UnStoppable Flash

Disclaimer: Kim Possible trademark and all characters belong to Disney.

DC Comics and all characters belong to Warner Bros.

So, to recap my story so far: Boy gets superspeed, thinks he is hot stuff, messes up, messes up some more, saves people, fights bad guys, love, loss, explosions, team-ups, villains of both maniacal and sinister varieties, all that exciting hundred million dollars budget franchise blockbuster movie stuff.

But see, my story isn't about those. This story, it's about one thing.

Choice.

The choices I made. And the ones I took away from others.

Chapter 21: So The Drama Part I – Breaking Point

A woman in black leather slinked above an alleyway, then dropped down into it. A man wearing a blue trenchcoat was standing expectant, and moved towards her when she did.

"The plans?" The man had blue skin to go along with his coat.

The woman smirked and passed along a flash drive. Then threw the man a doll. "Bonus. I felt like snatching something physical."

The man smiled in return. "Excellent. You are worth every penny, Miss Kyle." He passed her a suitcase. "Your payment."

The woman opened the suitcase and seemed satisfied with its content. Then, as the man started to walk away, she commented. "Somehow, you don't strike me as the corporate espionage type, Drakken."

Drakken didn't stop and exited the alleyway, into the crazy crowds of night time Tokyo.

Selina Kyle seemed perplexed, but she didn't worry much. Her job was done.

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Call Me Beep Me ( Movie Mix)

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Monique was sitting across from Kim in their booth in Bueno Nacho. Ron was supposed to be there as well, but he was late, as usual. At this point, that was becoming a running joke to the girls. The blogger noticed the gloomy air that was hanging above Kim's head. She went for the direct approach. "Spill."

"Huh?" Kim didn't get it at first.

"Don't make me spell it out, just spill."

Kim sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Bonnie." She uttered with slight contempt.

"Still?"

Kim scoffed that remark. "What do you mean 'still', just because we are friendly now doesn't mean she ever stopped being so essentially 'Bonnie'." She shifted in her spot with unease. "Although now, when she makes her points, she does it with more honesty and less poisonous venom, so..."

"It hurts that much more." Monique nodded. "Yea, I… know the feeling." She wasn't very happy with how Bonnie pointedly rolled her eyes every single time she spotted Ron talking with her. "What's it this time?"

Kim growled a little. "What do you think? Prom." She spitted the word out. "Specifically, the fact that I don't have a date for it. She thinks that I should bite the bullet and ask Josh out, to mend fences."

Monique simply shrugged. "Maybe you should. It's not like either of you got over each other. You only need to talk to him."

Kim was livid at that suggestion. "Really?! After he acted like a five year old and called me a liar?!"

"Technically, he never did call you a liar, he just said that you are not telling him anything. Which was true, by the way."

Kim waved her off. "I don't care Mo, he refused to see that there are things that I simply couldn't tell him. I am not going to apologize for that."

Monique sighed again. "Well, then… Ain't nothing I can tell you girl. You gotta get another date for prom, if Bonnie is bugging you that much."

Kim slowly shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe… Maybe Ron has a point."

Monique scoffed. "Now you are talking crazy. That boy is all..." She stopped, trying to work through her own frustration about the speedster. "Guilt, self-sacrifice and recklessness in equal measure. And he refuses to listen when you try to tell him that. You ain't going down the same path, nu-uh."

Kim shrugged. "Think about it. I didn't have the best of love lifes before the secret identity business. It got worse after that. Everything I do seems to make it even worse. Maybe I'm not meant to be with someone." She shrugged. "I am weirding guys out one way or the other."

"Shut up." Monique was getting tired of babysitting the fragile feelings of superheroes. "You are a strong, independent woman, with or without the alter ego. Any brother afraid of that is not worthy of your time."

Kim seemed unsure. "Maybe." She looked at Monique with a certain amount of suspicion. "Okay, here we are talking about my thing, but I did not hear anything on your end. Prom date?"

Monique looked a bit lost. "I was… asked."

Kim opened her hands in a gesture approximating 'so?'.

"I said I needed time."

That made Kim go "Why? Just say yes or no."

Monique fell silent, then spoke again. "I think I need to have a chat before I do that." She shrugged. "My thing is simple. Yours is not."

Kim looked lost as well. "Going to prom alone, or-"

That's when they heard Ron's voice. He had somehow arrived and sneaked past them, probably via the side door.

"Four nacos, three burritos and a tostada salad." Rufus pulled on the blond's sleeve. "Oh, extra cheese on that."

Ned worked the register. "That'll be seven fifty two."

Ron looked offended. "Check your math Ned, this is my standard Naco Night order. Always comes to four ninety eight."

Ned looked dead serious. "I'm sorry, the Naco Night promotion is cancelled."

Ron's eyes grew at first. Then his left one started twitching. Rufus was in the same predicament. His voice shaking, "You…. You...cancelled Naco Night?"

"I don't have that kinda power." Ned looked sad himself. "New management."

Ron was starting to get angry. "What new management?!"

"Someone bought the whole enchilada." The manager looked a little bit happier as he announced, "I can give you the eight hundred number if you'd like to express a comment or concern."

Ron was ready to go nuclear. "Oh yea…. I've got some concerns." His voice was getting dangerously low. "And I have a friend who would have even more concerns."

At the booth, Kim seemed annoyed. "I don't know, a stinking BF might not be in the cards for me."

Monique's finger was doing the accusatory pointing thing again. "You're letting Bonnie play you, and Ron is getting in your head."

"Am not!" The redhead objected.

Monique's whole facial expression changed, and so did her voice. Imitating an emotional tirade, "What good is saving the world if you don't have someone to share it with?" Then her voice changed again, this time doing an eerily close approximation of a familiar, wounded hero voice. "In this job, there is no place for romance, we are fated to suffer." Then she stopped, and threw a very smug smile Kim's way.

Kim caved in. "Okay, a little." She giggled when she played back Monique's last imitation. "Do that one when he gets back to the table."

Monique scoffed. "The irony would be lost on him." The girl seemed angry. "I swear to God, if I ever get my hands on the idiot that is putting these ideas in his head, I'll make them suffer through some prime beatdown."

Ron walked to the booth, looking lost and hurt. "Life as we know it… has changed forever. Naco Night is no more!" He seemed ready to shed tears. And Rufus, on his shoulder, was already doing so.

Both girls looked at him, then each other, then simply facepalmed.

Ron absent mindedly walked through the parking area of Middleton High. Times were, he would park his scooter nearby. These days, he just walked. Honestly, it was just faster.

Between the fallout of the ape invasion and the subsequent clean up that it necessitated, last week had been hectic. Most criminal investigations needed to be put on hold due to a large portion of the police force was trying to recuperate and re-organize. Which meant he didn't have shifts at crime lab, all week. Home had called him, telling him to "run free like a bird", with obvious sarcasm.

He was worried. The man Monique dubbed Zoom was still out there, and Ron had a growing suspicion that he was actually the serial killer that was stalking the nights in Tri-City.

And then there was the school. The bane of his existence, save for the man in yellow. Junior prom was in three weeks, and Ron wasn't happy about it.

His thoughts were cut short as a guy riding a red motorcycle sped in front of him and parked with a small drift. The blond was a little miffed about the proximity of the rider's passage. "Dude! C'mon, you nearly pasted me to the sidewalk!"

The guy turned and opened the visor of his helmet. "What?" Then he saw where Ron was standing. "Oh, sorry..." He removed the helmet to reveal a very good looking, tanned and tall teenager with slicked back hair reaching his shoulder. "You know, this may sound weird but when it's just me and my machine-"

Ron smiled. "Ah… The blacktop thing. Yea, I know the feeling." Deciding to be the bigger person, he extended his hand. "Ron Stoppable."

The guy took his hand. "I'm Eric. New to the place." The newly named Eric noticed Rufus peeking from Ron's cargo pants. "Hey, is that a naked mole rat?"

Ron was impressed. "Huh. Most people just think that Rufus is a bald hamster."

Eric reached out and petted Rufus briefly. "I always wanted a naked mole rat."

"You should try it then." Ron turned around and pointed to the school. Sarcasm ever present in his voice, "Let me introduce you to the center of higher learning and ideals of human advancement."

Eric smirked. "That good, huh?"

Ron grinned. "You'll see."

Eric looked around as they walked in. "Do you know where I can get my class assignments?"

Ron looked sheepish. "I'm more of a… big picture guy." He led the new guy to the cafetaria. "Well, this is the cafetaria. I'm told you can get a nutritious hot meal here." Then he chuckled. "Never did get a nutritious one though, heh."

Eric was suddenly stuck looking at one spot. Enthusiastically asking, "Who's that?", the new guy pointed to where he was looking.

Ron looked as Eric directed, and saw Kim receiving food from the cafetaria lady. His face fell. "Oh… The cafetaria lady…" He made a point with his hand. "Trust me, you cannot get her fired."

Eric shook his head. "No, I mean the girl.", his face lighting up as he talked.

Ron processed Eric's question correctly this time. "Oh, that's Kim. Kim Possible." He ended as if that was common knowledge.

Eric commented, "Weird name." as he held that goofy look on his face.

Ron was now perplexed. "You've never heard of Kim Possible? She frequently-" Rethinking his statement, "-used to save the world?..." Then he sighed. "Oh well, maybe her popularity in the wide world is waning."

Eric shook his head. "Soo… You know her?"

Ron smiled. "Psshaaw. We're tight." he commented as they went to get their food.

Eric immediately asked. "Hooked up?"

For a split second, Ron was confused about that question. He honestly was trying to think about Kim in that way for a while, just to evaluate facts, ever since his time travel shenanigan. And questions like this one, he detested most. He shook his head. "Eww… No. Kim and me..." He could launch into a long overblown tirade of denial there, but Ron felt that he didn't need to. "We… A romantic thing would honestly cheapen what we have. Best friends, forever."

Eric now looked very interested. "Ah, extreme steam."

Ron was now disturbed. "Ooo-kay! You know what, let's not talk about her that way near me, like ever again. Kay? Kay." Then he calmed down. "Besides, she… uh… recently got out of a long term thingie. Get entangled at your own peril."

"Whatever's clever." Eric commented.

That made Ron's eyebrow raise slightly. This 'Eric' was being too cool for his own liking.

After they got their food, Ron spied around the cafetaria. To his eternal gratitude, Josh Mankey wasn't around, because honestly, the blond was barely containing himself from disclosing all their secrets and reuniting him with Kim, since both looked utterly miserable whenever they saw each other. It didn't take a genius to see that things were not completely dead between them.

Kim saw Ron first. "Hey Ron.. Did you-" Then she saw Eric trailing behind. And being the teenage girl she was, she couldn't help but notice the 'yummy' nature of the extremely good looking guy. "Hi." Her voice had mellowed instantly.

Monique was eating next to her, and was impressed with the looks of this new guy, but she didn't melt instantly. She just looked at Ron and raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

Ron avoided her gaze, then moved to the table. "Hey, pull up a chair Eric and why don't you join-" Eric quickly took the seat next to Kim. "Yea." After he took his own seat, he introduced the new guy. "This is Eric. These two are Kim and Monique."

Eric's focus was solely on Kim. "Hey." Pointing to himself. "Eric." Then he leaned in. "How you doing?"

Monique was impressed. "Girl, I just went from 'so' to 'woah'."

Ron snorted. Eric was slightly confused. "Huh?"

Kim was slightly ashamed. "It takes a little while to learn Monique-speak."

Eric completely refocused on her. "How about you?"

Kim couldn't resist the full on charm, and played with her hair, making Ron roll his eyes. "Wh—what about me?"

Monique shot Ron an approving look, commending him on a job well done. Except, Ron didn't feel that okay with this new development.

"She seems happy." Monique commented as she and Ron watched Kim interact with Eric.

"Yeah." Ron agreed in a very neutral tone.

Monique immediately picked up on it. "Okay, what is this? Jealousy? From you?"

Ron couldn't hold himself and chuckled. "Jealousy?" He chuckled a little more. "Damn, I wish it was jealousy."

That comment threw Monique off. For some time now, she was expecting some sort of breakthrough in the 'thing' between Ron and Kim. Its nature eluded even her, and even though she denied, she had a vested interest in it as well.

So this wasn't the sort of behaviour she expected from Ron. "You 'wish' it was?" She turned to the blond. "Okay, what's going on here?"

Ron sighed. "Josh's a good guy." Then he discreetly pointed to the other end of the hallway they were standing in. "And he didn't deserve what he got out of this deal." The mentioned musician was standing right there, with a pained look on his face.

Monique sighed. Now she understood. "Who said these things had to be fair?" She pointed to Kim. "Look, she is happy, she is moving on."

Ron cut in there. "And I don't think she ever did resolve that thing with Josh. Nor he did with her." Looking at Monique, "I'm sorry but… I thought they still very much liked each other."

"Feelings change, Speedy." Motioning towards Eric with her head, "And that guy is nice. Sweet and considerate, so far."

Ron nodded hesitantly. "Yup… He is nice." He was indecisive as hell. The weight of knowledge no one had was growing on his conscience. Impulsively, he turned to Monique. "Look, there is something."

Monique was very interested. Her nature was to root out secrets. "What?" She quickly asked.

"I-" That's when Ron stopped.

What was he going to say? That he had changed time, caused things to shift, and wasn't sure if certain things was happening because he did so? That he knew Kim harbored feelings for himself, and he was purposefully trying so that she wouldn't notice or that they wouldn't evolve into what they did before? That he possibly might be the single most dangerous thing to the safety of those he loved? Or given the chance, he could be really tempted to change things further, if he could figure out how?

Questions like those flew around in his head for a split second. Then he shook his head. "Maybe I am being too over-protective." He sighed. "You're right." He got ready to resume walking.

Monique stopped him, holding his arm. "Wait a hot second there. You told me what you thought about this, but not what you feel."

"Huh?" Ron didn't understand the insinuation.

Monique persisted. "What do you feel?"

Ron stopped and thought about it. Then he answered honestly. As best as he could. "I...uh..." Gulping, "I don't think I feel much these days." When he saw the worried look in Monique's eyes, he lowered his head. "Sorry. I just… I don't have time to feel. Sorry." That was an open ended apology he was meaning to make for a while. For all the things he had done, and kept on doing.

Monique just blanked. "You – You – You are not making any sense! You are like a hundred one second, and zero the next! WTF is going on with you?!" She was barely keeping herself from screaming.

Ron took a few steps back. "Y'know… Once I figure it out, you'll be the first to know." Then he chuckled, mostly to himself. "Or maybe no one will ever need to know..." He mumbled the last part.

As he walked by Josh, Ron reached out and patted him on the shoulder. Josh barely acknowledged it.

Bonnie was watching the entire thing. And she was getting just as suspicious as Monique.

Ron and Wade were staring at the large screen. They were trying to root out who the enigmatic Zoom was. And they were coming up empty.

Wade shook his head, swiveling his chair. "Pointless, man. He is just as good in disappearing as you are. No way to track him. Unlike you, he doesn't even have an energy signature. Nothing."

Ron puffed. "I don't get any of this." He fell on a chair nearby, mentally spent. "Why can't this school year end already..."

Wade smirked. "Feeling the heat? Or is this something else?"

Ron rubbed his eyes. "I feel like we are missing something." He elaborated. "Not with Zoom, I mean. In general. Like…" He straightened up. "Like I'm not doing something right."

Wade was interested. He knew from experience, it usually paid off to listen to Ron's instincts. "Like what?"

Ron sat up and looked right at the genius. "For one thing, what's Reverse Flash doing? 'Making me suffer', that shit is vague. Not just that, but I feel like he is almost always watching. And why wouldn't he, with the speed he has?"

"He's a psychopath. Small chance of us figuring out his motives without more to go on." Wade countered that fear.

Ron nodded. "Okay. How about the fact that Congress is moving to have hearings and getting ready to call vigilantes on stand? That shit started right after we defeated Grodd."

Wade offered another counter argument. "They were having hearings on Superman for over a year now."

Ron nodded. "Exactly. So why now they are calling him to answer for his interventions across the world? Or the fact that an Airforce general just put out a notice to 'engage' Hal whenever he resurfaces in US airspace?"

Wade hummed. "It's a bit odd, that's true."

"To top it all off," Ron stood up and started to pace around. "No one's saying jack shit about me or Kim or Bonnie… It's like.. what, we don't exist here?"

Wade grinned. "Feeling left out?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Wade, if they are purposefully ignoring us, that means shit can be coming right our way."

"That's the part where I tell you that you are being paranoid again."

Ron nodded fervently again, as if he was hearing Wade but completely antagonizing the argument. "Alright Mr. Genius-pants, then explain to me why Drakken has done nothing since their last stint, why Shego isn't doing some thievery like she used to?"

Wade pointed out an obvious answer. "They finally got the hint with all the superpowered heroes around that they can't pull off anything anymore?"

Ron looked at Wade like he was crazy. "Drakken? Gonna get that message? Drakken? Wade, I'd understand Shego, but Drakken?" He puffed. "Nope. Not buying it."

He sat back down. "Bruce is under attack by media for breaking too many bones recently, Oliver's public enemy number one in Star City, Hal is wanted for questioning even though he specifically told the government people who he serves out in the universe, villains are all staying super quiet, and I don't mean just our villains, all villains."

Then he threw a pen he picked up from the table with irritation. "And I have to deal with the drama in school? Really? Can't talk to Kim, because she has a new boytoy, can't talk to Monique because that woman is ready to go off in front of my face at any notice these days, can't talk to Bonnie because she seems super tied up with whatever she has with Felix, and vice versa for Felix, which by the way, homeboy is acting really weird lately." He stopped to take a large breath, after talking so fast and intense for a minute. He threw his arms out to his sides. "I can't be the only one feeling like this Wade, c'mon man."

Wade sighed. "Look… I don't have school problems. I don't have a superspeeding mind to overthink things like you do either. But I do know one thing."

Ron looked at him, expecting a revelation. Wade continued. "You are holding something back. And I don't think you understand what that's doing to the people around you." The genius kid leaned back. "Monique is incredibly worried about you, that's why she is so irritable. Ironically, so are you. Kim is jumping into another relationship because she feels alone. Partly because you are acting this way."

Ron gulped. "And you? What do you think?"

Wade puffed. "I… I know you hold things back because you think you are protecting people when you do. But I already know about Reverse Flash, so you are making me wonder, exactly what the hell are you keeping a secret… I don't know Ron, you are making trusting you real hard these days."

Then he exhaled and switched tracks. "As for the more general stuff, I agree. Something is going on with the public opinion turning against our friends. And I can't say I don't suspect anything, I just can't find any evidence, much like you."

Ron sighed. "I hate waiting."

Ron was just running. Part patrolling the cities, part clearing his mind, and part avoiding all his friends, running around in Tri-City area was his favorite escape.

That day in particular was brutal. Three weeks until the junior prom, and the going was starting to get really tough. Forgetting the occasional sideways look from the single females in the school, his real problem came in the form of his friends, whom were all trying to break down his rule not going to the school functions.

And he had already lived through Monique's daily dressing down on the issue, so he had escaped before Bonnie could launch her eventual psychological warfare on his sanity. Thankfully, Kim had a first date situation with Eric, so she was off the list for Ron's 'to-avoid' list for that day.

He found himself locating the couple, awkwardly making conversation and walking around the city center. As far as dates went, this one was pretty down-key, with seemingly just an outing that involved eating. Ron found them after they exited Bueno Nacho, and for all signs that he could read from Kim's face, she was happy.

Which was good, except something in him kept him wary of Eric. The blond didn't have any reason for that beyond the fact that the new guy was 'too nice', but he tried hard to ignore that feeling. As Monique pointed out, there was a really good chance he was being over protective.

Then he realized standing on a rooftop watching people live their lives just down below was too damn similar to others whom he didn't want to emulate all that much. Just as he was about to speed away, Wade's voice reached him from his earpiece. "Well, I think I finally have something you'll find interesting."

Ron smiled. Finally, something to distract himself with. "On my way."

A minute later, Wade was pulling up images. "So, you know how I was having trouble locating Drakken after the Rainbow Raider sitch?"

Ron nodded. That was part of the source of his anxiety. "Yea."

Wade pointed to a screen. "He's back. And not exactly hiding all that well."

Ron could see Drakken walking into some sort of nightclub. "That looks like a place I wouldn't wanna be inside."

Wade grinned. "Yes, well, that's a super exclusive, hidden place on the edge of Bermuda Triangle."

Ron looked at him. "Seriously? The club's name is also Bermuda Triangle?"

Wade shrugged. "Hey, they're not inside it, just at the edge. Word to the wise though, that place is world bazaar for underground and lawless transactions. Of all kind." He spelled it out for Ron. "Not the sort of place one simply wanders in."

Ron smirked. "I wasn't planning on wandering inside."

His mask was pulled on his face in a split second. "I was planning on storming inside, heh."

Wade tried to stop him. "Dude, you might want – "

And Ron was already gone. Wade sighed. "Backup…" Speaking to himself and Rufus that Ron left behind, "Who am I kidding, of course he is gonna rush in there alone..."

Drakken had traded up from his usual blue coat with black belt. His new outfit sported a dark blue trenchcoat, open at the front, with a hood covering his face as he walked. Inside, he had worn a simple black shirt. The bouncer at the entrance of the club tried to stop him.

Drakken wasn't impressed. With a flick of his wrist, the bouncer was slammed into the wall nearby with a gust of wind. He walked inside with purpose, and the doors gave way to a massive hall with many people seated all around, with a center stage. A female vocalist was performing.

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Ruth Cameron – Something Cool

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He passed many guests, whom all took notice of his look, and his walk. He ascended the stairs leading up to the VIP rooms above the stage. It didn't take a genius to find Big Daddy Brotherson in his perch, at any rate.

The guard at Brotherson's suite didn't seem impressed with him. That quickly changed when Drakken also slammed him into a wall with his wind blasts.

Brotherson was sitting inside, and the man didn't seem too impressed. "You seem to think you are the first metahuman to march in here, Drakken."

Drakken didn't comment before sitting down on the other side of the table Brotherson was sitting near. "I am here to pay for information, not to extort or interrogate you."

Brotherson pointed behind the blue skinned man. "You could have been a little more mindful of house etiquette."

Drakken wasn't in the mood. "I'm not here to play your games either." He reached inside his trenchcoat, and pulled a piece of paper. "That's your payment."

Brotherson read what was on the paper. It wasn't a number. Still, reading it widened his eyes. "Drakken… You've made powerful friends."

Drakken leaned in. "Cybertronics. Specifically, military-ready applications. I am told you have access to top secret information."

"Indeed I do." Brotherson seemed impressed. "One would almost think you are reaching beyond your grasp, Drakken. This is not your usual wheelhouse."

Drakken just slightly raised his right hand, and the air around Brotherson started to churn violently, but only for half a second. The blue skinned man's eyes didn't hold any of the old arrogance he had. "Do I look like the old Drakken from over there?"

Brotherson was not fazed. He smirked. "Very well, Weather Wizard." He said the name with a hint of sarcasm. "Cybertronics. Some of the most brilliant minds on the planet struggle with its challenges." He chuckled. "LexCorp has an entire division dedicated to it. So does WayneTech."

Drakken wasn't interested in that. "But it wasn't from those places that the breakthrough came from, or we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Brotherson nodded. "True. Someone did unlock the secrets of militarized cybertronics. Completely by accident too. One genius by the name of Doctor James Timothy Possible."

Drakken smiled slowly. "Irony. And it's in my favor this time."

Downstairs, in the club below, a lightning bolt flashed inside unannounced. It stopped right in the middle of the club, next to the stage, to reveal Flash, all in his red-suited glory.

"Swanky place." He commented. "Well, too bad I can't stay for long."

The music had stopped. He shouted loudly. "Drakken, I'd really just come out if I were you!" When the blue skinned man failed to show up, he looked around at the guests. "Oh come on guys, he is here, I know already. Anyone seen where he went?"

"Up here." At the top of the stairs leading up to the VIP area, Brotherson and Drakken stood side by side. The owner of the club seemed to enjoy the setup. "I believe you are looking for a guest of mine."

Drakken's new outfit caught Ron by surprise. "Costume upgrade? You? Okay, what's this, VillainCon 2008 Drakken-Reimagining Contest?" He looked around, expecting some approval on that observation. "I mean, right?" No one reacted. "Jeez, that's one tough room."

Drakken didn't move from his spot. "Guess I should've known you'd be on my trail. Possible and his lackey did completely retire then."

Ron leaned to his side, on the edge of the stage. "I'd call myself an upgrade. A super-upgrade!" Again, the room was silent. "Oh, you people are dead inside."

Brotherson smiled. "See, I think you are getting this all wrong, 'hero'." He pointed to his club. "This is not the sort of place for your kind. And as I told my friend here earlier, you are not the only metahuman that walked inside."

Flash just shrugged. "I technically just ran inside. Walking's for losers."

Brotherson raised his hand. Suddenly, people from all around the club started to standing up, and revealing weapons of all kinds. Select few didn't go for any weapon, but instead, revealed meta powers. The club owner spoke with further confidence. "You made a big mistake coming here, kid. You should've stuck fighting to apes and hanging out with bats."

Flash's face was vibrating, but many could see his mouth curl nonetheless. "That's why some of you are here, conducting your group therapy sessions to some smooth jazz, isn't it? Bats broke a few bones too much? Or you are too afraid of turning into impromptu quivers for green tipped arrows, heh. I'm guessing one or the other. Or both."

A few growls from the crowd starting to encircle him told the blond that his suspicion had some merit to it. He stood straight up from his leaning position. He looked at the female vocal and the pianist. "I'm guessing neither of you two have some modern R&B or rock to beat these dudes and dudesses with?" When both the vocalist and the pianist failed to comment, he waved it off. "Oh well, I'll just hum the song along." He smirked. "Let's go!"

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Crash – Days Gone Black

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First wave of attackers charged him with various melee weapons, truly astounding Ron with their optimism. After evading them, he shouted as he kept knocking them out. "Trying to take out a speedster with swords and knives, smart criminals, you guys are not!"

Drakken didn't bother to watch. He moved to a nearby window. Brotherson looked at him. "You don't want a piece of him? There's plenty glory to be had, with a big name as Flash to bring down."

Drakken spoke without turning back to the owner. "They'll all lose. And I've better things to do than wasting time fighting with Flash. Best of luck." With a wind blast, a window exploded. Then Drakken exited from it, levitating away.

Ron noticed him escaping. In a split second, he was near the exploded window. Drakken was just gaining more altitude, presumably to completely hide from him. He didn't like it, but Drakken knew when to exit stage.

He groaned. Punching his right hand with his other hand,"Stupid stupid Flash.", he berated. When he turned around, he found the rest of the club ready to re-engage him.

He smiled. "Well, at least you guys are still here."

He exploded into a lightning bolt.

Five minutes later, the interior of the club, all busted up, showcased a nonchalant Flash standing against a shaking metahuman. "So what can you do?"

The metahuman, a young woman with a wild short haircut wearing a very skimpy leather outfit, attempted to unconvincingly scare him. "I'll unmake you at the elements!" She held a nearby table and turned it to dust.

Ron looked at the dust for a second, then nodded. "Right, cool. Goodnight though."

The woman lunged at him, but Ron simply took her out with a chop at her neck from behind.

Looking around, all he could see was groaning criminals and destroyed décor. He looked at Brotherson, still standing at his previous position. "I hope you pay your interior decorator well. This shit," pointing around, "is gonna take some work before re-opening." He blurred again, and reappeared in front of Brotherson, slightly looking down on the stocky man. He was intentionally channeling excess Speed Force energy towards his eyes, making them gleam slightly yellow with lightning.

"Now, Drakken was here for something." He got even closer to Brotherson, trying to intimidate the man. "You are gonna tell me what it was."

Brotherson surprised Ron, and simply smiled. "Who do you think you are, hero?" The man waved around his slightly destroyed club. "Do you think I am here running this place because I am easily scared?" He tapped his left knee. " Four years ago, I was running a small outfit in Gotham. Easy pay, easy work, easy marks… Then this maniac drops in from the sky, destroys my outfit in mere minutes, and leaves me with a shattered kneecap." He tapped his knee again. "This kneecap. I didn't speak to that maniac, who wasn't even the big bad Bat yet, you think I'm gonna talk to you? My word is my insurance, and no matter what you do, I'm not gonna tell you anything. No matter how many people you beat up or how much power you put out."

Ron looked into the man's eyes. The nightclub owner wasn't lying. Sighing, "Bummer.", he said and shook his head. "Professional respect aside, I'd advise you to pick a new profession dude. The market for your customers is getting smaller all the time." He got ready to speed away, but then, Brotherson made another comment.

"You people think that you hold all the power." This man had real hate in his voice. "The alien standing above everyone else as God, the Bat acting as judge, jury and crippler, the green clown flying around, flaunting his green shit, and others like them popping up all over the place. And you… Acting like a kid but doing what a malevolent God does, preventing natural order."

Ron was intrigued a little. "Natural order? Protecting the innocent, catching criminals, that's preventing natural order?"

"The strong preys on the weak, that's how it goes. And all you do is preventing that. But it'll all come crashing down on your heads." Brotherson smiled with a malevolent glint in his eyes. "I'll watch with great pleasure as Drakken burns the world all around you people."

Ron stood there, thinking on that for a second. Then he threw a little salute. "You know what, forget the interior decorator. You need to sell this place, go to vacation, live a little." Then he sped away.

Wade paced around in the Tower suite. "Total bust." The kid was agitated. "How does he escape you, you, for God's sake?!"

Ron stated plainly. "He flew. Like, up. Way up." He was sitting down on a chair, petting Rufus. "Besides, it wasn't a total bust."

Wade blanched. "How? We had a lead, now we have nothing! And Drakken got what he wanted to boot!"

Ron was smiling a little. "Well, for one thing, did you see how I cleaned house on that club?"

Wade stopped and thought on the footage he got from Ron's suit cam. He acquiesced to that. "Well, it was pretty, uh..."

Ron supplied. "Badical."

Wade grinned and fistbumped with the blond. After that, Ron got a little bit more serious. "Also, Brotherson let that part slip. 'Burning the world down around us people'."

Wade nodded. "True. Which can mean almost anything."

Focused, "Us people… Implies that it is more than just me or Kim that Drakken's going for. I think he sorta meant 'all' heroes active."

Wade snorted. "Please… Who is crazy enough to take on everyone active in the hero scene? Forget taking out Batman and Arrow, how in the hell could anyone hope to take on both you and Green Lantern, and that's all without even mentioning the big blue elephant in the room with an S on his chest?"

Ron kept petting Rufus and thought on it. "Drakken has been a bit goofy, but never crazy..." He groaned. "I don't like this. Shego is nowhere to be seen, Drakken is acting so unlike himself, meanwhile there is an ongoing media campaign on all costumed folk?" He shook his head in exasparation. "I'm missing something big in this picture."

Wade and Ron exchanged glances and groaned in unison again. They simply didn't have enough information. Ron then remarked on something else that bugged him. "All that shit, and then there is the fact that Naco Night is cancelled!"

Wade rolled his eyes. "This again?"

Ron nodded fervently. "Yea! This again! They freaking cancelled Naco Night!" Rufus was nodding along with his owner.

"You have more money than you need Ron, not to mention that it is actually increasing in amount since I got you to invest the remaining, you don't need Naco Night promotions to eat what you want."

Ron gasped. "You heathen! It's the principle that counts, not just the money! The bond between the naco and the connoisseur is sacred!"

Wade ignored him and turned back to his workstation.

Ron was working at a brisk pace, recording and filing less important analyses he was tasked with at the lab. Except, that brisk pace for a normal person was him being incredibly sluggish and his mind being occupied with other stuff.

Home was watching him, and he didn't comment for a while. "Stoppable." Ron didn't react to the first call. "Stoppable." The old man asserted, with a slightly louder voice.

Ron shook himself off from his thoughts. "Huh, wha?" He looked around. "Something wrong?"

Home leveled a gaze at him. "Yes." He pointed at the blond. "You. Something is bothering you."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "Since when do you care so much about me being bothered?"

Home pointed to a chart Ron had just filled. "Since you just logged results for a 34 year old female hit-and-run victim on the chart belonging to a 56 year old male's suspicious death."

Ron quickly checked the said chart, and groaned. "Oh God…" He quickly got on to correct his mistake.

"So? What's it this time? Evil speedsters, demons of darkness, more intelligent animals?"

Ron sighed. Speaking with slight hesitance, "Kim's new boyfriend. Congressional hearing call for Superman. Drakken planning something. Bueno Nacho management going crazy. Junior Prom coming up and me having to deal with its drama." Ron grimaced. "Take your pick."

Home smirked. "Okay." The forensics analyst leaned back in his chair and offhandedly commented the next part. "I pick… the part where you are keeping the fact that you time travelled a secret from everyone."

Ron dropped the chart he was holding in shock. "How did you..."

Home threw him a deadpan look. "I read the evidence. And you? You are like a piñata of evidence." He counted with his fingers. "First, your forensic reporting on the Trickster's initial bombs were slightly off. As if you were reporting a previous result you had seen. Then there is the way you stopped his plan to escape. You knew exactly where his escape would happen, how he'd escape, the name of his accomplice without anyone even investigating him. You even knew the location of his secret warehouse. You knew about the booby trapped bomb inside that warehouse. You knew how to counteract Trickster's explosives. You even knew how and when James Possible would go to visit James Jesse on his own."

Home shrugged. "And that's only about that day." He twirled his cane. "I noticed you checking old case files, and noting down details of some of them." He stood up and got right in front of Ron's face. "You disrupted space-time continuum and now you are not sure about how certain events transpired before, aren't you?"

Ron took a few steps back. "Holy shit Home. How did you notice all that?!"

The man was uncharacteristically somber. "Because I was looking. Ever since Trickster's attack, you have been acting strange." When Ron's eyebrow went up, he clarified. "Stranger than usual. You changed something, and you are trying to figure out what it did to the timeline."

Ron was slightly afraid now. "It was just a day. One day!"

Home seemed to be struggling to keep his anger in check. "Running around saving people, fighting and showing off is one thing. You can't play with time. Stoppable, I'm not a physicist, or a speedster, but I got enough of a brain in me to know that time travel is a bad, bad idea, even by your standards." He sighed, and then moved to exit the lab. He turned around just before he did. "It's one thing to play a hero. It's another to play God."

Ron retorted in anger. "You don't even believe in God!"

Home nodded. "Exactly… That's because no one and nothing should have power over things like life, death and time." He left the lab, with Ron deep in thought.

Next week was filled Ron's least favorite activity: Waiting. The blond was a big proponent of marinating and taking time to relax, but that was exactly the problem. He was on pins and needles, and this waiting was for something bad to happen. So he could forget any sort of relaxation.

Things were getting worse out in the world. Hal had called the other day.

"Air force F-16s engaged me yesterday." The voice of the combat pilot was tired.

"Holy shit!" Ron was worried. "Any damage?"

Hal scoffed. "On me or them? Either way, I evaded and flew away at top speed. Nothing happened." His voice was uncharacteristically cautious. "I don't like this man, watch your back."

Ron walked inside the school with all sorts of paranoid scenarios running through his head. When he arrived at his locker, he wasn't surprised to find Monique. However, the blogger seemed off her usual behaviour. She looked at Ron with no small amount of trepidation. "Did you watch the news last night?"

Ron shook his head, slightly surprised. "No? I was… " He looked around to see if anybody was listening. "Y'know, clearing my head."

Monique sighed. She pulled out her phone and opened a video. "You are not gonna like this."

A woman, some senator if Ron's memory served him right, was speaking to the press in the video. "How do we determine what's good? In a democracy, good is a conversation, nat a unilateral decision. So I urge Superman to come to this hill of the people two days from now, to see those who have suffered."

Ron groaned as Monique stopped the video. "Oh man… They are finally doing it."

The blogger wasn't done. "Oh, it's not just him." She scrolled through a few pages on the phone as she showed it to Ron. The blond's mouth slowly opened in shock. Monique recounted as she scrolled. "Batman victim dies in custody. Arrest warrant on him, issued just hours ago. Anti-Vigilante Unit given authorization to use deadly force in Starling City. Following a brush with Green Lantern earlier this week, Airforce just put out notice to treat him as an enemy combatant in US airspace." She gulped as she read the last part. "Federal warrants are issued for Flash, Titan and Stargirl, since the state of Colorado is firmly opposing any attempts to have you guys painted as bad people."

Ron leaned on his locker in shock. "All this? In one day?"

"Dad was going crazy last night. Apparently, feds walked in and took over the metahuman-related resources in Middleton PD under national security claims." Monique's hand landed on his arm. "Ron, maybe this is a good time to lay low."

Ron looked at her as if she was crazy. "And do what? Go to a school dance?" He inadvertedly made it sound extra idiotic, as if going to the dance was a stupid thing to begin with. He immediately regretted his outburst. "I-I'm sorry… I'm just… tense."

"That you are." Monique fell silent for a few seconds, as Ron was seemingly wrestling with the new predicament internally. "Jason asked me out for prom."

Ron didn't get it at first, as he was too absorbed in his own thoughts. "Uh… What?" Then his brain caught up. "Oh… O-oh..." Reflexively, he asked. "Which Jason?"

"Morgan, the… uh… You know, the forward of the basketball team?" Monique was hesitant to reveal that part, but she didn't even know why she revealed the asking out in the first place. "I… said yes."

Even Ron couldn't ignore the sudden falling feeling in his gut. He noticed it, he also noticed how upset that made him suddenly. Thankfully for him, he was already upset, so he was able to quickly re-adjust. "Uh..Okay.. Wow.. " He nodded far too enthusiastically the next second. "Cool, cool. Coolios." His eyes narrowed. "I thought jocks exclusively dated cheerleaders..." He trailed off.

Monique's mouth curved into a little smile. "Not enough cheerleaders to cover all teams, apparently."

Ron tried to put the drama out of his mind. He had far too confusion in it regarding Kim and everything else going on already. "Well, I hope you have fun. Anyway.." He looked around and spotted Kim and Eric. "Could you go and find Bonnie? Tell her to meet me and Kim on the spectator stands during lunch break."

"Sure." Monique was a little put off by how fast the blond had moved on from her prom date, but she nodded.

Ron walked near the new couple, trying to resist heavy eyerolling. Something about this ultra-fast blooming relationship was making him very uneasy.

"Hi, Ron!" Kim was very chipper. So much so, Ron was not able to hide how unimpressed he was.

"Yea, hi." He paid very little attention to her boyfriend, only making a small head nod gesture towards him. He leaned in and whispered. "Lunch break, football stands, team meeting."

Kim was about to protest. "I was going to-"

Ron cut in as he walked away. "Take a look at the news before you do."

When Ron saw Kim climb the stairs of the stands towards him, Bonnie and Monique, he stood up. Nodding towards her, "Are we all caught up on what's going on?"

Kim nodded in answer to his query, her face told Ron enough of her worry and anger at any rate. The redhead looked lost. "I honestly don't know what we are gonna do now."

Monique pointed to her phone. "According to the federal laws, a federal warrant allows the authorities to use a lot of resources with in short term."

Ron looked at both Bonnie and Kim in succession. "I was thinking… that there is a possibility of confrontation with law enforcement."

"And?" Kim urged him to continue when he stopped.

He shrugged. "I can avoid everyone. Any law enforcement entanglement with me will last about half a second, and that'll be me waving goodbye to them. You two –" He left that part open ended, but the message was clear.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You are saying we will get in trouble." She scoffed. "I ain't gonna stop suiting up because of a few extra cops."

Kim was less enthusiastic. She had another thought running through her mind. "I'm wondering if this federal warrant would allow Amanda Waller to get involved?" She looked at Ron.

The blond nodded. "I read the whole section concerning that in the laws just a minute ago. As long as the warrant stands, she and any other federal employee will be able to, quote 'use whatever resources available to their persons and offices'. Long answer short, yeah."

Kim sat down as she thought. "This is all related to Superman being called to testify before senators." She ran the scenario in her mind. "They are trying to isolate him. And best way to do it-"

Ron sighed. "Of course. Put every other superhero and vigilante on the crosshairs of law enforcement so they'd all stand down." He scratched his chin. "Hearing's in two days. I suggest you two to lay low a little."

Kim didn't react to that. She was thinking about the possibility. Ron grinned. "It'd give you all the chance to, uh…. Focus on the prom?" He turned and smiled to Monique, whom smiled in return.

Kim looked conflicted. It wasn't in her nature to stand down, however, she really wanted for prom to go right, especially with this new thing she had with Eric. Bonnie looked at her, expecting her to protest. The redhead finally spoke. "I agree. But not because of prom."

"What?!" Bonnie's reaction was quite telling about her zeal.

Kim shook her head slowly. "Bonnie, they didn't put a federal warrant on us, least of all on Ron, because they think they can apprehend us. Someone wants photos of police shooting at vigilantes, and them fighting back."

Ron was relieved. "So we agree? You two lay low for a while, go on dates and enjoy school life, while I handle day-to-day?"

Kim nodded. "For now. We'll see what happens next."

Ron remembered something else too. "You might wanna call Diana. Just because she's in London doesn't mean she'd be completely away from all this."

Kim nodded in response. "If nothing else to tell her to watch her back."

Bonnie was fuming, but she knew that she was both outvoted and out-reasoned. And if she had to confess to herself, it made sense to lay low for now. She exclaimed with disgust in defeat.

Kim stood up. "If there is nothing else?"

Monique chuckled. "Yes, you can go back to your boytoy."

They all moved to leave. Ron felt an iron grip on his arm when he moved to descend the stands. Bonnie was holding it, and she had a look of cold fury in her eyes. "I got another thing to run by this idiot, you two go ahead."

Monique and Kim both nodded hesitantly and descended the stands. It wasn't a secret to anyone there, Bonnie was angry with Ron, but they didn't know exactly why. When two girls were well on their way to re-entering the school, Bonnie turned to the blond in disgust. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Ron leaned back in fear. Rufus was peeking out from his pocket, and doing the same. Gulping, "Uh, t-try-trying to … keep things on the level? Y'know, not let you girls into any trouble with law and all that?"

Bonnie growled in response. "You idiot, forget about the damn world, and the superhero stuff!" She sighed in exasparation. "What the fuck you are doing about the prom?!"

Ron shrugged, "Nothing." he exclaimed in a matter-of-fact tone. "Same as usual, not going."

Bonnie punched him in the arm. Ron let out a silent 'ow' as she spoke again. "Yea well, I just heard that Jason Morgan was going to it, with, oh, no one other than one excessively nosy and hardheaded blogger!"

Ron nodded hesitantly. "Yea, I heard that too. From Mo." He shrugged again. "So?"

"So?!" The brunette was about to pull her hair out. "I like you Ron, you are really nice and all, but for fuck's sake, I wanna kill you sometimes." She tried to control herself. "Look, I had enough of this! Kim's taken in with that…." The girl tried to find words to describe Eric. "That… suspiciously well-behaved hunk all of a sudden, and you did nothing."

"Not my… not my… Y'know, none of my business." Ron said unconvincingly.

"You're holding back. I know you don't like Eric either, but you are completely keeping silent on that. So I was hoping you finally made up your mind! But apparently not, if this Jason Morgan thing is any indicator!"

Ron sighed. "Made up my mind about what, B?"

Bonnie leaned in suddenly to intimidate him. "About who you really like. In a romantic way! The childhood friend or the platonic friend! Jesus fucking Christ! Even I didn't expect you to be such a loser!" That last word stuck out. That was the first time Bonnie called Ron a loser in a very, very long time.

Ron shook his head. "I.. You… You got it wrong… I got no romantic feelings for 'em."

Bonnie punched him in the arm again. "Oh you goddamn..." She breathed in and out for a second. "You can't even properly lie to yourself! You are trying to lie to me?!" She poked him with her index finger. "We are gonna play a game."

"Huh?" Ron was flabbergasted, as he really, really wanted to get away from Bonnie right then.

The brunette sat down directly next to him and turned him to her. "I'll ask you a question, and you'll answer right away, no thinking, no waiting, no superspeed-cheating. Understood?"

Ron could barely nod.

Bonnie started. "What's your name?"

"Ron Stoppable."

"What's your favorite food?"

Ron smirked. "Nacos, food of the gods."

"What's your lame catchphrase besides that one lame Flash pun?"

"Boo-yah."

Bonnie didn't miss a beat as she entered the final round.

"Do you love Kim Possible?"

Ron didn't hesitate. "Of course."

Bonnie was expecting that anyway, so she went in for the kill.

"Who'd you go out to prom with if you were going?" She asked in rapid-fire mode, not even breathing in between.

And Ron's defenses fell right there, as he was not using any Speed Force to overcharge his brain. "Monique." His eyes grew and he reflexively closed a hand on his mouth. Rufus turned and looked at his owner in slight shock, but not due to the answer, it was how Ron was reacting.

Bonnie sighed in relief. "God, was that so hard?" Then she poked him. "Now get up and go ask her out."

Ron was trying to understand what had just happened. Not just with Bonnie's mindgame, but within himself as well.

He knew he liked Monique as more than just a friend these days, but he had not realized what was going on until this very moment. "Oh shit." He exclaimed after his hand slowly fell from his mouth.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, more like, 'no shit.' I've been suspecting this would be the case for a few months now."

Ron mechanically stood up and descended a few rows of stands before Bonnie asserted again. "Go ask her out!"

That's when Ron stopped. He sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty. Turning to Bonnie, "No."

"No?" Bonnie didn't understand. "You want to go to prom with her, you just said so yourself!"

Ron shook his head. "Ron Stoppable… He doesn't matter." That's when Bonnie saw something in Ron's eyes, something that scared her. Ron believed in what he was saying. "The boy that asked Tara out because Kim forced him to, that's gone. He was a stupid kid, and I am.. Well, less stupid than him, I hope."

Bonnie was about to cry in pure disgust. "Get a fucking grip Stoppable. I protected you from all those attention-seeking girls in school because I knew you were too chicken shit to know when it's time to move on. I didn't do that so you can," making a throwing gesture with her hand, "throw what makes you, you into the fucking wind!"

Ron raised his hand, and it started vibrating. A few small tendrils of lightning danced around it, just enough for Bonnie to see it. "I am the Flash. That's who I am. I know that now. Ron Stoppable is happy being under the mask."

"If you don't do what I tell you, Monique could very well move on with Jason Morgan! This isn't a rom-com, you idiot, give it enough time, and she will take a liking to someone else!" Bonnie was half screaming now.

Ron smiled, which surprised even himself. Somehow, the idea of Monique liking someone else, hell, both Kim and her being involved with other people, that made Ron strangely angry, but more than a little happy at the same time. "That's good. Jason's a nice guy from what I hear. He was cool the few times I talked to him."

Bonnie shook in rage. "You… you are trying to punish yourself. Why?!"

Ron shrugged. "I just want the best for everyone Bonnie. Myself included." He descended the stands, without waiting for Bonnie to calm down.

Bonnie stormed down the stands and towards the school. As soon as she found Felix, she exploded. "That friend of yours is the biggest fucking idiot on the planet!"

Felix could only look at her with wide eyes.

"Attention please! We're detecting cooties in the area!" Jim was announcing with a loudspeaker in his hand.

"Repeat, cooties in the area!" Tim backed up his brother.

"This can only mean one thing!"

"Kim's got a boyfriend!" Tim declared in a sing-song voice.

Surprisingly, Kim was able to ignore both her brothers. She and Eric were looking at family photos hanging on the wall. The handsome teen commented as he pointed out a particular one. "Pigtails. Niiice."

"Shut up." Kim nudged him playfully and chuckled.

"Thanks for having me over dinner."

"No big."

"But so sweet." Eric insisted.

Ron could only watch in thinly veiled disgust from where sat. Rufus was on his shoulder, mirroring him. His instincts were screaming at him, but Ron kept his mouth shut. He chalked up his weirdness about Eric to the fact that he was still confused over both Kim and Monique.

Anne came up from behind Ron with a phone in hand. "Who wants what on the pizza?"

"Pepperoni." Kim and Eric chorused. Then Eric pulled a fast one. "Jinx. You owe me a soda."

Ron was just angry. He rolled his eyes as that was his thing with his best friend.

Anne didn't share his sentiment though. "Very cute." She commented with a smile on her face.

The Possible matron dialed a number on her phone. "Hi honey. Pizza night. The usual bacon?" She stopped briefly. "Don't be too late." After another pause, she spoke again. "Love you too."

Ron stood up abruptly. He wenr near Mrs. Possible. "Mrs. P., I'll just go get the pizzas if you could write everything down."

"Ronald, they'll deliver it anyway."

Ron waved that off. Lowering his voice, "It'll be faster my way. And I gotta get some clean air."

Anne just nodded. She didn't quite get what was going on with Ron, so she just let him be.

James Possible turned to his electron microscope after talking to his wife. Slightly pleading, "C'mon, daddy needs to see some cybertronic replication." The scientist observed as the singular nanomachine built itself a clone, and then replications tripled in a second. "Oh! Outstanding!" He pumped his fist upwards in cheer. "The Hephaestus Project is a go!" He leaned back and sighed, content. "Who's the man..."

It was almost creepy how the door behind him slammed open, as if it was an answer to his rhetorical question. From the darkness of the walkway leading to the lab, a hooded figure approached, walking at a brisk pace with a trenchcoat billowing as he did.

"I'm the man, James." The light from lab equipment shone on the intruder's face, revealing Drew Lipsky's face, set in cold determination and slight enthusiasm. The blue skinned man moved his right hand slightly to the side, and James immediately felt himself being pushed towards Drakken with a wind blast. Drakken caught the chair and stared James right in the eyes. "The man who wants the Hephaestus Project."

Defiant, "My teenage daughter is not afraid of you. Why should I be?" James stated. "A few air tricks doesn't scare me, Drew."

Drakken didn't flip out like James expected. It was almost eerie how unresponsive he was after that goading attempt by James. "That man is long dead and buried, James. Even Drakken is old news."

"Still can't get a date though, I bet." James smiled, not knowing how dangerously close he was getting to the core of Drakken's anger.

That's when he got hit by a ball of ice, right on his stomach. He spat some blood with the force of that attack, and doubled down on his chair. Drakken seemed to be radiating some cold fury. "The days of Possibles giving me lip, belittling me, denying me my due is over."

James wiped blood off of his lips, and stated with a weakened, but still defiant voice. "I'm not telling you anything about the project."

Drakken stood up to his full height, his hands open to his sides. "Oh, I anticipated that." The air currents started to pick up around his hands. "You know what they say, if you want to make an omelette..." The air currents exploded outwards and trashed the lab equipment to his sides. "You gotta break a few eggheads."

James seemed hesitant at that display of power. "Okay…. Hold the phone here." He reached for his encrypted tablet, holding the crucial part of the project. He moved to quickly delete it. But Drakken seemed to notice what he was doing. The e-pen in his hand was blasted off with a micro-air pocket.

"I don't think so." The blue skinned villain shoved James to the side, and grabbed the tablet.

James fell down on the ground, but still managed to speak. "You'll fail as usual, Drew. You can't decrypt the tablet. You are not getting anything out of me either."

Drakken turned around and looked down upon his one-time friend. Breathing from his nose in anger, "Ever since that day… That day where Johnny and Alicia died… You've always took every chance to put me down."

James shouted at him. "If you had just fucking locked up the lab, they wouldn't be-"

His anger was cut short as he couldn't breathe all of a sudden. Drakken's anger was settling deeper in his eyes. "All these years, I've tried to gain respect, and fear. All these years, I've chased the ghosts of them. Trickster killed them, but that was never good enough for you. No… You needed to vent at me."

He leaned down and looked James in the eye. "I was thinking, to leave you alive, alive to watch as I remove the heroes and make the world bow down, finally acknowledging me. Alive so that you and your insufferable offspring would be filled with terror."

James still couldn't breathe. And Drakken wasn't letting up. "But you… If anything, I should've started killing long ago. This whole time, I tried to be just feared, and to keep my hands clean as possible, but no… You… You die here, tonight."

James' vision started to darken. Drakken continued. "Die knowing that you helped create me, the thing that will make your children and wife suffer. And I won't stop there."

XXXXXXXX

Staged Fight to Lure Zoom – Blake Neely

XXXXXXXX

One of the cardboard pizza boxes opened to reveal a content Rufus, having eaten his fill. The whole family seemed to be having fun.

Except the blond speedster. Ron was picking at his pizza, throwing the occasional dirty look towards the couple that was now borderline making him sick in the stomach.

"Ron?" Anne had noticed his gloomy attitude.

Ron didn't want to be rude. "Actually, Dr. P., I've got the..." He held his stomach in a blatant effort at acting sick. "Uh… belly flips."

Anne tried to cheer him up. "Got my endoscope in the car." She smiled, pointing to the garage.

Ron's eyes widened in alarm. "Ah..." He immediately stood up and backed away.

Trying to calm him down, Anne stated "I'm kidding."

Ron looked around. "I… actually… might go for a late night run."

Both Kim and Eric turned to him for a split second. "Later Ron!" They chorused. Then Kim acted first, calling "Jinx!"

At that point, Ron just rolled his eyes and walked away from the table.

Anne, worried about him, followed him into the living room. "Ron, are you okay?"

Ron shook his head. "Long story, Mrs. P." He shook his head, and noticed the time. "Uh, didn't Mr. P. say he wouldn't be too late?"

Anne also checked the time. Smiling, "Oh, you know how he gets sometimes. You do the same, don't you?"

Ron sighed. "I'll check on him anyway. At least gives me somewhere to run to."

He was in his suit and running in seconds. The city was at peace, already recovered from the gorilla invasion. The blond made his way directly to Space Center. When he arrived, he noticed the outer security doors into the building were all blasted inwards, but there no signs of any explosions.

His brain and body went into overdrive almost instantly. 'Metahuman!' was the only thought that crossed his mind before he made a beeline towards James' lab.

He found Drakken standing over James, seemingly killing him. The speedster stopped only a split second when he arrived, and then shoulder charged Drakken as the blue skinned man failing to notice his arrival.

James could suddenly breathe again, and he immediately took notice of the man in red suit with lightning arcing off of him. Feeling relieved, "Flash!" he immediately smiled.

Drakken was slammed into the table nearby. When he gathered himself, he saw the vibrating form of the Flash. "Can't get rid of you annoying little-"

Ron was too angry to engage in repartee. He blurred and punched Drakken in the jaw, sending the villain to the other end of the lab. Drakken stood up, angry and hurt, but not down.

The blue skinned man screamed as concentrated air blasts started shooting out of his hand. The Flash seemed to glance down at James for half a second, then he blurred with the rocket scientist in tow.

James found himself right outside the gates of Space Center. Flash was checking him over. "Doctor, do you have an injury?! Are you okay?" The young man was slightly panicked.

James brushed off his worry, and pointed back inside the Center. "I'm fine! But we won't be if Drakken gets away!"

Flash looked at him, confused, at least, that's what he seemed like beneath the vibrating visage. James quickly clarified. "He stole something incredibly dangerous! You gotta get it back!"

Ron nodded, and blasted off back inside the Center. However, Drakken had already left the lab. Ron heard loud air blasts coming from above, and sped up the floors. He found Drakken on the roof, just having exited via the roof door.

The villain looked behind and saw him. "Your time will come Flash. You'll pay, just like Kim Possible and her dad. You'll all pay." Then the man's arm outstretched towards the sky.

Ron's eyes grew. He knew that move. Drakken's other arm was pointing straight towards James, watching from the parking lot outside the Center. Then Drakken spoke. "But for now, have fun running."

The blond knew. He didn't have time to think, or to even look. A bolt of lightning struck down from above towards Drakken as Ron started his mad dash towards James. The blond was already running down the side of the Space Center as the said bolt of lightning danced around Drakken's hands for only a moment in time. Then, it was also speeding towards the rocket scientist.

Ron looked to his side as he ran, and saw that the bolt of lightning would quickly overtake him. With a roar, he pushed off the side of the building, and put himself in the way of the bolt.

The world blinked black for him as the bolt of lightning from sky above met the lightning arcing off his suit. The energy overload blew him further away and he fell down on the ground below, impacting and rolling on it.

James ran to the speedster as Drakken flew away on the air currents around his hands, not even looking down to check what he had done, so sure of his power. The middle aged rocket scientist tried to help the young speedster, but as soon as he tried to touch the man in the red suit, arcing lightning shocked the scientist. Holding his hand, he took a few steps back.

Flash grunted, and tried to stand up a few times, failing each attempt. Then, after some more grunting, he got on one knee, trying to shake off the effects of the foreign lightning strike. James shouted. "Are you okay?!"

He raised his hand in response. "I.. am… And I'm not deaf, Doctor." Taking in a few more deep breaths, the speedster finally stood up, still wobbling slightly. He closed his eyes, and his own lightning danced around him for a second. "I'm okay..." Then he opened his eyes, and winked at James. Chuckling, "Besides, it's not the first time I've been struck by lightning, heh."

Then, as James visibly relaxed, his attitude got darker. "I'm sorry… It was either you or him."

James laughed in a very relieved manner. "Boy, am I glad you chose me. My wife would kill me if I died."

Ron chuckled in response. His voice vibrating, "That lightning wouldn't kill you, Drakken can't handle all that power. He can only direct a fraction of it." His head shaking to the sides, "Still, that would probably paralyze you, so there's that."

Both men chuckled nervously at that observation. When they stopped, Ron spoke again. "Better get you home, Doctor Possible."

Ron suddenly showed up in the kitchen, looking around. "Is Eric gone?" He asked.

Kim nodded, from near the dishwasher where she was loading the dishes. Her mother was also tidying up the kitchen, setting aside pizza for her husband.

Blond seemed agitated. "We've got a situation." The doorbell rang. As Anne moved to answer it, he clarified. "That's your dad. I, uh, saved him."

"What?!" Both redheads reacted to that statement.

Ron pointed to the door. "He'll explain, I think."

As soon as James walked inside, he hugged his wife. "You won't believe what just happened." He exclaimed.

Kim looked very worried from the spot she was standing behind her mother. "Try us dad."

James nodded, and after twins joined them, he quickly explained how Drakken had literally stormed inside his lab. At the point where he explained how Drakken was trying to kill him, Kim accidentally crushed the part of chair she was holding on with her hand. Thankfully, James didn't notice. The scientist proceeded to tell them about Flash's rescue, embellishing how the speedster stopped a lightning bolt in particular. That led to Kim squeezing Ron's hand under the table in gratitude.

However, Ron was not able to reciprocate the gratitude. "Dr.P., why did Drakken come for you? What did he steal?"

James hesitated to speak. "It's… called the Hephaestus Project."

Blond pressed on, with a grave look on his face. "What does it do?"

James grimaced. "I'm afraid that's classified Ronald."

Ron sighed. Kim tagged in. "Dad, if Drakken did say he was gonna make us all pay, someone has to do something."

James seemed hesitant. "Kimmie-cub, you are retired. And even if you had not, Drew is..." James bit his lower lip. "Powerful now."

Ron closed his eyes. He knew, at one point, James Possible needed to finally learn. And it was clear that the man wouldn't tell what the project was to his family.

He stood up. "Dr. P… I need to know. So I can stop him."

When Kim threw him alarming looks, he turned to the redhead, and moved his mouth to mime "Only me." Kim shook her head, but Ron put his hand on her shoulder for a second.

James didn't understand. "Ronald, you can't stop him. Drew is a metahuman now, if anything, I need to let authorities know!"

"I'm sorry." The blond spoke, looking at Anne Possible. "But this had to happen eventually. Might as well be now." Placing Rufus on the table, he looked directly in the eyes of James. "Doctor P."

Then he blurred away, making James jump in his chair. A second later, lightning stormed inside, to reveal Flash in his red suit, standing where Ron just stood. The speedster spoke, his voice not vibrating at all. "I need to know. Because I can stop him." He removed his mask from his face and let it hang behind his head.

James was stunned. Completely, totally stunned. His brain failed to comprehend the fact for a second, as Ron stood in front of him, lightning spilling out of his body, and dancing in his eyes.

It all suddenly cleared up many questions. The night terrors, the depression, the long periods of absence. The pain in the blond's eyes.

James' hand shook. All this time, he had no idea. No idea that the hero that kept saving the city was living under his own very roof. "Y-you..."

Ron grinned, with a pained look. "Flash… Yea..."

The rocket scientist's genius mind started to work again. "The lightning strike."

"Yea." Ron nodded.

"Your… mother." James was piecing it all together. "Her killer wasn't John!"

Ron sighed. "Yea."

That's when James noticed that everyone else around the table was watching him. They weren't looking at the boy, nay, man, standing right there in their kitchen, as the Flash, but him. That's when a second revelation came to him. His voice breaking, "You all knew."

Anne put her on hand on James'. "It was – " She was about to declare that it was her decision to do so.

But Ron cut in again. "I asked them not to. They all wanted to tell you, but I…" He lowered his head. "I didn't want to worry you too."

Anne looked at him, tears threatening to fall. Slowly, she was seeing what kept Kim perpetually sad about Ron. This new version of the boy he knew for so long just didn't know when to stop saving others.

James' hand shook. "I…" He didn't know to be happy, angry, confused. So he was all of the above.

Ron pressed on once more. "Dr. P., I need to know what Hephaestus Project does."

James looked at him, and then to his wife. Anne nodded to him. Message was clear. James decided to think about what was going on later. He sighed. "Hephaestus Project… Three years, three billion dollars."

He grabbed hold of the mug of coffee Anne passed to him. "It all started to… Find a material to use in spacecraft. Self-repairing, easily transmutable and transportable materials were needed for longer and longer missions. The idea was simple. Use nanomachines. Replicate organic cell production, and create easily programmable constructs."

"What happened?" Ron asked, after sitting back on his chair from before.

James smiled. "It worked. In preliminary tests." Then he sighed. "Worked so well in fact… Military stepped in."

That's when Kim groaned and Ron threw his head back in annoyance. "Oh God, I know where this is going…" Ron spoke.

Kim commented. Exasparated, "Let me guess. They wanted you to develop the nanomachines to create weapons, super soldiers, that sorta thing."

James nodded. "To make them more… interactive. More cybertronic than organic. To make them pliable for potential military uses."

Kim looked at him, expectant. "So?"

James seemed ashamed a little. "I…" He looked around to everyone in the table. "I accepted. Only on the condition that our spacecraft would use it first."

Kim was stunned. "You… accepted? You?!"

James knew this was coming. Kim's anger spiked. "You are the same man that taught me to follow the peaceful path! Same man that told me science should be used for the good of people!" She pointed to her twin brothers, both sitting silently. "You keep telling them to never hurt others with their inventions!"

James pleaded. "Kimmie-cub, this was six months after Black Zero on Metropolis. We… " James seemed distressed. "We had just found out humanity wasn't alone in the universe. And worse, others wouldn't all be peaceful. The only reason any of us survived past that day was because Superman defended us against his own people." He looked down at his coffee. "When the military generals painted me that picture, I… couldn't refuse… We had no line of defense. I wanted to protect my children, as well as everyone else!"

Kim was ready to retort, but then, she felt Ron's hand on her shoulder. The blond looked confident. Smirking, "Well, Mr.P., if we didn't have a line of defense then, we do know." Then, more serious, "Exactly what can these cybertronic nanomachines do?"

James seemed relieved to go back into technical details. "They have more than twenty proprietary and classified technologies incorporated into them in design. They are easy to produce, and easier to feed. Nanomachines can pull necessary building elements from ground and air, even liquids, to form structures and crystal lattices. Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, metals, you name it, it can draw it on itself and use it in cybertronic replications. It can create steel, diamond-hard shells, complex structures. Within a minute, it can grow to sizes bigger than a human."

Ron nodded as he took in the information. "Any, uh… Y'know… Weaknesses?"

James rubbed his temple. "The cybertonic replications cannot be reprogrammed on the fly. That sort of computation requires an AI, which to my knowledge, doesn't exist. Instead, they can only act in pre-programmed behaviour, almost like how a cell behaves in line with its DNA. They only operate with a control signal too. Without a control signal, they'll fall dormant."

Then he shrugged. "I'm sorry Ronald. That's all. I hope Drakken can't crack my tablet but..."

The blond smiled. "Don't worry. Even if he does, he won't win." He stood up, and uncovered his watch under his glove. "Watchtower, come in."

After a short static, Wade's voice reached through. " What is it, I gotta be in bed in half an hour."

"I've got intel on Drakken's plan. Meet me at Tower, in five."

"Seriously, at this hour?" Wade's sigh crossed across the comms as well. "Alright. Let's just make it fast."

Ron smiled, looking at all the Possibles. "Well, that is my specialty."

Then he blurred away.

Leaving behind a family, slightly fractured, but still standing together.

XXXXXXXX

The Grim Reavers – Marco Beltrami

XXXXXXXX

Drakken's decryption of the tablet went swimmingly, with the help of his benefactor. After hours of work, he finally looked on the first piece of nanomachine under an electron microscope. "Finally."

He turned to the person sitting in the darkness. "Synthodrone X. Come forward." At his command, a figure walked out of the darkness of the lab entrance, and stepped up. Drakken looked it over. "Are you ready? Is your personality matrix stable?"

"Yes." The voice was strangely young.

"Your entire body will be replaced. And you need to control the machine's code. Time to reach your full potential." Drakken took the nanomachine batch and placed it in an injector. With a single move, he injected the batch into the synthodrone.

The synthodrone shook, and involuntarily screamed. Drakken watched in amazement as air was sucked into it. Then it held onto a nearby table, and slowly, table evaporated, along with its contents.

A few minutes later, synthodrone was gone. In its place, something new stood. It had the same face as before. Drakken looked ready. "Rise."

The synthetic did as it was told. When it stood up, it looked at its hands. "What.. am I?"

Drakken smiled. "Android. Now, you are ready, to do things beyond what I programmed into you."

The android seemed to accept that. Then, it smiled. "Yes, father."

The smile of the android was genuine as any human's.

And it also belonged to the guy that Middleton High knew as Eric.

Next Time: So the Drama Part II