The members of Team Possible were stunned. Eight hundred thousand people! In three hour's time! Unbelievable!
Yori went over to Adrena, and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Monique sat with tears in her dark eyes. Francis stood with his mouth open. Bonnie and Tara were in shock, as was Ron. Kim stood showing no emotion.
Kim suddenly moved over to a blank monitor in the corner, and punched a code into the keypad. It should connect her directly to Dr. Director. The screen remained blank.
Wade appeared on another monitor. "Kim, I tried to tell you earlier; I've lost contact with GJ headquarters. I can get individual agents in the field, but apparently the main base is under attack."
Kim sighed. "Thanks."
"I've got more bad news. Will Du, the GJ agent in charge, has been injured, and is in the hospital," he added.
"Great," said Kim.
"The one piece of good news I have is that I still have control of one satellite. I can continue to look for Drakken," he said.
Kim nodded. "Keep me posted."
"What do we do, Kim?" asked Tara.
"Let me think," answered Kim, and left the room.
"She's wound pretty tight," observed Bonnie, "Think she'll crack?" She smirked.
"BONNIE!" said Tara, stepping away from her.
Ron rounded on her. "You've known Kim a long time, but you don't know her very well. She's the strongest person I've ever known." Understanding dawned in Ron's face. "You WANT her to crack!"
"No, I didn't mean..." said Bonnie, then turned red and hung her head in shame. "But I did, though, didn't I?"
Ron, Tara, Rufus and Monique glared at her, while Wade, Yori, Adrena, and Francis looked on in confusion.
"I'm sorry," Bonnie said in a low voice, "I guess my feelings of jealosy and rivalry aren't as gone as I thought."
"We need to support her, now more than ever," said Ron.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I just spoke without thinking," she said, tears in her eyes.
Ron's face softened, and he sighed. "I understand, Bonnie, but you should make an effort to do better."
"I will, believe me," said Bonnie, wiping a tear.
Tara put her hands on Bonnie's shoulders, kneading them gently. "It's okay, Bonnie, you're stressed, I'm stressed, we all are."
"Thanks, Tara," said Bonnie, patting her friend on the hand.
Kim went to the storage room where the tube to GJ headquarters was. She stood on it and waited. After two minutes, nothing had happened.
Her shoulders slumped. Team Possible was on its own.
She found herself in the Ready Room. The silence suited her mood perfectly. She sat on the couch and drew her legs up under her.
Sensei's vision seemed to be key. What if their interpretation was wrong? What if the five colors were something, or someone, different? What if Team Possible was only making things worse? Maybe they should surrender, if it would prevent any more bloodshed and destruction. Maybe that was the right interpretation.
Sensei's vision didn't promise victory, only hope.
Blood shed like-- She choked off that thought. She had to stay calm and collected, not only for herself, but for the rest of the team. They, and the rest of the world, were depending on her. She sighed. She had saved the world from Drakken dozens of times, but she had never before felt the weight of it like she was now.
Back in the Situation Room, everyone's attention was on MNN.
Tricia Lebowski's attention was drawn to someone off-camera. "I've just been told we have an incoming transmission from the person behind the CeCe attacks. Stand by..."
Ron hit the intercom button. "KIM! Drakken's on the air!"
A few seconds later she rejoined the others, just as the picture cleared up.
"Greetings, world! I am Doctor Drakken!" He raised his arms over his head and gave his evil laugh. "You are no doubt wondering why I have unleashed my army of robots on an ususpecting public. Well, the reason is simple; I want to rule the world!
The attacks will continue until every nation on the planet has surrendered to me! I will be in touch with the United Nations about it soon.
The choice is simple. Either I rule, or you live in a devestated world!"
Laughing, his image disappeared.
"Wade?" Kim asked in a steady voice, still looking at the screen where Tricia was back.
"Sorry, Kim, he routed the signal through so many relays there's no way anyone could get a fix. I'm trying to find clues in the transmission itself, but don't get your hopes up. He was really careful, this time," Wade answered.
Kim's expression betrayed no emotion, but her face turned red, and she left the room without a word.
The others turned back to the TV.
"We will keep you updated on that story as it developes," Tricia said. "In better news, the rumor that the CeCes can be stopped with water is true. This has led to small victories in numerous places. We have a tape of one such victory."
In her place came a picture of a CeCe outdoors. It was surrounded by five or six kids all about ten years old.
"Children," said the CeCe. "Threat: none."
They all launched water balloons at it, and it immediately shorted out and fell over.
"We can only hope this trend continues," said Lebowski.
Returning to the Ready Room, Kim sat and thought some more.
What would be the plan for Team Possible? What COULD they do? There were millions of CeCes,
spread out over every continent, causing destruction and death whereever they went.
Should they wait for Wade to locate Drakken, then fight their way through tens of thousands of CeCes to get to him?
Well, that at least would be something to try, even if it was suicide.
"I really wish Shego were here," she said aloud.
-accept the gift- she thought she heard, just like earlier, before the office exploded.
She stood up and looked around. Nothing and nobody was there. And yet, it was somehow familiar.
Accept the gift? What gift? Maybe the pressure was getting to her, and she was going crazy.
Without any clear idea why she did so, she said aloud, "I accept the gift."
And the universe turned into pain.
kpkpkp
Unknown eternities later, the pain ceased as quickly as it had begun.
Kim opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of the Ready Room, with everyone standing over her.
"Kim?" asked Ron, "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, what happened?" she asked, accepting his hand to help her sit up.
"We were hoping you could tell us. We heard you screaming, and found you writhing around on the floor, but we couldn't find anything wrong, and couldn't wake you," said Adrena.
Ron, with Bonnie's help, got Kim off the floor and sitting on the couch. Francis brought her a glass of water, which she accepted gratefully.
"I have no idea... I thought I heard..." she said, her voice trailing off.
Suddenly, she DID understand. She knew EXACTLY what had happened, and why. She KNEW what the gift was.
She had planned this! More than a year ago, she planned this! Just in case! And now...
Kim put down the glass and stood up, watched by everybody. She took a deep breath, and held out her hands.
With just a thought, green flames with black highlights appeared around them, startling everyone, and they all took a step back.
"Uh, K-Kim, what's that?" asked Ron, pointing at her hands, fear on his face.
Kim looked at her hands, and a slow grin spread across her face. "A fighting chance to win."