Chapter 26: Kim's Nakama! The Unwanted Fight!
"I don't tell many people this. In fact, I don't think I ever told anyone this! KP… Kim… Your girlfriend and my best friend… She was my hero."
Still driving, Josh listened as let Ron explained. He had always known that Ron had felt something for Kim, almost to the point of obsession he thought at first. Then again, he figured he'd be the same if she was the only woman who ever paid him any attention, let alone treat him with respect. But from what he was hearing now, not only did he see her as a friend and at one time the love of his life. He also saw her as an idol, a role model. It was a bit odd for a guy to have a teenage girl as a role model. Then again, this was Ron of all people.
"When she helped me deal with those bullies back in Pre-K, I think that was when it all started for me. She was so brave, so confident, so unlike me. Sure I was a bit confident first and wasn't a total loser. But after Wannaweep, that was when it all started to go downhill. I became a complete coward, afraid of everything. Granted I'm still am a coward and will run from a monkey when I see one, but I've gotten better a bit. Then when she first started going on missions, I volunteered to help her. Despite the fact that I was the last person who should've been near her, much less as her best friend, especially on missions, Kim kept me around for some reason. At one time, I think she mentioned that I inspired her to do what she did. But if anyone was an inspiration it was her, wasn't she? What would I inspire people to be? The exact opposite of me?
"Yeah, it was dangerous. There were plenty of times I should've been killed or at least crippled beyond possible recovery, but somehow I managed to make it through. No matter how dangerous it became or how horribly outclassed I was, I continued on, hoping that a bit of her greatness would one day rub off on me. Thinking about it now, they way I acted when Kim took me off Team Possible, I was a bit selfish there. It felt as if Kim finally came to her senses and realized how much of an albatross I really was. I felt so betrayed, like everything was being taken from me. I still haven't gotten over losing her to you, but as a friend as well? The next thing I knew is that you'd be going with her on missions. That's why I took up Zach's offer to train me. At least then I wouldn't be so useless to her, other than being the decoy, or moving target rather." He sighed, "And now I'm hearing that not only has Kim been stealing, but she's a Mu-Type as well? …I want to believe in her, really I do. But with the news and all the evidence keep coming out." He sighed, "It's like going to heaven and finding god raping a person, that's for sure."
"I know how you feel…" Josh sighed, "I never told this to anyone, but when I first saw Kim during freshman year, I had a crush on her. Actually, I was a bit jealous of you."
Ron blinked, "Wait-wait, you were jealous of me?"
"I mean you were always around Kim all the time. And the fact that you were… well, you… that kinda irritated me. I actually thought that you two were dating. I was like, 'Just what does she see in him? Why not me?' So I started dating a few girls to fill the void. Hoping that maybe, just maybe she might notice me."
"Even Bonnie?"
"Even Bonnie."
'Wow…' Never in a million years would Ron even consider that Josh would feel nervous about being around Kim. It was always the other way around. Hell, it was what got him locked in the janitor's closet for days. "You nervous being around Kim?"
"Come on, she's basically a celebrity! You know how people get when some unknown starts dating them, you've seen the news shows, you've read the blogs! When a celeb starts dating an unknown, that unknown becomes a target of fans aggression. Usually from the same gender, sometimes from both! I felt the moment I started going out with Kim, the whole world would start hating me, saying that I don't 'deserve Kim,' as if I was beneath her."
"Seriously… you nervous of Kim? I mean, you're freaking Josh Mankey! One of the most popular guys in school!"
"Popularity in school isn't the same as popularity in the media. You remember what happened to Yuko, right?"
"Yeah. The angry Oh Boyz fangirls pretty much drove her to suicide. Can't blame Dexter for hiding his personal life after that…"
"But back to Kim, you eventually manage to get over your nervousness and hooked up with Kim! And you had a nice date!So then why did you break up with her?"
"I just couldn't handle it. I mean with her going on Missions and putting herself in danger. Then there was the fact that you two were really close together. When you two hooked up at prom last year, I was like 'I knew it…' So I figured that it was best that we broke up. Kim thought the same way, don't get me wrong. But I still can't think it was as if so you two could have the opportunity to hook up!"
"Well, that ship has sailed." Ron sighed, "We gave it a try, but it just didn't work out." He had already accepted the fact that they would never get back together. Now, they should just focus on repairing their friendship. Though it would never be as great as it once was, but at least it would be close enough. That is, if Kim didn't get sent to jail first.
…
"The coast is clear! Looks like nobody's around!"
Kim blinked as the gray coverings of Saber's visor retracted upward into the helmet, "Shouldn't we take the vents, just to be on the safe side?"
"With this armor?" Saber reminded as Kim examined. Prior to leaving the Ra Celsius, Saber apparently combined with a large, bird-like robot. In addition to her regular bodysuit, her upper torso and forearms were covered with red and gold armor, not limited to weaponry such as wrist cannons and grapplers. Save for the folded mechanical wings on her back with a jet pack. The additional boots added were thigh-length with a slight high heel in the back. Most likely containing more weapons, Kim hypothesized.
'Wade would so have a field day over this.' Kim looked around as a dropping sound filled the area. It has been ten minutes since they left the airship and aside from a few close calls, nothing! No Bonnie! "It's quite, too quiet…"
"More incentive to be careful…" X stated, dropping down from the catwalk. "I hope Mindflare's group's having better luck than we are."
"Look at it this way, X: At least it'll give us time to catch up!" Saber stated, looking for any positive of this so-far futile search.
"I guess it really has been a while!"
Kim's brow rose at the sound of footsteps, "Save the rekindling for later! We got company!"
"What'd you rather do, hide or fight?"
"Hide if we can, fight if we must," Saber suggested.
"It's unanimous!" X turned to Kim, "Time to put your cloaking device into use!"
With a nod, Kim pressed a button on her belt as she gradually vanished. X leaped up above to blend in the shadows as Saber activated a cloaking device of her own. Leaning herself against a wall, Kim watched as she saw three figures walking down the steps. Due to the darkness of the room, she couldn't get a clear look at them. Most likely they were Mu-Types, but which kind would be the question. Briefly, Omega Strike filled her in on the types of Mu-Types to expect: Beast Mu-Types, Psychic Mu-Types and their Alter counterparts, Bio Mu-Types, and even Elemental Mu-Types. And with her being considered a Psychic Mu-Type, she wondered if these three were the same. As the steps became louder and louder, Kim braced herself for a fight! Those three may be powerful, but they were just as, if not more powerful. Within a moment, more light began to enter the room as the three arrivals were more visible, much to her shock…
"!" Kim blinked, "I can't believe it! Crystal, Liz, Marcella!"
The metallic girl blinked as she saw, from out of nowhere, the excited teen hero walk closer, "Kim!?"
"So this is where you've been all this time!" Kim examined the missing cheerleaders. She knew about Marcella, but Liz and Crystal had gone through changes. "Liz, you're like a green Amazon! And Crystal's naked?"
"Thank you captain obvious!" Liz frowned, "As if it wasn't clear already!"
"Well, when you're basically a walking talking human jelly, there's no point of clothes…" Crystal smirked, "At least I can still hide what needs to be hidden, and I can make myself solid where I don't have to worry about being on someone's mop."
"So that's where the girls went…" Still cloaked by the shadows, X watched the cheerleader reunion. Now if they could rescue Bonnie and that would be a score for the good guys.
"Something's not right…" Saber warned through the headset, "My polygraph is picking up several responses, and not just from Kim!"
"They're happy! What'd ya expect?"
"From what I'm seeing, the green one's eye's twitching… I don't know, but be on your guard!"
"Come on, guys!" Turning around, Kim led the way back to the Ra Celsius. "I have a few friends that can help us!" Turning back, she saw that the girls haven't moved. "Uh guys?" Not even an inch. "…Is something wrong?"
"Actually Kim, we knew you were going to be here." Marcella explained in a serious tone, "We knew for a long time that you'd come for us!"
"Of course! Everyone's been worried sick about you!"
"But we can't go with you! Not now…" Marcella examined her hands, her metallic hands, "Not like this…"
"We can't go back and face everyone!" Crystal reminded, "You saw how those idiots treated Marcella! You were there!"
"But we can work through this!" Kim insisted, "Come on, Dr. Helix is finishing up on the-"
"Actually, we already have access to the cure!" Liz informed, "But it's on one condition…"
Kim didn't like where it was going… "And that is…"
Her eyes narrowed as they began to glow, "Destroying you and your new Omega Strike buddies…"
Eyes widened, Kim couldn't believe what was happening! Marcella, Liz, and Crystal, they couldn't… They wouldn't…
"Terra did mention that we might have a hard time finding the right motivation to actually fight you, Kim." Crystal glared, "But to be honest, motivation will hardly be an issue!"
"Motivation? What are you-" Kim narrowly dodged what appeared to be a purple tentacle-like spear as it retracted, forming back into a hand. "Crystal, what is-"
"We've been waiting for this for a long time!" The nails on Marcella's fingers began to extend. While they were nowhere near as long as Christian Caesar's, but their metallic properties more than made up for them. "And now it's just us and you. Three Mu-Types against one Mu-Type!"
Stoppable Home
"So Kim didn't even tell you what she was doing?"
"She just shut off her Kimmunicator, Ron!" Wade explained to the boys. After Ron found his Ronnunicator, the first thing he did was to contact Wade. And now that not even he knew where she was, Ron was starting to worry. Did Kim really get herself into a mess she can get out of? Or worse… "I've been trying to get her rides to go after Xanthos, but after that confession leaked to the media, nobody wants anything to do with her."
"Don't you have some type of chip on her, just for emergencies such as this?"
"No! The only tracking chip was used on you!" Wade blinked, realizing what he just said. "W-wait, forget what I just said!"
"You mean you have a tracking chip on me?"
Josh asked, trying to focus on the task at hand, "Any idea where she is now?"
"I can think of one: She might be looking for X."
Ron scoffed, "That's helpful! Does anyone have a clue where to find him?"
"He's sure as hell isn't in Newport, that's for sure!" Wade continued to type, "From what I managed to discover, X is a part of some vigilante group that calls themselves Omega Strike."
"Is there any way to contact them?"
"Not from what I can find. But I'll keep looking! Just keep on finding Kim before the police do! I'm worried about her."
"Me too… We all are…" As the screen shut off, Ron placed the Ronnunicator onto his belt.
"So not even Wade knows where she is…" Josh sighed.
"We need to get back out there. For all we know Kim could be walking right into Xanthos' trap."
"Or maybe Kim is the trap!" Josh stated.
Ron blinked, "Excuse me?"
"Kim doesn't even have her Kimmunicator with her. She never leaves without it, and the fact that not even Wade knows where she is?" Josh reminded, "That's a serious red flag."
"Just what are you saying, Josh?" Ron didn't like where this was heading. Josh was supposed to be her boyfriend and already he was giving up hope on her?
"What I'm saying that this is all suspicious!" Josh didn't want to think the worst of Kim, but the more info he found out about Kim and her current actions, the harder it was to believe in her. "You'd think that Kim would want access to possibly the only person who could help her!"
"I can see your point, but-" The chime of the doorbell interrupted him, "Now what…" Walking towards the door, Ron looked through the peep hole before opening the door, "Tara?"
"I need your help…" Tara said, much to Ron's shock. She was wearing green tight pants tucked in a pair of black, knee-length boots. Save for a quarter-sleeved black midriff with edges as green as her bottoms. From her utility belt and leg pouch, she looked as if she was going on a mission.
"Tara, why are you dressed like that? What are you planning to-"
"Looking for Kim!" She simply said. "From what I've been hearing from the news, Kim has gotten herself into a lot of trouble!"
"Do you even have any idea where she is?" Josh asked.
"No, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try!" Kim was her friend and squad leader. No way was she going to abandon her now. But Josh, being her boyfriend, didn't seem to care, let alone share her determination. And not even Ron seemed to be that anxious. What was wrong with them?
"Are you even sure that Kim can be trusted at this point? I mean she already gave some nutjob the means of committing genocide, not to mention that she's now a fugitive on the run!"
"Guys, come on! This is Kim we're talking about here!"
"Exactly, and that's what makes her dangerous! And that she's a Mu-Type, too?" He scoffed, "Hypocrite, much?"
"What about her being a Mu-Type?"
Ron could see where the talk between the two exes was heading, "Tara, let's-"
"You know what, if you don't want to help Kim, then I'll just go myself!" Tara turned away, walking from the boys. She couldn't believe it! Kim was in trouble and they're pretty much turning their backs on her? Being her boyfriend, Josh's stance would've been at least debatable. She expected Ron to not only be willing to help, but he should've been out the door before she even arrived! She cared about them both, but right now she didn't know what she ever saw in either of them.
"Tara wait-"
"Save it, Ron!" She snapped. If he wasn't going to help, then he better damned well stay out of her way!
"Look, can we talk about this!"
"What's there to talk about? Your best friend's in trouble, and you and Josh are both turning your backs on her!"
"What, you think you're the only one who wants to help Kim?"
"It sure as hell seems like it!"
Ron shook his head, "I want to help Kim as much as you do. But we just can't go in their half-cocked," Ron tried to explain to the fuming Tara. "And besides, do you even know where she is?"
Looking down, Tara closed her eyes, "No… But I think I have an idea." She found out that it was possible to use this method recently, but whether she could use it was the question.
"Well if it involves tracking Kim, then forget it!" Josh stepped out, "Kim doesn't have the Kimmunicator and not even Wade has any way of tracking her!"
"I'm not talking about communicators or tracking chips." Tara stated, "Josh, can we take your car?"
"Are you suggesting that the three of us, none of whom have any means of defending ourselves, go somewhere where we'll run into super-powered freaks and likely end up killed?"
"We're not all helpless," Tara turned to Ron, "How's training with Zach coming?"
Ron sighed, "It's gotten better. But I have to tell ya, I'm not feeling too confident about my abilities."
"We'll have to make it work. And I'm a Mu-Type, so at least I have some powers!"
Both boys blinked, "Wait, are you saying that you're-"
She nodded, "Za… Er, X told me. He and his friend Quickstrike discovered that I'm able to copy the powers of anyone I touch, provided they're Mu-Types of course…"
Ron pondered, "Maybe this can work after all, how about you Josh?"
The artist sighed, "What the hell! We're throwing ourselves into the fire, but at least we're helping Kim!"
"Then we don't have time to waste!" Within Tara's words, the teens quickly prepared to leave as Ron locked the door to his house. Unknown to the teens, on the roof of the house, a winged figure watched them enter the car before driving off.
"Hmm…" She suggested to herself, her indigo hair blowing against the incoming wind, "Perhaps the girl does have some use to me after all…" Ever since she overheard the blonde girl mention "Mu-Type" when walking alone, she decided to follow her to see where she would lead. Upon hearing that their destination would be where more Mu-Types reside, she saw this as the perfect invitation. Perhaps, she could finally proceed in her mission.
Leaping from the rooftop, the Succubus' wings extended as she flew away. Following the black car to its intended destination…
(Not so) Abandoned Warehouse
Kim barely managed to dodge a slash from the nails of a steel hand as she watched in shock as her aggressors move towards her, "Marcella, what's wrong with you?"
"Don't be so shocked Kim!" The steel girl coldly asked, "Did you really think that no one would find out about your little secret? Did you truly think that you could pass yourself off as normal!?"
"Normal? What are you-" She was interrupted by a dodged, green fist.
"That's right Kim, we know all about you being a Mu-Type. Or rather, being a Mu-Type since Middle School!" Liz pondered, "Or were you one since Pre-K? Hell, were you ever normal to begin with!?"
"Look, can't we talk about this!" Kim tried once more to get them to listen to reason, but the three cheerleader-turned-Mu-Types didn't seem to care, nor did they want to. "I-I don't want to hurt you!"
"Why, because you think we're no match for the great and mighty Kim Possible?" Stretching out, Crystal's arms moved directly toward her friend… former friend – specifically her neck. All the hell they've been through, all the crap they had to deal with for the past few months, Kim was going to get a taste of it, all of it! However, before even a finger could come within feet of Kim, a shard of ice flew in the way, stinging her arm.
"Hate to cut in on this reunion, but you seriously need to chillax!" With a front flip, X leaped downward as he threw another shard-like dagger.
"Seriously, X, 'Chillax?'" From her wrist gauntlet, Saber fired a barrage of laser-like bullets, causing the girls move from harm's way.
"Be glad I didn't say 'let's kick some ice.'" X turned his attention to the three Mu-Type girls, "Speaking of kicking, let's start with you three's asses." Within his closed fists, ice began to form as it move onto his forearms. In moments, a tonfa was formed on each hand.
Marcella narrowed her eyes, "So these are your new Omega Strike friends, huh Kim? And from the looks of things they don't have to deal with the same burden of being Mu-Types as we do! Something you can really relate!"
Kim could see the look in Marcella's eyes, as in Liz and Crystal's. Anger, resentment, betrayal… All directed towards her. This was the whole situation with Bonnie all over again, She turned to X and Saber, then back to the girls. "Guys, please! We don't have to do this!"
"Save it Kim! There's nothing you can do to talk your way out of this!"
"Please… I-I don't want to fight you!"
"Kim, they ain't buying!" X informed, dodging a fierce blow from Liz. "Looks like we're gonna have to fight them."
"No, we can't!" Kim dodged Marcella's "claws" once more, "We can't hurt them!"
"WHAT!?" Saber managed to dodge Crystal's extended limbs, "Are you saying that we can't, or that you don't want us to?" Is she trying to make them easy targets for her so-called friends to pick us off?" X's judgment of character showed once again…
X reminded, "They're not that good! Otherwise they wouldn't be so willing to kill us!"
"Xanthos must've done something to them to make them act this way!" Kim insisted, "This isn't like them at all!"
"Being considered freaks isn't like us at all either, but what would you know about that!" Crystal hissed, trying to skewer her cyber-armored adversary. "All your life you used your abilities to move your way to the top of the school! Unlike us, you never had to hide what you were!"
"Hide?" Kim shook her head, dodging another of Marcella's attacks, "I never even knew that I was a Mu-Type until-"
"BULLSHIT!" Marcella's fist slammed hard onto the ground, causing small cracks to form within the area of her fist on the concrete floor. "You always have to go out to save the world, usually when you're abandoning us during cheer practice! And then when you do stay for practice, you can do all the routines and gymnastics without any hassle at all! It's like you don't have to put in any work whatsoever while we're struggling to stay within rhythm. I always wondered how, we all did! But now we know! It's because you're a Mu-Type freak!"
'That's it…' Kim narrowed her eyes as she drew her weapon: A metal extendable staff. A more practical weapon compared to her other ones, but it was to complement her battle suit. "I really don't want to hurt you…"
"Why, because you pity us?"
"Because I'm sick of failing to help and protect my friends! I nearly lost Ron, Bonnie doesn't want anything to do with me now, and now everyone's been turned against me! And now you're pushing me to do something that I will regret!"
The iron Latina scoffed, "Like what, Kim? In case you haven't noticed, I'm all metal now! And I doubt your 'sixteen styles of kung-fu' can measure up against me!"
Her staff extending, Kim knew that this would be one of the hardest battles she's ever been in. Not because of it being as dangerous as it would be fighting someone like Shego, but because it involved people she cared about! People she saw as friends, as family!
"X… Saber…"
She had tried talking, reasoning, even pleading with them to listen to reason. But they wouldn't listen. In the end, all they cared about at this point was beating her, hurting her, making her pay for her so-called betrayal. They were neither in any condition nor were willing to listen to reason. As much as she didn't want to, as much as she tried to avoid it, she was left with no other option…
"Take them down!"
Next Chapter: Having no other option, Kim is forced to fight Marcella, Liz, and Crystal with X and Saber. The rest of Omega Strike soon have their own troubles as Ron, Tara, and Josh goes to assist Kim!
Chapter 27: Feelings of Betrayal! The Girls of Middleton!