Q&A #4
"In a way makes shego a bit of a hypocrite, hadn't she been the same situation mind control and Ms. go so she should be an expert on altered mind making do screwed up things. So her vengeance for Kim. Is it because their own outrage of what was done to Kim. or what everyone has hinted that she has a thing for Kim , romantically[?]"
-jim89
Answer: Yes, there is a bit of hypocrisy there. As of then (ch 13) in the story, Shego did not consider her time as Mrs. Go to be the same as Monique's altered state. All objectivity was pretty much thrown out the window. Her viewpoint is heavily biased because of the way she feels about Kim.
Those are not romantic feelings, I only hinted because of the prevalence of KiGo and thought it would be funny for neither of them to understand why everyone thought of them in that way.
I doubt the Shego in my story will ever admit this, if she is even aware of it, that Kim means a lot to her. For those feelings to become romantic, however, Kim has some serious growing up to do.
Shego sees Kim as too much of a child to do anything sexual/romantic with her. The pedophile comment she made about Kim's age in chapter 13 was not limited to just the number. (Sexual harassment is fine apparently.)
Bottom line: Seeing Kim's innocence callously ravaged, Shego was enraged and disgusted with Monique, to the point of beating the minor half to death.
Sorry, my answer is longer than I would have liked.
Thanks for all your reviews, jim89! I really appreciate the feedback.
On to the story.
Mandatory Disclaimer: The only character I own is MD. I do not own any name brands/movies/TV shows that may be mentioned.
Monique awakens to excruciating pain, sudden, intense, jarring. She can barely see through the tears involuntarily flowing over edges of her eyes.
The trembling groan a failed attempt to move squeezes out of the young woman cannot begin to express the agony that entraps her.
Shego beat her thoroughly with sadistic precision. What isn't lacerated is bruised and what isn't bruised is burned, nothing left unscathed, unmarked.
Her breath comes in quick shallow gasps, the pain enough to make her ask herself if breathing is worth the expense.
Her body's overwhelming craving for oxygen forces air into her lungs despite the intense stabbing resistance of her ribs and chest.
Sweat stipples her forehead and gathers on her face mixing with the tears. The remains of her clothes, the remnants blood has not touched, quickly dampen from moisture.
Monique is unaware of the chains binding her hands and feet, the cold stare of her captor mere feet away.
Out of moral obligation, Kim treated her more life threatening injuries, nothing more.
The hero takes no pleasure in watching her sidekick suffer, but has no desire to alleviate her pain.
Kim's burning gaze is fixated on Monique, eyes swollen and bloodshot from the past hours of distress.
The evil young woman gropes for one of her few vest pockets still intact. An unsteady hand pulls out a slim metal cylinder with the rough proportions of a syringe. She cries out as she forcefully jabs it into her thigh.
A sharp hiss emanates from the device.
Monique relaxes immediately, her face still locked in a grimace, the crippling pain lessening to the point of allowing coherence.
A vein bulges down her forehead as she forces her limbs to move, testing her range of motion despite the extreme discomfort.
It is very limited.
The chains confining her clink together, heavy, chafing. She makes no effort to free herself. There is nothing she can manage that will remove them.
Monique's eyes widen as she takes notice of Kim. Her voice is weak and wavers under the strain "I didn't think you'd still be here."
The redhead's gaze hardens, narrowing into a pitiless glare. Her tone echoes the severity of her demeanor. "Why did you come here?"
Monique does not fully understand the reason behind her motives. The only thing that is clear is the desire.
"I wanted to see you."
Kim grinds her teeth in a barely contained rage, the flicker of surprise drowned in anger. "How can you say that as if it means something?"
The injured young woman furrows her brow. "It does. I love y-"
Kim sharply cuts her off. "Shut up."
"Kim-"
"Shut up."
Tension fills the abrupt silence.
Kim indignantly shatters it "Don't act like we're still together. Whatever you think love is isn't this. We're done."
The finality of the heroine's words cut through Monique's chest, unnervingly distinct from her physical injuries.
The evil young woman is left shaken, disturbed by her own reaction.
Her mind defensively plays back the last thing she heard before waking bound on the floor. "You still have feelings for me."
Kim vehemently contradicts "I love the person you used to be." She swallows as fresh tears wet her face "She's gone, permanently."
Monique averts her eyes, muttering bitterly under her breath "You shouldn't make assumptions, Kimberly."
The redhead stands, not wanting to hear anything more from the warped shell of her love.
She walks away knowing that Monique is in no condition to follow.
A slender woman embodying the colors green and black steps out from behind a pile of loose construction material.
"So you break up with her and that's it." Shego says, obviously suggesting that the teenager's course of action was incomplete at best.
Kim shoots her a heated look of disapproval. "You really shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations."
"Since when have I cared what I should or shouldn't do, Princess?" She tones down the casual insolence and continues seriously. "Love doesn't work like that."
"Like what?" The redhead tersely replies, inviting the villain to explain while already resenting the answer.
Shego huffs a short laugh "Do you really think breaking up with her is going to make everything you're feeling magically go away? Come on, Kimmie, you can't be that naive."
"What else am I supposed to do? We can't just go back to how things were and pretend everything is fine!"
With an air of I-told-you-so Shego refers to an earlier statement. "You should have let me kill her."
"And what would that solve exactly?" Kim snaps.
"Everything," she answers evenly "but you don't want that, having what's left of her around is too convenient for you."
The hero raises her voice "'Convenient'? How is any of this convenient?"
"You're joking, right? You gave up all hope of seeing your real girlfriend again so you can blame everything on that thing she is now. If that isn't a cop out, I don't know what is."
Kim pushes past her, jaw locked in a refusal to respond.
The redhead tells herself she doesn't have time to listen to any more of the villain's "insights", partly because they are disturbingly true and partly because a new school week starts in just a few hours.
After a hasty call for a ride, she leaves the compound and the unresolved issue behind.
Shego scowls, wondering how on earth she ended up as a teenage girl's personal counselor. It certainly detracts from the evil self image she has strived to maintain. Even worse, deep down she finds satisfaction in helping Kim through her problems, especially now that they have escalated.
Evil or not, it feels good to be needed, however revolting it may be to lend a hand.
Revulsion is exactly what Shego feels as quiet sobs coming from behind penetrate her malevolent veneer, moving her to turn around.
Monique, what is left of her, lies knees tucked into her chest, crying softly from an unfathomable inner anguish she has know idea how to mend.
The sight of the sidekick wounded and dribbling with mucus is so...pathetic. Shego finds herself pitying the young woman. The feeling is uncomfortable, almost nauseating, but tolerable.
There is no remorse over the injuries she inflicted on the teenager. As far as Shego is concerned, she brought it on herself the moment she took advantage of Kim, her anger well vented during the swift punishment.
Shego sits beside Monique, chin resting in the palm of her hand. "What did you think was going to happen?"
The evil young woman starts, eyes widening dramatically in recognition. She lunges away from the villain, causing herself a considerable amount of pain during the inadequate retreat.
"I'm not here to put you out of your misery."
"Then what do you want?" Monique asks, the bitterness from the rejection lingering in the dark threat of her tone.
Shego waves a brightly glowing hand. The chains binding the teenager fall to the ground neatly severed. "To talk."
...Middleton High...
The closing bell rings through the halls signifying the end of the worst Monday of Kim's life.
Kim lets out a hollow sigh after a realization. Only the school day is over. The rest of the day is still ahead. The dread of having to live through it, of having to go home and force a smile for her family, is sickening.
"KP! KP, over here!" A familiar voice calls as the redhead is swept out of the building among the flood of students just as eager to leave.
The hero forces her way through the crowd, running to embrace a blond, awkward young man. "Ron!"
Ron jokingly squeezes his best friend "I knew you'd miss the Ron Factor!"
Kim pulls away without letting go of his shoulders, gripping them tightly."You have no idea. Seriously, you don't."
His eyebrows come together in concern, best friend senses picking up an alarming amount of red flags. "Is everything okay? You don't seem very...'KP'."
Kim breaks his gaze. "I don't really feel like myself." Her arms fall and wrap around her chest. "I...I need to talk to you about something."
Ron has a bad feeling about what Kim has to say. There is only one thing that has been able to affect his best friend to that extent. He asks gently "Did something happen with Monique?"
It feels like her sidekick just plunged a knife into her chest, the color noticeably draining from her face as a deeply unpleasant memory surges into consciousness.
Ron is unnerved by her sudden frozen pallor. He nudges her. "Hey, Kim...Kim!"
The hero comes out of it, even less "KP" than before. "I'm sorry, Ron, I just..." her voice trails off.
"It's okay." He puts his arm around her and guides her to his moped. "Come on, let's get some Bueno Nacho. There's nothing a hot naco can't fix!"
The best Kim can manage at the joke is a weak, transparent smile.
...An "Authentic" Mexican Fast Food Restaurant...
Ron leans back in the booth. He rubs a hand over his mouth, fighting back a scream.
He knew it was going to be bad, but Kim was right, he had no idea how bad, how horrible it would be.
He forcefully exhales through his nose, face on fire, blood boiling, venting what anger he can before he loses himself in a rage.
Ron knows the last thing Kim needs is him causing a scene.
A tense moment passes.
"That is unforgivable." Ron spits "How could she do that to you?"
Kim wipes her eyes with a cheap napkin, her reply as thin as the paper. "She's evil, Ron."
"So? I've been evil, you didn't see me going around raping people!" A few heads turn at the exclamation forcing Ron to continue his shout in a hush. "Why are you defending her? She should be in prison!"
"This isn't about Monique!" Kim comes very close to yelling, pointedly telling him he is focusing on the wrong part of the update.
The young man's expression softens. "I'm sorry, Kim. I just can't get past that." He shakes his head "It's unbelievable, and not in the good way." His eyes lock on hers as he says with uncharacteristic gravity "You have to tell them what happened."
Kim's fingers clench into fists. She was afraid he would say that. "How? Where do I even start?"
"I don't know KP, but you can't hide it from them forever. Your parents are geniuses. They probably already know something's up."
"No, I haven't...been home." The redhead says carefully, hoping he doesn't inquire.
Ron raises an eyebrow "Then where have you been?"
She braces herself for his reaction. "Shego let me sleep in her room."
Sprite spews in Kim's face. "What?" His eyes widen at a sudden thought. He leans toward her and grabs her upper arms "Did she do anything to you?"
Kim swats at his hands. "She isn't like that!"
Ron lets go and crosses his arms. "I wouldn't put it past her."
She dabs her face, rolling her eyes. "Ron, nothing happened."
The protective young man nods getting back on track "So what if you're a lesbian? You're a world saving 4.0 honor student, that's the best one-size-fits-all excuse I've ever heard! I could get away with so much if I could pull that card." He folds his hands, fiddling with his fingers somewhat nervously. "To be honest, I'd be more concerned if you were as perfect as everyone thinks you are, I mean, that just wouldn't be human."
Kim lowers her head. "That's the problem. When my parents find out what they think I am and what I really am don't match up, what will they think of me then? Will I still be their perfect little girl that can do anything, or will I be...something else?"
Ron lowers his voice "I don't know, KP." He takes her hand in his and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Whichever it is, I'm here for you."
Even with the support of her best friend, the hero is terrified of what that "something else" might be. Her fears give rise to a yearning, a painful desire for her other trusted friend and confidant, the young woman she grew to love. "I really wish Monique, the real Monique, wasn't...gone. She would know what to do."
The young man narrows his eyes. "I don't think consulting a rapist is a good idea."
Kim's head snaps up, glaring intently. "I told you, that wasn't her."
Her sidekick is less than convinced, but he lets it go for the moment. He recognizes just how much she still loves Monique, how unwise it would be to press the matter. "Has Wade found a way to zap her back to normal?"
"I haven't heard from him." Kim takes out her Kimmunicator. They look to the small black screen half expecting the boy to call at that very moment.
Ron frowns "Huh, he usually has better timing than that."
The redhead presses the call button and waits a few seconds. The seconds seems to last much longer than seconds should. "Weird, he usually answers right away."
The teens stare at each other. Ron says what is on both of their minds. "You don't think something happened..."
"Sorry, Kim." The duo jump. Wade is alright, smiling oddly over the lit screen. "I got tied up with something. What can I do for you?"
"I was just checking the sitch. Have you found anything?" Kim asks flatly, having little faith in the boy's success.
Wade rubs the back of his head. "Uh...no, not yet. I'm still looking into it." A blinding flash lights up the background. "Ah, gotta go, bye!"
...Wade's Room...
"Gah! It's fried!" Wade says, raising his voice as he waves the smoke rising off an intricate machine. He spins around in his chair to face away from the array of monitors. "Did it work?"
A toned young woman slides off a helmet linked to the machine. She drops it, useless. "No, test the next one."
Wade frowns. "Monique, we've been going at it all day and nothing has even come close. I need to think of a new a new approach."
She grabs him by the collar "You're going to start over, again?"
The tween can feel a tremor through his shirt. "If that's what it takes." His gazes becomes earnest. "You really shouldn't be here. You need to go to a hospital, at least-"
He's cut off as the evil teenager flings him away from her. "I'm not leaving! You need to fix me." the harshness in her voice drops to a trembling ache "I can't...I can't stand being this way."
"I'm trying my best, Monique. The Evilizer was specifically designed for its effects to be permanent. I can create countermeasures, but to reverse it after it has already happened is much more difficult." He rubs a hand over his forehead. "It has only been a few days since the mission. I need more time."
The evil young woman violently kicks the helmet, snapping it free of the wires and sending it flying across the room, narrowly missing the boy.
"Be careful with that!"
"It's garbage."
"That doesn't mean you can just-" He stops, remembering there is no use trying to use that kind of reasoning. He sighs. "Sit down so I can scan you."
She follows his instruction, sitting on his bed, arms folded across her chest. "I don't see the point of this. You already have everything you need to know."
"I'm scanning you because of what you said a minute ago." He grabs a device from his desk and points it at the young woman. "I see, you're evil percentage is fluctuating...but it's staying in the 90s."
Monique looks at the readings. "And?"
"Think about, it. If your current mental state is permanent, then it shouldn't be able to change. The fact that it can is good news." He clears a space on his workbench and starts writing strings of numbers and symbols, gibberish to the sidekick. "I'm going to find a way to exploit this and broaden the range, open your mind, so to speak. If I can reestablish the severed connections in your brain, you'll be you again."
The evil teenager isn't enthused. "Isn't that what you've been trying?" She adds bitingly "And failing."
"I just need more time." the boy insists
Fed up with yet another unsuccessful attempt,Monique lies back on the bed and lets out a long breath. Overcome with exhaustion, and drowsiness from a cocktail of painkillers, she fights to stay awake, but no amount of effort can keep her from slipping into unconsciousness.
Wade looks over and watches her sleep for a moment. Her face is so serene and content it's hard to believe that it's the same person.
"I'm sorry, Monique." he mutters under his breath "I have no idea what I'm doing."
He scowls at the equations he wrote and tears the drafting paper from the bench, crumpling it up into a ball and throwing it in the trash. The ball bounces off the overflowing wastebasket and rolls, joining the others that litter the floor.
...Middleton...
The heroine and her sidekick pull up to a well kept house in the suburbs.
Kim hops off the moped. "Sorry, Ron, we didn't get a chance to talk about your trip."
"It's alright, KP, it wasn't much." A sly smile spreads across his face. "Saw some sights, ate some octopus, got myself a girlfriend."
The redhead's jaw drops. "Seriously?" The shock turns into a grin. "Who? You have to tell me! Don't spare a single detail."
Ron just smiles.
Kim begins to is to press, but stops abruptly when she feels a shiver run down her spine. She twists to the side just in time to avoid a flying drop kick.
The assailant skids across the sidewalk into the grass, clad in black armored robes. Excess cloth is tied securely around arms, legs, and waist, face concealed in a similar manner.
The proportions strike the hero as female.
The figure leaps forward, closing the gap with startling speed and accuracy.
Kim barely gets her guard up before another powerful kick enters the fray. She deflects it, stepping around the shrouded woman unharmed.
The black martial artist easily shifts her balance firing the heel of her off leg up towards the hero's jaw.
The redhead gasps, whipping her head back. The displaced air grazes her neck, a very near miss.
She jumps back and tightens her defenses. The masked fighter is much too skilled to risk anything otherwise.
The woman's stance is deceptively open. Contrary to how it appears, there are no openings, at least none Kim can perceive.
Kim wonders why she is being assaulted, why Ron is just standing there smiling like an idiot while this is happening.
Her thoughts narrow to the fight at hand. She can't afford to be distracted.
The women inch toward each other, sensing, gauging.
Tension swells as they step into reach.
The assailant makes the first move. She steps off the ground for a quick advance.
Kim shuts it down, slamming her the bottom of her shoe into the woman's thigh pinning her leg down. She preserves the pin through a series of blows, the exchange ending with the hero holding the woman firmly by the wrists. Her arms tremble under the strain to maintain dominance.
She can feel her grip slipping, control being pried from her fingers.
I need to end this, fast.
She steps up off the woman's leg and flips over her head, snatching the cloth from her face.
The martial artist turns to face Kim, smiling. Black hair frames her face, cut just above her shoulders, a red headband holding it back just enough over bangs clipped short. Her eyes are the same shade of black, skin, olive, clearly of Asian descent.
Kim is flabbergasted. "Yori?!"
Yori bows with respect, smile widening. "Possible-san, it is good to see you again."
"W-why did you attack me?"
"Ron-kun asked me to surprise you with an American style practical joke. I hope it amused you."
"Well, I'm...surprised."
Grinning, Ron puts an arm around his girlfriend and laughs. "That was more like an assassination attempt than a joke."
A soft blush colors Yori's cheeks "I apologize. I didn't mean to offend."
Kim holds up a hand. "No, it's fine. That was actually the best thing that happened all day."
Ron squeezes her shoulder "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it, though it's probably a good idea to hold off on the jokes for now."
The redhead raises an eyebrow, curious. "How did you manage to sneak up on me in broad daylight wearing all black?"
Ron gestures to his girlfriend's entire person. "Uh, hello! She's a ninja!"
Yori nods a sort of miniature bow "It is one of the many skills I learned during my training in Yamanouchi."
Kim's smile bears a hint of sadness. "I'm happy for you."
The couple grin, excited, fresh with the novelty of a new relationship.
"We'll see you later, KP. If you need anything, just call me, 'kay?" Ron says as he walks toward his moped.
Yori doesn't leave without giving the hero a proper bow. She straightens and joins her boyfriend on his ride.
Kim waves as they scoot off down the street.
She takes a deep breath and turns to face her house. The walk up to the front door doesn't take long enough.
Kim fingers the knob, unable to open it.
Fear, apprehension, dread, the combination is overwhelming, suffocating.
What am I going to tell them?
The hero swallows a painful lump in her throat.
What will they say?
Rising up through the mire of entrenched trepidation, Shego's consoling words float to the surface. "They'll love you like they always have."
A tight smile curls on her lips as she thanks and curses Shego simultaneously in her thoughts.
Kim grips the knob firmly in hand and opens the door, stepping inside her home.
To be continued...
The pain relieving cylinder thing Monique used is Global Justice's answer to the hypospray. (I am very fond of Star Trek. I can't seem to resist the urge to reference it when the opportunity arises.)
What Monique and Shego talked about will probably stay between them. (I may or may not hint at it in future interactions.)
jim89 called it in a review, Ron's souvenir is indeed Yori.
If you're not familiar with Japanese honorifics, -san is a respectful way to address an equal, formally or informally. It's pretty much the go-to honorific.
-kun is a bit more diverse. Here, Yori used it to refer to a male she is familiar with. There are other instances where it can be used, though I won't go into detail.
Anyway, as always, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on the story.
Thank you for reading this far, I'll have the next chapter out as soon as I can.