Chapter 7: Believe In Me

---

If I
Should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go
But I know
I'll think of you every step of
the way

And I...
Will always
Love you,
I… will always
Love you

Bittersweet
Memories
That is all I'm taking with me
Good-bye
Please don't you cry
We both know I'm not what you need

But I...
Will always love you
I...
Will always love you

I hope
life treats you kind
And I hope
you have all you dream of
And I wish you joy
and happiness
But above all this
I wish you…love

And I...
Will always love you
I...
Will always love you

Yes, I will always love
You...
I will always
Love…
You…

"I Will Always Love You"

Dolly Parton and Vince Gill

---

The funeral went smoothly, but Kim was deeply disappointed to find Ron avoiding her like the plague and she felt no urge to look up Josh. Ocelot had fondly informed her of how her boyfriend had faithfully stayed by her side when she was in danger. But she could hardly blame him, not like he faced psychos and killers on a daily basis. What was he supposed to do?

Kim walked into the kitchen to find her mother leaning against the counter and staring out the window at the lake behind their home. "Mom? Are you ok?"

"You know," Mrs. Possible said, pointing out to a large tree beside the beach, "Your father proposed to me right over there. I didn't really know what to think at that time …"

"I miss him too, Mom," Kim said, laying her head on her mother's shoulder.

"So how's Ron doing?" her mother asked, looking down at her firstborn.

"I think he's upset at me," Kim sighed, moving away from her mother, "He's acting like he did when he first came back, like we're just passing acquaintances."

"He probably just needs time. We were all hit hard by … what happened; he'll come around," Mrs. Possible said, kissing Kim's forehead.

"I guess …" Kim sighed before picking up her book bag, "Be home after school," Kim called, walking out of the house.

---

Kim walked into the school and her eyes quickly pointed out Ron in his usual leather vest. She quickly made her way through the crowd to walk beside him. "So, any luck in finding out where Ocelot or Drakken is?" She asked, looking up at his icy, unshaven features.

"No comment," Ron grunted, walking on as if he didn't notice her.

"Drakken's involved in this," Kim continued, not letting him get away, "You could use my help."

"We've got it under control, Possible," Ron said emotionlessly, "You don't need to be bothered."

"Back to last name basis again?" Kim asked, looking up with slightly hurt eyes.

"This isn't the Drakken you faced before, Ocelot's changed him," Ron stated, ignoring her question, "You're out of your league. And I don't feel like babysitting you."

Kim shrunk back and before she could stop herself, she retaliated, "Yeah? Well I never complained about having to baby sit you!"

She brought her hand quickly to her mouth, "Ron, I'm sorry, I didn't …"

"This conversation is over, Kimberly," Ron growled, "Isn't Josh waiting for you in your usual spot? You should still beat him there with his limp and all."

Kim looked down, the hurt growing by the second, "Ron, please …" She sighed looking up, only to find herself alone in crowd, "Ron?"

Kim looked back to see Josh already waiting in their usual make out corner being held up by a crutch because of his gunshot wound. She let out deep sigh before turning and walking toward her first class.

"Stealth Camo deactivate," Ron said in a dark corner a few feet away, "Sorry, KP, this is for the best." He said before walking on to his first period.

---

Ron walked into the class and took his usual seat in the back corner. Kim wasn't in his first class but Monique, Kim's best friend, was. "Ya know, a few years ago you and Kim were the picture when you looked up the phrase 'Best Friends 4 ever'," Monique said sitting down, "Any particular reason why you've been treating her like she has the plague?"

"She hasn't told you?" Ron smirked, "she's got three days before the plague has her six feet under."

"Humph, Since you came back, you've taken a name for being the hero of the lower classmen," Monique said, furrowing her brow at Ron, "Who would've thought they'd have a smart ass bastard for a role model."

"Sorry," Ron sighed, catching the girl by surprise.

"What do you mean sorry?" Monique half stuttered.

"Didn't know it had more then one meaning," Ron shrugged.

"I'd rather know why the dream team came so close to being back together then all of the sudden it fell back apart," Monique stated, "With what happened to her dad, she needs you more than ever."

"No, she doesn't," stated Ron, "She doesn't need me; she doesn't need anybody. She's stronger than that. She's not a fake hero like me who will only drag her down."

"Ron, what's that supposed to mean?" Monique asked, blinking in confusion.

"Doesn't matter. I'm not feeling so great, so I'm out of here," Ron half growled before standing up from his seat and walking out of the class before the teacher even got there.

---

Ron stood on the top of the school in his Sneak Suit looking down on the students. He then drew his SOCOM pistols and stared at them for several moments. There was a time he'd freak out at holding a paintball gun, and was super paranoid at firing a grappling hook gun for fear of showing Kim and the villain of the week his choice boxers for the day. "Now look at me," Ron ordered no one in particular. "I'm a soldier, a professional killer, not all that much different then Ocelot," mused Ron, "how many sons, daughters, wives, and husbands' lives have I taken in the past two years in Foxhound? I've lost count … I'm just like Ocelot."

He for a moment was tempted to use one of his SOCOMs and take his own life up on the roof. End his life like the coward, wannabe hero Bonnie and several others always accused him of being three years ago. "No," Ron said, replacing his guns in their holsters, "If I'm going to die, it will be with Ocelot. I won't let him inflict the pain he's caused me and KP on anyone ever again," Ron said, determination radiating from his mocha-colored eyes. He then turned and made his way to the fire escape on the backside of the building, "even if it kills me."

---

Ron walked into the house he shared with his teammates and carefully and stealthily made his way to where they stored the weapons. Then with his Stealth Camo activated, he began moving a field-stripped FA-MAS Assault Rifle, a field-stripped PSG1 Sniper Rifle, a Stinger missile launcher as well as multiple rounds of ammo for the weapons including his twin SOCOMs to the large saddlebag of his bike.

He then walked down to the basement where they held the drooling, sedated Monkey Fist tied in a corner, took a needle of tranquilizer, and made his way to his bedroom.

Rufus was nibbling on a snack Meryl had prepared for him before they left for the school when he felt Ron pick him up from his cage, "Sorry to do this to you buddy, but this time I have to go solo and I can't risk you helping her follow me," Ron said as he jabbed the now screaming naked mole rat in the side with the needle. As the rodent's eyes got heavier the last thing he heard before drifting off to a dreamless sleep was "I love you, buddy. Take care of KP for me."

Ron then carried the knocked out rodent and climbed on his bike. "Today was a half day for election day, so Kim should be getting home any time now," Ron said to himself as he kick-started the bike to meet her.

---

"Kim!" Josh said hobbling, almost as if he was faking, toward his girlfriend, "Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?" he asked when she stopped just before her car and turned to look at him.

"I've just had a lot on my mind lately, that's all," She said, avoiding eye contact.

"Want to talk about it, babe?" Josh said, leaning against her car.

"No, not really," Kim said, fiddling with her keys.

"Want to do something else to get your mind off it?" Josh asked smugly.

Kim turned to him and narrowed her eyes, "Josh, my father just DIED and I was kidnapped and tortured for a week, and you are thinking about THAT?" she yelled, jabbing her finger in his chest, "is that all I am to you, a sex toy?"

"No, of course not, KP, you know I love you," Josh answered quickly, "I was only kidding. I'm sorry."

"Kim, Kimberly, or Kimmie," Kim glared, "never call me that again."

"So Ron gets his own special pet name for you?" Josh growled, "Maybe you weren't kidnapped at all just decided to take a week off to get to know ALL of Stoppable."

"How … how could you even think that?" Kim gasped, her eyes widening in shock and anger.

"How is it hard to believe?" Josh shrugged, "the whole school has seen you staring at him like you were an animal looking at a piece of raw meat."

Kim answered that comment with a slug right in the mouth, sending him tumbling backwards on the parking lot pavement.

Josh pulled himself up, and barely got out of the way where Kim backed out of her parking spot and sped away.

"Bitch," Josh hissed rubbing his sore jaw before walking past the staring students toward Bonnie's BMW.

---

"Jerk," Kim grumbled as she drove toward her home, "He should know that Ron's just my best friend; how could he possibly think that I'd cheat on him like that THEN, of all times? And with Ron, he's a great friend but I … what's he doing here?" she asked when she noticed Ron's bike parked in her driveway.

She walked into the house, looking around for her best friend, or at least after the small fight earlier still her friend. "Ron?"

"Hey, KP, listen, I just wanted to say sorry about earlier. I had a lot on my mind," Ron said from the kitchen in his Sneak Suit ,watching Rufus sleep soundly, "hope you can forgive me."

"I know how you feel. I didn't mean what I said either," Kim said walking in to sit beside him, "I'm sorry too."

"Water under the bridge, KP, but … I was wondering would you mind watching Rufus. I'm going to be going away for a while," Ron asked, "think you can watch him for me?"

"Sure, I can watch him for a few days," Kim smiled, "How long will you be gone anyway?"

"I … don't know, but it will be more than a few days …" Ron said, not meeting her eyes.

Kim suddenly had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, "What are you planning?"

"That doesn't matter," Ron said, turning his back, "But I will tell you that one way or another I'm stopping Ocelot once and for all. If I make it back, that's great, if I don't, that's good too."

"Don't say that, you are coming back," Kim stated forcefully, "I've already lost you once, and I just lost Daddy. I don't want to lose you again."

"You're better off without me," Ron half chuckled.

"I'm nothing without you," Kim responded, but quickly added, "I haven't been half the hero I was without my partner."

"You are a hero," Ron said strangely, "That's the difference between us. Despite what life's thrown at you, you've stood up to face it head on while I ran to the shadows." He then laughed, "Kim Possible, the girl who can do anything, and Ron Stoppable, the sidekick, decoy, and goof up, no other way to really say it without it being a lie. So now I'm going to play the Decoy one last time and maybe buy you enough time for a nice, long, peaceful life, just don't forget me when you become a Mankey, or a Du or take the last name of some other deserving guy who comes along."

Kim the choked back a sob, "You're not planning on coming back at all, are you?"

"Didn't say that," Ron gave her a weak smile, "I didn't earn the call sign Shadow of the Snake for nothing; I might get lucky."

"But you're still not coming back, are you?" Kim asked a little stronger. Ron didn't respond immediately, and Kim started to look away when Ron's glove hand gently grabbed her chin. Her eyes widened as she felt his lips press against hers. Despite Ron's short whiskers tickling her face, Ron easily proved to be a far better kisser than Josh.

Ron then pulled back from a dazed Kim, "Believe in me," he whispered before he activated the Stealth Camo.

Kim wanted to call out to him, to follow him, to do anything, but her body had shut down and the only motion she could muster was her hand coming up to touch her slightly bruised lips.

"I do, Ron," Kim finally forced out, "I do …"

---

Meanwhile in a hidden valley in the mountains, five Metal Gear Rex II's stomped out into the open, scanning the area. "Test of prototype … Begin!" Ocelot called over the radio.

Almost as soon as the words were spoken, the sound of rockets firing could be heard near by. A moment later, the sound of metal hitting ground could be heard, and one of the Rex II's legs was bisected, sending it tumbling to the ground before the main body was quartered.

One of the others turned toward the fallen machine then found itself bombarded by armor piercing Vulcan shots. Then suddenly an invisible blade came down its middle, and the two halves of the Metal Gear tumbled to the ground.

The remaining three began firing blindly, hoping to hit the target. Whether or not they hit the target was answered by a rainbow colored energy pulse that shot through the air from nowhere and passed through the center of two Rex II's destroying them instantly.

The last tried to retreat, but suddenly found its 'knees' down were no longer attached to its' legs, and it fell to the ground with a metallic thud. Then a pair of stab-like cuts appeared through the top, pinning it to the ground. A moment later, a massive machine with a similarity to an ancient dinosaur with razor sharp blades on it's 'forearms', a thin, long body, large broad legs, a bird head-shaped cockpit on one end of its body, and a long tail-like stabilizer on the other, and a pair of retractable wings on its back, appeared out of thin air and stood victorious over the ruined Metal Gears.

"Allow me to introduce you, Big Boss," Ocelot said, limping out of the bunker toward the massive machine with his leader close behind, "To Metal Gear Raptor."

"Excellent, what tests are left before we go in mass production?" Big Boss asked, smiling at the behemoth.

"One more test," stated Ocelot, a sadistic smile crossing his lips, "After out last meeting, I expect Shadow Snake to wish for more. Snake and his team has searched the database at our last hideout, and found nothing useful. But just an hour ago, I slipped some info into the computer that tells the location of the hostage reprogramming center that Snake and his team 'overlooked'. Shadow should be coming soon. I'll personally pilot the Raptor to teach that boy some manners."

"You may play with him, Ocelot, but he is to live," Big Boss stated, "The Patriots have a lot of plans for Stoppable in the future. He is a very valuable player."

"Yes sir," Ocelot saluted before walking back toward the bunker.

"Don't underestimate Solid Snake's protégé, Ocelot," Big Boss smiled, "Snakes are tricky creatures, I should know."

"Tricky, yes," Ocelot replied, "But easily manipulated, you especially should know that … Colonel."

To Be Continued …

Next Chapter: When the Shadow Falls