Disclaimer - Sigh, well you know the drill. . .check my other chapters - I
don't own any of these characters, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from
writing about them!
Greetings to you all, my dear faithful readers. Thanks for all the reviews so far, particularly for Chapter 6 - I'm starting to feel like I have fans round here! As promised, here is Chapter 7, a cool chapter for me to write, because it's based on one of my favourite scenes in the first BTTF film. Here goes:
***
"You!" Drew Lipsky yelped at me as I came bolting in his direction. "You have no concept of time!"
"Hey, cut me some slack here, Drew! I had to overcome the side-effects of acute chemical poisoning before I could even get down here!"
"Yeah, well you really don't have that much time left. Fortunately for you I was able to handle all the applications by myself. . . all the necessary wiring is in now place and the 626 is ready to go. Did you manage to fix everything up with those kids?"
"Oh yeah, Drew, you should've been there!" I replied. "It was incredible! Loraine actually stood up to DNAmy - I never knew she had it in her!"
"And the baby?"
"Now back with her parents. . ." But don't say I didn't warn you, I added under my breath.
"Good, then let's get this thing going!" he ordered, seizing hold of a mass of canvas and pulling it away fast to unveil the hidden 626, now with a metallic pole and connecting hook protruding from the rear. "That pole and hook are to act as your lightning rod - make sure they stay inserted into the flux capacitor at all times!
Now let's set your destination time." He pulled open the door and flicked on the time circuits. The trio of LCD screens flashed as before. "Okay, *this* is the exact time that you left," he said, pointing to the 'Time Departed' screen. "So we'll set this thing to take you back to the very same point in time - 12:51am on Saturday 7th June 2003! It'll be like you never left!"
He keyed the essential numbers into the relevant screen and then leapt back out into the middle of the road, now relocating his ever-pointing forefinger to the direction of the distant street ahead.
"I painted a white line on the street way over there. I think it managed to dry before it started raining. . .that's where you start this thing from! I've calculated the precise distance, taking into account the acceleration speed and wind resistance retroactive to when the bolt of lightning strikes." He fished an alarm clock out of his pocket, made a few adjustments to it and then placed in the vehicle's interior. "When this alarm goes off, that's exactly the point at which you've gotta start the car and go. Carry on driving in a straight line, increasing your speed all the while. If you field your side of the operation correctly, you should reach 90 and pass under the wire just at the instant that the lightning goes through it. . ." He paused. "Well, I guess that's everything."
I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks. . ."
"No, thank you, Shego!" he replied, streaming optimism from every pore.
I wished I could've felt the same way. But I was still having doubts. Not about the bolt of lightning and all that stuff. . .that was nerve-racking enough, but I knew I could handle it. I was having doubts about him. Still being there when I got back. I mean, even with my written warning, I felt so helpless in leaving everything up to him. There was still no way I could guarantee that. . .this wouldn't be the last time I'd ever see him again. I'd had to watch him be gunned down in 2003, and I could still remember it all so vividly . . . maybe I'd have to face up to the fact that, no matter how high or how low, there was still a chance that this would be my last chance to say goodbye. For good.
"Goodbye Drew," I stammered. Much to my surprise I found myself reaching out and throwing my arms around him, holding him close and digging my nails in tight.
"Shego. . .you're hurting me!" he protested. "In about fifteen years, maybe?"
"I hope so. . ."
"Don't worry! As long as you hit that wire with the connecting hook at precisely ninety miles per hour the instant the lightning strikes the tower . . . everything will be fine!"
Sighing, I scrambled into the vehicle, as the rain continued to pour down thick and fast and the wind beat relentlessly against us. I looked up at Drew, standing there, smiling, as he straightened up his coat, fishing casually into his pocket, then, frowning, producing an envelope that looked all too familiar. . .
I rolled my eyes shut. Not now. Not now of all times. . .
"Shego. . .what's this?"
I tried to play it cool. "Well, like it says, you're gonna have to wait until the year 2003 to find out."
"It's about the future isn't it? It's information about the future! How many times do I have to tell you, girl, I don't want to hear anything about it!" He suddenly turned and headed straight for the nearest trash can.
"No, Drew!" I leapt back out the car and bolted after him. "You have to read it!"
"NO! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND, FUTURE-GIRL? THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE DISASTEROUS!"
"WELL, THAT'S A RISK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE!" I screamed back at him. "YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!"
"NO! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY!" he cried, screwing the envelope up in the palm of his hand then hurling it down on the ground, where he proceeded to stamp on it several times.
"IN THAT CASE YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE BUT TO TELL YOU STRAIGHT OUT!"" I cried, barely able to hear myself above the rain and thunder. "ON THE NIGHT THAT I GO BACK IN TIME, YOU. . ."
My desperate outcry was suddenly interrupted by a falling tree, unable to take the force of the heavy winds any more, and suddenly deciding to uproot and keel over, crashing down upon the industrial wiring and taking half the circuit down with it. From the clock tower, the other half of the broken connection hung, limply, by the hour hand.
By this stage we were both panicking.
Drew raced over and surveyed the damage. "The circuit's been disconnected. . .we can still reconnect it in time it we act fast!" He bounded over to his spare appliances and seized a loose cord of rope. "Shego, you get the cable, and I'll run up there and throw down this rope!"
I watched him bolt into the clock tower, about half a minute later appearing up out there by the clock itself, looking somewhat out of breath, gazing down at me as I worked hard to untangle the spindly wiring from the fallen tree. As promised, he threw down one end of the rope, and as soon as I'd managed to free the infernal cable I set to work on wrapping the rope firmly around it, beavering away quicker than my fingers could bear. I didn't have time to think. I didn't have time to do anything other than stay focussed on my mission. But there was one thing I couldn't forget. One thing I still had to do, no matter what. . .
Phase One complete, and the rope firmly holding the loose cable, Drew began to haul it back up to where he was standing, forcing me to watch helplessly from below, still drenched in endless rain and trembling with constant hyperactive heartbeat. I was running out of time fast. In more ways than one.
"DREW!!!" I screamed up to him. "I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE!"
I could no longer hear him above the sounds of the storm, and, from the way he responded, I doubt very much that he could hear me either.
"I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE!" I shrieked, even more loudly. "YOU GOTTA LISTEN TO ME! ON THE NIGHT I GO BACK IN TIME, YOU. . ."
And then it happened. The clock struck ten o'clock. The deafening chime ran out deep into the night, piercing my ear drums with such cruelty that I dread to think what it must have been like for Drew, standing right next to it all. I looked up and saw him yelp, covering his ears and barely stopping himself from losing balance and tumbling off. He held on tight to the rope, pulling the wiring loose, then reaching over to seize the end of the cord that still hung around the other side of the clock. As he did, though, he gazed down at me.
"WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING THERE? YOU GOTTA GO!"
"NO!" I shrieked back. "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL I. . ."
"GO! GO NOW! LOOK AT THE TIME - YOU'VE GOT LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES LEFT!"
I was still reluctant, but I had no choice. Taking one last glance at Drew, I turned and ran, diving back into the 626 and driving in the direction he'd shown me, scanning the street desperately for that streak of clear white he'd claimed to have painted on the road. Finally, I found it, leaping back out into the open to inspect and ensure that it was the right one. The paint was beginning to drip and run a little, but there was no doubt as to where the genuine starting point of the white line lay. With a deep breath, I leapt back into the car and braced myself for the ride.
Only I couldn't. Not fully.
"Damn it, Drew! Why did you have to screw up my note like that? Don't you realise what you're doing to yourself?" I sighed, my stomach swelling with uneasiness. "Oh man, if only I had more time. . ." Then it hit me. "Hey, wait a minute - I'm in a time machine here - I have all the time in the world! I can just set this thing to take me back early and warn him! Right, ten minutes ought to do it!" With a few adjustments, I managed to reset my destination time to 12:41 am. "Okay - time circuits - on. Flux capacitor - fluxing. Engine running -alright!"
And then the engine just went dead. The revved up car fell to silence.
"No! Not again! Come on, I don't need this!"
I tried desperately to get it to start again. I slammed my foot down fast on the gas pedal, I turned the engine key with as much force as I could muster, I smacked my hands down hard against the vehicle interior - nothing worked. Nothing. To make things worse, in my moment of despair, Drew's alarm clock suddenly sprang to life with a grating alert that bit deep.
Oh cruel fate, how you mock me!
It went on mocking me, and I was helpless to it. Now I was really starting to panic. I remembered what Drew had told me - I had to get down there at the precise moment for this whole thing to even work. Otherwise, I'd be stuck here for good. I wouldn't get a second chance. This was my only chance. And it was failing me. I could have cried. Instead I banged my head down against the steering wheel in a heat of rage. And, at that, life suddenly returned to the car. The engine revved up, and we were back in business. All had cost me was one sore headache.
I couldn't waste any more time. Already that damned alarm clock had been ringing for too long. I slammed my foot down hard on the pedal, and the 626 shot down the street, my heartbeat going hyper all the while. Onwards I sped, the mileage increasing with every split second, the town centre looming nearer and nearer all the while. By the time I'd reached it, the entire world around me was little more than a sickly blur. For one harsh split second I considered the cruel possibility that Drew's attempts to reconnect the cables may have been unsuccessful, but, much to my relief, as I shot past the clock, gearing up to 90, I thought I caught sight of him standing there on the ground once more, waiting. The next thing I saw was the incredible flash of through the sky, and, as I neared the wiring, the night was pierced by the callous crackle of thunder, and the whole world went white.
And suddenly I heard more voices, screaming all around me. Screams of pure fear, as people before me barely dived out of my way in the nick of time, and I went crashing with the 626 directly into the side of an old boarded- up cinema. The decaying walls caused the car itself little damage, but began to crumble themselves and, reversing, I could hear more screams and shouts from behind, merging from terror into pure anger.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU FREAKING DRUNK DRIVER! YOU ALMOST HAD US KILLED!"
Looking back there were many people gathered there, all massed together in on great big rally. Many were sporting signs and banners between them; squinting my eyes to read one of the banners, I could make out the words, inked in bold black lettering, "Save Our Centre Clock!"
This definitely wasn't 1988. But 2003? When I put my mind to it, I could recall something about a protest rally being held on the night I'd left. Something about saving the stopped Middleton town centre clock, when it had been struck by lightning fifteen years ago. . .and I had been there. Yeah, it was all starting to come back to me now. This was it - the night I'd left on - 12:41am Saturday 7th June 2003! I'd made it! I'd made it back to the year 2003!
"Angry mobs of protestors!" I cried. "Yeah, this it alright! The world of 2003! It's so great! Everything looks great!" Thrilled as I was, I couldn't allow myself to forget that my mission was still incomplete. "Alright Drew, you didn't let me down, and I sure as hell won't let you down either!"
Swerving to avoid the fist-shaking masses, I swung back down a less crowded side street, revving up in the direction of the parking lot from which I'd left. . .when the reliable device fell dead yet again. The supply of power, both lightning surge and gasoline, had run completely dry.
"NO!" I cried. "Not again! Not now, please!"
And then, down the same street, I saw an all-too familiar vehicle spurt past me. Exactly the same one which had carried the Knights of Rodeghan. And they were heading in the same direction.
I slammed the steering wheel again, this time with my hand, but nothing worked. There was nothing else for it. I leapt out of the 626 and ran, bolting down the street and through the town, already exhausted out of my mind, just hoping that my infamous blistering speed would prove to be faster than that of two terrorist knights at the wheel of an RV. I scrambled over fences and park benches, hoping to catch up with their RV and overtake, put still I saw no sign of them.
Finally, I arrived at the raised grass verge above the parking lot, staggering and out of breath, just in time to see the Knights gun down Drakken yet again.
From a different angle of course.
Mind swamped with horror, I opened my mouth to scream, but someone beat me to it. That someone was of course myself - gazing down, I got the full view of myself as I had been a whole week ago (at least to me), standing there and shaking with shock, but still ready to bolt, clinging tight to my Club Banana jacket. I watched myself dodge the onslaught of bullets as they came on at me, and dive behind the cover of the 626 as it had been on that night.
"Drive!" the knight with the gun ordered his companion. "Don't let that girl get away!"
I saw that horrifying moment in which I ran out right in front of their vehicle's path, then freeze, and the frustrated knight suddenly crying out in fury.
"Rats! Out of ammunition! Hey, get your hands off the wheel and grab the spare!"
And that was the point at which the unwitting me seized her one chance, leapt into the 626 and drove. And boy, did she drive.
At this point, myself as I was, standing there watching, suddenly felt something at my feet. I glanced down. Commodore Puddles. He stood there, shaking and panting through his muzzle, having just scrambled up the verge, looking up at me and whining, somewhat desperate and confused. I'd never seen the savage little creature so terrified in his entire life. I gazed down at the point where Drakken's body lay. I looked up, and saw myself tearing around in lot in the 626, the Knights of Rodeghan in hot pursuit. Then, bending down I seized hold of the little dog and, clutching him close, skidded down the grassy verge and leapt upright into the mall. I watched with complete awe as the two vehicles skidded straight past me, as the 626 revved up faster and faster, merging into another feeble blur, and, in one brilliant flash of light and burst of flame, completely disappeared.
I heard the Knights scream as, dazed by the incredible display, they went crashing straight into a kiosk at the end of the parking lot, hitting it with great force and rendering themselves unconscious.
I'd just sent myself on an incredible journey back in time, without realising that I was already standing there and watching the whole thing.
I turned my attention to Drakken, racing up to his immobile body and falling to my knees.
"Drakken!" I cried, releasing Commodore Puddles from my grip and taking hold of him. I shook him drastically several times. "Come on, Drakken, please!" But nothing. As I pulled him over, I could see the perfect holes in his coat through which several bullets had passed, going down deep into his body. I had clearly been too late.
I was left with nothing better to do than break down and cry, burying my head in my arms and lying there on the rough tarmac. It just wasn't fair - I'd gone through everything, and yet still I'd failed to save his life. No matter how mean an unappreciative he had often been to me as an assistant, I was really gonna miss him. . . For a few moments, I could feel Commodore Puddles nosing me, as if he too could taste my pain. And then, he suddenly leapt up and growled. His characteristic growl; the one he usually gave to anyone who so much as looked at him. I looked up, in the direction he was growling, and, to my amazement, came face to face with Dr Drakken, sitting upright and looking somewhat blank.
"You're alive!" I cried. "But how. . ."
Looking pretty unsure himself, he tore open his lab coat to reveal something I'd never have suspected - a smart and stylish bullet-proof vest, with a multitude of shiny silver bullets, stopped dead in their tracks and hanging there firmly in the rugged material.
"A bullet-proof vest! But. . .how did you know? I. . .I never had a chance to tell you. . ."
He smiled, and reached into a pocket on the inside of his lab coat, to retrieve a small piece of paper, then held it out to me. Still puzzled, I took it. The paper had been folded up into four neat squares, but as I unfolded it, it revealed itself to be a pretty murky, stained and crumbled sheet of paper, with the letters inked upon it only just legible above the stains. Squinting down at those letters, I could make out the words, "Dear Drew Lipsky/Dr Drakken. On the night that I go back in time, you will be shot by terrorist knights. Please take whatever precautions are necessary to prevent this horrible tragedy from happening. Your friend, Shego."
"My note!" I exclaimed. "You read it! But. . . what about all that stuff that Drew Lipksy kept on telling me? All that talk about screwing up future events, and the temporal continuum?"
He grinned. "Yes, Shego, but you're forgetting - Drew Lipksy became Dr Drakken. And he figured, what the hell?"
***
And so Chapter 7 draws to an end. . .but the fanfic is far from over. I've got loads more chapters on the way. Here's a sneak peak at Chapter 8:
So, after her long struggle, Shego's finally made it back to the year 2003. But not everything about it is quite as she remembered. . .and if she thought that her time barrier-defying days would soon be behind her, then she was mistaken!
Actually, I'm really looking forward to writing the second phase of this story (the BTTF II spoof), as I've got some great ideas lined up for it. So far, while others have been referenced, Drakken, Shego, Commodore Puddles, the Knights of Rodeghan and DNAmy have been the only 'Kim Possible' villains to have appeared, but many more are set to feature in upcoming chapters, along with loads more movie references and parodies snuck in here there and everywhere.
Off the record, does anyone get the significance of Drew Lipsky owning a scruffy ginger cat called Oliver in the year 1988?
Here's to hoping that I'll write these chapters well and that you'll enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing. Which reminds me, please review this chapter having read it, and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading, and an extra big bonus thanks if you intend to review.
Greetings to you all, my dear faithful readers. Thanks for all the reviews so far, particularly for Chapter 6 - I'm starting to feel like I have fans round here! As promised, here is Chapter 7, a cool chapter for me to write, because it's based on one of my favourite scenes in the first BTTF film. Here goes:
***
"You!" Drew Lipsky yelped at me as I came bolting in his direction. "You have no concept of time!"
"Hey, cut me some slack here, Drew! I had to overcome the side-effects of acute chemical poisoning before I could even get down here!"
"Yeah, well you really don't have that much time left. Fortunately for you I was able to handle all the applications by myself. . . all the necessary wiring is in now place and the 626 is ready to go. Did you manage to fix everything up with those kids?"
"Oh yeah, Drew, you should've been there!" I replied. "It was incredible! Loraine actually stood up to DNAmy - I never knew she had it in her!"
"And the baby?"
"Now back with her parents. . ." But don't say I didn't warn you, I added under my breath.
"Good, then let's get this thing going!" he ordered, seizing hold of a mass of canvas and pulling it away fast to unveil the hidden 626, now with a metallic pole and connecting hook protruding from the rear. "That pole and hook are to act as your lightning rod - make sure they stay inserted into the flux capacitor at all times!
Now let's set your destination time." He pulled open the door and flicked on the time circuits. The trio of LCD screens flashed as before. "Okay, *this* is the exact time that you left," he said, pointing to the 'Time Departed' screen. "So we'll set this thing to take you back to the very same point in time - 12:51am on Saturday 7th June 2003! It'll be like you never left!"
He keyed the essential numbers into the relevant screen and then leapt back out into the middle of the road, now relocating his ever-pointing forefinger to the direction of the distant street ahead.
"I painted a white line on the street way over there. I think it managed to dry before it started raining. . .that's where you start this thing from! I've calculated the precise distance, taking into account the acceleration speed and wind resistance retroactive to when the bolt of lightning strikes." He fished an alarm clock out of his pocket, made a few adjustments to it and then placed in the vehicle's interior. "When this alarm goes off, that's exactly the point at which you've gotta start the car and go. Carry on driving in a straight line, increasing your speed all the while. If you field your side of the operation correctly, you should reach 90 and pass under the wire just at the instant that the lightning goes through it. . ." He paused. "Well, I guess that's everything."
I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks. . ."
"No, thank you, Shego!" he replied, streaming optimism from every pore.
I wished I could've felt the same way. But I was still having doubts. Not about the bolt of lightning and all that stuff. . .that was nerve-racking enough, but I knew I could handle it. I was having doubts about him. Still being there when I got back. I mean, even with my written warning, I felt so helpless in leaving everything up to him. There was still no way I could guarantee that. . .this wouldn't be the last time I'd ever see him again. I'd had to watch him be gunned down in 2003, and I could still remember it all so vividly . . . maybe I'd have to face up to the fact that, no matter how high or how low, there was still a chance that this would be my last chance to say goodbye. For good.
"Goodbye Drew," I stammered. Much to my surprise I found myself reaching out and throwing my arms around him, holding him close and digging my nails in tight.
"Shego. . .you're hurting me!" he protested. "In about fifteen years, maybe?"
"I hope so. . ."
"Don't worry! As long as you hit that wire with the connecting hook at precisely ninety miles per hour the instant the lightning strikes the tower . . . everything will be fine!"
Sighing, I scrambled into the vehicle, as the rain continued to pour down thick and fast and the wind beat relentlessly against us. I looked up at Drew, standing there, smiling, as he straightened up his coat, fishing casually into his pocket, then, frowning, producing an envelope that looked all too familiar. . .
I rolled my eyes shut. Not now. Not now of all times. . .
"Shego. . .what's this?"
I tried to play it cool. "Well, like it says, you're gonna have to wait until the year 2003 to find out."
"It's about the future isn't it? It's information about the future! How many times do I have to tell you, girl, I don't want to hear anything about it!" He suddenly turned and headed straight for the nearest trash can.
"No, Drew!" I leapt back out the car and bolted after him. "You have to read it!"
"NO! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND, FUTURE-GIRL? THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE DISASTEROUS!"
"WELL, THAT'S A RISK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE!" I screamed back at him. "YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!"
"NO! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY!" he cried, screwing the envelope up in the palm of his hand then hurling it down on the ground, where he proceeded to stamp on it several times.
"IN THAT CASE YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE BUT TO TELL YOU STRAIGHT OUT!"" I cried, barely able to hear myself above the rain and thunder. "ON THE NIGHT THAT I GO BACK IN TIME, YOU. . ."
My desperate outcry was suddenly interrupted by a falling tree, unable to take the force of the heavy winds any more, and suddenly deciding to uproot and keel over, crashing down upon the industrial wiring and taking half the circuit down with it. From the clock tower, the other half of the broken connection hung, limply, by the hour hand.
By this stage we were both panicking.
Drew raced over and surveyed the damage. "The circuit's been disconnected. . .we can still reconnect it in time it we act fast!" He bounded over to his spare appliances and seized a loose cord of rope. "Shego, you get the cable, and I'll run up there and throw down this rope!"
I watched him bolt into the clock tower, about half a minute later appearing up out there by the clock itself, looking somewhat out of breath, gazing down at me as I worked hard to untangle the spindly wiring from the fallen tree. As promised, he threw down one end of the rope, and as soon as I'd managed to free the infernal cable I set to work on wrapping the rope firmly around it, beavering away quicker than my fingers could bear. I didn't have time to think. I didn't have time to do anything other than stay focussed on my mission. But there was one thing I couldn't forget. One thing I still had to do, no matter what. . .
Phase One complete, and the rope firmly holding the loose cable, Drew began to haul it back up to where he was standing, forcing me to watch helplessly from below, still drenched in endless rain and trembling with constant hyperactive heartbeat. I was running out of time fast. In more ways than one.
"DREW!!!" I screamed up to him. "I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE!"
I could no longer hear him above the sounds of the storm, and, from the way he responded, I doubt very much that he could hear me either.
"I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE!" I shrieked, even more loudly. "YOU GOTTA LISTEN TO ME! ON THE NIGHT I GO BACK IN TIME, YOU. . ."
And then it happened. The clock struck ten o'clock. The deafening chime ran out deep into the night, piercing my ear drums with such cruelty that I dread to think what it must have been like for Drew, standing right next to it all. I looked up and saw him yelp, covering his ears and barely stopping himself from losing balance and tumbling off. He held on tight to the rope, pulling the wiring loose, then reaching over to seize the end of the cord that still hung around the other side of the clock. As he did, though, he gazed down at me.
"WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING THERE? YOU GOTTA GO!"
"NO!" I shrieked back. "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL I. . ."
"GO! GO NOW! LOOK AT THE TIME - YOU'VE GOT LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES LEFT!"
I was still reluctant, but I had no choice. Taking one last glance at Drew, I turned and ran, diving back into the 626 and driving in the direction he'd shown me, scanning the street desperately for that streak of clear white he'd claimed to have painted on the road. Finally, I found it, leaping back out into the open to inspect and ensure that it was the right one. The paint was beginning to drip and run a little, but there was no doubt as to where the genuine starting point of the white line lay. With a deep breath, I leapt back into the car and braced myself for the ride.
Only I couldn't. Not fully.
"Damn it, Drew! Why did you have to screw up my note like that? Don't you realise what you're doing to yourself?" I sighed, my stomach swelling with uneasiness. "Oh man, if only I had more time. . ." Then it hit me. "Hey, wait a minute - I'm in a time machine here - I have all the time in the world! I can just set this thing to take me back early and warn him! Right, ten minutes ought to do it!" With a few adjustments, I managed to reset my destination time to 12:41 am. "Okay - time circuits - on. Flux capacitor - fluxing. Engine running -alright!"
And then the engine just went dead. The revved up car fell to silence.
"No! Not again! Come on, I don't need this!"
I tried desperately to get it to start again. I slammed my foot down fast on the gas pedal, I turned the engine key with as much force as I could muster, I smacked my hands down hard against the vehicle interior - nothing worked. Nothing. To make things worse, in my moment of despair, Drew's alarm clock suddenly sprang to life with a grating alert that bit deep.
Oh cruel fate, how you mock me!
It went on mocking me, and I was helpless to it. Now I was really starting to panic. I remembered what Drew had told me - I had to get down there at the precise moment for this whole thing to even work. Otherwise, I'd be stuck here for good. I wouldn't get a second chance. This was my only chance. And it was failing me. I could have cried. Instead I banged my head down against the steering wheel in a heat of rage. And, at that, life suddenly returned to the car. The engine revved up, and we were back in business. All had cost me was one sore headache.
I couldn't waste any more time. Already that damned alarm clock had been ringing for too long. I slammed my foot down hard on the pedal, and the 626 shot down the street, my heartbeat going hyper all the while. Onwards I sped, the mileage increasing with every split second, the town centre looming nearer and nearer all the while. By the time I'd reached it, the entire world around me was little more than a sickly blur. For one harsh split second I considered the cruel possibility that Drew's attempts to reconnect the cables may have been unsuccessful, but, much to my relief, as I shot past the clock, gearing up to 90, I thought I caught sight of him standing there on the ground once more, waiting. The next thing I saw was the incredible flash of through the sky, and, as I neared the wiring, the night was pierced by the callous crackle of thunder, and the whole world went white.
And suddenly I heard more voices, screaming all around me. Screams of pure fear, as people before me barely dived out of my way in the nick of time, and I went crashing with the 626 directly into the side of an old boarded- up cinema. The decaying walls caused the car itself little damage, but began to crumble themselves and, reversing, I could hear more screams and shouts from behind, merging from terror into pure anger.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU FREAKING DRUNK DRIVER! YOU ALMOST HAD US KILLED!"
Looking back there were many people gathered there, all massed together in on great big rally. Many were sporting signs and banners between them; squinting my eyes to read one of the banners, I could make out the words, inked in bold black lettering, "Save Our Centre Clock!"
This definitely wasn't 1988. But 2003? When I put my mind to it, I could recall something about a protest rally being held on the night I'd left. Something about saving the stopped Middleton town centre clock, when it had been struck by lightning fifteen years ago. . .and I had been there. Yeah, it was all starting to come back to me now. This was it - the night I'd left on - 12:41am Saturday 7th June 2003! I'd made it! I'd made it back to the year 2003!
"Angry mobs of protestors!" I cried. "Yeah, this it alright! The world of 2003! It's so great! Everything looks great!" Thrilled as I was, I couldn't allow myself to forget that my mission was still incomplete. "Alright Drew, you didn't let me down, and I sure as hell won't let you down either!"
Swerving to avoid the fist-shaking masses, I swung back down a less crowded side street, revving up in the direction of the parking lot from which I'd left. . .when the reliable device fell dead yet again. The supply of power, both lightning surge and gasoline, had run completely dry.
"NO!" I cried. "Not again! Not now, please!"
And then, down the same street, I saw an all-too familiar vehicle spurt past me. Exactly the same one which had carried the Knights of Rodeghan. And they were heading in the same direction.
I slammed the steering wheel again, this time with my hand, but nothing worked. There was nothing else for it. I leapt out of the 626 and ran, bolting down the street and through the town, already exhausted out of my mind, just hoping that my infamous blistering speed would prove to be faster than that of two terrorist knights at the wheel of an RV. I scrambled over fences and park benches, hoping to catch up with their RV and overtake, put still I saw no sign of them.
Finally, I arrived at the raised grass verge above the parking lot, staggering and out of breath, just in time to see the Knights gun down Drakken yet again.
From a different angle of course.
Mind swamped with horror, I opened my mouth to scream, but someone beat me to it. That someone was of course myself - gazing down, I got the full view of myself as I had been a whole week ago (at least to me), standing there and shaking with shock, but still ready to bolt, clinging tight to my Club Banana jacket. I watched myself dodge the onslaught of bullets as they came on at me, and dive behind the cover of the 626 as it had been on that night.
"Drive!" the knight with the gun ordered his companion. "Don't let that girl get away!"
I saw that horrifying moment in which I ran out right in front of their vehicle's path, then freeze, and the frustrated knight suddenly crying out in fury.
"Rats! Out of ammunition! Hey, get your hands off the wheel and grab the spare!"
And that was the point at which the unwitting me seized her one chance, leapt into the 626 and drove. And boy, did she drive.
At this point, myself as I was, standing there watching, suddenly felt something at my feet. I glanced down. Commodore Puddles. He stood there, shaking and panting through his muzzle, having just scrambled up the verge, looking up at me and whining, somewhat desperate and confused. I'd never seen the savage little creature so terrified in his entire life. I gazed down at the point where Drakken's body lay. I looked up, and saw myself tearing around in lot in the 626, the Knights of Rodeghan in hot pursuit. Then, bending down I seized hold of the little dog and, clutching him close, skidded down the grassy verge and leapt upright into the mall. I watched with complete awe as the two vehicles skidded straight past me, as the 626 revved up faster and faster, merging into another feeble blur, and, in one brilliant flash of light and burst of flame, completely disappeared.
I heard the Knights scream as, dazed by the incredible display, they went crashing straight into a kiosk at the end of the parking lot, hitting it with great force and rendering themselves unconscious.
I'd just sent myself on an incredible journey back in time, without realising that I was already standing there and watching the whole thing.
I turned my attention to Drakken, racing up to his immobile body and falling to my knees.
"Drakken!" I cried, releasing Commodore Puddles from my grip and taking hold of him. I shook him drastically several times. "Come on, Drakken, please!" But nothing. As I pulled him over, I could see the perfect holes in his coat through which several bullets had passed, going down deep into his body. I had clearly been too late.
I was left with nothing better to do than break down and cry, burying my head in my arms and lying there on the rough tarmac. It just wasn't fair - I'd gone through everything, and yet still I'd failed to save his life. No matter how mean an unappreciative he had often been to me as an assistant, I was really gonna miss him. . . For a few moments, I could feel Commodore Puddles nosing me, as if he too could taste my pain. And then, he suddenly leapt up and growled. His characteristic growl; the one he usually gave to anyone who so much as looked at him. I looked up, in the direction he was growling, and, to my amazement, came face to face with Dr Drakken, sitting upright and looking somewhat blank.
"You're alive!" I cried. "But how. . ."
Looking pretty unsure himself, he tore open his lab coat to reveal something I'd never have suspected - a smart and stylish bullet-proof vest, with a multitude of shiny silver bullets, stopped dead in their tracks and hanging there firmly in the rugged material.
"A bullet-proof vest! But. . .how did you know? I. . .I never had a chance to tell you. . ."
He smiled, and reached into a pocket on the inside of his lab coat, to retrieve a small piece of paper, then held it out to me. Still puzzled, I took it. The paper had been folded up into four neat squares, but as I unfolded it, it revealed itself to be a pretty murky, stained and crumbled sheet of paper, with the letters inked upon it only just legible above the stains. Squinting down at those letters, I could make out the words, "Dear Drew Lipsky/Dr Drakken. On the night that I go back in time, you will be shot by terrorist knights. Please take whatever precautions are necessary to prevent this horrible tragedy from happening. Your friend, Shego."
"My note!" I exclaimed. "You read it! But. . . what about all that stuff that Drew Lipksy kept on telling me? All that talk about screwing up future events, and the temporal continuum?"
He grinned. "Yes, Shego, but you're forgetting - Drew Lipksy became Dr Drakken. And he figured, what the hell?"
***
And so Chapter 7 draws to an end. . .but the fanfic is far from over. I've got loads more chapters on the way. Here's a sneak peak at Chapter 8:
So, after her long struggle, Shego's finally made it back to the year 2003. But not everything about it is quite as she remembered. . .and if she thought that her time barrier-defying days would soon be behind her, then she was mistaken!
Actually, I'm really looking forward to writing the second phase of this story (the BTTF II spoof), as I've got some great ideas lined up for it. So far, while others have been referenced, Drakken, Shego, Commodore Puddles, the Knights of Rodeghan and DNAmy have been the only 'Kim Possible' villains to have appeared, but many more are set to feature in upcoming chapters, along with loads more movie references and parodies snuck in here there and everywhere.
Off the record, does anyone get the significance of Drew Lipsky owning a scruffy ginger cat called Oliver in the year 1988?
Here's to hoping that I'll write these chapters well and that you'll enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing. Which reminds me, please review this chapter having read it, and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading, and an extra big bonus thanks if you intend to review.