The unearthly shriek woke him with a start, his head jerking up from the book it was resting on, looking around bleary eyed as he tried to locate the source of the sound. Across the room, some two feet away from an obviously shaken Yori, lay Rufus, rolling around in agony and squealing in distress.
"What happened?" he glanced at Yori as he rushed over to scoop up the distressed animal in his hands, not registering her own shocked look as he focussed all his attention on his stricken pet.
Yori didn't speak. She just blinked, frozen in shock staring at the scene before her, the tormented rat cradled in the hands of its distraught owner. Finally gaining control of her voice, she gave a belated reply to the young man's accusation.
"Nuh... Nothing, he just collapsed." She couldn't meet his eye, but Ron didn't notice, he was more concerned with his friend. Overcome with the pain, the mole rat stiffened, his mouth open in a silent scream. His little eyes shot open, but there was no recognition in his gaze. His back arched, then he gave a final shudder and collapsed, his still form suddenly limp and lifeless.
"Rufus?" Ron's voice was subdued, his voice tremulous with worry at the sorry state of his pet. "Rufus buddy, speak to me!" Turning, he rushed out of the room towards the kitchen
Yori watched him carry the comatose rodent out of the study, unable to even move as she tried to assimilate what was going on. Once alone, her legs just seemed to give way and she collapsed into the seat behind her, the rigid self control she had been exerting for the past week, shattered with the unexpected turn of events. She went to drop her head into her hands when she realised that she was still clutching the poisoned needle. Carefully, she went to replace it in its concealed recess, but her hand was shaking so much, she had to grip her wrist with the other hand before she could sheathe it safely.
Leveraging herself out of the chair, she shook her head in an attempt to clear the fog that was engulfing her mind. Blinking furiously, she tried to concentrate through the cloud of exhaustion that was finally catching up with her. She headed off towards the door, her hand catching the frame as she stumbled against the wall.
Her head was spinning as she entered the kitchen, to see Ron bent over the work surface, syringing water into the slack jaws of the naked mole rat.
"Come on buddy, you can beat this thing." he muttered to himself as he finally managed to get a few drops down the small throat. Yori watched uncomprehending as he tried to get the paralysed figure to swallow.
"I..Is he OK?" she managed to query, causing Ron to glance over his shoulder, briefly distracted from his ministrations.
"He's tough, he'll be alright." Ron's voice sounded more desperate than confident, hoping against hope that his friend would recover. Looking back over his shoulder at her, he was struck by the unhealthy pallor of her face.
To his eyes, she seemed clumsy, a complete contrast to her normal graceful self. Her eyes were sunken and dull and her shoulders were slumped as she staggered slightly until she managed to catch herself against the counter.
Her head lolled briefly until, with a conscious effort, she managed to lift it once more to look in his direction, but her gaze was unfocussed.
"Yooorrrri" his voice was distorted, causing her to look at him with incomprehension. She could see his mouth opening but couldn't hear any sound. The room began to spin, and she raised a hand to her forehead in an effort to stop the sudden feeling of vertigo. She briefly registered a shadow looming over her before the room went black.
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The first TV camera crew arrived shortly before dawn, the scent of a celebrity scandal drawing the press despite it being Christmas Eve. Anne watched them through the kitchen blinds as first one van pulled up outside her house, swiftly followed by two others. She looked on for a few minutes as they began to set up their equipment, then pulled the blinds shut with a snap and headed towards the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, she was showered and dressed, and feeling much more able to face the situation that appeared to be rapidly spiralling out of control. Wanting to leave her children in blissful ignorance for a few more precious minutes, she woke her husband and briefly explained the situation to him.
Disbelief was swiftly followed by outrage that his family should be harassed in such a way. Days spent in denial about the real difficulties his daughter was going through were swept aside as he grasped at the opportunity suddenly made available to her. Once he had calmed down and stopped ranting about going out there and chasing the press vultures away, he put his mind to figuring out how they were going to get Kim out of the house without subjecting her to the gauntlet she would have to run as soon as she left the safety of the building.
Anne left Kim to sleep, anything to let her catch up on the hours missed over the past few days. Instead she roused the twins, knowing that they would relish the task she had allocated to them. She had just finished outlining the plan when a subdued voice attracted her attention to the doorway. There, still clad in her pyjamas, with eyes sunken through lack of sleep stood Kim. She looked a state, but her demeanour was more alert than it had been in a while.
"What's going on?"
Outside, the bustle of activity was never ending. Aware that even in these circumstances, banging on the door demanding interviews at this early hour would be unacceptable, the reporters had to content themselves with outside shots of the house, and incessant background information about Kim's past triumphs and current difficulties.
Eventually one brave soul did venture up to the front door, but despite knocking for several minutes, the blinds remained drawn and no sign of life could be seen.
The camera crews were getting edgy, there was only so long they could focus on bedroom windows where the curtains were drawn. Other crews waited, mounted on motorbikes they were poised, ready in case the family tried to leave. Freelance photographers, desperate for that definitive picture that would grace the front page of every newspaper across the country, even the world, were poised to catch the smallest hint of a shot. All watched and waited, while the light increased as the sun finally rose above the horizon.
Eventually, some movement could be seen in the house. The garage door opened and two young boys marched out, carrying a tall rocket between them. Not sure what was happening, the reporters watched wordlessly as the twins placed the rocket in the middle of the front lawn and began to attach wires to its base.
Gingerly, one journalist approached the two lads. One of them watched his approach warily, while the other concentrated on finishing connecting the wires to the projectile.
"Err boys, do you mind if we have a word?" For some reason the reporter felt nervous as he approached the two children. There was something about their demeanour that radiated hostility.
"Yeah, we do." The young voice dripped contempt as he dismissed the intruder. As his twin finished the wiring and picked himself up, the speaker turned away, and picking up the spool of wire that had been lying on the ground, proceeded to walk backwards, away from the rocket towards a low stone wall perhaps twenty metres away, letting the wire deploy as he went.
Jim briefly brushed himself down, then looked up at the reporter with an evil smile on his face.
"You might want to give us some room; we haven't tested this mix yet." Turning, he jogged over to the wall, where his brother was attaching the other end of the wire to a stereotypical detonator plunger box.
The young journalist had an uneasy feeling as he watched the two boys finish up their wiring. The malicious look on their faces made him doubt his original assessment that there was nothing to worry about. Gradually, he became aware of various scorch marks on the grass, and the odd crater that had up to now been hidden in the uneven ground in front of the house.
Mesmerised, his eyes were drawn first to the two foot tall rocket now standing merely three feet from his current position and then, following the trail of wire leading to the low wall, fixed on the detonator, its plunger handle now raised and ready to fire.
"Five... Four..." The young man started to run on the first count, scrambling to get as much distance between himself and the rocket as was possible.
The twins grinned at each other as they watched the young man run for cover, and even the other members of the media edged back as the countdown continued
"Three... Two and a half... One.."
As soon as he decided that the scumbag was at a safe distance, Tim threw all his weight down on the plunger, causing the assembled media to involuntarily take a step back.
Nothing happened. A second passed before one of the technicians gave a short laugh, just as the rocket exploded. Cellulous shrapnel peppered the crowd. From inside the fake rocket, various fireworks began to explode, star shells and roman candles firing fairly harmless flares into the air, scattering the crews as they attempted to save themselves from the pyrotechnics that erupted among them.
As the confusion was at its worst, a small purple car shot out from the now open garage. The engine roared as it darted for a gap between the various broadcasting vans, swerving to avoid a shell-shocked sound man and careering down the road at an ever accelerating rate.
Not to be outdone, some of the more mobile paparazzi headed off in a desperate pursuit. If they could get a picture of Kim Possible fleeing the scene, their fortune would be made. As soon as the rest of the media realised what was happening, they too rushed to their vehicles and began to peel off, chasing their quarry in the never ending search for the next big story, leaving only a few technicians to gather up the bulky equipment that had been left behind.
After a few minutes, the front door opened. Stepping out, Anne Possible squared her shoulders and marched out towards the battered old estate car parked around the side of the house. Even dressed in her white doctor's coat, she felt exposed as the various crew members watched her progress.
"Do you mind gentlemen?" Her voice was icy with distain as she opened the driver's door. "I have an eleven O'clock surgery, and I don't want to have to explain to the family of my patient that he died because his Surgeon was trapped in her own drive."
Sheepishly, the offending party hurriedly moved his lighting rig, unable to meet her eyes. Slipping into the driver's seat, Anne slowly pulled out onto the road and headed off towards Middleton town centre.
After a mile or so, Kim slipped out from under the old blanket covering the back seat and foot well, and clambered into the front seat beside her mother.
"Okay, now do you want to tell me what is going on?"
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Shego looked out over the airfield as the crew behind her rushed to get the aircraft prepped for takeoff. She hated to admit it but when Jack Hench promised, he delivered in spades. He ought to for the prices he was charging. Still, even she was surprised at the plane now sitting on the runway.
The dust cloud of the approaching vehicle warned her of its approach long before the sound of its engine could be heard. Pulling the featureless flight helmet over her head, she turned and climbed up into the cockpit.
Kim stared disinterestedly out of the window, barely noticing when her mother turned off the road and pulled into a private airfield, but even she couldn't help but react when she saw what was parked on the runway.
"You have got to be kidding me!"
As the car pulled to a stop, she flung open the passenger door and got out to take a closer look. There in front of her, stood a grey, obviously military aircraft, the RAF roundels prominent on the wings and fuselage, and the weapons pods heavily loaded with missiles. Even her mother didn't look too sure as she too got out of the car, carrying a small duffel bag.
"There's no way I'm getting in that." Kim shook her head and took a step backwards. A steadying hand on her shoulder caused her to stop, and she turned to find herself face to face with her mother. Their eyes met for a while, one set pleading while the other looked concerned, until Kim broke the gaze with a sigh.
"OK... OK" she took the bag from her mother and reluctantly headed over to where one of the ground crew was franticly beckoning. She climbed into the seat behind the pilot, secured her bag beneath the seat and began strapping herself in as the canopy lowered itself over the cockpit.
Anne looked on in trepidation as the powerful engines burst into life, and with a wave, the pilot began to taxi the plane towards the end of the runway.
Kim struggled with her helmet for a second, but finally managed to fit it on over her hair, and connected up the radio mike.
"Glad you made it Kimmie." the familiar voice recognisable despite the electronic distortion from the radio.
"Shego. What exactly are you intending to achieve with this stunt?"
Shego instantly took umbrage with the younger girl's dismissive tone.
"Well pardon me for trying to diffuse the media shitstorm about to hit your family Princess!" The last word practically spat out as she was overcome with anger at the ingratitude.
"I can handle it." came the sulky reply
"Really." the sneer expressed the contempt felt for that remark. "And what about your brothers, you think they could handle it too?"
"What are you talking about?" Kim sounded confused now, but Shego hadn't finished.
"You want to see them hounded from dawn to dusk, just to get some juicy gossip about your life? You want your parents relationship scrutinised just to speculate about why you act the way you do?"
"Of course not..." Shego ignored Kim's plaintive interruption, she hadn't finished yet.
"Your friends interrogated to find anything, however tenuous to suggest that your past life has been a sham. Believe me Kimmie, that's not something you would wish on your worst enemy."
Kim was silent for a while as she digested the tirade she had just been subjected to, while Shego seethed as she slowly directed the jet towards the end of the runway.
"And you think stealing a fighter jet and spiriting me away to who knows where is the answer?" Even to Kim's ears this sounded petulant and petty.
Shego was only slightly mollified as she accepted the concession. "Oh don't worry Kimmie, I didn't steal it, I hired it from Hench."
"Oh." Kim was now totally confounded. She felt ashamed as she realised she had been tearing into someone who was only trying to help her and her family, someone, more to the point who had just recently saved her life at considerable danger to their own.
"Oh God, Shego, look I'm sorry OK?"
The genuine remorse in Kim's voice finally smoothed Shego's ruffled feathers. As she pushed the throttle forward and the two women were pushed back into their seats as the G-Force increased, she couldn't resist having the final word.
"That's OK." she grinned. "After all, Hench stole it. We're just borrowing it for a while."
Any further conversation became impossible as the twin engines roared into life, driving the aircraft down the runway, and forcing Kim's head back against the seat as the G-force took her breath away. Kim struggled for several minutes until the plane finally levelled off and she could move her head again.
"Couldn't you just have chartered a Lear Jet or something?" Kim took up the conversation as if it had never been interrupted, although her tone was more exasperated than angry now.
"Sure, why not. Hell we could have grabbed a Greyhound while we're at it." Shego sneered.
"You see, that's your problem Princess. You don't understand that it's not the destination that's important; it's how you get there."
Kim didn't reply, lost in her own thoughts as the aircraft steadily gained height. The young redhead pondered her own sorry state, barely aware of her surroundings or the passing of time, until the change in light levels finally roused her attention.
"What the..." Her voice trailed away as the air around the plane slowly lost its blue colour, suddenly fading away to reveal nothing but the blackness of space. Away from the scattered light of the sun, suddenly the stars sprang into view, gleaming in the dark sky, clearer than she had ever seen them before."
Shego smiled as she heard the sudden intake of breath, the sight stirred her soul every time even now, and hearing Kim's reaction took her back to her first time.
"This is what it's all about Kimmie." The breathy voice sounded in Kim's earphones as she stared in wonder at the sight above her. Below she could actually see the line where the blue sky gave way to the blackness of space; while above her head were the heavens in all its glory.
She had seen the stars before, of course, even been in actual space rather than just high above the stratosphere as she was now, but that had always been on a mission with her mind on other things. Now, she had the time to simply empty her mind and look in awe at the sight.
Shego kept the plane as high as she could for as long as the fuel allowed. When she finally steered the plane back down to a less elevated altitude, neither woman felt the need to talk, Shego was wondering what she had talked herself into, and as for Kimmie, hell if she knew what was going through her mind. Beneath them, the miles rolled away as they headed south, crossing the border sometime in the early afternoon.
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She woke with the sensation of crisp smooth sheets covering her body, and revelled in the simple pleasure of waking up in a fresh bed, before she remembered what had gone before. Sitting up, Yori was not too surprised to find herself fully dressed under the bedclothes, Ron's sensibilities were still endearingly naive in her view, not that she wasn't thankful in this case.
"Rufus!" the thought shot through her mind but she didn't move straight away, taking time to assess and categorise her own feelings before she was confronted with Ron's.
Kuji Kiri was the ancient ninjitsu art of meditation, used to focus the mind on the task in hand. In ancient times it had been used to allow a ninja to remain alert for hours without the need for sleep, allowing them to infiltrate a target's location often waiting for days until the perfect time to strike presented itself. Three days was the recognised maximum time limit beyond which the practice became unsafe, Yori had not slept for six.
She realised now how the self hypnosis technique had eroded her higher thought processes to the state where her only thoughts had been how to solve the problem at hand, how to remove the circlet from Rufus' head. She physically shuddered when she considered Ron's likely reaction if she had managed to carry out her plan.
With that realisation came another. Rufus was a friend of hers, and a trusted ally, yet she would have been willing to see him die to save Yamanouchi. Admittedly, she was willing to die herself for the same cause, as would any true Yamanouchi student, but her willingness to attribute the same devotion to Ron and Rufus surprised her. Sadly she acknowledged that the carefree girl that first met an American exchange student all those years ago was no more. Instead she was an Assassin, a trained killer with the mindset to match, and ready to do whatever was necessary to save Yamanouchi.
Briefly she hung on to the memory of her younger self, half wishing she could go back to those carefree days when school meant training among friends, watched over by the avuncular presence of Master Sensei. With a heavy sigh, she let go of the past and embraced the now.
Thinking of Master Sensei made her ponder on where he was now. Was her mentor watching over her or had he already rejoined the wheel of life? Yori considered him the most enlightened person she had ever met, but had he achieved Nirvana? Wherever he was, she was pretty sure he would not be condoning her recent actions. She couldn't believe the measures she had been willing to take to achieve her aims. Everything she had done since leaving Yamanouchi had ended in failure. She had got her team killed, failed to get the circlet to the Monkey Master as prophesied and now had nearly murdered an honoured friend.
Her recent actions would have shamed her previous self, but she spent no time wallowing in self recrimination, what was done was done. Instead she resolved to trust to Master Sensei's instincts, her own having so often proved untrustworthy. Sensei had an unwavering belief in the Monkey Master, and Rufus too, it was time she trusted in them too. Her composure restored, she stood up, smoothed down her blouse and headed out to find the others.
She found them in the kitchen, Rufus lying limply in what looked like an old shoebox, a towel providing some padding, while Ron held a breadstick dipped in melted cheese, trying to tempt his pet into eating something. On hearing the door open, he turned and looked at Yori with a relieved grin on his face.
"He's gonna be OK, look." he moved so that Yori could get a better view of the prone mole rat, weakly gnawing on the proffered snack.
"Hello Rufus San." Yori's voice sounded tired, and her smiled seemed a little weak to Ron, but he put that down to exhaustion. Seeing her collapse like that had scared the life out of him and he was just glad to see her up and about again. What he didn't know was the wave of shame that had swept over Yori when she saw the two of them together. How could she have even considered doing what she had intended? She was just glad that fate had intervened.
But Rufus didn't respond with his usual cheesy grin. Struggling onto his paws, he gingerly climbed out of his box and slowly hobbled over to where Yori had collapsed on a bar stool by the counter. Looking up into her eyes, his tiny paws clasped her index finger, and his face screwed up as he struggled to make a jaw designed by millions of years of evolution to do nothing more than chew earth, form the words he was trying to convey.
"Snow!" the look on his face expressed the frustration he was feeling at his inability to speak.
"You had another vision?" Ron sounded relieved as he finally got an explanation for the affliction that had struck down his friend.
Rufus nodded feebly, the exertion of speaking to Yori had plainly taken its toll. Gently picking him up in his hands, Ron carried him back to the padded box and placed him carefully back inside. Rufus tried once more to describe what he had seen, but complex sentences were beyond his capability and he just collapsed back into the towel.
"Snow uh huh."
Yori sighed with a mixture of tiredness and frustration.
"Hey, he's doing his best." Ron felt the need to stick up for his friend given the obvious annoyance Rufus was feeling at his inability to be more descriptive.
"I know Ron, I really do." Yori met his eyes as she tried to convince him of her sincerity. "But we are running out of time." Looking over to the exhausted rodent, she gave a little smile. "I know you're doing your best Rufus San" she said.
"Well we know something bad is coming right?" Ron was still trying to support his friend, his head turning first to look at Yori and then Rufus. Both nodded in agreement with his logic so far.
"Well now we know that wherever it is ..."
"Or going to be." Yori interjected. "I'm hoping we're being given some warning before the event."
"OK, but wherever it's going to be, it's snowing right?" Once more both Rufus and Yori nodded.
"Well when Rufus had his first vision in the cave he said something else didn't he." Yori looked at him with a puzzled mien.
"Lenium." It was a word she had repeated to herself repeatedly over the past week as she tried to tie it in with what little information there was on the mysterious circlet now fixed firmly around the naked rodents head.
"Ta da" Ron laid down a sheet of paper with a dramatic flourish. "I Googled it while you were asleep." he said with a big grin.
Yori leaned over the printout and even Rufus stirred himself to take a look. After a minute or so, Yori looked up into Ron's ecstatic face.
"Cleaning fluid?"
The only sound that could be heard was the slap of a paw connecting vigorously with a bald forehead.
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Kim had never been involved in a midair refuelling before, but Shego apparently had. At least she had no hesitation in lining up the plane with the fuel line trailing out of the tanker just ahead of them. It also made her wonder about the resources Jack Hench had at his control.
This was the second time they had refuelled, the first being at a remote airfield in the Mexican desert. She had only realised they had left the States when Shego greeted the ground crew in Spanish. She had picked up a few words in her travels, but Shego spoke it like a native. She did hear Hench's name mentioned several times and had quizzed Shego about it later.
Apparently Hench ran a massive support network that stretched right across North and Central America, and probably beyond. From the few snippets of information Shego let drop, it appeared that HenchCo not only provided manpower and stolen technology to the criminal classes, but also safe houses, infrastructure and more. She also surmised that he had links to more legitimate businesses, such as private security firms like Blackwater which was how he had managed to "borrow" a foreign fighter jet without it being reported stolen.
Kim had tried to engage Shego in conversation several times during the day, and as long as the topic remained inconsequential, she was quite willing to talk, but any attempt to steer the discussion towards more personal issues quickly led to the older woman changing the subject. Kim had three questions she wanted answering, where were they going, what they were going to do there and, most of all, why Shego was involving herself. She tried several times to draw the ex villainess out, but after a while simply gave up and spent the rest of the trip staring out of the window.
It wasn't just contrariness that stopped Shego from answering Kim's questions. Sure, she knew where they were going, and didn't really want to reveal her secret hideaway to her erstwhile worst enemy, but as to the other two questions, to be honest she wasn't too sure of the answers herself. Therefore, she fobbed the teenager off with various evasions in an attempt to avoid having to face her own doubts and insecurities.
The hours drifted by, and the light began to fade. Kim was starting to feel the strain of such a long journey on top of the past few days of disturbed nights, and it took a while to realise that once more the plane was starting to lose height. In the distance she could see a land mass and it quickly became obvious that this was what Shego was heading towards. As they drew nearer, she could see the landing lights of the airstrip and breathed a sigh of relief that the interminable journey was finally over.
The plane had barely taxied to a halt before Kim had unbuckled herself from her harness, only the cramped state of her legs preventing her from beating Shego to the ground. They were met by an old and pretty battered Jeep that looked like it was left over from World War II surplus, or at least a prop from some old war film. Without a word, Shego slipped into the driver's seat, while Kim sighed and threw her kitbag into the back, barely having time to sit down before the vehicle shot off.
Looking back, Kim could see another ground crew swarming over the vehicle, presumably prepping it for the long flight back before it was discovered missing. Turning round again, she was dismayed to see that Shego was driving away from the main mass of lights, but instead was heading towards the sea. It was only a short ride, but to Kim's aching muscles it felt like an eternity, tiredness battling with the uncomfortable jarring as the vehicle bounced over ruts and potholes in its madcap journey away from civilization. In the twilight, Kim could see the faint outline of a harbour coming into view, and it quickly became apparent that this was their destination. Kim groaned as the Jeep slid to a halt next to an old battered fishing vessel that certainly looked to have seen better days.
"You've got to be kidding right?" the uncertainty in Kim's voice causing Shego to give her a strange look. "I doubt that would even make it out of the harbour."
"What? You think we're going in that old heap?" Shego sounded amused. "Nuh Huh Kimmie, this is OUR ride." Kim looked to where Shego was pointing and her jaw dropped at the sight she had previously missed. A few yards away was the biggest yacht she had ever seen. It looked like something Onassis would have owned.
"No way!" Kim couldn't believe it, but she couldn't deny that Shego was already walking up the gangplank. Picking up her bag, she followed the thief onto the floating gin palace, shaking her head in disbelief. She nearly tripped as she stepped onto the boat, but a black gloved hand caught her elbow before she could come to any harm.
"Why don't you go inside and lie down." Shego sounded concerned. "You've gotta be bushed and the journey's not over yet."
Kim looked for a moment as if she was going to argue, but a yawn she couldn't stifle finally made up her mind. She stepped into the cabin, and barely noticed the plush interior before staggering over to a couch and collapsing onto it. She barely had time to kick off her shoes before she fell asleep.
Shego was feeling pretty drained herself, it had been a long flight and she hadn't had much sleep the night before, but she climbed up into the wheelhouse and fired up the engines. The two huge propellers kicked into life and churned the water as the huge boat began to move slowly away from the harbour's edge. Steering the vessel through the breakwater, it headed out to sea.
The journey took about an hour, Shego cursing occasionally under her breath as she relied on the compass and GPS system to keep her on track. Finally, she could see the dark shape of a landmass on the horizon, and about twenty minutes later, could make out the welcome sight of the jetty.
She wasn't so pleased, however, when she misjudged the approach and had to throw the engines in full reverse to prevent ploughing straight through the flimsy wooden structure. Despite this evasive manoeuvre, the boat was brought to a halt with a noticeable thump as it expended its remaining momentum on the wooden piles of the jetty. Shego cringed at the impact, but then shrugged. That was what those rope things on the side of the boat were for.
Jumping down onto dry land, she quickly tied up the vessel before it could drift off again, then headed back onboard to see where Kim had got to.
It didn't take long to find her; the teen was still passed out on the nearest couch to the cabin door. Shego looked down at her for a while, the young girl looked much younger asleep; and smaller somehow. Wondering what to do, she finally made up her mind and slipped her arms under the sleeping figures knees and shoulders.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Shego nearly jumped out of her skin, and she staggered back startled and off balance.
"Jeez Kimmie, way to give me a heart attack." Shego scowled, angry to have been caught unawares like that.
"Seriously though, what were you doing?" Kim sounded suspicious which just put Shego's back up.
"Hey, you can walk? Fine, grab your stuff." Embarrassment causing her voice to take on an angry tone.
With that she stormed out of the cabin, letting the door bang shut behind her. Kim stood for a while, trying to figure out what the hell was going on, before picking up her bag and heading out after her host. As she stepped out onto the wooden pier, she saw Shego heading up a small path through a small copse trees, quickly vanishing from view in the darkness. Shouldering her bag, Kim hurried after her, not wanting to be left behind.
Shego stood in the clearing before the front of the house and let the cool night air wash over her. She felt the initial anger drain away as a gentle breeze caressed her skin and taking a deep breath forced herself to take control of the turmoil in her mind.
"Great start Shego." the green thief muttered to herself as she came to realise what she had taken on. "Try not to pick a fight with the person you're supposed to be helping." Hearing Kim approach, she tossed her head to dispel the last of the irritation she was feeling and led the tired young woman up the steps onto the veranda and into the house.
Kim seemed subdued as Shego showed her the room she would be sleeping in. She collapsed on the bed with a weary sigh, letting her bag fall on the covers beside her. Not knowing what else to do, Shego opened it up and half heartedly started unpacking.
"You going to be alright here?" Shego gently asked.
Kim turned to face her with a slightly affronted look.
"I'm a grown woman Shego, I can look after myself."
"Uhuh!" With a black gloved hand, the thief pulled out a soft toy, some kind of mix between a panda and what looked like a giant rat. Shego didn't say a word, just looked at her with the faintest smirk on her lips, until Kim reached out and grabbed her Pandaroo, tossing it on the floor behind the bed.
"If you say so Princess." Shego dropped the bag on the bed and sauntered out of the room, closing the door behind her. Kim waited until she was sure she had gone, then quickly scooped up her toy and hugged it to her chest.
Shego didn't stay up long, just enough to close up the house for the night before heading to bed herself, it had been a long day and she was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Slipping on a nightdress, she curled up under the covers and dropped off within minutes.
There was no clock to tell her what time the scream woke her up. Instantly awake, the covers were thrown one way as she rolled out of bed into a combat stance before her mind registered what had disturbed her.
"Should have known better." she muttered to herself, as she grabbed a pillow and headed over to the spare bedroom. Opening the door, she found Kim sitting up in bed panting heavily and with a wild eyed stare. The redhead turned to look at her without recognition for a moment, shaking with the aftermath of her nightmare. There was no protest as Shego closed the door behind her and slipped into bed beside the quivering girl.
"Go to sleep Pumpkin." Shego softly stroked Kim's hair as she slowly regained control over her senses. Still barely awake, Kim allowed herself to be coaxed back into bed. Shego kept stroking her hair, and began crooning an old lullaby she used to use when the twins were young. It had worked for them when they had night terrors, and it seemed to have the same effect on Kim. Gradually the shakes subsided, and the young girl's breathing steadied as she slipped back into a deep sleep. Too tired to do anything more, Shego closed her eyes and drifted off her arm still casually resting on her companion's side.
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When Shego woke, it was to the sound of parrots screeching in the trees outside. She didn't know what time it was but by definition it was too early, despite the bright sunlight peeking through the blinds. She wasn't a morning person by any means, Drakken had long learned never to cross her path until after the second coffee of the day, but to make matters worse, she had woken up with a throbbing headache.
It took a while for her to realise why she felt constrained before she remembered the night before. Kim was spooned up against her, her body heat making the older woman hot and uncomfortable. Disentangling herself as best she could, she eased herself out from under the duvet and padded silently across the room.
Kim stirred, shifting under the covers as her body accustomed itself to being alone in the bed. Shego held her breath until she was satisfied that Kim wasn't going to wake up; she needed some time to herself to prepare for the day ahead.
Slipping out of the bedroom, she closed the door behind her and headed for the kitchen. Ten minutes later, and a strong cup of very black coffee in her hands, she walked out onto the veranda and sat on one of the chairs overlooking the beach.
Despite the caffeine, her headache wasn't getting better, and she found her temper starting to rise. Even the sound of the sea breaking on the shore did nothing to calm her mood whereas normally it was one of her favourite methods of relaxing. Giving it up as a bad job, she headed back inside to see what she could rustle up for breakfast.
Shuffling over to the fridge, she threw open the door and bent down to peer inside. She stood there for a few minutes before straightening up with a water melon in one hand. She looked around for a minute before opening a draw and pulling out a sharp knife with which she proceeded to cut it into pieces, placing one slice on a plate and putting the rest into a bowl.
Her culinary skills exhausted, Shego returned to the coffee machine and began brewing up another eye-watering concoction before heading out once more. She was still there when Kim came out to join her.
The first thing that struck Kim as she stepped out onto the veranda was the sheer beauty of the view before her. The villa was set back just behind the tree line, in a small clearing leaving a narrow path leading down to the beach. She hadn't noticed, the night before, how the small jetty was offset from the building so as not to spoil the perfect vista visible from the front of the house. Framed by the curving trunks of palm trees was a beautiful white sand beach leading down to an azure blue sea. On the horizon was the faintest smudge, all that could be seen of the other islands in the archipelago, but the general impression was one of isolation. The colourful plumage of several parrots completed the whole Robinson Crusoe effect, leaving the young woman speechless.
Shego hoped it would stay that way; her head was really starting to bother her, with an incessant throbbing causing her to squeeze her eyes shut before taking another swig of coffee. Unfortunately it was not to be.
"I don't believe it!" Kim's voice sounded muted as she slowly turned, taking in the panoramic view. "Where did you find this place?"
Shego grunted, not wanting to cause her head any more pain by speaking, but the unanswered question hung in the air, and Kim turned to face her waiting for a reply.
"Won it in card game." Shego shrugged and then instantly regretted it. Taking one last drink, she threw the dregs out over the side of the veranda and walked down the steps into the clearing.
"You're kidding me right?" Kim sounded sceptical at first, but the deadpan look from the older woman stopped her in her tracks.
"Really?" The rising pitch of her voice sent a new sliver of pain through Shego's head causing her to wince.
"Look Kim, do you think we could skip the tourist spiel for now?" Shego began, but before she could explain, she was interrupted.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Huh?" Shego was caught off guard by the sudden switch to a more businesslike approach from her companion.
"Oh, er I dunno. Lounge by the pool then get some lunch I suppose." Shego hadn't really thought that far ahead, and didn't want to tax her aching head now. Kim on the other hand was not impressed.
"That's it?" The volume of her voice rose in disbelief. "A few hours sunbathing and everything will be back to normal?"
Shego was starting to get annoyed now. The pounding headache was getting worse, and she didn't need to be whined at by a sulky brat when she was just trying to help.
"Screw you Kimmie! It's better than moping around in your room crying."
"And if I pretend nothing's wrong, it will all go away? That might work for you Shego but I care about what happened."
Kim couldn't believe the callousness of the woman. Someone had died because of her, and this bitch wanted her to forget about it and have some fun? Kim looked to vent some more, but Shego wasn't listening. The pain in her head was so bad now that she was pressing her clenched fists against her forehead, growling as she fought to bear the waves of agony rolling through her skull. Finally, with a guttural roar she flung her arms forward, her hands igniting with green flame as she did so. Plasma flooded out, shooting away from the ex superhero eventually striking a tree about one hundred yards away.
Kim had never seen her expel so much energy at once before. It was a humbling sight, almost elemental in its sheer force. She looked on horrified as Shego's face contorted into an angry snarl, her expression almost bestial in its fury. The palm tree never stood a chance. It resisted the power for a few seconds before the trunk exploded under the internal pressure of the superheated sap inside. Wooden splinters blasted everywhere as a ten foot section shattered into smithereens.
Shego finally lowered her arms, the green flame ceasing simultaneously. Her head lowered and her hair dropped over her face, she took a deep breath realising that her headache was gone. Tossing her head back, one hand brushing the hair back over her shoulder, she saw Kim staring like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car, face white and fear showing in her eyes.
"Oh Shit!" Shego wasn't sure what to say, the experience had shaken her too. She always knew she had a temper, but she had never just lost control like that before. It was as if a red mist had descended and she needed to release all her pent up frustrations in one dramatic gesture.
"You OK Kimmie?" She reached out an arm towards Kim, who instinctively took a step back.
"Yuh Yeah." she stuttered "No big."
Shego stepped back onto the veranda. "I guess you could do with some breakfast right?"
There was no answer, only the slow resumption of the screeches of the parrots that had been scared away. Shego shrugged and walked back into the house, leaving a shaken Kim Possible staring disbelievingly at the shattered remains of the tree.
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Despite Kim's reservations, there really was nothing else for her to do. Breakfast was a tense affair, the recent disturbance still weighing heavily on both women's minds. There really was a pool behind the villa. When Kim asked why when the sea was only a few yards away, Shego shrugged and gave her an abrupt one word answer.
"Sharks."
They spent the morning lounging by the pool, Shego in her usual green one-piece swimsuit while Kim somewhat less comfortable in shorts and a tee-shirt. Neither woman was relaxed, however, the earlier events still hung over them like a black cloud. Shego looked up from the magazine she was pretending to read, only to see Kim lying on a lounger pretending to sleep.
"OK Kimmie, let's talk about this."
There was no initial reply but Shego had had enough.
"Come on Kim, I know you're awake."
The redhead opened her eyes and looked back at Shego with a pensive expression on her face. Eventually she bit the bullet and asked the question that had been bothering her all morning.
"Were you holding back all those times?"
"Huh?" Shego wasn't sure what she was talking about.
"When we fought before, were you holding back?" Kim's expression had intensified as she sought answers.
Shego thought for a while, wondering what the hell she could say to that.
"Do you remember the time you kicked me into that tower? Do you remember how you felt?" Shego's voice was low and she didn't look Kim in the eyes as she struggled to find a way to explain.
"Of course, I felt terrible ..."
"No! Not afterwards" Shego interrupted. "Do you remember how you felt at the time?"
Kim flushed as she remembered those fleeting moments while she watched the Diablo tower collapse into ruin, taking her nemesis with it. Her voice was hollow as she replied.
"I felt powerful. Satisfaction at finally winning for good." Her voice trailed away as she remembered the ugly smirk that had perfectly matched her mood at the time.
"Yeah, well I know that feeling well Kimmie, and I didn't like it any more than you did. So yeah, I'm holding back when we fight, just the same as you are. Neither of us want to go there again right?"
The two women's eyes met as they both acknowledged the professional courtesy they extended to each other. Finally Shego gave a flippant wave of her hand as she sought to lighten the mood.
"Anyway, you never stood still long enough to hit you that hard. If you'd been as slow as that tree, I'd have put you down long ago."
Kim stifled a giggle at the ridiculousness of this last comment. Shego's answering smirk and the breaking of the tension between them washed over her like a warm wave. Giving up the battle, she chuckled out loud, Shego's bemused face simply causing her to convulse with laughter. Lolling back on her lounger she laughed uncontrollably clutching her side as she released all the built up tension.
Shego could hear the suppressed hysteria in Kim's response, but all things considered, she could think of worse reactions. The mirth was infectious, and she too chuckled slightly, but Kim just kept laughing as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard.
"Alright, alright, it wasn't that funny." Shego tried to gain control of the situation, but Kim wasn't listening. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, with each roar of laughter interspersed with the odd "Ow" as her ribs began to ache.
It was only the impact of a cushion hitting her on the head that finally allowed the teen to regain control of herself. It struck her perfectly, knocking her right off the lounger and onto the floor. The sight of her dishevelled hair framing her scowling face caused Shego to snigger herself.
"Come on Kimmie, time to go shopping. We need to get you some beachwear that doesn't look like it was chosen by your Nana." Kim's indignant "Hey!" ignored as she headed back inside.
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It turned out that Shego's desire to return to the main island wasn't entirely hedonistic. The simple fact was that the only food in the house was the fruit left there by the fishermen's wives she paid to look after the building when she was away.
Apparently, Shego never cooked when on holiday, and when Kim offered to do so, she was strenuously rebuffed.
"Subject myself to student cooking? No thanks." Shego had scoffed as the two women climbed aboard the motor-yacht. The thought of living on waffles and noodles wasn't something she ever wanted to contemplate.
So it was that Kim found herself sitting in a harbour side restaurant eating a light seafood salad, washed down with Coke. The harbour was filled with fishing boats, apparently a major industry here, while larger vessels were moored in the container port that services the whole archipelago. Once they had eaten, Shego led her up into the old town, not to a mall, there wasn't anything like that here, but instead into the narrow streets that were left over from the island's old colonial past.
Kim had never been to a bazaar before; she was more used to the sanitised cleanliness of the mall. She wandered enchanted through the busy throng, watching the locals gesticulating wildly as they haggled with the stall owners. Progress was slow as the two women worked their way through the crowd, the cries of the vendors filling their ears as they worked their way across the square. Occasionally, something caught their eye and they stopped for a closer look until eventually Shego headed down another narrow alley, lined with shops.
As evening fell, they headed back to the boat, Kim feeling a bit apprehensive as apparently Shego had plans for the evening. They sat and watched the sun go down drinking cool iced tea before heading out once more for dinner.
"Are you sure a club is a good idea?" Kim raised the subject as they sat in the restaurant.
"You need to lighten up Kimmie, that's your whole problem. Need to get some perspective." Shego dismissed her concerns with a wave of her fork before spearing another prawn. Kim finished her meal in silence, not convinced but not really having much choice in the matter as she saw it.
An hour later, she thought her worst fears were justified as she headed down a narrow set of steps into a darkened room with flashing lights and a pulsing bass. Shego didn't notice her companion's reservations. She hadn't been clubbing for years and felt a frisson of excitement as they stepped out onto the dance floor. The bands had changed, but the thumping rhythms were timeless and she began to move, swaying in time to the beat while dragging a reluctant Kim away from the shadows and into the light.
She protested at first, but under constant coaxing, Kim began to give in to the music, her body finding its own cadence and she let herself be lost in the rhythm. She closed her eyes and danced, letting all her worries and fears be lost in the music.
The club was fairly empty when they first entered, but it was filling up fast. Not many locals, but there were plenty of seamen for whom this was their first landfall for months, and then there were the tourists, people from across the globe giving the place an eclectic clientele.
Kim felt herself be bumped as the dance floor filled, opening her eyes, she found herself surrounded by strangers, all moving in their own personal dance as the sound pulsated around them. She suddenly felt closed in by the crush of bodies. The heat was starting to make her feel light headed and her mouth was dry. The tense, claustrophobic feeling dominated her mind as she was pushed again, the overwhelming sense of being smothered pushing her to the edge of panic. Turning, her head began to spin. Franticly she looked for a way to escape the crushing throng but all she could see were more bodies threatening to crush her under their feet. Her heart rate began to increase, and her breathing switched to short shallow pants as she began to hyperventilate. One or two people stared at her as she let out a whimper of fear, her only consideration to find an escape from this frightening tide of humanity that threatened to swallow her whole.
Just as hysteria threatened to drive her over the edge, she felt the soft touch of hands on her shoulders, and the waft of a perfume she knew so well.
"Shhhh." Shego's voice cut through the panic as her hands slid down Kim's arms enfolding her in an embrace. With a sob of relief, Kim let herself be enveloped, her body limply sinking back to rest on the supportive frame of her saviour.
"It's OK Kim, I've got you." Shego felt the younger woman relax under her touch. The girl's body shivering slightly as the raw emotions generated by the crowd raged through her mind.
Shego hadn't noticed at first that the two of them had been separated. She had been caught up in a memory of a time long ago when life was simple, free from both the strains of the superhero life and the need to maintain a super villain persona. Caught up in a world where no one knew or cared who she was, she had let the moment carry her away, until she realised that she had lost sight of her young charge.
She rested her chin on Kim's shoulder, crooning softly in her ear and gradually coaxing her into a calmer frame of mind. Slowly she began to dance, Kim keeping time with her movements, her eyes closed as she swayed her body to the music. The younger woman dancing with her back to her older companion, whose arms remained wrapped around her body protecting her from the outside world.
Two beautiful women dancing so intimately swiftly gained an audience among the mainly male clientele. A space cleared around the pair as their bodies swayed together, and Shego quickly noticed the attention they were attracting. Looking at the admiring glances they were receiving, she remembered another game she had played many years before.
There in the crowd, looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, was a young man who couldn't believe what was he was seeing. Shego looked at him with a wicked smile, and slowly changed the rhythm of her dance.
Kim quickly noticed the change in tempo, and also the fact that Shego's arms had wrapped themselves tighter around her waist.
"What are you doing?" she hissed as she felt warm breath in her ear as her dancing partner ran her lips over the redhead's shoulder.
"You see that kid to your left? The one who looks like he's just been pole axed?"
Kim gasped as she felt a tongue wrap itself around her earlobe, soft lips caressing her skin sending shivers down her spine. Opening her eyes she immediately saw who Shego was talking about.
"You mean the one with the eyes bulging out of his head and whose jaw is hanging wide open?"
Shego gave a throaty chuckle at the description, and began to run her nose along Kim's jaw line, inhaling the scent as her partner's head involuntarily tilted away, giving her greater access to her sensitive throat.
"What do you bet we can make him pop?"
Kim barely registered the reply; her body was reacting strongly to the treatment it was being subjected to. Shego had a touch that fired sensations she had never felt before and she didn't know how to react.
She looked over at the young man once more. He couldn't have been more than seventeen years old, probably on his first trip, and looking decidedly flushed. Kim focused on his reactions as Shego continued her sensuous assault on her body. She felt those hands that had been stroking her arms drop down onto her hips, then slide down further, where they proceeded to hike up Kim's dress to display an indecent amount of thigh.
Kim watched as the boy reddened further at the scene before him, too fascinated by his reaction to protest at the treatment Shego was meting out.
"Come on Kim, he's right on the edge." The voice breathy with anticipation, urging her on.
"Shego, this is seriously wrong!" Kim never stopped moving to the beat even as she protested at the treatment being meted out to her body. Her objection was stifled however, by her sudden gasp as she felt Shego's nails running gently across her taut stomach. Her muscles rippled under the tender ministrations and her eyes shot open as she felt them run under the curve of her breast. She felt those fingers trace their way along her arm, slowly lifting it until she gave in and reached back behind her, wrapping her arm around Shego's neck.
As if in a trance, Kim slowly turned around, Shego's hands shifting position to rest on her backside as both pairs of green eyes met. Kim buried her head into the mass of black silky hair as she draped her arms around Shego's neck. Shego raised her head, and her eyes met her poor victim's gaze. Black lips curled into a wicked smirk, and she blew him a kiss.
It was too much for the young man. His face bright red, he turned and pushed his way out of the circle of admirers that had congregated to see the show.
Throwing her head back, Shego roared with laughter and stepped back out of Kim's embrace.
"Oh that was too perfect Kitten." Shego's amused look meeting a somewhat reproachful glare from Kim.
"That was wicked Shego. That poor boy."
"Yeah, like you didn't enjoy it too." Shego wasn't going to let Kim take the moral high ground. Not after the show she had put on in front of all these people.
Kim tried to suppress a giggle and failed, then poked Shego in the chest with her index finger. "No more games OK!"
Shego winked. "How about we grab a drink?" The hot lights and energetic dancing starting to take their toll.
Kim was more than ready for a rest. For a start, she wanted to break out of the circle of openly admiring fans that had gathered around them, some of the comments being thrown their way were making her blush with shame.
Laughing, Shego grabbed her hand and dragged her over to an empty booth seat. At Kim's insistence, she brought back a ginger beer for the teenager, while treating herself to a cocktail. Kim sat at the table, nursing her drink. She was content to sit and watch, waving Shego away when she tried to talk her into dancing, happy to be left alone for a while.
She sat, staring at the chaotic mass of gyrating bodies, her mind racing as it tried to comprehend what had just happened. Despite her fame, emotionally she was a very private person, or at least she thought she was. Yet she had just put on a public exhibition that made her blush to even think about it.
At first she tried to blame it on Shego, after all it had been her idea, and she hadn't taken no for an answer, but ultimately she had to admit that she could have stopped it at any time, why didn't she. What complicated things even further was how her body had reacted to Shego's ministrations. However much she tried to deny it, she couldn't forget how her heart had raced and her skin tingled at the older woman's sensual touch. No one had ever made her feel that way before. The closest had been how she used to feel when she first started chasing Josh Mankey, but that was just a pale shadow compared to the sensations that had coursed through her body under Shego's deft manipulations.
She couldn't help but compare dancing with Shego to how she had felt dancing with Ron. She was suddenly aware that there had always been something missing in that relationship, some spark that never seemed to be there. It was as if they were still best friends, just that they used to kiss now.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a tall French man who suddenly sat down across the table from her seat.
"That was quite a show you and your friend put on mademoiselle."
Her face coloured as she looked up to see his lips twitch in a slight smile.
"Poor Dmitry, he'll never live that down you know."
"You know him?" Kim's voice squeaked slightly as she cringed with embarrassment. The man laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"I'm first mate on his ship." He raised a bottle of beer to his lips and took a long draught. "His first voyage and he gets exposed to a display like that? He never stood a chance."
"Oh God!" Kim buried her head in her hands, running her fingers through her hair. "Look, I'm so sorry, it was my friend's idea..." her voice trailed off as she realised what she was saying. Taking a deep breath she looked up.
"Will he be OK?"
The man laughed again, "Don't worry about it, he got off lightly.
It is a tradition that the newest member of a crew is subjected to some kind of humiliation on their first voyage. Believe me, my experience was much worse."
Chuckling to himself, he raised his drink and took another swig.
"I'm Francois by the way."
Kim took his offered hand, "Kim." she replied. At least he didn't seem to recognise her. It was a relief sometimes not to be seen as the saviour of the world.
"So what happened to you?" she asked, still feeling awkward about the whole situation.
"I was seventeen, and we were sailing down to the Solomon Islands. The Bosun took me to one side when we hit port, and told me it was time I became a man."
Looking up into the young girl's uncomprehending gaze, he smiled at her naivety.
"He took me to a brothel."
"Ohh." Kim blushed at the forthright language of the man.
"They told me to be careful as it was illegal, the local police were very strict on foreigners, but I didn't want them to think I was scared so I went along with it."
As her new friend narrated his sorry tale, Kim found herself drawn into it. The man was a born storyteller, and the way he described his own fear as he was led up the stairs to one of the rooms, made her feel as if she were there.
"So there I was, naked as the day I was born, too scared to do anything except try to cover myself up, when there was a violent banging on the door, and a voice shouting 'Open up in there.'"
"What did you do?" Kim was fascinated.
The Frenchman laughed. "I was so terrified I jumped right out of the window. Didn't even stop to open it first, you can still see the scars."
Kim leaned forward as the older man stretched out his arm. Even in the deep light, she could see several pale lines marring his otherwise tanned skin. Looking up in morbid fascination she waited for him to continue.
"I landed right in front of an old woman, stark naked and scared out of my wits. I turned and ran down the main street, through the docks and didn't stop until I was back on board my ship."
"And did the police catch up with you?" Kim couldn't help herself but to ask.
"Nah, there were no police. It was the bosun all along."
Kim looked at him stunned, until his deep laugh drew out her own sense of humour, and she too began to smile. As she waited for the sailor to regain his composure, she went to take another drink when she realised her glass was empty.
"Here, let me get that." Francois took the glass from her hand. "What are you drinking?"
His eyebrows twitched slightly when she told him she was drinking ginger beer, but he nodded, and headed off towards the bar.
Kim didn't know what to do now. She didn't feel like moving, she still had some issues she wanted to think over. Before long, however, the man returned, plonking a glass in front of her before putting two more bottles of beer on the table.
Kim was soon drawn into the tales her new friend was weaving about various voyages he had been on. Before long she was caught up in the story, raising her glass to her lips unthinking, she took a deep drink, mesmerised by the images conjured up by the storyteller.
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Shego was having a great time. She felt carefree in a way she hadn't for several years, losing herself in the pulsating beat of the music. It was only thirst that finally led her to head back over to where she had left Kim, a stray guilty thought passing through her mind that she had left the teenager to her own devices for so long, before reasoning that Kim had had the option of joining her at any time.
As she neared the table, she could see the redhead, one elbow on the table, with her head resting on her hand. She also couldn't help noticing the large number of beer bottles and glasses.
"You OK Kimmie?" Shego asked as she flopped down into the booth seat opposite.
"'M fine." Kim waved a half empty glass in Shego's general direction and gave her a silly smile. Shego frowned as the girl gave every indication of being totally plastered.
"What are you drinking?" Shego grabbed the glass from the younger woman's hand and took a suspicious sniff.
"'S only gin-ginger beer. Hic." Kim put a hand over her mouth and looked mortified.
Shego took a sip. It certainly tasted like ginger beer, but her seasoned taste buds picked up the faint hint of vodka disguised by the strong taste of the mixer.
Francois had no difficulty picking up both bottles of beer and another glass of the Moscow Mule he had bought for the luscious young girl he had been talking to. Her earlier display of wanton sexuality coupled with her innocent look and demeanour made him burn with lust. She didn't seem to have noticed the extra ingredient he had been adding to her drink, or if she did, she didn't seem to mind.
Heading back to where his mark was sitting, he was suddenly intercepted by the taller woman who had been dancing with Kim earlier.
"Hi." she smiled at him, but some sense in the back of his mind warned him that she was trouble. "I just wanted to thank you for looking after my friend."
Francois smiled nervously. Some sixth sense was telling him that this lady was trouble, but his beer fuddled mind had difficulty deciding what to do, when the option was taken away from him.
His whole world dissolved into white pain, as agony suddenly blossomed in his groin. Drinks slipped from nerveless fingers as his knees shot together, too late to protect his most vulnerable area. As he slowly sank towards the ground, his jaw exploded in pain, and he was knocked off his feet, landing awkwardly on one shoulder. Before he could register his new predicament, he felt slim strong fingers squeeze his face as they wrapped themselves around his cheeks.
"Normally, I'd do this properly, but it's your lucky day, I don't have the time." Shego hissed with suppressed fury as she looked down on the evil bastard that had spiked Kim's drinks.
"Next time you won't be so lucky." She punctuated her speech with another swift kick to the man's groin, now cupped protectively in his hands, but still eliciting a groan of renewed agony.
Walking back to the table, she pulled the drunk girl up by her arm, and led her towards the exit.
"But I wanted another drink!" Kim wailed as she realised where Shego was taking her.
"I think you've had enough." Shego muttered as she led the teenager out of the club and into the fresh air. The cool night breeze washed over them, pleasant after the hot claustrophobia of the nightclub.
"How are you feeling?" Shego looked into Kim's eyes, trying to assess whether it was just alcohol or something more sinister.
"I'm fine." Kim brushed off Shego's steadying grip haughtily, before staggering slightly as the cold night air had its effect on her inebriated body.
"Just great!" Shego took the redhead's arm and headed off back towards the boat. "I thought you students could handle your drink."
Kim laughed, and threw one arm around Shego's neck, while letting her weight fall onto the older woman's shoulders, causing her to stagger before adjusting to the unexpected weight.
"You're the best friend a girl could have." Kim gushed, causing Shego's eyes to roll. Still, she reasoned, it could be worse. She was just grateful that Kim was a friendly drunk rather than an aggressive one. That really didn't bear thinking about.
Finally reaching the yacht, Shego unceremoniously dumped the inebriated Kim onto one of the couches, where she seemed perfectly happy to just lie there watching the room spin. Heading up to the wheelhouse, Shego fired up the engines and headed out to sea. All in all, she figured, it had been a good day. She was a great believer in drowning her sorrows when things were bad, everything always seemed much better to her after a heavy drinking session, and she hoped that Kim would feel the same way.
On arrival at the island, she found Kim fast asleep, draped over the couch where she had left her. Grumbling to herself about having to babysit precious heroes, she scooped her up in her arms and carried her up to the house.
Laying her on the bed, Shego removed her shoes, and then as an afterthought, removed her dress as well. That led to other considerations, and she finally removed bra and tights too, reasoning that she wouldn't want to sleep in her clothes, so neither would Kim. Looking down at the now semi-naked girl, she thought about fetching one of her nightshirts for her, but decided it would be too much trouble.
"Sod it, it's a warm night after all." she reasoned as she laid the duvet over Kim's sleeping form. Heading back to her room, she got undressed, then remembered the night before. With a sigh, she dragged her pillow off her bed and headed back into Kim's room.
"You'd better not be sick on me, that's all." Shego addressed the comatose teenager as she slipped under the duvet next to her. After the emotionally draining morning, the afternoon shopping spree and then several hours dancing took its toll, and it wasn't long before Shego too was fast asleep.
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Deep beneath the earth, a figure stalked through the cavern that had been his prison for so long. A sickly reddish glow infused the space. The Lotus Blade hung in the air, still encased by its crimson cage. Its blue light still fighting the encroaching aura of decay, but getting weaker as it was slowly consumed.
Booted feet strode across the cavern floor, the armoured figure pacing as it alternated between elation and fear. An opportunity had been lost, but now its servant was in position to finally dispose of this Kim Possible, opening the way for the real task ahead, the death of the Monkey Master.
But even now, doubts gnawed at his soul. His puppet had family complications that could bring down a force of good too powerful for him to deal with in his weakened state. At all costs that had to be avoided, but he had run out of time. By his reckoning, there were six days remaining before the Lotus Blade was converted. Six days before his full power would be unleashed. Until that time he was vulnerable, and there was always the prophecy hanging over his head. The Monkey Master must die before he could save the Lotus Blade.
Frustrated by his own impotence, Adauchi resumed his pacing. Or should he call himself Toshimiru?