand with a pipe wrench "relax, dude, seriously!" he protested he examined his hand.

"My vork doesn't need any modification," Dementor pointed out, looking almost outraged "unlike your incompetent cousin's, my devices alvays vorked!"

"Hey, I heard you!"

Motor Ed took advantage of the quarrelling to step away from Dementor – that pipe wrench had hurt – and walk near Killigan,

"You know, dude…"

"Don't even start with me, lad," Killigan grumbled "I know what I'm doing."

Ed held up his hands. "Okay, okay, don't be so touchy, seriously. I ain't into explosives anyway," he said with a shrug.

"Fine. Aren't ye supposed to be working on something?" the golfer asked, briefly glancing at the huge mechanical…thing Ed had been working until a few minutes before.

Motor Ed gave a low whistle. "You didn't take that joke so well – I was just kidding, seriously," he said almost resentfully, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't like kidding."

"Seriously, you could have broken my skull or something…"

"Just thank that ridiculous mullet of yers, lad, because it would have broken yer skull otherwise," Killigan said with a grimace, glancing to the corned of the huge lab where DNAmy's stuff had been placed.

She had left with Frugal Lucre when he had gone outside for Gemini's dog usual walk – she had said there was no point in staying cooped up inside until those mind-control chips to control any…thing she would create were ready anyway – and Killigan hoped she hadn't been stupid enough to bring that dogster thing with her. Considering the reaction that stupid dog had to it and how fiercely devoted to that oversized rat Gemini was, it definitely wouldn't be a good idea – he didn't think that guy would hesitate blasting her if and that dogster thing if his dog was scared.

…why should he even care about what would happen to her if she was stupid enough to anger Gemini anyway?

"Seriously, you have some temper trouble, dude – just like the green babe. Have you ever tried anger management or something? Seriously."

Killigan gritted his teeth and glared at him. "Lad, ye have five seconds before I--" he trailed off as a beeping sound suddenly filled the lab "…what?"

"Oh, it's ready!" Drakken exclaimed, stopping yelling against Dementor "it's ready!"

"Ready? Vhat is ready?" Dementor asked with a frown as Drakken walked to something resembling a large oven and opened it.

"Och, lad, are ye baking cupcakes too?" Killigan asked with a grin, causing both Motor Ed and Dementor to snicker.

"If he's as lousy at baking as he is at evil, I'm not having any," Dementor said, crossing his arms.

"How funny," Drakken grumbled, sticking out his tongue at him as he carefully put something resembling to a large bowl on a table "don't get near this stuff for a while, it's still boiling…"

Motor Ed leaned forward to take a peek. "Bleach! I ain't eating any of that, seriously!" he said, looking at what seemed some kind of greenish slime. Killigan, on the other hand, didn't seem impressed – but seriously, Ed thought, what can you expect from a dude who eats sheep lungs cooked in its own stomach?

"You don't have to eat it," Drakken snapped, rather dramatically pointing at the…stuff inside the bowl "this is what will make us win this war!"

"Aye, right. What's the big plan, blue boy, feeding the aliens poisoned soup?"

"Ha-ha. How funny," Drakken grumbled, scowling "this acid will be the key to destroy the Lowardian weapons."

"Acid? Zat zing doesn't even melt ze bovl!"

"Because it's made to melt the material Lowardian stuff is made of – and I'll prove it!" the blue skinned scientist stomped across the lab to get a sample they had gotten from a shattered Lowardian pod, then he walked back to the table and dropped it inside the bowl. There was a loud hiss, then the material simply melted. "See? It works!" Drakken boasted, grinning at Dementor "now imagine what will happen when huge quantities of this will hit their pods and…whatever weapon they'll bring with them," he added, puffing out his chest "their weapons will just melt in their hands! So, who's the genius no-- ow!"

"You're the genius, cousin, seriously!" Motor Ed, said, enthusiastically patting is back and almost causing him to fall face forward into the bowl of still boiling acid "this almost makes up for your lack of mechanical skills!"

"Hey!" Drakken protested, both because he had nearly gotten his face boiled away and because of his cousin's comment about his mechanical skills.

"Ja, not zat bad for a beginner," Dementor grumbled, clearly annoyed by the fact Drakken's idea really seemed a valid one for once.

"Beginner? I got into evil way before you did!"

"You vish. Unless you're counting zat failed attempt at building some female robot on college as evil," Dementor snickered "I vonder vhat use a guy vho couldn't get a real date could have for zem…"

"Ew," Motor Ed made a face "I didn't know you were that desperate, cousin, seriously."

Killigan seemed just as disgusted. "Och, lad, I could have lived a happy life without knowing that…"

"I…I…that's not true!" Drakken sputtered, his blue face turning nearly purple both in rage and embarrassment – how the heck did Dementor know he didn't have a date on college anyway? "I'd never get that low!"

Dementor grinned, clearly satisfied by his rivals' evident embarrass "Really?"

"Really!" his rival bellowed "Can't anyone appreciate my genius here? I came up with something that will really work against the Lowardians, in case you haven't noticed!" he nearly whined.

"Seriously, I did say you're a genius, cousin," Motor Ed said, holding up his hands "you totally need to relax a little, seriously."

"Aye, no need to tie yer knickers in a knot, blue boy. Did ye expect us to stare at ye in awe or something?"

Drakken folded his arms. "Well, that would have been nice," he muttered, causing Dementor to snort.

"You knov, just because ze vorld treats you like a hero," he mockingly emphasized the last word "it doesn't mean ve vill too. Maybe ze do-gooders vill give you another medal to zeir hero."

"Nghhh!" Drakken grunted "you're just jealous, that's what!"

"Jealous of you? Don't make me laugh!"

"Oh yes, you are!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I never vanted to be a hero to begin vith!"

"Yeah, but you're mad because I got recognition for my genius from everyone and you didn't!" Drakken exclaimed with a triumphant note in his voice, his index finger poking his rival's chest almost forcefully.

"Ow, that stung," Killigan said quietly, and Motor Ed nodded.

"Seriously."

Dementor gritted his teeth. "You vish! You're just a failure as a villain, zat's it! And ze one plan zat vorked vas my idea," he took a step forward, causing Drakken to step back "a lousy scientist like you vouldn't be able to come up vith a decent scheme in a billion years!"

"Well, fine! We'll see who'll be the one to make us win this war!" Drakken muttered, turning and stomping outside to find Shego – at least she would appreciate his genius! Well, actually she had never seemed to be impressed by his schemes and would probably come up with some sarcastic remark about this one as well, but whatever. He wanted to talk with her – being teased by her was always better than listening to Dementor's ramblings anyway, he thought grimly as he stormed outside, almost bumping into the person getting inside the lab in that same moment.

"What happened here?" DNAmy asked, giving at Drakken's back a concerned look as he walked away "he seems so upset…!"

"Och, he just had an argument with the genius here," Killigan said sarcastically, getting a furious look from Dementor "he went whining somewhere, but he'll get over it. Everything normal in a normal day," he frowned as he noticed the…dogster thing cradled in her arms, waving its tail "what is that doing here?"

"Oh, Lucy felt lonely, so I decided to let her out," Amy said happily, apparently unaware of Killigan's disgusted expression "but I had to bring her away before poor Frugal Lucre got in any trouble with Gemini again – you know, for the dog. Pepe really seems to get nervous around her for some reason."

Killigan raised an eyebrow as Lucy snapper her pinchers at him. "Aye, I wonder why."

Amy giggled, clearly missing his point. "You know what? I think Pepe really likes her. Isn't it cute?"

The golfer blinked, briefly wondering if she were playing dumb, but a glance to her almost disturbingly cheerful smile as she petted that monstrosity's head was enough for him to decide she most likely just was dumb. At least in that regard. "Like her? Lass, that dog is terrified by yer…uh…pet."

"Oh, but animals are so like humans in this – when you like someone, you can get nervous around them, you know," she said with a chuckle "like my Montykins!" she added, and Killigan made a face.

"Yeah, that's true – they can get nervous, seriously," Motor Ed piped in, raising his gaze from…whatever thing he was working on and rubbing the back of his head "I have a bump to prove it," he added, glancing at Killigan with something too similar to a grin for the golfer's tastes.

"Shut yer trap!" Killigan barked, causing Ed to shrug and turn his attention to his work again.

"Oh, you really shouldn't be so mean to each other," Amy chided him, putting Lucy on the ground "we are supposed to be working together, aren't we?"

"This doesn't mean we have to be best buddies," he grumbled, glancing at the dogster as it began walking around the lab, clearly curious about its surroundings.

"Definitely not," Dementor snapped from his desk, causing Killigan and Motor Ed to exchange a quick glance – for some reason, they got the feeling Drakken's accusation of being jealous for the recognition he got had struck a nerve.

DNAmy seemed about to scold him as well, but she seemed to changer her mind as she saw what Dementor was working on. "Oh, are those the mind-control chips I asked you?"

"Precisely. I have some of zem ready – even ze buffoons of GJ vould be able to replicate as many chips you vant," he said, holding up a mind-control chip.

Amy seemed delighted. "That's perfect! As soon as I have enough, I can start creating living weapons without having to worry about them turning against us," she said. Killigan blinked, surprised by how she spoke of such stuff as if she were talking about puppies or something. Maybe Kim Possible's dumb sidekick was right, she really was more dangerous than he would have thought by looking at her.

"We should tell the one-eyed babe about it then," Motor Ed said "isn't that chick scary, by the way?"

"Aye, not someone I would want to have mad at me – Gemini is the only one stupid enough to do that. Shouldn't ye be more worried about Shego?" Killigan asked with a grin.

"Nah, no need to worry," Motor Ed waved his hand dismissively "she's just crazy for me, dude, believe me. She just needs to snap out of her denial, seriously," he said.

Killigan suppressed a snicker. "Denial. Aye, right…"

"Dude, just wait and see. She'll fall for me eventually, serious-- OW!" he yelped as Lucy, probably wanting to be friendly, suddenly reached out with a pincher and playfully pinched his leg.

"Lucy! You meanie, you know you shouldn't do that!" she chided her pet taking her back in her arms, and this time neither Killigan or Dementor could hold back a laugh.

"Och, not bad for a mutated freak," Killigan snickered, ignoring Motor Ed's glare as he reached to scratch the dogster's ears, causing it to wave its tail appreciatively and try to lick his hand.

"Aw, I told you she likes you," Amy cooed, suddenly stopping to fuss over Ed to turn his attention back to him and the creature in her arms with a wide smile "I was sure you two would get alone eventually!"

"Er…I just said it's not that bad," Killigan tried to point out, retreating his hand before the creature decided to show his affection the way it had with Motor Ed.

"Oh, you guys always want to seem so rough," she elbowed him in a supposedly friendly fashion, causing him to gasp for breath "Monty Wonty always does the same, but I know it's just pretend!"

"It's not," Killigan muttered with a grimace, turning to glance around so he wouldn't have to see either her disturbingly cheerful expression or the grin on Motor Ed's face.


Shego grumbled something unintelligible to herself as she walked out from her room, a scowl on her face, absentmindedly running a towel through her still damp hair. She usually felt rather content after having a good fight, especially when her opponent was Kim, but this time she just felt awfully annoyed by the teen's insistence about her…simply non-existing feelings for Drakken.

For Drakken. Ridiculous. The mere idea was so stupid that she almost felt like laughing. Why did Kim's taunts annoy her like that anyway? She knew it wasn't true, so it should have been easy to shrug it off. Maybe she was just stressed because of the upcoming war, that was all – after all, it doesn't happen everyday that aliens are getting ready to destroy your planet. She had hoped a nice showed would have helped her to relax, but it clearly hadn't worked. Well, maybe the sauna would – the old man had said there was one in the lair, but he hadn't mentioned where. But what the heck, it had to be around there…ah, there it was!

"Shego!"

aw, c'mon, not now!

"What?" she asked with an inward sigh as she turned to face Drakken, her hand still on the handle "you have ten seconds before I get in, so be quick."

Drakken gave her an almost hurt expression. "Shego! This is important! I just found the key to defeat aliens!" he exclaimed in triumph, sounding just like he did when rambling about how the plan would certainly work and how he would be ruling the world before dinner.

"Really?" was all she said flatly, raising an eyebrow as he kept blabbering about some kind of acid he had created. Okay, his last plan against aliens had worked, but since it had only happened that one time she wasn't really sure he could repeat that miracle at all, and…and…

…did he just have to keep gloating like a child talking about some present they got for Christmas? It was annoying, that was it. Was he expecting her to clap her hands or something? Was he expecting her to admire him? Sorry, the thought feeling oddly angry for no real reason, that wasn't going to happen.

"Okay, nice, whatever," she waved her hand, opening the door "you had your ten seconds. Why don't you talk about it with Dr. Big Boss anyway? She's the one who can make something out of it," she said dryly, walking inside the sauna without even looking at him.

"But, Shego…!" he began to protest, only to be cut off by the door slamming closed. He stared at the door for a few moments, disappointed. He had expected her to make some sarcastic remark, but not to leave like that right away – what was the matter with her anyway? He just wanted to gloat a little, that was all. Was it too much asking her to listen? They hadn't gotten many occasions to speak since when they had gotten in that lair, and he rather missed that.

Well, no, he didn't really miss it – of course not – but over the years it had became such a routine for them to spend a lot of time getting on each other's nerves that it felt odd not hearing any sarcastic comment or snarky remark from her every moment. And she seemed to have fun when she teased him, so why didn't she just stop for a moment to do that before leaving? It wasn't like he actually enjoyed being teased by her or something, but still…!

Drakken grimaced and walked back to the lab, his good mood suddenly gone.


Senior Senior Sr. couldn't help but feel slightly guilty as he pressed the button to switch the main screen on. Since that screen was their most important mean of communication in the lair, he had recommended everyone to not use it for personal purposes – they better always have it ready for whatever urgent communication from either GJ, WEE or the government they could get, he had said – but right now he simply couldn't help himself.

After all, he mused, glancing at the child that was now sleeping on his knees after spending a couple of hours repeating any word he said, it would only take a few minutes. He simply needed a few minutes to make sure his son was alright, and then he would switch the screen off again. He usually didn't go against any rule he set, but he wasn't used at being separated from his son for so long, and as much as he didn't like to think about it…well, with an invasion coming, any day could be the last day he got a chance to speak with him.

"Father!" Junior's voice snapped him from his thoughts as he appeared the screen – he was wearing a swimsuit, the old man wasn't surprised to notice. He was quite certain his on would be spending most of his time at the pool of the hideout he had sent him to together with his…girlfriend.

"Junior," he said, a hint of relief in his voice – which was ridiculous, since it wasn't like he had been in danger, but still… "is everything alright there, son?"

"Yes, sure – well, it was until a moment ago. I was in the tanning bed," Junior pouted as if he had just been taken from a relaxing vacation for some hard work "why did you call?"

"I merely wanted to make sure--" he trailed off as a feminine voice came from off screen.

"Junior, I've finished the sunscreen! Bring me some more!"

"I'll be there in a moment, my sweet," Junior called back, and Senior Senior Sr. briefly wondered what exactly in Bonnie Rockwaller could be defined as 'sweet' "I have to go now, father – see you, okay?"

The old man sighed. "Yes, of course," he said "but, Junior--" he trailed off as the screen went black once again – his son had interrupted the communication. He sighed, leaning back on his seat and glancing down at Hana, who was still sleeping on his knees. "I hope your parents will appreciate every moment they spend with you," he mumbled, absentmindedly gazing ahead and trying to not think that there was a concrete possibility her parents wouldn't even be able to see her again should they lose that war. Just like he could never get another chance to see Junior.

The mere idea made him feel horribly powerless. Since the moment Junior was born he had done everything, absolutely everything in his power to protect him and make sure everything would always be easy for him. In retrospect he knew it had probably been a mistake, but he always had the best intentions, and Junior knew it. Well, he hoped he knew it.

But this time, anything he did to protect him could be useless – should the Lowardians win the war, they all would most likely be doomed, no matter what. That was a threat he couldn't protect his son from. And even if they won the war, there was another threat he couldn't protect him from – Bonnie Rockwaller.

The fact he didn't like that girl was no secret to Junior – she was self-centered, arrogant, quite rude and overall unpleasant in his opinion – but that had done nothing to make him change his mind. It had always been rare for Junior to actually make a stand against his father's wishes, but this time he had been adamant: he seemed to be absolutely certain she was the right girl for him, and wouldn't let his father question him. This had made Senior Senior Sr. both oddly proud and terribly worried. Maybe it was unfair of him, but that Rockwaller girl reminded him too much of Junior's mother for him to just be happy for his son without worrying.

Hadn't his marriage with that ambitious, calculating woman resulted in Junior's birth, he would have said it had been the greatest mistake of his life. But he was still young and foolish, and he hadn't realized her true intentions until the moment her lawyer had sent him a divorce notice, demanding half of his money for her to just disappear from his life. He had tried to refuse, but she hadn't hesitated to use his own son against him: she knew law would most likely be on her side when it came to the custody of the child, and she was certain he would do anything she asked for him. And she had been right: he had willingly given in, letting her take anything she wanted – anything, just as long as he didn't take his son away from him – and she had kept her promise to disappear as soon as she got her money. The mere idea Junior could get through the same experience made his blood boil.

Then again, maybe things wouldn't turn out that way for him after all – unpleasant as that girl he had chosen for himself could be, he had no real reason to believe she would be like his former wife. He didn't really know her…then again, Kim Possible did. He had nearly considered asking for her opinion, but he wasn't sure if it would really reassure him or rather add to his worries. Maybe he should try to speak with Junior one more time once the emergency was over, and--

"Excuse me," a polite, though slightly annoyed voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts "do you happen to know the way to the kitchen? I'm afraid your lair is bigger than I anticipated."

Senior Senior Sr. raised his gaze to see Monkey Fist standing a few feet from him, squinting slightly against the light – it had turned out that finding his way to the kitchen in that huge lair wasn't so easy after all.

Thankfully, the old man thought, the desk prevented him from seeing little Hana on his knees. It had taken a while to get him out of that closet last time he had seen her. "Yes, of course – my apologies, I should have let you know already, or at least offered you something to eat already. I've been a terrible host, I'm afraid."

"It's no trouble at all," Monkey Fist replied even though he couldn't help but think that yes, they definitely could have at least taken the time to do that, considering the detail they considered him a living weapon to do their bidding – which was exactly the same way he had considered the previous Yono, but he was quick at chasing the thought away from his mind. Then again, Senior Senior Sr. had been the one who had gotten DNAmy off his back at least for now, and he was rather grateful to him for that. Besides, he was probably one of the few people in there he could have a civil conversation with. "I can get what I need by myself. I merely need to know the way."

"Of course. The kitchen is that way, you see – at then end of the corridor, and then downstairs," he pointed at the right corridor with his cane.

Monkey Fist nodded briefly. "Thank you very much," he said, tuning to walk away. The old man glanced briefly at his mutated hands and feet – he seemed to recall he had spend most of his family fortune, if not all of it, to get those limbs. A sudden thought hit him.

"Lord Fiske?"

"Yes?"

"Have you thought about your family's safety?" Senior Senior Sr. asked "I can provide your relatives a shelter, if Global Justice hasn't done it already."

Monkey Fist seemed surprised by his offer – it was clear he hadn't even thought about it. "Why, thank you for your offer, but I'm afraid I have to decline. I have no close relatives left."

"But you do have other relatives, I suppose."

"No one I care about," the monkey man said dryly, "and, quite honestly, I don't think any protection you or anyone here could offer would make much difference should these…aliens actually take over the planet. I greatly appreciate your offer though," he added, wondering why the did he seem so saddened by his reply.

Senior Senior Sr. sighed before nodding. "I guess you're right," he muttered quietly as he monkey man left "it wouldn't make much difference."


"Kim? You okay?" Wade asked, stepping beside her. She nodded, absentmindedly, her gaze wandering through the landing spot – it was the only place she could go to get some fresh air without actually leaving the lair.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're never fine when you have that face," Wade replied with a shrug.

Kim frowned. "What face?"

"This one. So, what's the sitch?" the boy asked with a smirk, causing Kim to chuckle.

"Nothing important, I'll get over it. I can do anything, remember?"

Wade blinked. From the first time since when she knew her, Kim didn't actually seem certain of what she was saying. "Have you heard from your parents yet?"

She shook her head. "No, but Dr. Director told me they are in a safe place," the grimaced "I didn't even get to speak to them again before I got involved into this."

Okay, Wade thought, so that was it. "Hey, it's not like you won't see them again," he said, trying to sound optimistic. If even Kim Possible was pessimistic about their chances to win that war, they could as well blow up the planet right away and be done with it "and things are going well, you know. The battlesuits' production already started, and it's going faster than we hoped – even WEE is on it," the boy said almost cheerfully "I think Drakken came up with something – he was talking to Dr. Director about it a moment ago – and Dementor built some devices to make whatever creature DNAmy creates fight for us. And I don't know what Motor Ed is working on, but he seems proud of it."

"Wade, that guy's greatest pride is a mullet. It doesn't say much."

"Hey, he is a mechanical genius – let's see what he's got. And Killigan got some kind of explosive ready, and according to the tests it seems really able to damage the material Lowardian stuff is made of. The GJ scientists are also making sure Lowardians won't be able to shut off the power to the planet next time."

"Looks like you had a lot of work to do," Kim said, and there was a slight hint of frustration in her voice.

"Uh…yeah," Wade blinked "Kim, what's the problem?"

"Nothing. I just can't stand the waiting," she frowned again and glanced up at the cloudless sky "until they get there, all I can do is training to be ready for them, nothing else – at least you get to do something. I can just wait," she added. Never in her life she had felt that…useless, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Yeah, but when they'll be here, it will be your turn," Wade raised his thumb "and you can do anything. I'm sure we'll win this war."

Kim grinned. "Sure," she said, looking a lot more optimistic "how's Ron doing with his battlesuit, by the way? I didn't find him in the training room."

"Uh…" Wade hesitated, wondering if she should tell her about Ron's amazing and sudden display of power, but he decided against it – he had promised Ron to keep his mouth shut…at least for time being "fine, really – he got rather good with it in just one session," he said – at least it wasn't a lie "I think he went to look for something to eat. Would it surprise you that he asked Senior Senior Sr. to send someone to get him some nacos?"

Kim laughed. "No, not really."


Yes, now he felt definitely better, Monkey Fist mused as he swallowed another mouthful and glanced at the empty kitchen. He felt like he was starving and thus wasn't precisely following the proper etiquette while eating. Not that he really cared of what anyone would think, but old habits die hard, and he didn't fancy the idea of having anyone looking at him right now. He was quite sure his mother would have throttled him if she ever saw him eating like that, he mused with a slight chuckle as he took another bite.

Good thing they weren't missing fresh fruit and vegetables, he thought. He was considering the idea of taking an apple or two, but his musings were suddenly interrupted by a familiar and much hated voice approaching.

"Fine, fine, I promise I'll tell someone…later, okay?" Ron repeated again, glancing down at Rufus "just give me a break, buddy – it's a lot of stuff to chew. Speaking of chew," he added as he opened the door, trying to somewhat change subject "do you think Senior got us some nacos? I feel like eating a ton of--" he trailed off, his mouth hanging open as he stood in the doorway

There was a moment of complete silence as Ron and his arch foe stared at each other. Monkey Fist glared darkly at him, and though the effect was made somewhat less intimidating by the fact he had a half-eaten banana in each hand and his mouth was so full that his face vaguely resembled a chipmunk's, it was still enough to give Ron the creeps.

If gaze could kill, he would have dropped dead that very instant – not that it surprised him, considering that they had never been best buddies anyway. Not ever. And if the detail he had taken MMP right under the monkey man's nose hadn't been enough to make him want him dead, Ron was pretty sure the fact he had actually had a hand in the events that had ended up with Monkey Fist being turned into a stone statue definitely hadn't helped.

And I should ask this guy to teach me how to control the monkey magic? Riiiigh.

"Er…" the boy swallowed nervously, finally breaking the unnerving, tense silence "so, you're up already, uh? Eheh, nice. It's a lovely day, isn't it? Do you know if there is any naco here?" he asked casually, as if really hoping the monkey man would simply reply to his question rather than trying to break his neck.

Fat chance.

"You!" the Monkey Fist snarled after swallowing, his voice dripping with hatred as he dropped both bananas and stepped forward, his bloodshot eyes fixed on him. No, he definitely wasn't up to tell him that yes, it was indeed a lovely day and that the nacos were in the pantry.

Ron took a step back too keep some distance between them, his brain racing at full speed. Well, he thought, when you are in the same room with a crazy monkey man that hates you, is probably powered up by some kind of ancient curse and clearly wants you dead, there is only one thing you can do.

Ron Stoppable turned on his heels before running out of the room at astonishing speed, screaming at the top of his lungs.