16. Gifts From Friends (A wish fulfilled)
The previous evening at the youth club supplied Kimi's resolve with a boost: Dani's unyielding obsession with meeting a Celler face-to-face. Seeing the petite young blonde become filled with excitement at meeing someone who merely exhibited some of the physical traits of a Celler gave Kimi thoughts of what a Celler experiences immediately after they make a Cross - the reaction of their Flesher host to receiving the gift of such a visit. It also served to reenforce and add to Kimi's reasoning in undertaking this mission, even as young and inexperienced as she was - not only to save her mother and preserve her family; but to do her part to eradicate that which could stand in the way of allowing people like Dani to coninute to pursue the chance to experience their greatest wish.

The following day was Kimi's first session in the Speed Room, on the second floor of the gym. The karate schedule ended about a half-hour early, and Mark and Kimi went upstairs to Reaction Test and Assessment, accompanied by Craig and Carole, still outfitted in her KISS suit, without the face patch and headpiece. Kimi removed her Escrima sleeve and chest holster as Mark sat at the console in front of the tall windows and initiated programs to bring up the lights in the glassed-in room and the grid of light-points on the far wall. He then guided Kimi into the room, showing her a mark on the floor about three feet from the wall, nearest the leftmost column of light-points. "This is your starting point," he said. "You must stand here at the start of every test. The buzzer will sound, then the spots will come up. You'll have three seconds after the buzzer stops to strike all three spots on the wall, before they go out. You'll hear your elapsed time over the speaker afterward. Even if you strike the wall after the lights go out, the system will register your elapsed time, to use as a measure or progress." Mark then placed a hand on Kimi's shoulder. "Let's try it a few times." He then walked out to the other side of the glass, sitting at the console. A few seconds later, the grid of light-points went out. Kimi heard a small metallic click through the speaker. "Ready?"

Kimi took in a breath and huffed it out, shaking tension out of her hands. She steeled her gaze at the wall and nodded once.

-bzzzzzzzzzzzt-

Three lights appeared on the wall, high-mid-low.

Kimi sprang at the wall, striking the left light-point with a cross-body right, quickly spinning 180 degrees and sweeping her left arm to strike the middle point - then twisting again to her right just as the light-points went out to strike the wall with her foot where the rightmost light-point had been. She ended in a crouch to keep her balance, canting her head slightly, waiting for the report from the speaker. Kimi was sure her first attempt was close enough to her goal to bring a smile from her teacher. Her attention was drawn back to the wall as the low light-point on the right lit again.

A female voice came from the system. :::test incomplete:::

Kimi whipped her head around to Mark on the other side of the glass, a look of disbelief on her face as the speaker clicked. "All three strikes didn't register," Mark said through the intercom, motioning to the re-lit point. "As you can see...the ones you missed will re-light."

Kimi rose to her feet, straightening out her t-shirt as the light-point again disappeared. "That wasn't bad, for your first ever shot at it," Mark said. "You just need to make sure you hit each spot hard enough to register on the test. Go back to the mark, Ki...try it again."

Kimi returned to the mark on the floor and turned to the wall. She nodded again. signaling she was ready.

-bzzzzzzt-

Mid-mid-high.

Kimi lunged at the left light-point again with a right, turning and lashing a left at the center point and continued the turn, pivoting on the ball of her left foot and whipping her right foot high into the air to strike at the wall whre the right-most light-point had been lit. She landed to the floor in a four-point stance, one leg drawn up beneath her.

:::elapsed time of test: three-point-nine-six seconds:::

Kimi turned to the glass, her brow a bit fallen. She was beginning to think that the third light-point was almost taunting her by remaining just out of her reach.

"3.96, Ki," Mark said. "Can't feel bad about that for a first ET."

"I guess," Kimi replied resignedly, "but you want me to do it in under three seconds. It's all about way off."

"Ki...you haven't had that much training against multiple opponents, other than what we've done. Even as advanced as you are, this isn't going to be second nature to you. Here in the Speed Room, you don't want to focus on delivering decapitating strikes on each target. You now know how hard you have to strike the wall to register. What you need to work on now is, as you're striking one target, you're already shifting your focus to the next one." Kimi nodded slowly in agreement as she ran through sequences and techniques in her mind, looking for something that would give her the added capability to best Mark's challenge.

"Give it another run, Ki," Mark said, as Kimi returned to the starting mark to set for another test.

Kimi made another six attempts at hitting all three light-points before they disappeared. Her best time at the end of the morning was 3.71 - a .25-second improvement over her initial time.

Mark called Kimi to exit the room. "Not bad at all for your first session in the Speed Room," he said, passing her a towel.

Kimi sighed as she slipped the towel around her neck, patting at her forehead. "That was...okay...but still nowhere near 3 flat."

Mark made note of the way Kimi pushed herself mentally in the face of a challenge. "You keep at it, Ki...you still have two weeks...and we can come up here any morning you want - even during the weekends, if you want to."

"I'm not sure what I can do to get faster at this," Kimi said. "I can do speed striking, but that's all about one target...and I could do that triple-kick thingy to do two targets almost at once...but the time it takes me to prepare for it, and to recover after...it's lead against this, too."

"Well...look what you did in just one session...you knocked a quarter-second off your first time." He placed a hand on Kimi's shoulder as the four exited the room. "Like I said, you can come up here any time the gym is open...but you shouldn't beat yourself up over your first session. I knew better before you even walked in that room, but I'd have been worried if your time had been five seconds or more."

"Five seconds?" piped Carole. "Put me in there, I'll show you five seconds!" The group laughed at this as they descended the stairs.

After a shower and lunch, Kimi and Mark went to the firing range, where Kimi worked on honing her targeting skills by standing ready on the firing line until Mark named off one of the five bulls-eyes on the cardboard silhouette and barked, "Fire!" Kimi would then draw her weapon as fast as she could and come as close as she could to hitting the center of the chosen target.

----------

On Saturday, as a show of pride on her performance duirng her first week of training, Mark offered Kimi dinner at the restaurant of her choice that evening. Her only added condition was that they be accompanied by Carole and Craig. Mark commented that he had already invited Carole, but Craig would be spending the evening sorting out paperwork on some of the cases in Cairo that Matt had sent him the night before. Kimi aquiesced with a smile, and expressed her desire for another visit to the Knick Knack Chick Shack inside the commissary. Mark refused, producing a frown from Kimi - which he inverted by saying that they would go to a Chick Shack off-base, for a change of scenery. At the restaurant, Kimi found that Carole shared her love of Chick'n Bitz dipped into heat-laden chipotle sauce. Unlike his first foray into the "Chick'n" world, Mark declined cuisinary adventure, opting for a grilled chicken sandwich and a side of potato wedges. Toward the end of the meal, Kimi introduced Carole to the curious pursuit of "Bitz Hockey," which brought about two heated matches, with the final score being split.

----------

The following Monday marked the beginning of July, replete with its increased summer heat and humidity. It also marked the beginning of Kimi's second week of training. The morning's karate session was to be the first day Kimi would be sparring in her full compliment of equipment, her pistol snug in her chest holster, three weighted clips in sleeves along the large strap which ran over her left shoulder. Her weapon and extra ammunition added another six pounds to her body weight, making some of her movements a bit awkward for about the first half-hour, but as she progressed through the session Kimi worked into functioning efficiently with her firearm on board.

In the afternoon, Kimi went through a continuation of her routine on the firing range, with a literal twist - firing on targets while starting faced at a right angle to, and sometimes facing completely away from the silhouette, turning and firing on her target at Mark's command. This was a precursor routine to introduce and acclimate Kimi to the motions that would be used should she encounter a target to her side or behind her - motions she would first employ the next day in her first "House Clearing" session.

----------

Tuesday, July 2nd, 12:42 PM, Eastgate time
Tuesday, July 2nd, 8:42 PM, Cairo time
-11 Days
Kimi and Mark pulled up to the firing range, collecting their equipment from the Jeep and going inside. They walked to the front counter where Mark presented his ID and motioned Kimi to show hers. The Sergeant behind the counter brought up a form for both Mark and Kimi to sign as he looked at the cards. "Yes, Captain, you're all set. Your assistant, Lieutenant Ettinger was in yesterday evening setting things up." He looked at the signatures, then handed Mark a small device, a bit smaller than a pack of cigarettes. He then motioned to a door just behind the near end of the counter marked, "Indoor Simulation." "This way," he said. "You're reserved for the afternoon."

Mark held the door open for Kimi as they walked into a small vestibule with two doors, one marked, "Control Room," the other marked, "Sim Floor." They walked through that door and down a flight of stairs to a mezzanine - then another flight of stairs and through another door into a small staging area with a counter to the side and yet another door ahead. "You can set your stuff on here while you get set up," Mark said. Kimi set her Escrima sleeve on the counter and slid her holster up her left arm to over her shoulder as Mark continued. "When you first step out into the room, there will be a long corridor with a turn to the right at the end. The corridors go around the perimeter of the room. On either side of the corridor are doors and windows. This first run is not timed in any way, so don't go rushing through. Today you'll be focusing exclusively on using your sidearm. At various points, cardboard figures will jump up either in a window or from behind a door...and some of them will push the door open as they come out. You'll have about a second after they come into sight to decide whether they're good or bad guys, and whether to fire on them or not." Mark then attached the small device to the top of Kimi's shoulder strap. "This is an electronic transmitter. It will tie you into the system, for reactions from the bad guys. If you hear a small tone, that's a good takedown...but if you hear a buzzer--"

"--I'm hit?"

Mark nodded slowly. "You're hit, and the round is over. The transmitter also has a mic in it, so you can talk to me over the intercom with any questions or comments."

Kimi looked to Mark with a concerned expression as he said this. "Sounds like all about haunted house, Cap'n Mark. Will anything jump out from above?"

"No. Even though there are no ceilings, you have to imagine that they're there, like in a real building."

Kimi snugged and adjusted her holster as Mark continued. "As I said, there will be several closed doors, and doorways without doors. You have to 'clear' each room as you go. Any room you miss could contain a bad guy that could sneak up behind you."

"Umm..." Kimi said haltingly, "what's...the best way to...clear a room?"

"Surprise is the best tactic," Mark said. "You open the door quickly and scan the room as you go in...let your eyes and your weapon follow each other, so that you're aiming where you're scanning...that way, if you spot a bad guy, you're already more or less trained on him. As you come to each window, train your sidearm on it as you pass it, in case someone is waiting. When you clear a room," he said, bringing his hands up as if holding a pistol and moving to the edge of the wall, "peek into the corridor each way--" Mark demonstrated, making a quick motion past the corner, turning his head to look, then retracting quickly "--to make sure nobody has sneaked into the corridor, waiting for you to come out. You use that same move when going around a corner into a room or another corridor."

"H-how are you going to simulate that??"

"Bad guys in the corridor? In here, they'll pop out, either from behind a door, through a window, or from around a corner. I'll be up in the Control Room, err, controlling that."

"Umm, Cap'n Mark? How many...bad guys...are there in the simulation?"

Mark smirked slightly. "I'm not telling you that. That might skew your thinking during the sim....but...how many rounds do you have on you?"

Kimi drew her pistol and pressed the button on the left side of it, holding her other hand beneath the weapon as the clip slid from it. She checked it and slid it back into place. "I have one clip in the gun," she said, "and two on my harness. 30 rounds in all, Cap'n Mark."

"I'll tell you this," Mark smiled. "There are less bad guys than that...and probably a lot less in the warehouse in Cairo...remember, Wade told me there were about ten in the building, not counting your mother, Drakken and Shego."

Shego.

As she slipped on her Escrima sleeve, Kimi bristled slightly at mention of the name; the dream from nearly two weeks ago of the encounter with the raven-haired vixen still vivid in the back of her mind.

Her focus on her potential foe was broken by Mark's hand on her shoulder. "Go ahead and put on your Escrima, but leave the sticks here...you won't need them this afternoon." He then smiled. "Just like the Speed Room, Ki...don't worry if you don't do perfect your first time out...there will be more of these." Mark started for the door, stopping in the doorway and turning back to Kimi. "Remember, Ki...you only have to hit a figure once. Have your sidearm at the ready when you step onto the sim floor. Give me a minute to get up to the Control room, and then we'll do this...'k?" With this, he disappeared through the back doorway, shutting the door behind him.

Kimi thought about the exercise she was about to undergo as she spent a moment adjusting her sleeve, making sure its straps and those of the holster were comfortable. This was to be a further test of her new skills with a firearm - a test against targets that do not sit unhidden in plain sight, waiting to be hit.

She reached for her pistol, flicking the Velcro strap away and drawing the weapon from its holster. She reached with her thumb to flick off the safety - and had to suddenly cradle under the pistol with her left hand as the clip released. All about wrong button, she thought, as she shoved the clip back into place, and pressed the button just above it. Kimi then moved the fingers of her left hand to the ribs at the back of the slide, pulling it until she heard the "shick" as a round slid into place in the chamber.

All about lock 'n load, Kimi thought, letting the slide spring forward into place with an authoritative "snap."

There was a click from the device on Kimi's shoulder. :::I'm all set here, Ki,::: Mark said. :::You ready to go?:::

Kimi had nodded twice before she caught herself, rolling her eyes as she remembered that it was impossible to send a nod via intercom. "Ready, Cap'n Mark."

:::Okay...the windows up here jut out over the floor, so I'll see you just after you come out the door...I'll give you a little bit of help with the first couple of doorways. Remember the corner-peek move I showed you...and don't forget about checking windows as you pass. Let's do a run, Ki.:::

12:57 PM.
Kimi tightened her right hand around the grip of the pistol, bringing her left hand to rest under the butt of the weapon and holding it slightly downward. She nudged the bottom of the door with her foot, opening it to reveal a long corridor in somewhat-dimmer light. As the door opened to the corridor she raised the pistol, glancing quickly at each opening in the hallway for movement. She then glanced to her right and retracted her weapon to near her shoulder, darting her head quickly past the corner of the doorway to check the corridor to her right, and retracting just as quickly.

:::Clear?::: Mark asked.

"All about clear, Cap'n Mark," said Kimi. She slowly advanced into the corridor, continuing quick glances to the right, checking the intersecting corridor. As she got to the inside corner, she leaned against that wall, pausing for a few seconds.

:::Good job watching that side corridor, Ki. Ready to go on?:::

"...Yeah, Cap'n Mark."

Kimi moved slightly away from the wall, looking down the corridor.

The door closest to her suddenly sprang open and a cardboard figure dressed in camouflage fatigues with a dark beard and hair slid quickly through the doorway and partly into the corridor.

Kimi uttered a quick shriek of surprise, taking a step back and quickly raising her pistol, rapidly firing two shots as she did so - -tfff tfff- - hitting the figure in the abdomen and the shoulder.

A short faint tone sounded over the device on Kimi's shoulder, then Mark's voice. :::Good hit, Ki!::: as the figure slid back through the doorway, the door closing after it. :::He never knew what hit him:::

"All about scared the jumpin' Jebus outta me, Cap'n Mark," Kimi said.

:::That's why you always have to be at the ready. Remember though, that you only need to fire once, unless you miss. Ready to go on?:::

Kimi took in a breath and huffed it out, trying to keep the "ready" while losing some of the tension. "...Ready, Cap'n Mark." She moved to the wall again, sliding slowly down the corridor.

A figure in a white robe slid from a doorway on the other side of the corridor. Before it even stopped its movement, Kimi flashed to her left and squeezed off a shot, the dart hitting the figure in the neck with a prominent "thwack." The figure disappeared through the doorway as a tone came through the device, confirming her takedown.

:::Ace shot, Ki...nailed him lookin':::

A small smile sneaked onto Kimi's face as she, too approved of her performance in her first two encounters with "the enemy." She turned to her right and scanned down the corridor, then quickly turned to her left, looking at the ground she had covered over her shoulder.

:::Checking your six...attagirl:::

"I have a different way of describing it, Cap'n Mark," she snickered quietly.

:::C-Y-A?:::

"Hehe, yeah," Kimi tittered. "It's all about covered."

:::Heh. Okay, you have a window coming up on your right. Scan it as you pass, like I told you:::

Kimi moved to the opposite wall and slowly along it, her pistol trained on the opening. As she got directly across from the window, another figure in fatigues rose into it. Kimi was already trained on the figure as she pulled the trigger, the dart slapping against its head as it stuck. :::That's right between the eyes::: Mark said as the figure sank from sight. :::You're doing well, Ki:::

The door just to the left of the window sprang open. Kimi instantly turned to it, training her weapon on the edge of the door as a figure slid from behind it - then her left hand dropped from beneath the pistol as her shoulders slackened, her arms falling to her sides. "Caaap'nnn Mmmaarrrrk..." she groaned.

The very end of Mark's laughter came through the small speaker as he recovered. :::We-ll Ki...your decision is if the figure represents a good guy or a bad guy. Do you fire on the target or not?:::

"Cap'n Mark...no. I'm not," she sighed. "It's all about Scooby-Doo could never be a 'bad guy'."

:::Good call...even if it was a bit...obvious--:::

A second fatigued figure suddenly slid past the door, behind the rendition of the comic dog. Kimi gasped from her eased posture, firing a dart into the second figure's chest.

:::Yep...Scooby wasn't a bad guy...he was a hostage. Good shot, Ki:::

Kimi let out a long breath. "All about sneaky, Cap'n Mark."

:::But you handled it well! You didn't just fire on the first thing that moved and hit poor Scooby...now...you're almost to the end of this corridor. Remember to use your corner-peek:::

Kimi edged to the last two doorways before the corner. She edged her head into the first, backing quickly - then stepped through the doorway into a small room and checked under a table to the left of the doorway. "This one is all about clear, Cap'n Mark."

:::Roger that. Room's clear:::

Kimi then returned to the doorway, giving quick peeks first to her left and then her right into the corridor, and advanced into it, moving toward the second doorway and repeating the procedure, then sinking her back against the wall. "This room is clear, too," she said.

:::Roger the clear on the second room. How's your ammo?::

Kimi took a second, recounting how many times she fired on previous "bad guys." "Five darts left in this clip."

:::Okay...let's go on. Remember to check your six before you go around the corner:::

Kimi slowly let her head slip past the doorway, looking to the left, then the right. She moved slowly, keeping her back against the frame of the doorway and the inside wall the last three feet to the end of the corridor. She then turned her back from the wall, bringing up her pistol, and leaning quickly to her left for a look down the next corridor.

Nothing.

She slid to the corner and slowly edged around it--

A figure jumped from the first doorway which was about four feet from the edge of the wall. A familiar figure.

Kimi took in a sudden large gasp at the appearance of the ebony-haired evil, clad in green and black. She dived to her left, tumbling into a crouch, her pistol leveled. "AAAHHHH!!" she screamed, her eyes alight with a mix of fear and rage as she fired rapidly into the cardboard figure.

-tfff-tfff-tfff-

:::Ki:::

-tfff-tfff-click-click-click-

:::KI!:::

Kimi's eyes remained locked on the evil rendition as she pressed the button on the pistol, releasing the empty clip from the gun to fall to the floor with a hollow clatter, her left hand simultaneously flashing to the strap of her holster to grab a fresh clip, slapping it hard into the pistol and thrusting her right fist forward as she roughly clawed the slide back, loading the weapon.

Kimi brought the pistol up again, trained on her target when the entire sim floor was flooded in brighter light. Mark's voice now burst from overhead speakers. :::Ki! What are you doing?:::

Kimi sank to a sitting position, heaving breath. "I'm doing the same thing I'm going to do when I run into this freak - I'm going to empty at least TWO clips into her! It's all about sleep for a WEEK! She's not going to get the chance to use those green freak gloves or anything else on ME!"

Kimi was still breathing hard through her mouth as Mark spoke. :::Ki...go back to the main door...I'm coming down. Holster your weapon:::

Kimi rose to her feet, a light sheen of sweat now on her forehead, looking at the cardboard Shego. She took a step toward the first corridor - then stopped - turned - and fired one more round at the figure's head. "Ride the needle, biznek," she snarled as the figure jerked back a bit from the impact of the cartridge. Kimi shoved the pistol harshly into its holster and turned for the entrance to the sim floor.

Mark opened the door as she approached. "What was all that about?"

Kimi stopped and leaned back against the wall. "A...a few days before I called you...I had a dream...a bad dream. Shego was in it. We were going to fight, and she..." she paused as Mark placed a hand on her shoulder. "...I'm...not sure I know how to fight her, Cap'n Mark...those green gloves and all. She's all about slice through anything."

"Okay, Ki," Mark said, gently kneading her shoulder, "I can see you have issues about dealing with Shego. I thought about this a while ago. First of all...Shego's 'power' doesn't come from her gloves...second of all, that 'power' was just a special effect on the show. She doesn't have that 'power' at all--"

Kimi squinted against the glare of the brighter lights to look at Mark, a light glaze of tears in her eyes. "H--...how do you know all this?"

Mark couldn't help but to chuckle slightly. "Ki...I didn't become a special investigator by missing details. I contacted Wade one evening about two days after you got here and asked him about Shego's 'power'...and unless she has some other weapon on her, the only thing she could use against you...is her skill in karate. Now," he said, sliding his arm around her back to her other shoulder, "two things you have to remember throughout the rest of your training, and the mission itself...it doesn't take more than one dart to put someone down. More darts won't make someone sleep any longer."

"Okay, Cap'n Mark," Kimi said, brushing lightly along her eyes with the back of her finger, "One Ace dart per lead slug."

"The other thing," said Mark, "...Acepromazine darts have no effect whatsoever on Cellers."

"...What??" Kimi asked incredulously.

"Nope. I don't know the chemical details...but if you were to shoot Shego with one of those darts, you'd do little more than make her say 'ow'...and probably get her really angry."

Kimi's expression fell a bit at this news. "Well," she said, "how about...Cellers are all about allergic to alcohol. Make some of the darts with alcohol instead of the sleep stuff?"

"Three reasons why not. One, the casing in the darts that holds the drug can't stand up to alcohol...they'd leak...two...you wouldn't have time to switch between Acepromazine and alcohol for different opponents...and three...I thought you didn't want to kill anyone." Mark's expression lightened as he gave the teen a nudge. "Hey," he smiled, squeezing Kimi's upper arm, "why do you think we're working so hard on your karate skills as well as training with firearms?" He moved from the wall, guiding Kimi toward the main door. "C'mon, Ki...we've done enough for today. We'll be down here again tomorrow. From what I've seen so far, you can target and fire pretty fast...and you dropped every bad guy who came out."

"...I made Shego say 'ow' a bunch of times too!" Kimi quipped.

Mark laughed softly as he held the door open. "I want to hear more about that dream you had."

They returned to the COTQ, and Kimi went to her quarters to retrieve the series of disks containing episodes of Kim's show, bringing them down to Mark's quarters, where they spent the afternoon analyzing Shego's fighting style and looking for anything that might give Kimi an edge in a fight. Before the evening meal, Kimi related to Mark the details of the surreal dream in which she encountered the quick and deadly villain.

Kimi's appetite was a bit larger than usual, and Mark accomodated by taking her to the BX, suggesting one of their one-third pound cheeseburgers, accompanied by a generous helping of "crinkle" fries. Kimi proceded to match Mark bite-for-bite, downing the entire meal save for a few of the fries. She even refilled her soft drink for the return to her quarters, where she wiled away the evening in the online backgammon room.

Wednesday, July 3rd, 12:03 AM, Eastgate time
Wednesday, July 3rd, 8:03 AM, Cairo time
-10 Days
A dark sound flashed Kimi's eyes open in her darkened room. She spread her arms out against the bed, feeling faint reverberations tickle her fingers and palms as the noise subsided. She rose quickly, moving to the window and slipping a finger between the Venetian blinds, pulling down a few of the slats to look out into the clear night sky. Not thunder, she thought.

Kimi suddenly let the slats slip from her hand as she took a step back from the window, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling and thudding the heel of her hand to her forehead. "All about doi," she sighed to herself. "It's an air base."

Kimi returned to her bed, mentally spanking herself for forgetting the nature of her surroundings. She slowly sank back onto her pillow, making a mental note to ask Mark during breakfast about how often planes fly low over the base.

6:50 AM.
The electronic insistence of the phone stirred Kimi from her slumber to reach for it. "...H'lo...hi Cap'n Mark," she said, turning to the clock on the nightstand. "...a bit late this morning."

"Morning, Kimi...this isn't Mark," came the voice through the line. "It's Craig."

"Oh," Kimi said, sitting up. "Hi Craig. What's up? Umm...besides me, I mean. Is Cap'n Mark still sleeping?"

"Mark won't be able to train you this morning," said Craig. "He had something come up. He'll be back on Thursday. I'm sorry about the late wake-up call...how quick can you be ready for breakfast?"

Kimi moved to the edge of the bed, stretching her arms toward the ceiling, her feet scooting slowly along the floor. "Probably about fifteen minutes." The tone of her voice now had a slight note of concern. "Is...Cap'n Mark alright, Craig?"

"He's fine. Like I said, he had other business come up...so...you'll be ready a little after 0700? Come down to my quarters...1-E."

"I'm all about there, Craig," Kimi said, standing and walking to the dresser. "Bye." She closed the phone and set it on the dresser, opening a drawer for fresh clothes. "One of the cases in Cairo," she said as she put her blue sweat cutoffs over her shoulder. "Maybe he's screaming across the ocean in a Scramjet about now." A thought then crossed her mind that, in a little more than a week, she would be accompanying him on that same flight path to Cairo.

Kimi showered and dressed in her blue sweat cutoffs over black leotards, and a purple t-shirt. She checked her hair, then came down the stairs to knock on Craig's door, where he joined her and together they boarded his Jeep to go to breakfast. Kimi chose a "walkaway," while Craig had a traditional plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.

At the gym, after she finished her weight and aerobics routines, Kimi walked to the table at the edge of the exercise floor, waving to a couple of the fight trainers as they arrived. "What will I be doing this morning, Craig?" she asked as she brushed the end of her towel over her forehead.

"Mark gave me a small schedule to follow," Craig said. "It doesn't look too intense, though. Since I can't help much with karate, Mark said to just have you practice the new moves you've learned since you've been here." Craig motioned to the table as Kimi set her Escrima sleeve on it. "I see you brought your sticks...and Mark gave me your firearm and holster for today's training."

"Done and done, Craig," Kimi grinned as Craig reached into a gym bag for her pistol and chest holster and passed it to her. "Umm...you don't have the computer, though."

"I know. I don't have the microphone either, to use the speakers. I'll have one of them start off, and we'll just go around the room."

"Works for me," said Kimi, slipping her Escrima onto her shoulder and turning for the center of the floor.

While the morning's events weren't particularly educational, it was a lively and spirited workout, with Kimi working to hone her aerobatic skills, vaulting over opponents on several occasions, and dealing the winning blow from behind them.

11:36 AM.
After a shower, Kimi and Craig went back to the BX, with Kimi choosing a light lunch of salad and an orange. As they sat at a table, curiosity returned as the topic of conversation. "Did Cap'n Mark say anything about what's going on?"

"He didn't give me much info at all," Craig said. "He said that there would be more to tell when he got back...later tonight."

"...What time did he leave this morning?"

"It was...well before dawn," replied Craig.

A hint of her frustration with the sudden change in events now began to seep into Kimi's voice. "...This is...I mean...it's all about Cap'n Mark can handle almost anything by phone or by computer. He leaves, right in the middle of preparing me for the most important thing I've ever had to do...ever had to try to do...and he wouldn't even tell you anything before he left!? Aren't you, like...all about his assistant??"

Craig had no real response other than to bring his hands from the table, opening them. "Kimi...I wish there was more I could tell you...but I'm sorry. The Captain said he will be back tomorrow. You'll have to talk to him then."

Kimi let out a long slow exhale-sigh, her fork sinking onto her plate.

"Mark did say that firearms training was optional today...if you'd rather..."

"Yeah...I think it's all about skip today...if that's alright with you..."

"Mark said you did well in the house clearing yesterday, for your first time out," Craig said.

"Yeah..I did okay," said Kimi, "...until I ran into a cardboard thingy of Shego. I...kind of lost it."

Craig chuckled slightly. "He said you emptied a clip into her."

"...Then I found out that the Ace-proma...darts don't work on Cellers."

"Mark had me put the Shego in there...he wanted to see how you'd react." Craig then rose from the table. "I'll take you back to the COTQ, Kimi...the rest of the afternoon is yours."

As they walked out to the Jeep, Kimi asked, "Craig...did you hear a...jet fly over the building about midnight last night? It sounded like it was pretty low...I thought it was thunder from a storm until I looked outside."

"I didn't hear anything," Craig smiled, "but I've grown up on air bases...things like jets just don't wake me anymore. Besides, the runways are on the other side of the base, and there's no flight path over this part of the base."

"Well, I heard something," Kimi huffed as she climbed into the Jeep.

Kimi spent the afternoon perusing an online site for the BX, purchasing a pair of cargo pants and a couple of pair of sweatpants to wear during her karate sessions. While at the site, she found that pizza could be ordered from her quarters and even delivered. She decided on a small pizza with mushrooms and black olives for dinner, and a couple of bottles of soda to keep in her refrigerator. After paying the delivery girl for the pizza by charging it on her ID card, Kimi found a site on the base Intranet that offered a variety of radio feeds. She selected something with a pop flair, and sat on the couch, putting her feet up.

As she ate, Kimi welcomed the small break in her schedule, which had intensified in this second week. She spent a moment thinking about the new moves Mark had shown her in the karate sessions, performing them in her mind. She thought about the progress she had made in her firearms training since the Sunday that she was introduced to the weapon she would be using in her mission - her mission that was, at the moment, a few hours more than nine days away.

Kimi placed the box of half-eaten pizza on the table in front of the couch and drifted off to sleep midway through the evening.

----------

Thursday, July 4th, 6:41 AM, Eastgate time
Thursday, July 4th, 2:41 PM, Cairo time
-9 Days
A loud pounding on the door shocked Kimi awake. She jumped from the couch and hurried to the door, throwing it open to reveal a rather furrowed-browed Mark. "Ki!," he exclaimed, "I was just about to break this door in. You didn't answer the phone when I called this morning...I thought something was wrong...you okay?"

"Hi Cap'n Mark," Kimi said through a yawn. "I'm fine. I had some pizza for dinner last night, and I fell asleep on the couch. I guess I didn't hear the phone." Her expression then expanded into a grin. "I'm glad to see you back this morning. I...kind of freaked a little when Craig said you had something come up. I should be all about asking the 'okay' thing instead of you."

"I'm just great," Mark said, smiling. "Ready to get back to training today?"

"Yeah," said Kimi. "Yesterday was kind of lead without you here to train me. Craig did his best though. I decided to skip the sim floor thingy until you could be there." She began to turn for the bathroom. "Give me 15 for a shower? I'll meet you at your quarters?"

"Works for me," said Mark. "I'm glad to be back training you, Ki...okay, at my door in 15," he beamed, slowly closing the door.

Kimi walked to the dresser, picking out a pair of "biking" shorts and a t-shirt. "Cap'n Mark is all about good mood," she remarked to herself as she pulled off her socks. "Must not have been as bad a thing as I thought...or maybe it had a very good ending."

7:39 AM.
BX Dining Area
"You're really developing a taste for shingles," Mark quipped as Kimi sank her fork into one of the remaining pieces of her toast, lazing it around her plate to gather the last of the chipped beef gravy.

"It's not as bad as I thought before I tried it last week," Kimi said as she brought the bite to her mouth, "but it's still not something I would want every day."

"I think that's the third time you've ordered it since you've been here," Mark smirked. "Hey - tonight's the Fourth. Did you have any plans?"

"Actually I did have plans tonight...it's all about youth club on Thursdays."

"Oh, that's right," said Mark, tapping his fingers on the table. "It slipped my mind about the youth club. There's a fireworks show on the big projection screen at the officers' club, and I was thinking about showing up, if you wanted to."

"On a screen?" Kimi asked. "Why not just have real fireworks outside?"

"I agree, that would be nicer than just seeing it on a screen...but, fireworks have been banned from military bases for about six years now...there just isn't a good way to screen the ordinance to make sure someone didn't sneak in a mortar round or some other high explosive."

"Oh," Kimi said quietly, "that's kind of lead." She then looked to the large clock over the serving line. "Would it be okay to get kind of an early start on my training this morning? I need to make up for yesterday."

Mark grinned as he stood from the table. "By your command, Ki. Let's go."

The two left the BX for the Jeep, and went to the gym, with Kimi doing about ten additional minutes of weight training, concentrating on toning her upper body. On the exercise floor, Mark gave Kimi a short refresher course on the moves and blocks she had learned in the past week-and-a-half, then had her employ them against opponents. In the last hour or so, Mark started Kimi on routines involving more than one opponent at a time, helping her to focus on widening her abilities against a multi-faceted threat and telling her that these exercises would also contribute to honing her skills in the Speed Room.

After a shower and a light lunch, Kimi and Mark returned to the Sim Floor on the lower level of the firing range. Wtih a promise of "Nooo Shego today" from Mark, Kimi ventured out into the corridors of the simulation, employing the techniqes and heightened awareness she had learned two days previous, checking and clearing rooms, and dispatching with threats as they appeared. Kimi eventually made a complete sweep of the simulation, canvassing all four corridors and adjoining rooms in just under an hour-and-a-half.

Mark came down the stairs as Kimi was removing her Escrima sleeve and chest holster. He greeted her with a pat on her upper arm and a wide smile. "I can't tell you how proud I am of how you've become accustomed to working with firearms, Ki," he said. "Your attitude is a world away from the day when you first saw your sidearm." He patted her arm again. "You've just done your first complete house clearing...and you didn't leave any bad guys awake to sneak out."

"I'm just trying to remember everything I'm learning," said Kimi. "I'm trying to be as thorough as I can when I...clear a room...and I'm always watching for bad guys to pop out."

"You're doing it right, Ki," said Mark, his smile widening even further, "and NEXT week...we put all your training together. You'll be going through house clearings...but there won't be any cardboard targets. The fight trainers will be down here in KISS suits...and you'll be using both your karate and your sidearm to get through the sim."

Kimi gave Mark a somewhat puzzled look. "Umm...I'll be shooting darts at them?"

"Nope...you'll have carts full of bright yellow paint, and no needle. With live targets that fight back, It'll be as close a sim as possible to what you'll face when you go to Cairo."

The thought hit home with Kimi: In just over a week, instead of being in a simulation on an air base a little more than 100 miles from home, she would be thousands of miles away in another country, facing opponents with much darker intentions against her. Instead of being able to bring her fighting to a halt at any time, her battle against her mother's captors would not stop until either they - or she - fell to surrender...or worse.

And Shego still remained as a valid threat in Kimi's mind.

A visible shudder ran through Kimi as she and Mark reached the door to the front counter of the firing range. "I'm...still a bit--" she stammered slightly, putting her hand over her stomach "--some butterflies."

"...the Shego thing," Mark commented, bringing a slow nod from Kimi. "I don't know what else I can say, Ki. You already know that her 'power' is without merit. I'll see what Wade can tell us about the extent of her karate skills...but you have to work on this fear, Ki. You can't let fear be based on or fueled by a dream that you had about her."

"I'll work on it, Cap'n Mark," she sighed as they walked through the door to the front counter.

Kimi told Mark on the way back to their quarters that the meal at the youth club tonight would be "hoagie" sandwiches and various snacks. She said that while her lessons would still be in the forefront, she was looking forward to the brief respite with her newfound friends this evening.

Kimi went to her quarters to shower and change. Shortly before 6:00, they got into the Jeep for the five-block ride to the youth club. Upon entering the building, she was almost immediately met by Dani, who greeted her merrily and led her to the table where she was greeted by the rest of the group. They had said that they waited until Kimi's arrival to take advantage of the evening feast - and at that moment, they rose as a group, moving to the serving area to choose from the myriad of sandwiches offered, and a vast selection of chips, pretzels, cheese curls and other snacks.

While the after-dinner activity turned to backgammon, the conversation was sprinkled with talk of lights in the sky to the north of the base late on Tuesday night. "You didn't see it??" Dani perked. "It was Aurora Borealis! It looked like a curtain in the sky...every color of the rainbow!"

"My window is all about face the south," Kimi said with a slight tone of disappointment at missing the phenomenon.

"It was way late, or I would have called you," said Dani. "I knew Amy was still up, and I called her."

"It was weird," Kat added. "My dad was stationed at a base in Maine for a couple of years. I've seen Aurora before, but never this far south...and never in the middle of summer."

"I just went outside for a breath," Dani said. "I just looked up...and there it was. I ran back in and called Amy, then went outside again. I must have been out there for a half-hour, just watching it."

"It was pretty neat," said Amy. "We might not have been able to see at all if there was a moon."

Kimi turned to Amy with a raised eyebrow. "There was no moon?"

"Tuesday night was the first night of the new moon," said Kat. "Blacker than coal."

"What...what time of the night was this?" asked Kimi.

"It was right around midnight I think," Kat said.

Kimi thought for a second. "Did anybody...hear anything about that time...like...thunder, or a jet, or something?" Each of the group shook their head. "It woke me up," Kimi said. "It was just after midnight. It felt like it shook the whole building."

"Planes never fly over this side of the base," said Jason, "and it was a clear night, so it couldn't have been thunder. Maybe you just dreamed it."

"I had a dream once," purred Kat in a silky voice. "I had a dream that I had a COMPUTER that still WORKED! Remember THAT, JA-SON??"

Jason moved a bit to defend, in case the tall Asian girl went physical again. "Hey!" he protested, "Your part came in today...I just haven't put it in yet. I was going to do that tonight after we leave here!"

Kat took a look at the clock over the stereo - then her expression became stern. "10 tomorrow...you have until 10 tomorrow morning to get my computer back to me, and in perfect working condition - AND with the MD burner installed!" Kat then stood from her chair, walking over to the trash can near the serving area and throwing in her paper plate and napkins. "Just about that time, gang," she said, motioning to the clock.

"Thursdays never last long enough," Dani sighed as she started for the front door, joined by her friends.

"Thursday can't get over fast enough," Kat piped. "I'll have my computer back tomorrow!" The rest of the group broke into laughter at this.

Dani pointed to the street, and an approaching Jeep. "Here comes your ride, Ki," she said. "We're going to take off. I'll email you tomorrow." With a hug and a wave, Dani started to the corner, followed by the rest of the troupe.

Kimi walked to the Jeep and climbed in. "Hi Cap'n Mark...another night of facts and figures? Or, did you go to the officers' club and actually try to have a little fun?" she quipped, nudging a fist onto Mark's upper arm.

"You make it sound like I never have any fun," Mark chuckled as he pulled onto the street. "Another good meal and backgammon tonight?"

"Diamond like last week," Kimi smiled.

"Oh, hey," Mark said. "You know, you left the mini-disks with your mother's show on them down at my quarters Tuesday night. Want me to run them up to your place after we get back?"

"No," Kimi said, slumping slightly into the seat as Mark brought the Jeep to a stop in front of the COTQ. "I'm all about a bit tired tonight. I can get them tomorrow sometime."

"Okay," smiled Mark. "Works for me." He brought his key card from his shirt pocket and slid it through the slot next to his door as Kimi started up the stairs. "Talk to you in the morning."

"'Night, Cap'n Mark," Kimi said. "Thanks for the ride." She went up the stairs to her quarters, opening the door and immediately sitting at the computer, going again to the site of radio feeds and selecting the pop station. She moved to the couch and sat, relaxing into the cushions as she slipped off her shoes. Kimi gave a moment's thought to the comfort of the couch, thinking that if she were going to sleep on it for a second night, she should retrieve the phone first and set it on the table, so as not to go through a repeat of this morning and cause Mark any concern.

10:18 PM.
Kimi had changed into a soft pair of shorts and was preparing to brush her hair for a moment when there came a rather soft knock at her door. She thought for a second, wondering if one of the group from the youth club had made their way to her quarters. She then rebutted herself - the 10:00 curfew would prevent that.

Kimi placed the brush on the counter of the bathroom and crossed the floor as the knock came again. "Cap'n Mark?" she asked as she reached for the doorknob. "You didn't have to bring the MD's up tonight, I could get them t--"

Kimi's voice froze as she opened the door, becoming a long, soft gasp. Her jaw slowly fell slack as her eyes widened. At the door was not Mark - very much not Mark - but a small-framed woman, about Kimi's height. She was dressed in a white long-sleeve button down shirt and a short black skirt, from which suspenders hung loosely at her sides. Her face was adorned and framed by a splay of black hair, spilling in several long bangs. She was also carrying a rucksack. What brought Kimi's amazement was not the woman's or clothes, but her face - her Celler face; its most prominent feature two wide, allluring brown eyes. "Hello," she said, a soft, lithe tone to her voice. "You are...Kimi?"

Kimi took a second to find her voice through her astonishment. "...M--" she started. "...M--Melfina?"

The woman's face moved into a warm smile. "Yes!" she perked, her eyes closing as she extended her hand. "I am most pleased to meet you, Kimi. May I come in?"

Kimi's face still held her expression of amazement as she took her visitor's hand and slowly took a step back, the warmth registering to her touch. "Y-yes, please! All about come in!" She took in the woman's movement, her grace as she entered the room. "W--when did you...?"

"It was two days ago, on Tuesday night," said Melfina, the smile still on her face.

"...That was the thunder I heard that night!" Kimi exclaimed softly. "The rumbling in the building."

"Yes," Melfina explained, "from the Cross...since the incident with Doctor Drakken and Shego hacking the Resonance stream, the Resonance Conduit has been sealed and restricted from any traffic. Mine was a special exception...a protected and encrypted Cross, at the request of Misty, one of the prime Cross Agents."

Kimi took another step back to take in the sight before her. "...way...off...the 'nekka," she stammered. "You're here...you're back! It wasn't just a dream! Angelica was right!" She motioned to the couch, moving to sit at one end, her eyes never leaving the slender woman. "S-sit down...please, Melfina."

"Thank you, Kimi," Melfina beamed, taking a seat next to the teen and setting the rucksack beside her. She then took Kimi into a warm embrace. "Thank you...more than you know...for everything you have done, and for everything you are doing."

"I...I'm not sure I understand," quizzed Kimi. "There's not much that I've--"

"Kimi..." Melfina explained, "two days after you relayed to Mark your talk with Angelica, he contacted Misty. She confirmed what you had told him about other iterations of Cellers being returned...she also told him that because of the new moon on Tuesday, a Cross would be possible this week to return me. During the evening that you were at the youth club last week, Misty came to visit with Mark. She gave him the candle, the crystal, and the incantation for the Cross which restated my iteration."

Kimi's mouth fell open as Melfina recounted the events which led up to her return. "Wow," she said. "Cap'n Mark must be all about in the clouds. He was in a great mood all day. He wouldn't stop smiling!"

"Nor have I, Kimi," Melfina said with a small giggle, embracing the teen again. "And it is you we have to thank for this."

"...Me?"

"Yes, Kimi...you. Even though he asked and prayed intensely for years, Mark did not know the full details of the possibility of bringing other iterations of Cellers back, should they die in the Flesher environment. Telling him of your talk with Angelica, and informing him to contact Misty started the process. Kimi...you were the catalyst which made my Cross to return here to the Flesher environment possible--" her smile widened "--and to return to my husband and love, Mark."

Since the night she first met Mark in Cairo, Kimi had been going through the back of her mind again and again for a way to express her gratitude and thanks for the effort, the commitment, the determination and the compassion he had shown in formulating a way to rescue her mother. At this moment she knew that, without further searching, she had brought about the best way of showing her thanks to the tall, broad-shouldered Captain. A tear of joy and happiness now slid along her cheek to her smile. "I'm glad I could at least have a little something to do with making you and Cap'n Mark happy."

"It is not just the two of us, Kimi," said Melfina. "Ever since word reached the Celler community about your mother's possible fate in the Flesher environment, Misty has been keeping us informed about any developments. Kimi...you know that your mother was at the forefront of many firsts for Cellers visiting the Flesher environment...the first to have a physical love for a Flesher, and later, the very first inter-environmental union--" she brought a finger to Kimi's nose "...and still later...you," she grinned. "Her actions here went far in advancing the acceptance of interaction between environments. To many Cellers, your mother is a friend...a kind of celebrity...and a hero."

Kimi nodded with a blush as Melfina continued. "The day after her visit to Mark, she told me about you, Kim Possible's daughter...and what you were preparing for. Since then, Misty has relayed to many others what you are planning to do to rescue your mother. Your name is on the lips of nearly every citizen of the Celler environment. Kimi...you are our hero...even before your mission begins." She once again moved to bring Kimi to another hug.

"...Thank you, Melfina," Kimi said, a shard of trepidation creeping into her voice, "but...my training could be going better. I lost it on one of the trainers during a fight against a Jo staff...and in a house clearing, I shot darts at a figure of Shego...darts that won't do anything to Cellers." Her face fell a bit, and her tears of happiness soured into frustration and doubt. "I...I have a problem with my emotions when bested during a fight..." she trailed off.

Melfina reached for her again. "Kimi...you are well-versed in karate...you should have a strong ki. Your ki is your life force...your energy."

"...It's also my nickname," Kimi said.

"Then your ki should be well-honed and focused!" Melfina returned. "You must focus your anger through your energy, so it does not explode in all directions. Mark and I have talked at length about the issue of your emotions in karate...he told me about the conversation he had with you on the night that Kim disappeared...about channeling the water. You said to him, 'Focus my emotions into the energy of my moves, and no walls can hold me'. your anger is the key to beating any opponent, no matter what they may do to you. Anger is the wind that blows out the light of reason. Keep the light of your power and knowledge focused, and it can guide you through any dark shadow your enemy casts before you."

The softness of Melfina's voice and the wisdom of her words immediately weighed with Kimi. "I can sure see why Cap'n Mark fell for you," she said, her expression lightening. "You're all about sage."

Melfina uttered a small giggle. "I am truly lucky to be with Mark...lucky indeed." She then quickly turned to bring her rucksack into her lap. "I have brought gifts for you!" she chimed, sliding a zipper around the outside of the sack. "Gifts from Misty...and from the Celler community. Gifts that will be tools to help you in your mission."

Kimi watched as Melfina pulled a small pouch from the rucksack, made from a sturdy leather. She opened it and presented what appeared to be a small black six-sided vial, about three inches tall. Melfina then brought a small rolled paper from the pouch, showing both to Kimi. "These items are from Misty," she said. "They will be used to return Doctor Drakken and Shego to the Celler environment." She held up the vial. "This is a crystal, Kimi...when used, it will create what is known as a 'Resonance Anamnesis Event'."

"Anam..." Kimi repeated. "Anamnesis...?"

"It is a recollection event of the Resonance Conduit...it will create a portal into the Conduit...you use it by throwing the cyrstal against a wall...and when you read the incantation on the scroll, it will pull any Celler within a radius of 25 feet into the portal for return to the Celler environment. This is important, Kimi...it will recall any Celler...even those whose stay in the Flesher environment was made permanent by the breaking of their crystal. When you use this, you must make sure your mother is at a safe distance from the portal."

Kimi studied the crystal, its appearance smooth, like glass or marble. "Is...is this the same kind of crystal that's used for a Cross?" she asked.

"Yes...but it is meant to produce the opposite effect of a Cross." Melfina then brought a small box from her rucksack, presenting it to Kimi. "This is to be used when you have completed your mission," she said.

Kimi took the box, sliding off the cover, and her eyes widened as its contents were revealed. She slid the small blue device from the box. "It's...it's a Kimmunicator...? It actually works? I can talk to Wade on this thing??"

"Yes," Melfina smiled. "You press the red center button to activate it. After you have rescued your mother and activated the Anamnesis Event, use the Kimmunicator to alert Wade that the portal has been used. He will contact the Cross Agents to send teams to retrieve Drakken and Shego from the Resonance Conduit...he will also prompt the military here to retrieve the both of you."

"Sugoi, Melfina!" Kimi burst. "This is way diamond."

Melfina then pulled a flat box from the rucksack, about ten inches square and four inches thick. "This gift is from the Celler community," she said, passing the box to Kimi, "but do not open it until the night before you are to leave on your mission. Of all the gifts I have brought you, this one is meant to be the most helpful in giving you confidence in your mission." Kimi took the box, noting that while it had a bit of weight, it was not heavy.

Melfina then placed the rucksack on the table and turned to Kimi with a broad smile. "You now have the tools you need to complete your mission," she said. "You also have the backing of the entire Celler community." Melfina reached again for a hug, her warmth flowing through Kimi's body as they embraced. "I am very thankful to have met you, Kimi...and very honored to meet the hero that is Kim Possible's daughter." She emphasized this with an extra squeeze before they parted. "Now, the hour is late," she said, rising to her feet and taking her now-empty rucksack from the table. "I must be returning to my quarters...and you should be getting sleep for your training tomorrow."

"Melfina...the honor is all about mine," said Kimi as they walked to the door. "And thank you for everything you've said...and everything you've given me." She faced the slender brunette woman. "I will do what is in my power to make you, and other Cellers proud of me."

"You have already done that, Kimi," said Melfina. "Just by committing yourself to this...you have already made us proud of you. Your goal now is to vanquish the evil that is here, and to save your mother. You already have our pride...our admiration...and the blessing of the Celler community." The two moved for another quick hug, and Melfina turned for the hallway, looking back and holding her hand up in a wave as she approached the stairs. "Goodnight Kimi," she said.

"G'night Melfina," Kimi smiled. "And welcome back!" She slowly closed the door and returned to the couch, looking over the items that her new friend had left, and thinking of the wishes behind each of them. She placed the items on the table and reclined on the couch, drifting to sleep - a sound sleep - while looking at them.

----------

It was a changed Kimi who greeted Mark the next morning, and he noticed that change immediately. Missing was her trepidation and doubt; replaced with a more serious, more focused attitude and self-sure determination. He noticed it during the karate session, displacing opponents with a minimum of moves, but with increased precision of execution.

Friday, July 5th, 11:21 AM, Eastgate time
Friday, July 5th, 7:21 PM, Cairo time
-8 Days
Reaction Test and Assessment Speed Room
:::elapsed time of test: three-point-four-eight seconds:::

Kimi shook out her hands as she rose from a crouch. "Again, Cap'n Mark," she said.

"Ki," Mark said, "why don't you take a break for a shower and lunch? You've been at this for nearly an hour now...you've knocked another three-tenths off your time. You're making progress, but you don't have to do--"

He was cut off by Kimi, who whipped the towel from around her neck, throwing it to the floor as she walked quickly to the starting mark on the floor. "AGAIN, Cap'n Mark," she snapped. "I want one more shot at it."

"Okay, Ki," Mark gave in. "But just one more."

Kimi set herself on the mark, her body visibly tense as she bounced slightly on the balls of her feet - then nodded.

-bzzzzzzzzzzt-

Mid-high-high.

Kimi exploded into motion with a left hand to the first light-point; a right fist at the center; and a quick twirl to deliver a spinning back-kick with her left foot at the rightmost light-point - just a split fraction after it had gone out. She thrust out her hands to catch herself as she landed to the floor.

:::elapsed time of test: three-point-one-six seconds:::

"Yow!" Craig exclaimed. "That's another three-tenths off her time!"

Carole shook her head in disbelief as Kimi reached for her towel, giving a small grin.

Mark muted the intercom. "I don't have the designation to give the test or the cert...but Ki's moving at a brown-belt level now. If it were up to me, she'd have the belt today." He then pressed the button for the intercom. "Out-standing, Ki! Come on out...you've earned a shower and a good lunch!"

Kimi emerged from the door to the console, wiping at her forehead. "What?"

"I said you--"

"Don't you mean...dinner, Cap'n Mark?" Kimi quipped with a smirk.

"I think this is where you're supposed to say 'urgh'," Carole perked to Mark. The four exploded into laughter.

1:43 PM.
Firing Range Sim Floor
:::He's outta there::: Mark's voice came through the intercom. :::good catch:::

Kimi pressed the button to release her empty clip, holding her hand under the weapon as it slid down. She dropped her hand to her side, letting the clip fall to the floor, then pulled a fresh clip from her holster strap, sliding it into the pistol--

A figure flew through an open doorway just to Kimi's right--

Shego.

Kimi instantly dropped her pistol, her hand flashing over her shoulder to her Escrima sleeve, whipping the blue sticks before her and leaping at the cardboard figure. "Eh-HA--KIAI!!" she barked, shrieking the last, swinging three sharp blows to its head and chest, causing the figure to double to the floor as it fell, exposing the frame of aluminum piping holding it.

:::Whoa::: Mark exclaimed. :::You broke my Shego!:::

Kimi looked at the broken cardboard figure. "She's all about liquified, Cap'n Mark," she said with a proud smirk.

:::...I think I can take this to mean that you've worked through your fears about Shego:::

Kimi looked up toward the glass of the control room. "I don't do fear anymore, Cap'n Mark."

to be continued...