Disclaimer: Kim Possible and all related characters are property of Disney. Spider-Man and all related characters are property of Stan Lee and Marvel Enterprises.
Chapter 6: Hanging On
Police sirens filled the air as a school bus hung off an intersection. The only thing keeping it from falling was the steel railing wedged into the axle of the yellow transport.
The rescue workers had been able to get all of the passengers off with the exception of one child and the driver, but the vehicle had all but fallen before they could get the last two victims from the wreck.
"There's nothing we can do …" one of the rescue workers said in defeat, watching the metal start to give way and the bus begin to fall. But as the vehicle began to drop, a string of webbing shot out and spread between the rear tires and the side of the overpass.
"Spider-Man!" A police officer cried as the web-slinger swung down and stuck to the side of the overpass beside the car.
"Drop something, guys?" Spider-Man asked as he crawled into the bus.
The webbing slowly gave to the weight of the bus, and the large vehicle began to fall again. But as it began to drop, a webline flew from the opened back door, and Spider-Man, with the child holding his neck and the driver on his back, shot out of the bus. As the masked hero flew into the air, he fired another webline onto the back of the bus, stopping its fall and slowly lowering it to the ground.
The Web-head swung to an ambulance and eased the man off his back and finally pried the frightened child from his neck.
"Thank you, Spidey …" the driver thanked heartedly.
"No big, it's what I do," Spider-Man waved his hand, "Thanks for dropping by; see ya next fall!" He called as he swung away.
(X)
Ron walked with a bounce in his step for the second time that week toward the Possible home. Between the early morning's swing and rescue, what happened the night before with Felicia, and the excitement of yet another one of Mrs. Dr. P's Saturday lunches, he was in high spirits.
Ron walked in the back door to Mrs. Dr. P's kitchen unannounced as always, and the elder Possible woman turned to the boy and beamed, "Ron, you're here, thank God!"
"Hey Mrs. Dr. P," Ron greeted his second mother with a smile.
"I'm glad you're here," She smiled as she pulled some baked bread from the oven, "I was getting worried you wouldn't be here. Kim and Josh are in the living room," she said, spitting out the boy's name.
"Things still going well for them?" Ron asked, though his voice asked the real question.
"Yeah, there's something up with him, though," Mrs. Possible said, lowing her voice, "He's good, too good, and polite, too polite. Yeah, he's definitely trouble."
"You know, Ron," Mrs. Possible said, prepping a Puppy Dog Pout, "It's probably not too late to sweep my daughter off her feet. Since you've been working out, I don't think it would be that hard …"
"Sorry, Mrs. Dr. P," Ron said, puffing out his chest, "Already got a girl into the Ron-man."
"Oh …" Mrs. Dr. P. said disappointedly. "But … you know … you and Kim …"
"Not gonna happen," Ron shook his head before she could start again. He had heard her try to convince him to ask Kim out since they had both hit puberty.
Mrs. Possible sighed, "Go tell the kids lunch will be ready in a minute …" She said in a sulky voice.
Ron nodded and grabbed a piece of bread from the tray, "Sure thing, Mrs. Dr. P," Ron said as he walked through the door, snacking on the bread as he went, "Nice buns!"
"They certainly are …" Mrs. Possible whispered as she watched him walk out.
"Hey, KP, Josh," Ron said as he walked into the living room to find Kim and Josh on the couch watching the twins playing video games.
Josh nodded at his presence, but Kim never even turned in his direction. "Hello, Ronald," Kim said in an even tone.
"Um … hi …" Ron said, taken aback by Kim's response and the sudden slight spike in his spider-sense.
"Where's Felicia?" Kim spat, still not taking her eyes from the screen, even though the boys had paused the game.
"Who's Felicia?" The twins asked in unison, turning their curious eyes on Ron.
"She's… um … she's a friend …" Ron said, feeling the tingle at the back of his neck increase in volume.
"Oh, just a friend?" Kim asked, finally looking his way with a look to cool a volcano, "Is that all?"
"Um … huh?" Ron asked, his spider-sense now screaming at him to run for the hills.
"How about, where did you spend the night last night, Ron?" Kim asked, narrowing her eyes, "I called your house and your mom said you were with me. I covered for you, so I think I deserve to know where you were."
"Well … uh … I was … err … umm … you know … I sorta …" Ron mumbled, looking around for a means of escape, "Where's your dad? Haven't seen him in a while; how's he been?"
"Maybe I should call and ask Felicia where you were," Kim pressed.
"Ok, ok, I spent the night with Felicia!" Ron caved.
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Josh asked, suddenly very interested in this conversation.
"Since when has my sex life been any concern of yours, KP?" Ron snapped defensively.
"YES! Way to go, Stoppable!" Josh cheered, though the glares from Ron and Kim made him sit back down quietly.
"You know, Josh asked me a question not too long ago, and I've thought about it," Kim said louder than necessary and then turned to face the confused teen. Kim sat back down and grabbed Josh's hand. "Josh I accept. I will go steady with you," She said before Josh cried out in pain as she clamped down on his hand, "Now, gimme the class ring!"
"KIM!" Josh squeaked, "WAIT! TIGHT RING … SOAPY WATER! SOAPY WATER!"
"Whatever," Ron shrugged and went back to the kitchen to help Mrs. Possible finish dinner.
Meanwhile, Tim and Jim watched the scene dully. "Hey, question …" Jim asked his brother.
"Yeah?"
"When did we get sucked in some sucky, soap opera world?"
"Don't know … wanna keep playing?" Tim asked, picking up his controller.
"Hoo-sha!
Josh left before lunch was served to nurse his injured hand and finger, leaving Kim, Ron, Mrs. Possible, the Twins and Rufus to the delicious dinner.
Despite how good the food was, the only ones who were eating were Kim and Ron, and making quite a scene out of it as well, clanging their silverware and exaggerating their munching. Thus leaving the remaining four to wonder if they would soon witness a murder or a double murder.
Mrs. Possible was about to try to strike up a conversation when the telephone rung.
"I've got it," Mrs. Possible said when none of the others even made a move to answer it.
She walked over to the kitchen phone and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" Mrs. Possible said politely into the receiver. "Hey, Dr. McCoy, how are … what? Is he? Thank God … right, right … we'll be there in just a moment. Thanks again, Hank … bye."
"Tim, Jim, clean the dishes, take your baths, and go to bed by nine," Mrs. Possible said, walking back to the worried looking group, "Kim, come with me. Ron, you can come too, if you want."
"Mom, what's wrong?" Kim asked nervously.
"It's your father," Mrs. Possible said in a trembling voice, "There was an accident sometime last night at the lab … his assistant is dead and he's … he's unconscious …" She whimpered before she gasped as the car keys were jerked from her hand.
"I'll drive, let's roll," Ron said, twirling the keys on his finger, leaving the group to wonder how he got up and to Mrs. P's side without their noticing.
Ron and the Possible women made it to the hospital in record time. Neither Kim or Andrea questioned how he seemed to know exactly which side streets to take to avoid every single red light between their home and the hospital.
"James Possible, please," She asked the receptionist, wishing that they had taken him to the hospital she worked at, which was on the other side of Middleton, so she could have some pull.
"He's in ICU, but only family can see him right now," The dingy receptionist said eyeing Mrs. Possible, Kim, and Ron.
"Right, I'm his wife, Andrea, and this is our daughter Kim and … her husband Ron." Mrs. Possible introduced, giving the now blushing teens a wink.
"Ok, he's in alcove 6, but you can't stay too long," The receptionist said, pointing into the ICU.
The three walked away from the desk, and Mrs. Possible counted down on her fingers. Once she reached zero, two voices hissed in unison: "HUSBAND?"
"Well, James thinks the world of Ron, so I had to think of some way to get him in," Mrs. Possible shrugged, "And I have to say, Kim Stoppable has a nice ring, don't you agree, Ron?"
"I plead the fifth!" Ron said quickly.
"Let's just go and see if Dad's ok," Kim said worriedly, "We WILL talk about this later, Mother."
The three approached the alcove where Mr. Possible lay peacefully, watching a sports program.
"James?" Mrs. Possible asked timidly as they walked in.
"Hey Butter-bum," Mr. Possible smiled at his family, who immediately double glomped him.
Ron stood back and watched the scene, scratching his head. Mr. Possible looked at Ron expectantly and held open his hands welcomingly. "Aw, what the hell, DOG PILE!"
The group climbed off the laughing Mr. Possible, "I'm ok, guys, just got knocked out I guess…"
"What happened, Dad?" Kim asked, taking his hand.
"I … I don't remember …" Mr. Possible shook his head, "I don't remember anything that happened. All I know is I woke up here and found out my assistant had been killed and I had been knocked out in some experiment I don't even remember starting."
"You sure, Daddy?" Kim asked, putting on the Puppy Dog Pout, "If you can tell me, maybe I can help …"
"You can't do everything," He snapped, but shook his head and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Kimmie-Cub … the drugs, I guess. I should be released tomorrow and I'll hopefully remember more of what happened."
"It's no big, Dad," Kim smiled at her father.
"We'll just leave you to rest," Mrs. Possible said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. "You get some rest and you'll be home in no time. We'll be back tomorrow."
"Ok, Sweetie, Kimmie-Cub," He nodded at them as they started toward the door.
Ron started to follow when Mr. Possible grabbed his arm and his spider-sense went wild, "I need to ask you something, Ron," He said, "You two can go on out; he won't be but a moment."
"What's up, Mr. Dr. P?" Ron asked somewhat nervously.
"I need you to do a favor for me," Mr. Possible said in a cold voice.
"Sure, I'll do what I can," Ron said, trying to ignore the rapidly increasing twinge at the base of hi neck. "Whatcha need?"
"Kimmie's been getting serious with this guy … Josh," Mr. Possible said, growling his name, "Make sure she doesn't screw up."
"What? I don't get what you mean?" Ron said, startled by the harshness in his voice.
"Oh, come on, boy, we both know she has a good head on her shoulders, but …" He said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he paused, "But whenever that guy is around, she's thinking with her clit. I'm trusting you to keep her pure 'til the right guy comes along."
"Hey, Kim's almost eighteen; not much I can do about it," Ron said boldly.
"She's still my little girl, and I worry about her," Mr. Possible said strangely, "Just watch over her for me, like you've always done." He said, laying back and falling asleep instantly.
"Ok … that was different," Ron said as he exited the ICU.
"Anything wrong, Ron?" Mrs. Possible asked as she and Kim waited on him.
"Just the drugs got him thinking funny stuff," Ron shook it off, looking back at the door worriedly, "Yeah, that's it …"
"Ok, if you say so …" Mrs. Possible nodded, "Want a ride home?"
"Na, Mrs. P, it's a nice afternoon. I may swing by Lecia's and then walk the rest of the way home," Ron said with a small smile, "Thanks, anyway."
Ron started to walk away when Kim ran up to him, "Hey, Ron, wait up …"
"What's up, KP?" Ron asked, glancing down at the teen.
Kim smiled up at him and then blinked in surprise, 'When did he get taller then me?' she thought before searching through her memory for when they stopped being the same height.
"Um … KP?" Ron asked, slightly unnerved by her blank stare.
"Oh!" Kim jumped, realizing she spaced out, "Listen, Ron … about earlier … you were right, your … s-sex life isn't any of my business; it's just, I get this really bad vibe on this girl and … and I don't want you to get hurt."
"We've been through this, KP," Ron rolled his eyes.
"Hear me out," Kim placed her hands on his shoulders, "Maybe I'm just imagining things, maybe I'm not, just Ron … promise me you'll be careful and … well … be careful. Ok?"
"If you promise to be careful around Josh," Ron held up his finger in protest, "I get a bad vibe around him, too. So, you watch yourself and I'll watch myself, cool?"
"So, we're still cool?" Kim asked, "I understand if we're not. I have been really moody lately and just down right bitchy and …"
"We're cool, KP," Ron said, cupping her cheek with his palm. Kim gave a content sigh and nuzzled his hand slightly. "I know it's that time of month …"
"Excuse me?" Kim blinked, wondering if she heard right; the way Ron was dashing toward the exit confirmed it.
"RONALD DEAN STOPPABLE, GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" Kim barked as she took off after him.
The window burns to light the way back home.
Kim ran towards the stairway he exited out of and looked up and down for where he went. She couldn't see hide nor hair of him.
A light that warms no matter where they've gone.
"I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT ONE, RON STOPPABLE!" Kim called angrily, though a bright smile was on her face.
They're off to find the hero of the day.
Ron chuckled as he perched on top of the hospital and pulled his mask over his face.
But what if they should fall by someone's wicked way.
Spider-Man stood up as he oversaw the Middleton streets. 'Well, things are finally starting to look like they might get back to normal soon,' he thought as he fired a webline to swing away.
Still
the window burns
Time so slowly turns
And someone there is
sighing
'Maybe me and KP can salvage our friendship,' Spider-Man thought as he swung over traffic. 'I really shouldn't be that hard on her for getting upset about me and Lecia …'
Keepers
of the flames
Do ya feel your name?
Can't you hear your
babies crying?
'After all,' He thought as he took a low swing over a playground, 'I've really pounded my bad feeling about Josh and since I got my spider-sense, I haven't really felt any negative readings off him.'
'Cuse
me while I tend to how I feel
These things return to me that still
seem real
"Spidey! You da man!" a man on the street cheered as Spider-Man swung above him.
"No, you da man!" He replied, flashing a thumbs-up as he took another pass.
Now
deservingly this easy chair
But the rocking stopped by wheels of
despair
Spider-Man swung up to one of the taller buildings and leaned against a stone gargoyle, "So what ya think, Bruce?" Spider-Man asked, "How can I get Kim to lighten up and see Felicia like I do and maybe get myself to see what she sees in Monkey Boy?"
Don't
want your aid
But the fist I've make
For years can't hold
or feel
"So, you say I should set up a double date. Fun for everyone and it will give me a chance to get to know Mon … Josh, and Kim to get to know Felicia?" Spider-Man asked, rubbing his chin through his mask.
"I think I'll see what I can do on that," Spider-Man slapped the gargoyle, "You're a big help, Bruce, see ya around!" He said swinging away.
No,
I'm not all me
So please excuse me
While I tend to how I feel
'Maybe Mankey isn't so bad," Spider-Man said out loud as he swung toward the suburbs where he lived, "I gotta give him a chance, or else I'll be a hypocrite for being upset at Kim for not giving Felicia a chance."
So
build the wall, behind the crawl
And hide until it's light
Just as Spider-Man was going to crawl down and change into street clothes, four squad cars sped past.
"So much for making it home for supper …" He groaned as he leapt back into the air.
So can you hear your babies cryin' now?
To Be Continued …
A/N: The song was "Hero of the Day" by Metallica
