"Aw man, what are the odds that Bueno Nacho is closed for health inspections on the same day the Dining Hall is serving Mystery Meat! What are the odds?"

"Dude, I don't know, and I don't care. Don't talk to me here okay?"

"B-but — we're — we're roomies, man! Come on! Have I not saved the world before — by throwing two aliens into space?"

"Ugh."

Lowerton Community College Dining Hall: Lowerton, Colorado
October 22, 2007: 1:02PM

If it were possible for Ron to be any less popular than he was in Middleton well then this was the place. A domain where even lowly Ron Rieger was higher on the food chain. The two Rons splitting apart, Rieger headed to his table of gamer friends (gamer kids were cool now by the way) and Stoppable headed to the woman he could always connect with: The cafeteria lady.

He smiled wide, hoping for comradery, but his face dropped as mystery meat plopped against his tray, some of the specks splattering onto the first new shirt he had purchased in literal years.

But on top of everything else he had on his mind, this was no big. Really. Didn't get to him at all.

Shuffling past the register, Ron raised his voice with the hopes that someone — anyone — would hear him and maybe at least nod back. "Y'know, you'd think after you dump out your savings for tuition, the cafeteria would do a little better." But nope. Nothing going.

Albeit, it was largely because the students were distracted by the mystery meat that had molded itself into a gruesome beast that clung to the wall, chunks of gray sticking to the wall and it painted the name "RON."

This was not new to Ron. "Hey Rieger maybe it's for you this time."

"Buzz off dorkwad."

"Dorkwad? We still use that term?" Ron tutted a finger. "Interesting."

Ron turned to face monster and offered his attention. "What's up Sensei?"

"Ew, is that loser talking to Mystery Meat?" Ronnie Bockwaller cackled. She was like Bonnie. But less interesting. No character arcs whatsoever.

"Huh huh, yeah, you tell 'em," Flick Bragg guffawed. He was like Brick. But also less interesting. He had a character arc once in his life but it had been some time.

"Okay yes everyone! Sometimes I talk to living meat! Is this really that much of a surprise?!" Ron waved his arms and looked back to the meat. "'Sup dude?"

The Mystery Meat mimed a "call me" gesture and Ron groaned. He was really hoping to avoid this.


"Dude, what took you so long?"

"Well Stoppable-san, I had to wait until Bueno Nacho happened to be closed for a health inspection the same day that your college was serving Mystery Meat."

"...why? Can't you just — like — magic in front of me? Like you are right now?"

"...I'm very committed to the Mystery Meat bit.

The Rons' Dormitory: Lowerton, Colorado
October 22, 2007: 1:11PM

Sensei floated before Ron in a blue haze, legs crossed and eyes closed. Ron, on the flippity, sank into his massive bean bag chair.

"Stoppable-san, you must do something about your friend. For her to claim the title of Monkey Master is unacceptable. Especially after her actions in Paris. All of Yamanouchi feels disheartened by her action."

Ron nodded back. "Uh huh, yeah, I hear ya, but — for all we know it was just a misunderstanding. I kinda — we sort of mind melded. She got stabbed by someone and suddenly I was feeling her pain and — my powers channeled into hers. A lot of bad stuff happened. I don't know."

Sensei's eyebrow twisted up without the slightest stretch in his eye. "You felt the knife in her? Hm." He scratched the spot below his drooping 'stache. "You still have strong feels for her I presume."

"Not now. I mean I want to love Kim — but — I don't know, I could have died because of her. But yeah, she did try to take the hit for me. It was scaring me. Like — I don't know what she's going through but you have to be hurting pretty bad to want to die. Then she said let go and I just thought — hey. You're right. I don't need you and um — " his fingers twiddled against his kneecaps. "I love Kim don't get me wrong but this — this I can't deal. It's overwhelming to have to talk to her when she's in such an emotional crisis."

"Mm. Possible-chan needs you as much as you need her but hey, I'm single, so what do I know?" Sensei chuckled. "I am sure she sensed your lack of interest in the Mystical Monkey Power and chose to take the blame for you."

"Right…" Ron sighed.

"But nevertheless, Kim Possible has made a mockery of our history. Even our ancestors feel the dread. We can't have a celebrity claiming to know our ways when she's — "

"Gay now — or — uh — whatever?" Ron's eyes narrowed. "Whatever Kim wants to do with her body is fine with me."

"Ahem. I was referring more about the underage drinking and the ruthless destruction of public property with a complete disregard for human life. That is not our way."

"Oh." Ron shrugged. "I get that but I need to keep my head down, dude. Sorry to say."

Sensei bowed his head slightly and didn't move for some time. "Why has this transpired?"

"Bummed out," Ron said. "Rufus is really sick, Kim's been MIA for weeks, we broke up too, obviously, Barkin's my therapist, I can't stop messing up my job interviews, I shouldn't use my powers, and uh — what was it? Oh yeah, Rieger's a jerk. And when people knock on our door asking for Ron it always ends up being very disappointing on my end."

"Aw jeez," Sensei said too quickly. He shook his head back into composure. "Sounds rough — uh — buddy. I cannot make you do anything, but I advise you to think carefully about your actions for they do still matter. Monkey Master or not."

There was a little skip in Ron's heartbeat that felt very nice; he hadn't gotten a pep talk in a long time. Barkin, while helpful and instructive, was also loaded with conspiracy theories that it took Ron a few hours to realize were just bull-honkey.

"Somehow Sensei — I'll — " Ron pursed his lips. "I'll make you proud, okay? But I want to get my life back together first. I want to get a Shift Supervisor job somewhere — even in fast food, that'd be k. The more money I make the better I can take care of Rufus. I really can't focus on magic stuff when I'm feeling so down. Barkin's connecting me to a psychiatrist who can hook me up on some Zoloft and Bupropion so that should help a little but — ya know."

"Mm," Sensei took in a deep breath. "You should apply to Bueno Nacho."

"Oh Sensei, so naive," Ron smirked. "You don't work where you food."

"Yes but I have an in there." At this, Sensei twisted his mustache. "We all started somewhere, Stoppable-San."

Ron took a few moments to blink himself back into focusing on this strange, wordly man who seemed to have dipped his toes just about everywhere. "If you could help me with that — it would mean a lot. Um. Thanks for understanding. Um — I'll do you really proud one day, okay?"

"Correction," Sensei allowed himself a quick wink to his one of his star pupils. "You'll make all of Yamanouchi proud."


"E-e-every country? In the world. No. No! Thaaaaat doesn't make any sense. France, sure but — the world? Every country?"

"Global Justice has a lot of swing ya know?"

"Shoot."

"I don't get it though. Why did you pull out all the stops at the Triangle? What were you even doing there/

Shego's Loft: Paris, France (6th District)
October 22, 2007: 2:45PM

It actually took Kim a moment to remember; she had completely forgot within the past three weeks what her motive even was.

"I was — um — I was looking for you."

Shego nodded steadily, as if Kim had just made a passing comment on the weather. "Mm. That reminds me — we need to talk about something."

A shiver ran up Kim's spine.

"Hold on a sec," Shego spoke while strolling over to a closet. Kim occupied her anxiety by petting one of the many cats.

When Shego returned, she was holding Kim's corkboard with all the push-pins and yarn on it. The yarn hypothesized a linear story of Shego's mercenary jobs Europe through brightening shades of green. "I snagged this from your place before the police raided it."

"Oh?" Kim tried to stay toneless.

"This is 100% accurate, I'm very impressed," Shego said, fingers strumming against the taut yarn. "You're definitely not a wash-up if you're worried about that."

"I'm definitely a wash-up, but I guess I appreciate the sentiment," Kim leaned back as the cat headbutted her chest.

A wicked grin crossed Shego's angular face and she put the cork-board aside, swinging one leg over the other. "Why was it so important to you that Drakken and I became 'bad guys' again?"

Kim let it settle for a moment.

"I trusted you guys to do the right thing. I was just — shocked I guess."

Strange to be forced to summarize it all so quickly. She glumly added, "I felt like a hero, ya know? Because — I thought I inspired you guys."

"Mmmm," Shego snapped at the thought and licked her lips. "So — you wanna know why we're back in business?"

Kim kept her mouth shut and leaned forward, almost reeled in by Shego's effortless charisma.

"This — is easier," Shego said very defiantly. "What you do — did — is a lot harder." She held her hands up in an oafish way as a kinder method of saying Da-doy, Princess. "Is that really all you wanted to know?" Her knuckle popped under her chin.

"No," Kim admitted. "I wanted to figure out what I did that messed everything up so bad — um — I don't know. I'm a loser, like, this is me at the bottom of the barrel. I'm depressed, I'm having — " she gulped and skipped a few words. " — thoughts. I'm scared."

"Kimmie, let me be turn the table — why did you do what you do?"

"Huh — " Kim froze. "I'm not sure — if I — understand?"

Sheo smirked. "What made you do it? Most kids wouldn't go so out of their way for 'good.'"

"I don't know — I like helping people. Feels nice. I feel sick just like — living — and not — not doing my part. People need people like — " She really wanted to say us. But when her tongue hissed to say it, she couldn't do it. " — like me." This too, felt bad.

"Princess, cool the martyr act, you knock me down, I come back. How does that help you feel better?"

Kim's throat tightened. "Are you saying I'm supposed to kill people then? I don't do that."

"I'm saying think about the future. You're queer so stop and think — what does that mean to you?"

"I dunno."

"Well — to me it means that we're marginalized. People can hate us, dismiss us from their reality just 'cuz. You think Team Go's working on that?"

"Shego — you hurt people. You know that's wrong."

"Oh — absolutely," and she leaned in. "But you're not following the paper trail. I'm talking long game, Princess. And you're wanted by the stinkin' planet — you don't have a short game anymore."

The bones in Kim's hand pushed through her skin and the cat in her lap moaned. She flinched and looked back to Shego. "Shego, you're scaring me — "

"Kim."

Kim perked up at one of the only times the mercenary ever dropped her first name with no embellishments.

"You're obsessed."

No objections there. Kim slid back in the couch, knees hugging the edge of the cushion.

"You stop at nothing to see the world that you want to see, so sometimes you're reckless. Don't be embarrassed, it's endearing."

"Well it doesn't matter now," Kim said. She tried to joke. "I'm finished. There's no way out of here but down. And I mean that literally — your rent has got to be through the roof — "

"Princess, I'm going to give you some options. Because hey, I've been in the same spot before."

Kim's voice dropped very low. "Go ahead."

Shego was very clear and blunt about what could be.

"1.) Turn yourself in and plead guilty."

This was the responsible decision. One that her parents probably hoped for her to take.

"2.) Turn yourself in and plead not guilty. Take your stinkin' BF down with you."

This was actually possible. Ron's lack of control was how this all escalated so fast. But she burned it out of her mind. She couldn't do that to Ron. She took the blame for his mystical magic mayhem so he could be happy. She could have let him take the knife to the stomach and die but she didn't — she fought for her own homicide, and now, with many regrets, she had to live with it.

"3.) Come up with a false identity and see how long she lasts."

She had spent hours fantasizing about this mysterious new identity that honestly, was the practical solution to the problem that initially brought her to Paris. Hearing Shego say it so plainly forced an understanding of how far-fetched that gambit was.

"4.) Keep Kim Possible alive but stay on the run."

Out of the question. She didn't want to be Kim Possible anymore.

"5.) Kill yourself. Sounds like you want to."

Something familiar thumped in her chest and hot tears trickled down.

"6.) Ask me what I do for work."

The answer was pretty obvious.

Sort of.

Kim gurgled out a loud sob and had to conceal her face behind a trembling hand. "Shego, I'm a good person. I can't. Please. There has to be something else."

"Aw, does Princess think I'm a bad person? Or mayhaps is she just shouting at the mirror?"

Kim's head bowed down and her shoulders reared up, rising and falling with each heave, almost like wings. "I just wanted to be me."

"That's fine, but the world ain't ready for your freak flag," Shego held her smile. "Come on. You know what you're supposed to do."

Kim's fists clenched so tightly she thought she'd pop a blood vessel. Something snapped in her back and she pushed herself back up to face Shego, but the eye contact was only on principle; the tears blurred the green woman out of sight.

"So what do you do for work?" Kim's voice crackled..

Shego fluttered her eyelashes, splaying her painted nails. "Me?! Aw shucks. Glad you asked."


I waited, as if the sea could make my decision for me.

A second wave collapsed over my feet, lipped with white froth, and the chill gripped my ankles with a mortal ache.

My flesh winced, in cowardice, from such a death.

I picked up my pocket book and started back over the cold stones to where my shoes kept their vigil in the violet light.

- The Bell Jar


Forest. Olive. Green.

"Kimmie-cub, I thought we raised you better."

"Mm, yeah. Point in fact — thought you did. Yes, that's right, you're just a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon — you just had to have the perfect daughter, right?"

"Jim, let me talk to her. Kim. Honey. You're messed up. You don't have to do let it go this way. We just want our baby back."

"Haha, yeah, okay. Hey Dad, I see this is your work tablet — do me a solid and tell me what the password is. I've been dying to see what we've been working on. The whole Hephaestus Project thing makes me a little scared at how easy it is to set these things off the rails."

Jade. Lime. Mint.

"Kim, please don't touch my computer."

"Sorry Nerdlinger but you understand as well as I do that hogging all these weapons systems for Ron Stoppable isn't going to do the world any good."

White. Blush. Rose.

"Do with me what you will Possible. It's not like anyone will be surprised."

"Sure. Y'know, Will, there's a little story I want to share with you. I think you're the only one that'll get it."

"Try me."

"There was a girl named Kim who really did try to do her best. But things happened. People misunderstood and thought she was bad. Then things got really bad and well — what else could she do but be bad?"

"I—I—I see."

"Yeeeeah. First, she was angry but now — now she's at peace. Hey. Calm down, calm down, I just wanted to say thank you Will. Couldn't do it without you. Oh, I really wanted to tell this to Betty but — she's not around anymore, is she?"

Red. Scarlet. Cherry.

"K. Where — where is Junior? What happened to our home?"

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that. Junior's at the bank making a very large withdrawal so he can donate to a movement he really believes in."

"What? He would never — he would have talked to — oh my God."

"Haha. Yes. I did."

"You're sick!"

"Awwww. Yeah, a little. But hey, you kissed me first, right?"

Auburn.

"Oh h-hey, KP, it's been a minute, hasn't it?"

"Not long enough I'm afraid."

"Yeeeeeah, about that — I heard that um — you're doing bad stuff now, huh?"

"Save it. It's over. This is me and you lost. Now, I want you to know that when I lied to Agent Du about having your powers — I panicked. I was scared witless but now — ha — it's the best thing that ever happened to me. People run in fear at the slightest inkling that I'm around the corner."

"Kim? I — I — I don't like how y-you're looking at me."

"If I am to keep this up, then — well —

our little secret needs to die with you."


Kim Possible had nothing.

Not even the clothes on her back.

Shego forced Kim to disrobe before her, shedding the clothing that had been too big for her anyways. Like a kid playing dress up. Make-up was washed off, hair clips and ties were plucked, and she became nothing more than a stupid child that had taken the candy from a stranger. Neither spoke as Shego circled her limp form with measuring tape, the green woman penciling in every little measurement she could think of.

Hot steam cleared her systems, the scathing waters and epsom salt opening her pores, hours of burning while Kim waited for Shego to finish finding her new wardrobe in the marketplace. Meanwhile, her mind fell into delirium because Shego — very intentionally — had left one thing for Kim to toy with: a razor.

This was the moment.

She could run. It was right there, inches away. Her veins pulsated, throbbing at her skin, begging for her to get it over with.

While waiting for Shego, she finished Ariel and moved onto Plath's The Bell Jar. But it became all too familiar all too quickly. What at first read to her as a sad girl feeling alone in New York escalated into what she could remember from her nightmares.

I let out a tear that seemed ready. It made a little hot track down my cheek.

It was at this moment that Kim began to share the same pains as Esther Greenwood; she couldn't read. The print made no sense. She slipped out of the bath to read the labels on the various soaps and conditioners, and identified that yes, these were indeed letters from the alphabet on the labels. But the letters strung together made no sense. Her mind was moving too fast to focus on anticipating the sounds of — for instance — what a th- might sound like when paired with an -e. So just nothing. Completely illiterate.

When the door finally swung open, the bath had run cold and Kim's face was dry with tears. Wordlessly, Shego crouched next to the bath and raised a palm to Kim's cheek, finger brushing away the girl's tears. Her other hand fished for the plug and quickly the water began to drain. As the water's surface slipped away from her, Kim's skin flared into goosebumps all over.

"Kimmie," Shego said after the water had been gone for nearly three minutes. "You need to get up."

"Can you hold me?" she murmured.

Shego nodded gently and wrapped her arms very carefully around the sobbing child, but Kim's demeanor didn't really lift. Eventually, Shego sighed and pulled her head away from Kim's shoulder. She looked up to her.

There was a shameful hope in Kim's eyes that almost made her blink.

"Do me a solid," Shego clipped. "And don't fall for me."

"Okay," Kim tried to say but no words came out. A finger rubbed the spot just below the hairline on her neck, nail relieving an itch that she hadn't been aware of before. Another finger looped wet hairs behind her ear, and then their lips came together, pressing each other softly. A tingling spread through Kim's cheeks that was electric — her mouth flashed her first smile of the day and they stayed like this for some time.

It was certainly not romantic — nowhere near the girl kiss of her dreams. A ferocious craving kept her strong, spine extending with each second. Bonnie ignited something within her, but that was an act of war. This moment with Shego carried with it the same gravity, but felt much more grounded. No confusion here.

This was survival.

This was love that extended beyond anything she had ever felt from anyone.

Yes. Ron loved her. Yes. She loved Ron, probably more than ever but — that person was gone. The girl everyone romanticized was performance. The girl they wanted wasn't present anymore.

A long time ago, a knot formed in her consciousness and she never dared to pry the ties loose — because that was an era where she had to stay focused. But now, those knots had twisted into suffocation.

Yet all of a sudden, a hand flipped into the knot and slowly began pushing open the loops and the deathly hold on her soul became so much more gentle.

"I see you," Shego whispered, breath hot. She pulled away and looked at Kim darkly. "You stay alive and someone will do that for you one day, because they want you. Because you'll be better. It gets easier, okay? But the first step is getting up."


"Kimmie, your heart's racing. Chill. It's really not that bad."

"B-but it's Big Daddy Brotherson — "

"Mhm, it is — so be cool. It's not like — this isn't evil. Ya know?"

Shego's Loft: Paris, France (6th District)
October 22, 2007: 8:27PM

Kim raised an eyebrow despite her closed eyes. It was difficult to make heads or tails of any of this.

"Listen, you do this first job with me and you'll get it."

"Do they know I'll be there?"

"No and that's the whole strategy."

"Mm."

Kim's new get-up was a whole project. For the past hour, Shego meticulously passed over Kim's body and built her into this brand new persona with a much more vivid agenda. At first, the nudity was uncomfortable and scary but over time it became very matter of fact. Not even Ron had seen her like this and there she was, moving like a ragdoll at Shego's touch.

Like in the old days, Kim was dressed in a crop top with three quarter sleeves, but instead of wool, she donned lace. Black lace twisted across her chest, spider-like in the sharp tendrils that flared out and arched down in acute angles. While elegant and uppercrust, the elastic bands at her joints kept her spry.

A bullet-proof vest made to the exact fit of her torso was concealed beneath the lace, protecting her upper body, the vest only displaying as solid gray behind the network of lace.

A similar material to the top was used for a long skirt that flowed down to the ankles, nearly see-through, the legs underneath them bare.

Gauntlets encased her hands and stilettos had her feet, though the heels were actually just for show; they concealed weapons that could be unleashed at a moment's notice.

The make-up Shego lathered on Kim were dark pinks and reds, bringing about the oddly cool headed anger in her eyes and the confidence in her smile. All of it was exciting, except for the hair. This was a compulsive choice from Shego; she hacked it off until it just skimmed her shoulders and then with surprisingly gentle care, Shego molded the auburn into a cute bob cut.

The only untouched piece of Kim Possible that remained was the scar that marred her stomach. It drew in the eye and quickly demanded your revulsion.

"It's tactic," Shego explained, head draped over Kim's shoulder. "No one's gonna hit you there and hey, I got the rest of you protected. So let's say they think'll shoot you in the stomach — "

Kim crumpled at the thought of actual bullets.

" — they'll go ew, no, and hit ya in the chest maybe. And because of the Kevlar, you live."

Wade Load, eat your heart out.

Shego patted both of Kim's shoulders and strutted off. "Plus, it gives you the whole once burned kinda edge."

Kim glanced into the mirror. "Shego, I look so gay."

"Mhm," Shego sang and blew a kiss to the air. "You got a new lezzie image to uphold."

Kim nodded. "I feel — good. I haven't felt good in forever."

Kim's arms made it to Shego's and something began sparking between them.

"Remember. I know your imagination's probably running wild but seriously — chill. We're not villains. Yeah, they might say terrorists. They'll say whatever makes them feel distant. But we're activists. We wan't let them keep destabilizing us." Shego frowned. "The work is good. We make change you'll get to see before you die — God. You are so beautiful."

Tears welled up in Kim's eyes, tears she quickly needed to quell — y'know — for the makeup. "Shego, can you kiss me again?"

"Heh," Shego forced a giggle, but it sounded fake. "Princess, you remember what I told you right?"

"Yeah," Kim chirped and grabbed Shego by the lapels. "But one more for the road. It's platonic, yeah?"

"Heh — okay fine, one more," Shego grabbed Kim's chin with a little playful malice, squeezing the jaw just tight enough. "Ask again though and I'll be a cradle robber. So once we hit Reno, I'm finding you a girlfriend, got it?"

A strange moment lingered between them because both parties knew that wasn't happening anytime soon. But when the lips came together, Kim went light-headed, those hang-ups and fears drifting away. It reminded her of the alcohol that turned her world upside down.

It was a claw that reached down her throat and gripped her heart, squeezing it of feeling, compassion subbing out for zeal. With their bodies so close, she could remember the mission. She could remember purpose. Not because it was her but because it was someone. Anyone with compassion really.

When the tears came to Kim's eyes, Shego pulled away. Kim pushed herself to her toes. "This is me, huh?"

"Yeah," Shego bit her lip. Did she just enable something?.

"No more games, no more gags," Kim whispered. "For starters — I'm dropping the silly name. When we hit the field — I don't want to hear the usual Kim Possible-Impossible diatribe."

"Um — okay. So…?"

She crossed her arms and remembered Ron's favorite banter: Actually it is Possible. Kim Possible. But that's a common mistake.

Kim grinned and dropped back to her normal height. "Kimberly Possible."

Shego nodded slowly.

A high-pitched voice shrieked down the caverns of Kimberly's mind. Kay-Pee.

She narrowed her eyes. That too would need to go. But she needed her last name for now. But one day — maybe it could change. To anything — anything that didn't start with a P. That's ideal.

But.

Kimberly would have to do for now.

End Act One