Thanks to Calamite, Zaratan, strength-91-possibility-none, Josh84, JeanieBeanie33, mattb3671, Moss Royal, kpandron, mobius97, Louis Mielke, campy, surfost, daywalkr82, WhiteLadyoftheRing, Yuri Sisteble, Darkcloud1, qtpie235, jasminevr, momike, Ezbok58a, zipporahvulcan, conan98002, whitem, and JMAN2.0 for reviewing.
Thanks to campy for proofing and beta-reading.
Leave a review, and you'll get a personal response or your money back. Still guaranteed!
You saw it on KP, it belongs to Disney
I.
Kim watched as Ron retreated into the kitchen, then took a deep breath. Get your head in the game, Possible, she told herself before answering the Kimmunicator.
"Kim, is everything okay?" Wade asked; Kim usually didn't take so long in answering a call unless something was going on.
"It's spankin', Wade. I think," she answered, smiling. "Some unexpected developments …"
"Ron-type developments?" he asked impishly.
"What? How did you know?" Kim asked.
"Hey, so sue me for 'forgetting' that Ron had just moved to New York and taken a job at the four-star restaurant Captain Kirk wanted to take you to …"
"Did you set us up?" Kim asked.
"Whoa!" Wade said, holding up his hands defensively. "Even I'm not that good. Though maybe I did hack into the reservation system to make sure you got a table and I did just kinda hope that maybe you'd run into each other and maybe start talking again. And maybe I did have a Plan B," he said before adding, "So I'll take it you and Ron did talk!" he suggested with an eager grin.
"Yes. And it's all ferociously confusing, but good," Kim responded, her cheeks reddening, much to Wade's amusement. "Now I'm assuming you didn't call just to dish dirt, so sitch me, please and thank you," she said.
Wade's happy expression was quickly displaced by one of concern. "Looks like Drakken's planning something in New York tonight, Kim. I received a report of a stolen mind-control beam from the Army …"
"And they're developing this stuff, why?" Kim muttered to herself.
"… and a missing fractal control device from Go City University. There's also a report of a missing molecular size adjustor."
"A what?"
"Garden variety ray beam that makes things really, really big."
Kim groaned. This is so not good, she thought. "Any idea what he's planning on doing?" she asked.
"Well, if you were Drakken and you had a mind-control beam and a device that can disperse it over a large area and you could super-size things …" Wade said.
"I'd probably be whack enough to want to create an army of zombie giants … Wade, I bet he's going to strike in Times Square!"
"Makes sense, Kim. There will be thousands of people there and he could use the ball to spread the beams …"
"Okay, I'm on it." Kim ended the call and put the Kimmunicator back into her bag. She was tempted to ask Ron to join her, if only for old times' sake, but she knew he had his own job to do. She was excited, impressed, and pleased that Ron had done so well for himself; he was making use of his talents, something she'd so wanted to see him do after she became comfortable with the notion of Ron's being able to do some things better than she could.
Anyway, this was just Drakken. After all these years, she knew she could handle him on her own. Besides, creating an army of super-sized party-animal giants struck her as being so incredibly lame that the plot should be practically self-foiling.
Kim went back to the dining room and found Adam. He looked up at Kim.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"No. I just got a call from GJ. Drakken's on the loose."
"You want me to wait?"
"Uh, sure, I should be back soon. He's here in New York, actually."
"Really?" he said, a look of – fright? – on his handsome face.
Kim suddenly realized that Adam, like all of the guys she'd dated since breaking up with Ron (save the Navy SEAL), had never suggested coming on one of her missions. She'd always assumed it was their respect for her professional abilities. (The SEAL had not only offered to come on a mission, but wanted to take charge, greatly tweaking Kim, but not as much when he tried to 'debrief' her; not surprisingly, there were no more dates.) But now, having just seen Ron, who was so easily scared yet always ready to follow her into the field, Kim wondered if it might be something else. Maybe Adam and the others, with all their guts – Adam, for example, did fly into space – were so afraid of the blue-skinned freak that they'd just as soon let others like Kim – and Ron – deal with him. It was a stark reminder of how different she and, once again, Ron were from most other people.
"Yes," she finally answered. "Just a few blocks from here."
"Well, go get him, Kim."
"I will, Adam," Kim said. "And Adam, we, uh, we, uh …" she continued, feeling like she was about to jump from a plane without a parachute yet knowing she would still land on her own two feet unharmed, "we need to … talk."
The look in Adam's face told Kim that he understood what she was saying. She hadn't planned on saying that when they came for dinner, but then again she hadn't planned on running into Ron. She didn't expect to find Adam at the table when she returned. And much to her surprise, as nice a guy as he was, that didn't bother her.
Because when she returned she planned to be talking to Ron.
II.
It was just a few minutes before midnight and Times Square was a teeming scene of raucous, partying humanity. Nobody paid much attention to the hover car, assuming it belonged to security or one of the TV networks.
"Doctor D, you want to remind me why I'm missing Adrena Lynn's Freaky New Year's Eve?" a skeptical, claw-filing Shego asked. The beautiful henchwoman found herself wondering if the annoying TV personality didn't have the right idea. Adrena Lynn was thwarted by the Princess years ago and did a stint in jail, only to come out of the Big House able to parlay her now notorious rep into a revived broadcasting career.
"Because, Shego," a graying Dr. Drakken replied, "in just a few minutes, when the ball drops, all of these people, and everyone watching on television, will become my mind-controlled minions, ready to do my bidding! With them under my control I will finally be able to take over the world!"
"Uh huh. Yeah. Take over the world with a bunch of drunk kids and the least attractive TV-watching demographic. You think we could just skip to your next lame-o plan?"
"Shego, you hurt me with your words. Now here, put on these goggles," the mad scientist said, as he handed his glamorous sidekick special lenses designed to block the effects of the mind-control ray.
III.
Kim elbowed her way through the crowds, looking for some sign of Drakken. She suspected her arch foe would be somewhere nearby. The Great White Way was awash in light, a sea of neon and lurid video. Kim suddenly wished Ron were with her. She knew this was a lousy time to be waxing nostalgic about their mission work, but she couldn't deny what she was feeling. Well, she thought. I'll finish this off and then Ron and I can talk …
Suspecting that Drakken wouldn't be mixing it up with the hordes, she looked up. Above her she saw helicopters and booms and – behind the immense animatronic giraffe over the entrance to the toy store – one blue hover car.
Gotcha! Kim thought.
She whipped out her new, improved travel dryer grappler and fired at one of the trusses supporting the outsized toy-store mascot. People gasped as she flew up into the sky.
"Look, it's Kim Possible!" someone shouted. Before long, people were clamoring and pointing in her direction. Then, the TV people saw what was happening. Suddenly, Kim's image was on the giant monitors surrounding Times Square.
"Kim Possible!" the blue-skinned scientist exclaimed as he saw multiple larger-than-life images of his long-time nemesis.
"Gee, what a surprise, Doc," Shego said snidely as she fired up her hands. The glamorous henchwoman scanned the immediate area, then spotted Kim, who was standing on a girder. "Well, looks like Princess wants to party with the big kids tonight!" she said as she launched herself in Kim's direction.
"As if," Kim replied, with a smirk. "In fact, your party's over, Shego. Why don't you and Drakken just give up now so everyone else can enjoy themselves? I'll even be nice and not tell anyone about those glasses you're wearing. So last decade."
"Really? I rather like them, Kimmie. They're all the rage for people who like to think for themselves. Which won't include you in a few minutes," Shego, wearing her predator's grin, said, inadvertently confirming for Kim what Drakken was planning.
Kim knew she now had two options: get to the hovercar and retrieve the mind-control controller from Drakken or take out the ball before midnight. Kim decided that the growth ray could wait; Drakken had no incentive to super-size the crowd if he couldn't control them.
IV.
Somebody in the kitchen had turned on the television so the staff could watch the countdown.
"Hey!" one of the sous chefs called out. "It's Kim Possible!"
"What?" Ron said, his head snapping around to the TV. He saw Kim and Shego battling it out on a girder. Shego still had the moves, he saw. And Kim wasn't exactly dressed for a fight. He made a decision and took off his chef's hat. "Armand, you're in charge."
"Huh?" the young cook said.
"KP needs me. It's a teen hero-sidekick thing," Ron said as he bolted out of the kitchen.
V.
Ron raced towards Times Square. Thanks to the live broadcast he just saw on TV, he knew exactly where Kim was. Ron had already bought quite a few video games at the giant "We B Toys" store since he'd moved to Manhattan six weeks earlier.
He could see Kim and Shego were still fighting; he knew it was a long shot, but he waved at Kim. Then he saw Kim execute a flawless triple somersault into the hover car.
VI.
You rock, Ron, Kim thought as she landed in the hovercar. Having him on the scene would make things much easier.
"Give it. Now!" Kim ordered.
"Nuh uh, Kimberly Ann. You will not foil me this …"
Drakken was cut off as Kim pivoted and kicked the device from his hand.
"Noooooo!" he cried out as he watched the controller tumble end-over-end downwards.
Both Shego and Ron saw what had happened. The green-skinned henchwoman launched herself down to the street below; the crowd parted as she landed on her feet, her hands aglow. Ron, without the benefit of comet-induced powers, elbowed his way forward.
"Excuse me … pardon me ... Hey! I'm gonna need those! … Aw, c'mon get out of the way … 'Scuse me …"
"Aargh! The buffoon!" she snarled in frustration when she saw Ron advancing on the device. "What are you doing here?"
"New Year's resolution: Come out of retirement," he said as he lunged and grabbed the unit. "Got it! Who's da man? I'm da man!"
"Not for long, sidekick," Shego growled.
Ron, not sure what to do, decided to fall back on an always reliable course of action: he smashed the controller against the pavement.
"You're going to regret that, Stoppable!" Shego snarled.
"Hey! You remembered my name!" he said with pride, not noticing that Shego's attention, along with that of everyone else, had suddenly turned in another direction.
Ron, curious, turned to look at whatever it was that drew Shego's eyes away from him.
"That is sick and wrong," Ron muttered as he looked at the five-story-tall squirrel. "That is wrong-sick!"
Wrong-sick or not, it was headed straight for Kim and the hovercar.
VII.
Drakken saw it first.
"Aiiiiiieeeeee!" he squealed.
At first Kim thought Drakken might be trying to play her, but then she heard the roar. Or, to be more exact, the very loud chittering. She turned around.
"Okay, that's different," she observed.
"Sq-sq-sq …" Drakken stammered.
"Squirrel, Drakken. It's a squirrel. A ferociously big one," she said, pulling out the Kimmunicator. "Wade, Drakken's been foiled, but now we've got some level ten weirdness. Looks like somebody else stole the growth ray."
"Yeah, I can see it on TV. Animal Control and Global Justice are coming in," Wade said.
"Wade, they can't shoot it! If they do …" Kim was cut off as the squirrel looked directly at her. "This is so not right," she said to herself as she saw the paw reach out in her direction.
"Drakken! Can you get us out of here?"
Unfortunately for Kim, her arch foe was now curled up in a ball, sucking his thumb.
"Great," she muttered, trying the controls without success. "They're locked out." Kim decided she and her nemesis would have to abandon the flying car.
Kim was pulling out her grappler and was about to pick up Drakken when the squirrel, moving with surprising speed, reached out and grabbed her.
VIII.
"Looks like your girlfriend is gonna be squirrel bait, Stoppable," Shego said once she recovered from the initial shock of seeing a 60 foot-tall yard rodent walking up Broadway.
Ron glared at Shego.
"Oops. I forgot. Ex-girlfriend. She dumped you, didn't she? You'd probably be just as happy to see Squirrelzilla finish her off …"
Shego was taken by surprise when Ron sprang to his feet and grabbed the front of her jumpsuit.
"That doesn't matter. She's my best friend. Always has been, always will be. Got it?"
"Hey, chill out, buffoon," Shego said.
"No chilling. You're going to help me get her back," Ron said with determination.
"Yeah, right …" Shego said dismissively, before her words trailed off. She didn't like Ron's expression. It was quite unsettling. She found herself having Zorpox flashbacks.
"Anything happens to KP, I might snap, Shego. I might even go bad. You remember the last time? This time I might be interested in actually feeding the sharks," Ron growled menacingly.
"Okay, calm down, you're freaking me out, Stoppable. I'll help. Just stop looking at me that way. And let go of me."
"Remember. You double-cross me and …"
"… it's feeding time. Gotcha," a shaken Shego said. She pulled out the remote that Kim would have needed to fly the hovercar and pressed some buttons. The craft landed, with Drakken still inside sucking his thumb. Ron and Shego both shook their heads.
"Now you know why I ditched him for you," Shego said. "So, what's the plan, sidekick?"
Ron rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't done this in a long time. And coming up with a plan was usually Kim's job.
"He's a squirrel. He likes nuts. We get him some nuts."
"You gotta be kidding me."
"You have a better idea?"
Shego looked blankly at Ron.
"Didn't think so. Go to Imperial Filbert at 999 Canarsie Boulevard and fill this thing up with as many nuts as you can." Ron was glad he'd gone to that restaurant supply show the week before; otherwise he'd never have met the purveyor of fine nuts or learned about his warehouse.
"What then?" Shego asked.
"It's feeding time," Ron said.
"Okay," she replied, confused. "Here, you'll need this," she said handing him the hovercar remote after she pressed some buttons. "I've just put the car on manual so I can fly it, but you'll be able to use this when you need it."
"Badical," Ron said, before he began to push through the crowd.
"Hey, where are you going?" Shego asked.
"I've got to get something," he called back out over his shoulder. "Keep your phone on. I'll call to tell you what to do next."
Ron already had a good idea as to where the squirrel was going. He may have been new to New York, but Ron knew there was only one must-visit building in Manhattan if you were a giant, rampaging animal.
The Empire State Building.
IX.
"Put me down!" Kim demanded. "You are so going to be busted for this!"
Kim squirmed, trying to break loose of the yard rodent's grip, but to no avail. She was trapped. And much to her annoyance, she'd lost the Kimmunicator, her grappler, and her purse with all of her gadgets, back in the hovercar.
I wonder what Ron's doing? Kim asked herself. Something told her he would be on his way. But what he'd do was completely beyond her.
She looked around, taking in the cars screeching to a halt and the pedestrians pointing up and screaming as the squirrel made its way down Fifth Avenue. It was then she noticed Ron running, faster than she'd ever seen him run before.
She waved frantically at him, even though he was a good block behind them.
Kim saw him look up and wave back. He was yelling something, but she couldn't make out what, though she thought he might be saying "I'm coming, KP! And I love you!" She wasn't sure. But she realized that that was what she hoped he was saying, as she was engulfed with regret for the past and hope for the future.
She didn't have too much time to watch Ron, though. He surprised her by turning off onto 35th Street. What's he doing? she wondered. One thing she was sure of: Ron wasn't ditching her. Kim knew that, recalling the time at Wannaweep when Ron disappeared, only to return to save the day. She knew something similar was happening. She just hoped it didn't involve Ron subjecting himself to radical genetic mutation.
X.
Ron turned onto 35th Street because that's where he lived. He unlocked the front door of his building and got on the elevator. Once he reached his floor, he ran down the corridor to his apartment and went in. He went to his closet and began rummaging through things, then found what he wanted.
His old jet pack.
He checked the batteries and confirmed the unit still worked.
"Boo. Yah," Ron said with satisfaction. "Houston, we have liftoff …"
He was about to leave when he saw a pair of very small, angry eyes staring at him.
"Hey, Little Buddy, I'd take you, but it's been a while since I've been in mission mode and you're getting a bit old for this."
Rufus, now 13 years old, stood with his arms folded against his little chest.
"How about I promise that you, Kim, and me will go to the new Grande Bueno Nacho in Times Square after I save her. Nacos with extra cheese for all!"
Rufus suddenly brightened, at both the mention of Kim's name and the idea of cheese.
Ron grinned at his little friend. "You got it, Rufus. Kim and I talked tonight. And I think it was good. But I've got to go help her first, okay?"
"Hokay!" the now happy naked mole rat squeaked with approval. He very much wanted to see his two humans reunited.
XI.
Kim decided that describing her current sitch as level ten weirdness didn't begin to do justice to what was going on. The squirrel, with her in its grip, had begun scaling the Empire State Building.
Kim gritted her teeth as the squirrel's claws tore at her dress.
"Grrr! Do you know how much this cost me!" she snarled in frustration and anger. Given the danger she was in, she knew her wardrobe was by no means her greatest concern. But it tweaked her that she'd once again lost a perfectly good piece of evening wear to the creation of some whack villain. Besides, it was better to dwell on that rather than the fact that she was being carried to the top of the tallest building in New York City by a giant squirrel, and had no means of escape.
She didn't know where her captor came from, but at that moment she was willing to put money – lots of it – down on her current predicament being the doing of DNAmy. It was a good thing Kim Possible wasn't a gambling woman; if she had been, and she had been able to place a wager, she would have lost her bet.
XII.
Ron slid the door open and went out to the small deck that abutted his loft. He looked up at the towering form of the Art Deco skyscraper; it was one of the things that had drawn him to this apartment. He could see the squirrel making its ascent. It was moving quickly and Ron saw that it had already reached the Observation Deck on the 86th floor.
Ron strapped on the jet pack then pulled out his cell phone.
"Shego?"
"Yeah, I'm here, Stoppable. Got a hovercar filled with two tons of filberts."
"Badical. I'm taking control of it," he said, pressing the command button on the remote he'd taken from Shego.
"What next?"
"Disappear."
"What?"
"It's your Get Out Of Jail Free card, Shego. You helped me, I'm helping you. Just try to stay out of trouble for a while, 'kay? Besides, somebody's got to take care of Drakken, who, I'm willing to bet, is still sucking his thumb."
"You sure about this, Stoppable?"
"Yeah. Right now, it's just me and the squirrel, going mano a mano. And he's going down."
TBC …