My thanks as always to all who are reading.
Special thanks to: Jezriana2.0, gargoylesama , Kimberly Ann Possible, Ari-Griffin, Spooks-A-Lot, Jokerisdaking, Willk 1989, KitsuneAkurei, BluJae, RainingInsanity, Sestren NK, EmotionallyAttached, LKillingsworth, oneredneckgoddess, JPMod, ps2teen1213, recon228, kimnronever, Tanya16, Fuzzie Muzzie, knuckz, Daeron Blackoak, zebraFinch, Widow Shark, Dagon ng Likha, Loo'd, Sportsman, and sehnsucht792.
Just a reminder, this story will end; there are two chapters left after this one, plus an epilogue.
Now where were we? Ah yes: "Let him speak now…"
Chapter 11
Global Justice Agents, private security guards, and police officers.
Oh my.
Wade knew the second Ron bailed out of the Ninjet that he probably wouldn't make it into the church. He probably wouldn't make it to within a block of the church.
Oh, man! Were those Global Justice helicopters? These guys were serious!
Ron was definitely not going to make it, and Wade didn't think the interface would be much help.
Then something occurred to him. He pulled up the recording of the sonar scan from the night Ron almost drowned and watched very closely what happened after he had cloaked Ron.
He checked his cameras. Ron was about to reach the ground and it looked as though they were already tracking him. Without wasting time trying to explain to Ron, Wade raced from his basement command center – as he liked to call it – out to the front lawn. The Ninjet was just coming to a hover near the driveway.
"Wade!" he heard his mother's voice behind him, "Are you actually leaving this house?"
"No time to explain, Mom!" he called over his shoulder. Besides he was twenty years old after all, couldn't he leave when he wanted to?
"You don't know how happy this makes me!" she called to him just before the cockpit slid closed.
Wade had already programmed in the coordinates which transmitted them to the Ninjet. The aircraft took off like a bullet.
"WHOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!" Wade practically screamed as he was flattened against the back of the seat. Was this the terrifying experience Ron had to deal with every time he flew?
He took a low approach to the church, zooming the cameras in on the guards, agents and police officers. They were two blocks away from the church, moving en masse in the opposite direction. Ron was leading them away, almost as if he knew what was going on.
Then a horrible thought occurred to Wade. He'd forgotten about communications. Right now he had no way of telling Ron what he was doing or where he was. Wade felt a pang of guilt as he imagined Ron trying to contact him with no answer. Wade was definitely not ready for field work. Deal with that later.
The Ninjet came in at an alarming rate of speed and slowed down at the last possible second, settling on the lawn out in front of the church. Not a single guard was in sight. The cockpit slid open and Wade rushed inside.
"…to this woman, Kimberly Anne Possible," The minister was saying, "Marriage is a sacred union between two people, and is not to be entered into lightly."
Wade, frightened out of his mind, screwed up his courage and stepped forward, stopping at the last row of seats.
"If anyone can show just cause" the minister continued, "As to why these two should not be joined together. Let him speak now, or forever hold his peace."
Wade's heart pounded, sweat poured down his forehead. He cleared his throat and tried to sound authoritative, "Ray, I need to borrow your cell phone."
Every single head in the sanctuary turned to look at him. Wade felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide there forever.
"Wade?" Kim squeaked.
"I beg your pardon, young man?" The minister inquired.
Wade's mouth was suddenly parched. The tension in the church had instantly become so thick it was almost tangible.
"I need to borrow Ray's cell phone" Wade continued haltingly, "This will only take a minute."
The look on Ray's face was almost comical. That is to say, his face was blank. Not angry, or bemused, or any number of emotions that one might be feeling when a stranger bursts in on your wedding and asks to use your phone.
Wade knew that if he had burst into the church shouting something idiotic like "Stop this wedding!", people would have gotten up and escorted him out. But the words he had chosen were having their desired effect on everyone. It was such an odd thing to say, no one quite knew what they should be doing about it.
Kim simply stood, staring.
Wade boosted his courage and walked forward a few paces. "Come on, Ray, let's have the phone. I know – I just know – you're actually dumb enough to have it on you. Let's have it."
Ray finally found his voice, "I'm sorry, who are you and why are you disrupting my wedding?"
"My name's Wade. You may know my friend Ron Stoppable? He's the guy who's probably being hauled off to jail at this very moment because everyone thinks he's Deathray." Wade tried his best not to stumble through his speech, but he wasn't used to speaking in public, much less being out in it.
"I think you better leave," Ray said, an edge creeping into his voice.
Kim continued to stand, gazing back and forth from Wade to Ray, but saying nothing.
"Tell you what, Ray" Wade said, "Just take out your phone and punch in the numbers seven, two, and nine. Do that for me and then I'll leave."
Ray turned visibly pale.
"This is absurd," Ray said unconvincingly.
"Just do it," Wade insisted, "And I'll leave. I give you my word."
A few seconds of intense silence, and then Kim finally spoke.
"Just do it, Ray," Kim said, clearly very annoyed, "And we can get on with this."
Ray glared at her, then looked back to Wade, then at everyone in the church. He found that all eyes had turned to him, expectantly.
The twins were standing next to Ray as the part of the groom's party. Both of them were giving Ray an odd look.
"Ray", Kim's eyes were insistent.
"Why has this turned on me? I'm not the one who burst in on a wedding." Ray sounded very testy.
"Because", Jim said quietly, "When someone you've known for ten years…"
"Someone who is supposed to be the guy who piloted Deathray and should be avoiding public sightings at all costs…" Tim put in.
"When that someone comes out of his room possibly for the first time ever, and asks to borrow your cell phone. Then I can't help wondering why you don't just do as he asks," said Jim.
"Especially when he says he'll leave once you do." Tim finished.
Silence. All eyes continued to look to Ray.
"OK" Ray growled, Fine!"
Muttering, he yanked his phone out of his pocket, punched three buttons and then looked at Wade.
Nothing seemed to be happening. Someone in the church coughed twice.
"All right?" he said, glaring at Wade, "Can we put this nonsense behind us now?"
"Oh my," came a voice, "I'm afraid you misdialed, son."
All eyes turned to the minister.
"I noticed you pushed seven, two, eight, and I believe the young man was asking for seven, two, nine." He said placidly to Ray.
Ray's jaw dropped. Things seemed to have taken a turn for the surreal.
"You see," the minister said, holding out his hand to Ray, "The words 'speak now or forever hold your peace' are a traditional part of the wedding ceremony, much like, say, the wedding march."
Ray's jaw worked but he couldn't think of anything to say.
"But as is the case with all traditions, there once was a good reason for having such a phrase in the ceremony," the minister casually leaned forward and took the cell phone from Ray's hand, "And there once was a time when the congregation of a church was bound by duty to investigate any challenges to potential marriages."
Kim was listening intently, but it wasn't clear to anyone what she was thinking.
"So it strikes me as odd, that this young man has chosen this precise moment to ask such a seemingly absurd question." The minister turned to look at Wade, "And when I look at him, I see a frightened young person who looks as though he would rather be anywhere else but here. Very interesting, don't you think?"
Ray just stared at him dumbfounded.
"But what really interests me, is that you dialed the wrong number, but then acted as though you had done what this young man asked of you, when clearly you did not." There seemed to be no emotion in the minister's voice at all, "Now, either you made an honest mistake, in which case it is easily corrected, or you deliberately attempted to deceive everyone. And I think all things can be put in their proper place."
And with that, the minister held up the phone and pushed seven, two, and nine.
Silence.
Ray was holding his breath.
"Kim" Wade spoke up again. He walked toward Kim holding his hands outward, "I want you to see that I have no electronic devices of any kind with me. There is no way I could be piloting anything via remote control right now. You must believe me when I tell you this!"
The twins' eyes narrowed and looked at Ray.
Two guards burst through the front doors, leaving them open. From outside, a dull rumble slowly began to build in volume; the sound like a jet from a distance.
Kim looked all about the congregation, confusion playing across her face. She then returned her gaze to Ray.
The roar quickly got louder and louder until finally – with a thundering crash – Deathray smashed through the ceiling, scattering debris in all directions.
With screaming and shouting, people retreated from the front of the church as Deathray settled to a landing just five feet from where Ray was standing. The hatch opened, and two mechanical arms snaked out, took hold of Ray, and hauled him inside, closing the hatch afterward.
The GJ Guards at the back of the church spoke into their radios. Helicopters could be heard approaching.
Panic erupted. Only the twins, Kim, Wade, Ray and the minister remained where they were.
Standing that close to the machine when it landed, both Jim and Tim heard a voice coming from inside when the cockpit hatch opened. It was a female voice, and it was obviously being transmitted over some kind of communication device. They only heard a few words.
"Ray?", it said, "Ray, I'm getting a signal from Deathray One. Are you in there? I thought it was at the police impound lo-"
The voice was cut off when the hatch closed.
The twins had no idea who was on the other end of that transmission, but the unknown person was talking as though she expected Ray to be in the cockpit of the massive mechanical suit.
"Ray…" Tim said
"…is Deathray", Jim finished.
Tim began speaking into his wristwatch.
Ron stared helplessly out the rear window. He'd given up his protests when he saw the thick glass between him and the two GJ agents sitting up front. They clearly couldn't hear him.
Wade had never answered his pleas for help so he gave up trying. What was the use now? Soon Kim would be… even now he couldn't bear the thought. It was like the sun had gone dark. That day had started out so promising. He began to think that people would see his evidence of the clones and the extra Deathray suits as falsified; like seemingly everything else in his life.
The car turned a corner and Ron slumped despondently in the back seat. Briefly he thought about calling the now confiscated Lotus Blade to him. Could it rip through a car roof? Or crash through a window?
And what then? Fight his way through GJ to get back to the church? He couldn't make it from two blocks away. What did he hope to accomplish from this far out? Was it worth serious injury or the loss of the lives of a couple of innocent agents to get to Kim? Obviously not. Ron would not willfully take a life for any reason. If he had to kill a couple of agents to get to Kim, then he wouldn't do it. Not now, not ever.
Suddenly a roar overhead, like the sound of a low flying jet fighter. The two agents sitting up front peered into the sky, trying to determine the source of the noise.
A moment later, one of them leaned forward and picked up the radio. He spoke into it briefly and then seemed to listen. The two agents looked at each other, and the passenger nodded to the driver.
Unexpectedly the car lurched as the brakes were forcefully engaged. The driver spun the steering wheel to the left and the back end of the car slid around, accompanied by the sound of screeching tires. Three quarters of the way through the turn, the driver stomped down on the accelerator. Tires screeched louder as the back of the car slid slightly to the right, and then straightened out. They were headed back toward the church.
The glass between Ron and the driver slowly slid downward.
"Mr. Stoppable," the agent in the passenger seat said, half turning toward the rear of the car, "We just got word from two plain-clothes agents inside the church that Deathray broke in and somehow pulled the groom into the cockpit."
"Yes!" Ron exclaimed leaning forward eagerly, "That's him! Raymond Beam is Deathray!"
"We've confirmed that. We're on our way back to the church now. Our agents are asking for your assistance in Deathray's apprehension." The passenger replied.
Ron sank back into the seat. Whatever else was about to happen, at least the real Deathray had been exposed. Ron wondered what Kim must be thinking right now.
"Will you assist us, Mr. Stoppable?" The agent looked at him expectantly.
"Yes!" Ron said fiercely, "Of course I will!"
"Affirmative!" the agent said into the radio, "We should be there in less than sixty seconds!"
Out of place curiosity popped into Ron's head, "Did the agents ask for me by name?"
"That's affirmative", the passenger said.
"Who was it?" Ron persisted.
The agents looked at each other and the driver nodded to the passenger.
"Agents James and Timothy Possible."
"The twins are Global Justice agents?"
"They're what we call Deep Field Operatives. They have almost complete autonomy and are assigned to various missions of what you might call an extraordinary nature. I think you can guess the kind of missions I mean. In return for their efforts, Global Justice keeps them well funded and well equipped."
"Wow, that's so coo-" Ron was cut off by the car screeching to a halt.
The driver got out and opened Ron's door.
"I had a sword with me," Ron stated, "I'm gonna need it."
"Here!" hollered an agent some fifty feet away. He held up the Lotus Blade.
Ron turned toward the church, holding up his hand. The sword sailed through the air and into his grasp.
"I'm going to try and find a way to draw him out!" Ron said to the nearest agent while pulling on his mask, "I think that'll be easier than trying to evacuate everyone from the church."
The agent spoke into his radio and two helicopters moved in, ready to ensnare the mechanical suit and its occupant.
Ron hurried inside.
Ray's mind was racing. He was good at planning things, but improvisation was not one of his skills.
Everything was falling apart. He had no idea who the kid was who demanded to use his phone. He heard Kim call him 'Wade' but it was still a minute or two before he put the pieces together. Ronin's computer guy, the same one that used to be part of Team Possible, had figured out how his phone worked. How on earth did he know the code?
Ray cursed himself vehemently for bringing his cell phone with him. It didn't even occur to him not to put it in his tux pocket. It was a deeply ingrained habit that had come back to bite him. And the absolute last thing he expected was the minister to take his phone. How do you account for variables like that? He had no choice but to give the phone over to the man. What else was he going to do? Punch the guy? That might have given away his evil secret identity right there.
All of this passed quickly through Ray's mind as he sat in the cockpit trying to figure out what to do next.
Then, an idea, "Uh…Help! Somebody! Kim! Deathray has me!"
"Sorry, Ray, no dice!" he heard Jim say.
"We know you're Deathray," Tim continued, "Surrender now. It's over."
Gasps could be heard from the Possible family and a few of their friends.
Rage began to boil up. He was this close! This close to having everything he wanted!
He looked down at his almost bride. She was staring at him, but not saying anything. She looked confused.
Maybe his plans weren't completely defeated.
The hatch opened and the two mechanical arms snaked their way out toward Kim. She continued to look at him, unmoving. Suddenly, a succession of sounds:
WhooshwhooshwhooshwhooshTHUNKwhooshwhooshTHUNKwhooshwhooshTHWACK!
The ends of the mechanical arms were suddenly turned into mechanical stumps with protruding wires and showering sparks. In the wall to Ray's right, a battleaxe was embedded, its handle still quivering from the throw. The ends of the severed arms lay on the floor. Ray watched, oddly fascinated, as the axe changed into a sword and sailed through the air to-
"Stoppable!" he bellowed.
Ron stood at the far end of the sanctuary, his hand raised to receive the flying blade.
Purely reactionary; Ray powered up the disintegrator, set his sights on the computer kid, and fired.
Ron seemed to move faster than humanly possible. Suddenly there he was, standing in front of the kid with a shield. The force of the disintegrator beam drove them backward, but Ron managed to keep the shield in place.
"Stop this abomination at once!" The minister's voice could barely be heard above the hum of the weapon.
Remembering where he was, Ray suddenly released the trigger. If there were any doubts about him being Deathray, he'd just put them to rest. Maybe it was time to-
KCHUNK!
Sparks flew as the axe buried itself in the disintegrator, rendering the weapon inoperable. The axe changed, flew back to Stoppable, and before Ray could react, flew at him in the form of an axe again.
WHUNK!
This time striking in the midsection of the suit. Backup systems began to short out, sparks erupted in the cockpit.
WHUNK!
The blow drove him back a couple of steps.
Again and again the battleaxe flew through the air. Again and again, it hit Deathray with increasing force. The Lotus Blade began to glow white, and got brighter with every throw. Whatever force was behind each hurl of the axe, it was more than mere human strength.
Ray began to experience something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Fear.
He looked down to check his thruster systems were still operable. They were, but barely. He flipped a couple of switches and-
WHAM!
The axe hit Deathray with the force of a freight train. The mechanical suit was knocked off its feet and crashed into the near wall of the church. Ray blinked to see the axe blade less than six inches from his face. It had found the cockpit as its target. Blind panic took over. Ray struggled to get the machine to its feet. The axe turned into a sword and wrenched itself free of Deathray's windscreen. Ray ignited the thrusters and thundered out of the church, smashing his way through the roof. Global Justice helicopters took off in pursuit.
Ron stood staring, as the sword came back to his grasp sheathed in a white-hot glow. His arm tingled as it came near. Deathray crashed upward through the roof, and the blade, sensing it was no longer needed for the time being, instantly ceased glowing.
Ron's first instinct was to check on whoever it was Deathray had fired upon. He got the shock of his life.
"Wade?"
"Hey Ron", Wade said sheepishly, "Sorry about the lack of communication back there."
"What happened? How did you get here?"
"I had the jet come pick me up as soon as you bailed out. Figured you could use some backup." Wade said grinning, "Only I forgot to bring anything to communicate with you. Guess I'm not ready for field work yet, huh?"
Ron helped him to his feet. Perhaps for the first time ever, the two partners shook hands.
"Dude, if you're the one who exposed Deathray, then you are way ready for field work." He paused, looking up the aisle at Kim, "Hold up a sec, I need to check on someone."
She looked to be all right. No outward harm seemed to have been done to her. She looked completely miserable… and utterly beautiful.
Ron took a step toward her, she collapsed in a heap of tears and sobbing. Her parents rushed to her.
Noise and general commotion began to grow as people came out from cover. The whole incident had taken place over the course of just a few minutes, though it seemed as if it had stretched on for hours. The twins began to give orders to GJ agents. Emergency vehicles were called in to treat the injured. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.
Kim became hysterical. She was taken away in an ambulance for observation at MMC.
Wade met and shook hands with Jim and Tim, and told them briefly the information he'd come across regarding the cell phone.
"But how did you know the code?" Tim asked.
"Educated guess" Wade said with a grin, "An egomaniac like that with a three-button code? I figured it had to be seven, two, nine. Or R-A-Y on the telephone key pad."
They shared a laugh and congratulated Wade on his bravery and resourcefulness. After while, Wade began to feel a little overwhelmed by the crowd and the excitement. He quietly slipped away and flew back home.
Ron on the other hand was enjoying the human contact. He got the entire story of Wade's dramatic entrance from the twins.
Perhaps to no one's surprise, reports came back that Deathray had eluded pursuit, and disappeared. Global Justice put Middleton on full alert, and stood ready to move in at the slightest sign of Deathray.
Ron took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart with the twins, apologizing for faking his death, and any hurt he may have caused them. Naturally, they were forgiving, and the three of them were soon chattering away about some of the missions they had taken part in with Ronin. The twins were surprised to find themselves a little in awe of Ron, considering his combat skills and prowess with the Lotus Blade.
Some time later, they took Ron back to GJ Headquarters for a full debriefing. He told them everything he knew about Deathray, including the discoveries at Dr. Possible's lab complex. Global Justice set up a surveillance operation around the lab, but decided not to move in figuring Deathray might come back for his spare suits and the clones. If he did, that's when they'd get him.
Ron accompanied the twins back to the Possible house. It was a very eerie feeling being back in such familiar surroundings. It hadn't changed much, though it seemed a little smaller to him now. Kim was upstairs, heavily sedated. Her mental condition seemed to be deteriorating by the hour.
Once again, Ron poured his heart out to the Doctors Possible, begging their forgiveness for what he'd done. They accepted his apology, and though they were glad to have a reconciliation of sorts with Ron, they were still trying to deal with the shock about Ray. Dr. Possible took it very hard, blaming himself in some ways because he had hired Ray at the lab in the first place. Since he'd gone into semi-retirement, he had no idea of what was happening at his own lab. And to think of what this monster might have done to his daughter… Dr. James possible didn't sleep very well for quite some time after that.
Afternoon began to deepen into evening, and Ron excused himself from the Possible household. He figured it was time to go see his parents. He went upstairs to check on Kim, and found her in a deep but clearly troubled sleep. Worry and angst were stamped across her face.
He decided to walk to his parents house, so he could compose this thoughts. He didn't relish the idea of spilling everything to his parents, but his two previous confessions that day had a cathartic effect on him. He felt increasingly unburdened.
There was a sort of tension in the air over Middleton. He could hear helicopters on patrol in the distance. The entire town seemed to be on edge. Ron set those feelings aside and looked around him. He suddenly felt self-conscious walking through his old block dressed as a ninja. Some of the houses and landscaping had changed over the years, but it was still the same old neighborhood. Memories of a better time came flooding into his mind; the first summer after graduation, the night of the prom…and that last week of school; the week of final exams.
"I'm never going to pass my Geometry final!" Ron wailed miserably, "Which means I'm not going to graduate which means I won't go to college-"
"Unplug the drama generator, Ron" Kim said, "You can do this, you just have to study harder."
"But that's the problem! It's gotten way harder to study since we started dating!" Ron pointed an accusatory finger at her, "This is your fault!"
"How is this my fault?" she protested.
"You never were a distraction before," Ron whined, "Now I can't concentrate with you in the room!"
"You could always go home and study there." She offered innocently.
"Uh, Hello!" Ron said as if stating the obvious, "That would be worse! I'd just spend the whole time wishing I was here, thank you."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Kim said with a grin.
"Well, DUH!" Ron said, again is if stating the obvious.
Ron's backpack rustled and moved. Out scampered Rufus. He rubbed his stomach and groaned.
"Naco!" Rufus whined.
"Sorry, buddy," Ron said sympathetically, "Bueno Nacho's still closed. Maybe we can get a pizza!"
Rufus chattered excitedly, "Pizza!"
They both looked at Kim hopefully.
"Oh, all right," she said, rolling her eyes, "But we're hitting the books when we get back. Deal?"
"Sweet!" Ron exclaimed, and off they went.
Halfway through their meal, the Kimunicator beeped.
"What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim asked.
"Got a hit on the site from a company called Intellicorp. Their top secret research facility was broken into last night, and they're asking for your help." Wade informed her, "I've got some security footage. Wanna see it?"
"Please and thank you," Kim answered.
On the tiny screen appeared the black and white image of what looked like an electronics lab.
"Why do these companies always get the cheap black and white security cams? You'd think they could afford color." Ron observed.
"Sssshhh, Ron!" Kim whispered.
The footage showed several figures, one of which approached the camera and covered the lens with his hand, blacking out the image. Noises could be heard, some of which sounded like stuff breaking.
Then finally, a voice, "Do you HAVE IT?"
"Got it right here, boss." Came an answer.
"Then let us get out of here, BEFORE SOMEONE CALLS THE POLICE!" said the first voice, bellowing by the end of the sentence.
"Dementor!" Kim exclaimed.
The hand came away from the security cam, but no one could be seen.
"So what did he steal?" Ron asked.
"A device called the Smart Collar," Wade answered, "It's still in the experimental stages. You wear it around your neck and it radiates a small amount of energy into the brain. This has the effect of boosting things like memory and intelligence for whoever is wearing it."
"Hmmm" Ron said, a sly look on his face.
"Ron," Kim said, reading his mind, "You're not going to use that thing to help you pass your geometry final tomorrow!"
"Awww," Ron said dejectedly.
"Anyway," Wade continued, "I figure we should get the collar back as soon as possible, otherwise he's gonna use it to dream up all new ways to take over the world."
"Wade, is Dementor still residing in that monstrosity of Greek architecture he calls a lair?" Kim asked.
"Yep" Wade answered, "Got a ride all set up."
"He never changes lairs." Ron observed, "You gotta give the man points for consistency."
One hypersonic jet ride later, Team Possible parachuted into Dementor's compound. It was late at night, everyone seemed to be sleeping. They took the usual steps to avoid the alarms and booby-traps and – as is dictated by villain tradition – found the collar sitting on a pedestal in the center of the main hall with a solitary spotlight shining on it.
With a tiny cable and harness, they lowered Rufus from the balcony that ran the length of the hall. The rodent dangled, suspended above the pedestal, and examined the collar. Wade had been unable to detect any alarms or security systems. Deciding there was nothing else he could do, Rufus simply snatched the collar.
No alarms.
Ron was in the process of reeling Rufus back in when suddenly all the lights went on. Henchmen appeared as if from nowhere, and Professor Dementor was suddenly standing on the balcony on the other side of the hall.
"Looking for THIS?" He held up an identical looking collar, "I have defeated your plans with a DUPLICATE!"
"Whoa! Wait just a minute…time out!" Ron said, crossing his hands in a 'T' formation. "You switched the real collar for a synthetic version and instead of letting us walk away with the fake, you barge in to gloat about it?"
"What's your point?" Dementor inquired.
"Well, I mean, for a guy who's in possession of a Smart Collar…" Ron began.
"You gotta admit, that was a pretty dumb thing to do." Kim finished.
You could almost see the steam shooting from Dementor's ears.
"GET THEM!" he ordered his henchmen.
Kim sprang into action, "Get the collar!" she called to Ron.
"All over it, KP!" Ron said. He took out a grappler and fired it in the general direction of Dementor. The hook sailed through the air and buried itself in the wall, just barely missing Dementor's head.
"Do you know you could HAVE PUT MY EYE OUT?" Dementor demanded.
Ron hit the recoil button and was yanked off his feet. He sailed through the air toward the opposite balcony, squealing the whole way over. Letting go of the grappler too late, Ron smacked into the wall.
"Ow!" He got up, rubbing his elbow, "That smarts!"
"How dare you make a pun IN MY PRESENCE!" Dementor raged.
"All right, Dementor!" Ron said, taking on a serious tone, "Hand over the collar and tell me what an Isosceles Triangle is."
"The answer to your first demand is 'no!'" Dementor shouted, "and the answer to your second demand is: it's a triangle with two sides OF EQUAL LENGTH, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!"
"Ron!" Kim called up whilst battling henchmen, "Stop asking an arch foe to help with your geometry studies and get the collar!"
"One sec, KP" Ron said, writing the information down, "Two…sides…equal…length, got it. OK, now what is Pythagorean's Theorem?"
"Ron!" Kim shouted.
"OK, OK" Ron said rolling his eyes, "I'll get the stupid collar…er… I mean, Smart Collar! Go Rufus!"
Rufus hopped from Ron to Dementor and scampered down the front of his shirt. Dementor collapsed on the floor into uncontrollable giggling.
"NO!" shouted Dementor through fits of laughter, "Tickling is my fatal WEAKNESS!"
"Good to know, dude," Ron said, grabbing the collar, "Got it, Kim!"
"Great!", Kim pushed a button on her shoulder strap and a rocket pack and helmet emerged from her backpack. She ignited the rockets, swooped in to pick up Ron, and flew them both to safety.
They were too late to do any real studying when they got back to Middleton, so they kissed good night and each went to their respective homes. They would make arrangements to return the collar to Intellicorp in a few days. In the meantime, Ron volunteered to hold the collar for safekeeping.
The next day, Rongot an 'A' on his Geometry final.
When they got their tests back, Kim gave him a suspicious look and asked Ron if he was wearing the collar during the test. He emphatically told her 'no'.
That afternoon, Ron was called into Barkin's office.
"Stoppable!" he said in his most serious tone, "I have been informed that you used a device to assist you when you took your Geometry exam. Just thought you should know I'm giving you an 'F' on the exam. I'm sorry, son, but you won't be able to graduate."
Ron protested, but Barking told him his information had come from an unimpeachable source. Ron had a pretty good idea who it was.
"Why did you tell Barkin I cheated on the exam?" Ron demanded.
"Ron, I know you have the collar in your backpack, and I know you aced the exam," Kim explained, "It's not too hard to put two and two together. Frankly, I'm upset because you lied to me."
"I didn't lie, and I didn't cheat either!" Ron shouted. He turned and stomped away.
Kim watched him with a worried look on her face. She pulled out the Kimunicator.
"What's up, Kim?" Wade asked.
"Wade, is there any way to scan the Smart Collar and tell if someone's been wearing it?" Kim asked.
"Ron aced his Geometry exam?" Wade guessed.
"Yeah, but he says he didn't wear the collar, and now I'm wondering if he's wrong or if I am." Kim said
"Interesting!" Wade said looking at a monitor, "I'm picking up the Smart Collar's unique radiation pattern from a satellite scan of your school. I can't tell if he's wearing it, but I can tell you the radiation that boosts your intelligence actually radiates outward from the collar up to a one hundred foot radius."
"That's a lot of variations of the word 'radiate'", Kim observed.
"Yeah", Wade agreed, "It also means anyone sitting within a hundred feet of the Smart Collar would feel its effects."
"Which means Ron was telling the truth!" Kim gasped, horrified, "The collar was in his backpack, and he was affected by it without even knowing."
"Sounds about right," Wade said, "I've pulled up the test grades of everyone in the senior class. Cross-referenced them with class schedules, and it looks like everyone sitting within a hundred feet of Ron aced their exams, including you."
"Oh, and I thought I was having a really good exam day!" Kim lamented, "What have I done? I gotta go talk to Barkin and then find Ron!"
Kim found Barkin easily enough, but Ron avoided her the rest of the day and went home, dejected, to tell his parents that he wouldn't be graduating from high school with his class.
Kim called in a favor from a local traffic report helicopter and managed to just beat Ron home.
Ron walked into the house, dropped his backpack just inside the doorway, and slumped down into a chair at the kitchen table.
"I'm not graduating", he told his mother glumly.
"Yes you are!" countered Kim's voice from the living room.
"Huh?"
Ron went into the living room. Kim explained everything to him.
"I was ferociously wrong," she said humbly, "And I don't blame you for being angry at me. But I just wanted you to know how sorry I am. In addition, I promise I will always ask you for your side of the story, and I will always believe in you, no matter what."
All of Ron's anger simply washed away, "OK! As long as my reputation is secure."
"What there is of it", Kim teased.
"Oh that does it!" Ron declared, "time to employ Dementor's fatal weakness!"
Ron tackled her, pinning her to the ground with one hand and tickling her mercilessly with the other. Sure, Kim could have easily flipped him away with one martial arts move or another, but she didn't exactly want to. She conquered Dementor's fatal weakness by pulling him to her and kissing him deeply.
Mr. Stoppable peaked into the living room, curious as to why the laughter had suddenly ceased. He quickly ducked back into the kitchen.
"Well, " he said to his wife, "At least he's not kissing the steak any more."
I will always believe in you, no matter what.
Kim had stuck faithfully to that promise, never once breaking it.
The sun had gone down, Ron was almost to his parents house. He was eager to tell them everything that had happened that day, and tell them why he had faked his death.
I will always believe in you…
Ron halted, the phrase turning over and over in his mind. Then something Kim had said recently came to mind.
I know you're Deathray.
Ron stood there, thinking hard.
I will always believe in you.
A sick, nauseous, terrified feeling crept over him. He pulled on his ninja mask, turned, and sprinted back toward the Possible house.
He burst through the front door without even knocking. Mr. Dr. Possible was in the living room watching TV with the twins. Mrs. Dr. Possible was upstairs with her daughter. The twins leaped to their feet, startled.
"Upstairs!" Ron barked and then bounded up, leaping four at a time, "Wade! Come in, Wade, can you hear me?"
There was a second of silence, then, "I'm here, Ron, what's up?"
"Wade, contact me through the Kimunicator, can you do that?"
The twins reached the top of the stairs. Mrs. Dr. Possible leaped to her feet, alarmed.
There was a muffled beeping coming from the hope chest. Ron tore it open and searched. The Kimunicator was at the bottom. He pulled it out and pushed the button, Wade appeared.
Ron turned to the twins , "I want you to see this."
"What is it?" Wade had picked up on Ron's alarmed tone of voice.
Ron stepped to the bedside. Kim was lying there, tears in her eyes. She looked up at him.
"Go away, Ronin!" she snapped.
"Remember the scans we did this morning?" Ron said into the Kimunicator, "I need the same one performed now."
"Oh, no!" Wade said, his voice filled with dread, "OK, here goes."
A small beam emanated from the Kimunicator and scanned the area at the head of the bed.
Several seconds of silence.
"Wade!"
"As you suspected," Wade said slowly, "No detectable brain matter. There is a small metallic mass at the base of the skull, very likely attached to the spinal column. But I can't detect any signals going in or coming from it. He's hidden the signal very thoroughly, which means I can't trace it back to its broadcast location."
"We were wrong!" Ron shouted in frustration, "He didn't wait until his honeymoon. He switched them out already!"
Suddenly, Ron turned and bolted down the stairs.
"Tell the agents at your father's lab to move in!" he called back to the twins, "Have them seize everything they find! You guys meet me there!"
"Ninjet's on its way" Wade said in his ear.
A few seconds later, the jet swooped in low and barely hovered long enough for Ron to get in. It streaked off like a bullet.
"That's why Shego attacked when she did this morning!" Ron shouted to Wade, "She must have seen me slip into the secret lab, but she knew if she attacked too soon, it would arouse suspicion and we would have been more thorough!"
Wade finished his thoughts for him "But she waited until you got to Kim's cryogenic tube. That was the real truth she was supposed to guard. If we knew that wasn't a clone in the tube, then the wedding would have meant nothing, and Deathray's plans would have unraveled! It's a good bet Ray's already done some tweaking to the artificial brain. The worst part about all this is the clone actually believes she's Kim Possible."
"I can't believe I was standing less than three feet away from Kim this morning! If we'd done a scan, we would have discovered the truth and …how could I be so stupid?" Ron bellowed in a rage.
"I'm just as much at fault," Wade said grimly, "You're approaching the lab!"
Ron barely waited for the cockpit to slide open. He vaulted out of the jet and sprinted toward the lab. Global Justice agents were already converging on the front doors. After forcing the doors open, Ron raced down the main corridor toward the rear of the building. There was a massive hole in the concrete wall. Ron sprinted inside, his heart in his throat.
The room was empty.
But for a few scattered pieces of discarded equipment, everything was gone.
The Deathray suits were gone.
The Ray Beam clones were gone.
And the cryogenic tube that had become Kim Possible's prison; perhaps even her coffin…
Gone.
