Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible™ or any character, location or event associated with that said show.
Last time on Legend of a Monkey Master.
- Ron is Monkey-napped by the babysitter!
- Junior Senior searches the globe for the Idols of Yono.
- Anne has comments and concerns over Kim's activities.
- Ron has always been dubious about his place on Team Possible.
...
Ch 10: Make A Monkey Of You.
Kimmunicator.
Check.
Spare Mission clothing.
Check.
Passport.
Check.
Custom made, WadeTech grapple/grenade launcher (and also functional hairdryer).
Check.
The bare essentials. She needed to pick up Ron's trail. Now. Have to pack lightly. Have and arrive in London at the earliest.
Mom stood in the doorway. In her way. "I don't remember suddenly changing my mind on this. You don't leave this house without my say so and ignoring me," Kim ignored her, continued to pack, "won't change that."
"If I don't go, who will?" Kim fished from under her bed and unlocked her WadeTech, tweeb resistant armament case. Useful for keeping her diary safe among other items. Her supply of projectiles for the launcher. "You think the F.B.I. is going to buy Ron was kidnapped by a band of ninja bent on retrieving four Mystical Monkey Idols?"
"Ring your personal friend, Betty, and explain the particulars. It's her job you keep doing for her!"
Stock in short supply. Smoke bombs. Tracer gas. She was especially short those sticky glue-p grenades which proved effective against mystical stone multi armed elephant guardians. Priority - comm Wade for a restock.
The doorbell was ringing. Dr Possible was making no progress here. In throes of infinite frustration she left her daughter to answer persistent knocking.
"Kim! Visitors!"
Kim did not want to be distracted form a moment of preparation, however, was rewarded for accepting a break from activities to come downstairs and greeting the pair now in her living room. Entertained by the brother tweebs, Jim and Tim, show casing their latest attempt to construct a light bending fabric to render them invisible.
"Monique!" Mon threw her arms around Kim. Also present, "Wade!"
"Kim! I had to stop in. You left class so suddenly, I was worried."
"Don't be. I 'm fine."
"But Ron! Wade alluded to something being up…?"
"Ron is – less fine. I don't know how to say this…."
"With words. As a general starting point."
"Ron has been kidnapped by ninja."
"O.M.G! Serious? Were they hired by Bonnie?"
"It was Hana's babysitter."
"You're womanly intuition called that one."
"I know," although Kim struggled to recall telling Monique, or anyone, her feelings toward Yori.
Mon took a step back for pint sized Wade. "I thought you could use an extra friendly face. Sometimes that face over your funky, oversized 90's phone isn't enough."
"What do you want me to do?" Greetings over. He set his kit down on the coffee table and flicked open the clasps. "Insert a phone into her watch? It needed to be an appropriate screen or Kim would strain her eyes reading complex schematics. Hi, by the way. Let's get down to business."
Monique shifted focus to Anne Possible. The mother observing and cagey, "Tell me about Hana! How precious is she? Is she walking yet?" looping arms and pulling Mom insistently into her kitchen. Very much not appreciated by the Possible matriarch.
"Oh yes. On the ceiling…."
Wade lifted the lid. "A fresh stock of grenades and some new gear. All prototypes. Be delicate because they aren't field hardened yet. First, one item you should never be without…." He opened his shirt chest pocket.
"Ta-da!"
"(Ta-da! Yes. My existence has been downgraded to multi-use gadget)."
"Rufus!"
"(Reporting for duty. Babysitter has the cheek to steal my human? I pity the fool!)".
Kim cupped and held out her hands. "Come here, Rufus. Until we have Ron back, you're riding with me."
An offer which bemused the rodent. The two girls of Team Possible were no B.F.F.'s. She gladly accepted Kim's offer. They would search for their human together.
"Now to the fun stuff."
"(Are you saying I'm not fun?")
"Hang on. Do the tweebs have to be here?"
Her brothers eyed Wade's gadget case hungrily. Tim may have been drooling. He didn't care to be offended.
"We'll be good," Jim promised offhand.
"The Yono likes pranks? I like pranks. I've got some party favours prepared for him. This," Wade held out a disk twice the size of her palm, "projects still, holographic images. You'll remember I used this technology fake social workers during my Wade Stoppable adoption scam."
"You can fool the naked eye?" Tim.
"You forged an adoption to the Stoppables?" Jim.
"Later boys. This isn't nearly as advanced," Wade referred to his holodisk. "I had my entire home rigged with sensitive equipment. This Holo-Kim is only a still picture. Speakers in the base to add to the deception but the lips aren't going to move. Momentary distraction at best. Can be configured to Kim standing, Kim fighting stance or Kim knocked flat on the ground during a fight."
"You must have waited a long time to get that shot."
"Even Joe only has trouble laying her out," a tweeb, Tim, agreed with his sister.
"Not patient enough. I resorted to a 3D image of you sunbathing. Then modified it."
"Invasion of personal space, much?"
Wade shrugged off her displeasure and demonstrated his next item.
"A simple banana casement into which any of your grenades will fit." Essentially a banana skin.
"You think anyone will be stupid enough to eat it?"
"Yono may oblige. Could consider it funny. Hey, I was working to a time constraint here! Place it somewhere innocent. Remote activation via the Kimmunicator," he instructed.
"I've been working with sonics," he took out his next bad boy. "High pitched sound designed to disorientate foes. Sonic grenades," he held up a shell with his left hand not so different to her other grenades, only painted with different strips. "Earplugs," in his left hand. "Extra sets for Joe, Rufus and Ron. They only block high frequencies so you'll still be able to communicate. You'll want them. On the wrong end of one of these bad boys you'll be double over, holding you head and throwing your guts out. Set to high, remember to keep your jaw open or the vibration will knock your teeth out. Then you'll really have a bad yearbook photo. "
"Seriously. Privacy. Learn it."
"A few odds and ends I was working on. Spare piton in your new belt. In case you're falling without a hairdryer. The rock in this ring can be sucked on for oxygen. If you ever find yourself trapped in an underwater labyrinth – give you five minutes tops."
"Paralysis chewing gum. Derived from extract of the Poisonous Amazon flower Kon'dalese Ricce. Joe's stock," he headed off the obvious question. "Assuming you can get your enemies to take it."
"Couldn't be harder than getting 'em to swallow you're banana grenade."
"Microchip," Wade lifted this a tiny, wee gadget using tweezers. "So I can track you."
"Don't you have one in the Kimmunicator?"
"What if they take it off you? This goes under your skin. And between you and me, I think we should chip Ron when we find him."
Joe entered the home. Silent. Reserved. Unobserved until he asked, "Where is Fiske, Wade? Home at his family estate?"
"Home. In his town house in London, which he prefers. Closer to the museum and his work. I'll forward a message explaining the situation and your arrival."
"Absolutely not." Joe carried his own kit. Gear he wouldn't let Wade take a peek at. "Let us be a surprise."
"What spy gadgets do you have?" one of Kim's brothers asked.
"The grown up kind."
Anne returned through the kitchen, Monique in tow, having reached a momentous decision. Her entire demeanour reversed.
"Kim, I've decided to come with you."
Joe set her straight. "No. You're not."
"Yes. I am."
"No! You're not!"
"Yes! I am! Or I'll shut you down."
Tweebs: "Can we come too?"
A universal, "NO!"
"Wade. Pass me the belt," Joe ordered. "Anne is going to be too tied up to join us."
Kim stepped off the confrontation by stepping between them.
"Mom, what gave you this idea?"
"It was Monique's idea. We got to talking about the dangers of these missions. She suggested I come along. Observe your skills in action. So I can appreciate I have nothing to worry about."
"Monique…?"
"You're welcome girl," her friend gave her a goodbye hug. "Now you better hurry. You'll have to gun it to the airport to catch the next flight. I've already helped your Mom pack so you're good to go. You kids have a good time. Wade, I'll take you home."
Leaving, Wade had a last item of business with the Tweebs. "When you're done with the invisible fabric can I have a look. I have some ideas about a battle suit."
In and out like Santa Clause. Delivering gifts and leaving a world famous teen hero and her super spy mentor flabbergasted.
…
"I hope the boys aren't giving Mr Ogilvy a hard time. It was presumptuous to spring this on him on a moment's notice. We haven't been on the best of term lately."
Accusing your neighbour of being a dirty old man who should mind his own business would do that.
"He deserved it."
Insinuating your neighbours daughter is coming home all hours from different continents with different boys is begging for a reaction.
"I left a message for your father. I'm sure he's already home. I'll call him and explain. I should have packed something for us to eat during the flight. We were in such a rush I didn't think. Do you want something from the cart?"
Awkward small talk. Mother and daughter feud. Eight hour, fifty six minutes left of a ten hour flight.
Torture.
"I hope it isn't raining when we arrive."
When lost for a conversation topic, or avoiding a conversation topic, nine times out of ten discussion will turn to the weather.
"You don't seem to happy to traveling with your mother. Afraid a photographer will snap up your famous face doing something uncool?"
In a tense situation, it is expected one party will crack and attempt to ease the mood by making light. This party has the lowest life expectancy of the group, having earned the ire of everyone around them.
"You know why I'm unhappy. I can't believe you invited yourself along. This isn't a fun excursion, this is a serious deal."
Kim's ill thought snap was like wearing orange on St Patricks Day. A Trekkie and a Wookie turning up at the wrong conventions. Unveiling a Ford Banner at a Holden car plant. Yes it was a serious deal, that was exactly Anne's point and it boiled Anne Possible's blood to hear it thrown back at her. Her jaw dropped in supreme annoyance.
"A serious deal? You're going to lecture me on these mission being a serious deal? How can you lecture me? I've been trying to put across to you how deep over your head you are!"
"I can handle myself," Kim was certain. "How can I help people if without accepting a risk? How can I stand on the side lines and not act when those in need reach out? You raised me better than that."
"Apparently I didn't raise you to use your head. I said, at the beginning, you can operate your Team Possible adventure club on the condition you act responsibly and never take a job where you could get hurt because I knew this would happen! Oh, but you think it's all a, "no big!"
Kim paused, digesting Anne's words. Drawing conclusions on what she did not say. Yet practically did.
"What are you saying? Are you saying this is my fault?"
"Don't put words in my mouth."
"But it is what you're thinking. I did this to Ron. I put him in danger."
Anne seriously considered her next words. She had never intended to make such an accusation, or for a moment even considered Ron's predicament to be Kim's fault. She understood Kim was projecting her own guilt. However - her daughter would continue to bulldoze her way through logic. Perhaps the blunt truth would be harder to deny.
"Who, on this plane, do tell, dragged Ronald halfway around the world to make enemies with a ninja cult?"
Enough. Kim left her seat
…
Some time alone in the restroom later, Kim snatched the empty seat beside Joe and quick-fire launched into her mounting life issues. Having been enjoying the in-flight movie, Whip It, Joe silently groaned and his shoulders slumped. Of course he had to heed the concerns of his student – but this was an Ellen Page movie! Star of Juno and Inception. A talented and smart young Canadian actress.
Kim did not notice her mentors dejection. She was wrapped up in her own concerns.
"Why is she here? This is no time for clingy parent issues. Ron is in real danger! We have to find him!"
Equally frustrated, at skipping actress Drew Barrymore enacting a catfight, Joe laid out for Kim the facts on the ground. "Welcome or not, she is here. So suck it up, Possible, and get your head in the game. The mission parameters have changed to include escort of a V.I.P. We make it work. End of story."
He added, "Look, kid. Doesn't matter what business you're in. Your superior will always assign you an objective and a less than ideal working environment to complete it. Have you ever tried to wipe up an overturned tray of mystery meat while the mess hall is packed with veracious teenagers? Goes with the job."
It was like she was not listening. "How could she believe I wouldn't go? It's Ron! We've been together forever; as long as I can remember. Finding Ron, broken, in that Temple in Laos was the scariest moment of my life. I cannot let them do the same to him again. Now She thinks it is my fault Ron was kidnapped. He isn't healed yet and now this! Did I bring this on him?"
"Yes."
"What!"
Joe had no more wish to cause his student pain than Anne. There was, however, an element to unfolding events Kim was not aware of or wilfully missed. Kim wasn't the only one who needed to clear what was on her mind. "You know Ron wanted to quit?"
The carpet was being pulled out from under her. "He had mixed feeling…."
"Nothing mixed about it. He told me he quit."
"He would have told me!" Kim protested. She knew how feeble the words sounded.
"You're the reason he signed on. "I wouldn't save the world without you, Ron." Sound familiar?"
"You think this is my fault!"
"You're not blameless, but, no. I told you before. All responsibility ends with me. I put you in the game. I judge what Team Possible can handle. In Ron's case I judged wrong and Ron knew himself better than I did."
Or better than Kim. She had completely misread her friend. How could she be so blind? Pig-headed! Ron had been in pain. She had acted to salvage her team partner. Not in the interests of Ron.
"I can't blame him after Laos. Still, he was suffering a depression. Beating himself up."
"He quit before Laos. After the Senior incident. believed his lack of training was putting you in danger. He was going to quit for you. To protect you. I talked him round claiming I had faith in no one else to watch your back."
"Did you mean it?"
No hint of remorse. Joe analysed the situation and correctly assigned blame. He accepted responsibility.
"You wouldn't save the world without him."
It was hard to accept because she trusted Joe. The truth of his betrayal could not be denied and it filled her with absolute horror. She felt revulsion she had never known, even against Drakken or Junior. It was directed against a friend and against herself. Kim had been used. Ron had been played.
"You know what, Joe? My mother is right about you."
"As a smart and capable woman as any. You should listen to her. We both should have."
…
Kim, I've decided to come with you.
Who dragged Ronald halfway around the world?
I've decided to come with you.
Had Anne been thinking?
"We're fighting worse than ever," Anne spoke into the receiver of the provided back seat phone. Kim avoiding her, Anne was free to check up on James and the boys. Inform James of her crazy notion to fly to London on a moment's notice. Be honest with her husband how she was fouling up their daughters life. "Did I make the right choice? Aren't I behaving as impulsively as I've accused her of being? I said such a hurtful thing."
It seemed a marvellous idea at the time Monique suggested it. Anne still believed in the original merits! It was unexpected. Bold! She knew, the most effective means to confront a Possible on their conviction was to confront them head on. Inviting herself along on this mission was going to rattle Kim's world and force her to revaluate the risk she was placing on her shoulders.
Although, on the subject of risk, it was an awful one to take. Wounding Kim with her words. Turning the young woman's great unacknowledged fear against her. If their quest to rescue Ron went pear shaped, which it very well could, those words may scar Kim forever.
"Frankly, Anne, sometimes it takes bold action to change a Possible's mind," James agreed with her assessment on that score at least. "We're a stubborn lot. Remember how I wouldn't stop asking you out on a date? What did it take to get me to stop?"
"I accepted."
"And? It worked, didn't it?"
"This is higher stakes than a date, James. I'm gambling our daughter and I think I'm losing!"
"Like I said. We Possible's are a stubborn lot. We can't lose each other because we don't let go of each other in a storm. We raised Kimmie. We know how deep her convictions run. She will always make the right choice."
Her husband was confident in his assessment of their daughter. And Anne really did want to put her faith in Kim's judgement. Which appeared less tarnished than her own at this moment. "Mom?"
Without another word Kim sat back down in her seat and rested her head against her mother.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm sorry I broke my promise. Can we please postpone our talk? Just a little longer. I need to find Ron."
"Yes, Kim. I understand."
"I promise. Once we have Ron back I'll never put my friends in danger again. Never again. This is the last adventure for Team Possible."
…
Mr Bates welcomed the long travelled Americans at the door of Monty Fiske's town house. A subtle three story brick home nestled amongst others like it. You'd not have known a celebrity resided here until you saw the magnificent interior.
"Kim Possible. A delight to see you again. Come in, I shall inform Lord Fiske of your presence at once," Bates shock Kim's hand warmly, took her luggage and motioned for her to enter.
"Mam and good sir, I presume the Dr's Possible two?"
"I'm Dr Possible."
"Joe. Family friend." (Former)
"Of course, sir. My misunderstanding."
The first area guests entered was a foyer with a warming fire place, an original part of the building recently converted to a gas burner. Coat hangers. A personal room if required. To change from rain damp clothing or winter gear to something more comfortable in the warm home. It sang with tropical colours and expensive art you'd expect to be locked away for personal viewing. Soft carpet if you wanted to remove your shoes. It was an inviting area, enticing one to view the remainder of the home.
"You have a tight security set up."
Joe cared less for the décor and more for the camera. Thick doors. Alarmed windows. Elaborate locks.
"Oh yes indeed, sir. Lord Fiske has been known to take his work home from the museum from time to time. There is a fully capable laboratory downstairs. It would be quite embarrassing if a matchless item were to go missing in his care. You can depend on thieves to be opportunistic. Where is Master Stoppable, if I may ask?"
"Master Stoppable is the reason we're come. He has been taken against his will for the role he played in the recovery of the Yono idol," Kim outlined the gravity of their situation. "Our hope was Lord Fiske could enlighten us as to its nature."
"I am sure milord will do his utmost to help. He was quite fond of Master Stoppable, and yourself, during our last adventure."
Guests were next introduced to the great hall with marble columns propping the atrium above. An artificial skylight, painted as if a glorious sunny day. No sense waiting for a fine day in London. Those on the second and third floors could look down on activities of those on ground level. Whom may have been gathered around a dining table with seating for twenty. Or entertained by a company of musicians weaving magic from a raised stage area. Move the dining table and roll up the rug this area could be a ballroom space. The building did not look half large enough for this on the outside, nor was it. Clever use of space was utilised in all things.
"Friends, hello!" Fiske called from a balcony on the second floor. "I'll be right down."
No space consuming stairs. Fiske rode to the ground in an Victorian styled elevator. "My leg, you see. Couldn't handle up and down stairs all day."
Whatever small grudge Anne still held for his flying her daughter across the globe to battle magical monkey stones, Anne allow it to sour greetings. Diplomatic enough to appear gracious. Allowing Fiske to kiss her hand. Fiske's great charm did not make it difficult to be polite. "Lord Fiske. I'm pleased to meet you."
Kim made introductions. "This is my mom, Dr Anne Possible. And Joe," she struggled to be polite. "He's my tutor in sneaky spy tricks. The ultimate in using people to get what he wants."
Fiske did not observe the underlying insult because Joe did not react to it. Instead, Fiske approached and shock Joe's hand. "The pleasure is mine. I know Kim looks up to each of you. You've imbued her with such a principled character and remarkable talents. I don't know what you're parenting method is but don't stop."
"Kimmy is an independent spirit. You don't parent. You strap yourself in and prepare for a wild ride." Case in point, Anne's being in London. In the home of Lord Monty Fiske. "James and I forever argue which half of the family to blame for her inheriting her go girl attitude," Anne teased. A jest, though one grounded in truth. "However, Kim brings us to London on a matter of urgency…."
She indicated toward her daughter to explain. Fisk, however, broke in before her.
"Ronald has been abducted. I was monitoring the foyer from above. Pardon the intrusion. I was curious who would be calling unannounced and since being captive of Warhawk…."
"A happening which may be related," Joe insisted. Fiske was security conscious currently. A reasonable consequence of his being taken hostage. Cameras and alarms were no recent addition. Joe minded the titbit. Expanding his profile of Fiske.
Kim elaborated. "Ron has been taken by a gang of ninja, masquerading as exchange students." They did not mention Yori's employment as Hana's babysitter. It was unanimously agreed no mention of Hana or her abilities was to be made.
"An effectual cover. Haley was my student. In my close confidence for years. Her betrayal stings, I won't lie."
"I don't understand how some people can be built like that. They can be all smiles, work their way into your life and cut your legs out from under you."
A single disapproving glace. Otherwise, Joe was a statue.
"Those responsible identified their group as the Yamanouchi," Anne ventured.
Fiske shifted uncomfortably on his cane. Joe asked, "Do you know these culprits?"
Fiske nodded.
"Familiar then?" Joe inquired.
"Indeed, I am familiar. They've cropped up in my research. You could be forgiven for believing them a fable. Until the day a Yamanouchi holds a blade to your throat. That's getting quite familiar. Perhaps I should tell this tale in the parlour. We have a lot of history to review."
…