Chapter XI: Kim's Trial

Middleton Hospital

Ron's Room

An hour later

Kim sighed as she gathered her courage and opened the door to Ron's Room. She couldn't help but feel for his loss. She knew he was hurting in ways she may not understand but she could lessen his burden.

If he would let her.

"Ron? Can I come in?" Kim asked timidly, unsure if her friend was in good humor. She found him facing the open window and immediately her heart stopped. Frozen in her tracks she didn't know what to do. Did Ron wish to end his life? The thought infuriated her but held her thoughts. It wouldn't be good to voice them out in his state of mind.

As if he sensed her mood, Rom smiled ruefully as he continued to face the window. "Don't worry, KP. I'm not going to jump," he said making Kim breathe out a breath of relief she didn't know she held.

"I'm not worried," Kim said in good nature but it didn't fool him.

"I could hear your heart race from here," he smirked. "It's strange. You view the world in a different light when you loose a sense."

"Really?" Kim went to his side as she looked out the window. All she saw was the hospital's garden where patients and their families go for some fresh air.

"It's like a whole new world," Ron chuckled at what he said. "Sounds like a beginning of a song." Kim smiled as she wrapped her arm around his. He may not have regained his old self yet, but it was a start.

"He was right, you know," Ron said as the smell of Kim's shampoo entered his breath. The mere scent of her made him giddy but he dared not show it. It would be, in his terms, awkweird to have butterflies in his stomach from a simple scent.

"Hmm?" Kim looked at him, his empty gaze tearing her heart. What she would give to have those hazel orbs focus on her again.

"Mr. C.," he explained. "I must not let this setback stop me. This is a small price to pay considering. I asked him to help me be better. To be able to protect you and not be a burden."

"But Ron…" Kim began but Ron touched his finger on her lips.

"I know," he smiled. "I just feel that way after you were poisoned. In any case, Mr. C's program put me through a lot. And I'm ashamed to admit that I had forgotten my lessons."

"But you remembered," she asked carefully.

"With a vengeance," Ron sighed. "Especially when I heard his voice." Kim shivered at the memory. Not even death would be that cold.

"And you know the worst part?" she shook her head and Ron smiled as he heard her hair flutter as she shook her head. Ron may be dreaming but he was noticing things that he never had before. He noticed how her heart beat in a musical rhythm that relaxes him. Her breathing was like life itself as the soft exhale of her person made him breathe deeply in hopes of catching her essence.

It was wishful thinking that she could capture something as precious as Kim's essence but he wished it still the same.

"What's the worst part?" she asked.

"I don't think he was really angry then," Ron said making Kim's eyes widen in surprise. If Vincent's demeanor was not that of anger, then what would it take to truly anger him?

"So…" Kim paused, trying to get the subject to a more cheerful note. "What now?" Ron had a smile of mischief on his lips making Kim smile at her friend.

"Let's bail and get a Naco," he suggested and Kim was all out for the idea.

…

Middleton Labs

Meanwhile

Mr. Dr. Possible and his colleague Dr. Renton were inspecting the new A.I. for the Jupiter landing project. The revolutionary A.I. could think faster than any human could and with the personality programs installed, it was almost human.

"I don't know," Dr. Possible mused as he inspected the designs. "Sound's like a prologue to disaster to me."

"We know," Dr. Renton said. "Up to now we've been held back by problems with the prototypes on their personality programs."

"What kind of problems?" he asked unsure to where this was going.

"Originally, the personalities should be respectful, loyal, courageous, honorable…"

"Originally?" Dr. Possible had a bad feeling about it.

"The designer of the program is Vincent Credible," Dr. Renton said in a way that it seemed enough of an explanation. To Dr. Possible, it was.

"Let me guess… Buncle?" he asked wirily. Dr. Renton nodded in agreement.

"As usual, he stole Vincent's work and proclaimed it as his own. After Vincent's 'accident', the Board of Committees found out Buncle's fraud and kicked him out of the center."

"Taking Vincent's work with him," Dr. Possible shook his head in disgust. "How low could he go?"

"Low enough," Dr. Renton sighed. "Why wasn't he in jail?"

"There was not enough evidence to prove his guilt," Dr. Possible explained. "And he had powerful friends in office." Dr. Renton frowned as she looked at the design.

"In any case, this A.I. unit is far less superior than Vincent's. We had to make everything from scratch."

"What do you think?" Dr. Possible asked his colleague and friend.

"Truthfully? We'd have to test everything before final preparations and I wouldn't keep my hopes up. Could we interest…"

"Vincent would not want to have anything to do with this lab," Dr. Possible said truthfully. "But I could ask him to look over the designs. Much as he wants to be left alone, he really doesn't want anyone using his technology for evil."

…

Haven

Meanwhile

"Sheila? What's this?" Shego asked as she opened one of the folders in Vincent's database. The hologram looked at the screen, studying the figures in the file that Shego opened. Searching the net yielded no results and the green skinned villain was getting frustrated. By accident, she opened one of Vincent's file folders and found some interesting results.

"That's Vin's project file," Sheila said simply. Shego's eyes widen in disbelief. Browsing the files, she saw an assortment of gadgets, machines and armaments far more advanced than what she had Drakken had been stealing all these years. However awed she might be, she had a disturbing thought.

She had accessed a file that she felt that no one else had seen. There was a nagging feeling that she should not have seen these files without some sort of price. Her body tensed, getting ready to move in an instant. She knew she couldn't beat Sheila but she would die trying.

"It's okay," Sheila said as if she had ready her mind. "Vin's given you complete access to everything." Confused but relaxed, Shego looked at her.

"Why?" she asked. "This is something he would protect with his life. Why would he give me access? I'm a stranger to him." But one statement Sheila said touched her core like no other.

"He trusts you." Three words unraveled the ice in her heart. A man, who trusted her unconditionally, touched her heart.

Again.

Vincent touched her heart four years ago and touched it again making her think that life was not that bad.

Shego was scared. Afraid to open heart. Afraid to fall for him. But she already did. She had fallen for the sweetest, kindest and most dangerous man she had ever known.

"Would he?" Shego asked quietly.

"Would he what?" Sheila asked knowing pretty well what she was going to ask.

"Would her really go into the depths of hell with me?"

"Without a second thought," with Sheila's answer Shego sighed. Looking up at the monitor, she noticed something interesting. Something worth exploring.

"This is wicked," she smiled as she punched the item up to the screen. Sheila smiled and Shego noticed it.

"I knew you'd like it," she said. "You want to try it on?"

"Lets." Shego stood from her chair, letting Sheila lead her.

…

Credible Manor

Training Facility

Evening

Kim led Ron into the training facility as the arrived at Vincent's home. It was dark and quiet and Kim had a feeling that they were not alone.

Suddenly, from the shadows she saw some movement but was not sure what it was.

"KP! Move," Ron shouted as he pushed her out of the way. Where they were, a man attacked them with a weapon. In the dark, Kim was not sure what he held but kept attacking Ron. Ron tried his best to defend himself from their assailant, moving like he had never moved before.

As her eyes adjusted in the dark, she watched the two shadows fighting as if their very lives depended on it. She didn't know which was Ron but admired that both are fighting at a pace she never could have imagined.

Suddenly, she remembered that her voice was entered in the security database. "Lights!" she ordered and suddenly, the whole facility lit in a blinding light. But it did not deter both men.

Since Ron was blind, the sudden brightness did not faze him and he noticed that it did not faze his assailant either. When Kim's eyes adjusted, she saw the assailant wearing a black ninja suit and ran towards her friend. She attacked the man who just dodged her and the dance begun.

Dodging, attacking and blocking. It was like those ole kung fu films that two of the protagonist was fighting the stronger antagonist. Their grace was fluid and precise that the two were one in attacking their assailant. But somehow, their assailant seemed amused.

Suddenly, Ron thought he would finally hit him but the assailant quickly dodged his attack and tossed him aside. Astonished, Kim tried to hit him but then he tossed her where Ron was, who in turn caught her before she fell. Kim was about to pose for defense when Ron sighed and suddenly laughed.

Kim looked at him in confused wonder when the masked ninja laughed and took off his own mask, placed his sunglasses over his eyes and smiled at them.

"Vincent?" Kim's jaw dropped in amazement. Not just because it was Vincent but because he could fight well.

"I told you Ron. What's a slight inconvenience when you could protect someone you…"

"I get it Mr. C," Ron cut him off before he could say anything else. Vincent laughed and smiled at Kim.

"So, how is our patient?" he asked. Kim looked at Ron and found that he was smiling again. Not because of her but because he had discovered for himself that he could still function without his sight.

"Fine," she said as she smirked.

"Very well," Vincent smiled. "Dinner at the kitchen. And Ms. Possible, I would like to discuss to you the possibility of developing your technique. I'll see you in a few," with that he left the training center leaving the two teens behind.

Kim sighed and started to follow Vincent when Ron held her hand to stop her. Looking at him, she noticed that he had as shy and sheepish expression in his face.

"KP…" he paused and without warning, kissed her cheek. Surprised, Kim blushed as she touched the place where his lips touched her. "Thanks."

"For what?" she said shakily.

"For being here with me," he smiled and started to walk but then paused and sighed. "Ahh… could you… you know?" Kim smiled and wrapped her arm around his.

"Come on," she said as she led him towards the main house. "Let's eat." Ron happily let her lead him away.

"Ron?"

"Yeah KP?"

"What did he mean that he wanted to discuss a possibility to develop my technique?"

(End of XI)

Next: Credible Manor is attacked by Buncle's Hunters. Ron was given a nice surprise and Kim helped Shego learn more about the man she had fallen for.

Next: Chapter XII: Shego's Discovery