Kim Possible: The Sociopath Episode

Disclaimer: KP gang by Bob and Mark, Nev Killbourne and Valia Ryan are MINE.

Chapter 10: Side Effects
Kim suffers a side effect from the fight, while both she and Ron reminisce on the previous night.

Both Kim and Ron couldn't sleep that night. They may have had their fights before, and there was that one time where Kim was under mind control from Drakken. There was also that one time Ron turned into a villain, but neither of them imagined a villain would try to make one of them kill the other.

Ron kept thinking to himself that if he had been more careful, he could've avoided the mind control trap from Valia. On their countless missions, he hated to be labeled as the clumsy buffoon, but after what happened last night, he felt the term was all too appropriate.

Something else was bothering Kim. The way she had snapped at Valia, beating the hell out of him until his mask shattered; it did something to her, physically. Her entire body was aching that night. She knew it had something to do with the suit, but wasn't sure of the extent of the damage. What if it also affected her mentally? What was going on?

Both tried to sleep that night, but hours passed like minutes.

It was now Wednesday morning, and Ron was going to pick up Kim for school shortly. She was tempted to call Wade to fill him in on the fight last night as well as the suits new after effects. She would have called Nev, but he didn't leave any contact information available, and there was definitely no time to go to Lowerton and back before school started. But she wondered if she should've called now or waited for Ron, since he probably needed to know, too.

She decided instead to get dressed, clean up and then do her hair. Maybe this would take her mind off of these things. It wasn't the kind of pain that would prevent her from doing everyday tasks, but it was still enough to spark concern.

The actions of yesterday were still eating at her mind; the psychotic smile of Valia's face, his two mechanical extra arms, his mask shattering, the beating she gave him, Rufus' biting his hand, and Ron. But she wasn't thinking about the Ron that she had been fighting, but instead, it was the Ron that showed no fear in front of Valia who had been raging like a lunatic. While his more serious moments sometimes made Kim feel awkward, worried, and sometimes scared, she liked it for some strange reason. She found herself more attracted to him when he became confident, and he had become a lot more confident in the last few days. She stood up for Ron when Bonnie or others talked trash about him, and perhaps he was returning the favor. She knew that if Valia was going to threaten her or try to do something to her, Ron wouldn't allow it over his dead body. That's how dedicated he's always been.

Before finishing all of her thoughts, Kim realized she was ready. She was wearing her white shirt with the heart in the middle and her matching pink jeans. Even though she wanted to look good for her Ron, he had already assured her not to go out of her way for him, since no matter what, she was beautiful to him.

When this came to her mind, she looked at some of the pictures on the dresser of them in their earlier days not too long ago.

'How long has he been thinking that?' she thought to herself, looking out the window. She saw Ron jump off his scooter, heading straight for the door.

"KP? I hope you're not sleeping in!" Ron joked from the door.

Kim grabbed her backpack and ran downstairs, giving Ron a warm entrance with a tight hug. Both of them recognized the other held them more tightly than usual, but Ron noticed Kim was having trouble coming downstairs. She was limping and worn out. To see her in this state was rare.

"KP? You okay? And don't tell me things are perfect. I've known you forever." he asked in a worried voice.

She weakly nodded as he started walking her towards the living room, sitting next to her and allowing her to rest a bit.

Kim started, "I would say I'm feeling fine, but my entire body is aching. I think it had something to do with last night."

Ron placed his hand on her head to check her temperature. "Why not call Wade? Maybe he can figure something out."

Her eyes appeared anemic. "I don't think Wade's the one we should be talking to."

Ron's eyes lowered, realizing it was the battle suit and the one who modified it. Before he could say anything, the Kimmunicator went off. Ron reached into her backpack and pulled it out, giving it to Kim.

"Kim, Nev's got some urgent information you need to know concerning the battle suit's modifications."

"Put him on." Ron replied with a bitter tone.

Nev popped up on the screen. "Kim! I am SO sorry I forgot to explain in full detail about the last change I made to your suit. It didn't cross my mind that you'd go all out on Valia last night."

"Is anything happening to me?" she asked.

"It's a temporary side effect that'll wear off in about two hours, I calculate. But I'll explain what I did. Basically, I installed my patented 'Adrenaline Enhancer' system. The suit basically connects itself to your nervous system, affecting your stamina. Ultimately, what it does is prevent you from noticing when you become exhausted and tired. The feature is supposed to give you a little bit more power to fight an enemy that won't go down quickly. The problem is, it can't be used any longer than it should. If you use it longer than you should, your body cramps up a bit and you experience some muscular pain, which is what's happening to you now. The danger with this feature, if you use it much longer without stopping, like for ten minutes straight, it will cause irreversible damage to your muscle tissue. However, I didn't predict a mental connection; it seems that your rage caused your blood pressure to rise dangerously, violently amplifying the effect. Had you kept fighting him, you may have been in a much worse condition than he'll ever be in. I'm so sorry it slipped my mind."

Ron glared at the screen. "Is there anything else we should know about any of your modifications?"

Kim noticed his tone and nudged him. "Ron..."

Nev sighed, expecting Ron's tone. "Other than that it's still in its experimental stages, at this point, no. But, as before, only use the mission suit for the most dangerous missions. Don't take it with you when taking on ordinary wacko villains."

Kim sighed in relief, leaning back on the couch. "Thanks for the info. It was worse last night, but I'm much more relieved now that I know what it is. I've had it happen a few times from Cheerleading practice, so it's not new."

Nev smiled, "Again, sorry. Take care, you two."

Transmission end.

Ron leaned in towards Kim. "How bad is it?"

"No big," she replied, "I feel a lot better now that I know what's causing it. It's just typical muscle pain. Nothing life threatening. Happens from time to time from cheerleading, so I'm sort of used to it."

The two turned as Kim's mom came from the kitchen. "Maybe some breakfast will help." Bacon and eggs, this time in a smiley face.

The young couple arrived at Middleton a little short of a half hour later. The sky glowed in a red-purple color as the warm wind blew calmly across the air, reminding everyone how close summer was.

The sign on the school read, "Graduation in three weeks!"

Kim had stopped at Ron's locker a few minutes before homeroom.

"Hey KP, what's wrong?"

She had her head lowered. "Never got the chance to ask how you were doing. After all, you were under... I mean..."

It clear she was more concerned for Ron than he was for her.

"Couldn't sleep well last night, but just seeing you, everything's better." he replied as he was trying to shove some books into his backpack. Not much luck there.

"Well," he continued, "If anything else is wrong with me, I haven't noticed. Hmm, coughing?"

A forced cough followed.

"Uh, nope, that ain't it. Let's see, I ain't itchy anywhere, skin looks normal, hair's the same color..."

Ron continued as Kim smiled at his attempt to cheer her up.

"Nope, I think I'm A-okay, KP."

While his cheer up attempt worked, her mood didn't change too much.

He sighed as he closed his locker. "I didn't think he'd go that low, either."

Kim placed her hands around Ron's left arm, sighing. "He's going to try to use our relationship against us, Ron. I know we've done this a million times before, but I never realized until now how dangerous this work was. Well, it's not that, but..."

"It's because we're dating," Ron replied, "But Kim, I'm safe and you gave him a good beating. Should've everything be bon-diggity now?"

"He still got away with the weapons, Ron, and I just have a really bad feeling he's not going to let us out of his life. And I just have this feeling he's going to do something worse next time we see him."

"KP, look on the bright side, we took the jewel back to the bank and it's on the highest security. We don't have to worry about mind control anymore."

"I hope you're right, Ron. Still..."

He placed his fingers on her lips, keeping her eye contact on him. "Kim, you've been under mind control before and we handled it just fine. It won't be any different this time. You're Kim Possible, you can do anything. And I'm here for you. I will always be there with you when you need me."

That goofy smile of his was too much for her. She smiled, taking his finger off her mouth and rubbing his hand against her cheek.

"You're right. Thanks Ron."

The first bell rang.

"We'd better get to homeroom."

Ron still had his books on the floor. "Go ahead, I still gotta pack my stuff."

She nodded, walking into the crowd, but Ron stopped her.

"KP?"

"Mmm?" she turned around.

"Cheer up, okay?"

She smiled, nodded, and disappeared.

Ron sighed in exhaustion, slouching on the floor and grabbing his books. Rufus popped out and helped him out.

"We're in for some tough times, aren't we buddy?"

"Mmhmm" Rufus responded, worried.

It wasn't the answer either of them wanted to hear, but it was something they couldn't deny.

Kim had been waiting for Ron to arrive at lunch, but it had been about twenty minutes and he didn't show. She felt disappointed, but wondered why he wasn't there.

A finger flew across her neck, sending chills down her spine, and as she turned around, a young girl took a seat across from her; Monique.

"Well well well, if it isn't Miss Prom Queen. Where's your king?" Monique asked, setting her tray on the table.

"Oh shut up, Monique." Kim giggled, blushing.

"Oh come on, it's about time you both hit it off. What took you so long, girl?" Monique asked, food stuffed in her mouth.

Kim avoided eye contact. "Monique, we both know the answer to that."

Monique smirked at Kim, "I gotta hear you say it. Everything."

Kim sighed, "Okay, you win. Bonnie completely played me with the food chain. I was wrong and it was silly to believe it. Satisfied?"

Monique sipped her straw. "Nope. What about the girl from Japan?"

Kim pouted, "Do I have to?"

Monique nodded.

Kim continued, "Yes, I was jelling. Completely. Satisfied now?"

Monique slurped her drink. "I suppose. But I want details, girl. How's the relationship going on the fifth day?"

"Okay, I guess." Kim answered quietly.

Monique didn't expect that, almost twitching. "Don't tell me you two are running into problems already?"

Kim shook her head. "No, no, it's something else. You see, some new bad guy's come out of the dark and now he's trying to use our relationship against us."

"How would he do that?" Monique knew this was bad news.

"Mind control, and he almost won." Kim answered quietly.

The spoken words of the previous night echoed through her mind like a bad dream in a movie. 'Ron Stoppable, your first mission as my new apprentice will be to kill your one and only girlfriend, Kim Possible. Show no mercy.'

"And it was one of the toughest fights I had ever gotten into." Kim continued, "It was almost kill or be killed, but Ron and I got out of it unharmed. Barely."

Monique was surprised. "Whoa, back up girl, how'd this all happen again?"

"Stole a jewel called the Crimson Shenitz two nights ago, some ancient jewel that lost its value more than forty years ago because it looks like purple blood. So we tried to stop him but he got us. We didn't stand a chance. He even took me and Ron on at the same time! We couldn't even touch him, except for when he made his escape, and he knocked me out. At least Ron was there to prevent me from falling two stories to the floor below."

"That's bad. Really bad."

"Wade then set us up to meet a techno colleague he knew in Lowerton," she began to whisper, "a 'hottie' named Nev," then spoke normally, "because he said he knew who our thief was and wanted to upgrade some weapons."

Monique glared at her, almost spitting out her drink. "Kim! You're dating Ron and you already let your guard down?"

Kim got uncomfortable. "I was so embarrassed! But trust me, I've learned my lesson."

"You better have, but more on the bad guy."

Kim pondered. "A teen psycho named Valia Ryan, went to school in Upperton."

"Can't say I've heard of him. Sorry."

"So we went after him last night, and he managed to put some mind control device on Ron. Lucky for us, Rufus saved him and really hurt Valia, giving me an edge."

Monique knew it wasn't Kim's style to fight a wounded enemy. "Finish."

"I snapped. I completely snapped. It wasn't like it was real at all. Something in me just went mad and I just gave him everything I had, punching him at least two hundred times, past the point of wearing myself out. And it was definitely because of him turning Ron on me and his life at stake. I just couldn't forgive him for that, and I guess Ron didn't, either. He had mechanical limbs with some stolen technology added to the mix. I had little choice but to fall back, and Ron surprise-attacked him, nearly taking him out. Then he escaped."

Monique kept drinking. "Hmm, so that explains why you're both in a funk."

Kim turned her head up at Monique. "Ron too?"

"Yup. In third period he was doing nothing but drawing a bunch of sketches of some black haired gothic guy with a scar over his left eye, wearing some biomechanical suit. It was like every line made him more frustrated. Then Barkin got at him for not paying attention in class."

Kim was disappointed but in a sense, but also relieved; disappointed that Ron would blow off classes like that, but relieved that that was the reason he hadn't arrived to lunch.

"Serving detention?" Kim asked.

"You got it."

They both sat quietly, but then Monique remembered why she came here in the first place.

"So, how was he that night?"

"'That night'?"

"Hello, Kim. Prom?"

Kim blushed. "Oh... yeah... um... What do you want to know?"

"Eeeeverything."

Kim then explained the whole story to Monique, about how they infiltrated Bueno Nacho HQ, Erik being one of Drakken's syntho-drones enhanced with personality upgrades, how Ron almost confessed his feelings as they were tied up, how confident he had gotten, why she took him to Prom, and the talk they had before entering. Unfortunately, it wasn't the information Monique wanted to hear. She wanted to know the details after Prom.

Monique interrupted, "Good kisser?"

Kim sighed dreamily, "You have no idea, just the way he holds me an-... Why am I telling you this?" she yelled as her face turned more red than her hair.

Monique laughed in envy. "Ooooh, girl, you've got yourself a keeper!"

"Monique! Shut up!" Kim snapped, embarrassed.

"So what happened next?" Monique asked, not paying attention to Kim's mood.

"Well, Ron's scooter blew up when he turned it on, thanks to my dad's fuel cell rockets, and we kinda just walked home as slowly as we could. I had to remind him a few times that what happened was real. Then we got home, and..." she froze.

"And...?"

Kim completely lowered her head onto the table. "Mom took a picture of us making out. Rufus made copies."

Monique had the biggest smirk on her face. Kim then got an idea.

"So, what about you and Brick?"

"Him? Nothing. I was just hanging out with him that night to get on Bonnie's nerves. He's cool, but I don't see him as boyfriend material unless I wanted him as my slave. I need more than that. It's not like you and Ron, not even close. But he's still going out with Bonnie, speaking of whom, no one has seen her smiling at all since that night."

"I know. She doesn't talk about that night, but you can tell when she's thinking about it. I think I'm like her mortal enemy now. Oh well." Kim shrugged.

"I think she's jelling."

Kim's mind was elsewhere, "I almost gave up that night. Because of him..."

"No wonder he got kissed on Prom night." Monique paused. "Or did he kiss you?"

"I think we both took the plunge at the same time. Details are sketchy."

"And here you were bent on the whole 'just a friend' deal."

Kim leaned back in her chair. "Ugh, perfect I am not."

She was surprised to find herself looking up at Ron.

The voice on the other side of the table thought otherwise. "I think I know someone who would disagree with that. But I think I'll leave you two lovebirds alone for now." and with that, she grabbed her empty tray and walked off, waving bye to both.

"Hi Ron."

"Hey KP."

He then took the seat where Monique was sitting earlier, trying to get comfortable. "Remind me not to obsess over out latest villain. Ron's gotta let everything roll and chill," he grumbled.

"Join the club," she retorted quietly.

Ron reached across the table, placing his hands over hers. "Cheer up, KP. Tell you what, after school, I'll take you to the mall. How's that sound? I don't like to see you like this, you know that."

She raised her hands, wrapping them around his. "You're right, I could use something like that."

Ron was satisfied. "So, how are you coming along? Muscles still cramping?"

Kim stretched freely. "Nev was right, it was only temporary. I didn't even feel anything after fourth period."

"Good. So after practice today, how about a bite to eat at Bueno Nacho, my treat, the mall as I said earlier, and how about the movies? I hear that remake of Karate Chaos was supposed to be funny."

His eyes just begged for her to say yes.

"You know, I can't remember the last time I saw a comedy." she answered.

There was probably a reason for it, but she could use one. While she didn't share the same taste as Ron when it came to movies, among other things, she wouldn't be any better turning down the offer.

Ron almost jumped from his chair. "So, it's a date?"

"It's a date."

He got up and started dancing. "A-booyah, Ron's going out with KP tonight."

"Ron!" she blushed as Ron's dancing caught everyone's attention.

The lunch bell rang. Kim decided to just go up and give Ron a light smooch on the cheek. He froze in place, but tried to act perfectly cool from it as fellow students wooed at them.

She was heading toward the door. "See you after school, Ron."

"Yeah, take it easy, KP!"

Ron noticed that everyone was looking at him.

"Sorry ladies, but Ron Stoppable is already taken by a beautiful lady!"