KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS
AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE, NWILSON1
Chapter 10: Ending Of An Era, Part 1
Dr. Director dreaded the board's reaction. She never imagined this. Chairman Kaia Rosa and her committee members declared a state of emergency. Armed agents lined the halls leading into and the committee chamber's interior.
What really worried her, these guards caught her within their crosshairs, marking her every move. Something told her, whether she left this chamber alive or dead depended on how she answered this committee's pointed questions. "Sir, what's going on here?"
"Director, some damning allegations have been lodged against you".
"By a dissident," she denigrated the charges.
"That may be true," Chairman Rosa understood her contempt. "Usually, I'd never defend a traitor over one of our own. Fact is, she's a dissident with enormous support and compelling evidence, all against you, Dr. Director".
Her boss didn't have to expound what she meant. Dr. Director had played this political game far too long. She read between the lines deducing relatively easy. She wasn't Scarlett Rose's only victim. She held damning evidence on some very powerful people around the globe. No doubt, their usual fixers tried but failed to terminate this abomination and recover her evidence.
Hence, they resorted unto what they do best, coerce someone else into doing their dirty work. All politicians lived by one golden rule. Never get your hands dirty. That was why her boss arranged this emergency briefing, to back her into a corner, making sure she had as much to lose as they did, then issuing her an ultimatum she couldn't refuse.
Like it or not they'd appointed her as their next unofficialfixer. Dr. Director certainly knew this job's written and unwritten rules. That gave her a heads up on most candidates. She simply needed to know one thing, "Madam Chairman, what do you need me to do?"
"Find and terminate this clone…"
"That should be easy enough".
"…and make sure whatever evidence she has never sees the light of day," Chairman Rose amends her last orders.
"How do you propose I accomplish this, Madam Chairman?"
"What do you mean, Director?"
"As said, I can draw out and terminate this clone easy enough. Destroying her evidence will prove far more difficult".
"And your point is?"
"Every law enforcement and intelligence agency in the world has tried and failed miserably at finding these dissidents' new base".
"Except Global Justice," Chairman Rose boasted, then turned sour again. "If you'd done your job last time, we wouldn't be in this fix now".
And the truth came out. Her bosses and their constituents blamed her over this Collective's head leaders surviving. "What are my orders, Madam Chairman?"
"Terminate this clone and destroy her evidence. If destroy these dissidents' base is the only way, then do it. You have 72-hours, or else," she jumped up and nodded towards her head guard, before exiting the chamber, followed by the other committee members.
On cue, every guard cocked his/her weapon. All took aim.
Dr. Director closed her eye, awaiting the inevitable.
Every guard fired in-sync. Their hammer clicked and gun discharged.
Only, nothing happened. No bullet tore through or muzzle fire burned her flesh. Dr. Director got her boss' message loud and clear. They'd used blanks this time, next time it'd be real ammo, should she fail this mission. She left the chamber visibly shaken, but determined to succeed.
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Betty couldn't sleep, tossing and tumbling. Who could blame her? She rolled from bed and started towards the kitchen, thinking. Maybe some warm milk might help her slep. She didn't get outside her bedroom. Her phone beeped, displaying a text message.
She dreaded but read the communique anyway. Her heart skipped a beat and eye palpitated in pure terror reading, "24-down, 48-left". Bets knew she'd be warned. A subtle reminder, if you will. Her bosses basically gave her 72-hours to live. Erase their problems or they'd erase her. Permanently. It was slim at best, but finding this dissident cell's base was her only hope.
Betty sat her phone down, shoving these concerns aside. She exited her bedroom, headed down the hall and into the kitchen. She ignited the right, front eye, grabbed a 32-oz pot, opened the refrigerator, and poured roughly 12-ounces of milk inside. She placed the pot over the burner. It didn't take long. The milk was warm but not scalding.
Betty poured her beverage into a medium size coffee mug. She picked it up enjoying the warmth against her skin, especially on these cold Colorado nights. She brought the cup to her lips, taking a sup.
"So, is what she said true?" A voice reached outside the shadows.
Betty jerked in surprise, nearly spilling her milk, but thinking. She must be getting old. She didn't detect an unauthorized presence in her own home. "Who's there?" She demanded.
"Me," Shego stepped into the open. "Now, answer my question, before I barbecue your ass!"
Betty knew she meant every word. She'd heard the unsettling truth. Hell, the whole world had. Scarlett Rose, a.k.a. Zahra Wolfe, was Shego and Kim Possible's clone. The striking resemblance was impossible to miss. That abomination never got around to exposing G.J., thank God. This mission was still salvageable. "Global Justice did control the lab…."
Shego's temper flared hotter than ever.
"But," Dr. Director tried to temper and redirect its volatility, "we didn't start the lab".
"Explain," Shego gave the woman one shot.
"Rainbow's End Asylum was a relative new facility with the latest countermeasures, specifically designed to incarcerate and keep master criminals behind bars. The board felt sure Drakken would never leave there alive".
Shego never liked stories growing up. She always felt like she was getting strung along. She lost her temper firing a plasma bolt past the old woman's head snarling, "Get to the point!"
"Fine," Betty yielded, having no alternative. She knew she couldn't lie. Shego would detect the least bit of deception. She'd have to use the lying truth. "We thought the operation was legit. A dissident informant code named Driftwood contacted us…"
"Who is this Driftwood?" Shego spat back with considerable doubt.
"We don't know," Betty shrugged her shoulders. "She claimed, a dissident cell known as the Pact had taken control over Rainbow's End, and intended on recruiting the master criminals housed there. G.J. moved in and stopped their plans. We tried to offer but she declined our reward".
"What does any of this have to do with that clone walking around with Princess' face and wielding my powers?" Shego started to heat up again. Just thinking about that thing made her blood boil. It drawing breath desecrate her Princess' memory. She wanted to end it and whoever created this abomination. She didn't care if it was G.J. itself. She'd tear it down brick-by-brick, if she must.
"More than you know," Betty replied somberly, taking a seat behind her table. "It isn't public knowledge. I could get into serious trouble sharing this INTEL with a civilian".
"Don't snow me, Cyclops," Shego stayed alert, sure this wily bitch was pulling something, but unsure what. Sit down or one misplaced step, and it'd be curtains for her. She's the one who issued the NQA-kill order. "Knock off the drama, and stick with the facts!"
"Very well," Dr. Director sips her milk continuing. "Official reports say, G.J. stopped whatever these dissidents had planned. Truth is, we didn't. We only delayed their plans".
"What do you mean?"
"Driftwood was right. A dissident cell, calling itself The Pact, funneled the funds necessary to build Rainbow's End through various charities, government grants, even outright loans. Another unsettling truth, the Pact did recruit those madmen and madwomen".
"How?" That was all Shego could muster to ask.
"You must've heard Rainbow End was destroyed last year".
"Yea," Shego nodded, not giving away too much. "What about it?"
"We within the intelligence community hid another unsettling truth. Death records state over 300 of the world's leading master criminals perish in that incident. Truth is, they escaped, while their clones perished amidst that missile attack".
"What?" Shego gasped in shock, abhorring the apocalyptic them running through her head. She recalled some of Dr. D's cataclysmic plans. She found her voice again adjuring, "That still doesn't explain Twinkle Toes, Director".
"A year earlier, this same cell broke DNAmy out of Silver Shield…"
"G.J.'s most secretive prison?"
Her head snapped up so fast. Shock and wrath etched across her contours. Dr. Director quickly regained her composure nodding, "Yes".
"What'd they want with her?"
"Care to sit down," she gestured toward the chair across hers. "This part won't be easy to hear, Shego. It's gonna upset you…"
"Don't worry about sparing my feelings, Bets! I'm a big girl! Just give me the facts!" Shego didn't move an inch, still on guard with palms lit.
"As you wish," she relents, continuing. "Drakken confessed under heavy interrogation. He created multiple embryonic clones…of you".
Shego loses her temper. Raw plasma crawled up her right arm. She brought it down with such force. The blow cracks Dr. Director's solid oak table like kindling. "What about these clones?"
"They were so unstable. We had to destroy them all. We believe Scarlett Rose may be unable as well. And that's why she broke DNAmy out of Silver Shield. When she couldn't stabilize her genetic matrix, Scarlett Rose then sprung your ex-boss and the other inmates at Rainbow's End. Maybe Drakken could explain unto DNAmy how he created her".
"Wait," Shego's head hurt. "Drakken created her?"
"You'd become indolent, even threatened to quit…"
"…on several occasions," Shego comments offhandedly.
Dr. Director leaps inside. She'd reached the plasma wielder. Outwardly, she stayed calm moving on, "Hence, he put an alternative plan into motion. He created Scarlett Rose. That way, you leaving wouldn't hinder him taking over the world. Unfortunately, he programmed her to think Global Justice created her. Now, she's declared war against us. Me, specifically".
Shego clenched her fists irately. Dr. Director hadn't lied outright. Neither had she shared the whole truth. In her book, a half-truth was still a lie, only one of omission, and meant to deceive, same as any other lie. "Where'd they get Princes' DNA?" She growled through gritted teeth.
"Her family physician, local lab where she occasionally donated blood, or maybe where we found her blood last year, who knows?"
Again, she'd given her the lying truth, part of a half-truth, meant to wrangle her into doing a job, but what? It was past time she showed this conniving bitch. She was anyone's puppet. "What about G.J.'s samples destroyed when dissidents collapsed Deception Bridge in Washington?"
"We recovered those samples when we raided this dissident cell's main base of operations," Dr. Director didn't withhold the truth. Doing so would only alienate Shego worse. And she needed the plasma wielder's help.
"You intended on creating Kimmie clones, didn't you?"
"What'd you expect me to do?" Betty offered no apology for her actions. "Kimberly walked circles around my best agents. Her death only destabilized global security worse. Global Justice is losing this war on crime. Her return to action, after being rescued, would've been the shot in the arm G.J. needed, even partially restored the public's trust. We can protect them".
Shego discerned G.J. senior director didn't withhold anything. "Bets, what do you need…from me specifically?"
"This clone possesses damning evidence on some of the world's most powerful people. She's threatened to release this information. These men and women, my bosses included, tried but failed to terminate this clone. Hence, they've given me 48-hours. Find and recover, if not possible then destroy, this evidence, lastly terminate this clone".
Shego sensed something she'd never sensed from the apathetic woman, mortal, mind-numbing fear. "And what happens if you fail?" She probed her bosses' penalty.
"I'll be labeled a collaborate and terminated within 24-hours".
Her actions started to make more sense. "Is that why you issued that NQA-kill order over my head?"
"They did it unto me first".
"Real mature, Cyclops! Real mature! You sound like a 5-year-old. They did it unto me. So, what? You recruit me the same way? How'd that make you feel, Bets?" It took her full restraint. Shego wanted to barbecue her ass until nothing but ashes remained.
Dr. Director didn't say anything to excuse or condemn her own actions.
She'd already said. Her bosses gave her 48-hours. That can only mean there's an out. "What must we do to get out from under this death threat, You Beady-Eyed Bitch?"
"Find and destroy this Pact's latest base, and we'll be absolved of all guilt".
"Why should I?"
Okay, she didn't care about her personal freedom. Maybe she'd care about her family, "The Pact's arming itself. For what? We don't know".
"Like I care," Shego snorted, stone-faced.
"Worse yet, they're using Kimberly's reputation as their own personal rally cry to recruit people".
Shego stood straight up, fully erect. That got her attention.
"Oh, wait, you haven't heard the best part. Two of Kim's old friends lead this Pact".
"Who?" Shego gritted her teeth, tasting blood.
"I believe you know them. Felix Renton and Dr. Vivian Porter. They're this Pact's head leaders".
"I'll be in touch," Shego turned and left without another word.
Betty Director smirked, spotting a HenchCo black-market cell phone lying on her kitchen table. Her milk may've gotten cold. That phone assured her. She'd found a far better remedy by reaching the plasma wielder. Oh, she'd check her facts, but come back with something.
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Shego could care less about Dr. Director. Let her bosses plug her. She wouldn't lose a night's sleep. Neither was she worried about their death threats. They'd hunted her years. Only, Princess ever came close to bringing her down. G.J. didn't have that ace any longer. She wanted, but simply couldn't forget this whole ordeal.
It bugged her day and night, 24/7. She couldn't rest, knowing. These dissidents cloned her fallen Princess. Kimmie's own classmates, if she could trust G.J.'s INTEL. Renton and Porter used this abomination to justify their barmy crusade of murder. That capitalized their crimes in her book. She didn't eat or sleep, determined to find this Driftwood.
Maybe she'd know this base's location. Storm their gates, then she could get her hands ahold of Renton and Porter. She'd make them wish they'd never been born. It didn't take long. Her vast connections within the villain community helped her locate Driftwood within 24-hours. The Pact's recent activities even created ripples among other dissident groups.
Icy cold water imbued her head to toe. Francien Haas, a.k.a. Driftwood, shot up in bed, screaming in pain, as the numbness spread up her body. Teeth still chattering.
"Ah, you're awake".
Her eyes adjusted quickly unto the sparse light. Driftwood scoured her surroundings, noticing she wasn't inside her own bedroom any longer, also noticing her captor, "What do you want?"
"Answer one question, and you're free to go. Where's the Pact's central base of operations?" Her prisoner didn't answer quick enough. Shego loosened her tongue by grasping her arm roughly and channeling her plasma through her pores. "Where is it?" She yells over Driftwood's bitter cries.
"The Pact recently moved…" She trailed off.
Shego interpreted her hesitation wrongly, assuming. She was stalling, until she could devise a more believable lie. Enough people had already lied unto and toyed with her affections. She didn't have time for this. The plasma wielder pounced upon, mercilessly beating her prison, demanding more authoritatively with each blow, "Where?"
"Tien Shan Mountain Range, atop Jengish Chokusu, near the Kyrgyzstan-China border, a few miles southeast of Lake Issyk Kul".
Shego casted her prisoner aside and walked out.
She hadn't been gone that long. Scarlett Rose shimmered into open view.
Driftwood rolled over. Her eyes went wide, spotting her executioner standing there wielding a P90 assault rifle. "No, please, I…"
"…betrayed Master Shadow," Scarlett emptied 15-rounds through various sections of her body.
Outside, Shego stopped, hearing her prisoner scream in mortal terror, followed seconds later by automatic gunfire. The muzzle flashes lit up the deceased's darkened room.
Two neighbor heard the same commotion. An elder man stuck his head outside, spotting a very suspicious character standing amidst the street. He yelled, "Hey, you!"
"Ah, damn!" Shego cursed her luck. Few people cared about an ex-con's innocence, especially one already wanted dead or alive. How would these few feel about hearing she'd now turned into a notorious assassin, too? She couldn't stick around to find out.
"Stop!" He yelled.
Another neighbor stuck her head outside Haas' window evincing, "Murderer!"
Shego disappeared into the night. She blamed Cyclops. She put her here. If she hadn't roped her into his 'mission,' she wouldn't be wanted dead or alive now.
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Betty Director became more anxious with every ticking second. Shego left her house 36-hours ago. And she hadn't heard a word from her since. That left less than 12-hours to solve this case. If not, she wouldn't last until morning. She paced her office's full length, back and forth.
Gladys Knight and the Pips stopped her cold singing, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". He retrieves the HenchCo phone Shego left behind answering, "Hello".
"Assembly your strike teams. We'll be hitting the Pact's base within 6-hours".
"Where?"
"Jengish Chokusu Peak, near the Kyrgyzstan-China border, a few miles southeast of Lake Issyk Kul," Shego disclosed, then hung up without apology. She'd done her part.
"We'll be there," Dr. Director ignored the dial tone. At least now, she could end this threat and save her life at the same time.
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Kim knew they'd strike fast and hard. She posted synthodrones just beyond the base's perimeter. Their mission, scour the terrain and airwaves, notifying her the minute any aircraft and armed troops appeared on their scopes. She didn't have to wait long.
Her earbud buzzed 5-hours later. She tapped it lighting. Her southern synthodrone leader alerted her, "Chinese J-16 and Z-18 assigned unto the 9th Fighter Division of the PLAAF are headed this way, accompanied by 600 troops, including Chinese, American, Russian, and Hispanic agents".
"Stay out of sight. Let the planes pass by, then engage the troops".
"Orders?"
"Terminate all troops. All ends justify the means," Kim kills the connection. A plasmatic cocoon enveloped her head to toe, growing bright. She underwent a metamorphosis inside. Her cocoon dissipated. Kim emerged Shadow's twin.
She'd stirred the pot. Now it was time to play the handle dealt. She must convince G.J. and the world she, Shadow, Aurora (a.k.a. Vivian Porter), and the Pact are history. That was the whole point of orchestrating this charade.
She couldn't help but wonder. How would Master Shadow react unto what she'd done?
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So, hi everyone. We're not dead, if that's what you're wondering. One in the East, another West, making this collab taking more time than ever to finish. And, with me battling my final term before graduating, and setting off to university, it's one tight schedule to keep. But rest assure, this is definitely continuing. Do, drop us a few words to let us know how we're doing. Til next time.