Author notes: Ok, that was evil leaving you guys hanging like that, so this will be a quick update. I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying the story so far. =3
End of Resistance
Chapter Seven
It was a blustery winter night; chilling all that it touched to the bone and over the sound of the city you could hear the wind sing songs of an approaching storm. But Kim didn't notice. She was warmed by the adrenalin in her veins and the blood that washed against her like a tide. Ron's head rested on Kim's shoulder, hands still bound behind him. One of her hands was on his back to steady him, the other applying pressure to the wound in his midsection. Why, she wasn't sure. It's not like anyone knew that they were up there…not like help was on the way. But it was in Kim's nature to fight, so she fought what seemed inevitable, just as her contracted chest fought for air, her mind for a thought.
And Ron fought. He knew he had to try to tell Kim how he felt, had to say it himself before it was too late. With great effort he parted quivering, paling lips but his voice betrayed him. His lungs just could not muster enough air for him to speak. Trying again Ron's chest denied his call, only to couch up blood from ruptured organs. His head slipped off her shoulder and she caught him, meeting his gaze with tear filled worry, terror. He couldn't make out what she was yelling, the sounds kind of garbled together. With a sigh he knew there'd be no way to tell her. Ron then reached a hand to her cheek and smiled. It was ok; in a way he knew she knew…that she could see it in his foggy eyes. And that was enough for him. Icy rain then began to fall like needles, but they only served to sooth Ron. He couldn't feel the pain any more, or Kim holding him. He couldn't hear her screaming his name. And Ron kept that grin, thinking of all the places to die, he was happy it was in her arms.
He can't hear you, so stop shaking him. It was a message from reality that Kim just denied.
"Damn it, Ron! Answer me!" Her words were lost to the sound of rain and the approaching chopper. Landing, Kim was soon surrounded by the sound of footsteps, snatching Ron from her arms.
"We're taking him to the hospital," one man explained. Kim didn't look up, she hadn't moved. Just breathing in the freezing rain. "Your parents are on their way." And he left leaving her utterly alone. Kim looked at her freezing shaking hands. Even the rain had done its part, stripping Ron from her. Not even his blood remained. Body and mind pushed to the brink she let darkness of her own take over, collapsing with a splash to the gravel-covered roof.
Kim sat up in a flash, welcomed by the alarm on her clock.
"Yo, KP. Bout time you woke up." She rubbed her eyes to see Ron sitting at the foot of her bed, eating a piece of toast.
"Ron, what are you doing in my room?"
"To wake you up. Are you trying to beat my snooze button record of 6 times, cuz you're awfully close."
"What are you talking abo-7: 45?!" She leaped from her bed and shoved Ron out before grabbing her outfit set out he night before. In a record of 3 minuets she rushed out and ran down stairs, grabbed her own toast and joined Ron in a mad dash for the school.
Soon it was lunch but for some reason there were hardly any other students around. Even Kim's table seemed pretty vacant with just her Monique and Ron.
"Where is everybody?" Kim finally asked.
"They're all dead. " Monique answered simply.
"What?"
"Yea. Shego and Enda went on a killing spree, no one stood a chance. There's not a single child of any age left in Middleton." Ron added.
"That's so not funny, Ron. Why would you even joke like that?"
"I'm not joking, KP. They're all gone." The seriousness in his voice chilled her. "See?" He lifted his shirt to reveal the long gash on his abdomen; Monique lowered her turtleneck to reveal a gash of her own. Nausea was an understatement on Kim's side. Phantoms of the rest of the student body repapered as if it was a normal day at Middleton High. Ron and Monique's wounds were minor compared to some of the others who were missing random body parts, some were missing skin. Others threw up and the floor pooled with blood. And just when Kim thought she was going to chuck, she felt Ron put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him and away from the sight. Her hands clutched at his shirt, her head buried into his chest, which didn't move at all.
"That whole thing on the roof wasn't a dream, was it? It really happened and you're really…" One of his hands soothed her by gently running up and down her back. "When I saw you when I woke up I-I thought…"
"Kim…" He pulled her upright and took her chin to stare into her eyes. "You remember what Enda said the point was?" Tears ran unchecked down Kim's face.
"To-to kill…"
"No, to crush your world and break up the team. You have to prove her wrong by being strong enough to fight. If you don't, then everyone will die. Look, just because I'm not there, doesn't mean I'm not here." He said gently placing a hand over Kim's heart. "You can't let me be the reason she wins. Everyone is counting on you." Kim wrapped her arms around his neck.
"But I'm so tired of being the one everyone depends on! I can't do this on my own, not without you! I've had you to back me up ever since preschool, I don't know how to live without you. You can't be gone. You can't…"
"You'll be just fine." Ron said finally. "You'll meet up with the love of your life and have 3 children, naming one after me. I've seen it, KP." She squeezed him harder.
"But Ron, you are the love of my life."
Kim opened her eyes to bright white and the smell of bleach. Painfully she sat up to find herself in a hospital bed, clutching her head, the memories returned and she hugged her knees. A nurse who happened by glanced in and called for Dr. Possible.
"Kimmie. I'm so happy you're awake." When Kim looked at her with a tear-streaked face Mrs. Possible took her daughter into her arms. "What happened to Ron isn't your fault, Kimmie-"
"Yes it was. If I had just-just done something. I've saved so many other people, why couldn't I save him?" Mrs. Possible grinned at this and leaned closer to Kim.
"Ron's not dead, dear." Kim jerked away from her mother.
"What?"
"The miracle workers down in the ER were able to stabilize him last night," Dr. Possible said with a smile, which soon faded. "But he's in a coma. As soon as you feel up to it, you're welcomed to-" Kim had already bounded to her feet.
"Where is he?"
It was true. There he lay, with a countless number of tubes and monitors but he was there, blood was still running through his veins. The steady beep of the monitor proved it. This time it was tears of happiness that came to Kim and pulling up a chair she took his hand.
"If anything happens I'll be sure to tell Wade so he can tell you no matter where you are. Till then I'll leave you two alone." Kim just nodded hearing her mother close the door.
"I'm so sorry, Ron, I-I should have been able to stop her, I never meant for you to get hurt like this. You're here fighting for your life because of me." She put her head down next to him and could feel his heat. If only Kim had listened to her intuition about Enda, if only she hadn't been so careless. She could hardly breath past the pain, the guilt. Enda was too powerful; Kim had no way to face her. But then her mind conjured up the warnings from her dream, the kids she knew, Ron's face…No. If Kim gave up now she might as well just end it all now herself. There was no way she could let Enda win. Ron hadn't given up. He fought for his life now. Kim sat up and whipped her face.
"If you can fight, then so can I."
It was around noon, but Kim had decided to stay at the hospital for just a bit longer. The food didn't seem all that appetizing and her body ached. Poking at the lasagna in front of her she sighed. Just how was she going to beat someone who seemed to know everything about her?
"Hey Kim, Dr. Possible said I'd find you down here."
"Wade?" Kim turned around to see him, in person, as he walked over and pulled up a chair at the table.
"I came to visit. Sorry it took so long for help to get there."
"You're the one who sent them?"
"Yea. I caught her telling you about her bomb and I did a scan to see if there were any explosives, but you had dropped the Kimmunicator before I could tell you it was a bluff. I'm sorry I let you down."
"No way, Wade. If anyone was a let down it was me."
"So what are you going to do?" Kim put her head in her hands.
"I have no idea. Everything I do Enda already knows."
"When you play chess your opponent usually starts out with the same 3 moves every time." Kim gave him a funny look. "What? I saw it on a movie. Anyways, you have to try to predict her and throw in plenty of surprises. Say she captured you, what's the first thing she'd do?" Kim thought for a moment, her mind returning to the hotel roof.
"She'd take away my gear."
"Then we'll just have to come up with some new stuff she doesn't know about. What else?"
"She would try to place me in another situation like last night, where I have no options. And then she'd try to make me doubt myself."
"See? That's not so bad." Wade stood. "I'm going to go and visit Ron now. Just try to figure out what Enda would do and we can prepare you so you can sidestep her strategies." Kim smiled at him.
"Wade, have I ever told you how much you rock?"
Jao: Yea. Kinda short. Sorry about that. Next chapter will finally have some action I know you guys are so hungry for. It's not really a Kim Possible fic without at least one fight scene, right? I predict End of Resistance to be around 9 or 10 chapters though. So who knows?