Chapter 3

Kim struggled to her feet as though gravity had increased by a factor of ten.

Ron…dead. Her brain had a difficult time wrapping itself around the concept. She stumbled, almost fainting, but regained her feet. Whoever this ninja was, he was attempting to handle the behemoth machine – what had he called himself? Lord Deathray? – alone, and he clearly needed help. She had battled giant robots before. She hoped it would all come back to her.

"Do not taunt me. I know who you are, samurai. I will not climb out of my suit unless you climb out of yours," Deathray was answering the ninja's challenge, "But as to combat-"

The machine quickly raised an arm, powering up the laser cannon but the dark warrior sprang through the air, pulling the katana from his back. No, it wasn't a katana as Kim thought, but a battleaxe. The ninja swung the axe and buried it in the cannon, swinging himself up and wresting the sword free as he did. Sparks flew from the gash in the machine; a blazing shower of bright white that caused Kim to squint. The ninja somersaulted over the top of Deathray and landed behind him, brandishing a katana.

Kim blinked. What happened to the axe? Time for questions was later, she reminded herself. As Deathray turned his back to her to search for the ninja, she took three running steps, pushed off with her feet, and landed on the machine's back. Once again, she forgot she had no weapons of any kind. She looked wildly about for some kind of hatch, or door, or something she could disrupt. But Deathray's left arm came up fast and blasted her with a repulsor beam. She was thrown clear and just barely managed to land on her feet uninjured. Kim counted herself fortunate that Deathray hadn't used a more powerful and lethal weapon on her. She was about to make another run at him when she heard something that sounded very familiar; two simultaneous gun blasts followed by a whirring sound. Looking up she saw two grappling hooks fly up from the parking lot below and latch on to the shoulders of the machine. Before Deathray could do anything, the cables went taught and pulled him over forward, so that he came crashing down on his front side.

Kim heard a whizzing sound and two figures scaled up the wall, leaping onto the roof while holding on to the end of the retracting grappling cables. It was Twin Possible.

"Jim! Tim!" she cried out to them.

They turned to look at her, exchanged two or three words, and Jim came running over to see to her.

"Are you all right?", Jim asked, concerned.

She nodded quickly pointing a finger at the machine, her voice shaking, "That thing just killed Ron!"

"What?" Jim asked, disbelieving, "Are you sure?"

"I'll explain later!"

"Stay here" Jim insisted, "We'll take care of it."

"Be careful," she warned him, "There's a ninja somewhere up here."

Jim yelled something over his shoulder to her but she couldn't quite tell what it was. It sounded like "row nin", but that didn't make much sense.

Kim wisely retreated to a corner of the roof to let her brothers handle the battle. The cannon on his right arm disabled, Deathray was using the repulsor beam on his left to keep his three opponents at bay.

The four of them squared off; Deathray on one side of the roof, while the ninja, flanked by the twins, faced him from the other side. Kim bit her lip in worry. This was the first time she'd ever had to watch from the sidelines, and she was unaccustomed to it.

Deathray had his weapon trained on the ninja, but did not fire. Kim speculated that if Deathray did fire, the twins would be upon him. And if he switched targets, the remaining two would just as quickly attack him. Kim was looking directly at the ninja when the katana in his hand suddenly became a bow staff. The ninja spun the staff menacingly several times, the stripes on his suit glowed, and then he charged at Lord Deathray.

The cannon fired, just barely missing the dark warrior. The twins fired their grappling hooks, latching them, one on each of Deathray's shoulders. They then took off at a run, crossing each other's paths in front of Deathray as the ninja used his bow staff to pole vault himself up onto the machine's chest. Jim and Tim circled around behind and hurled themselves from the roof, still holding their grappling guns. The cables went taught, toppling Deathray over backward. Meanwhile, the ninja raised his fist, the stripes of his suit glowing brightly, and slammed it down upon the machine. Sparks flew, while electric bolts danced about the surface of Deathray and down the cables to the twins below. The ninja leaped clear.

The roof gave way beneath the weight of the falling machine and Deathray crashed through the ceiling to the floor below. The twins were pulled back up to the roof and let go of their grappling guns before theycould bepulled in after Deathray.

Kim gasped as bolts of electricity seared and sizzled up and down the twins' battle-suits.

"It's all right!" Tim called to her, "The suits are designed to absorb energy!"

The twins stepped to the edge of the hole, pointed their arms downward at Deathray, and with a slight twist of the wrists, released the stored energy, hurling it at the machine. The massive bolts drove Deathray through the floor to the ground floor below. The machine came to a rest and did not move.

The twins trotted over to check on their sister. There was a brief moment of relative silence. The sirens were close. Barely two minutes had passed since Kim had gotten to the roof.

"Hey, Kim." Jim said grimly.


"Hey, Kim!" Jim said cheerfully. Kim stood holding Ron's hand and staring in mild disbelief. Jim had been the first to greet her, then everyone else greeted her with a chorus of hellos.

Twenty minutes earlier, she was having dinner with her boyfriend in a deserted mountain top lair in the middle of the Caribbean. They talked in hushed tones about anything and everything. She had teased him about not knowing who he was.

"Sometimes I don't even know myself", Ron answered honestly, "It's like things are different between us now. In a good way," he added hurriedly.

"I think we're both different somehow", Kim agreed.

Ron looked worried, "Suppose something were to happen to-?"

"Don't," Kim chided softly, guessing what he was thinking, "There's no point in asking a lot of questions neither of us can answer. We have each other now, let's enjoy this as long as it goes, whether it's two years or twenty."

"Or even more?" Ron asked with a smile.

"Or even more", Kim agreed, "The point is, not to worry so much about us that it affects our relationship in a negative way. Cool?"

Ron looked at her slyly, "So not the drama."

"Cute", she said smiling, "So when and where is dessert?"

Ron smacked his forehead, "Dessert! That's right!"

He stood up, took a small communicator from his pocket, and pressed a button.

"Ron to dessert, Ron to dessert, come in dessert." He said, trying to sound official.

"This is dessert. Ice cream is currently inbound. ETA six minutes." Came a crackly voice on the other end.

"Roger booyah and out!" Ron replied and put the communicator back in his pocket.

He stepped over to Kim and took her by the hand. Kim stood up. Without saying a word, she put her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply. Every bit of affection, every ounce of feeling, every spark of magic about this night, she expressed to him in that kiss. He put his arms around her waist, embracing her tightly and the passion of the kiss intensified. His left hand slid down to the small of her back, her fingers slid up the back of his neck. He plunged his right hand deep into her hair and held the back of her head, firmly, but tenderly.

They parted softly, slowly, breathlessly.

"Wow", she said gently, her eyes half closed, "You're an amazing kisser."

"I'm only as good as my partner" he said, smiling dazedly at her, "Until recently, I've been practicing on a piece of steak in the fridge at home. Every time my mom catches me she always puts a toothpick in it so she and my dad won't eat it by mistake-"

"OK, Ron", Kim protested, amused but a little repulsed, "That's way more info than I needed."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, "But if it helps, you taste much better."

"Ron!"

"OK, OK, let's head out to the landing platform."

They stood holding hands behind the protective glass as the massive aircraft, similar to the one they had flown in but much larger, attempted to land on the platform. The pilot surmised the landing area was too small and engaged the hover mode, extending a walkway from beneath the nose to the platform itself.

To her astonishment, her brother Jim emerged.

Ron waved and Jim turned, called something back into the aircraft, and trotted over to them.

"Hey Kim", he said smiling at her.

Kim looked back to the platform and saw just about everyone she knew disembarking. There was the cheer squad (except Bonnie, who had turned down Ron's invitation), her other brother Tim, Monique and Brick who, Kim noticed, were walking very close to each other. There was Zita Flores holding Felix Renton's left hand while he piloted his wheelchair with his right, followed by Josh Mankey, Big Mike, and the rest of her Senior Class. Last to depart the aircraft were Ron's parents, followed by the Drs. Possible, each of whom were carrying a huge carton of ice cream. Walking and talking with Mr. Dr. Possible was an official looking man dressed in a conservative three-piece suit. He was talking to Kim's father.

"This way, everyone!" Ron called out, "They party's in Drakken's crib tonight!"

Ron let go of Kim's hand and led everyone inside the lair.

Kim walked over to her father.

"So", Kim's father was saying to the stranger, "You've seen its capabilities, its speed, its fuel efficiency. I think you'll find the Orbital Carrier the perfect product for your new airline."

"I'm not completely convinced" the man replied, smiling, "I will have an answer when you return to Middleton."

"Fair enough," Dr. Possible replied. He took a small phone out of his pocket and punched several buttons, "Our guest is ready to return to the lab, I'd appreciate it if you'd pick him up at the landing platform."

A moment later, the smaller craft, the one Kim and Ron had arrived in, set down on the platform. The well-dressed stranger climbed in and the plane took off. Once everyone was off, the larger plane found a field elsewhere on the island to land.

"What was that all about?" Kim asked her father.

"Officially, it was a test of the capabilities of our new Orbital Carrier aircraft which means this trip can't be classified as a misuse of funds. Unofficially, it was a ride to the party." Dr. Possible replied with a wink.

"So you and Ron planned all this?" Kim asked.

"It was mostly Ron. He called early this morning and asked if it would be possible to bring everyone down here. I told him 'Anything's possible…"

"…for a Possible", Kim said finishing his sentence, "But why?"

"Why?" Her father looked at her as though she had asked a silly question, "Because tonight we celebrate! You've beaten your arch foe, saved the day and found True Love! Three very good reasons to have a party!"

OK, Kim thought to herself, we have now officially achieved the best date in the history of everything ever.

Inside, Ron was chatting with just about everyone. People were busy clearing debris out of the way, or putting up decorations. The twins were excitedly examining all the ray guns, the shark pit, the brain tap device, you name it. Everyone was talking to everyone else. The Stoppables set up a small table with snacks and Ice Cream. Kim just stood there and soaked it all in. Could it get any better?

Apparently the answer was 'yes'.

Ronspoke into his communicator again, suddenly the huge monitor powered up and on it appeared Wade, bigger than life.

"Wade, my man!" Ron said, standing in front of the massive screen with his hands on his hips, "We need some serious grooves in here! Can you hook us up?"

"Already on it, Ron. Thanks for inviting me." Wade said with a grin on his face.

"Wouldn't be a party without ya, buddy!" Ron declared.

An instant later - from unseen speakers, the P.A. system, or anything that would emit sound - music poured forth. Wadestreamed MP3's of all the latest club grooves into the lair. He fiddled remotely with the controls of the monitor so that his image was reduced to a corner of the screen. The rest of the monitor he filled with his own homemade light show. The overhead lights dimmed, and everyone began to dance.

Zita sat in Felix's lap, put her head on his shoulder, her arms around his neck, and closed her eyes. Regardless of the tempo of the song, Felix just spun the wheelchair in slow, lazy circles most of the night. Brick and Monique danced only with each other. Wade grooved in his room back home. Ron brought out all his O-Boyz moves, and a few new ones. Mr. And Mrs. Stoppable sat with Dr. and Mrs. Dr. Possible at the now abandoned dinner table and chatted as best they could over the music. By remote, Wade re-activated Drakken's freeze ray to keep the Ice Cream cold. Rufus, who had been sleeping in Jim's pocket the entire evening, woke up, devoured his body weight in snacks, and went back to sleep. The twins had re-wired several of Drakken's ray guns so they would shoot harmless beams of light. They positioned mirrors everywhere they could and activated the machines. Different colored light beams began to bounce all about the lair. There wasn't a dance club on the face of the earth that could compare to this.

Life sure is weird sometimes, Kim thought to herself, I'm partying with all my friends in the lair of a super villain who just last night tried to conquer the world.

She, of course, danced with Ron only. The current song was a club mix of U2's 'City Of Blinding Lights', and Kim began to wonder if every song she heard lately weren't written specifically for her and Ron.

"And I miss you when you're not around. "

Bono's words seemed to fill her world as she watched Ron groove and gyrate.

"And I'm getting ready to leave the ground."

She felt lighter than air. Ron never took his eyes off her, and she could sense that he, like her, couldn't find a single reason to stop smiling.

"Oh, you look so beautiful tonight."

Ron seemed to glow with happiness. Well, maybe the beam of light that harmlessly shot through him contributed to the image, but Ron seemed as happy as she felt. She closed her eyes, spun into his arms and he caught her without any awkwardness or hesitation. Kim opened her eyes and saw him looking back at her. They found they were slow dancing, despite the rapid tempo of the music. Reality and fantasy seemed to swirl in a multicolored vortex of being and light. The rest of the world faded and retreated into the background. The only thing she saw clearly were Ron's eyes, looking deep into hers. She stood on her tiptoes, put her lips next to his ear and whispered:

"I love you, Ron."

Despite the volume of the music, he heard her. He stood stock still, his eyes wide, and began to speak.

"No", she said softly, putting a finger to his lips, "Don't say it back to me just because I said it you. I want to hear you say it when you can mean it; when you feel it as deeply as I do."

Ron leaned in close and spoke softly into her ear, "If I were to do that, I would need a time machine to travel back to last night."

She smiled and giggled happily. Suddenly conscious of everyone around her, she spun away from him and resumed dancing. Ron, a little dazed, slowly picked up where his groove left off.

In a dim corner, four parents were watching and smiling at each other.

Several hours later, the Orbital Carrier was hurtling at low orbit, adjusting its trajectory for approach to Middleton. Half the occupants were asleep, though earlier no one had really wanted to break up the party. Mr. Dr. Possible had promised all their parents they'd be home by morning, and he intended to keep his word. Those who were awake were talking in low voices. Kim sat talking quietly to Monique while Ron slept with his head on her shoulder. Brick was snoring in the row behind them.

It took a good couple of hours to drop everyone off at their homes, and when all was said and done, the eastern horizon was already beginning to turn gray. The sun would be up soon. The Stoppables told Ron he could walk home. Kim's family had gone inside and left them outside the front door to say goodnight.

"I can't thank you enough, Ron", she said softly at the end of their kiss. "This night has been absolutely amazing."

"Oh, I can think of several ways you can thank me," Ron said winking at her.

She playfully nudged him, and kissed him once more.

"Good night, Ron", she whispered.

"Good night", he said cheerfully and headed off down the walkway to the sidewalk, whistling.

"Kim?", he called quietly from halfway down the walk.

"Yes?" She had her hand on the doorknob but hadn't opened it yet. She turned to look at him.

"I love you, too."


"Are you two all right?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"We were just going to ask you that," Tim said, "Are you hurt at all?"

"Not physically", Kim said, tears beginning to brim.

"Are you sure Deathray killed Ron?" Jim asked her.

"That's what the ninja said." Kim pointed over their shoulder.

Behind them, the dark warrior crouched at the edge of the newly created hole, gazing down at Deathray. So far, the massive machine hadn't moved since falling to the ground floor.

"I'll go talk to him" Tim said walking cautiously over to the ninja.

"What did you call him earlier?" Kim asked her brother, "What's 'Row nin'?"

"That's what the media are calling him." Jim explained, "He's been doing hero work in Middleton for about a year now, but no one knows his real identity... if he has one. Anyway, some reporter described him as a wandering samurai mercenary hero because of the sword he carries, so that's the name they gave him; Ronin."

"You've worked with him before?" asked Kim.

"Not on purpose. Sometimes he shows up at one of our missions, or sometimes we arrive for a mission and find he's already undertaken it. He's saved my life a couple of times", Jim told her. "He's not territorial about anything, never demands any glory for himself. And though we've spoken with him only a few times, it's always been about missions. We have no idea who he is beyond the hero identity."

Tim and the ninja known as Ronin were exchanging quiet words with each other when the building began to shake. Deathray was stirring.

"Stay here", Jim said and ran off to join the other two who were taking up combat stances in anticipation of Deathray's returnto the roof.

But Deathray had other plans. He smashed through the wall of the ground floor and ignited his thrusters, streaking off into the night sky. Ronin sprinted to the edge of the roof and leaped off. In mid air, he took the katana from his back and swung it in a circle, hurling one end of it at Deathray. What looked like a katana had become a length of chain with a claw attached to one end. The claw latched firmly on to Deathray's left foot and pulled Ronin up into the sky. They disappeared into the distance.

The twins came back over to their big sister.

"He said he saw Ron reach the front door of the school when Deathray fired two blasts from high altitude," Tim said grimly, "Ron disappeared in the blast. He doesn't think anyone could have taken such a hit and survived."

Before Kim could react, a muffled cry came from below.

"Kim!" It was Monique.

With the assistance of her brothers, Kim was helped back down to the ground floor.

Kim found Monique standing in the debris of the school entrance, crying.

"I found this", she sobbed and handed something to Kim.

It was a driver's license. The edges were singed black and one quarter of it was missing. But the photograph was there, along with the name under it. It was Ron's. She stared at the picture as if seeing a stranger. So this was the man Ron had become?

The tears hit her in a deluge of emotion she could no longer hold back. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Reality had finally sunk in.


An hour later, Ronin stood unseen at the edge of the school rooftop. Deathray had landed some five miles off, never seeming to notice Ronin was attached. The machine came to a rest in an abandoned warehouse and powered down. Expecting personal combat, the ninja waited for some hatch or door to open and Deathray to emerge. But nothing happened. Ronin stepped up to the machine tentatively, prepared to spring away at the slightest movement. Nothing. He inspected the robotic suit closely and, finding a small latch on the back side, pulled it. A rear hatch opened.

No one was inside.

"Empty!" the ninja growled, "The thing was remotely controlled."

"No way," said a transmitted voice in his ear, "It could be flown by remote, but there's no technology sophisticated enough that could remote control that thing in battle."

"OK," Ronin said sarcastically, "What, then? Did he teleport out while in flight?"

"No," said the voice, "But what if it was remotely fired and flown, and then Deathray climbed into it tofight you guys?"

The ninja stood still a moment, thinking.

"The school!" He exclaimed, "The suit landed in the field behind the school, and then leaped up to the roof!"

"And how long was he on the ground floor after the twins brought him down?" the voice asked.

"Long enough for whoever was in it to climb out and remote fly it out of there, making us all think he was escaping." Ronin concluded. "I need to get back to the school!"

"The Ninjet's on its way", confirmed the voice.

Twenty seconds later, a small, black, one-man aircraft was hovering outside the warehouse. It took off making virtually no noise at all.

When hegot back to the school, half the people had left already. Whoever Deathray was, he was probably long gone. Ronin crouched on the roof edge, watching the emergency personnel go about their work. Police cars, ambulances and fire trucks were parked haphazardly about the school grounds. Kim and her brothers were giving a statement to the police, though from the roof, Ronin could tell she was barely able to talk through her tears. A short while later, her fiancé guided her to his car. She couldn't stop crying.

"Is this really what you want?" asked the voice in his ear, "Her heart broken and thinking you're dead?"

"She's getting married next week," the ninja said quietly, "Better she should grieve my loss and go on with her life."

"But why not tell her the truth?" the voice demanded.

"Because she would want to be friends. I couldn't handle getting close to her again, and watching her live her life with someone else. This way we can both have closure."

"She will. You won't", the voice countered.

"It's my decision, Wade", Ronin growled, "The man known as Ron Stoppable is dead. He died when he made the colossal mistake of parting ways with Kim Possible in the first place. It just took awhile for death to catch up to him."

Before the voice could respond, he pushed a button on a tiny pad on his wrist, shutting off communication. He watched as the car backed out of the space; Kim was in the front seat with her head buried in her hands.

One by one, the cars left, and then the emergency vehicles. Eventually, the only person remaining was the lonely figure of a ninja, perched at the edge of the school rooftop, gazing in the direction of Kim's car long after it had gone.