=All-Purpose Disclaimer=
Kim Possible is a registered concubine of the dark emperor Walt, first son of the Disney dynasty. I have secreted her and her sidekicks away on my underground freedom railroad (not to be confused with Harriet Tubman's underground freedom railroad, which actually accomplished something socially laudable). No money was harmed during the making of this fic.
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Kim Possible
The Power of Love
by Cyberwraith9
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Kim tugged uncomfortably at the collar of her GJ jumpsuit. The garment was a black, clingy affair that did wonders for her figure, but left a little to be desired in the way of comfort. Made of dull black fabric with cobalt trim, it felt too tight and very slick, so much so that she feared she would slip right out of her seat if the flight harness wasn't strapping her in. Though the suit breathed easily enough, her midsection still felt confined and stifling hot. It made her long for her old mission clothes.
Will must have sensed her discomfort from his seat next to her in the hoverjet's cockpit. "Is something wrong?" he asked, looking up from his controls long enough to glance at her with concern. He hardly had to raise his voice to be heard above the whisper quiet engines of GJ's finest vehicle.
"What? No, nothing." she assured him quickly, pulling her fingers from her collar. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus her thoughts on the mission ahead. A cold Siberian landscape roared below them, blurring at their near-Mach speeds. In just a few minutes, they would reach the old nuclear silo and Doctor Drakken. She couldn't afford to be distracted.
And yet, it was a lack of distractions that truly bothered her.
She would have given up almost anything to have her best friend sitting next to her right then. It would have made her feel a lot better about going up against Drakken to have Ron cracking wise right before the mission. 'Why does he need to steal a nuke anyway?' the Ron of her mind joked, 'You can get them off the local black market for, like, a pair of Club Banana jeans!'
"What's so funny?" Will's voice pierced Kim's daydreams, pulling her back into the jet's cockpit. She blushed, realizing that she must have laughed aloud.
"It's nothing." she said again, squelching a sigh.
The dark-haired agent nodded, seemingly satisfied as he checked his instrumentation. "ETA is in three minutes." He unhooked his harness, ducking beneath the straps as Kim did the same. "We'll jump to save time. Hopefully, we aren't too late to intercept…" he trailed off as the control's beeping insistence beckoned him back.
"Trouble?" Kim tensed, watching a new dot appear on the jet's scanners. It wasn't like Drakken to have air support, but one could never be sure what the scientist was going to pull next.
It took a moment's examination before Will shook his head. "Negative," he said with a touch of relief. "Just an old cargo jet."
"In the middle of nowhere?" Kim sounded dubious. "What's it doing out here?"
"I don't know," he said quickly, heading for the hold in back, "But we don't have time to ask. It's probably nobody."
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At the moment, that nobody was standing at the back of the enormous civilian cargo hauler, staring out at the gaping expanse of gnarled trees and snowy tundra that sprawled out beneath them. He wore olive cargo pants and a black, long-sleeved shirt, a uniform that had stuck with him for so many years he couldn't recall ever being without it. A black, visored helmet capped his messy blonde hair, keeping his chocolate brown eyes protected.
Swallowing his fear, Ron turned back to face the other end of the massive interior of the plane. Aside from the tiny cockpit situated at the top of a ladder, the plane was completely empty. At the moment, her commander stood at the front of the cargo section, gripping a safety railing to make sure the rushing air didn't suck him out.
"Thanks for the lift, Cap'n Roger!"
Roscoe "Jolly" Roger gave Ron a salute and a smile. "It was the least I could do for you, Ron," he called out with a hand cupped to his mouth. "After all, you got me and my partner those tickets to see Billy Neilson live!"
"Yeah, about that!" Ron called back, stumbling against the exhaling cargo bay so it didn't suck him out too soon, "Do those tickets cover the return trip, too?"
"That depends!" Roger called back, "Do you think you can get us better seats?"
Ron groaned. "I'll talk to my friend." he assured Roger, making a mental note to see if Wade could upgrade the tickets he had somehow scored in return for a ride. It was a cold, hard, bitter truth to face, but the facts were the facts; Ron was no Kim Possible. And as such, he didn't have an entire armada of favors to cash in on in return for globetrotting jaunts. Maybe after he helped Global Justice save the day, they'd at least allow him to ride along with Kim and Will on the missions.
"We're over the target!" Roger called, yanking Ron back into reality. "Good luck, Kid!"
Ron patted the pocket at his knee, feeling Rufus tap back in response. With one final salute to his pilot, he took a deep breath and flung himself out of the back of the plane.
The air outside of Captain Roger's clunky old C-1 surplus plane had a nasty bite to it, nipping at Ron's exposed skin as he plummeted thousands of feet towards the unforgiving ground. It had been a while since he had done a jump, almost enough time for him to forget how much he truly hated them. Whatever terror he couldn't recall, however, came rushing back to him as quickly as the tundra rushed at him now.
Stifling a scream, Ron willed his mouth to freeze shut (not very difficult in minus ten degree weather). He called an image of Kim into his mind, holding on to it lest he lose his nerve. 'You're doing this for her,' he reminded himself. Only a week ago, he had promised Kim that he would always be there for her. He wasn't about to cop out on that now, when things looked a little rough.
The mental countdown in his mind reached zero. Closing his eyes, he reached up to his shoulder and yanked the rip cord. The parachute deployed immediately, yanking him upwards with bone-jarring force. Rufus, sensing the sudden jerk, poked his head out and looked down at a landscape that was far less dizzying.
Ron cracked his eye open, pleased to find that he wasn't dead, nor was he going to die in the immediate future. "Hey, how about that?" he looked down at Rufus with a grin. "First solo drop! Not bad, huh?"
His jubilation ended quickly when the tree branch caught him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he landed gracelessly at the edge of a clearing…or rather, about fifty feet above it. He could see the missile silo no more than a mile (two klicks in local terms) from his position before the parachute drifted gently over him, blacking everything out. The material spread out across the branches of his tree, forming a cute, irritating tent high above the ground.
He looked down to where he presumed Rufus was. It was impossible to be sure under the white silk of his chute. "Of course," he said, "Landing is another thing entirely."
"Yup." Rufus agreed readily.
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Corridor after corridor greeted Kim's frustrated eyes as she let Will lead the way through the complex. They had landed the hoverjet a short distance away, not quite daring to set it down in the middle of the silo. The bitter cold still clung to her clothes inside of the chilly base, so bad that Kim could see the warmth leaving her with each breath.
"How far until we actually get to the 'missiles' in this missile silo?" she asked irritably, sticking close to the walls as he did.
"Not far." he tossed over his shoulder, checking a map in his tiny watch screen every so often. "Just a few more meters."
"Ugh. Metrics." Kim rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to have to-"
Will shushed her quickly, tilting his head. "Wait." he whispered, cupping a hand to his ear. "Do you hear something?"
Waiting in perfect silence with held breath, Kim could hear something as well. There was a pounding of metal and a small, erratic cry echoing from somewhere above them. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. A quick look up revealed a small ventilation cover on the wall above them. She exchanged glances with Will, who nodded in silent agreement. Together, they waited with tensed muscles and curled fists as the sounds became louder.
Just as the pounding scream grew to almost painful levels, the ventilation shaft burst open and a large, dark blob flew out, slamming into the other wall and dropping to the ground. Kim caught a flash of yellow as the blur flew by, as well as a small streak of pink.
"Ron?"
Ron groaned, shaking the stars from his vision as he hauled himself to his feet. He felt something wiggling on his chest and looked down, a little chagrined to see a large pink blob with an angry expression in the middle. "Heh. Sorry Rufus…" He peeled the naked mole blob from his chest, cradling his buddy as the rodent slowly regained his shape. "Hey KP. Will."
Before Kim could even get a word in edgewise, Will was pushing past her and jabbing a finger in Ron's face. "What do you think you're doing here?" he demanded. "I will not allow you to participate or interfere with a GJ sanctioned mission!"
"Whoa, whoa, buddy!" Ron gently pushed Will's finger out of his face, keeping a smug smile on his own. "I'm just a lowly, ordinary civilian taking a vacation to beautiful, scenic Siberia." He tossed a grin over Will's shoulder at Kim, adding a wink into the mix.
Kim couldn't help but grin back, though she was thankful that Will couldn't see her at the moment. Then she cleared her throat, trying to return order to the situation. "Look," she placed a hand on Will's shoulder, "He's here, and he's experienced. Let's save the arguing for later."
The dangerous twitch in Will's eye made it clear that he didn't agree, but there would be a better time to argue the point. He glared at Ron and spoke with a low rumble. "I'm putting this in my mission report." he warned the civilian.
Ron chuckled as Will turned his back to them and stalked down the corridor. "What're you going to do," he taunted back, "Fire me?" But when Kim nearly yanked him off of his feet, falling into step behind her new partner. "Hey!"
Kim was surprised at the feeling of mild irritation that was growing inside of her at the moment. It was true, she was really glad to see Ron, and she felt better already that he was here. But part of her was annoyed that he had done this behind her back, without so much as a hint. "Two things," she said without looking at him. "One; I'm ticked at you for not talking to me about this before you decided to follow me halfway around the globe."
"Hi to you too." Ron said sardonically.
"And two…" she stopped for a minute, turning around so that Ron could see the beaming smile on her face as she wrapped him in a brief hug. "I'm really glad to see you."
"Excuse me," Will's voice called from down the hall, "But could we please get on with this?" It was impossible to miss the exasperation in his voice.
"I think that stick just got shoved up a little farther…" Ron quipped. Kim shot him another irritated glance, but he could see the ghost of a smile on her lips as they turned back to follow will deeper into the old Russian complex.
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The actual rocket silo was comparable to Middleton's Space Center, at least to Kim's eyes. There was a central control platform, filled with all manner of consoles and computers (old ones, too. Who knew computers once used flywheels?). And standing proudly behind the platform was the pride of the now-defunct Soviet military; a gleaming, black-and-white checkered rocket containing a powerful nuclear warhead. Just the thought of Drakken having such power made Kim's blood run cold.
And speaking of the devil…
"Shego," Drakken called from one of the consoles, trying desperately to figure out what any of it meant (it was all in Russian, of course), "Have you secured the prisoners?"
The pale, emerald-clad subordinate exited through one of the portals on the left, dusting off her hands. "Yeah, yeah," she said dismissively, "They're all tied up below."
"Excellent," he crowed. His smile soon turned into a frown as he began pressing random buttons on the computer before him, growing more frustrated with each futile command he entered. "Why didn't I bring that Russian-to-English dictionary?" he admonished himself, slamming a fist on the console.
Nearby, a trio of teens and their hairless mammalian comrade watched the activity on the platform in silence. It had been several minutes since they had found Drakken and Shego, and were still assessing the situation.
"We should go now!" Will hissed insistently. He tensed, ready to spring forward, but Ron's hand snared his shoulder. He looked back at the blonde's shaking head with a scowl. "What?"
"You can't just go!" Ron scoffed. "You have to wait until they give you an opening."
"What?"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Rookie. Just watch."
In the meantime, Drakken had escalated his frustration to a full-out hissy fit. "Why can't I get the locking clamps to release! You'd think that Russian wouldn't be all that difficult to read…"
Kim sprang forward, rolling against the cold metal plating and coming up into a perfect fighting stance. "Maybe you should have fit some language credits in your curriculum, 'Doctor' Drakken."
"KIM POSSIBLE?!" Drakken roared, leaping to his feet.
Ron looked smugly at Will. "See?"
"Let's just go." Will grunted, rushing forward. Ron exchanged helpless shrugs with Rufus, then scrambled to catch up, carrying his partner on his shoulder.
"Give it up, Drakken." Kim said with hands on hips as Ron and Will took up positions at her side. "It's not like we're going to let you get away with a nuke."
"Yeah," Ron quipped, "We're Earth-friendly heroes!"
Will's words were a bit less impromptu. "Doctor Drakken," he pulled himself up, puffing his chest out, "On the authority of the Global Justice Network, you are hereby ordered to stand down and surrender yourself into custody."
"You're outnumbered." Kim smirked. "Make it easy on all of us for a change, huh?"
"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Drakken sneered. He talked a good game, but his slow, quiet steps took him behind Shego as he continued to taunt the heroes. "But the easy road is far less rewarding. Shego, ATTACK!"
"Well duh!" Shego snarled, rushing forward. Her Power Gloves left twin scorch marks on the floor as she flipped straight for Kim, just narrowly missing the teen's face with a furious crane kick. Kim ducked beneath the blow, beginning a deadly dance that she and Shego knew all too well.
Will allowed himself to watch the fight for a moment, impressed beyond words with Kim's martial prowess. Then he looked at the third wheel of the party. "We can get Drakken while Kim disarms Shego."
Ron was about to answer when a small white orb streaked from one of the darkened doorways, bouncing to a halt in perfect position between the two boys. Will frowned, feeling a sense of familiarity accompany the tiny, dimpled ball. He didn't have much time to examine it, though, as Ron shoved him to one side, diving on top of the agent just in time to shield Will from harm as the ball exploded with a terrific bang.
Drakken was furious at the near miss. "You blew it, Scotsman!"
"Ach," a gruff voice bellowed from the darkened doorway, "It's no' my fault! The lads moved a little too quickly on tha' one." A short, squat shape emerged from the darkness, revealing Duff Killigan wielding his favorite three iron. "Jus' wait a tic, I'll get 'em."
"Duff Killigan!" Ron said darkly from atop Will, glaring at their longtime nemesis. "He's teamed up with Drakken!"
Will seemed less than impressed at the observation. "If you're through stating the obvious, perhaps you'd like to get off of me…"
Ron looked down at the irritated agent, laughing at the uncomfortable closeness between them. "Oh. Heh…Sorry." He rolled off of Will, and the two boys rose to their feet in time to see a strange black streak moving quickly in their direction across the floor. Before Ron had even regained his balance, he was knocked over again by a large, heavy, hairy, smelly weight that somehow pinned his arms and legs all at once.
"Surprise, Stoppable!" Monkey Fist snarled, leaning down into Ron's face.
After an initial scream at the scent of monkey, Ron managed to regain control of his senses. "Monkey Fist too? What is this, a heist or a convention?"
Will missed Ron's witty rejoinder as he dashed after Killigan, who was already lining up another shot. "Handle Fist!" he called back. "I'll take Killigan!"
"Sure," Ron eyed the vicious fangs peeking from Monkey Fist's twisted lips with a cringe. "No problem." He twisted his arms and legs all at once, breaking the genetic freak's four-handed hold on his limbs as he slid out from underneath. By the time Monkey Fist was on his feet again, Ron was waiting for him with raised fists and narrowed eyes. "Care to try that one again?"
"You're no match for my monkey might, Stoppable." Monkey Fist growled, flexing his fingers and toes as he squared off against the sidekick. "You may have picked up a few moves here and there, but I remain the 'true' Monkey Master!"
"You can have the job," Ron told him, circling around with his foe, waiting for an opportunity, "I'm just here to kick your butt, that's all."
In the meantime, Kim and Shego's fight had escalated, with Kim coming out on top. The heroine scored a kick right across Shego's ribs, knocking her back into one of the consoles. "You must be getting old," Kim taunted as she rushed in, fist raised for a running punch. "It usually takes more to tire you out!"
"I had to subdue an entire base full of Russian soldiers!" Shego snapped, ducking under Kim's punch and shoving her back. Lucky for Kim, her gloves had been unlit at the moment, or her midriff (still mercilessly covered by her uniform) would have had Shego's palms burned right into her flesh. "That can take a lot out of anyone, Kimmie!"
"You're right," Kim mocked, rolling back with the push and coming up in a crouch. "You should have a seat."
Before Shego could regroup, Kim's leg swept out and knocked the villain square on her bottom. Shego went down in a heap of green and black, cursing as she made it back onto her hands and knees. A dark shadow fell across the floor as Kim loomed in front of her, almost daring Shego to get up.
Kim was just about to lay into Shego with another quick punch/witty retort combo when another shadow fell over her in turn. She caught the gleam in Shego's eye, and rolled to the side a split second before an enormous, flaming sword came crashing down, splitting the floor where her feet had been.
She came up with arms raised, finding a trio of red terrors in front of her unlike anything she had ever seen before. There, pulling his sword from the floor, was a leviathan of a man in tricked-out techno armor, medieval style. A full helm masked his face, leaving it featureless, save for a pair of glaring optic sensors set in the front. Worse still, there were two men behind him similarly equipped, complete with massive swords of fire.
Trying to remain calm, Kim said, "And you are?"
"Long." The man that had attacked her raised his fiery sword in a salute before taking it by the hilt with both hands to bear down on her once more. "Senior Executive Officer for Roddigan Industries. I don't believe we've met before."
"Charmed, I'm sure." she said dryly as her eyes disseminated the armor. She didn't see any weaknesses apparent, at least not with the meager equipment they had brought with them. Her own aversions aside, she realized that some kind of gun would have come in really handy. "Working for Drakken?"
Long swung his sword at her, catching a few strands of her hair as she ducked beneath the blade of fire. "With, actually." he replied calmly.
Kim could hear shuffling feet behind her, as well as another set of flames being activated; No doubt it was Shego and her Power Gloves coming up from the rear. The sinking sensation in her stomach tripled as she watched Long's associates spread out, effectively boxing her in. "Super." Kim muttered, blowing locks of her singed hair out of her face.
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It had been a long, dangerous run, but Will had finally managed to get close to Killigan without getting blown up (and not for lack of trying on the golfer's behalf). He watched Killigan drop a handful of golf balls onto the floor even as he moved in for the kill.
Killigan noticed the boy's proximity, and figured out at the same time as Will that he wouldn't have enough time to get another shot off. Instead, he grabbed another club from his bag and began swinging them around. Will screeched to a halt at the doubly-armed arms dealer, switching tactics. "I warn you," Will said, steeling his hands and his nerves, "I'm an expert in over nineteen different martial arts."
"I don' know about that, laddie." Killigan retorted with a mad gleam in his eye, "But I can swing a mean club!" He took a couple swipes at Will to prove his point, nearly taking the young agent's head clean off his shoulders. "Let's see if I can shave a few points off yer score, eh?" he laughed.
Will ducked, diving for Killigan's own bag of wares and pulled the first two clubs he could get his hands on. "How about we not?" Will smiled, waving Duff's own putter beneath his nose before blocking another strike from his assailant.
"Ach, is tha' the best y'can do?" Killigan moaned. "You should take lessons in banter from the wee lassie. At least she can carry off a proper retort!"
Unfortunately for the golfer, Will was hardly interested in conversation. He caught Killigan's heel with the head of a driver, knocking the man to the floor. Before Killigan could rise, Will had the putter at his throat. "I'll say it again, for your benefit." Will said calmly. "Surrender, or-"
Pain exploded at the base of his skull, and a gaggle of stars flooded his vision before he could finish arresting Killigan. He dropped to his knees, drifting into blissful unconsciousness as the golfer's maniacal laughter filled his ears.
Killigan stood up and brushed himself off, grinning at the young man who stood behind Will's now-still form. Dressed in designer clothes and wielding a bent metal shaft, Señor Senior Junior returned the golfer's grin. "I did all right, yes?" he asked smugly.
"Bang-up job, lad." Killigan slapped him on the shoulder. "But what did yeh use to…" he trailed off, spying the metal rod up close. "ACH! Is that me NINE IRON?"
"I got it from your bag of tricks." Junior shrugged, tossing the ruined club aside. "Will that be a problem?" he asked, watching Killigan spit and fume.
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Ron blocked paw after hairy paw, watching Monkey Fist's ire grow with each miss. "Wha'sa matter, Monkey Face? Don't like the new Ron?"
"On the contrary," Fist snarled, trying unsuccessfully to sweep Ron's legs out from underneath him. "I didn't believe Drakken when he said you had become a 'real' threat. Now I'm rather looking forward to breaking you!"
He watched the villain dive for his feet, and leapfrogged over his hairy back to avoid the shot. "Keep dreamin', bud." For Ron, this sort of exercise was nothing new to him; Sensei had provided him with plenty of challenges that were much harder than this.
But something still didn't sit right. 'Sometimes the path to victory is not the one laid out before you,' the wise old man's voice rang in his ears. 'Rather, you must constantly search for the right path, and not grow complacent on one.'
'Now what did he mean by that?' Ron wondered silently as he side-stepped another of Monkey Fist's bull-rushes. As he turned, he suddenly caught sight of his best friend in a full-out melee with four other baddies. 'Oh man,' he screamed mentally, 'I forgot about Kim!'
"Hold on, KP!" he cried, rushing forward. He had come to about halfway between them when Junior stepped out of the woodwork, lunging in front of Ron and blocking him from his friend. "Junior?!?"
"Have you not heard?" Junior grinned, kicking at Ron's head. The sidekick narrowly dodged the shot, and had to keep on the move as Monkey Fist struck at his back. "We have formed a fantastic team of villainy!"
Kim heard Ron call out to her, but she was too busy to see if he needed help. She had her hands full trying to avoid the foursome out for her blood at the moment, and it was proving increasingly difficult. Every time she managed to avoid one, the other three would close in, reducing her breathing space little by little. If she didn't think of something quick, she was going to be trapped in no time.
A flash of green above her warned Kim just in time to catch Shego by the wrists, holding the woman's glowing gloves just above her head. Shego, caught behind Kim and unable to break the teen's grip, pressed down as hard as she could. Gravity was on her side, and the gloves lowered towards the heroine slowly but surely.
Fear grabbed hold of Kim as she saw the three Knights close in on her from the front, even as Shego's burning plasma began nipping at her scalp. "You can't win, Kimmie!" Shego taunted right in her ear, "There's too many of us, and you don't even have a weapon."
"Then permit me to borrow yours!"
Kim grunted, suddenly re-directing her force and weight forward as Long raised his sword to strike. Shego hadn't been expecting the sudden shift, and was powerless to stop Kim as she used Shego's Power Gloves to block Long's fiery blade. "Ow-ow-ow-hot-hot-hot-hot!" Shego screamed as she inadvertently caught hold of the sword, pitting plasma against plasma as the two forces struggled for supremacy.
Spying an opportunity to gain the advantage, Kim lashed out with her foot, knocking Long's flaming sword from his hand and high into the air. She pushed forward further, slamming Shego's lit gloves into Long's armored chest. The explosive blast of green plasma knocked the large, metallic man backwards into his allies. Having finished with them, Kim brought her foot up and drove it straight back into Shego's ribcage, slamming the villainess to the floor.
"Now," Kim sighed, brushing back her hair. She struck a hand out nonchalantly, not even bothering to look as the hilt of Long's sword fell into her waiting grip. "Shall we try that again?"
Long grimaced beneath his helm, stepping back as he allowed Falchion and Claymore to press a new attack. However, with an equal weapon, Kim proved that she was more than a match for the expert swordsmanship of the Knights of Roddigan. The tables were quickly turned on the two businessmen-turned-warriors as she drove them back, hoping to finish them quickly before Shego recovered. With just a few swipes, she had split their swords in twain at the hilt, deactivating their devastating power and rendering them uselessly unlit.
Kim watched the two warriors exchange glances, then take off running, their armored feet clanking against the cold floor as they hotfooted it down one of the darkened tunnels. She turned, raising an eyebrow at Long. The leader of the three merely bowed at the waist, then beat a hasty retreat himself.
Ron caught sight of Kim's recent victory from the corner of his eye, but he had bigger problems on hand with Junior going toe-to-toe with him, and Monkey Fist working his kidneys. He managed to keep ahead of most of their blows, but the ones they did manage to land were starting to slow him down.
"What is the matter, Ron Stoppable?" Junior asked smugly, catching Ron across the jaw with a painful right-cross. "Are you not impressed that I have been keeping up with my practices? Father says my villainous ways have-"
A snarl of frustration escaped Ron's gritted teeth as he caught Junior's next attack, applying a crushing grip to the pompous rich boy's wrist that cut him off with a squeak. "Do you mind?" Ron asked angrily, sliding in along Junior's arm until his shoulder was pressed into the larger man's chest, "My arch foe and I are trying to have a grudge match here!" Working purely from memory and hours of practice back at Yamanouchi, his fingers danced across several points of Junior's torso, jabbing and twisting with exact pressure.
Junior tore away from his grasp, startled and confused. "What are you…" He trailed off as Ron's magic suddenly took effect; Every muscle in his body froze, cramping so painfully that even the thought of movement made it hurt that much worse. With a weak cry, the villainous son toppled to the ground, frozen in an awkward position of shock.
There was no time for self-congratulations as Monkey Fist smacked Ron in the back of the head with a hairy fist. "He was only slowing me down anyway," the genetic freak sneered as Ron reeled back.
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Will awoke in a haze of pain and confusion, blinking away the spots that swam in his blurry vision. The world was tilted on its ear as he lay against the frigid metal deck, and with a few tries he found that he was somehow immobilized at the ankles and wrists, which were shoved painfully behind his back.
"So, lad," Killigan's voice shot smugly from somewhere above him, "How about we play a little game o' Sudden Death?"
Will tried to respond, but much to his surprise, a large wad of cotton cloth stuffed in his mouth prevented him from telling the golfer exactly where he should go, and where he could stick his little game (hint; the first's a biblical reference, and the second's a local of the human anatomy!). Instead, he simply rolled over and glared at the hairy lunatic, trying desperately not to get a good look up his kilt.
"Wha? No' to your liking, Mr. Du?" Killigan laughed, tapping his driver next to Will's head. He pulled a small golf ball from his pocket with a digital readout on the side, depressing a small section with his thumb. A set of numbers began counting down on the tiny screen as he leaned down, setting the ball on top of the gag stuffed in Will's mouth. "Well, I hope yeh don' mind if I tee off anyhow."
He swung the driver back as Will prepared to say farewell to his features, when a sharp cry of rage from Shego gave Killigan pause. Looking up from his shot, he saw that most of the forces Drakken had hauled with them had been whittled down, leaving only that depraved monkey and the pasty wench to deal with the other brats while Drakken himself agonized over the missile's controls.
"If you'll excuse me, lad." he said to Will, patting his cheek with the head of his driver, "I think I'm needed elsewhere." Raising a Scottish battle cry to his lips, Killigan raised his golf club high into the air and went charging straight for the other battle.
Left to his own devices, Will wasted a whole second to simply sweat nervously as he watched the numbers on the ball climb down towards zero. Immediately, he twisted his head to the side, sending the golf ball tottering in one direction, and then started rolling like mad in the other. He hadn't gotten a really clear look, but he knew just what Killigan's golf balls were capable of, and there weren't all that many numbers left for the little orb to roll through. He prayed there would be just enough as he continued flipping clumsily.
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Kim ducked beneath another of Shego's plasma swipes, having long since abandoned Long's ungainly sword in favor of her own agility. The recovered sidekick's heart was in it, but her body had taken quite a blow from Kim's reverse kick, and her hands still burned. The teen heroine had hoped to put Shego down soon enough to catch up with Drakken before the scientist did anything 'really' stupid. But all of those thoughts disappeared at the first sight of a glinting steel shaft being swung at her, wielded by none other than the world's most infamous golfer.
She didn't know where Will had gone to ('wasn't he supposed to handle Killigan?' she thought to herself), but she didn't particularly care at the moment. "Ron!" she cried.
"Kinda busy!" Ron shouted back, struggling against Monkey Fist's iron grip that was reaching for his throat.
"You need to stop Drakken!" She dodged Killigan's driver, only to walk right into Shego's foot. Even rolling with the blow, it made her ribs creak something fierce.
Ron grunted, jabbing his thumb into Monkey Fist's eye. Enraged, the half-blinded ape man grabbed at his face with one hand, leaving the other clamped down on Ron's throat. "What's so dangerous about Drakken?" Ron croaked.
"Nuclear *oof* Missile," she managed to retort as Killigan punched her in the small of the back.
"Oh, riiiight." Ron cast his eyes sideways, catching sight of the towering rocket that could destroy the entire complex in the blink of an eye. He tugged at Monkey Fist's hand to no avail, even as the ninja assassin's freakish feet began wrapping around his ankles.
"Bet you wish you had an extra set of hands, don't you?" Monkey Fist taunted, hanging off of Ron as he choked the life out of him.
A tiny smirk appeared on Ron's face as he felt a stirring in his pocket. "Actually," he grunted, "I do."
Monkey Fist was just about to ask what the sidekick meant when he felt a sharp pain in his calf. "Yeow!" he screamed, immediately releasing Ron from his unbreakable grip. Furiously, he looked down, tugging on his baggy gi, and found a tiny pink blob clinging to his pant leg. "You miserable little rodent!"
Rufus waved, then scampered up the back of Fist's uniform as a pair of hairy paws snapped at his tail. "Ho-ho!" He paused at the simian's backside, planting his razor-sharp teeth into the soft posterior. Rufus was rewarded with another shriek of pain and another attempted grab, which the mole rat expertly avoided.
Satisfied that Rufus had everything under control, Ron shifted his attention back on Drakken, who was still poking uselessly at his console to no avail; he had yet to release the missile's docking clamps or open the roof hatch looming above them. "What's up, Doc?" he called as he sprinted towards the blue baddie.
Drakken looked around desperately, searching for someone, anyone, who could ward off the sidekick long enough for him to release the prize. Unfortunately, all of 'his' sidekicks were indisposed at the moment, leaving him helpless and alone. It seemed as though his plan was shot down the tubes…
And then, as luck would have it…
At that exact moment, the golf ball Killigan had left for Will decided to put on its grand finale, detonating in a ball of conflagration and tiny white shrapnel. Will hadn't quite made it far enough from the ball, and was thrown violently into the air. He landed in a heap, skidding across the floor-
-and right in front of Ron. Though his reflexes were far better than they had been before, even he couldn't react fast enough. His boot caught right in Will's ribs, causing the agent to violently exhale his gag as the hapless sidekick was sent flying. Despite Drakken's pleading moans and warding hands, he tumbled right through the scientist, bowling him over and cracking his head against the console's keyboard.
Lady Luck, deciding that Ron had caught enough breaks for the moment, threw a wrench into the works; Lights all over the complex immediately began flashing, and a loud metallic clank eminated from far below the platform, near the guidance fins of the massive, ancient weapon. A soft, feminine voice echoed throughout the building, speaking in a calm Russian dialect that echoed hauntingly across the cavernous chamber.
"Wazzat?" Ron muttered dizzily, pulling his head from the keyboard. Tiny, reversed Russian letters dotted his face, intermixed with his freckles. "The cafeteria's daily special?"
Will crawled pathetically towards the console, worming his way on his belly without the use of his arms or legs. "You IDIOT!" he cried, the only one to understand the situation (being the only one in the room that spoke Russian, among other languages). "That's the complex's self-destruct signal. You've activated the missiles!"
Everyone, including Kim and her attackers, stopped at the sound of rusted metal scraping against metal as the gigantic shutters situated above the towering nuke slowly opened, revealing a gray, overcast sky above. "So that's not the soup of the day?" Ron asked meekly.
Kim shielded her eyes from the flashing lights that warned of their eminent destruction. "RON!" she cried with exasperation.
"Oh, come on!" Ron said pleadingly. He threw an arm around Drakken's shoulder, who had just now managed to pick himself up. "It's not like Doctor D here will let the thing he came to steal blow up."
"Actually, this silo houses several nukes, with multiple launch pads." Drakken informed him.
Ron digested the information calmly, rubbing his chin and nodding. "Uh…huh. Okay, new plan." He burst out in a full sprint, screaming and running for Will like a madman. "Fix-it-fix-it-fix-it-fix-it-fix-it!" he cried over and over, tugging at Will's bonds.
The instant his shackles were torn away, Will shoved Ron aside and made for the console. "We have only moments to deactivate it," he muttered, examining the controls as Drakken slipped away, whistling nonchalantly.
"Great." Ron said, then frowned. "What happens if we don't?"
"This entire region will be reduced to an expanding ball of free-floating molecules and deadly radiation."
"Oh." Ron stared down at the incomprehensible gibberish that scrolled by as Will pounded on the keyboard. "So, no pressure, right?"
"Would you kindly shut up?"
"Right." Ron drew his fingers across his lips, "Sure thing."
Kim dashed over as Will worked his magic on the keyboard, typing furiously. Sweat dripped from the teen's brow as he entered command after command. In the background, the soft feminine voice droned on and the lights continued to flash red and yellow, warning anyone who dwelt in here that there was no time to flee, and that they should make peace with whatever deity they paid tribute to. "Can you stop it?"
"Almost…" Will grunted, biting his lower lip as he entered the last command. "Almost…" With a tiny, ironic ding, the voice and lights ceased their warnings, returning the complex to its usual state of operations. "There!"
The three of them breathed a collective sigh in relief, sagging visibly. "Glad that's over." Ron said cheerfully. "I hear radiation is murder on your complexion."
Kim sighed once more as she saw Will ready his bellowing voice, presumably to chew Ron out, when a thought occurred to her. "Um, guys? Where did the bad guys go?"
A sudden, mad cackling drew their eyes upward. There, beyond the open shutters in the Siberian sky, floated a small, sinister blue-and-black craft. The hovering vehicle already had several tendrils snaking down through the opening, hooked onto the massive nuclear missile.
Drakken, Shego, Monkey Fist and Killigan all clung to individual strands of the metallic cords, looking down at their teenage adversaries as the airship hauled upwards. Monkey Fist held a small pink blob in his hand, which he disdainfully tossed down into Ron's quick hands.
"Thanks for saving us, Kim Possible!" Drakken called out, waving to her. He soon lost his balance, though, and had to cling even more tightly to the cable. "We're off to sew the seeds of a new tomorrow! Ta-ta!"
Kim watched dejectedly as Drakken's airship (which, for reasons that escaped her, bore his infamous 'Mr. Potty' logo) soared off into the sky, quickly moving out of their tiny field of vision. "Well, that's just great." she huffed, blowing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "We've got a major villain team-up, and now Drakken has a nuke."
Will merely pressed a button on his watch, speaking into the tiny microphone hidden within. "Mission was a bust, HQ." he said, scowling in Ron's direction.
"Guys, guys," Ron placed Rufus back on his shoulder, grateful that Monkey Fist hadn't kept his little buddy. "I think we're missing the bigger picture here."
"Which is?" Kim raised an eyebrow.
"We didn't blow up Siberia," Ron stated proudly, "And thus avoided a nasty international incident. I think that's something to be pretty proud of." Even as Rufus nodded in agreement, he was a little phased by Kim and Will's equally frosty glares. "Right? Guys…?"
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Kim Possible is a registered concubine of the dark emperor Walt, first son of the Disney dynasty. I have secreted her and her sidekicks away on my underground freedom railroad (not to be confused with Harriet Tubman's underground freedom railroad, which actually accomplished something socially laudable). No money was harmed during the making of this fic.
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Kim Possible
The Power of Love
by Cyberwraith9
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Kim tugged uncomfortably at the collar of her GJ jumpsuit. The garment was a black, clingy affair that did wonders for her figure, but left a little to be desired in the way of comfort. Made of dull black fabric with cobalt trim, it felt too tight and very slick, so much so that she feared she would slip right out of her seat if the flight harness wasn't strapping her in. Though the suit breathed easily enough, her midsection still felt confined and stifling hot. It made her long for her old mission clothes.
Will must have sensed her discomfort from his seat next to her in the hoverjet's cockpit. "Is something wrong?" he asked, looking up from his controls long enough to glance at her with concern. He hardly had to raise his voice to be heard above the whisper quiet engines of GJ's finest vehicle.
"What? No, nothing." she assured him quickly, pulling her fingers from her collar. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus her thoughts on the mission ahead. A cold Siberian landscape roared below them, blurring at their near-Mach speeds. In just a few minutes, they would reach the old nuclear silo and Doctor Drakken. She couldn't afford to be distracted.
And yet, it was a lack of distractions that truly bothered her.
She would have given up almost anything to have her best friend sitting next to her right then. It would have made her feel a lot better about going up against Drakken to have Ron cracking wise right before the mission. 'Why does he need to steal a nuke anyway?' the Ron of her mind joked, 'You can get them off the local black market for, like, a pair of Club Banana jeans!'
"What's so funny?" Will's voice pierced Kim's daydreams, pulling her back into the jet's cockpit. She blushed, realizing that she must have laughed aloud.
"It's nothing." she said again, squelching a sigh.
The dark-haired agent nodded, seemingly satisfied as he checked his instrumentation. "ETA is in three minutes." He unhooked his harness, ducking beneath the straps as Kim did the same. "We'll jump to save time. Hopefully, we aren't too late to intercept…" he trailed off as the control's beeping insistence beckoned him back.
"Trouble?" Kim tensed, watching a new dot appear on the jet's scanners. It wasn't like Drakken to have air support, but one could never be sure what the scientist was going to pull next.
It took a moment's examination before Will shook his head. "Negative," he said with a touch of relief. "Just an old cargo jet."
"In the middle of nowhere?" Kim sounded dubious. "What's it doing out here?"
"I don't know," he said quickly, heading for the hold in back, "But we don't have time to ask. It's probably nobody."
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At the moment, that nobody was standing at the back of the enormous civilian cargo hauler, staring out at the gaping expanse of gnarled trees and snowy tundra that sprawled out beneath them. He wore olive cargo pants and a black, long-sleeved shirt, a uniform that had stuck with him for so many years he couldn't recall ever being without it. A black, visored helmet capped his messy blonde hair, keeping his chocolate brown eyes protected.
Swallowing his fear, Ron turned back to face the other end of the massive interior of the plane. Aside from the tiny cockpit situated at the top of a ladder, the plane was completely empty. At the moment, her commander stood at the front of the cargo section, gripping a safety railing to make sure the rushing air didn't suck him out.
"Thanks for the lift, Cap'n Roger!"
Roscoe "Jolly" Roger gave Ron a salute and a smile. "It was the least I could do for you, Ron," he called out with a hand cupped to his mouth. "After all, you got me and my partner those tickets to see Billy Neilson live!"
"Yeah, about that!" Ron called back, stumbling against the exhaling cargo bay so it didn't suck him out too soon, "Do those tickets cover the return trip, too?"
"That depends!" Roger called back, "Do you think you can get us better seats?"
Ron groaned. "I'll talk to my friend." he assured Roger, making a mental note to see if Wade could upgrade the tickets he had somehow scored in return for a ride. It was a cold, hard, bitter truth to face, but the facts were the facts; Ron was no Kim Possible. And as such, he didn't have an entire armada of favors to cash in on in return for globetrotting jaunts. Maybe after he helped Global Justice save the day, they'd at least allow him to ride along with Kim and Will on the missions.
"We're over the target!" Roger called, yanking Ron back into reality. "Good luck, Kid!"
Ron patted the pocket at his knee, feeling Rufus tap back in response. With one final salute to his pilot, he took a deep breath and flung himself out of the back of the plane.
The air outside of Captain Roger's clunky old C-1 surplus plane had a nasty bite to it, nipping at Ron's exposed skin as he plummeted thousands of feet towards the unforgiving ground. It had been a while since he had done a jump, almost enough time for him to forget how much he truly hated them. Whatever terror he couldn't recall, however, came rushing back to him as quickly as the tundra rushed at him now.
Stifling a scream, Ron willed his mouth to freeze shut (not very difficult in minus ten degree weather). He called an image of Kim into his mind, holding on to it lest he lose his nerve. 'You're doing this for her,' he reminded himself. Only a week ago, he had promised Kim that he would always be there for her. He wasn't about to cop out on that now, when things looked a little rough.
The mental countdown in his mind reached zero. Closing his eyes, he reached up to his shoulder and yanked the rip cord. The parachute deployed immediately, yanking him upwards with bone-jarring force. Rufus, sensing the sudden jerk, poked his head out and looked down at a landscape that was far less dizzying.
Ron cracked his eye open, pleased to find that he wasn't dead, nor was he going to die in the immediate future. "Hey, how about that?" he looked down at Rufus with a grin. "First solo drop! Not bad, huh?"
His jubilation ended quickly when the tree branch caught him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he landed gracelessly at the edge of a clearing…or rather, about fifty feet above it. He could see the missile silo no more than a mile (two klicks in local terms) from his position before the parachute drifted gently over him, blacking everything out. The material spread out across the branches of his tree, forming a cute, irritating tent high above the ground.
He looked down to where he presumed Rufus was. It was impossible to be sure under the white silk of his chute. "Of course," he said, "Landing is another thing entirely."
"Yup." Rufus agreed readily.
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Corridor after corridor greeted Kim's frustrated eyes as she let Will lead the way through the complex. They had landed the hoverjet a short distance away, not quite daring to set it down in the middle of the silo. The bitter cold still clung to her clothes inside of the chilly base, so bad that Kim could see the warmth leaving her with each breath.
"How far until we actually get to the 'missiles' in this missile silo?" she asked irritably, sticking close to the walls as he did.
"Not far." he tossed over his shoulder, checking a map in his tiny watch screen every so often. "Just a few more meters."
"Ugh. Metrics." Kim rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to have to-"
Will shushed her quickly, tilting his head. "Wait." he whispered, cupping a hand to his ear. "Do you hear something?"
Waiting in perfect silence with held breath, Kim could hear something as well. There was a pounding of metal and a small, erratic cry echoing from somewhere above them. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. A quick look up revealed a small ventilation cover on the wall above them. She exchanged glances with Will, who nodded in silent agreement. Together, they waited with tensed muscles and curled fists as the sounds became louder.
Just as the pounding scream grew to almost painful levels, the ventilation shaft burst open and a large, dark blob flew out, slamming into the other wall and dropping to the ground. Kim caught a flash of yellow as the blur flew by, as well as a small streak of pink.
"Ron?"
Ron groaned, shaking the stars from his vision as he hauled himself to his feet. He felt something wiggling on his chest and looked down, a little chagrined to see a large pink blob with an angry expression in the middle. "Heh. Sorry Rufus…" He peeled the naked mole blob from his chest, cradling his buddy as the rodent slowly regained his shape. "Hey KP. Will."
Before Kim could even get a word in edgewise, Will was pushing past her and jabbing a finger in Ron's face. "What do you think you're doing here?" he demanded. "I will not allow you to participate or interfere with a GJ sanctioned mission!"
"Whoa, whoa, buddy!" Ron gently pushed Will's finger out of his face, keeping a smug smile on his own. "I'm just a lowly, ordinary civilian taking a vacation to beautiful, scenic Siberia." He tossed a grin over Will's shoulder at Kim, adding a wink into the mix.
Kim couldn't help but grin back, though she was thankful that Will couldn't see her at the moment. Then she cleared her throat, trying to return order to the situation. "Look," she placed a hand on Will's shoulder, "He's here, and he's experienced. Let's save the arguing for later."
The dangerous twitch in Will's eye made it clear that he didn't agree, but there would be a better time to argue the point. He glared at Ron and spoke with a low rumble. "I'm putting this in my mission report." he warned the civilian.
Ron chuckled as Will turned his back to them and stalked down the corridor. "What're you going to do," he taunted back, "Fire me?" But when Kim nearly yanked him off of his feet, falling into step behind her new partner. "Hey!"
Kim was surprised at the feeling of mild irritation that was growing inside of her at the moment. It was true, she was really glad to see Ron, and she felt better already that he was here. But part of her was annoyed that he had done this behind her back, without so much as a hint. "Two things," she said without looking at him. "One; I'm ticked at you for not talking to me about this before you decided to follow me halfway around the globe."
"Hi to you too." Ron said sardonically.
"And two…" she stopped for a minute, turning around so that Ron could see the beaming smile on her face as she wrapped him in a brief hug. "I'm really glad to see you."
"Excuse me," Will's voice called from down the hall, "But could we please get on with this?" It was impossible to miss the exasperation in his voice.
"I think that stick just got shoved up a little farther…" Ron quipped. Kim shot him another irritated glance, but he could see the ghost of a smile on her lips as they turned back to follow will deeper into the old Russian complex.
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The actual rocket silo was comparable to Middleton's Space Center, at least to Kim's eyes. There was a central control platform, filled with all manner of consoles and computers (old ones, too. Who knew computers once used flywheels?). And standing proudly behind the platform was the pride of the now-defunct Soviet military; a gleaming, black-and-white checkered rocket containing a powerful nuclear warhead. Just the thought of Drakken having such power made Kim's blood run cold.
And speaking of the devil…
"Shego," Drakken called from one of the consoles, trying desperately to figure out what any of it meant (it was all in Russian, of course), "Have you secured the prisoners?"
The pale, emerald-clad subordinate exited through one of the portals on the left, dusting off her hands. "Yeah, yeah," she said dismissively, "They're all tied up below."
"Excellent," he crowed. His smile soon turned into a frown as he began pressing random buttons on the computer before him, growing more frustrated with each futile command he entered. "Why didn't I bring that Russian-to-English dictionary?" he admonished himself, slamming a fist on the console.
Nearby, a trio of teens and their hairless mammalian comrade watched the activity on the platform in silence. It had been several minutes since they had found Drakken and Shego, and were still assessing the situation.
"We should go now!" Will hissed insistently. He tensed, ready to spring forward, but Ron's hand snared his shoulder. He looked back at the blonde's shaking head with a scowl. "What?"
"You can't just go!" Ron scoffed. "You have to wait until they give you an opening."
"What?"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Rookie. Just watch."
In the meantime, Drakken had escalated his frustration to a full-out hissy fit. "Why can't I get the locking clamps to release! You'd think that Russian wouldn't be all that difficult to read…"
Kim sprang forward, rolling against the cold metal plating and coming up into a perfect fighting stance. "Maybe you should have fit some language credits in your curriculum, 'Doctor' Drakken."
"KIM POSSIBLE?!" Drakken roared, leaping to his feet.
Ron looked smugly at Will. "See?"
"Let's just go." Will grunted, rushing forward. Ron exchanged helpless shrugs with Rufus, then scrambled to catch up, carrying his partner on his shoulder.
"Give it up, Drakken." Kim said with hands on hips as Ron and Will took up positions at her side. "It's not like we're going to let you get away with a nuke."
"Yeah," Ron quipped, "We're Earth-friendly heroes!"
Will's words were a bit less impromptu. "Doctor Drakken," he pulled himself up, puffing his chest out, "On the authority of the Global Justice Network, you are hereby ordered to stand down and surrender yourself into custody."
"You're outnumbered." Kim smirked. "Make it easy on all of us for a change, huh?"
"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Drakken sneered. He talked a good game, but his slow, quiet steps took him behind Shego as he continued to taunt the heroes. "But the easy road is far less rewarding. Shego, ATTACK!"
"Well duh!" Shego snarled, rushing forward. Her Power Gloves left twin scorch marks on the floor as she flipped straight for Kim, just narrowly missing the teen's face with a furious crane kick. Kim ducked beneath the blow, beginning a deadly dance that she and Shego knew all too well.
Will allowed himself to watch the fight for a moment, impressed beyond words with Kim's martial prowess. Then he looked at the third wheel of the party. "We can get Drakken while Kim disarms Shego."
Ron was about to answer when a small white orb streaked from one of the darkened doorways, bouncing to a halt in perfect position between the two boys. Will frowned, feeling a sense of familiarity accompany the tiny, dimpled ball. He didn't have much time to examine it, though, as Ron shoved him to one side, diving on top of the agent just in time to shield Will from harm as the ball exploded with a terrific bang.
Drakken was furious at the near miss. "You blew it, Scotsman!"
"Ach," a gruff voice bellowed from the darkened doorway, "It's no' my fault! The lads moved a little too quickly on tha' one." A short, squat shape emerged from the darkness, revealing Duff Killigan wielding his favorite three iron. "Jus' wait a tic, I'll get 'em."
"Duff Killigan!" Ron said darkly from atop Will, glaring at their longtime nemesis. "He's teamed up with Drakken!"
Will seemed less than impressed at the observation. "If you're through stating the obvious, perhaps you'd like to get off of me…"
Ron looked down at the irritated agent, laughing at the uncomfortable closeness between them. "Oh. Heh…Sorry." He rolled off of Will, and the two boys rose to their feet in time to see a strange black streak moving quickly in their direction across the floor. Before Ron had even regained his balance, he was knocked over again by a large, heavy, hairy, smelly weight that somehow pinned his arms and legs all at once.
"Surprise, Stoppable!" Monkey Fist snarled, leaning down into Ron's face.
After an initial scream at the scent of monkey, Ron managed to regain control of his senses. "Monkey Fist too? What is this, a heist or a convention?"
Will missed Ron's witty rejoinder as he dashed after Killigan, who was already lining up another shot. "Handle Fist!" he called back. "I'll take Killigan!"
"Sure," Ron eyed the vicious fangs peeking from Monkey Fist's twisted lips with a cringe. "No problem." He twisted his arms and legs all at once, breaking the genetic freak's four-handed hold on his limbs as he slid out from underneath. By the time Monkey Fist was on his feet again, Ron was waiting for him with raised fists and narrowed eyes. "Care to try that one again?"
"You're no match for my monkey might, Stoppable." Monkey Fist growled, flexing his fingers and toes as he squared off against the sidekick. "You may have picked up a few moves here and there, but I remain the 'true' Monkey Master!"
"You can have the job," Ron told him, circling around with his foe, waiting for an opportunity, "I'm just here to kick your butt, that's all."
In the meantime, Kim and Shego's fight had escalated, with Kim coming out on top. The heroine scored a kick right across Shego's ribs, knocking her back into one of the consoles. "You must be getting old," Kim taunted as she rushed in, fist raised for a running punch. "It usually takes more to tire you out!"
"I had to subdue an entire base full of Russian soldiers!" Shego snapped, ducking under Kim's punch and shoving her back. Lucky for Kim, her gloves had been unlit at the moment, or her midriff (still mercilessly covered by her uniform) would have had Shego's palms burned right into her flesh. "That can take a lot out of anyone, Kimmie!"
"You're right," Kim mocked, rolling back with the push and coming up in a crouch. "You should have a seat."
Before Shego could regroup, Kim's leg swept out and knocked the villain square on her bottom. Shego went down in a heap of green and black, cursing as she made it back onto her hands and knees. A dark shadow fell across the floor as Kim loomed in front of her, almost daring Shego to get up.
Kim was just about to lay into Shego with another quick punch/witty retort combo when another shadow fell over her in turn. She caught the gleam in Shego's eye, and rolled to the side a split second before an enormous, flaming sword came crashing down, splitting the floor where her feet had been.
She came up with arms raised, finding a trio of red terrors in front of her unlike anything she had ever seen before. There, pulling his sword from the floor, was a leviathan of a man in tricked-out techno armor, medieval style. A full helm masked his face, leaving it featureless, save for a pair of glaring optic sensors set in the front. Worse still, there were two men behind him similarly equipped, complete with massive swords of fire.
Trying to remain calm, Kim said, "And you are?"
"Long." The man that had attacked her raised his fiery sword in a salute before taking it by the hilt with both hands to bear down on her once more. "Senior Executive Officer for Roddigan Industries. I don't believe we've met before."
"Charmed, I'm sure." she said dryly as her eyes disseminated the armor. She didn't see any weaknesses apparent, at least not with the meager equipment they had brought with them. Her own aversions aside, she realized that some kind of gun would have come in really handy. "Working for Drakken?"
Long swung his sword at her, catching a few strands of her hair as she ducked beneath the blade of fire. "With, actually." he replied calmly.
Kim could hear shuffling feet behind her, as well as another set of flames being activated; No doubt it was Shego and her Power Gloves coming up from the rear. The sinking sensation in her stomach tripled as she watched Long's associates spread out, effectively boxing her in. "Super." Kim muttered, blowing locks of her singed hair out of her face.
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It had been a long, dangerous run, but Will had finally managed to get close to Killigan without getting blown up (and not for lack of trying on the golfer's behalf). He watched Killigan drop a handful of golf balls onto the floor even as he moved in for the kill.
Killigan noticed the boy's proximity, and figured out at the same time as Will that he wouldn't have enough time to get another shot off. Instead, he grabbed another club from his bag and began swinging them around. Will screeched to a halt at the doubly-armed arms dealer, switching tactics. "I warn you," Will said, steeling his hands and his nerves, "I'm an expert in over nineteen different martial arts."
"I don' know about that, laddie." Killigan retorted with a mad gleam in his eye, "But I can swing a mean club!" He took a couple swipes at Will to prove his point, nearly taking the young agent's head clean off his shoulders. "Let's see if I can shave a few points off yer score, eh?" he laughed.
Will ducked, diving for Killigan's own bag of wares and pulled the first two clubs he could get his hands on. "How about we not?" Will smiled, waving Duff's own putter beneath his nose before blocking another strike from his assailant.
"Ach, is tha' the best y'can do?" Killigan moaned. "You should take lessons in banter from the wee lassie. At least she can carry off a proper retort!"
Unfortunately for the golfer, Will was hardly interested in conversation. He caught Killigan's heel with the head of a driver, knocking the man to the floor. Before Killigan could rise, Will had the putter at his throat. "I'll say it again, for your benefit." Will said calmly. "Surrender, or-"
Pain exploded at the base of his skull, and a gaggle of stars flooded his vision before he could finish arresting Killigan. He dropped to his knees, drifting into blissful unconsciousness as the golfer's maniacal laughter filled his ears.
Killigan stood up and brushed himself off, grinning at the young man who stood behind Will's now-still form. Dressed in designer clothes and wielding a bent metal shaft, Señor Senior Junior returned the golfer's grin. "I did all right, yes?" he asked smugly.
"Bang-up job, lad." Killigan slapped him on the shoulder. "But what did yeh use to…" he trailed off, spying the metal rod up close. "ACH! Is that me NINE IRON?"
"I got it from your bag of tricks." Junior shrugged, tossing the ruined club aside. "Will that be a problem?" he asked, watching Killigan spit and fume.
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Ron blocked paw after hairy paw, watching Monkey Fist's ire grow with each miss. "Wha'sa matter, Monkey Face? Don't like the new Ron?"
"On the contrary," Fist snarled, trying unsuccessfully to sweep Ron's legs out from underneath him. "I didn't believe Drakken when he said you had become a 'real' threat. Now I'm rather looking forward to breaking you!"
He watched the villain dive for his feet, and leapfrogged over his hairy back to avoid the shot. "Keep dreamin', bud." For Ron, this sort of exercise was nothing new to him; Sensei had provided him with plenty of challenges that were much harder than this.
But something still didn't sit right. 'Sometimes the path to victory is not the one laid out before you,' the wise old man's voice rang in his ears. 'Rather, you must constantly search for the right path, and not grow complacent on one.'
'Now what did he mean by that?' Ron wondered silently as he side-stepped another of Monkey Fist's bull-rushes. As he turned, he suddenly caught sight of his best friend in a full-out melee with four other baddies. 'Oh man,' he screamed mentally, 'I forgot about Kim!'
"Hold on, KP!" he cried, rushing forward. He had come to about halfway between them when Junior stepped out of the woodwork, lunging in front of Ron and blocking him from his friend. "Junior?!?"
"Have you not heard?" Junior grinned, kicking at Ron's head. The sidekick narrowly dodged the shot, and had to keep on the move as Monkey Fist struck at his back. "We have formed a fantastic team of villainy!"
Kim heard Ron call out to her, but she was too busy to see if he needed help. She had her hands full trying to avoid the foursome out for her blood at the moment, and it was proving increasingly difficult. Every time she managed to avoid one, the other three would close in, reducing her breathing space little by little. If she didn't think of something quick, she was going to be trapped in no time.
A flash of green above her warned Kim just in time to catch Shego by the wrists, holding the woman's glowing gloves just above her head. Shego, caught behind Kim and unable to break the teen's grip, pressed down as hard as she could. Gravity was on her side, and the gloves lowered towards the heroine slowly but surely.
Fear grabbed hold of Kim as she saw the three Knights close in on her from the front, even as Shego's burning plasma began nipping at her scalp. "You can't win, Kimmie!" Shego taunted right in her ear, "There's too many of us, and you don't even have a weapon."
"Then permit me to borrow yours!"
Kim grunted, suddenly re-directing her force and weight forward as Long raised his sword to strike. Shego hadn't been expecting the sudden shift, and was powerless to stop Kim as she used Shego's Power Gloves to block Long's fiery blade. "Ow-ow-ow-hot-hot-hot-hot!" Shego screamed as she inadvertently caught hold of the sword, pitting plasma against plasma as the two forces struggled for supremacy.
Spying an opportunity to gain the advantage, Kim lashed out with her foot, knocking Long's flaming sword from his hand and high into the air. She pushed forward further, slamming Shego's lit gloves into Long's armored chest. The explosive blast of green plasma knocked the large, metallic man backwards into his allies. Having finished with them, Kim brought her foot up and drove it straight back into Shego's ribcage, slamming the villainess to the floor.
"Now," Kim sighed, brushing back her hair. She struck a hand out nonchalantly, not even bothering to look as the hilt of Long's sword fell into her waiting grip. "Shall we try that again?"
Long grimaced beneath his helm, stepping back as he allowed Falchion and Claymore to press a new attack. However, with an equal weapon, Kim proved that she was more than a match for the expert swordsmanship of the Knights of Roddigan. The tables were quickly turned on the two businessmen-turned-warriors as she drove them back, hoping to finish them quickly before Shego recovered. With just a few swipes, she had split their swords in twain at the hilt, deactivating their devastating power and rendering them uselessly unlit.
Kim watched the two warriors exchange glances, then take off running, their armored feet clanking against the cold floor as they hotfooted it down one of the darkened tunnels. She turned, raising an eyebrow at Long. The leader of the three merely bowed at the waist, then beat a hasty retreat himself.
Ron caught sight of Kim's recent victory from the corner of his eye, but he had bigger problems on hand with Junior going toe-to-toe with him, and Monkey Fist working his kidneys. He managed to keep ahead of most of their blows, but the ones they did manage to land were starting to slow him down.
"What is the matter, Ron Stoppable?" Junior asked smugly, catching Ron across the jaw with a painful right-cross. "Are you not impressed that I have been keeping up with my practices? Father says my villainous ways have-"
A snarl of frustration escaped Ron's gritted teeth as he caught Junior's next attack, applying a crushing grip to the pompous rich boy's wrist that cut him off with a squeak. "Do you mind?" Ron asked angrily, sliding in along Junior's arm until his shoulder was pressed into the larger man's chest, "My arch foe and I are trying to have a grudge match here!" Working purely from memory and hours of practice back at Yamanouchi, his fingers danced across several points of Junior's torso, jabbing and twisting with exact pressure.
Junior tore away from his grasp, startled and confused. "What are you…" He trailed off as Ron's magic suddenly took effect; Every muscle in his body froze, cramping so painfully that even the thought of movement made it hurt that much worse. With a weak cry, the villainous son toppled to the ground, frozen in an awkward position of shock.
There was no time for self-congratulations as Monkey Fist smacked Ron in the back of the head with a hairy fist. "He was only slowing me down anyway," the genetic freak sneered as Ron reeled back.
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Will awoke in a haze of pain and confusion, blinking away the spots that swam in his blurry vision. The world was tilted on its ear as he lay against the frigid metal deck, and with a few tries he found that he was somehow immobilized at the ankles and wrists, which were shoved painfully behind his back.
"So, lad," Killigan's voice shot smugly from somewhere above him, "How about we play a little game o' Sudden Death?"
Will tried to respond, but much to his surprise, a large wad of cotton cloth stuffed in his mouth prevented him from telling the golfer exactly where he should go, and where he could stick his little game (hint; the first's a biblical reference, and the second's a local of the human anatomy!). Instead, he simply rolled over and glared at the hairy lunatic, trying desperately not to get a good look up his kilt.
"Wha? No' to your liking, Mr. Du?" Killigan laughed, tapping his driver next to Will's head. He pulled a small golf ball from his pocket with a digital readout on the side, depressing a small section with his thumb. A set of numbers began counting down on the tiny screen as he leaned down, setting the ball on top of the gag stuffed in Will's mouth. "Well, I hope yeh don' mind if I tee off anyhow."
He swung the driver back as Will prepared to say farewell to his features, when a sharp cry of rage from Shego gave Killigan pause. Looking up from his shot, he saw that most of the forces Drakken had hauled with them had been whittled down, leaving only that depraved monkey and the pasty wench to deal with the other brats while Drakken himself agonized over the missile's controls.
"If you'll excuse me, lad." he said to Will, patting his cheek with the head of his driver, "I think I'm needed elsewhere." Raising a Scottish battle cry to his lips, Killigan raised his golf club high into the air and went charging straight for the other battle.
Left to his own devices, Will wasted a whole second to simply sweat nervously as he watched the numbers on the ball climb down towards zero. Immediately, he twisted his head to the side, sending the golf ball tottering in one direction, and then started rolling like mad in the other. He hadn't gotten a really clear look, but he knew just what Killigan's golf balls were capable of, and there weren't all that many numbers left for the little orb to roll through. He prayed there would be just enough as he continued flipping clumsily.
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Kim ducked beneath another of Shego's plasma swipes, having long since abandoned Long's ungainly sword in favor of her own agility. The recovered sidekick's heart was in it, but her body had taken quite a blow from Kim's reverse kick, and her hands still burned. The teen heroine had hoped to put Shego down soon enough to catch up with Drakken before the scientist did anything 'really' stupid. But all of those thoughts disappeared at the first sight of a glinting steel shaft being swung at her, wielded by none other than the world's most infamous golfer.
She didn't know where Will had gone to ('wasn't he supposed to handle Killigan?' she thought to herself), but she didn't particularly care at the moment. "Ron!" she cried.
"Kinda busy!" Ron shouted back, struggling against Monkey Fist's iron grip that was reaching for his throat.
"You need to stop Drakken!" She dodged Killigan's driver, only to walk right into Shego's foot. Even rolling with the blow, it made her ribs creak something fierce.
Ron grunted, jabbing his thumb into Monkey Fist's eye. Enraged, the half-blinded ape man grabbed at his face with one hand, leaving the other clamped down on Ron's throat. "What's so dangerous about Drakken?" Ron croaked.
"Nuclear *oof* Missile," she managed to retort as Killigan punched her in the small of the back.
"Oh, riiiight." Ron cast his eyes sideways, catching sight of the towering rocket that could destroy the entire complex in the blink of an eye. He tugged at Monkey Fist's hand to no avail, even as the ninja assassin's freakish feet began wrapping around his ankles.
"Bet you wish you had an extra set of hands, don't you?" Monkey Fist taunted, hanging off of Ron as he choked the life out of him.
A tiny smirk appeared on Ron's face as he felt a stirring in his pocket. "Actually," he grunted, "I do."
Monkey Fist was just about to ask what the sidekick meant when he felt a sharp pain in his calf. "Yeow!" he screamed, immediately releasing Ron from his unbreakable grip. Furiously, he looked down, tugging on his baggy gi, and found a tiny pink blob clinging to his pant leg. "You miserable little rodent!"
Rufus waved, then scampered up the back of Fist's uniform as a pair of hairy paws snapped at his tail. "Ho-ho!" He paused at the simian's backside, planting his razor-sharp teeth into the soft posterior. Rufus was rewarded with another shriek of pain and another attempted grab, which the mole rat expertly avoided.
Satisfied that Rufus had everything under control, Ron shifted his attention back on Drakken, who was still poking uselessly at his console to no avail; he had yet to release the missile's docking clamps or open the roof hatch looming above them. "What's up, Doc?" he called as he sprinted towards the blue baddie.
Drakken looked around desperately, searching for someone, anyone, who could ward off the sidekick long enough for him to release the prize. Unfortunately, all of 'his' sidekicks were indisposed at the moment, leaving him helpless and alone. It seemed as though his plan was shot down the tubes…
And then, as luck would have it…
At that exact moment, the golf ball Killigan had left for Will decided to put on its grand finale, detonating in a ball of conflagration and tiny white shrapnel. Will hadn't quite made it far enough from the ball, and was thrown violently into the air. He landed in a heap, skidding across the floor-
-and right in front of Ron. Though his reflexes were far better than they had been before, even he couldn't react fast enough. His boot caught right in Will's ribs, causing the agent to violently exhale his gag as the hapless sidekick was sent flying. Despite Drakken's pleading moans and warding hands, he tumbled right through the scientist, bowling him over and cracking his head against the console's keyboard.
Lady Luck, deciding that Ron had caught enough breaks for the moment, threw a wrench into the works; Lights all over the complex immediately began flashing, and a loud metallic clank eminated from far below the platform, near the guidance fins of the massive, ancient weapon. A soft, feminine voice echoed throughout the building, speaking in a calm Russian dialect that echoed hauntingly across the cavernous chamber.
"Wazzat?" Ron muttered dizzily, pulling his head from the keyboard. Tiny, reversed Russian letters dotted his face, intermixed with his freckles. "The cafeteria's daily special?"
Will crawled pathetically towards the console, worming his way on his belly without the use of his arms or legs. "You IDIOT!" he cried, the only one to understand the situation (being the only one in the room that spoke Russian, among other languages). "That's the complex's self-destruct signal. You've activated the missiles!"
Everyone, including Kim and her attackers, stopped at the sound of rusted metal scraping against metal as the gigantic shutters situated above the towering nuke slowly opened, revealing a gray, overcast sky above. "So that's not the soup of the day?" Ron asked meekly.
Kim shielded her eyes from the flashing lights that warned of their eminent destruction. "RON!" she cried with exasperation.
"Oh, come on!" Ron said pleadingly. He threw an arm around Drakken's shoulder, who had just now managed to pick himself up. "It's not like Doctor D here will let the thing he came to steal blow up."
"Actually, this silo houses several nukes, with multiple launch pads." Drakken informed him.
Ron digested the information calmly, rubbing his chin and nodding. "Uh…huh. Okay, new plan." He burst out in a full sprint, screaming and running for Will like a madman. "Fix-it-fix-it-fix-it-fix-it-fix-it!" he cried over and over, tugging at Will's bonds.
The instant his shackles were torn away, Will shoved Ron aside and made for the console. "We have only moments to deactivate it," he muttered, examining the controls as Drakken slipped away, whistling nonchalantly.
"Great." Ron said, then frowned. "What happens if we don't?"
"This entire region will be reduced to an expanding ball of free-floating molecules and deadly radiation."
"Oh." Ron stared down at the incomprehensible gibberish that scrolled by as Will pounded on the keyboard. "So, no pressure, right?"
"Would you kindly shut up?"
"Right." Ron drew his fingers across his lips, "Sure thing."
Kim dashed over as Will worked his magic on the keyboard, typing furiously. Sweat dripped from the teen's brow as he entered command after command. In the background, the soft feminine voice droned on and the lights continued to flash red and yellow, warning anyone who dwelt in here that there was no time to flee, and that they should make peace with whatever deity they paid tribute to. "Can you stop it?"
"Almost…" Will grunted, biting his lower lip as he entered the last command. "Almost…" With a tiny, ironic ding, the voice and lights ceased their warnings, returning the complex to its usual state of operations. "There!"
The three of them breathed a collective sigh in relief, sagging visibly. "Glad that's over." Ron said cheerfully. "I hear radiation is murder on your complexion."
Kim sighed once more as she saw Will ready his bellowing voice, presumably to chew Ron out, when a thought occurred to her. "Um, guys? Where did the bad guys go?"
A sudden, mad cackling drew their eyes upward. There, beyond the open shutters in the Siberian sky, floated a small, sinister blue-and-black craft. The hovering vehicle already had several tendrils snaking down through the opening, hooked onto the massive nuclear missile.
Drakken, Shego, Monkey Fist and Killigan all clung to individual strands of the metallic cords, looking down at their teenage adversaries as the airship hauled upwards. Monkey Fist held a small pink blob in his hand, which he disdainfully tossed down into Ron's quick hands.
"Thanks for saving us, Kim Possible!" Drakken called out, waving to her. He soon lost his balance, though, and had to cling even more tightly to the cable. "We're off to sew the seeds of a new tomorrow! Ta-ta!"
Kim watched dejectedly as Drakken's airship (which, for reasons that escaped her, bore his infamous 'Mr. Potty' logo) soared off into the sky, quickly moving out of their tiny field of vision. "Well, that's just great." she huffed, blowing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "We've got a major villain team-up, and now Drakken has a nuke."
Will merely pressed a button on his watch, speaking into the tiny microphone hidden within. "Mission was a bust, HQ." he said, scowling in Ron's direction.
"Guys, guys," Ron placed Rufus back on his shoulder, grateful that Monkey Fist hadn't kept his little buddy. "I think we're missing the bigger picture here."
"Which is?" Kim raised an eyebrow.
"We didn't blow up Siberia," Ron stated proudly, "And thus avoided a nasty international incident. I think that's something to be pretty proud of." Even as Rufus nodded in agreement, he was a little phased by Kim and Will's equally frosty glares. "Right? Guys…?"
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