I do not own any Disney characters named herein, and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only.

Kim Possible: Stranger In The Mirror

By LJ58

7

"You heard me," Governor Samuel Jordan, III all but shouted over his phone. "I don't care if the man is conferring with God Himself. You get the President on this line, and explain to me why someone activated my own Guard troops, and used them to attack one of my cities!"

He listened for another second, then acted as if he were about to throw the phone for a moment before he recovered from his rush of temper.

"Are you insane? It's all over the media! The Liberals are having a field day with this one, and it doesn't help some kid is running footage of the army, my Guard, getting their butts kicked all over the block by Kim Possible's robot! Now, wake the man up! We need answers, and yesterday!"

Samuel clutched the phone as he, the governor of a free state in America, was put on hold.

"I am beginning to loathe politics," he told his aide, who had woken him with an emergency just fifteen minutes ago.

Of all the things he could have imagined, it was not this. To think someone had activated his own Guard, reinforced them with regular army, and then moved on an American city like this was some kind of Third World dictatorship. All to attack a local landmark, and very famous heroine.

Which, in his opinion, had to be the height of stupidly anyway. He had toured that place once, and actually met the Possibles. Whoever had declared war on them, for whatever their reason, had to be insane.

Billy Sanchez glanced back at his employer, still listening to his own phone, and then slowly hung up.

"I just heard from someone in D.C., sir. They seem to think this is connected to some kind of military operation."

"What kind of operation involves the greatest Constitutional breach in years," the governor demanded.

"Nothing definite, sir, but this could be related to the earlier hunt for Shego," the aide replied as he pocketed his own phone.

"Shego? That woman is so passé, it's not even funny! How can an over-the-hill felon justify…..?"

"They suspect she has some kind of bomb, or something, apparently stolen from a top secret lab," the aide went on. "Or that was what my contact was getting from the Pentagon."

"The Pentagon," the governor groaned. "Damn it, those assholes are always trouble!"

The aide didn't reply.

In the same instant, Governor Jordan focused on the phone, and scowled.

"No, I will not call back," he all but howled.

An instant later, he did throw his phone, shattering the receiver on the wall.

"Have the car brought around. We're going to City Hall, and holding a press conference," the governor told Billy. "There's more than one way to do things in politics," he seethed.

"Sir?"

"If they won't answer the phone, I'll just make them call me back," he said with a cold smile.

Billy Sanchez shuttered.

His boss could be ruthless when it came to his office. It was how he got elected. It was how he stayed in power. He had little doubt it was how he intended to survive whatever madness had started this entire fiasco.

Still, Shego? After all these years? And why would Team Possible be defending her from the army?

He had to admit, he was pretty curious himself.

KP

"I just hacked their communications," Jim told Kim and Betty. "Looks like they're arguing over calling in jets."

"Jets," Dr. Director exclaimed. "That man cannot actually be thinking of bombing us," she exclaimed.

"From what I'm seeing, they can't even hold martial law very well. They're having trouble dispersing the crowd growing out there. Let alone your number one fan girl," Tim sniggered, indicating a monitor where a groomed blonde reporter was haranguing a very harried young lieutenant.

"I doubt that officer is very versed in taking over domestic soil," Dr. Director spat. "The captain out there, though, is regular army, and isn't going to be off-balance long in spite of your robot," she told Kim. "Any other surprises we can use?"

"Actually, I'm counting on your people," Kim told her.

"While this is an unusual situation," the woman told her, her single eye glittering. "I can't actually go to war with the army for you, Kimberly," she sputtered. "The best we can hope for now is….."

"You're not thinking ahead. Have you heard from your insertion teams in Montana?"

She scowled anew.

"No."

"No," Kim nodded. "Because either they didn't find anything, or they did."

"That made no sense," Shego complained.

"Actually, it does," Dr. Director said, glancing her way. "If they didn't find anything, then they're still looking. Only if they already knew of Radon Industries, then the odds are they did, and were intercepted before they could report."

"Which means that is where we go next," Kim nodded firmly.

"We," Jim and Tim both echoed.

"Well, this will involve some timing….."

"The first time we go on vacation in years," Ann sighed as she walked into the HQ just then, James trailing behind her. "And you end up fighting the army? Boys, what have we said….?"

"It wasn't us," the twins sputtered.

"Not this time," Tim clarified. "It was Kim!"

"Of course, it was, and…. Is that Shego," Ann sputtered, staring at the woman sitting there looking confused as she eyed Ann.

"Long story short, she thinks she's me. But a me from years ago, mom. The army did something to her, and now they're trying to get her back. And shut us all up."

"Well, they're not doing a very good job of it," James grumbled. "Although, in my day, if you wanted to shut someone up….."

"Honey, not now. Kim, explain. And what were you talking about when I heard you say you were…. Is that the boys' armor out there fighting the army," she gasped.

"That's Kim operating it," Jim grinned gleefully. "Not us."

"Kimberly Anne!"

"Mom, they were trying to storm the building, and intended to….. Just sit, and listen," Kim huffed. "To her," she pointed at Dr. Director. "I'm busy," she said, focusing on the monitors again as she moved to stop the soldiers trying to exploit her apparent distraction when the DED Armor went momentarily quiet.

"What about your plan," Tim asked.

"Yes, what about your plan," Dr. Director asked. "Explanations can wait until we have a suitable plan of action, because my people will be getting here soon, and I'd rather not end up escalating this madness."

"It's simple. Your people distract the army while Shego, the Tweebs, and I all bail."

"You," the boys, and her parents exclaimed.

"Wade," she called, and the young man was there again. "You about ready?"

"The Mark V is loaded, and ready," he told them. "You just need a viable window."

"Where…..?"

"We're going to Radon," Kim said firmly, cutting off Dr. Director. "While you distract these guys, we sneak out the back door, and get there while everyone is focused here. Hopefully, we can get there, find our answers, and fix Shego before anyone is the wiser."

"And if they are," Ann asked grimly.

"Then, we still follow the plan. Just….with a little more effort. Which is why I'm bringing the boys, and leaving the armor here to make everyone think I'm still here."

"Are you sure…..?"

"Just what is the range on this thing, Tim," Kim asked, even as the armor on the monitors now moved to stand like a sentinel before the Possible building once the soldiers fell back again.

"With our satellite," Jim grinned. "You could operate it from anywhere in the world."

"But…."

"Right now, that may be our best plan," Dr. Director cut off Ann now as James continued to study the monitors himself.

"You know, with the proper amplitude, we could use the speaker array, and hit them with a blast of sound that just put them all to sleep," James suggested to the twins.

"We were thinking about that. But even at low power, it could burst a lot eardrums," Tim pointed out.

"Well, far be it from me to advocate unnecessary injury, but….."

"Do it," Dr. Director demanded. "But keep the range close. We don't want to hit the crowd," she added. "They are, after all, still on your side."

"No big," the boys grinned.

"That will make our getaway easier."

"That's what I'm thinking," Dr. Director nodded. "And it will also buy us all more time."

"Still, I'm not sure Kim should go….."

"I have to, mom. Shego needs my help. Besides, the boys will be with me, so I won't actually be fighting."

"And we'll still have Shego. Even if she does think she's Kimbo," Jim beamed.

"I'll bet she can still kick butt like nobody's business," Tim concluded.

Dr. Director glanced back at Shego.

"She did break out of a top secret, military research lab. And evade capture to reach us here," the head of Global Justice pointed out.

"Point taken," the older redhead sighed as she eyed the woman that glanced around them, obviously still confused.

"And when you find whatever did this," Dr. Director told the twins. "Make sure you destroy it completely once you're restored Shego. That is one lesson we learned the hard way. Lipski's work is just too dangerous to leave lying around."

"God, yes," Kim muttered.

"Lipski?"

"Drakken," Kim told Shego. "His real name is Drew Lipski."

"That sounds….stupid," Shego sniggered.

"Oh, he is," Jim chortled. "He still….."

"Later, boys," Ann said. "Let's try to diffuse this insanity so we can get things back to normal. Before someone suggests we move again."

"I don't know," James murmured. "I rather liked the idea that one fellow gave us."

"He wanted us to move to the moon!"

James only smiled at his wife.

Ann only groaned.

"Cheer up, mom. This one wasn't even our fault. So the neighbors can't blame it on us," Kim told her.

"That is not helping just now," Ann muttered sourly.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," James told her. "I'm sure we can finish our vacation later."

Ann only sighed again.

"Ready for sonic cloak," Tim declared.

"We think," Jim added.

"Let's find out," Tim grinned.

"Hoo-shaa!"

Shego noted even Dr. Director tensed slightly when the one teen pressed a button.

KP

"Mr. President," Eugene stood up from his desk when the man himself walked into his office.

Apparently, ignoring the silenced phone had not helped keep people from his door while he had tried to shut down Middleton, and bring a quick end to this fiasco before things got too far out of control.

Or, at least, not much further.

"General," the obviously recently wakened Leader of the Free World snarled. "You want to tell me why I'm suddenly being woke up, and getting reports of a military coup in the middle of my own damn country at two in the morning? Because I'm not happy, mister. Not happy at all."

"Sir, I can explain."

"You'd damn well better. I just had to watch that pretentious sycophant that calls himself a governor holding an impromptu press conference that….."

"General, we've got a problem," a soldier rushed into the office just behind the President, and stopped belatedly when he realized the general wasn't alone.

"Well, go on," the President ordered.

"Uhm, sir….. Sir," the soldier looked from one to the other, obviously unsure how to proceed.

"Just spit it out," General Hardgrave ordered.

"Right, sir," the man snapped to attention. "Sir, we have a report from Middleton. Somehow, most of our unit was….incapacitated. Possibly killed."

"The entire unit," Eugene Hardgrave rasped.

"You're telling me you lost an entire Guard unit…?"

"Not just them," the soldier reported. "We had an infantry unit embedded with the local Guard, and….."

"It's true? You sent regular army against American citizens?"

The general cringed at the politician's obvious fury.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was trying to keep a very large piece of your predecessors blunder from tearing us a new one! Literally," Eugene roared back now.

"What?"

"That will be all. But keep me advised on what's going on out there. And find out if those men are really dead, or if this more hysteria from those media clowns," he added, gesturing for the soldier to leave with a very grim look in his eyes.

"Go on," the President demanded when the door closed again.

"Have you ever heard of Project Janus?"

"Isn't that the two-faced guy in myth?"

Eugene groaned.

"It was a special project in military research from quite a few years ago. One that went very wrong. Spectacularly so. It began with a clever idea….."

"We all know how those go," the President grumbled.

"Indeed, sir," Eugene sat back down, gesturing toward another chair for him to take. He didn't miss that the Man remained standing.

"Tell me everything."

KP

"You okay," Kim asked Shego as they sat in the back of the apparent minivan.

Only it was a minivan with wings, and rockets under the undercarriage that were currently carrying them north at speeds most fighter pilots could only dream of when they flew.

In the front, the twins were operating controls that belied the apparent origin of the seemingly innocuous vehicle, and carrying on a conversation in their own private code as they kept in contract with Wade.

When the sonic cloak knocked out everyone in an quarter mile circle around the Team Possible building, Kim argued over who was going to go with Shego back to the Radon Industries building she had escaped from. The boys were obvious.

Her own presence less so.

"I may not be the girl I was," she told her stubborn father, "But I'm far from ending up in a rocking chair!"

"So far," her mother grimaced, eyeing her cane.

"Mom. Someone was messing with Shego's head, using my memories. You can see where I would take this personally," she had stated, and that ended it.

Because even her mother knew that tone.

They loaded up, taking off in the cloaked van even as Will Du flew out with Dr. Mangle, and Dr. Director, hopefully diffusing any more conflict when the military woke up.

Meanwhile, they had left Middleton looking like a war zone, and a great many national media stars showing up to join the growing circus as James and Anne were left behind to hold down their proverbial fort.

Now, close to Montana already, she noted Shego was looking more and more anxious again.

"You really think mom…. I mean….. Ann will be okay? I mean….."

"Mom might surprise you," Kim smiled at her, patting one clenched fist held on her thigh. "It's after the memories you have, but she even went out me on a few missions over the years."

"No," Shego gasped. "Now you are kidding me!"

"No. Mom can kick butt, when she's motivated. Trust me, there are people who do not want to see her get motivated."

Shego only shook her head.

"I still can't help but feel….."

"I can only imagine. It was bad enough when Ron and I switched places that time. The fallout over that one still makes me cringe sometimes," she sighed.

"I don't recall…..Drakken being too upset…..about….."

"Drakken was always a nut. He wouldn't know normal if you force-fed him ethics and morality."

"No argument. At least, not yet," Shego said quietly. "Only, what I recall about…..Shego…."

"Again, trust me. You came a long way after this one, too. You might like your…..thrills, but you always helped when it counted. And you even helped me save the world a time, or too. Mostly to spite your brother, I think," she grinned.

"Brother?"

"Hego? Big, blue, and not always very smart."

"I…..don't seem to remember…. I have a brother?"

"Brothers. Four of them."

"Four. Are they….villains, too?"

"Heroes. Team Go? You used to be part of them before you parted ways. Over a fight with Hego, as I understand it. He's the….controlling type."

"Oh," Shego murmured.

"Approaching Butte, and we coming in cloaked. "I think our best option is the roof. No one will expect us to be going for the basement from the roof."

"True," Kim nodded at Tim. "Do we have extra grapples?"

"Always," Jim chortled from behind the wheel.

"That's…..a grapple," Shego frowned, seeing Tim pull out a small, watch-like band with a raised center.

"We've upgraded a lot over the years," Kim told her, and put the extra band on her left arm. "See this? Press the stud to activate, when you're ready, bend your hand down, and the grapple fires. We've got reinforced titanium-weave for line, and over five-hundred feet in the band. So, no breaking, and no worries about most average heights."

"And the grapple hook? It's….in this?"

"Standard, pneumatic-driven diamond tipped hooks. It will make its own anchor point as needed," Tim grinned.

"The boys did do a great job helping improve my old grapple," Kim smiled. "I just don't get to use it too much any more," she sighed.

"Just remember. We're point on this mission, Kim. The folks will kill us if you rush in, and get hurt."

"I'm not exactly helpless just because my hip and leg are still a little messed up," she grumbled.

"Remember the deal," Jim cut her off, his tone flat now.

"Fine. Fine. I'll let you go first, and crawl after you," she grumbled archly.

Shego couldn't help but snigger.

All three Possibles eyed her, and Shego only scowled.

"What?"

"You almost sounded like yourself for a minute there," Kim grinned. "I'd say that proves that part of what Mangle said is accurate. You're still in there."

"Yeah," Tim smirked. "You just…..forgot yourself after that overwrite."

"I really hate mind-control," Kim scowled.

"So do I," Shego huffed.

"I know," Kim nodded. "You always did."

"We're coming in over the roof. Gear check now, and let's get ready," Jim said as the minivan slowed, and hovered over a city that didn't even realize they were there.

Which was the way they intended to keep it for what lay ahead of them.

To Be Continued….