Ronald woke up the moment his alarm went off. In a few minutes he was up and ready to hit the shower, then he could get dressed, switching his usual red jersey for a black jacket and a tighter shirt highlighting his newly-formed muscles he had gained from football, grab some breakfast, brush his teeth and be on his way to school.
At school, Ronald's publicity stunt about Team possible had caused his popularity to skyrocket even further. He couldn't walk in the halls without a flock of admirer cheering for him. He made sure to tell them to give him some room but he still enjoyed the feeling of being the one people looked up to.
He got into the classroom as first period started and sat at his usual spot, next to Kim's empty chair. As the classroom started to fill, one of his classmates walked up to him.
"Hey Ron, I'm Dave "Just wanted to tell you you were awesome on TV. I'll be cheering you and Team Possible on."
"Thanks man," Ronald replied "We don't do it for the fame but it's still nice to hear."
"Just asking." Dave continued "My little sis is like, your biggest fan, she wouldn't stop talking about how cool you were yesterday and how awesome what you did was, so when she heard that I'm in class with you she kept pestering me about it." He pulled out a piece of paper, "Do you think you could give her your autograph? She would really love to have it."
Ronald chuckled. "Of course," he picked up a pen and signed the paper "Say hello to your sister from me."
"Awesome," Dave replied before whispering in his ear "Also, do you think you could get that green chick's signature for me?" he pulled out a picture of Shego from a newspaper, "It would be awesome too."
Ronald smiled "I'll give it to her but I don't think she does autographs."
"Thanks man, you're the best" Dave said before sitting right next to Ronald.
Ronald froze. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked.
"What ?" Dave replied "Can't two pals just sit together in class? It's not as if anyone is sitting here..."
"It's not your seat," Ronald growled "Get out of here right now."
"Dude, you gotta chill out..." Dave protested
Mr Barkin got inside the classroom. "Alright, listen up" he started "Since your english teacher was victim of an accident and busted his leg I'll be filling in until the school hire a replacement."
Ronald didn't want to start any problem so he just let it go for the rest of first period, just who the hell did this guy think he was, walking in and taking her spot like that? As the bell rang signalling the end of first period everybody rushed outside of class, eager to escape Barkin. As they walked in the hallways Ronald grabbed the guy by his collar and slammed him in the lockers.
"Don't. Ever. Do that. Again. Do you understand?" He growled "If you seat in her spot again I'll beat the crap out of you, did you get me?"
Dave laughed nervously "Hahahahah, you're kidding, right? It's a joke?"
Ronald pointed at his face "Note. Serious. Face."
Dave started to panic, "It's ok, I'm sorry, I won't do it again, please don't..."
Ronald let go of him and smiled "Great. Then we're good."
"Stoppable!" Barkin roared "What's this all about? No fighting in the hallways."
Ronald grabbed Dave's shoulder "Fighting? Me and Dave? Nah, we're just kidding around. Right Dave?"
"Yyyeah..." Dave said, forcing a smile "It's ok Mr Barkin, nothing to report here."
"Hmmm," Barkin sighed "try to keep it down in the hallways."
"Sure Mr B." Ronald replied cheerfully before walking away.
"Did you see that?" Tara said poking at Bonnie's shoulder as they got out of the lady's rooms, a dreamy look in her eyes "The way he got angry."
"That was so hot." Bonnie mumbled, the sight of an angry Ron defending his friend making her weak in the knees "That's a man right here."
"Bonnie!" Tara said, shocked "You spent a big part of our highschool year putting him down, now do you hear yourself?"
"What can I say, Tara." Bonnie replied "Any woman would feel something at such a sight. You can't deny he changed a lot since last year."
Tara nodded. She couldn't deny the change in the blond teen, she couldn't see him the same way she used to see him before. After he saved them at camp Wannaweep, she had crushed on him hard. She used to want them to hold hands, go on dates and for him to ask her to the dance, now she couldn't deny the thoughts she had when she looked at him now were much more impure than they used to be.
As if she read his mind Bonnie kept talking. "I must say, I wouldn't say no to him cornering me, alone, under the bleachers in my cheerleading outfit."
Tara didn't even answer to that, she only looked at her friend, agape, pondering the implications of what she said.
"What?" Bonnie said "If I'm thinking it then at least half of the cheer squad is having the same thoughts, mark my words." Bonnie stared at her friend and smirked "You included I'd say."
Tara stared at her friend, red as a tomato. Bonnie kept smirking, "it's written all over your face." she said before starting to walk away. "Come, or else we'll be late."
"I can't" Tara said meekly.
"What ?" Bonnie stopped "Why? You know he'll be in class with us right? No need to..."
"It's not that," Tara said, blushing even harder and getting closer to her friend in order to whisper to her ear "I need to go to the bathroom."
"But we just..." Bonnie started "Oh. OH. Ok, go I'll cover for you." she finally said a smirk back on her face.
She walked to the classroom and told Mr Barkin about Tara, before taking a seat next to the man of the hour, making sure to avoid Kim's usual spot.
"You really should have toned down the manliness back there." she whispered playfully "Poor Tara could only take so much."
"Oh," Ronald whispered back with a smirk "Did she get her pan in a twist looking at such a display?" As Bonnie kept silent the teen laughed silently "Oh my god, she did" he continued "I'm sorry about it, I promise not to give her more than she can handle from now on."
Bonnie kicked him playfully "Don't mock her," she replied "Any girl would have been in the same situation after seeing this. After all, a girl can only take so much before having to take a trip to the changing rooms."
"Even you," Ronald whispered with a smirk "You surprise me."
"Even me." Bonnie confirmed sultrily "That's if I wore any in the fist place of course." She said with a wink. "It gets in the way of enjoying a nice ride."
Ronald smiled at their conversation. "I could give you a ride if you need one. Tonight after practice."
Bonnie smirked, "You better show me a good one."
Tara finally came back to the classroom, giving a death glare to Bonnie when she saw where her best friend was sitting. Bonnie simply shrugged her shoulders "All I fair in love and war." she thought with a smile.
As the day ended, Ron left the field after a successful practice. Not that he really needed the muscle training. He had been chasing and running away from bad guys for years, his speed and stamina were already unparalleled at the highschool level, most of the practice was only for him to deepen his understanding of the game.
As he left the school he headed to the parking lot only to be met with Bonnie. Still wearing her cheerleading skirt. "I hope you don't mind," she said playfully, her hand lightly caressing his arm as she talked "I had an issue with my pants, I thought it would be better for me to keep this on."
Ronald smirked at the display. "No, not at all." he replied putting his hand on her side, escorting her to his bike "Here it is, sit down and enjoy the ride."
Bonnie smiled "Oh, I fully intend to. Don't worry about me. But I thought our star player would have traded up from this rusty thing."
Ronald smiled "Don't worry." he said "There is more to this baby than meets the eye. The only question is : Can you handle it?"
Bonnie smirked "I can handle anything you throw at me."
"Good, now all that's left is to climb on and enjoy the ride" Ronald said "And if you're scared you just have to hold on to me."
"Oh but I intend to hold on and enjoy the ride..." She thought as she climbed on the bike.
Ronald had fought so many freaks that used technology recently that he had kept some of the parts for himself and used them to repair his old piece of junk. All it needed now was a good paint job and it would be good as new, Felix had assured him.
The engine started and the unlikely left the school. For the entire duration of the ride, Ronald could feel Bonnie's soft chest pressed against his back. A warm sensation that was spreading to his whole body. Bonnie was giving him directions toward her house, whispering, breathing hot air in his ear. As the ride went on she pressed herself harder against him, the hold of her hands drifting lower and lower from his chest to his belly, getting closer and closer to his nether region.
As the ride came to an end, both were flushed, their breathing was ragged and their cheeks were bright red.
"Thanks for the ride." Bonnie started
"It was a pleasure." Ronald replied with a smile.
"Do you want to come inside?" Bonnie asked as innocently as she could in her attire "for a drink?"
"I..." Ronald started before being interrupted by his communicating device ringing.
Ronald groaned before picking up. "What's up Wade?"
"Got a hit on the website." he said "Get ready to move out."
"Right now?" Ronald said, disappointment evident in his voice.
"Yes, right now" Wade replied "Go get ready, I'll get you and Shego a ride."
As Wade faded from the screen. Ronald turned back to face Bonnie. "Sorry, can't tonight. Duty calls." Bonnie's face fell to the ground, damn villains couldn't even take the evening off.
"But maybe I can come next time for… coffee?" Ronald asked as innocently as he could.
"Yeah," Bonnie whispered "Coffee sounds good."
Ronald climbed back on his motorcycle, "Gotta go," He said "The world won't save itself."
"Stay safe." Bonnie said with a smile. "Go kick their butt."
"Will do." Ronald said as he drove off.
The cold air helped him cool off after what just happened. He parked his ride in front of his house and climbed in his room. He picked up a few things he might need. Throwing stars, a grappling hook, a few ninja tools he could use and put it in his backpack. After changing in his mission gear, he sat on his bed and started to meditate to try and access the mystical monkey power again.
After a few minutes, the anger started to rise. The power was so elusive, every time he felt he had a hold on it it seemed to vanish somewhere else, out of his reach. So frustrating.
"You will never master it like that." A voice said. A familiar voice.
"Ha," Ronald replied "I wondered how long it would take for you to come around, old man."
"I am a man, and I'm indeed old. But why do I feel that your words are meant to hurt me?" Sensei replied.
"Why do you think?" Ronald asked "Maybe because you tried to use me, to get me to conform to your useless ideal as your mystical monkey master, because you think you can summon me whenever you want and that I'll do your bidding? Do I have to keep going?"
"You are angry," the old sensei said "But you are wrong on something, we never used you. We were always completely open about why we needed your help and what was required of you. Of course we knew your heroic heart would push you to take the right decision and help us but we never forced you to do anything."
"What a load of crap." Ronald replied "How about when you gave me no choice to come to your school? When I had to live in a room that could have been a closet? When I had to fight to even be able to eat? You have never put a sword on my neck to pressure me into doing what you wanted but you sure as hell didn't leave me a lot of choices."
"This was to help you become who you are meant to be. But if Yamanouchi offended you, I offer you my apologies. It was never our intention to make you feel that way." The old man said with a bow.
"You think I'm as naive as I used to?" Ronald snarled "I won't fall back into your manipulations, I won't let anyone control me. Don't think I'm the same as the failure than came to your dojo."
"No you're not." The old man said "You're his contained anger, his suppressed ego, his hidden desires and every single instinct he pushed aside in order for him to be the one world pressured him to be."
"I'm Ron Stoppable." Ronald shouted "And i'll be better than he ever could have dreamed of."
"I'm afraid that is impossible." The old man replied.
"Say again?" Ronald said angrily.
"You're not better than him." The old man said, "You're a part of him. The same way he's a part of you. You're his desires, he's your morals. You're his instinct, he's your duties. You're his anger, he's your forgiveness. You're his ego, he's your selflessness. You are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. "
"Oh, he will still exist." Ronald said with a smile. "Deep down inside me where he'll never be able to come back. Beaten, bent, broken. he'll never stand up to me ever again."
"He will," Sensei said "And you will need him, the same way he needed you in his darkest time."
"I'm not as weak as he is." Ronald said.
The old man chuckled. "No you're not. You're definitely stronger than him. You're even right about him." Ronald looked at him, was the old man agreeing with him? "He's a failure. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Failure is a necessary part of our life, failure is forever the greatest teacher we can have." The old man exhaled "You will need him, believe me."
"Keep dreaming, old man." Ronald snarled.
"The settlers make sure the world keep spinning but the dreamers are the ones who change it." Sensei said as he started walking.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ronald asked.
"Going to see the other you of course." The old man replied.
"No you won't." Ronald said as he jumped toward the old man only to be met by a shining blue sphere, preventing him from getting close.
"Let me through, Ronald." Sensei said as he kept walking.
"No you won't!" Ronald shouted as he pushed as hard as he could but still couldn't prevent the sphere containing the japanese old man to press forward.
"You can't overpower me Ronald." Sensei said calmly.
"You think so?" Ronald replied as he kept pushing, harder and harder and harder. The old man started to have more trouble going forward. Ronald started to shine, a deep glow covered him as he managed to stop the old man's advance.
"This is my world. Not yours." Ronald shouted as he started to push back the invader. "And you're not. Welcome. Here. Anymore." He gave one last push and the old man was forced out of his soul realm.
Ronald opened his eyes and stood up. "Ha! HAHAHA. Eat this old man. I'm not your tool, I'm RON STOPPABLE and I'm not yours to use as you please. I'm not your chosen one, your mystical monkey master or whatever you want me to be. I AM WHATEVER I CHOOSE TO BE!"
On the other side of the world, an old man opened his eyes. This was bad. If he already had that much control over his mystical monkey power, it would be exceedingly difficult, even borderline impossible to tip the scale back to balance. And balance was necessary, especially for a being as strong as Ronald Stoppable. Someone with his power ruled by his desires could bring only catastrophe to the world.
"If you can't reach out by strength, use other means." He thought as he imagined another way to help the troubled young man. This would indeed be very difficult, but no matter how strong the will and how mighty the power, there was always a way to reach the heart.