Authors Note: As always, thanks go out to everyone for reading and reviewing. Your support matters. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
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"Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth."
~Andrew "Ender" Wiggin
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In the days following the confrontation between Ron and Monique the two had made up thanks to the peacekeeping efforts made by Kim. At first Ron had decided to pout and had made an attempt to seem bitter about being underappreciated. He claimed that Monique dismissing his efforts only proved it, and that he was determined to show that he was an integral part of Team Possible. Kim was worried about that. She feared that he would do something stupid and out of reach of his capabilities, like trying to take Shego on in single combat. She had witnessed him do it before when he had been evil earlier in the year. She still had absolutely no idea just how he was able to do so. There were many things about that time in her life that she had questions about. Where did this evil genius of his come from? Why was he such a competent and capable fighter when he was evil? A part of her morbid curiosity wanted to find out. The much more sane part of her hoped she never would.
When she received a call from Dr. Director earlier in the day she was tempted to not bring him along. But she knew that would only make things worse. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand she could bring him along and he could get injured or worse by trying to prove himself in the field. But on the other, not bringing him along would only justify his doubts in his own mind. In the end she just decided that things should be business as usual and that Team Possible would be deployed as their usual duo.
The mission received from Dr. Director was one of relative simplicity. It was to be a prisoner transfer from a state penitentiary to Global Justice's own state of the art facility underneath Middleton. Why the prisoners were being transferred Kim did not know, but she could only assume they had some sort of connection to Gemini, or at the very least the super villain underworld. Perhaps they were just some minor villains that she had never heard of. The name Max Brigand came to mind. And the last time she heard he was still on the loose after the initial W.E.E. assault on Global Justice's base a number of weeks earlier.
While they were en route Kim decided to try and get a feel for how Ron was doing at the moment. To know more about his intentions in the upcoming mission would go a long way to help in protecting him should things go wrong.
"So who do you think it is?" she asked.
"What?"
"The prisoners. This is a pretty simple escort mission, but they asked for our help. Think it's anyone important?"
Ron scratched his chin as he thought it over. "Well let's go through who we know it's not," he suggested. "We know that Gemini and Senor Senior Sr. are working together. We also know that Monkey Fist and Professor Dementor were in GJ custody prior to getting broken out by Gemini."
"Right. And we can only assume that those two are either Gemini's prisoners now or they're working for him," she added.
"Yup. We haven't heard from Drakken or Shego in a long time. Not much since the stuff that happened back in spring. But we know that we didn't capture them. And let's face it. If we haven't done it then GJ hasn't done it either."
Kim couldn't help but smile. "True enough."
Ron was smiling as well. "That covers all of the major baddies, right? So who's left?"
"Adrena Lynn. Gill. Frugal Lucre. DNAmy. White Stripe..."
"Wow, you actually remember all of these names?"
"What can I say? I take pride in stopping the villains."
Ron was silent for a few moments before giving her a weird look. "You don't save all the newspaper articles about catching them, do you?"
"What?" she practically screamed. "No, of course not!" she added before looking away for a couple of seconds. "Would there be something wrong with me if I did do that?"
"Kinda."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. It just seems like a weird thing to do. Like making a shrine of all of your accomplishments or something. It just screams 'serial killer' to me."
"I think you know me well enough by now to realize that I'm not a serial killer."
"Do I, Kim? Do I? I've never seen the inside of your closet before."
"That's because it's where I keep my super suit."
His eyes narrowed on her. "Even before that. What's in the closet, KP?"
"Clothes?"
"A likely story. Why have I never seen these so called 'clothes'?"
Kim sighed in frustration. "Are we really having this conversation right now? It's going in circles. You haven't seen the clothes because you haven't seen the inside of the closet."
"And why after, what, thirteen years of friendship haven't I?"
It was her turn to give him a strange look. "Any reason your heart is so set on getting a look at teenage girl fashion apparel?
"Okay, okay, enough already! How did this get turned around on me? You're the one with the freaky super villain shrine."
"I do not have a shrine," she said in a serious tone.
"Okay. Fair enough. So what was the question again?"
Kim took a moment to remember the original conversation at hand. They had gotten so derailed by Ron's nonsense that she forgot as well. It took a little while to remember.
"The prisoner. Who do you think it is?"
"Oh, right. Easy. Falsetto Jones."
"Oh? And why him?"
"Because with a voice like his he'd get eaten alive in a regular prison."
The answer he gave was not what Kim had been expecting at all. It wasn't like Ron to make that kind of joke. But she could not help but find it slightly amusing.
"If you say so," she simply said.
After a few more minutes their civilian ride had delivered them to the front gate of the prison. Upon receiving clearance from the guards they were allowed to enter and were led to a Global Justice armored car. A pair of agents Kim did not recognize stood there waiting by the idling vehicle. She approached them with a smile on her face.
"Hello. I'm Kim Possible. Dr. Director asked me here to assist in the transportation."
Both men nodded curtly. "Glad to have you on board, Ms. Possible," one replied.
"And I'm Ron Stoppable," Ron added.
Both men nodded again before walking off to the doors where the prisoners would be emerging from. After a few more minutes they opened and a number of figures stepped out. Several prison guards in tan uniforms came out first looking for any signs of trouble. And behind them came what turned out to be two men who were to be transported to Global Justice. Two men deemed important enough by Global Justice to get their own elite escort to a secure state of the art security. Their hands were cuffed behind their backs and to her surprise both of them had heavy looking black sacks over their heads. It not only prevented them from seeing the world around them, but prevented any onlookers from getting even a glimpse of any portion of their faces and heads. Kim still wondered who they were and what they had to offer.
Accompanying the two men were the two agents that Kim had met earlier, each with a hand on one of the arms of each of the two men, leading the blinded prisoners to the waiting armored car. And emerging last from the prison with a hawk-like gaze surveying the land around them was Agent Will Du.
Kim rolled her eyes. This mission was about to get a lot more annoying. But to her credit she decided to remain professional about it. She was not about to give Will another reason to look down on her and call her an amateur.
She straightened herself and plastered what she could only imagine was the most phony looking smile on her face as she approached the man. She offered her hand to him when she was close enough. "Agent Du, how nice to see you again."
Will took the hand and gave it a cordial enough shake. "Ms. Possible," he said rather indifferently.
She figured that it was good enough. At least there was no sneering or name calling. But she knew that what would come next would probably not yield the same results.
"Dr. Director requested that I assist in the prisoner transfer," she told him. She waited, expecting an outburst from the young man.
Will Du merely nodded. "I had not been informed," he said coolly. "But what is done is done. You are more than welcome to join us in our rather cramped vehicle."
Kim looked over to where the other two agents were loading up the prisoners. One man would be driving up front while Will and the second would be in back with the two men. With the addition of Kim and Ron that made for six people in the back. But she was not about to give Will the satisfaction of declining just because it might be a little bit uncomfortable.
"Okay..." she said, slightly unnerved by Will's lack of contempt for her. "When do we leave?"
"In a few minutes. We need to finalize preparations for our departure."
"Sounds good," she said before the air went silent for another few seconds. "And it's good to see you out in the field again," she added. "A medical bay bed doesn't suit you."
She hoped that treating him with such kindness and respect would prompt him to do the same. If she gave him no reason to hate him then surely he wouldn't, right?
"Thank you, Ms. Possible," he said evenly. "It is good to be back."
"Is he still ignoring me?" Ron interjected.
Will clenched his teeth and took a deep breath before turning to address Ron. "No, Mr. Stoppable. I am no longer ignoring you. Are you content?"
"Aw yeah. Ron-man is back in the house."
Will looked back at Kim with an almost pleading look in his eyes. "Please keep your sidekick under control."
"Partner!" Ron shouted. "I'm not just a sidekick anymore. I'm her partner. And I deserve the respect accorded that title."
"Will it shut you up if I acknowledge this change of titles?"
Ron pondered the question for several seconds. Finally he smiled. "I'll try my best when I'm around you."
Will frowned before sighing. He looked tired and his words were filled with the sound of defeat. "I suppose that's the best I'll get out of you. Very well, Kim Possible's partner."
Ron pumped his fist in victory so hard that Kim thought he might have sprained his elbow. But he appeared as fine as ever as she saw the prisoners being loaded into the back of the armored car.
She looked over to Will. "Shall we?"
He nodded. "Follow me."
The trio made their way to the back of the car. Inside they found the other two agents securing their captives inside to ensure that even with handcuffs on that neither were able to take any kind of action against their guards. When this was finished one of the Global Justice agents emerged and went around to the driver's side door and stepped inside.
Kim, Ron and Will clambered into the back of the transport vehicle and found the seating rather limited. Distance was needed from the two prisoners, as the safety and security of the agents as well as Team Possible was paramount. This left Will and the other agent with the assigned seating they had been expecting, and Kim and Ron with what remained. And what remained was barely enough room to fit one person, much less two. The two were squeezed tightly together with their shoulders pressed up against each other. Besides it being physically uncomfortable, neither of the two teens liked to be this close to the Global Justice agent who looked down upon them every time they met.
The engine roared as the armored car began moving, adding noise to help break the uneasy silence that the six individuals sat in. Ron never liked uncomfortable silence. Whenever he encountered it he tried ways to break it. This time was no different.
"So, Will," he asked. "Any idea who these guys are?"
"No," he said flatly.
"Didn't even ask? Weren't even the least bit curious?"
"No. And it is not my place to inquire about matters which are not deemed relevant for me to know. Do you know why that is?"
"Why?"
"Because I am a professional who takes his work seriously."
Ron scoffed at the notion that he was being unprofessional. "If anything wanting a little knowledge makes me more professional," he argued. "I mean, I can't very well do my job if I don't know what I'm getting into. Right, Kim?"
"Well-" Kim started.
"What exactly do you do?" Will asked, cutting her off. "The Ron Factor files were dismissed because it was revealed that you in fact do nothing. The source of Ms. Possible's success was linked closer to your naked mole rat than anything you've ever done."
"Maybe we shouldn't be-"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron demanded, cutting Kim off again. "Are you trying to say that I'm not important? That I'm worthless?"
"Of course not," Will said. "If our research discovered anything it was this. That you are very important for transporting your mole rat from your home to where Ms. Possible goes on missions. You are no more than a glorified mammal taxi who talks too much."
Kim felt one of Ron's fists clenching due to their proximity to each other. This was starting to escalate. If she did not do something soon then it would spiral out of control. And that was not what any of them wanted to happen with two dangerous prisoners sitting right next to them.
"Why don't you say that to my face!" Ron shouted.
"I'm sitting five feet away from you."
"Yeah? Well say it closer and see what happens!"
"You guys-"
This time it was not words, but rather the fact that the armored car had come to a sudden halt which interrupted Kim from speaking. The back of the car grew silent as the four of them looked around to see if any of the others had any idea of what was going on. After a few seconds Will reached over to the bullet proof wall which divided the back of the car from the seats up front. A small metal sliding door allowed a tiny window into the front, but more importantly meant that Will could communicate with the driver.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Someone's lying on the road," the driver answered back. "Civilian attire, not moving. Could be hurt. I'm going to investigate."
"Negative," Will said. "Stay there in case we need to get out of here quickly. "I'll go out and see what's going on."
"Roger."
Will stood up and unlocked the back door of the vehicle. After jumping out he turned back to look at the other agent as well as Team Possible. "You three stay here and look after the prisoners. Watch for anything funny."
His partner and Kim nodded. Ron was still fuming from Will's insults.
Will stepped around the car cautiously and soon was standing next to the passenger side door. He saw a body lying in front of the transport just as the driver had said. It was a man, slightly above average build and height, dressed in blue jeans, a flannel shirt over a white T-shirt and a baseball cap. He was not moving.
As he crept closer to investigate, Will heard a load shrieking noise in the distance. In mere moments his world turned into an explosion of pain that attacked both his senses and his immediate surroundings. The explosion threw him off of his feat and face first onto the road while sending the armored car over onto its side. He struggled to see, hear and even think as he lay there prone on the ground.
Inside the armored car the five figures each struggled to comprehend what was going on. The ordnance used had been small enough to limit the diameter of the explosion as not to destroy the car or injure anyone on the premises, while at the same time was fired accurately enough to tip the vehicle over onto its left side and prevent it from escaping.
Kim's first thought was Ron when she finally regained her senses. She need not look too far, and soon realized that the explosion and resulting tipping of the car meant that she was lying directly on top of him. She propped herself up with her arms to get a good look at his face. "Ron?" she asked. "Ron are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Ron blinked hard a few times as he too was struggling to come back to reality. But hearing Kim's concern-laced words did the trick and he was coherent enough to look back into her eyes. "Yeah. Just fine considering we just got into the car accident of the decade," he said through clenched teeth.
"You don't sound fine. You sound hurt."
"That's because your knee is in a very hurty spot," he said with a wince.
Kim looked underneath her to realize that her right knee was planted directly between his legs. A wave of embarrassment flushed over her and was quickly replaced with concern. She immediately removed the offending body part and rolled off of him. "Better?" she asked.
He sighed with the sudden relief brought about by the easing of pressure. "Much."
She looked over to see the status of the three other men in the back. All three were moving. The agent was doing his best to regain his composure while the two prisoners did what they could to get comfortable in their restraints while being tipped sideways. She had no idea what the status of the driver was, only that the vehicle had come down on the driver's side. It was then that Kim made a snap decision.
"We need to get out now," she announced to everyone. "We're sitting ducks here and I don't want another of whatever just happened to us."
Without wasting time she unlocked the back door and leapt out. She was soon followed by Ron whose escape was not as graceful but no less effective than her own. Finally she saw the other Global Justice agent drag the two prisoners out behind him and prop them up against a nearby road sign on the side of the road.
Kim saw the blackened crater where the explosion had taken place. Asphalt and other debris littered the road. Tiny fires were scattered all around them. Her first concern was Will. He had been outside at the time and he was not afforded the protection of a bullet proof metal shell to shield him from the explosion's force.
Rounding the car she found him in front of it on the ground. He was moving a little bit but showed no sign of being able to stand up yet. However there was no sign of the man who had been lying in the road just a minute ago when they had stopped. She did not like where this situation was headed.
On cue she saw a pair of men clad in white and purple jump suits approaching from the right of the car. Both were large, muscular men. Both had Greek letters on their chests. They made a bee line for the second agent and were on him in a heartbeat. In his condition in addition to the two on one attack the Global Justice agent was quickly beaten down and knocked unconscious. The two men then turned to Team Possible.
The man with the "M" on his chest set his sights on Kim, while the "N" had his eye on Ron. As the two closed in however help came from the most unexpected source. The two men who were once handcuffed prisoners were suddenly unmasked and released from their restraints and came at the two W.E.E. agents from behind. The surprise attack was overwhelming and the two were quickly knocked off of their feet. Wasting no time Kim and Ron entered the fray and assisted the two in finishing them off. The handcuffs that once bound the prisoners were replaced on the two W.E.E. men.
The former prisoners made no attempt to attack Kim or Ron and did not attempt to flee. Instead one stayed with Gemini's men while the other leapt onto the passenger side door and extracted the driver of the armored car from the front. After making sure the man was okay, he was approached by Kim.
"What's going on? Who are you?" she asked.
"Agent Stan Ding, European branch of Global Justice. And my partner over there," he said pointing to the man guarding the W.E.E. men. "Is Agent Earl Lee-Byrd."
Kim's face contorted with confusion. "Wait, you're from Global Justice? Then why were you in prison? What is this? What's going on?"
The man glanced over to see Will Du staring to stand. "All will be explained in just a few moments. Excuse me."
Kim saw Agent Ding march over to where Will was and stomp his boot hard on his back, sending the young man back down onto the road. Before Kim could protest this she saw another car approaching from behind. Then another. And another. In a matter of moments the area was swarming with Global Justice personnel. She finally saw a familiar face when she saw Dr. Director emerge from one of the cars.
She quickly ran up to the older woman with Ron close behind. Betty did not slow her pace as she continued striding toward where agents Du and Ding were. Kim and Ron turned themselves around and walked beside her.
"Dr. Director? What's going on?" she asked again.
"Our mole took the bait," she said evenly.
By the time the trio had reached where Will Du was lying he already had a pair off cuffs around his wrists. Agent Ding dragged him up to his feet and forced him to face Betty.
Kim saw that his face was full of panic and confusion. She could not blame him. She was doing little better herself.
His words only echoed Kim's. "Dr. Director? What is this? What's going on?" he asked.
"Will Du. You are being placed under arrest for espionage and treason," she stated with authority.
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It had been several days since Gemini had spoken about presenting a gift to Professor Dementor. He knew that he should not have gotten his hopes up for anything. After all, why did he deserve a gift? He was here against his will. He was here as little more than a prisoner. It was a choice between rotting in the detention center of the Worldwide Evil Empire base or work as Gemini's own personal mad scientist. And being the brilliant man that he is, Dementor chose wisely to have a little bit of imaginary freedom over no freedom at all.
There had been chatter all over the underworld networks for the past few days. The word that Dr. Betty Director's right hand man Agent Will Du had been indicted as a traitor and a spy for the Worldwide Evil Empire. Gemini had yet to comment on it. But at the same time he had not had the desire to ask him about it either. If it was true that Will Du was his source inside of Global Justice then it meant that his source had met his end. That would no doubt anger the W.E.E. leader. And angering the psychopath was the last thing that a brilliant man wanted to do.
For days Professor Dementor had been perfecting the protective shield system that would be in place to ward off any attack from the island complex. While it may have been Dr. Drakken's design it had been him who had made it power powerful and able to cover an area far greater than that of a single person. The collaboration seemed distasteful to Dementor. He was a genius and one of the greatest inventors the world had ever seen. Had his "employer" simply asked him to invent a massive shield system to protect his base then it could have been done. Dementor was the man who had invented the Transportulator after all. However Gemini had stated that time was of the essence and that he must put aside his pride in order to serve the greater good. He claimed that the Reckoning would wait for no man.
A voice suddenly came to life over the speaker in the room. "Professor Dementor, please report to the central control room," it told him.
Feeling like he deserved break from all of his hard work so far that day, Dementor stood up and stretched out his arms and legs. Sitting at a work table or typing away at a computer all day did terrible things to a man's muscles. After a few seconds he stepped outside and began his walk to the main room of the base.
He wondered what it would be this time. He wondered what Gemini would want him to build. The Mind Switch Machine was operational and ready to go. They had tested it several days earlier in fact. Agents Eta and Theta had been the guinea pigs for the device. Seeing it work firsthand was a wonder to behold as the minds of the two men were switched. Insults had been tossed around, threats promised and jokes made, but in the end under the watchful eye of Gemini both men were brought back under control and returned to their own bodies.
Then there was the Memory Recovery Machine that one of Gemini's agents had acquired the previous week. The device was fully functional, however Gemini had wanted him to look over some of the other aspects of what the machine was capable of. A few tweaks here and there and his boss was satisfied. The only thing that Dementor could think of now was that Gemini wanted an update on the progress of the shield. Early preliminary testing had shown that the shield was extremely capable and would be able to fend off anything short of a nuclear warhead aimed directly at their island base. This, however, was unacceptable. Gemini demanded that the shield be able to protect them from absolutely anything. He reminded Dementor of the power source that was beneath them that would be able to fuel the reactors and generators. Therefore Dementor was tasked with further upgrading the device to his leader's specifications.
When Dementor reached his destination he saw that the large room was brimming with men and women. On the far wall was a raised dais with Gemini standing tall upon it as he looked at the door which would eventually take one to the detention center. Agent Beta stood to his right as was expected, while Agent Gamma was at his left and standing slightly behind him. His raised position over both of them gave him an extra sense of authority and power. Dementor knew that it was deliberate. Everything that Gemini did had a purpose or contributed to his endgame. He just could not figure out what it all added up to yet. He hoped that he would soon get answers.
Looking around the room he could see most of the letters of the Greek alphabet present. Notable exceptions were agents Tau, Mu and Nu. Tau of course had been sacrificed during an operation that led Kim Possible to acquiring a Truth Ray. Like most things Dementor had not been informed as to why she needed one. And agents Mu and Nu were lost only a few short days ago during an unsuccessful attempt to liberate a pair of prisoners from the hands of Global Justice during a transfer.
Gemini took note of the Teutonic terror as he neared the dais and let a rare smile slip onto his face. "Professor Dementor, I would like to offer my congratulations."
Cryptic as ever. Nonetheless Dementor took the bait. "For vhat?" he inquired.
"Why, your victory of course. You are the world's only free mad scientist left. You stand alone for a future of fame and glory to lead humanity into a new age of technological glory."
Pretty words. But he still did not understand. He let Gemini know as much. "Can you explain vhat has happened to bring about this victory?"
"Certainly," he said as he turned to his second in command. "Agent Beta. Inform Agent Delta to bring the prisoner in."
The large man did as he was told and got brought his comlink near his mouth and relayed the order. After a few seconds the door that Gemini had been looking at earlier opened up.
Dementor's heart skipped a beat when he saw his arch rival Dr. Drakken being prodded into the room. His trademark blue lab coat was filthy and scuffed up in a few places. His hair, normally kept in a tiny ponytail, was loose and spilled down around his head to barely touch his shoulders. But the most noticeable thing that Dementor saw was that he was wearing shackles. Normally something like handcuffs would suffice. Or if the target was more dangerous, such as Shego or Monkey Fist, there were high tech restraints that could fully enclose the prisoner's hands so that they could be no threat to those around them. However Drakken was clad in very large and very loud chains and shackles around both his wrists and ankles that seemed to be more for aesthetic purposes than practical ones. It was a display of humiliation to be sure. Like in the Roman triumphs of old, the fruits of empire's conquest were being paraded out in front of the masses for all to see and look upon with laughter and mocking. Today was no exception as a number of agents began to hurl both insults and objects in the mad scientist's direction. The pens and balled up pieces of paper would not result in any injuries, however the blue-skinned man's pride would not be so fortunate. It was an indignity that he would be forced to live with for the rest of his days.
The prisoner was brought before Gemini and Dementor. With a hard kick to the back of his leg, Agent Delta forced the super villain down onto his knees before his betters. He stood there as a silent sentinel as Gemini spoke.
"I present you with your gift, professor," he explained. "Dr. Drakken is yours to do with as you please. Consider it a thank you for all of the hard work that you have put in for the good of my organization and the world."
Dementor was stunned. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected this when Gemini said something about a gift. He looked down on his rival expecting to be thrilled by the gesture. Here, finally, he could humiliate the man whom he had warred with for recognition and intellectual dominance for years. In the secure grip of the Worldwide Evil Empire their rivalry was all but over. Dr. Drakken could not and would not escape. But for some reason all Dementor could feel was emptiness inside. If it were this easy to get one of the most dangerous super villains off of the streets then what did it say about the power that Gemini possessed? And how long would it be until he himself would no longer be useful to the madman and suffer the same fate as Drakken?
In any case he could not appear to be ungrateful. "This is a most vonderful surprise," he forced himself to say with a smile. "I am too stunned by the gesture to form verds."
"Then allow me to aid you in the effort. Is Drakken's energy shield that you have made significant improvements on ready for its second field test?"
The mention of one of his inventions snapped the captured villain from his daze of humiliation. "What? My energy shield? You stole my design?"
"Technically it was Global Justice that stole it," Gemini explained. "We merely liberated it. And the professor here took it to levels that you would never have managed to."
Gemini gestured to one of the large screens in the room as the technical details and specifications came up for all to see. Only two people in the room could truly understand what all of the data meant. Dementor of course was the one who had done the work. Drakken fixed his eyes on the screen and soaked up the information like a sponge. As he did so rage built up inside of him until he finally reached a breaking point.
"How dare you steal my invention!" he said as he leapt at his rival.
A blue fist connected with a yellow cheek and the victim was sent tumbling backwards onto his backside. In a flash three agents were on top of Drakken and had him subdued.
"Take him away," Gemini ordered.
The men did as they were ordered, and Drakken was dragged kicking and screaming back through the door which he had come through. All the while he was shouting insults and threats at the man who had captured him as well as the one who had stolen his invention. Agent Beta helped Dementor back to his feet. The latter brushed the dirt from the floor off of his clothes before making sure that his black helmet was on straight.
"I do hope you are not injured," Gemini said. "This is not how I envisioned that this meeting would take place."
Dementor finished adjusting his clothes before replying. "I am fine," he stated.
"Good. And the answer to my question?"
Dementor nodded. At first he had thought that the question was merely a verbal jab meant to agitate Dr. Drakken. But as it turned out Gemini did want an update.
"I anticipate zhat a secondary test vill take place tomorrow."
"Very good. Take the rest of the day off. Enjoy your new toy if you so wish. And call upon any of my agents if you require their assistance for any reason."
"Yes, Gemini," he said. It was starting to sound more natural now. He hated it.
With a slight dip of his head he bowed and turned to go back to his own station in another part of the complex. He took in all of the familiar half-faces as he went on his way. The chilling gasmask of Agent Zeta covered what was normally flesh. The stern and disciplined lips of Agent Delta betrayed no emotions. The slightly open mouth of Agent Omega made him look like a gawking yokel as he clutched his metal briefcase tightly against his chest. The letters went on and on until finally he was out of the main room.
Dementor exhaled deeply as he made his way back to his own quarters. He fully intended to speak with Dr. Drakken in the future. But it would not be now, for now he had new projects to ponder.
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In the days following the arrest of Will Du, Kim did not know what to make of the situation. On one hand it was good that Global Justice had exposed the mole in their organization. With the aid of a pair of foreign operatives they had successfully flushed out the man who was giving the Worldwide Evil Empire inside intelligence on their operations. Dr. Director's plan had been a complete success. However on the other hand she simply could not believe it was Will Du. Sure the man had always been a significant thorn in her side when they worked together, but that was only because he was as professional as they came. But then again could the fact that he was forced to work with what he thought were amateurs have pushed him over the edge? Could he have felt unappreciated and wanted to join an organization that would value his skills?
Kim could not answer those questions. They were best left to those who know every detail of the situation. She could think of no one more responsible than Dr. Director when it came to matters like this. And if she believed that Will was the traitor then who was she to criticize? She was after all the one who had turned down joining Global Justice on a number of different occasions. It would hardly look good for her to suddenly stick her nose into business that she was uneducated on and was really none of her business.
Thankfully no one was seriously hurt during the attack. The driver of the car had suffered a few minor cuts and bruises that would heal in a short amount of time while those in the back had been tossed around a bit and had a few of the same injuries. But all were fully capable of performing their duties without any leave of absence. In Kim's case it was cheerleading. She was not about to have her spot as captain usurped by Bonnie.
The sound of her Kimmunicator beeping got her attention. She stood from her desk covered in school books and assignments and went over to retrieve it from her bed.
With the press of a button Wade's face appeared. "What's up, Wade?"
"Something that may interest you," the boy said with a sly smirk.
"Oh? Do tell."
"We just got a hit on the site from an anonymous source. It claims that Camille Leon is going to be infiltrating a lab here in Middleton tonight."
"A lab? You mean like the one where that scientist got assaulted by some journalist and his invention was stolen?"
"Yeah. Different lab but same idea."
Kim frowned. "I still don't know what's up with her and the Memory Recovery Machine," she said recalling the report she had seen on the evening news the previous week.
"If that was even her," Wade pointed out. "Remember that it was a woman named Rachel O'Neil who the scientist claimed attacked him."
"And I need you to remember that she's a psychopath who can change her face and voice!" Kim countered.
The look on Wade's face told Kim that her tone had been too harsh with the boy. She knew that she often let her emotions get the better of her when she was dealing with Camille. She had no right to be short with Wade.
"Sorry, Wade," she sighed. "But I'm not taking any chances when it comes to her. It's too much of a coincidence that some random scientist was attacked by a mystery woman when the W.E.E. has been snatching up pieces of technology for weeks now."
"It's okay," he said accepting her apology. "And I know how personal things get when it comes to her. That's why I'm here to try and provide a voice of reason for you at all times, even when you're 99.9% sure that Camille's the answer."
She could not believe that a boy of his age was her voice of reason. It certainly was not Ron. His emotions with the girl were just as chaotic as her own. She smiled and shook her head as she thought about how valuable her tech guru was.
"Thanks. You're always there to keep me on track."
"So when you go out there tonight just be ready for anything. We don't know who sent us this information. They're as anonymous as they come. It could be a trap."
"Could be," she agreed. "But so far that hasn't been the W.E.E.'s style. They've really been focused on G.J. I've only been the target of one attack. And it was a pretty weak one."
"But what about Camille? Remember the whole business in Milan? She told Ron that she was going to be there a couple of months before she even pulled her heist."
"Right. And I could only imagine that it was to get us out of the country while Gemini attacked G.J. so that we couldn't help," Kim said as she began to massage her temples. It was all too much to think about. "We won't even be leaving Middleton for this mission. What could she possibly want us to go there for if it's another lure job?"
"I couldn't tell you," he shrugged. "But if you're going to go you just need to be careful."
"Always am," she smiled. "I'm going to go call Ron now and get ready. I'll be in touch."
"Okay. Later."
The screen went black and Kim sighed. She looked over to where the Truth Ray sat. She could not pass up a chance. Not when the girl was this close in the backyard. Tonight she was going to end this once and for all.
XXXXXXXXXX
The hour was late when Camille Leon entered the lab. The place was dark, illuminated only by a few dimly lit ceiling lights that remained on twenty four hours a day. She never understood why some places did that. If it was to scare potential burglars away by making them think that the building was still occupied then it was a poor attempt. Here stood one gorgeous blonde burglar who was about to make off with the item that her employer sought.
Of course she did not wear her true face for this job. Rather she was a middle-aged man in a security guard outfit. If it so happened that there was someone still lurking on the premises at this hour then her presence there could be easily explained. It was the perfect plan. She let out a soft laugh at the thought. Of course it was perfect. She was perfect. And because of that the world was her plaything.
Taking out the high quality flashlight that only helped to add to her costume, Camille began looking around for the item that she sought. On this particular night it was a safe. And inside the safe was a flash drive that contained data that Gemini wanted. As always he did not inform her of what the data was. The details of her jobs were on a need to know basis. And he believed that he did not need to know. Had it not been for her grandfather telling her of the importance of hands-on training like this she would have refused the work. But Senior stressed that this kind of field homework was essential for honing her skills beyond lies and manipulation. It was actually kind of thrilling to be here alone at night breaking the law. The feeling that she could be caught at any moment gave her chills. The rush and the thrill of having to think on her feet and use all of her skills to their fullest made her feel warm inside.
She finished her sweep of one room and went to the next. And then the next. So far no safe. Of course Gemini had not informed her of what room her target was in. Maybe that information was on a need to know basis as well. She softly growled at the thought. There were times when she wished that she was still working solo. Then every little piece of information would be at her fingertips. She would take orders from no one and would do nothing that she did not want to. But there were times that the advantages of her new life outweighed the disadvantages.
And first and foremost of those benefits would be money. Having been disowned by her parents quite a while ago she was nearly out of cash. Her trust fund had been destroyed. And the money she invested in her own mission earlier in the year had been mostly wasted. And that was where Senior came in. Being the granddaughter of a billionaire meant that what was his was hers. And she had recently taken advantage of her newly found funds by going on shopping sprees that most teenage girls could only dream of. But she was Camille Leon. And her dreams became reality.
Frustrated now by her lack of progress she slammed her fist against a nearby table. It was not supposed to be this way. It was supposed to be a simple heist. Get in and out in minutes, drop off the package, and then go out for drinks. But there was no stupid safe in this stupid laboratory building.
The thought vanished from her mind when she heard a voice from behind her.
"Stop."
She froze. She knew that voice. All too well.
"Turn around."
She hesitated. But she had nothing to hide. After all, she was just a security guard. He was making his nightly rounds.
Camille turned to face Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. Her face showed no emotion as she looked into the eyes of the redhead. The world was her stage. And right now she had a role to play.
"Who are you?" Camille asked. "And what are you doing trespassing on private property?"
Kim took a step forward. "I was about to ask you the same thing. What's your name?"
Camille was seething inside. Typical redhead cheerleader bitch. She thought bitterly.
"I'm a security guard," she explained. "I work here. I'm only going to tell you this once. Leave the premises or I will call the police."
"Maybe we should," Ron said softly. "We don't want to get bused for intruding on private property."
Kim shook her head. "Let me see some identification if you are who you say you are."
Camille's eyes narrowed. She didn't have an I.D. Her shape shifting abilities were not able to create paper and plastic cards.
"You have a lot of nerve. I'm calling the police."
Camille made a move to reach into her pocket for her cell phone. She was stopped her in tracks when Kim produced what looked to be a gun. Her hands froze instantly.
"What are you doing!" she yelled. "I'm unarmed! I'm just a security guard!"
"This isn't a gun," Kim clarified. "This little device is called a Truth Ray. And with it I can find out the truth of this matter no matter what."
Camille's eyes widened for a split second at the mention of the Truth Ray. While she had never encountered one before she had heard of it. When she had been reading up on the Ron Factor file as well as the file on Team Possible's missions there had been a brief mention of the device. It made both Kim and Ron tell the truth whenever they were asked questions. And sometimes even when they were not.
The blonde stood there in terror as the device was pointed squarely at her chest. She dared not move. She was helpless. She could do nothing. If she ran then that would incriminate her and make Kim shoot. Right? Her mind cycled through all of her possible options. Stay or run? Attack or retreat? She could not beat either of them in a fight. She could not outrun a beam of light. Her only hope was...
She saw Kim's arm shake. The redhead lowered the pistol.
"I can't," she said as she closed her eyes in defeat. "Not like this."
"Kim?" Ron asked.
"He could just be a security guard. I can't take action without absolute proof that he's not who he claims to be. I won't take that risk. I won't turn into Shego."
Camille's mind practically screamed. Yes!
She saw as Kim looked down to the floor. "If you are who I think you are then we'll meet again on different terms. And I will get you. Your time is running out."
Camille said nothing as she turned around to leave. She could not believe what had just happened. Had the seed she had planted so many months ago taken root? Was Kim truly concerned with stepping into that gray area between hero and villain? She could not believe her luck. As always her brilliance and foresight had served her well. She smiled in triumph.
"Wait."
A different voice. A male voice. Ron's voice.
She turned around to see him still looking at her.
"Kim may have a problem taking this chance," he said. "But I don't."
He grabbed the Truth Ray from Kim's hand and fired a yellow, ringed shot that hit Camille right in the stomach. Years of playing shooter video games had finally proven their worth. For a moment she glowed with a yellow aura. It quickly disappeared and she looked to be completely unharmed. But the damage had been done.
"Ron..." Kim gasped.
Ron! Camille's mind screamed with fury.
It was all over now. The villainess turned to run. Wasting no time Ron gave pursuit. Kim stood there in stunned silence.
Camille may have been in shape, but the security guard she was portraying had more than a few extra pounds on him. And even if he did not he would still have been no match for Ron's speed. If there was one thing he excelled at it was running. It was what made him such a capable distraction.
Ron tackled his prey to the ground. After rolling over a few times the pair finally stopped with Ron pinning his victim's shoulders to the floor. He stared into the fearful eyes of the man.
"What's your real name?" he demanded.
"Camille Leon."
The man's eyes widened at the involuntary revelation of his true name. His breathing became rapid as he struggled to get the young man off of him.
"Show me the truth of your real face."
Camille's jaw clenched as her transformation took place, again involuntarily. She went from the male security guard she was portraying back to her natural blonde, petite self. She looked up at Ron with a look of sorrow. But her expression was soon replaced with a mischievous grin.
"Just like old times, isn't it?" she said regarding the position they were in.
It had to work. He had to become uncomfortable. She had to take control of his emotions in order to escape. But he said nothing. For long seconds he stayed on top of her pinning her to the floor. She could take it no longer.
"Why?" was all she could think to ask. The sad tone in her voice was unmistakable.
But he still said nothing. The silence was deafening. She could not take it. She saw the look in his own eyes. His eyes were eating away at her. They were destroying her.
"Stop looking at me like that!" she demanded.
Finally he spoke. "Like what?"
"With pity! I don't want your pity and I don't need it! Just get off of me!" she shrieked.
He did so. As soon as he got up she attempted to scurry away, but he caught her legs. She kicked at him but he was soon joined by Kim. Together the two succeeded in standing her up and forcing her to sit at one of the nearby desks. Each stood on one side of the blonde.
"You're going to answer a few questions now," Kim said. "And there's nothing that you can do about it." She motioned with a hand to one of the nearby tables to where her Kimmunicator sat facing the three of them. "Smile, Camille. You're on TV."
Her eyes closed for a moment before looking back up at Kim with a wicked glare. "I hate you!" she snarled. "I hate both of you!" There was no denying the truth of those statements. The Truth Ray made sure of that.
"Why do you hate me?" Kim asked. It was a question she had wondered for months now.
"Look at you," Camille spat without even thinking of the words her mouth was forming. "You have everything. A loving family and friends, talent, fame, beauty. You're good at everything without even trying. Your life is perfect! No one should have it as good as you! I should have that! I was rich, damn it! I was rich and I had nothing! Everything I wanted should have been mine!"
Kim gave Ron a quick glance at the word "was".
"What do you mean you were rich?"
"I was d-d-," she said as she struggled to prevent her mouth from saying the truth. "Disowned by my f-f-f-amily. I haven't had access to my family's fortune in months. My parents were embarrassed and ashamed of who I portrayed myself to be on TV. I was the black sheep of the family. Hah!" she laughed. "If only they knew how wrong they were about that one."
Ron recalled things that Camille had told him months ago. That nothing in her life was real. That people only liked her for her money. That she had no true friends. He never could have imagined that she had no family either. He found it hard not to pity the young woman at the moment.
"So you hate me for what I have," Kim stated. "So why don't you do something about it? Why don't you try to build your own life up rather than tear me down? Why become a super villain?"
"You think you're so clever, don't you, Kim? Because it's easier to be angry than sad! I let the hatred I felt for my family, the hatred that I felt for the world replace all of my sadness. Destroying you is better than admitting to any of my own faults!"
Camille struggled to stand up again before being pushed back down by Kim. She could not believe that all of her thoughts and feelings were spilling forth like this. But she was powerless to do anything about it.
It was time to move onto her crimes now. Kim could not wait to hear the confessions.
"Who stole the Tiffany Yellow Diamond?"
"I did. I posed as you and went on a mission with Ron to the museum to steal it for Dr. Drakken."
"Are you still working for Dr. Drakken?"
"No. I'm working for G-G-G-Gemini."
She squeezed her eyes closed as a pair of tears formed in her eyes. They streaked down her face leaving a glistening trail in their wake.
"Why?"
"Because Senor Senior Sr. wanted us to."
Kim and Ron looked at each other again in surprise. Here they thought that Camille hated the elderly villain. She had after all participated in the attack that had destroyed his original island home. Why would she be working with him now? There was only one way to find out.
"Why are you two working together if you helped Drakken attack him?"
The blonde's teeth were chattering as she fought with all of her being not to speak. But it was to no avail. "He's my g-g-g... I I hate you!" she screamed, seemingly keeping her admission at bay for the moment.
"It's okay," Kim said. "Let it all out, Camille. The truth will set you free."
"He's my grandfather!"
The eyes of both teen heroes widened in shock at this new information. So much made sense now. And yet it begged even more questions. But before Kim could follow up Ron decided it was his turn to ask one.
"Camille. Did you even really care about me?"
Her answer came between breaths and sobs. "Yes. I did care about you. You were my best friend. My only friend. None of those bitches on the cheer squad liked me for who I was. I was just a piece of meat to them to be used and exploited. Just like everyone else did. But not you, Ron."
Ron closed his eyes and shook his head sadly.
"Are you happy?" she asked as more tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked up at Ron with liquid-blue eyes. "Have you finally gotten your revenge for all I've done to you?"
"This isn't about revenge. This is about helping you. I said I would help you. This is the only way."
"Screw you!" she screamed. "I don't want your help! I don't need your help! I don't need to be with you to define who I am! I hate you! I can't stand the sight of you! You're a pathetic, weak coward who can do nothing without Kimmie's help! And as soon as she gets out of this crappy little hick town she'll move onto bigger and better things without you! And then where will you be? Huh? The only thing you'll have to live for is your stupid ugly little naked mole rat! You're not strong enough to stand on your own! That's why the Attitudinator destroyed your brain!"
Ron was taken aback by the sudden outburst of hate from his ex-girlfriend. And everything she said was what she believed to be true. He was not sure if she always felt this way or if this was simply what she was feeling right now because of the situation that he had put her in. But there was one thing that was undeniable. It was what she believed was the truth.
"And then there's you!" she said pointing at Kim. "You know that you'll abandon him eventually because you're a terrible friend. It's why you put a tracking chip in him. It's why you left him locked in a janitor's closet during a school dance. It's why you couldn't even tell that I had taken over your loser friend Monique's life a few weeks ago. You didn't even notice a difference! That's how conscious you are of your friends! That's how much they mean to you! If I wasn't being forced to tell the truth right now I could have kept on living her worthless, mundane life and you wouldn't have a damn clue!"
Kim grabbed Camille by the front of her oversized security guard uniform and raised a fist. The last outburst had triggered a rage inside of Kim that she had not felt in months. The fact that she had taken to destroying her friend's life put things on a whole different level.
"Go ahead! Hit me! Hit me like you did when you tied me up to a chair to beat the answers you needed out of me! The great hero Kim Possible was reduced to torturing her enemy in order to get the job done," she told the Kimmunicator that was pointing at her. "Such an inspiration! Such a role model!"
"Shut up!"
"Go ahead, Shego Jr. Take the next step on the road to evil!"
Ron placed his hands on Kim's shoulders to take her a few steps away from the blonde. "Come on, Kim. Calm down."
Kim breathed a heavy sigh. "I'll be okay. I'm fine."
Ron stepped in again to take control of the situation. "I care about you, Camille. On some level I always will. It's why I want to help you. But I can never be with someone who wants to ruin Kim's life."
"Of course you can't," she spat. The look of disgust on her face made him squirm. "You're her loyal little puppy. You're so desperate to cling to her because she's all you have. It's why I needed to break you away from her last spring. I was doing that for your own good. But now I see that you want to remain in your pathetic little existence at her feet. You make me sick, Ron Stoppable. I can't believe that I slept with you. I'll never wash your loser stench off of my body now."
Ron turned away with a mixture of sadness and embarrassment. The words she attacked him with were sharper than any knife. And the damage to his emotions threatened to be more than he could bare. It was classic Camille Leon. She did not need fists. Only words.
"I'm sorry you feel the way," he said. "But maybe when this is all over, when you have a chance to collect your thoughts and emotions, you'll realize you feel different about all of this. Maybe you'll realize this is all for your own good."
"I thought you'd realize that what I did was for your own good too. But it seems that some people will just never learn."
Before he could answer an explosion shook the building as a wall behind them burst open sending great chunks of concrete flying in all directions. Each of the three teens hit the floor both from the shockwaves caused by the explosion as well as their instinctual need to hit the deck for safety.
As they looked for the source of the explosion they saw a hover car slip into the lab. But where they would expect to find Dr. Drakken and Shego, the trio saw that it was Senor Senior Sr. and one of Gemini's purple and white clad agents.
"Camille!" Senior shouted. "Are you okay?"
The blonde coughed. "I'm not okay!," she yelled back. "I got hit with a Truth Ray!"
"We must make haste!" Senior turned to the other man. "Agent Iota, get her out of here!"
The man leapt down from the car and ran straight for the girl in question. All three were still recovering from the blast. The man scooped his target into his arms and began running back.
Kim and Ron stood up to give chase. But by the time they were on their feet they could see the hover car flying off in the distance.
Ron looked over to his partner. "So close..." he lamented.
Kim coughed again before smiling. "It doesn't matter now," she said. "We got it all on camera," she said as she recovered her Kimmunicator. She was glad that Wade made the thing to be resilient on her missions. "Wade was broadcasting the whole thing to Global Justice. And soon they'll be relaying all of the relevant parts out to every news agency around the world."
Ron nodded wordlessly. It was all for the best. And after everything that Camille had told him he could no longer imagine being with her romantically. They were officially enemies once again.
XXXXXXXXXX
As the hover car raced back to their temporary base, Camille looked up at her saviors. One was to be expected. The other was a man whom she had shown nothing but contempt for.
"Thank you," she admitted, still under the effects of the ray. "Both of you. For saving me."
"Just doing my job," Agent Iota said.
"Camille, my dear, what happened?" Senior asked.
"They hit me with a Truth Ray. I told them everything about us. About working with Gemini. About kidnapping and posing as Monique. We have to get out of there now. They'll be coming for her as soon as they can."
Suddenly Camille squeezed her hand over her mouth. She remembered the potential things she could admit when she had no control over what was on her mind.
Senior looked at her curiously. "What is wrong?"
"I don't want to answer questions. Don't ask me anything. Don't talk to me until this wears off."
Senior nodded. He dare not take advantage of her in this condition. No matter how much he wanted to hear her say three simple words to him.
