Disclaimer: Kim Possible and all IP as it is presented in the canon animated television series is Copyright and Trademark by the Disney Company, using characters originally created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. This is a transformative fan fiction work.
The Specter of Death, Chapter Twelve
Story Copyright © Dale W. Robbins (crimsonhawk)
Kim Possible leaned back into the passenger seat of Shego's rental convertible as it pulled away from Monique's parents' house. She and Shego had just dropped Kim's best friend off to collect her belongings. Kim still felt bad... as much as Monique wanted to argue personal responsibility and accountability, deep down Kim knew that if Kim hadn't dragged Monique to the graveyard last night, Monique wouldn't be facing eviction from her parents' house. How could any parent turn their backs on their child like that?
And then there was the fight with Yori.
"Wanna talk to me, Princess?" Shego asked from the driver's seat of the convertible. The concern in her voice was apparent.
"I was just thinking about the fight last night," Kim replied, closing her eyes and wincing. Shego was a fair masseuse and had tended to Kim's aching muscles while they were in their holding cell and Monique was facing the judge. But Kim still hurt in places she didn't know she had. "Neither of us had our heads in the game, did we?"
Shego shook her head. "That bitch is good and you did warn me," she admitted. "But you're right; we didn't have our heads in the game. I let my anger get the better of me and I'm suspecting that you were still reeling emotionally from your talk with Ron. Which just ups my respect for this ninja's skill, though. She waited until we were both emotionally at our weakest and used that weakness against us just as easily as any sword or club."
Kim nodded. "We can't let that happen again. Not if we're going to move forward with this."
"We're not going to let it happen again," Shego agreed harshly. Kim could tell that Shego was admonishing herself just as much as anything else. "We're almost four months out of practice, Kimmie. We're going to get back into the game, we're going get back on top of the game, and we're going to kick some major league ass along the way."
Kim nodded and smiled. She was actually looking forward to this. Looking forward to getting back into the world-saving game. Having Wade at her back. Having a partner with which she could trust her life at her side. Taking on the challenges of supervillains, criminal masterminds, and mad scientists. Not only taking her life back, but taking it by the horns and leading it where she wanted it to go.
Shego looked over at Kim and couldn't help but smirk knowingly. There it was. Something Shego hadn't seen in over four months. That spark in Kim's eyes when the hero knew she was facing a challenge that only her wits and skills could overcome. That same spark that Shego always saw when Kim fought Shego in her attempt to stop one of Drakken's many insane attempts to take over the world.
Shego fell in love all over again.
"Turn left here," Kim said, pointing down a street. In doing so, she didn't lose that spark in her eye. If for anything, it got stronger. "We're almost there."
Shego nodded and made the turn. She was getting as excited as Kim was.
"Kimberly!" Mrs. Load smiled as she opened the front door to her house. "You're alive!"
"Hi, Mrs. Load," Kim smiled as the dark-skinned woman greeted the hero with a tight hug. "Is Wade in?"
Kim knew it was a rhetorical question. But she wanted to be polite.
"Of course he is, silly," Mrs. Load laughed, stepping aside to let Kim and Shego inside. "When is he not in? In fact, he already has some guests. Please, please, come in."
Kim cocked a brow at Mrs. Load as she stepped into the house and kicked her shoes off. "He has guests?"
"Yes," Mrs. Load nodded. "That lovely young man, Felix, is here with his girlfriend. Apparently, Felix and Wade are working on some project or another."
"Felix and Zita are here?" Kim asked. "Spankin'! Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Oh, hey, Mrs. Load, I'm sure you know of Shego."
"Hello, Mrs. Load," Shego greeted, nodding her head politely. Kim could tell Shego was working very, very hard to be on her best behavior.
"Of course I know of Shego, dear," Mrs. Load smiled as she took the ex-villainess' hands in greeting. "Wade only talked about her every other day while the two of you were enemies. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, young lady. I'm so glad your work with Global Justice is going so well for you. How did that pacification mission against the insurgent leader in Mongonga go?"
Shego's brow twitched violently as she coughed softly into a doubled-up fist. Kim simply looked at Shego with wide-eyed wonder. Pacification?
"Oh, my!" Mrs. Load gasped, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Was that one supposed to be classified? I am so sorry."
"No worries, Mrs. Load," Shego sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "I keep forgetting that Ner... er, I mean, Wade... has his finger on the pulse of the world. You can't be expected to keep track of the sensitivity of the information he talks to you about. I will be speaking to him about discretion, however."
"Of... of course, dear," Mrs. Load agreed nervously. "I... will he be...?"
"I won't hurt him, I promise," Shego assured the older woman. "Even if I wanted to, I can't afford that kind of hit against my pardon. Not now. I'm just going to talk to him and make sure he understands that he can't just talk about anything he wants to, even to his mother."
"Oh, okay," Mrs. Load breathed, obviously relieved. "Well, everyone is up in Wade's room. You remember where that is, right, Kimberly?"
"I sure do, Mrs. Load," Kim replied, hugging the woman mightily. "Thank you so much."
"You're very welcome," Mrs. Load smiled, patting the hero gently on the back.
"KIM!" all three people cried as Kim and Shego entered Wade's bedroom. The teen genius, Wade Load, was sitting predictably as his ultra-hi-tech computer station. Felix, in his wheelchair, was sitting nearby with a similarly hi-tech laptop in his lap. Felix's girlfriend, Zita Flores, was sitting on Wade's bed, using yet another advanced laptop (most likely playing the Everlot online computer game). However, as soon as Kim and Shego entered the room, Felix, Wade, and Zita were immediately setting aside whatever they were working on. Zita literally launched herself off of the bed and attacked Kim with a flying tackle glomp.
"Hey, guys!" Kim laughed, hugging Zita warmly. "I'm so glad to see you too."
Felix rolled up next to Kim and his girlfriend. "Are you feeling any better now, Kim?"
"As opposed to how I felt when I ran away from home?" Kim asked, considering Felix's look of concern. "A hell of a lot better. Some things have happened that's made my life so much better." Kim then turned back to Zita. "Girl, I have to tell you..."
"No, chica," Zita replied, literally bouncing up and down. "Me first!" She then showed Kim her hand.
Both Kim and Shego's eyes went wide. On Zita's finger was a gorgeous solitaire engagement ring. A single 1/5 carat diamond in a starburst cut sat upon a white gold band.
Kim looked back up at Zita with wide eyes. "For real?"
"For uber real, chica!" Zita exclaimed excitedly. "Felix even got onto Everlot and got both of our guilds together to witness his proposal. Fue tan romántico!"
Kim looked down at Felix in disbelief. The wheelchair-bound whiz simply smiled and shrugged.
"What can I say? As the commercial says, Every Kiss Begins With Kay."
"When?" Kim asked excitedly at Zita.
"No date set yet," Zita admitted. "But trust me, chica, you'll be one of the first ten people to know once we do know that date."
"I better be," Kim smirked. Both girls giggled excitedly while Shego could only smirk and shake her head mirthfully.
"By the way," Zita said, sobering somewhat. "I'm... I was wrong to say the things I said to you a couple of months ago. Felix and I had a long, heart-to-heart talk about that..."
Felix cleared his throat dramatically at that.
"Okay," Zita admitted as Kim looked at Felix curiously. "It was the first really big, drag-out fight we had in our relationship. But Felix was right and I did you wrong."
"I've been hearing way too many apologies lately," Shego laughed softly, shaking her head.
Kim responded by simply sticking her tongue out playfully at her girlfriend. She then turned back to Zita. "It's okay, Zita," Kim said softly, squeezing the girl's shoulders reassuringly. "We were all hurt by Ron's death. We all had our coping mechanisms."
Zita could only nod softly at that.
"Now, my turn!" Kim smiled. "I know it's only been five months since Ron's death, but I've found someone new with whom I've grown madly in love."
"Wade!" Felix laughed teasingly. "You dog!"
"What?" Wade yipped in wide-eyed shock. "Hey! No! I haven't even spoken to Kim in the last four months!"
"It's not Wade, you goof!" Kim laughed, slapping the back of Felix's head playfully. "It is someone in this room, though."
A silence fell upon the room for several moments. Then, every set of eyes turned slowly to Shego.
"You mean...?" Zita started to ask.
Shego smirked and waved flirtatiously at the group.
"Chica!" Zita gasped, looking back at Kim. "I didn't know you..."
"Neither did I," Kim admitted, shrugging. "Not until after graduation. And things just kinda fell into place."
"And, in Shego's defense," Wade added, "She's been doing some great work for Global Justice since the Lowardian Invasion. As much as she'd probably hate to admit it, she's one of the good guys now."
"That reminds me, Nerdlinger," Shego growled playfully. "You and I need to talk about what you talk to your mother about. Especially when it comes to my missions."
"Oops!" Wade winced.
"Don't worry, Wade," Kim smiled. "It'll only take a couple of days to heal up afterwards."
"Thanks for the reassurance, Kim," Wade deadpanned dryly.
"No big," Kim replied, shrugging.
"So, beyond relationship news," Felix said, slapping his hands together. "What's up with you guys."
"Well," Kim said, stepping over to Wade's bed and sitting down. "I've taken a couple of months to get my head back on straight and get myself back together. Shego's been a great big, huge help in that. Now, we're wanting to put Team Possible back together."
"That's music to my ears," Wade exclaimed, spinning around to one of his keyboards. He began typing furiously. "In fact, Felix and I have been working on a few projects in the hopes you'd find yourself again."
"Really?" Kim asked, astonished. Zita sat down on the bed next to Kim, smiling and watching the procession with pride.
As if to answer Kim's question, a portion of Wade's closet slid out like a display panel. Inside the display case was a battle suit very similar to the one that Kim had worn against the Diablo robots and against Warmonga. However, this one was aesthetically different. While it was still white with blue trim, the gloves and boots were noticeably bulkier. The kneepads and elbow pads were bulkier, as well. A short sleeve, open face jacket, itself white with blue trim, hung on the shoulders of the battle suit.
Kim stepped up to the suit, gazing on it with wonder in her eyes. "Wow! Is this what I think it is?"
"The Centurion Battle Suit Mark II," Wade agreed, turning back to the group. "The jacket, gloves, boots, and pads are all enhanced with the new micro-kevlar fabric that Global Justice has been using in its uniforms lately. The suit, including the jacket, are still self-repairing. And the suit itself still enhances your strength and reflexes."
"Spankin'!" Kim breathed, tracing her fingers along the jacket.
"I'm not done," Wade continued. "The suit's strength is enhanced. While you have its micro-graviton enhancers active, you should be able to lift as much mass as a small jet or an elephant."
Shego raised a brow to that. "Wow, Princess. That'll put you at just about my level."
"Which was my intention," Wade agreed. "Not only that, but the suit's self-repair system can extend somewhat to the wearer herself. While it's not going give you any sort of healing factor like Shego's got, you'll be able to stave off pain and fatigue for far longer than a normal person."
"Nice!" Kim smiled, turning to the boy genius.
"And I've incorporated a limited version of the speed shoes into the battle suit. While you're not going to be able to go so fast as to run across water or get lost in the speed zone, you should be able to keep pace with a speeding car quite easily."
Kim's eyes went wide at that.
"Yeah," Wade smiled humorlessly. "After the whole Electronique thing, I kinda worked overtime to make sure you would be able to contend with villains like her if you needed to again."
"Thank you, Wade," Kim said, stepping across the room and kissing the boy genius on the cheek. "As always, you rock."
"Thanks, Kim," Wade smiled, blushing slightly.
"I am really impressed, Nerdlinger," Shego said, admiring the suit. "What's a girl gotta do to get a toy like that for herself?"
"As fate would have it," Wade said, turning back to his keyboard, "I've been working on a little something for you too."
Shego's brows visibly rose at that statement. "Why? I mean, I appreciate it and all, but why? Just because I work with Global Justice now?"
"Well," Wade muttered, trying to hide both his blush and his cringe. "I kinda knew where Kim was the moment you reactivated that fallout lair in Vancouver. I just chose not to do anything about it. I knew Kim would call me when she was ready."
Shego snorted and folded her arms. "Why do I ever waste my time thinking that I've pulled one over on you?"
"A very good question," Wade laughed. "But anyway, this is what I've come up with for you."
The inside of the display case spun around. In place of the Centurion Mark II suit, a similar suit revealed itself. Instead of being white with blue trim, it was black with green trim. Otherwise, it was aesthetically the same.
Shego's eyed the suit curiously.
"I call it the Malefactor Battle Suit Mark I," Wade admitted, pointing to the suit. "I didn't pour as much ingenuity into it as the Centurion suit, given that you're already superstrong, have an innate healing factor, and can generate plasma. But it is still a self-repairing suit and the bulkier portions are still reinforced with micro-kevlar fabric."
Shego nodded. "I can't argue against that. And you designed the look yourself?"
"Um, no...," Wade admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I kinda got Monique to help me with that part."
"I knew I was hiring that girl for a good reason," Shego smirked.
"What you'll want to look at, Shego, is the gloves," Wade pointed out.
Shego looked at the boy genius curiously for a moment, then stepped up to the suit. Carefully lifting one of the gloves into her hand, she noticed that the fingers and thumb each ended with a small but vicious looking talon.
"Those claws are made from a substance that was recently invented at the Space Center," Wade explained. "It's a synthetic diamond substance they call ultra-diamond, harder than almost any other known material."
Shego smiled and nodded appreciatively. "You already know how much I love my claws. I take it from the tone in your voice that you're ready to impress me even more?"
"Well, ultra-diamond was developed to withstand the rigors of atmospheric reentry without material degradation," Wade continued. "They wanted to use it to coat the noses of the manned rocket ships they were building. But, oddly enough, it goes a step beyond that."
Shego turned and considered the boy's words.
"Not only does it withstand intense heat and friction without material degradation," Wade said, "it grows even denser and harder when influenced by intense heat."
Shego's eyes went wide.
"That means that your new claws, while you have your hands enveloped with your plasma, become the strongest and sharpest melee weapons on the face of the planet."
"Okay, how does Kimmie say it?" Shego grinned, turning back to admire her new suit. "Nerdlinger... no, wait... Wade, you rock!"
Wade smiled pridefully and shrugged. "It's what I do. And one more thing. I ran some computerized trials and I believe that those ultra-diamond claws can also channel your plasma. What that means is that, given some creativity and practice, you might be able to come up with some neat new tricks to pull with your plasma."
Shego looked back at Kim. Both women had the same look in their eyes. The look of children on Christmas morning.
"Don't forget about the new Kimmunicators," Zita exclaimed, pointing at the suit.
"New Kimmunicators?" Kim asked curiously.
"Oh, yeah," Wade said, punching a few more keys on his keyboard.
Suddenly a tiny holographic screen with Wade's image appeared out of thin air about half an inch over the glove that Shego was holding. Shego gasped involuntarily from being startled.
"Each of the suit's left gloves has a dedicated Kimmunicator unit built in," Wade explained, waving at Shego through the holographic screen. "Each one can connect with me or connect with each other via separate channels. I can even establish a multiple user connection via my control station. And each one has every other function I've built into previous Kimmunicators."
"Spankin'!" Kim smiled.
"The fun's not over yet," Felix smiled, turning his laptop around to show the screen to the women. "Check this out."
Shego knelt down in front of Felix and studied the screen carefully. Finally, she let out a low whistle. "I forgot your mother was a mechanical genius."
"She is," Felix smiled. "And I'd like to think I picked that up from her. So, you like it?"
"Like it?" Shego breathed, looking up at the wheelchair-bound technical genius. "Renton, if these specs are for real, I'm surprised you're showing it to me and not trying to sell it to the government for billions!"
"Honestly," Felix said, looking at Shego, "that's already in negotiation. I know I could use the money. But the prototype is already built and sitting at the Space Center. I was kinda hoping that Team Possible would put it through its paces. Showing it in action would make selling it a lot easier."
Shego smiled knowingly. She was liking this kid more and more. Shego then turned to look at Zita. "Girl, don't you ever let go of this man. Do you hear me?"
Zita's response was to show off her ring again. "Chica, that was never on the agenda."
Shego considered Felix and Zita momentarily. "Hey, what do you two feel about relocating?"
Felix and Zita looked at each other curiously.
Kim watched as the clouds moved swiftly underneath her. Gazing out from one of the passenger seats of the Team Possible's new supersonic transport jet, the Firebird, Kim had a spectacular view of the landscape below.
Getting to the Firebird had been an interesting task. As it turned out, several of her father's coworkers at the Space Center had the same negative opinion of Kim as much of Middleton did, especially after records of Kim, Shego, and Monique's arrests the night before went public. So the scientists had disagreed to allow her or any member of Team Possible access to the Space Center grounds. Dr. James Possible, Dr. Cynthia Renton, and Dr. Vivian Porter (the only three scientists at the Space Center on speaking terms with Kim) had to pilot the Firebird to the helipad at Dr. Drakken's lair outside of Middleton. After offering promises to all four scientists present that she and her allies would be careful and take care of themselves, the whole of Team Possible set off in the Firebird towards Vancouver.
Well, almost the whole of Team Possible.
"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Kim had asked of Wade before they had left.
"Trust me, Kim," Wade had laughed at the question. "That fallout lair of yours has computers. I'll already be there waiting on you guys when you get there."
"Good point," Kim had agreed, hugging the boy genius and kissing him one more time on the cheek before taking her leave.
So now Team Possible included Kim and Shego with support from Wade Load as mission control and gadget inventor, Felix Renton as their resident mechanic and engineer, Monique Rochon as public relations, mission uniform designer, and backup field agent, and Zita Flores as den mother, backup pilot, and backup mission control.
"This is a such a major change," Monique said suddenly, taking a deep breath. "I mean, I'm really looking forward to having more time to work on my fashion design degree and career. But it's going to feel so weird not waking up each morning to open up Club Banana."
Kim smiled at her best friend. "Well, Clara seemed to take your resignation well."
"I've been grooming Clara to take over the store for me once I did go full-time to college," Monique admitted. "She was already up to the challenge and was actually looking forward to it." She then looked at Kim, a bit of a frightened expression in her eyes. "I just hope I can live up to your expectations, GF."
Kim took Monique's hands into her own and held Monique's chocolate-kissed eyes with her own olive eyes. "Monique, you already have, a hundred thousand times over. You may not be a technical genius or a badass battle powerhouse, but you always know just the right thing to say at just the right time. You've got a head for common sense and right versus wrong that few other people have. Something tells me that you're going to be the heart and soul of this team."
"Thanks, Kim," Monique smiled.
"We'll have to do some remodeling or at least some rearranging," Shego admitted from her place in the pilot's seat. "Originally, the lair was supposed to only support me, Drakken, and a handful of henchmen. That means there are only two private suites."
"Well, I figure," Kim said, thinking for a moment, "that we can let Felix and Zita use Drakken's old suite. It's only fair, since they're a couple and all that."
"Wow!" Zita said, looking over at Kim. "Thanks! I appreciate that."
Felix, seated at the co-pilot station, smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you."
"And you and Monique sleep on bunks in the barrack room?" Shego asked quizzically. "Um, Pumpkin, I don't know if I like that idea."
"We can convert one of the unused labs into a private room," Kim countered. "Monique is a designer at heart. I'm sure that with a little bit of time and resources, she can make it feel just like home."
"You know it, girl," Monique smiled.
"She'll just have to use the common shower room for her restroom facilities," Kim smirked at her best friend.
"Just no peeking at my luscious body, Miss Thang," Monique admonished the redhead. Kim simply laughed in response.
Kim then stood up from her seat, snaked gracefully behind the pilot's seat, and draped her arms affectionately around the ex-villainess seated there. She leaned in and nibbled playfully at Shego's earlobe before stage whispering in her ear, "And tonight, I planned on negotiating on where I would be sleeping from here on out." She then added huskily after a moment's pause, "I'm ready."
Shego's face turned a deep shade of green as she stomped violently on the jet's floor. "God damn mother fu... Kimberly Anne Possible! Not while I'm piloting! Damn it! Now I'm all worked up!"
The entire group laughed loudly at the scene. As they did, Kim snuggled into her hug around Shego and smiled.
This was going to be a great team.
[END CHAPTER TWELVE]
