A/N:Its been a long time posting to FFnet when you forget that copy paste doesn't retain page breaks. Longer if it takes you three posts to figure it out and remember to do it with the editor. Now a little irritated since no page breaks. Just look for "break" or "break" depends on how awake I am when uploading. Very sorry about that. Maybe I'll end up editing after posting this chapter. Thank you for your continued patience. Oh a mighty big thanks to some brand new followers despite my less than stellar record of finishing stories.
Ron stopped at the mailbox in front of Bueno Nacho and dropped off his letter to Kim. He turned and approached the doorway to heaven. With a grandiose gesture he opened the doors to his happy place. He surveyed the room noting his favorite booth was unoccupied. He didn't see anyone that looked like they were waiting on someone so he headed for the order counter. He tapped his pocket. "Hungry?"
He heard a muffled ascent from his little buddy. Getting to the counter he was greeted with a smile. "The usual please." He thought to himself for a moment. "And a sampler with another soda." He paid and waited patiently for his food. He felt Rufus scramble up his shirt to wait hungrily for the food.
He took the tray and took his customary seat and prepared. Sampler to the other side along with the soda and split the meal between the little rodent and himself. He smiled as Rufus dug in with gusto. He was about to dive in, not so literally as Rufus did, when he was interrupted by the opposite seat being taken up.
He looked up with the naco halfway to his mouth and was frozen by Shego's confused look. "Expecting someone?" She asked.
Ron looked around. "Yeah." She indicated the sampler quizzically. Ron just shrugged and finished eating his naco as only a naco can be eaten, in one bite. He sighed in pleasure and dabbed his mouth with a napkin.
Shego shuddered involuntarily. "Disturbing." She shook off whatever she was feeling. She picked up one of the deep fried chicken tenders and dipped in Ron's cheese sauce. "Nerdlinger says I have to go through you to get his help." She stated through bites.
Ron's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. Ron settled back a little. "Wade is his name, by the way, and he said the deal was almost not shady. No offense but you kind of ooze shadyness."
She smiled. "Why thank you." She said sweetly. "With what it is, it might not be a bad idea to have along a scapegoat."
Ron scowled as she dipped another chicken tender in his nacho cheese. "Scapegoat."
She shrugged as she finished chewing. "You've done your fair share of duct crawling." She shrugged. "Could be fun."
Ron took a swig of soda. "The job?"
Shego nodded. "Okay, so I put the word out I'm freelancing again and of course I get a bunch of hits. Drakken, Dementor, Ed and pretty much the whole community." She leaned forward surreptitiously dipping another tender. "I get one from none other than the United States Department of freaking Defense. You remember about, what, a year and a half ago? Drakens souped up battle suit?"
Ron scratched the side of his head. "Was that the one he loaded down with so many weapons the battery lasted all of twenty seconds?"
Shego nodded. "Yeah that one. You guys kept it in one piece and GJ confiscated it. First suit with a decent hybrid neural interface. Well GJ never gave it back. Too dangerous they said. DoD wants it back and they're willing to pay for it."
Ron held up a hand and started talking but stopped and thought for a few more seconds. "You want to steal it from GJ and give it to the DoD?"
Shego nodded and leaned back. "GJ has a bunch of storage locations that they continually shift around to make finding them difficult. To find the item I need to get into GJ's systems. I'm good but Ner… Wade is on a whole nother level. I figure he gets a location and after that I do what I'm best at. Though like I said, it wouldn't hurt to have some backup who has a bone to pick with GJ."
Ron sat back and crossed his arms thinking. After several moments more his head came back up to look at her and shook his head. "Nope, too good to be true. You must be an android or something."
Shego laughed. It died when Ron didn't join. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Alright, here it is. Not having to worry about police was nice." She let that hang for a moment in the air between them. "A very important person once said to me that slow money was always the easy money and I didn't listen. No police wasn't as exciting, but it was nice. I figure fuck it, worst case I get some jabs in at GJ and enjoy not being arrested for it." She took a swig of soda. "At least not by the average PD."
Ron turned and lifted his leg up on the booth seat before leaning back to lean against the wall, careful to avoid Rufus. He tilted his head from side to side as if batting around an idea. He lifted a hand and passed it in front of his face as if outlining a billboard. "Covert Asset Retrieval." He shrugged. "Has a nice ring to it."
"Shit it does." Shego sounded almost in awe.
Ron held up a hand. "One problem." He paused. "I'm not exactly thrilled about it. I just got done throwing in the towel doing the whole save the world thing. Kind of want to do the whole college thing."
Shego made a face like she thought he was dumb. "Its theft. Its not like you have to drop whatever you're doing to go. Its called planning, dummy."
Ron started to return fire, but stopped and smiled. "Okay. Can Wade verify the suit was created by the DoD?"
"Gotta get the Stoppable seal of not evil."
Ron thought for several more moments. He reached across the table. "I'm in. As long as Wade is quality control. If he can't verify it Covert Asset Retrieval does no retrieval."
Shego thought for several seconds before taking his hand. "Fair enough."
Ron returned to sitting normally and looked down to Rufus who was staring up at him, jaw slack. "What?" Rufus simply pointed and widened his eyes further. Ron shrugged. "Better than minimum wage." Rufus shook his head and looked back at Ron to say 'I hope you know what you're doing.' Ron scratched the top of Rufus's head. "It'll be okay little buddy."
Ron returned his eyes to Shego who was looking a little disgusted. "Yeah that never touches me unless its fire proof."
Ron sat back and crossed his arms and Rufus followed suit. "Package deal I'm afraid." Shego only shook her head. Ron relaxed. "If you're willing to do this first job Pro Bono, I know a guy in the Department of Justice who can wipe your whole civilian record clean if you can convince the DoD to claim you as a contracted asset."
Shego's mouth opened slightly and Ron thought he saw a glimmer of something in her eyes. "Seriously, no jail time?"
Ron nodded as he took another draw on his soda. "If I can spin it right, I'm pretty confident." He paused. "GJ is still a threat."
Shego grinned. "If they know who did it."
Ron looked back at her with one eyebrow up. "You? You kind of revel in being known, don't you?"
Shego lifted her hands to either side of her. "Does it matter? Even if GJ does pick me up. Either I've done enough retrieval work for the DoD and they spring me as an asset, or I escape." She shrugged. "So should I see if Mr. Lode wants to make this one time deal a more permanent thing?"
Ron inhaled deeply. "One more condition." Shego indicated for him to continue. "Kim's website stays up and its a one for one. One theft and one help someone out."
Shego looked almost disgusted. "Why?"
"Ask Wade how many times Kim and I called in a favor for a last minute extraction when things got real explodey." He smiled.
"For free." Ron nodded. Shego huffed. "Fine. Deal, but none of that last minute crap. I am no Kim replacement."
Ron laughed. "I never said you were. You're… well you. One of a kind."
Shego picked up her soda and pointed at Ron with it. "And don't you forget it."
They were interrupted by a female throat clearing at the head of the table. Ron and Shego looked up to see a rather angry looking Tara. Ron responded. "Yes?"
"I thought you were different, Ron. Didn't waste any time did you?" Tara stated her anger making her face red.
Ron looked confused and glanced across at Shego and grinned. He pointed a thumb at Tara. "She thinks you're my date."
Tara's face somehow got an even brighter shade of red. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Ron saw Shego hang her head and shake it. He turned to respond but he was interrupted by Shego. "Listen Ms. Teenybop, if I was dating the freckled wonder here I don't see it as any damn business of yours. And so your pretty little head doesn't explode, no we are not dating. This here is strictly business." Shego made a shooing motion. "Now why don't you just shake your skinny ass along and mind your own business."
Tara's eyes widened and she abruptly turned away in a huff. Ron cradled his head in one hand. "Damnit."
Shego looked back at him. "What?"
Ron took a deep breath before releasing his head. "Ten bucks says the rumor mill is in full effect with the rumor that I hired an escort. You said it was strictly business."
Ron saw Shego's mouth say the word silently before a darkness cloud her eyes, made even more ominous by the ignited fist. Ron scowled. "Oh, amp down Ms. Burneypants. How dumb do you think I am?" He paused. "Before you answer, I will for you. Not dumb enough to call you a hooker to your face."
The flames died. "Tread carefully, Stoppable."
Ron slapped the table as he stood. "Well it appears we have met our daily dosage of each other's safe company today. I will talk with Wade and my DoJ guy, and you let me know what I need to do." He held out his hand for her to shake it.
He watched the anger recede in her eyes as her hand came up and took his. "I will be in touch." Her hand tightened and her index finger ignited and briefly touched his wrist. Ron grunted but held fast. "Remember I'm not your henchman, Stoppable."
Ron looked back at her in confusion. "Seriously?" He extricated his hand hurt in his eyes not for the superficial burn, but for the implication.
Ron reached over and Rufus scrambled up his arm to his shoulder. He pursed his lips and he turned away. He stopped as he heard Shego start to say something. He turned and looked at her. He saw that look on her face. She knew she was in the wrong, but she couldn't apologize. It wasn't who she was. Ron sighed and nodded. "Okay." He stepped closer. "Listen, this isn't going to be easy, for either of us. Working together. I think if we agree to cut some slack for each other, all three of us, that things probably won't go smoothly, but we should still be able to work together." He offered his hand again. "Agreed?"
Shego started to offer her hand but stopped mid way than with a nod of her head she finished the action. "Yeah, agreed."
Ron nodded and smiled before he resumed leaving.
break
Kim staggered through the locker room door. She had mixed feelings about Bonnie not killing the head of campus security. Glad because he was a top notch hand to hand instructor. As she stripped off her shirt and dropped it on the floor she noted that her reason for not being glad was the exact same reason. Pain and aches lurched her forward as shoes and socks were left in her wake. Shorts… gone. A small embarrassed little girl in the back of her head squealed in horror as bra and panties followed suit. A much larger woman with half her body splotched with bruises responded with single minded purpose. "Don't care… whirlpool."
Her plodding progress almost stopped as she realized she had said it aloud. Dimly she was aware of others in the locker room. She was even more dimly aware at the mix of horror and concern that etched the faces as she passed. "Don't care… whirlpool." She repeated to herself. Her goal was in sight now. Her plodding pace quickened and she reached for the latch as a drowning man reaches for flotsam. Popping the hatch she entered, sat and latched the door shut. She turned to the state of the art control panel. The waterproof touch screen came alive. Kim growled.
A tiny female voice responded with a recording of her growl. "Is not a recognized command."
Kim rested her head against the built in padding. "Bath, hot, jets… please?" She pleaded to the ceiling.
To her surprise, blessedly hot water began filling the tub. "Please wait for tub to fill."
Kim had no idea if it was possible for the machine to accept it but she thanked it anyway. "Oh thank you, you beautiful stainless steel goddess."
"You're Welcome." The computer almost sounded cheerful.
The tub filled quickly with steaming water. Without the energy to cringe away she sat there taking the piddly pain of burning since in its wake the bruises and abused muscles soothed. Soon it was just above her breasts and the jets started at their lowest pressure. "State power level for agitation."
Kim moaned a throaty pleasure filled sigh. The computer repeated her sound. "Is not a recognized command."
Kim laughed. "Current power level is acceptable."
"You're Welcome."
Kim let herself relax. She heard bare feet slapping tile. She recognized it as the exact same slap of pain as her own. She lifted her head to see a beaten but unbroken Bonnie plodding to the whirlpool with the same trail of clothes following her. Kim painfully stood and reached over to open the hatch for the next tub for Bonnie. She saw a flicker of a smile pass over Bonnie's face.
Bonnie finally reached her destination and her body gave out. With a soft sob she fell into the seat. Worried Kim closed and latched the tub for her. She issued the same command to Bonnies tub as she had her own. Bonnie smiled as she tried to reposition herself. "Thanks." It came out softly. She gave up on repositioning.
Kim returned to her own tub. "I thought we talked about that." She responded.
Bonnie gave a short laugh. "Don't care. Whirlpool." Kim snorted at her own mental mantra thrown back at her.
Kim settled down and closed her eyes reveling in the gentle buffeting. Soon she heard a moan from Bonnie's tub that had Kim blushing. Soon Kim was hovering on the edge of falling asleep. She ducked under the water holding her breath. She ran her fingers through her hair before coming up for air. Coming up she found that their attendant had silently put a small table between the two tubs with toiletries. Kim looked around to see who it was, but they were already gone. As was Bonnie's and her clothes from the floor to be replaced by two full changes of clothes on the bench in front of them.
"One day I will catch sight of you." She muttered to herself as she reached for the shampoo.
Bonnie's head lolled toward her. "Huh?"
"Whoever is acting as our little ninja servant."
"Whomever." Bonnie stated, eyes still closed.
Kim huffed and lathered. "Whatever." She finished and ducked her head again to rinse. "You're not curious?"
"You are?" Bonnie shifted and moaned again. "Haven't you ever wanted servants?"
"No, its just weird. Someone whose sole job is to clean up after you?" Kim shuddered.
Bonnie scoffed and opened an eye. "You didn't want to be a princess when you were little?" She rolled her head back to stare at the ceiling. "I wanted scores of servants. Servants to serve the servants." She starred on into bliss. "It would be awesome."
"No thank you." Kim settled back as the high tech tub began filtering out the residual shampoo and grime.
Bonnie laughed as she reached over for the shampoo. "Think of it this way." She cleared her throat. "A well off individual providing worthwhile job opportunities for the less than minimally skilled laborers who would normally be denied the chance at a decent job."
Kim exhaled. "When you put it that way…"
"Who have to curtsey in your presence or be whipped." Bonnie laughed.
"B! Thats not right."
"It would be awesome though." Bonnie ducked under the water to rinse. When she came up she sat higher and rested her arms on the edges of the tub. "I don't care how much it costs, every place I live after this school will have one of these installed."
Kim raised herself a little higher as well mimicking Bonnie's position. "You will not be the only one."
Bonnie smiled as she relaxed even more. "How's hand to hand for you?"
Mr. Bundy had had them split up for hand to hand because even though they shared the cheerleading background he said it would be advantageous for them to train in different disciplines. Which Kim understood. Her fights with Shego had made that obvious. For years they had been trading blows and before Maleficent they had been so on par with each other that a stalemate was about as good as either of them could hope for. Under the tutelage of the guardsman she was learning technical aspects that before had only been instinct. "From the purple color of most of your skin you know how well."
Bonnie grinned. "Talk about the pot and the kettle K." They laughed. Bonnie winced and favored her left side. At Kim's questioning look. "Cracked rib." She waved a hand dismissively. "Its nothing."
"Have they introduced you to the grav plates yet?" Kim tried to change the subject.
"The what?"
"Gravity manipulation plates. Some super genius here developed them." Bonnie looked at her in awe. "Don't get too excited. From what I've read the power consumption is off the charts. They fitted some of the workout rooms with them, but they can only have one room active at a time and they have to do it off peak hours just so the generators can support them. They had me and the guardsman fighting in a gravity and a half today."
Bonnie contemplated that. "Shit."
Kim could only nod. When she looked back she saw Bonnie's brow furrowed with worry. "What's wrong?" Kim asked softly. Bonnie only shook her head. Kim reached across and touched Bonnie's shoulder. "Tell me."
Reluctantly she started talking. "I'm so far out of my league, K." She took a deep breath wincing. "The basics are kicking my ass." She paused. "I mean I learn the stances and moves but when we get to sparring its like I go all special needs. I'm slow, uncoordinated and I can feel so unbalanced."
Kim watched her slam her fists into the sides of the tub in frustration. She leaned back, thinking. For years now she had been just fighting. She didn't even think about it anymore. "You're thinking too hard."
Kim heard Bonnie shift in her bath. "What do you mean?"
Kim leaned over resting her chin on her crossed hands on the edge of the tub. "Our last cheerleading competition. The only reason we won was the flourish you did near the end. How and why did you do it?"
Bonnie shrugged. "I don't know. I just did it."
Kim smiled. "Right. You didn't even think about it. You trusted that cheerleading trained body of yours to move the way you wanted it to." She shifted in the bath. "The stances and moves you're being taught aren't meant to be used literally. They're to teach your body motions that are possible." Kim reached over and tapped Bonnie in the forehead. "This watches, learns what the enemy is doing. It picks a goal, a target, a strategy." Kim took Bonnie's hand in hers and cupped it in her hands. "This reacts and strikes. It is faster than your head at recognizing an opening and taking advantage of it." Kim released Bonnie's hand. "Cheerleading has taught you to trust your body to follow orders but also to react to changes in a way that helps you. All those moves you're learning are just routines to use, but when the need arises routines change." Kim smiled as she settled her chin on her hands again.
Bonnie mimicked Kim with a sigh. "Easy for you to say. You've been fighting for years."
Kim huffed. "Easy my ass. What those years of fighting have done is lock me into ways of fighting." She sighed. "You are a blank slate. Me?" Kim shook her head. "Me, I am the one who is behind the curve. I keep practicing but it takes some serious effort to not fight like I have been for years."
They sat there in silence for several moments. "Didn't that blue skinned villain guy have a memory wiper or something?"
Kim laughed. "Yeah he did. It wouldn't help though. It would have to wipe like all of High School." Bonnie shrugged with a fuck it look on her face. "Yeah point taken. Years of ass kicking, years of legitimately cutting class, and years of torment. It would be nice. But you know what?" Bonnie's face darkened with shame. "If I did that. I wouldn't be me." Kim pressed the drain button and stood.
Kim reached under the toiletries and grabbed a towel. "And I will take a page from your book here, B. I like me." She began toweling off her hair. "That may change, but for right now. I like me."
She heard Bonnie drain her tub. "Fair enough." Bonnie grabbed a towel too. "Snag dinner take it to the room and you help me wrap this rib?"
Kim wrapped the towel around herself. "Sure thing."
