1101010010111100111100Chapter 700101000101000000101000100101001
0010010110101000111010It's Just A Kiss101010010101001000101001010
The Nebuchadnezzar II roared through the pipes and tunnels under the surface of the earth, slowly making its way upward.
"You're up early," Link said with a smile from the pilot's chair as Ron walked lazily onto the small bridge of the ship.
"I haven't been sleeping too good lately," Ron confessed, sitting down roughly in the copilot's chair.
"Maybe you need a sleeping partner," Link said slyly, giving the teen a wink.
"Kim and I are just friends," Ron shot, covering his face in his hands.
"I don't recall naming any names," Link smiled, "Busted."
"What was he like, Neo I mean?" Ron said, changing the subject quickly, "I tried to talk to Morpheus about it but …"
"Morpheus tends to use big words that only he understands," Link finished for him, nodding understandingly, "So what do you want to know about him?"
"What can you tell me about him?" Ron asked, sitting back in the chair and looked at Link expectantly.
"Neo … well, I guess you could say he was one of those buddy-buddy type guys. It was extremely hard not to like the guy," Link explained, "But when Neo was in the Matrix … shit."
"Shit?" Ron asked in confusion.
"It was almost creepy, Ron," Link said with a smile, "He was an unstoppable force of nature in there, especially if you messed with Trinity. He could stop bullets, move things without touching them, control animals' minds, fly like Superman, but what got me the most he only did once. I'll never forget it til the day I die."
Ron nodded in interest.
"Well, it was toward the end … of the war I mean, Trinity went on a solo mission to save Neo and Morpheus and make it where they'd get their job done. She ran into a problem. An Agent. She fought best she could but a normal person can't beat an Agent, I mean after training with Neo, Trinity and Morpheus both could go toe to toe with one but beat one? No way. Well she tried a desperate move to escape; I'm guessing she was counting on Neo to swoop in like her guardian angel and save her like he always did. That's when it went south." Link stopped to brush a tear away. "The Agent shot her just before Neo could save her. It was a mortal wound. She died in Neo's arms a few minutes later."
"Died?" Ron paled, "But everyone said they went together to stop the war?"
"I'm not finished with the story, Ron," Link chuckled, "Trinity died, she WAS dead. Her heart was stopped, and damaged beyond repair from the artificial negative stimulation, brainwave activity stopped, and her signal from the Matrix was gone. But then Neo did something weird. The code around them, just them, went funny, and for a moment Neo merged with Trin level beyond my understanding. It was like he reached into her heart, into her very soul and brought her back. No negative side effects."
"Wow …" Ron said, not sure what to say to that, "How did he do that?"
"Never got the chance to really ask him," Link said, shaking his head, "It got crazy after that, the original Neb was destroyed, and Neo went into a weird coma. Then when he recovered he and Trinity left on the Logos, and we never saw them again."
"Good morning," Morpheus said as he walked into the large cockpit, "Are we at broadcast depth?"
"Just hit it, sir," Link said as he started to land the Neb II on a large ledge, "Ready to log in when you're ready."
"Morpheus, sir," Ron spoke up, "There's a connection to the Matrix at Neo Zion, why are we leaving to get to … umm … get in?"
"Simple, the machines gave us that link, and I don't trust them," Morpheus stated plainly before turning to Link, "Ronald and Kimberly will come with me to the meeting. Niobi and Ghost will remain here incase we get in trouble, it is better for us to visit the Merovingian in a small group."
"Roger that," Link said as the three left the bridge, and walked toward the broadcast chamber.
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"Here we go again, huh KP?" Ron asked as the three got on an elevator to the Merovingian's restaurant.
"What do you see, Ronald?" Morpheus asked, watching the numbers increase on the digital display.
Ron closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh before opening his slightly glazed over eyes, "It looks encrypted …"
"Is that good for us, or bad for us?" Kim asked, adjusting her sunglasses.
"It looks like every floor is wired with explosives," Ron sighed, causing Kim to flinch.
"Bad for us then …" Kim mumbled, catching Morpheus smiling broadly at the two, "What?"
Morpheus merely chuckled before wiping a single tear that slid down to his cheek, "Just you remind me of some old friends who are no longer with us."
The elevator beeped and the three walked out into the large restaurant, on to the Merovingian's table, "Morpheus! … So many years, so many years, how have you been, I am pleased to see you survived that horrid battle … and Ms. Possible, Mr. Stoppable, the new looks suit you well," He said before looking over Kim's curves. "Especially you, Ms. Possible, or may I call you Kim?"
"Ms. Possible," Kim said, her voice displaying her disgust for the Merovingian.
"We need to know exactly what it was Dr. Drakken stole from you, Merovingian," Morpheus stated emotionlessly.
"Ah, always to the point, aren't we, Morpheus?" Merovingian asked, flashing a bright smile.
"Answer the question," Morpheus pressed, unaffected.
"No," The Merovingian responded in a spoiled child-like voice, "I will tell you nothing. I did not call you to help recover my item, Morpheus, I asked Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. And I will not tell them this information either, for it is unnecessary for them to know what it does but that it must not rest in Dr. Drakken's hands. If that is all, I must ask you to excuse yourself before I have you forced to leave."
"I don't think you realize-" Ron started, standing up, but the Merovingian cut him off.
"I realize exactly who you are, Boy," Merovingian snapped hatefully, "I know you are the One, and I also know that you have seven months, exactly like the others. You will be gone, and I will still be here. As always."
"Seven months for what?" Ron asked cocking his head to the side, before Kim's pale and shocked expression bought him to realization, "Oh … I take it … the others only lived seven months after then … that's … nice."
"Come along, Kimberly, Ronald," Morpheus said, standing up and walking toward the elevator.
The two shocked teens looked at each other and silently followed him.
Ron lowered his head in contemplation, not liking the thought of only having seven months left. And Kim just watched him worriedly, the thoughts of losing her best friend to death was one that had never crossed her mind, and she didn't like it one bit.
"Pay him no heed," Morpheus said to two teens, watching the elevator, "You do not know what the future holds. You might outlive all of us Ronald, so ignore the pompous …" Morpheus began as the elevator opened to Persephone waiting patiently. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Please excuse my husband," Persephone stated, turning to lead them down the hallway, "He has been cranky seeing as I have not given in to him for sixteen years."
"What do you mean given in to him for sixteen years?" Ron asked dumbly. Rufus climbed from his pocket and whispered in his ear. Ron's eyes went wide a moment later as blood rushed to his cheeks. "OOOOOOH! Poor guy …"
She led them into the men's bathroom and locked the door, "I wish to help you. I will tell you anything and everything you wish to know. But I will only do it for a favor."
Morpheus let out a deep sigh and Kim narrowed her eyes on the older woman, "What do you want in return?"
Persephone smiled lovingly at Ron, "A kiss."
"What did you just say?" Kim asked through clenched teeth.
"And they say we're predictable …" Morpheus sighed, under his breath as Persephone walked toward Ron and rested her hands on his shoulders.
"Only a simple kiss," Persephone whispered in Ron's ear. "I want you to pretend I am her," She purred so quietly only Ron could hear, nodding toward the scowling Kim. "C'mon, it isn't like it is the first time you have been with a girl in the past week in which you pretended that it was her. And this time it's just a kiss."
"I don't know …" Ron gulped.
"I do know," Kim snapped, shoving the two apart, "hands off!"
"I thought you were only best friends?" Persephone purred, sliding around the girl to hug Ron's arm, "A kiss would not damage your friendship, would it? Or is there something more then friendship?" Persephone asked, "After all, it's just a kiss. How will a kiss hurt your best friend?"
"I … um … fine, you're right, he's just my best friend, if you want to trade a kiss for information," Kim said, her voice trembling slightly toward the end, "Fine go ahead," She crossed her arms across her chest and stepped back with narrowed eyes.
"Ok then," Ron gulped at the expectant Persephone.
"You know what to do, Ron," Persephone said seductively, closing her eyes slowly.
Ron pulled off his sunglasses with a sigh before walking toward the woman and rested his hands on her hips. "Here goes …" He sighed before he leaned forward, and pressed his lips against Persephone's. Persephone deepened the kiss and pushed her tongue past Ron's lips.
Kim's features softened from angry to sad before she turned to Morpheus, "I'll be waiting outside, k?"
Morpheus nodded, also unable to watch the program using the boy this way, and watched Kim walk out of the bathroom.
"Unspoken love … Wonderful …" Persephone sighed as she broke the kiss, "It is a pity though … that you must soon watch her die."
"What?" Ron asked, concern crossing his features.
"You have held up your end of the bargain," Persephone said, ignoring Ron's question, "Now I will give you all the information we have, as promised. Come with me."
Morpheus and Ron followed Persephone out of the bathroom, and Ron immediately spotted Kim leaning against the wall, looking as if she was intently studying the floor.
"KP, you all right?" he asked when she started rubbing across her eyes and the bridge of her nose with her sleeve.
"Yea, I'm fine, Ron, it's no big," she said with a soft sniffle, "Just got something in my eye or something, that's all …"
"Kim, about what happened in there …" Ron started uncomfortably as they followed Morpheus and Persephone down the hall.
"Ron, so not the drama," Kim smiled weakly at her best friend, "Like she said, it was just a kiss. Why would that bother me? It really is no big. So let's just forget about it. Ok?"
"No, it is a big, and I don't want to forget about it," Ron said, and stopped walking.
"What?" Kim asked, looking back at Ron nervously.
"I never really thought about this until we 'woke up', Kim, but I've been thinking about this a lot lately," Ron spoke softly and with uncharacteristic seriousness, as he rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Do you remember when we first met?"
"Yeah, I saved you from some stupid bullies in preschool, right after you distracted them from ganging up on me," Kim stated blinking at him in confusion. "Like I could forget that."
"Do you remember what you said to me?" Ron asked again, his heart almost beating out of his chest.
"I said you were weird but I like you … I think," Kim said, her brows furrowed in concentration, "What are you going on about?"
"Why do you like me, Kim?" Ron asked, resting his hand on her shoulder, "HOW do you like me?"
"I …Ron what's this about?" Kim asked, feeling as if her insides were flip-flopping.
"Kimberly …" Ron started, but stopped to steady himself with a sigh, "I'm not really sure how long I have, but … ever since all this happened it made me realize what you really mean to me, and I just want you to know that I … I … I …" Ron's eyes then widened for a moment and his head snapped around to look down the hallway, "They're coming … Kim, as soon as we get back on the Neb, I want to talk to you, ok?"
Kim stared at him nervously, but nodded an ok.
"It is my husband, we must hurry." Persephone stated, and the four quickly walked down the hallway to a large door. She placed a key in the lock, and opened it, "Come, we must go quickly."
The group walked through the door and into what looked like the lobby of a mansion, various weapons covering the white stonewalls.
"The information you ask for is this way," Persephone said, and walked toward the doorway under the large stairs.
She led them to a storage room with a single small doorway where the outline in the dusty floor showed something big once sat there. "Here is the design specs for the machine in question," Persephone said as she handed a small folder to Morpheus.
"A code copy program, but what would Dr. Drakken want with a copy program?" Morpheus asked flipping through the file.
Kim and Ron smiled at each other and said in unison, "Cloning again."
"If that is all," Persephone started, glancing toward the door, "I suggest you make an escape before my husband returns."
"I believe you are correct," Morpheus nodded, "Lets move out."
The grouped walked back to the lobby, but stopped when they heard applauding from above them.
They looked up to find The Merovingian and a line of guards on the top floor of the lobby, "Bravo! Bravo! I see you have discovered the use for my toy, but the why you do not know, is that not correct?"
Kim narrowed her eyes, "There was never a robbery, the door way was far to small to be able to get that much machinery out without your knowledge!" she stated pointing her finger at the Merovingian, "This was all one big set up!"
"Again you know the cause, but the effect still eludes you, Kim Possible," Merovingian laughed.
"The effect is I rule the world!" Drakken stated walking through a side door with Shego and more guards, before flinching at Merovingian's glare, "I mean WE will rule the world!"
Persephone walked up the stairs to stand at her husband's side while the Kim and Morpheus walked backwards to put their back to the wall while Ron stood his ground. "I wonder, how far along are you, Ron Stoppable? How powerful are you?" Merovingian raised his hand. "Shoot him."
"We've been through this before," Ron smirked as he clinched his fists. Shego and the guards opened fire on him at all sides, but all the bullets stopped less then a foot from his body. "Give me a break," he said while the bullets still floated in the air.
"Sure, Ronnie boy," smirked Shego as she pressed a button on wrist. "Take five."
The bullets that still hovered around him suddenly exploded in clouds of gas. Ron tried to push the gas away with his powers, but had already breathed in enough to weaken his focus.
The teen then dropped to the floor unconscious
"Ron, look out!" Kim cried, as Shego, wearing a gasmask, dove at Ron and stabbed his neck with syringe.
"Right into our hands," Shego laughed as she threw Ron over her shoulder, and crushed his sunglasses underfoot.
"Let him go!" Kim hissed as she dove at Shego, but the villainess side stepped her attack and kicked into a small cloud of the remaining gas.
Kim looked up off the floor only to see Shego -with Ron over Shego's shoulder like a sack of potatoes- Drakken, and majority of the guards moving toward the door. "Ron … no …" Kim whimpered before the darkness over took her.
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Kim gasped as she sat up in the jack chair. Niobi pushed he back down. "Easy, easy," Niobi said as she rubbed Kim's forehead with a damp washcloth. "You were knocked out. Morpheus got you to an exit. You're safe now."
"Ron? Where is Ron?" Kim asked, her green eyes searching Niobi's face.
"You were careless and impulsive," Morpheus scolded as he walked toward the girl, "You could have gotten yourself killed."
"Where's Ron?" Kim asked again, ignoring Morpheus' rant.
Morpheus let out a deep sigh before turning to Ghost and Link.
"They've masked his signature," Link said softly, "I … we don't know where they've taken him." He said looking over to Ron's body, which was still plugged into the Matrix. Kim stood up shakily, and stood beside him, brushing her fingertips over his sweat soaked forehead.
"Can you find him?" Kim asked worriedly, her eyes not leaving her best friend.
Link shook his head and all eyes other then Kim's went to Morpheus. "We cannot … but I know who can. She has to help us."
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