Strange World

C4: Double Lost

[Disclaimer: KP and all that good stuff belongs to Disney.  I own whatever I write/create.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

            The day was new.  Kim slowly opened her eyes and stretched beneath the covers.  It was still the long winter break.  The heroine felt hungry, so she pulled herself from the covers.

            In the time that Shego had been at the Possible home, Kim had memorized her routines.  Shego would wake early and practice her modified Tai Chi Chi Gung.  She would repeat the form until she heard someone else that was awake.

            Kim walked as quietly as she could to Shego's room.  The bed was empty and the sheets rumpled, as they usually were in the morning.  Kim's mother or father must have been up already.

            The kitchen was empty.  The den was empty.  Her parents and her brothers were still asleep.  Something was very, very wrong.  She hurried outside, but Shego's bike was still there.

            "Wade!" she pulled out her Kimmunicator, "Where's Shego?"

            "Kim, it's eight in the morning." Wade rubbed his eyes, "Why are up so early?"

            "It's eight!" Kim said angrily, "That's not early!  Tell me where Shego is!"

            "Isn't she at your house?"

            "That's why I'm asking you to find her!"

            "OK, OK!" Wade tried to calm his friend, "Chill, Kim!  I'll find her, OK?"

            "OK." Kim looked around, hoping to see Shego, "I'll go look around.  Maybe she took a walk."

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            But Shego wasn't in town.  She wasn't at the mall.  Monique hadn't seen her at Club Banana.  Kim was starting to walk faster, soon breaking out in a worried jog.  She glanced every which way in the quiet town.  It was still too early for most holiday enjoyers, and the streets were empty.

            "DAM—"  Something skidded by Kim's feet and crashed right into a nearby wall.  Kim looked towards the thing and saw Tao Psymon, upside down against the wall, groaning.

            "—mit." the genetically altered girl finished her curse.  She fell from her back and feet on the wall to flat on her face.

            "Tao?" Kim blinked, "Where did you come from?"

            "I was running." Tao stood up, dusting snow off her shoulders with her tail.  She whistled loudly and her huge gray wolf, Lobo, came bounding through the snow.

            "Why on earth are you running?" Kim asked, scratching Lobo behind the ears, "The only time I ever see you out is when you're eating nachos from Bueno Nacho."

            "I'm looking for my mother!" Tao seemed at the end of a rope, "I can't find her, and Lobo can't get her scent!"

            "Wait." Kim's eyes opened wide, "Did your mother leave a note or something?"

            "I think she's been kidnapped." Tao bit a sharp claw in worry, "And I don't know who would do such a thing."

            "Shego's gone too!"

            "And you can't find her at all?"

            "No…and I'm really worried."

            Tao sighed and combed her hair with her fingers.  Lobo whined and shoved his nose under Tao's arm.

            "Let's go to the mall." the silver-haired girl muttered, "Get on Lobo's back."

            "Why?" Kim asked.

            "Because I run as fast as a car on a highway.  And Lobo is the only one who can even keep up with me."

            "Let me guess: cheetah stuff?"

            "Let's just go."

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            The mall was crowded, as usual.  Lobo remained outside, hidden in a snowdrift.  Tao walked swiftly through the crowd towards the spot that had been recently inhabited by the men that had tried to kill her.  The only thing that remained of the attack was a divot in the floor from the knife.

            "Hey, I thought it was Lobo who could get scents." Kim found Tao crouched at the divot, sniffing at the air.

            "No…" Tao didn't answer Kim, but was muttering to herself, "I think I have it…"

            All the lights exploded.  Chaos erupted.  Warning recordings blared in the speakers.  Kim was being pushed with the flow of the crowd until something wrapped around her waist and kept her still.

            Everyone had escaped the mall that had wanted to escape.  The dim emergency lights that were embedded in places that couldn't be overloaded turned on.  Tao was standing still, her muscles tense.  Her hair seemed to stand on end, and her teeth were clenched.

            "Hello." a boy the same age as the girls stood before them.  He looked frighteningly like Tao.  His hair was silver and swept back in jagged spikes.  His eyes were black.  He wore simple clothes of a tight red tank top and loose brown pants.  His fingers were clawed, sharpened purposely.  His feet were bare and clawed.  A silver tail slowly wrapped around his legs randomly.

            "Who are you?" Tao growled, her hands curling tight and shaking.

            "My name is Tomas." the boy said, his expression very calm, almost happy, "And you are Tao Psymon and Kim Possible, right?"

            "Where is my mother?" Tao's voice was taking on a vicious edge.  She was getting very mad.

            "I see that you would do anything for your mother." Tomas smiled at Tao, "My father says he would do the same."

            "WHERE IS SHE?!" Tao lunged in a rage at Tomas.  Tomas dodged and tripped Tao.  The girl dug her claws into the ground, flexing her feet and shredding her shoes to reveal her clawed toes.  She skidded to a stop, looking like an angry wildcat.

            "You!" Kim said, "You kidnapped Shego, didn't you?"

            "And you would do anything for Shego." Tomas smirked at Kim, snickering slightly.  He started to walk towards Kim, his expression growing dark.  "I've come to make sure you do no more."

            "No more what?"  Kim started to walk backwards.  Tomas was the same as Tao.  And from what Kim knew about Tao, she didn't want to fight Tomas.

            "No more anything."

            A feral scream came out of Tao.  She leapt onto Tomas and sank her claws into his chest and stomach, biting his shoulder angrily.  Tomas snarled and jumped up, aiming to land on his back.  He landed firmly on Tao with a bang.  Tao didn't let go.  Tomas grinned, reached up, and grabbed Tao by the head.  Blue electricity crackled around his hands, and then surrounded Tao.  The girl let go of him, howling in pain.  She didn't get back up.

            "Tao!" Kim rushed over and knelt next to the still girl, "What did you do to her?"

            "Nothing compared to what's going to happen to you."

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            Lick, lick, lick.

             Tao coughed and opened her eyes.  Lobo had snuck into the mall when Tao and Kim hadn't returned.  He was licking her face, trying to get her to wake up.

            "Lobo, where's Kim?" Tao slowly sat up.  Electric burns scorched her skin.  Lobo whined sadly.  Tao stopped trying to get up and lay back down.  Lobo lay down on the injured girl, hoping to make her feel better.

            "No way I can do this on my own." Tao murmured softly, "I don't know any other people to help.  And he's got that gene…  God, I'm in such deep crud."

            Lobo licked her face gently, nuzzling his head against her cheek.

            "Who do I know?  I'm hungry.  I wonder if a Bueno Nacho is open somewhere…"

            A small light went on behind Tao's black eyes.  She grinned.

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            Ron Stoppable slowly walked to the door.  He had been napping with Rufus in front of the TV, watching Steel-Toe and Pain King defeat their many enemies.

            "Oh, hi Tao." he said in a bit of shock, "What's up?  Hey, Lobo?  How you doing wolf-man?"  He had met Lobo outside of Bueno Nacho on a random naco run.

            "Ron, get ready to help be the hero."

—to be continued—