FULL POTENTIAL: a Kim Possible fanfiction

by Ranger Thorne

"Hey, Kimmie." Kim turned as her father climbed onto the roof.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, smiling at him. "What brings you up here?"

"Phone," he held out the cordless handset. "I'll be back in a while for it."

"Thanks," she said, taking the phone, then watching him walk back to the ladder. "Hello?"

"Hey, KP," Ron's voice said.

"Hi, Ron," she said, smiling. "How'd it go?"

"Oh, about as bad as I expected," was the slightly amused reply. "Mr. Gilley called Dad at work, who called Mom at work, who called Mr. Gilley at school to get the story from him. By the time I got here they were getting ready to put my stuff out for a yard sale."

"I take it you talked them out of it?" She shook her head with affection for the blond.

"Barely. As it is, Gilley has suspended me for a week so I can 'clear my head.' If my head was any clearer you'd be able to see through it. But," his voice became serious, "the bad part is that they want me to stay away from you until this is worked out."

"What?" I can take about anything other than that, the redhead thought to herself.

"They said that, until you get your 'problem,'" she could almost see him making the 'air quotes' gesture, "figured out that I should stay away so I don't make things worse." The seriousness became tinged with anger, "I tried to get Mom to tell me what 'problem' she was referring to, but she wouldn't."

"Hey --" she tried to calm him.

"I'm not letting their fear of someone different keep me away from someone I love," he growled. "It's just not going to hap . . ." There was a long moment before he finished the word, " . . . pen." Kim was silent as she waited. Finally, she heard him swallow. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yes." Kim grinned, "I was wondering when you'd say something."

"You knew?"

"Why do you think I broke up with Josh, Ron?" She rolled her eyes, "I've known for a while. I kinda figured it out when the thought of going out with anyone but my best friend felt like I was doing something wrong."

"Wait," he said, "you felt like you were doing something wrong? Okay, I'm confused."

"It's simple," she lay back on the roof with her wings wrapping around her, "I love you, too."

"Oh." Again there was silence. "You know," he finally said, "I thought I'd be dancing off the walls if you ever said that. But, somehow, I guess I knew, too. Uh, when did you figure it out?"

"Ron, you follow me all over the world doing things that scare you. Why else would you do it?"

"Oh." After a long pause, he asked, "So, what do we do, now?"

"Take it slow, and see where it goes, silly," she sat up and spread her wings wide. "We're both afraid to go too fast, because it might hurt our friendship, right?"

"Oh, yeah," he agreed. "That's what I was worried about with the whole moodulator thing."

"That was the final straw," she told him. "I thought about it that night, and realized that my feelings for you hadn't changed. I was just able to keep them hidden again."

"Well," she could hear him grin, "you don't have to hide them any more, KP."

"I won't," she promised. "But give me time to get use to this new sitch before you try anything."

"Ah," he moaned, "you mean I can't, like, buy you flowers or something?"

"That's okay," she corrected. "I was thinking more along the lines of personal stuff."

"Like sappy poetry?"

Scowling, she snapped, "Like kissing, okay?" Kim sighed when she heard him laugh. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Now why would I do that, KP?" His voice dropped, "Mom said she's gonna call home at random times to see if I'm here. But, I've wired the phone in my room so it has a 10-mile radius. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You rewired the phone?" Her eyes widened.

"It's no big," he said. "You just have to take the transmitter and --"

"It's okay," she interrupted him. "I'll take your word for it." She stood, "I'll see you tomorrow, Ron."

"Just not as early," he replied. "We don't have to go to school, so I'm sleeping in."

"Fine with me," Kim told him as she spread her wings and stepped off of the roof. "Good night, Ron."

"Night, Kim," Ron replied as her feet touched the ground. The dial tone sounded until she turned off the handset. Walking in the back door, she smiled at her mother as she passed on into the living room.

"Hey, Kimmie-Cub," her father said from his chair. A technical journal was open on his lap. "I was going to come up and get that," he told her.

"No big, Dad," she told him as she put it in the base. "I was about to come in, anyway."

"Oh, all right, then." He watched as she arranged her wings behind her and sat down on the couch. "Is everything all right with Ron, Kimmie?"

"I don't know," she said, suddenly tired. "His parents are telling him to keep his distance until my 'problem' is worked out."

"What problem is that?" he asked, his journal forgotten.

"They wouldn't tell him." Clenching her fists, she pressed them down onto her thighs. "I've tried to not be prejudiced against anybody, but it sounds like someone's doing it to me."

James Possible put the journal aside and stood. Being careful not to sit on her wings, he sat next to her on the sofa. "Kimmie," he said, softly, "people do that. It can because you have red hair or a strange name. Or," he brushed a hand over a wing, "because you remind them that they can't do everything." Using a finger, he turned his daughter's face toward him. "If Ron's parents have a problem with what and who you are, that's their problem, not yours. And the same goes for school."

"Oh, yeah," She frowned, "school. Speaking of problems."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, Kimmie," her father said, standing to return to his chair. "I've got a few friends I can call tomorrow. You'll be going to a fine school in no time."

The doorbell rang as Kim finished cleaning the breakfast dishes. Despite not having to go to school, she had awakened early. Out of the need to do something, she had started cleaning. The kitchen was now spotless as she walked to the front door. "Ron," she began as she opened the door, "you can come on . . ." the rest of her words died in her throat as a several flashbulbs went off at once. Stunned, she only watched as even more went off and microphones were shoved into her face.

"Miss Possible, is it true that Global Justice gave you those wings?"

"Miss Possible, is it true that you can fire death rays from your eyes?"

"Miss Possible, did you get your wings because of a deal with the Devil?"

Recovering, Kim stepped back and slammed the door. I had the door wide open, she thought as she leaned against the door. They saw my wings! And they already knew about them! "But now," she said aloud, "they have pictures." Sliding down the door, she sat with her back against it, for once afraid to move other than to wrap her wings around herself like a shield.

Ron saw the mob from the far end of the block. Frowning, he slowed his approach. As they got closer, Rufus popped his head up to see what the commotion was about. "Kim?" he asked, looking up at Ron's face.

"They know about the wings," Ron said, his face darkening. Pulling the cordless phone from his pocket, he dialed a number.

"Hello?" Wade's voice answered.

"Hey, Wade, it's Ron."

"Hi. Uh, why are you calling on the phone?"

"I scrounged parts from my kimmunicator so I could rewire my phone for longer distances. That way my Mom wouldn't know I went to see Kim." Ron shook his head, "But that's not important right now. There's a mob of reporters outside KP's house. They must have heard about the wings."

"That's not good," Wade replied. "Kim'll freak."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Glaring at the mob, he asked, "You think of any way to get them away from here? Uh, oh," Ron commented as one of the group turned and saw him.

"Recognized?"

"Uh, huh." Ron saw one of the group peel off and head toward him. "I better get back to you, Wade."

"Go slow," Wade advised, "maybe you can pull some of them away from Kim."

"It's an idea," Ron nodded. "Be in touch."

"I'll try to find a way to get the rest of those reporters away from the door." The line went dead.

"Mr. Stoppable," the reporter was asking as he neared, "is it true that you and Kim Possible have been having an affair while between missions to save the world?"

Ron turned red as he stepped forward to grab the man. Holding him by the lapels of his jacket, Ron growled, "Kim and I have never done anything like that. Do I make myself clear?"

"Uh," the man's eyes widened, "crystal. Hey, I'm just doing my job."

"Do it somewhere else."

The man protested, "Hey, what about freedom of the press?"

"What about the freedom to tear your arms off?"

"Wait a minute," the guy said, "you're one of the good guys. You don't do stuff like that."

"Dude, I was a good guy until you people started harassing my best friend," Ron told him. "Right now I'm a very angry young man who'd like nothing better than to beat the snot out of some stupid reporter."

"Yeah, from what I hear, you ain't too tough. You have to be rescued by a girl."

Ron's hand flashed back, ready to strike when he heard a familiar voice call out, "Ron, don't!"

Kim had pulled herself from the floor, then made her way to the kitchen and out the back door. I'll just fly away, she thought. I'll fly to the Rocket Center and hide in Dad's office until he comes home.

Leaping onto the roof for a head start, she glanced over the top of it to see Ron in the distance bearing down on a reporter. He looks very angry, she noticed. With her enhanced distance vision, she could almost make out his words. Then, his hand drew back as he prepared to strike the man in front of him. "Ron," she shouted, "don't!"

Ron turned toward the house, seeing Kim's head sticking up over the apex of the roof. Letting go of the man, he turned and walked away.

"I'll sue you for threatening me," the man promised.

"I'm a minor, moron," Ron shot back without turning. "And I've got a history of saving the world."

"That's Kim, Stoppable."

"No," Ron turned to grin at him, "That's Kim Possible. I wish you people could get that straight." Turning, Ron lifted Rufus from his pocket, then broke into a jog. Not that I'd mind if she changed it, someday, he thought to himself as he turned the corner.

Kim watched as Ron let the man go, then turned to leave. Instead of turning toward his house, however, Ron went the other way at the corner. But, the only thing that way is . . . Kim smiled.

Ron stood near the trees at the back end of the park. The reporters had, with the one exception, ignored him, so he hadn't needed to bother losing them. Why would they treat me any different now than they use to? He asked himself. Across the clearing was a bench he and Kim had sat on several times when they needed to get some air and think. It's also where KP almost let Josh embarrass her to death, he thought to himself.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kim's voice came from right beside him.

"AAHH!" He jumped in the air. Landing, he glared, "Don't do that!"

Kim laughed, "Sorry Ron, but you just looked so serious." Looking in the direction he had been, her smile faded a little. "Oh, I'd forgotten about that." She kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks again for saving my life, Ron."

"Uh," he put a hand over the cheek as he blushed, "anytime, KP."

"I know," she said as she shifted her wings and walked toward the bench. "And I owe you for that, too." She looked around for any signs of reporters, then sat on the bench, draping her wings over the back.

"Hey, how many times have you saved me?"

Kim sighed, "Only because you were there to back me up, Ron." She smiled again, "The way I see it, those don't count."

"They do to me, KP," Ron said, leaning in to kiss her cheek this time. "I like how you match your hair," he commented as she blushed. "Ow," he said, grinning as she tapped him on the knee.

Looking away, Kim became serious, "Ron, when they rang the bell, I opened the door wide. They got a picture of me." She shook her wings, "Me and my wings."

"Uh, oh," Ron said, looking worried. The phone in his pocket rang. "Hello?" His eyes rolled, "Mom, if I wasn't home, would I be able to answer the phone?" He waited some more as his mother spoke. "We'll talk about it later. Bye." He hung up.

"You really did rewire your phone," Kim said, impressed.

"Compared to the mega weather generator, it was no big," Ron shrugged as the phone rang again. "Yes?" he asked, annoyed.

"Gee, sorry," Wade said. "I call at a bad time?"

"Oh, sorry Wade. I thought you were my mother."

"Wear a sweater and clean your room," Wade said with a grin evident in his voice. "How's that?"

Ron grinned, "Put in a 'clean up after Rufus' and you're getting there. So, what's up?"

"I wasn't able to do anything about the reporters. But, I had a hit on the website that someone might have seen Kim flying away."

"She's right here with me, Wade." He looked at Kim, "You bring the kimmunicator?"

Pulling it out of a pocket, she said, "Right here. Even charged it."

"Kim's got her kimmunicator, if you want to use it." As if on cue, the familiar four tones sounded. "Okay, I guess that answers that question."

The boy's face appeared on the screen. "I've also got some strange news. Drakken and Shego are both in another timeshare lair. But, the landlord has been asked by Monkey Fist to kick them out."

"He would have to show up now," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Easy, Ron," Kim said, glancing at him before turning back to Wade. "That is kind of strange. But not beyond belief."

"No." Wade leaned forward and looked at Kim. "Wow, those look nice. They fit you somehow."

Kim turned slightly pink, "Uh, thanks, Wade."

"Could we stay on the topic, here?" Ron asked.

"Sorry," Wade replied, "it's just the first time I've seen Kim since she, uh . . ."

"Mutated?" Kim offered.

"That word just seems so dry," Wade scowled. "How about 'matured?'"

Kim smirked at him, "I think I like that one better. Now, maybe we should pay a visit to Drakken?"

"I was thinking maybe Monkey Fist," Wade replied. "You handled Drakken and Shego yesterday."

"Oh, yeah," Ron rolled his eyes, "we have to have variety in super bad guys."

"Chill, Ron," Kim said, smiling at him, "just because it's Monkey Fist doesn't mean you need to freak out."

"Actually, KP," Ron explained, "it's because it is Monkey Fist that I need to freak out."

"Uh, oh," Wade frowned as he looked away. "I've been monitoring the radio traffic of the local media and a couple of them are heading your way. Someone must have seen Kim landing nearby."

"This is already old," Kim grumbled.

Drakken started as the door to the lab burst open. "What, what's going on?" he demanded.

Monkey Fist strode into the room, scowling. "What did you do to the boy?"

"Boy?" Drakken looked around, confused. "What boy?"

"I think," Shego said, coming in from the door across the room, "he means Stoppable."

"Who?"

"THE BUFFOON!" Shego and Monkey Fist yelled at once.

"Jinx," she said to the man-monkey, "you owe me a soda."

"Fine," Fist grumbled, "I'll get you one later." He focused on Drakken again, "I felt something in the mystical monkey realm. It's like there was a sudden new star in the sky. What did you do to him?"

"Uh," Drakken brought his fingers together and smiled. "Well, you see, I realized that Kim Possible couldn't be a --"

"He inhaled some kind of gas," Shego interrupted. Looking at Drakken, she said, "It was a bio-something-or-other."

"Biochemical mutagenic inhibitor neutralizer, Shego," Drakken said, annoyed that she'd interrupted him.

"He was just trying to get Possible," Shego went on. "But you know Stoppable, if she's there, he's there."

"So he inhaled the gas as well?" Fist asked.

"Uh, yeah," Drakken nodded.

"What effect does it have on normal people?"

"You know," Shego said, resting her hands on her hips, "that's a good question. Isn't it Dr. D?"

"Heh, heh," Drakken laughed. "A very good question, Shego." He stepped back, "I think I'll go investigate that right now."

"You used a gas on Stoppable without knowing if it would make him stronger?" Fist rolled his eyes before saying, "Did you even know what it would do to the girl?"

"Well," Drakken nodded, "yes, of course. It caused her mutated genes to, well, mutate."

"She got a lovely pair of wings out of it," Shego told Fist.

"Wings?" Monkey Fist started to reach out to choke Drakken, but stopped himself. The woman is the threat, he told himself. He took a deep breath, then spoke again. "So, you used a gas on Miss Possible?"

Drakken grinned, "Yes. And now she'll be an outcast."

"And where did it come from?" Fist crossed his hands in front of him, looking calm.

Turning, Drakken lifted a cylinder from the table. "I derived the neutralizer from the inhibitor her parents used to keep her mutation at bay." He looked at the metal tube as he said, "It's very strong. Even caused Shego's mutation to go dormant."

"You did not just say that," Shego said, her eyes widening.

"Yes," Fist grinned, "he did." He dove for Drakken at the same time Shego dove for him. He was closer to the mad scientist, however, and was able to grab the cylinder before he felt the villainess slam into him. As they rolled, Fist transferred the tube to his feet as he grabbed Shego's wrists to keep the glowing hands from frying him.

"Give me that thingy!" Shego demanded.

"Of course," he smiled, "you only had to ask." With a twist, he released the gas. Then, he brought his articulated foot up to spray it into Shego's face. She dove away, trying to escape, but he quickly followed, now with the cylinder in his hand. "I don't think you're going to like it, though."

"I'll cough get you cough cough for this," Shego promised as she backed to the wall.

"Probably," he shrugged. "But for now you're no longer a threat." He held onto the cylinder as he turned back to Drakken. "Now, Doctor," he said as he approached, "where is the neutralizer you used on Stoppable?"

"Uh, here," Drakken held out a glass vial that held a blue liquid with a cork on the end. "You know," he said, "I thought you'd be happy that I was taking Kim Possible out of the equation."

"The girl is not the problem," Fist growled. "The boy and his annoying rodent are the only other ones who have been touched by the mystical monkey power. And now, in your ignorance, you have brought his power to such heights as I never dreamed. But this," he removed the cork, "will make me even more powerful!"

"No!" Shego slammed into his side, causing him to drop the vial. She tried to catch it before it hit the ground, but missed. The vial landed top down, spilling its contents and leaving only a damp stain on the carpet. "Nonononono," Shego clawed at the carpet as if trying to pry some of the mixture from the threads. "Not again," she muttered as she began to shake.

Standing, Fist looked over at Drakken, "You weren't kidding about it neutralizing her powers."

"She's had them so long she can't function without them," Drakken said, looking sadly at her.

"Can you make more of it?"

"I just have to get another sample from . . ." Drakken looked at the cylinder, which had emptied itself, "the tube. Oh, no."

"Are the effects permanent?" Fist asked, hoping that they were.

"No," Drakken shook his head as he looked back at his henchwoman. "But she hates being without her powers."

"Then I should take my leave." I should kill them both, Fist thought, but they might someday be of some value. Even if Shego does take the opportunity later to hurt me a great deal. "I apologize for intruding. Good day."

"I'll," Shego shivered, "I'll kill him." Turning a glare on her employer, she added, "This is all your fault."

"Uh," Drakken glanced around then pointed toward a door, "would you like some coco moo?"

Kim and Ron had almost reached the street when the first cars pulled up. Before they could escape, a crowd of reporters had surrounded them both. The questions were being shouted and microphones and tape recorders were being shoved into Kim's face. Ron, who had been unceremoniously worked to the edge of the crowd, was scowling. The scowl turned to a look of concentration as Rufus chattered in his ear.

"Calm down, Rufus," Ron said. "I gotta concentrate. Kim's so upset she's about to overload my brain. Hey," he smiled. Grabbing his phone, Ron dialed a number. "Wade," he said when there was an answer, "can you rig the Kimmunicator to emit an emp pulse?"

"Not a large one," Wade told him.

"We just need one large enough to fry a few mics and cameras," Ron told him.

"That's not very nice, Ron. That stuff's expensive."

"So's therapy, and KP's gonna need a lot of it if she ends up hurting someone to get away from them."

"Good point," Wade replied. "Okay, in three, two . . ." Ron turned off the phone and quickly pulled out the battery.

"Easiest way to stop an emp pulse from frying your stuff," he told the naked mole rat, "is to shut it down completely." A second later there was a sudden burst of feedback as electronic cameras and microphones suddenly stopped working. Confused, the reporters looked at each other in surprise.

"Coming through!" With a leap, Kim's feet were suddenly at head level as she skipped/glided to the edge of the crowd. "Let's get out of here!" she called to Ron as she grabbed his hand. They ran out of the park as the people behind them began to realize that the object of their interest had fled. "This way," she instructed as they dashed down a side street across from the entrance to the park.

As they ducked down an alley, Ron was suddenly buffeted by one of Kim's wings. It was enough to free him from Kim's grip and knock him off stride enough to trip over his own feet. "Oh, Ron," Kim stopped and looked back at him, "I'm sorry about that."

"No big, KP," Ron replied. Then, he pointed at something over her shoulder, "Look, a fire escape."

"So?"

"You can get to the top of the building and fly away."

After looking over her shoulder at the metal stairway, she turned back to her best friend, "Ron, I can't just leave you. Those people are like vultures."

"Vultures," Ron pointed out as he stood and brushed himself off, "that are not looking for me." Smirking, he added, "Once they realize that you have flown off, they'll leave me alone so fast that I'll feel the vacuum."

"Or," she corrected, "they'll just wait and watch you until they see me again."

"Hmm," he rubbed his chin, "you have a point."

Kim sighed, "Look, I'm going home. Meet me there, okay?"

"On my way, KP." He gave her a small salute along with a big grin. The combination brought a slight smile to her face just before she leaped ten feet into the air to grab onto the fire escape. As he walked down the alley and back onto the street, he put the phone back together. Then, calling Wade's number, he waited the two rings before the technical wizard answered.

"Hey, Ron," Wade said.

"Uh," Ron raised an eyebrow, "how'd you know it was me?"

"Caller ID," Wad answered. "Did you and Kim get away?"

Ron glanced up in time to see a familiar shape pass overhead, "She's flying out, now." He experienced a rush as his friend's sensations again rushed through his system. "Wade, I have an idea for something that would help Kim out in a pinch."

"You mean like something to give her altitude?" The grin was evident in his voice, "Kind like a booster in her belt or shoes?"

"You know," Ron grinned, "they shoot know-it-all's, right?"

"I knew that." The two chuckled for a moment. "Look, Ron," Wade asked, serious, "are you okay? I mean, you got that gas, too, after all."

"I didn't get any cool wings or anything," Ron told him. "All I got were my memories back from when I turned evil." He glanced around, then added, "And I sometimes get flashes of what Kim's feeling. It kinda freaks me out," he admitted.

"Woe," Wade commented. "I wonder if that has anything to do with you two switching bodies that time?"

Ron stopped in his tracks. "Wait a minute!" He bit his lip, then nodded, "That makes sense. I mean, I was evil for a time and built that stuff. And I was in Kim's body for a time. So," he took a deep breath, "I'm, like, getting back everything I had a little part of."

"Sounds like it. You're getting some of the neural feedback you'd get if you were in Kim's body."

"That's just sick and wrong," Ron commented. Suddenly, his eyes widened, "Oh, no."

"What?"

"Wade, remember when I was exposed to the Mystical Monkey Power?"

"Yeah."

"What if the gas brought that back, too? I mean," Ron shrugged as he started walking, "I thought I could hear monkeys in my head after I woke up. But it's kinda faded, now."

"Can you hear it if you concentrate?" Wade asked.

"Hmm." Ron scowled, then flinched, "Ugh. Yeah, I can tell what the monkeys at the zoo are doing. And so are . . . Aw, man."

"What is it?"

"There are a dozen monkey ninjas waiting for Kim at her house." Ron frowned, "I gotta go, Wade."

"I'll contact Kim," Wade said just as the connection was broken.

Deet-deet-dee-dee!

As Kim flapped her wings, she reached into her pocket for her kimmunicator. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

"Ron says that Monkey Fist is preparing an ambush at your house," Wade said, looking worried.

"How would Ron know . . . oh."

"Yeah, he told me he could hear the monkey ninjas thinking. Uh," Wade looked nervous, "are you flying?"

"Yes." Kim smirked, "You want to look around?"

"No!" Despite his dark skin, Kim could detect some green. "I just wanted to warn you about Monkey Fist."

"Thanks a lot, Wade," Kim became solemn. "I guess I'll have to take care of this. But, at least this time I've got the high ground."

"Kim, he might have heard the news reports about your wings," Wade warned her.

"Gotta take my chances," she replied. "I mean, I can't let my family wander into the middle of a bunch of monkey ninjas."

"Good point. Well, Ron's on his way."

"Hmm," Kim thought for a second, "he seems to get Monkey Fist's attention more than I do. Maybe this will go easier than I thought."

Montgomery Fiske, more infamously known as 'Monkey Fist,' rubbed his hands together as he waited. I'd rather not do this, he thought, but I need to know how powerful the boy has become. That idiot Drakken can't help me, and leaving this to chance is foolish. "Be ready, my monkey minions," he ordered. "They will be here at any moment."

"How about this moment?"

Monkey Fist turned to see a figure on the roof of the house. The light was shining from behind her, giving her the look of an angel appearing from Heaven. He smiled to himself as he took two steps back. "Ah, Kim Possible. And where is your monkey-phobic friend?"

"Ron?" She shrugged, "Not telling." Why is he after Ron this time? She wondered. "Now, you mind getting out of here? This is private property."

"Not until I have what I came for," Fist replied. He raised his hand and pointed at her, "Monkey ninjas, attack!"

The squad of monkeys converged on her location, only to find that she'd leaped off of the roof and into the back yard. The first to recover and approach her were kicked aside. Additional monkeys came at her from the front as more closed from the rear.

Kim struck one monkey, then saw an opportunity to put one out of the fight for a while. Her reflexes kicked in as she tried to perform the spin kick she had done many times before. This time, however, her momentum died halfway through the kick, leaving her off balance and open. One monkey caught her in the midriff with a flying kick while another puncher her in the face, splitting her lip. A third leaped up and landed on one of her wings. Off balance, Kim fell onto her back, bringing a squeak out of the monkey ninja as she landed on it.

Rolling back, she came up on her feet just in time to have four monkeys pounce. Kim dove to the side, managing to avoid three of them. The fourth, however, caught the end of a wing. The extra weight threw off Kim's landing, causing her to land on her stomach. This time the monkey ninjas kept her down.

"Well, Miss Possible," Monkey Fist said as he walked up, "it seems my minions have made short work of you, this time."

Kim winced as a rope was used to tie her hands behind her back. "You know you won't get away with this, right?"

"Get away with what?" he asked. "I'm not here to steal anything. I'm here to see how your little friend is doing."

"Ron? You leave him alone!"

"Ah, so protective," he smiled. "And I imagine he feels the same way. That will make this much easier."

"Monkey Fist," Kim growled, "you leave Ron alone."

"You already said that," he pointed out. Looking at the monkey ninjas, he ordered, "Bring her to the front. I want Stoppable to be able to see her clearly."

Ron rounded the corner at full speed, only to slow as he again saw a crowd gathered around the Possible home. "This can't be good," he told the naked mole rat perched on his shoulder. Roughly, he forced his way through the crowd until he reached the front.

"Ah," Monkey Fist smiled as he recognized his foe, "I was wondering how long it would take for you to get here."

Ron was silent as he stepped closer. As he walked, he tried to assess the situation. Kim was on her knees in the front yard, tied up and surrounded by monkey ninjas. Monkey Fist was standing next to her. When he reached the edge of the yard, he stopped. "Let her go, you monkey-freak."

"Now, now," Fist admonished him, "let's not be rude." His voice took on an ominous tone, "Or something bad might happen to your girlfriend."

"You touch her and I'll --"

"What? You know you're no match for me at Tai Chi Pek War."

"Then why is it you keep losing?"

Fist scowled at him. "For that, you will have to watch as Miss Possible pays for your bad manners." Grabbing one of her wings, he pulled it away from her back roughly, causing it to spread even as Kim gasped.

"Let go of me," She ordered, struggling.

Locking eyes with Ron, he grabbed the wing with both hands in the middle of one of the top bones and snapped it. Ron's eye bulged as Kim screamed from the pain.

"That's it, monkey-freak!" Ron called out, charging at him.

"Stop there or my monkey ninjas will finish what I started!" Fist ordered as he shoved Kim onto her side.

Halting at the edge of the sidewalk, Ron looked around as an idea came to him. It's worth a shot, he told himself. "Cut Kim loose then go away," he ordered.

"Oh, don't be silly," Fist shot back. "Why would I do something like that?"

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Then who would you be . . ." Now it was Fist's turn to go wide-eyed. Looking around, he could see his minions were busy obeying Ron's command. "What are you doing? I am your master, not him! Stop this!"

As he moved to stop the monkeys from freeing Kim, a blond figure stepped in front of him. "Uh, uh, dude," Ron said as he dropped the naked mole rat to the ground. "You and me gonna finish this." After cracking his knuckles and moving his head from side to side to loosen it, he fell into a ready position. Then waving Monkey Fist toward him, he said, "You think you're so tough, why don't we see who's the real monkey master."

The bystanders gasped as Monkey Fist charged the blond-haired boy. He threw a flurry of punched and kicks at Ron, all of which were blocked. Ron's kick, however, struck Fist in the chest, sending him flying through the air. As the villain rose to his feet, he was forced to defend against an attack from Ron. Three punches and two kicks later, Fist was again pulling himself from the ground.

"Enough," he gasped, holding out a hand as the other arm wrapped around his ribs. "I've seen what I wanted to see."

"What, stars?" Ron asked, still visibly angry.

"No," came the out-of-breath reply, "that what that idiot Drakken did has brought out the Mystical Monkey Power in you." Backing away, he sneered, "See to your girlfriend, boy. We will fight again another day. And your power will be mine!" Turning, he started to run, only to be brought down by a tackle.

"Learned that watching tv," Ron told him as he sat on Fist's back. "Not exactly Monkey Kung Fu, but it does the job."

Face down in the lawn, the criminal managed to spit out a mouthful of grass before he muttered, "Just call the police, already."

The monkey ninjas were gathered near the front door of the house, quietly waiting for their master to give them orders. The police had just shoved Monkey Fist into a patrol car and were keeping the crowd back. Ron, however, was intent on Kim, who was sitting on the ground, gasping as she tried to move her injured wing.

"Hold on, KP," Ron whispered as he knelt next to her.

"Help me get my wing straight," she whispered back. "Maybe that'll make it stop hurting."

"Maybe you could spread them," he suggested. "It'll make it easier to get it straight." She nodded and, grimacing, spread her wings. The left one stretched out normally, but the right bent where the bone had been broken. Standing, he gently grasped the wing and lifted it into position as he heard Kim groan. "Okay, it's straight. Now, if we can --" he stopped as he felt the wing jump in his hands. "Hey, it's fixed!" The wing was again as straight as the other, with its white feathers moving slightly in the breeze.

"What?" Kim turned and looked at him in confusion. "Ron, bones don't just 'fix' themselves."

"Does it hurt?"

"Uh," she moved the wing around, "no."

"See."

"Ron," Kim rose to her feet and turned to face him, "since when do you have healing powers?"

"What makes you think it was me? I mean," he shrugged, "you've always been a fast healer. Maybe it's just accela, uh, acceli, um, you heal faster."

"Nice to see the big words still escape you sometimes," she teased him as she flexed her suddenly-healed wing.

"Uh, KP," Ron reached out and wiped blood off of her face, "what happened to your lip?"

"Huh? Oh, one of those monkey ninjas hit me."

Ron leaned closer and said, "I don't see where the blood came from. I guess that healed, too."

Reaching up, Kim felt for any sign of the injury. "I-I guess it did." Looking around, she noticed the members of the press that were being held back by the police. "God, Ron, they're like vultures."

Following her gaze, he nodded, "Yeah, I noticed that, too."

"Everybody's gonna see me, now."

"We're probably on the news as we speak." As soon as he said it, Ron knew it was the exact wrong thing. "Uh, I mean --"

"You're right, Ron," Kim's voice had dropped to a whisper. Turning to an officer nearby, she said, "If you need me I'll be in the house."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, trying not to stare at her wings. "I'll tell the captain."

Ron followed her as he said, "You know, KP, as strange as it may be, at least you know where guys are staring." When she stopped dead and turned to look at him, he stammered, "Uh, at your wings, right?"

"Ron," she said, sounding solemn, "if you ever," she started to smirk, "say that again," the smirk became a grin, "I will tickle you into next week." Leave it to Ron to find something funny in this whole sitch, she thought as she reached the door. When Ron started to follow her, she placed a hand on his chest. "Look, I need a little time alone, okay? You go do the hero thing. After all, you stopped Monkey Fist by yourself."

"But," he started to protest.

"You earned, it Ron." Leaning forward, she kissed him lightly on the lips. "You're my hero," she whispered before closing the door in his face. It was several seconds before he even noticed it was closed.

As the animal control officers pulled away with a van-load of ninja monkeys, a familiar car pulled into the drive. A nearly-frantic Dana Possible clambered from the car and ran up to Ron. "Is Kim okay?" she demanded to know. "Where is she? All I saw was a clip of her tied up in the yard."

"She's okay, Mrs. Dr. P," Ron told her. "She had some trouble with the monkey ninjas, but ol' Ron was able to save the day."

"Ron," she scowled at him, "what happened?"

"Uh," his false bravado faded, "I learned I can control monkeys. Then I beat Monkey Fist. Really. Kim went inside." When the mother and doctor turned to go, he put a hand on her arm. "Um, you should know, we found out KP can heal fast. Monkey Fist broke one of her wings and it healed up as soon as I straightened out the bone."

"You tried to set the break?" she looked worried.

"It was the only thing I could think of to try to help her stop hurting," he admitted. "I can't stand to see her in pain."

She looked at him for a long moment before smiling. "I know. That's why I know you'd never hurt her." She shrugged before adding, "You know, it's seldom that a guy is really good enough for a woman's daughter. But seeing how you react every time she's in trouble or in pain really makes me hope you two stay together." A raised eyebrow preceded the comment, "I really wouldn't mind if my future grandchildren's last name was 'Stoppable,' you know." Dana had reached the house before she realized that a stunned Ron Stoppable was standing still in the yard with his eyes very wide. Chuckling with relief, the surgeon went inside.

Ron was starting to move again as the door to the house closed. Did she mean what I think she means? She hopes KP and I marry? And have kids? That's got to be what she means, right? Wow, I've got her blessing and I've not even taken Kim on a date, yet.

He was just starting toward the house when he heard Dana Possible's voice cry out from inside. "KIM!"

Kim had grabbed a glass of water before going upstairs to her room. Once there, she sat on the side of the bed and scooted back so that she could pull her knees up and wrap her arms around them. I couldn't fight, she thought to herself. I use to beat them, but they beat me this time. A movement in the corner of her vision caused her to glance over to see that one of her wings was slowly flapping to match her nervous condition. "It was you," she told it. "Both of you," she said as she looked at the other one. "That must be it. You created drag, slowed me down. You made me helpless!" she almost screamed the last word as she erupted to her feet.

As she began to pace, she began to rant, "I'm a freak! A, a science experiment gone wrong! My life has been a joke. All those people I've helped just look at me like I'm a bug in a jar. God," she put her hands to her temples, "I just want it all to end." Tears began to leak from her eyes as she looked out the window. "I just want this nightmare to be over."

Trembling slightly, she lifted the water glass to her lips and took a sip. As she pulled it away, she looked at the glass and ran the fingers of her other hand over the lip. "Real glass," she muttered. She stared for a few more seconds, then shook her head. "No," she placed it on her nightstand and walked away from it. "That's not an answer. But," she took a deep breath, "I can't go on living like I'm some kind of weirdo." A determined look settled onto her features, "And I've got to come to terms with what I am."

Ron charged up the stairs to find Dana standing alone in Kim's bedroom. She was standing next to the open window holding a piece of paper in her hand. "Mrs. Dr. P?" he asked.

"She's gone," came the whisper as she stared out the window. "She's gone."

"What? Where'd she go?" As gently as he could, Ron steered her to the bed and sat her down. Then, he pried the paper from her and read it.

Mom, Dad, and Ron,

I need to go away for a while. The fight with Monkey Fist really showed me that there's stuff about myself I don't know anymore. I'm going away until I know who Kim Possible really is.

I know you'll try to find me, so I've left my kimmunicator and anything else Wade might be able to use to track me down. I know this is hard for you, but I really really need to do this. I use to believe I could do anything, but now I don't know if I can do ANYTHING.

I love you all,

Kim

Ron tossed the letter toward the bed and raced out the back door of the house. Looking off into the distance, he tried to spot the flying figure of his best friend. As Rufus rose from his pocket to climb up to his shoulder, Ron swallowed once then looked at his pet and said, "She's gone, Rufus."

"Gone," came the sad reply. The two stared at the blue sky for a long time.