"Is that what I think it is?" asked Ron.
"Shego's glow? Yes, it is," answered Kim, raising her hands closer to her face to inspect the flames.
"What does it feel like?" asked Monique, her eyes wide.
"Actually, I just feel a mild tingling. What about you?" she said, holding out a hand toward Monique.
The dark-skinned girl reached out slowly towards the flames, but stopped several inches short. "It feels like something I really don't want to touch."
"How did you get this ability?" asked Adrena, going into reporter mode.
"Um... let's say she left it to me," answered Kim. "And I don't want any press releases on it. The CeCes and Drakken will find out soon enough."
Adrena nodded. "Not like I could write one anyway; my office is gone."
"Is this why you were screaming? Because you were getting this power?" asked Tara.
Kim nodded. "All of a sudden, everything was pain. I didn't know I was screaming, but my voice is scratchy now. It was from changes being made in my body so I could use it." She turned off the flames.
Just then Francis' voice came over the intercom. "Hey, everybody, come back to the Situation Room, there's been a development."
Seconds later they arrived, Kim in the lead.
The view on the TV was split into three parts, with the one on the left showing the Upperton City Hall, the middle the Middleton City Hall, and the right Lowerton's.
A different reporter's voice was providing commentary. "Apparently most of the CeCe robots in the Tri-City area have amassed at the three city halls. There appear to be about thirty or thirty five at each place."
Kim frowned. "Okay, team, that's our cue. We are going to go get our towns back." The old, confident Kim was back. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty in her voice. "Let's make sure we're prepared, and go take care of some business. Meet outside in five minutes."
Very shortly Ron, Tara, Kim, and Bonnie were outside. There was little damage to this part of Middleton, probably because nobody lived here. Smoke rose from several places, darkening the sun. Siriens could be heard wailing in the distance.
Yori and Adrena were standing in the ruined door, hugging and talking in low voices. Adrena was so much taller than Yori, and was stooping to reach her. They took a glace around, then kissed.
Kim and Ron looked away. It was too painful right now to see that love, considering what they had lost. They took each other's hand, and squeezed gently, exchanging a look.
Yori joined them a moment later. "What is the plan, Okashira?" she asked.
"All of us will..."Kim started, then stopped, looking across the street.
A CeCe was standing and looking at them. "Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable must die," it said, and advanced toward them. A plasma ball grew in its hand.
Ron grinned. "She knew my name!"
Kim ignited her right hand, and threw a plasma blast at it, and it promptly blew up, pieces scattering around.
"How did you know how to do that?" asked Bonnie.
"The knowledge of how to use the power came with it," answered Kim. "That will save a lot of time, since I won't have to learn as I go."
"Now everyone turn on super speed. We're going to Middleton City Hall. Take out every CeCe you can. Don't worry about being neat, just stop them," she added.
They all indicated assent, then hit the button to turn on the boots.
kpkpkp
The battle at Middleton City Hall was short and sweet. The streets were deserted, except for the CeCes, so they didn't have to worry about civilians.
Ron pulled the Lotus Blade, and plowed into the robots that turned to face him. He sliced through each one like it was nothing. Electricity danced around, but did not seem to touch him. Oil and other unidentifiable fluids were released, making the sidewalk and asphalt slippery for both humans and robots.
Yori used her fans to good effect, slicing through the front of each robot as it attacked, then pulling a water pistol and giving a squirt inside. Or she sliced off the head, arm, or any other appendage that dared come too close.
Tara and Bonnie preferred unarmed combat, and used their offense/defense pairing to stop the CeCes. Their suit-enhanced strength made it possible for them to knock off a head, or punch through a torso. Surprisingly, Tara was on the offense as well, and took out three on her own.
Six CeCes faced Kim. "Plan 12-B", said the one closest to Kim, and the others stepped out of defensive postures.
"What's 'Plan 12-B'?" asked Kim. For some reason the BeBes never hid their intentions, and she bet the CeCes didn't either.
"That is where the other units proceed to kill as many humans as possible, to stop you from interfering," it explained.
"NO!" shouted Kim, green plasma appearing around her hands. She threw a plasma blast at one CeCe, destroying it. "THERE!" Another blast, another CeCe down. "WILL!" One tried to sneak up on her, but she punched it in the chest, smashing through the metal. "BE!" The remaining three CeCes started to vibrate, starting up their super speed. But Kim was too quick. Three more green fireballs, three more robots destroyed. "NO! MORE! KILLING!" she shouted.
She stopped and looked around. All the CeCes were destroyed, and the team seemed to be okay. Just then the Mayor of Middleton came out of the building.
"Once again you've saved us!" he said to Kim.
"Later, sir, we're not finished by a long shot," said Kim. "On to Upperton!"
The five young heroes seemed to vanish, leaving the Mayor blinking in the dust.
kpkpkp
At Upperton's City Hall, they found a line of CeCes facing the building, plasma balls in hand.
Team Possible stopped, and the CeCes looked at them as one unit.
"I SAID NO MORE!" shouted Kim. The green fire ignited, and she threw a column of plasma at them, blowing them away like leaves in a hurricane. When the smoke cleared, all the robots were lying in a melted, smoldering mass.
"Split up and head for Lowerton. Destroy any CeCe you find," said Kim, and was gone.
The others looked at each other. Kim was using her rage and grief to good effect. Could they do any less?
They agreed on directions and were gone.
kpkpkp
They shortly regrouped just around the corner from Lowerton's City Hall. The CeCes were obviously aware of what had happened to their "sisters", and were waiting for them.
"Find any?" Kim asked as her teammates appeared.
"A few," said Ron, and the others agreed.
"They seem to be expecting us," said Yori, peeking around the corner.
"Well, let's not disappoint them," said Bonnie, and the battle was on.
The Lotus Blade sang as it sliced through CeCe after CeCe. Heads went flying from Tara and Bonnie's position, while Yori picked up a unit and threw it into others, taking them out.
Kim had ignited her hands, but instead of plasma blasts had waded into them, punching holes in torsos, smashing heads to scrap, and dismembering the remaining ones.
Suddenly it was over. The last CeCe in the Tri-City area was destroyed. Team Possible stood panting for breath as they surveyed the area for any strays.
"That was a good workout," said Ron, sheathing the Lotus Blade.
"Hai," agreed Yori, "I have not had such exercise in quite some time."
People came into the street, cheering for them. Kim barely acknowledged them. "Let's get back to headquarters," she said, and was gone.
"She isn't going to stay for the thank yous?" asked Bonnie, surprised.
"Not her way, Bonnie, you should know that by now," said Ron, "Only the job is important."
'And I always thought she was just too stuck up to notice the little people. Guess I can still learn something about humility from her,' Bonnie thought, and turned on her boots.
kpkpkp
Ron caught up with Kim just outside headquarters.
"You all right, KP?" he asked, taking her in his arms.
"Yeah, Ron, I'm fine," she answered, leaning into him. "That fighting did me some good. I'm not as upset as I was."
Inside, the five of them took showers and changed back to civilian clothes while their battle suits recharged. Ron, Tara, and Bonnie fixed lunch.
They all took naps, waiting for Wade to find Drakken.
On MNN, the word that Team Possible had destroyed the threat of the robots had spread, and order was being restored. Clean up had begun. Then the more somber news that the worldwide death toll had gone up to more than five million.
Late that afternoon Wade called. "Kim, I've finally found him!"
"All right Wade! You rock!" said Ron.
"Tell us," said Kim.
"He's taken over an abandoned military base built inside a mountain in the Rocky Mountains. It was built in the late forties, and abandoned in the early eighties. It's very well hidden, and according to the schematics, it's HUGE!"
The picture on the monitor showed a cutaway of the facility. It looked like the better part of the mountain had been hollowed out.
"It's also lined with lead and steel, and could probably survive a direct nuclear hit," he added.
"Here's a current satellite view." The picture changed. The edge of the mountain was visible at the top, with a huge double door open at the bottom. What looked to be tens of thousands of CeCes were outside.
They all groaned. "Oh, is that all," said Bonnie, with as much sarcasm as she could muster.
Kim stood in thought. "Well, as much as I'd like to go now, we can't. The suits still need time to recharge, and we're all tired. Let's go in the morning."
"I'm all for that," said Ron.
Everyone went home except Kim and Ron, who no longer had one. They had declined offers to stay at Bonnie and Tara's for the night.
They went to the sleeping quarters near the back and dropped onto bunks. It was way late before the young couple got to sleep. The horror of the day preventing an easy path to slumber. But finally pure exaustion took over.
Tomorrow, the final battles would begin.