Okay, I suppose I owe an explanation as to the long wait time. Recently, I received some rather unpleasant news about someone, and I'm still attempting to come to terms with its implications. I've been feeling kind of depressed about it, so updates may be a tad slower than they were before. That being said, I fully intend to complete this story.
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Won't be sorry to see the end of this place. Kim admitted to herself. In hindsight, it was rather foolish of her to expose her presence when she was still a wanted woman, and it had nearly cost her best friend his life.
"Are you sure you're fit to travel?" Kim asked Ron for the tenth time. Out of all of them, he was the one who was injured most severely. She could see the pain he was enduring, despite his efforts to hide it. When the battle was over, she nearly fainted the first time she got a look at him.
"Yes, yes, we can go." Ron snapped at her. He hadn't spoken much to her over the past two days, and indeed, had seemed to make every effort possible to avoid her. Whenever she pointed this out, he either denied it or evaded the question. "Where are we going, anyway?"
"As far as we can and still be safe." Kim replied. This was far from an ideal situation, but she had been painfully reminded that even if they took shelter in a place that was supposedly secret, they couldn't stay in one place forever.
"Yeah, just remember not to get into a screaming match in front of everyone this time." Shego snarled at Kim. "Maybe you'll actually manage to keep your head down for more than a couple days, but an attention whore like you can't manage that."
"Says the woman who manipulates and sleeps with any man she meets." Kim snarled back. "Is that Drakken's put up with you for years?"
"You little..." Shego snarled before Ron pulled her away. She muttered vicious things about Kim for several minutes before Ron finally managed to calm her down.
"I know we weren't able to spend much time together, but... I enjoyed seeing you, Shego." Ron smiled at her, pulling her close. They kissed briefly, Shego running her hand in his hair.
"When all this is over, I've got something special planned for you." Shego smiled. If not for Kim's presence, she likely would have been more explicit. "I just wish I could have seen you under better circumstances. Are you sure you're well enough to travel? I can come along, just until you've recovered."
"That would look too suspicious." Ron shook his head, although every part of him was screaming to allow her to do so. The only thing that kept him from saying "yes" was his belief that she and Kim would end up murdering each other.
"You mean you think Kimmy will kill me." Shego saw right through it. "If you don't want to see me, just say it!" Her composure was clearly broken and she was having a very difficult time getting control of her emotions. Had this been anyone else, Kim would have jumped in and offered whatever comfort she could. Since it was one of her enemies, she stayed back. Any help she gave would likely be rejected, in any case.
She broke their embrace in a huff and turned her face away from him. "Okay, I'll admit that's part of it." Ron sighed. "There's no point in making things up." This would be easier if KP could go two minutes without trying to kill her. Ron thought. "But not all."
"What else is there?" Shego glared.
"I don't know what we're going to do, but... it's dangerous." Ron sighed. "And I don't know what will happen to us. I can't lose you, Shego, not when I have the power to prevent it."
"I am more than capable of handling myself!" Shego snarled. "If you just don't want me around anymore, say so!" Beneath her anger, however, was a growing wall of hurt, and she fought hard to keep her voice steady.
"I know you're skilled, but I just can't risk it." Ron replied. "We nearly got killed last time; I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
"Go, just go." Shego whispered, turning away from him. Ron tried to talk, to comfort her, but she just shoved him away. Eventually, he was forced to retreat, hoping he could make her understand at a later date.
Kim had been watching the entire thing, and it almost appeared as if the two of them had completely forgotten that she was even there. She studied Shego's reaction carefully, and was ready to intercept her if she decided to take her anger out on Ron. What happened next was completely unexpected for her. Kim spotted tears going down her cheeks as she sank to the ground. She's... she's actually crying? Kim couldn't believe her eyes. At first she thought it was fake, but there were no other witnesses around, and Shego would never show weakness in front of her.
"You really do care about him." Kim whispered. In the past, she thought that this was just a fling for Shego, that she would simply sleep with him for a short period of time and discard him. Ever since Kim learned of the relationship, she mentally braced herself for the day when Ron came to her door, broken-hearted, finding out that everything he believed was a lie.
Now she knew differently. Now Kim knew better than that. Even though she knew speed was of the essence, she couldn't help but stare at Shego. "You're enjoying this, aren't you, Princess?" Shego sneered, wiping away her tears. "Seeing your enemy fall apart?"
"No, not really." Kim replied and on the whole, she was being truthful. "I just realized something about you. Perhaps I was wrong; you really do care about him."
"Yeah, brilliant deduction." Shego laughed. "You have any other insights to share or would you rather keep rubbing this in my face?!"
"No, I'm not rubbing it in." Kim grimaced, hating to speak out but knowing that it was necessary to do so. "I just wanted to say... that while we may not like each other, Ron's happy with you. And as long as he's happy... you've got my approval." The instant she said that, Kim felt like spending the rest of the day washing her mouth out with Listerine.
Shego's eyes widened; this was not something she had expected. "Ok... thanks, I think." That was all she was able to muster out of her mouth before they departed.
Kim hopped into the passenger side of the vehicle, wondering where their next destination was going to be. Obviously, we can't hide out with anyone we know; we'll be spotted sooner or later. Kim thought. The fact they were exposed at least partially because of her was something she preferred not to dwell on. It was a mistake they couldn't afford to make again.
The trip lasted for hours and throughout that time, Ron didn't speak a single word to her, despite Kim's numerous attempts to start a conversation. At this point, she didn't even care what it was, whether it was about what they were going to do, the good times they had, wishing this was as simple as their usual heroics; anything. All her efforts were for naught; he wouldn't even look at her.
They didn't stop until they reached the base of the Appalachian Mountains, where Ron drove the car near a tree and hid it with leaves and branches. It wouldn't fool anyone actively looking for them, but a casual observer would walk by unnoticed. He roughly tossed her a sleeping bag and hiked down several hundred feet.
"Ron, will you please say something?" Kim demanded, although more quietly this time. Neither of them knew if they were being watched.
They finally made camp near a stream. Ron pulled out a pot and scooped up as much water as he could, setting it down on the grass. Kim grabbed some nearby rocks and made a circle, while Ron gathered some dry wood to make a fire. His wilderness skills had obviously improved since the last time they had been stranded a few months ago.
He's still mad because of what I said about Shego. Kim thought. Out loud, she mentioned: "Look... if this is about her, I'm sorry. I was out of line. I shouldn't have said that. Me and... Shego have an informal truce. We'll never be friends, but if you're happy with her, I can accept that."
"You still don't get it, do you, Kimberly?" Ron spoke up for the first time. He never used her full name unless he was furious with her. "This has nothing to do with you and my girlfriend. I already know you two will always hate each other."
"Then what is it?" Kim demanded. What else could there be?
"You seriously don't know?" Ron asked in astonishment. "I saw you, remember? I walked in just as you killed Monkey Fist."
"I don't like it, but I didn't have a choice." Kim protested. "He was trying to kill me. He'd have killed you, even my family. I had to stop him!"
"When I walked in on you, he was helpless!" Ron snarled. "His bones were broken, he couldn't even crawl away from you! And you killed him anyway! I know what he was, I know he was a monster, but that doesn't justify what you've done!"
"What was the alternative, then?" Kim reminded. "I couldn't exactly turn him in, under the circumstances. It wasn't easy, but I'd do it again if it meant keeping you safe."
"I saw you; you were enjoying yourself, Kimberly." Ron shook his head. "The worst part of it... I didn't see you. I saw Amborse." He turned away from her, and did not speak another word.
"Is he right?" Kim whispered to herself. Monkey Fist's blood was on her hands, and she didn't even consider asking him to surrender before she killed him. Most of her justified it by the fact that he was planning to kill not only her, but Ron and her entire family. Even so, she hated being compared to her half-brother.
Even so, she couldn't make herself feel guilty about killing him. Bad? Yes. Guilty? No. Kim still believed that it was a necessary evil; if she hadn't, he'd be back one day, still bent on revenge and there would come a time where in spite of all her skill, she could still fail to protect the people she loved. She knew the pattern: she defeated the villain, and they swore that they would meet again. Drakken and Shego she could handle. All their blustering aside, Kim didn't think they would actually kill her.
Monkey Fist, on the other hand... he had always scared her, and had only gotten worse over time. He had nearly killed Ron and for that... it was a factor in her decision to kill him.
Kim struggled and fought against it, but was eventually forced to concede that Ron had a valid point when he compared her to Ambrose. It was an unsettling thought.
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Director mustered a smile for the first time in weeks. She was finally getting somewhere, and hopefully, that would mean that Team Possible would be able to return home soon. "Right in front of me all this time..." She shook her head.
However, she still had a way to go yet. Hench may have been the mastermind behind this, but what she couldn't figure out was his motive. In the past, he had never seemed particularly worried about Miss Possible. If anything, he had discretely helped her and Ron out a few times, purely for self interest, of course. None of her informants had any idea, either, which made her believe there was more to this than it appeared.
In addition, Director had discovered through her contacts just what prompted her superiors to initiate Order 31. Throughout Europe, a series of villains had been murdered, often brutally. Surviving witnesses mentioned a physical description of someone who sounded like Miss Possible. Still, that was far from enough to go to such drastic measures.
Section 13 employed a lot of questionable tactics, to put it mildly. They never hesitated to hunt down and kill dangerous people, and would even go so far as to torture them for information. Although Director disagreed with her methods, she did have to admit that they protected the country both from external threats and dangerous criminals.
I'd bet this is personal. Director thought. She had only met with a member a few times over the course of her career, and never in person. The one time Team Possible was mentioned, it was with admiration, not suspicion. "Who would have a grudge against her?" Director wondered. "And how could Hench contact someone so high up?"
Deciding to take a brief walk to clear her thoughts, she decided to tour the complex. Every time she did so, it was obvious that Order 31 had effects far beyond what Team Possible and their families were currently suffering. Her agents had widely divided opinions, and she saw them on opposite sides of the room, not speaking to each other. Even people who were previously friends were splitting apart due to differing opinions on the issue.
Maybe that's the whole point. She suddenly realized. She hadn't considered it from this angle before. She refused to resign and instead used her position to protect Kim and find out who was responsible for this. Surely her superiors and the one who gave the order would realize as much, so why wasn't she replaced with someone who would follow orders?
"Hench was counting on me disobeying them." Director mouthed. Hench knew her well, being that she had been trying to shut his operation down for over a decade, with only limited success. Suddenly, all the pieces began to fall into place. If this ever went public, Global Justice's reputation would be ruined. They were the only ones who had succeeded in restraining Hench to any degree, and if this story broke, they would be too busy fighting among themselves to pay any attention to his criminal empire.
Bold and subtle at the same time; I should have expected such a thing from him. Director thought. The question was: what could she do about it? He had already succeeded with the first part of his plan, and there was no doubt in her mind that the second part would soon come to fruition. The newspapers would love such a story and he would make sure it saw the light of day. Even without him, though, it would be impossible to cover up forever.
"I failed you so badly, Miss Possible." Director shook her head sadly. She should have completely refused the order and immediately exposed the people responsible before it ever got this far. Part of it was her arrogance, her belief that she could quickly bring this charade to an end before any harm was done. The other part... it was fear that held her back from doing what should have been done.
Not anymore. This travesty of justice had to end, no matter what. Hench could not succeed, but Kim Possible had to be brought home. She didn't care if it was a member of Section 13 or not; they weren't going to stop her.
The instant she walked into her office, she found that someone was already sitting in her chair. "Betty Parker, or should I say, Betty Director." The man was in his late 40's, early 50's. "A pleasure to meet you at last."
"I know what you've done; I know you're working with him." Director glared. "And I don't care what threats you issue; your game ends now!"
"A pathetic display, Parker; and quite unnecessary." He glared. It was rare to see a member of Section 13 in the flesh, and Director made sure to memorize every detail. "I'm merely doing what should have been done long ago. Possible is a threat; all of you know it. I have personal evidence that you covered up a cold-blooded murder that she committed."
"You're just lying to justify yourself." Director snarled. It was true, though. She had killed someone; yes, it was under Ambrose's manipulations, but she had nevertheless committed the act.
"She's no different than he is." He smiled. "I'm not about to let history repeat itself. It ends now; I've grown tired of your games. You are removed from your post."
"You don't have the authorization to do any such thing!" Director exclaimed. "Only the president has the authorization to replace me."
"Yes, at least officially." He nodded. "Officially, you'll still be in charge. You should be overjoyed; it's the reason I simply haven't shot you down where you stand. In reality, though, Global Justice is now run by me. My sons will finally have justice!"
"You mean this is all some personal vendetta?" Director realized, and couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it. She knew precisely who it was now; there were only two agents that belonged to the same family. Both of them had been killed at Camp Wannaweep. "You've risked everything, including your life, on a childish crusade? You don't have authorization, do you? The other members don't know about this; you've gone rogue."
"Not really interested in listening to you play Hannibal, Parker." He fired a tranquilizer dart into her stomach. She started feeling woozy and unsteady, but was still fully conscious.
The last thing she heard before being dragged out of the room was his plan to use more... direct methods.
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"How can anyone believe this kind of crap?" James growled, listening to the news. The reporter declared that Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable were the prime suspects in fourteen killings, and were considered extremely dangerous. "Have they lost their minds?"
He gulped down another shot of vodka. James rarely drunk more than a couple of shots per week, but the stress of not knowing what had happened to his daughter was taking its toll on him, the way it was with the entire family. Jim and Tim almost never spoke a word. Ordinarily, he would be thrilled at their improved behavior, but now he wanted his hellions back.
Ann wasn't taking it especially well, either. Where he was unable to focus on his job, she threw herself into it. She worked 16-hour days, sometimes even more. James hardly ever saw her, and her usually well-maintained appearance had disappeared. There were bags under her eyes, and he could count the veins on her eyeballs.
"So when's Kim coming home?" Tim wondered.
"Yeah, we've developed the perfect 'welcome home' present for her." Jim gave a forced grin.
"Now, boys, you know what I've told you about playing pranks on your sister." James lectured, just as if she was running late at school and the twins were back to their usual selves.
"Come on, Dad..." Tim whined.
"We're just having a little fun." Jim laughed.
"Look, we'll organize a proper greeting for her when she comes home." James looked at them sternly. "That means no pranks, no embarrassing photos, and no trying to read her diary."
"Aw, you never let us have any fun." Jim moped.
"I know it's a pastime of yours, but you are going to have to stop pranking her at some point." James smiled, but began to break down once their little charade was over.
Even through his grief, he remembered not to isolate himself. Ann, Jim, and Tim were all suffering from Kim's loss as much as he was, so he comforted them as best he could. The worst part of it was simply not knowing what had happened to her. They had not received a single word of news.
Despite that, though, he did have some hope that they would survive. Had they been killed, it would have been blaring all throughout the news channels, which informed him that Kim was still out there. He didn't know the location, and James was positive that his phone and computers were being monitored to hunt her down should she attempt to contact them.
The three of them simply sat on the couch silently. What was there to say that had not already been said? The twins had talked about attempting to find Kim themselves before James reminded them that they were more than likely being watched and it could put Kim in danger. Although the conclusion that James drew was reluctant, he came to the belief that Global Justice was assisting in hunting his daughter down, rather than trying to correct the misunderstanding.
Ann walked into the room, disrupting his train of thought. "Hello, honey!" James greeted, cheering up slightly. He gave her the usual hug and brief kiss, but there was no love in it this time. When he got a close look at his wife, it took everything he had not to cringe. Ann was driving herself into the ground, and the bags around her eyes had gotten darker than ever. "It's great to see you home."
"It wasn't by choice; they put me on involuntary leave." Ann explained. "They thought I was incapable of doing my job! I am a competent neurosurgeon, and am perfectly able to separate my personal problems from my work."
"Honey, you've been working 16-hour days nonstop." James explained, hoping that he could get through to her. "When was the last time you got any sleep?"
"Don't remember; not important." Ann shook her head. "The point is, they are completely unjustified in removing me! I'm one of the best neurosurgeons they have! I've worked for them for twelve years. They can't do this!"
"Honey, you're killing yourself doing this." James explained. "I know you're worried about Kimmie-cub- we all are- but this isn't the way. You're running yourself ragged. You haven't slept in days! Just try and calm down."
"Calm down?!" Ann suddenly screamed. "How am I supposed to calm down when Kimmy's out there being hunted, and there's nothing I can do for her!"
"It's not just you; we're all worried about her." James reminded. "What about Jim and Tim? Have you said a single word to them in the past few days?"
Ann opened her mouth to scream a retort, then abruptly shut it. She went through what she remembered of her days, and not once could she recall saying anything to them. She had pushed everyone away in her grief, her husband and sons included. Was she really that blind to the fact that they were suffering as much as she?
A single tear rolled down her cheek as James guided her to the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. Jim and Tim were both fifteen years old, but they clung to her the way they had when they were toddlers, both sobbing freely.
Their difficulties were the same, but now it seemed as if a cloud was lifted, and the light shone over them once again. James knew that he was just as guilty as Ann as neglecting the others during his fear and concern, shoving everyone away to deal with his emotions privately. The result was that all of them had been suffering alone, with nobody to turn to in their time of grief.
"So what do we do?" Ann inquired. Her mind had moved from simply trying to bury the pain to pursuing active solutions.
"Just wait for all of this to be over." James replied.
"Couldn't we build something like we did before?" Jim smiled.
"Yeah, a bad battlesuit to swoop into the rescue!" Tim added.
"Now, boys, I'm not going to be able to get access to those materials a second time." James replied. Truth be told, he was thinking about doing just that. The problem was that it did little good; Ambrose had torn it apart with little difficulty.
There was a knock on the door, and James got to his feet and answered it, hoping it wasn't going to be another reporter. They had been persistently asking the Possible family for interviews, and refused to relent no matter how many times he told them no. Therefore, when he opened the door, James was perfectly ready to vent his frustration on the unfortunate individual outside.
Except... it wasn't a reporter. "James Possible?" The man was in his mid 30's, and his hand on his pistol. "I'm here to escort your family into protective custody."
"There has to be some kind of mistake; we're not going anywhere." James refused, glaring at the man furiously.
"My orders are clear; you're coming with us." The man responded. "We have reason to believe that you may be in danger." Behind him, he noticed more behind him, coming out of a van, all equipped with body armor and armed.
The only people I'm in danger from is you. James thought. They were Global Justice agents, he was sure of it. But why would they bother them? None of them had done anything. Of course... neither had Kim.
"We're not going anywhere." Ann backed her husband up, arms crossed. "We've done nothing wrong, and the only person threatening us is you!"
"As you wish," The man shrugged and tickled James to the ground. Ann tried to intervene, but was quickly grabbed by one of the other Agents. Jim and Tim were similarly restrained, although they were a mite gentler with him, being that they were still minors.
James looked for any way he could to fight back, but found nothing. He wasn't trained the way Kim was, and had nothing at hand to defend himself. There was only one explanation: they were being used as bait to draw Kim out of hiding. He silently prayed that she wouldn't come, but knew it was futile to do so. The moment she heard the news, she'd run into whatever trap Global Justice had laid out with her.
"We'll get through this, I promise." Ann told her children.
What none of them realized that once they disappeared, someone turned visible inside their house, simply standing there with his hands folded behind his back, a frown edging across his face.
