Part III: Pride of Man

"Where's Kimmie?" Ms. Possible asked, looking very concerned. The twins held up a note.

"She said she was going out for a walk mom." Tim said, "She asked us not to say anything."

"She looked a lot better!" His twin, Jim said. "She just wanted to clear her head." Ms. Possible frowned, and then nodded. "You should have told me, boys, but maybe it's for the best. I told Mr. Barkin I'd be keeping Kimmie home for the rest of the week…given how yesterday went. The twins didn't ask—as intelligent as they were, they were still young boys, and their world view didn't adjust well to the near hysterical state their sister had been in when she'd been driven home, or the nightmares.

But Kim wasn't clearing her head—at least not in that way.

"Kim Possible." The scientist said, "I heard you were, ah…in the hospital." He finished, looking at her bandaged hands, hollow eyes, and feeling the aura of tension that lay behind those eyes.

"I got out." Kim said, "I need a favor."

"Anything, for the person who saved the science center from DNAmy." He said heartily.

"I need this." She said, passing a sheet of paper over. He looked at it, and blanched.

"Young lady… this isn't simply on the controlled substances list, it's on the banned substances list."

"But your company was involved in making it for the military—you must have some left."

"We do…but I don't think."

"Please!" He reared back at the sound of her voice. Kim realized and fought herself into a semblance of normality.

"Dr. Drakken is working on some gadget that uses biological systems." Kim said, thinking fast. "We think that this could neutralize it…but Global Justice doesn't have any in their stocks… could you?" He looked at her. Anyone else, and he'd be on the phone to the cops, but this was Kim Possible, after all. He keyed in a request, and moments later a clerk came out with a box.

"120 capsules… " He paused, "I don't know what you're using it on, but the dosages are rated for a 200 lb. man." He paused again, "Please…don't lose track of this—it makes PCP and Meph look like a nightcap."

"Don't worry." Kim said, taking the box under her arm.

"And…it's good to see you up."

"No big." Kim said, smiling at him. "I'm pretty much over it." She walked away, casually walking until she was out of sight, and then she quickly jogged back home.

Mom was waiting for her.

"Young lady?" Ms. Possible asked.

"I'm sorry mom… I just wanted to get out, into the sun." Her mother smiled. That was a good sign.

"So you slept better last night?"

"Pretty much—I think the nightmares are going away." Her mom gave her an impulsive hug.

"That's my Kimmie…but I'm here if you need to talk.

"Thanks, mom." Kim said. "I think I can go back to school tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Ms. Possible paused, "Ron won't be there…he ah, had an argument with some students…and well, he's been suspended for the week."

"What?" Then Kim frowned. "I bet it was about me, wasn't it…if someone beat him up, I'm-"

"Not going to do anything." Her mother paused, "And although I can't be happy about how violent he was, a little bird named Barkin told me that some people got what they richly deserved." Kim smiled.

"Don't worry mom… I can handle it."

"OK…" Her mom said, looking doubtful. "But if you start getting worried, don't pull a stiff upper lip—you father and I understand if you need some time."

"Thanks mom…you're the greatest." Kim said, then walked into her room. She carefully locked the door. Her parents didn't come in often but… She shivered. If mom had asked about the box…

Speaking of it… it was small, the capsules smaller than the average aspirin tablet. Kim looked at it, and took one out, reading the instructions on the inside of the box, full of dire warnings about over dosage and side effects. One which was no sleep. She popped a single tablet in her mouth and waited for the effect as she hid the box between the slats of her bed.

Then, it happened. It was like a soundless thunderbolt in her head. She could hear the birds outside, feel her heart thudding. The weariness and pain fell away magically. She didn't have to worry about anything! Possible? She was invincible! Kim giggled softly, feeling the energy run through her body and started jogging in place. She couldn't stand still! In fact, her room hadn't been cleaned in like forever, so she could start doing that…then she could sweep and give her parents a gift to pay them back for all the worrying she'd put them through.

"Right, time to sweep, sweep, sweep!" She said, "and then back to school, to work work work!" She did a pirouette in her room, effortlessly supporting her body weight on her toes.

When her parents got home, the twins were looking on in awe. The entire house was spotless, cleaned, even the front yard had been mowed.

"Kimmie!" Mr. Possible said. His daughter was smiling, like nothing had ever gone wrong. Except for her hands, there was no sign of damage. Could it be? Could she have broken free?

"I…had some time on my hands." Kim said, bouncing on the heels of her feet.

"I see…"

"In fact, I think that maybe-"

"No." Mr. Possible said. "No missions. Not for a while yet." Not forever. He wanted to say, but she hadn't been on a mission, when it…had happened.

"oh…ok, No big." Kim said, and her father looked suspicious. Kimmie had never been that fast to surrender…but on the other hand, she had never lied…well at least she'd only lied to them once, and that disaster had apparently turned her off that particular teen age practice.

"But I would like to go to school tomorrow." She said. The two looked at her and nodded.

"If you're feeling well." Ms. Possible said.

The rest of the night was spent talking and laughing. By common agreement, the events of the past few weeks were ignored, and if Kim seemed full of energy, well it was to be expected. Finally, the parents declared that it was time for bed, and Kim went without protest.

In their room, her parents prepared for bed, Mr. Possible staring at the pictures of Kim.

"Hun?" Ms. Possible asked, "what are you thinking?"

"How to tell our daughter that her superhero days are over…at least for now." He sighed. "She could be dead today... "

"But she isn't." Ms. Possible observed. To some extent she had been easier with the fact that Kimmie was growing up than her father had been.

"Because of luck…and some 'villains' who are anything but." Mr. Possible said. "I want our daughter to grow up, have children, and one day have them look at her and realize she just doesn't get it."

"But if…"

"I don't mean she should stop everything…but she doesn't have to have a rogues gallery… and she especially doesn't need to be in the spotlight so much that every person seeking to make a rep wants to take her." Her father shuddered. "As terrible as it was, we were lucky—what if he'd simply walked up to her on the way to school and pulled out a gun?" Kim's mother nodded, sadly.

"I'll talk to her about it… but we have some time, at least until she feels up to it again." She paused, "Then expect some fireworks."

In her room, Kim had lain in bed for a few minutes, but was up and bouncing in place. She wasn't tired at all—and even if she had gone to sleep, no nightmare could hit her now!

Except… well she had to do something, and she'd missed a lot of homework. Sitting down (and checking the TV to make certain it was just loud enough so nobody would hear her.) she started answering question after question. At this rate, she'd be finished well before morning. Kim gave a grin to the mirror and bent down at her task.

The next day, everyone at school blinked as Kim came charging, into the class in her trademark school clothes. Monique blinked.

"Kim…, are you ok?"

"Never better, Monique—I just had to work some things out." The sixteen year old handed in a pile of work to the teacher.

"Here you go, Ms. Trask—I got the last of it finished last night." The teacher looked shocked.

"Kim, you didn't have to…"

"No big." Kim said. Ms. Trask grinned. That girl was unstoppable!

For the entire day, Monique stuck with Kim, and it seemed like she was even better than she'd been before, if that was possible. There was no cheer practice—Tara and Bonnie were both missing, and Monique noticed that Kim didn't press the point. It was a bit much to expect her to do everything. Monique thought…and she'd packed away a lot during lunch. No doubt trying to beat out Ron.

The only puzzling thing happened at the end of the day. Kim was talking to her, and just suddenly seemed to…run down.

"Hey Girlfriend." Monique said, concerned. As Kim sagged against the wall on the way out of school. "You want a Bueno Nacho snack break?"

"No…ah….I think I overdid it a little today, Monique." Kim grinned at her, and Monique blinked at the gray tinge to her face. "I think I'll just…walk home." She said. Kim weaved a little, then blinked at the sight of her mother's car. "Oh…on the other hand, I'll drive with mom…bye!" Monique watched as her friend walked down, actually weaving a little.

"You OK, Kimmie?" Ms. Possible asked.

"I think I overdid the day, mom… do you mind if we just go home?"

"Not at all." Her mother answered. "I'll fix an early dinner for you."

"Thanks." Kim said. "You're the greatest."

Later that night, Kim begged off any evening activities. Ron was still grounded beyond belief, which mean she couldn't talk to him…but her mom had told her that was as much for appearances, as anything else. If it looked like Ron was being punished, he might not get into any more trouble….although his family was going to be paying some medical bills. Even through her exhaustion, Kim blinked.

"Medical bills?" Ms. Possible reddened.

"Ah…one of the boys fell, and hurt himself." Which wasn't exactly a lie…they did fall and one did crack his head open on the way down. Of course, that was worth a few stitches, as opposed to a shattered knee cap.

"OK…" Kim said, looking disappointed.

"Don't worry, Kimmie—he might be back at school on Monday." Kim smiled at that, and went to her room.

She lay down on the bed, and closed her eyes. She'd been active all day, so she should be fine, just nap for a bit.

Her legs weren't moving, and she wasn't in a coffin, but at the bottam of a pit. HE was snapping pictures of her, holding her shirt, as he grinned. Then, he had a shovel.

"Remember, worms need food too."

Kim bolted upright, gasping, feeling the sweat trickle down her body. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair!. A look at the clock showed that she'd been asleep for only a few hours. She couldn't last like that. She needed… Kim blinked and thought about it. She'd used her reputation to get the first drug—and it was a combat drug to keep you from sleeping. If she could get another one, maybe from the hospital…she wouldn't dream... but it'd have to be powerful. Yeah. She could do that…

But what if they didn't give it to her? Every time she asked, there was a chance that someone would call her mother. She couldn't let that happen. Even now, the idea of trying to go to school, without the feeling of invincibility, the energy, buffering her fear, was intolerable. She couldn't. She… But she knew where the hospitals drug cabinet was…and she knew the combination…and the hospital was no secret lair…

She could do it tonight, after everyone was asleep…but she couldn't do it with her head full of cotton. She reached down to her hiding place and got another pill. Another dose…another boost to keep her from falling back into that black pit.

"Just for a while…" She said, murmuring to herself. "I just need it for a while."

But you never felt so invincible… not even before. Kim swallowed it quickly…and then shuddered as the godlike power seemed to fill her. She had to wait…she had to wait until everyone was asleep, but if she didn't move she'd explode. Kim grinned. She had a report to do!.

"Mr. Barkin?" Steve Barkin looked up at Ms. Trask. The young history teacher looked nervous.

"Yes, Susan?" He asked. She came in and sat down.

"It's…about Kim Possible." Barkin leaned forward.

"She seemed to have a better day today." He said.

"Yes…but there are some problems with her homework…it was very sloppy…not at all like her." He blinked.

"Given what has just happened, I'm hoping you're not surprised." Susan did tend to focus on the minutia. She was young yet—Barkin knew that many kids joked about him behind his back, but they needed structure…and the teachers needed to understand that academic work wasn't always the most important, or even the main objective of the students school—they could get academic knowledge from an internet connection these days—how to use that knowledge, and work with others, was quite a different matter.

"No…it's just that she was really happy, proud even… and well…" Trask put a stack of papers on his desk. "She did 56 pages of work, and from the date she put down, it was all the same day." Barkin blinked and picked it up. Trask liked to assign essays, and so much of the homework was in that form.

The writing started out in Kim's neat handwriting…but as it continued, it started missing punctuation, got sloppier. Barkin frowned. The ideas were less clear, too, full of run-on sentences, and topics going all over the place…like someone just talking rapidly, saying the first thing that came to their mind—completely unlike Possible—completely unlike the first questions, answered on the same day. The last papers were completely illegible, her handwriting an unreadable scrawl, no space between words or even questions.

"I can't even understand what she's saying on the last pages—I mean, I deciphered the words, but they don't make any sense."

"What grade was she getting before this?" Barkin asked.

"An A, of course."

"That's what she's getting for the course. Accept her homework and tests, forward them to me, but don't grade any of it."

"Sir, the regulations…"

"Are waived—my authority and I'll put that note in her file, just in case anyone from the State Board of Education makes noises…and Susan?"

"Yes?"

"Don't bring this up to anyone…" She looked at him, and nodded, then left.

Barkin leaned back in his chair. Drugs? Kim? Or just a response to her ordeal? If he even hinted drugs, she'd be suspended during a full investigation, and the zero tolerance laws mandated expulsion, regardless of the reason, if even one tranquilizer was found…hell if even one aspirin bottle was found!

That would ruin her life. No college, maybe even a criminal record… After everything else, it would break her.

But if it was drugs… that would ruin her life as well….

Steve got up and paced in his office. Every person in his station had a wall of the successes. The students who were the talk of the town. Steve opened a drawer and looked at his other students…his failures. Police records, sentences…morgue reports. The students who nobody could reach, who retreated into their shells, lashing out to hurt everyone else…or who were just unlucky. Could that be Kim, one day, a gravestone, or jail cell occupant, with people wondering what had happened to her promise?

Yes. Certainly…and whether he did nothing or something, he might contribute to it…share the blame. But he was bound by law. Steve Barkin was no petty tyrant, hiding behind school rules when they suited him, and abandoning them when they didn't. If he found conclusive proof, he would have to report it, and go through the whole bloody mess. He needed…. Yes.

"Well, this call isn't to the president…" He said, as he picked up the phone.

"Hello Mr. Stoppable… yes, I just wanted to tell you that Ron will not be charged."

"Why? Well, a little bird told me that the Attorney General of the United States discussed the legal matter with the parents. It seems that some of the students had been making anti-Jewish slurs earlier that day, in the hearing of the other students. Given that that would make it a federal hate crime…well, all concerned agreed that since you were paying for the hospital bills, and they had attacked, it might be best if any criminal or civil charges were just dropped all around."

"No, don't thank me. Ron was in the wrong, but… I understand his point. I assume you discussed with him as well?" Barkin smiled, "At length and at volume. Heh." He paused. "You wouldn't? I can see why…no I don't think they really were…just some bullies who thought they had an easy target… I'll, eh, call you a liar if you ever say this, but if they take a lesson from this, Ron may have saved them from jail…or a morgue. I'm certain they're no longer so eager to pick on 'helpless' marks." The two men chatted a bit more. Barkin saw where Ron had gotten some of his act—and deeper morality from. Then, he got to the meat of the matter.

"I'd like Ron to come back on Monday." He paused, listening. "I understand. If it was just that, I might agree to keep him out for a while longer…but it isn't Ron…It's Kim." He paused, "Mr. Stoppable, I think that Kim isn't over this, by a long shot, and I'm concerned…no, I 'm afraid for her. I can't tell her parents, officially, because that starts a process I can't stop. And if it isn't what I think it might be… I could just end up wrecking her. She trusts your son." He paused, and fell silent for a moment.

"I trust your son. He could have demolished those bullies any time. He didn't, and I don't think a single student at this school would have held back if they'd had his abilities. It was only the comments about Kim that set him off. He's a good kid…and one that Kim trusts…and one who knows her better than anyone else. She needs him."

"Tell him?" Barkin leaned back, rubbing his nose. "No…I don't think so. I don't know anything, and I don't want to inadvertently point him in the wrong direction…in fact, I think if he sees anything, he should talk to you, not me. You can decide if it's something I need to know… or take action on. No. No, thank you." Steve hung up the phone.

Did I do the right thing? Ron was also 16… If he grabbed Kim right now, what did he have? Bad homework from someone who had just been buried alive. In fact, all he had was a very bad feeling that something very terrible was building up. He would have to trust Ron…and trust Ron to come to his father when he found out something.

It was 3AM at Middleton hospital. The main building, like all major hospitals, was busy, with patients and doctors, coming and going. But the pharmacy was closed. A slim figure, dressed in black, descended from the ceiling, bypassing all the alarms. A finger picked out the entry code to the restricted medications cabinet.. and then opened it, removed several boxes and closed it. Moving silently, the figure then went to the computer terminal, and keyed in the code for the clerk at the Pharmacy. A few keystrokes, and the hospital inventory was changed, matching what was now in the cabinet.

"No big…" The figure whispered to herself as she reversed the process, leaving the room in darkness.

To be continued.