Keep Your Friends Close…by Cabel
Chapter 4
Two weeks later… "We have a lead…Jump City"Despite all her travels, Kim wasn't very familiar with Jump City. She'd probably caught something about it on the travel channel once or twice, but being a student/ teen hero only allowed so much free time. She did have to admit, as far as big cities go, Jump City's skyline looked very beautiful in the sunset. 'Focus, this isn't a time for sightseeing.' She thought to herself as looked out the side of air transport that was carrying her and Ron.
In the aftermath of the attack on Bueno Nacho Ron was treated for a few scratches and bruises, Monique needed stitches for her shoulder, and Kim had to have her ribs taped up. Add that to the loss of Ron's moped and a weeks allowance to replace Monique's shirt. But now Kim finally had medical clearance, as well as permission from her parents, to seek out the one responsible. Not to mention Kim was looking forward for a chance to try out the battle suit again.
"I'd still feel comfortable if I had a suit too!" Ron yelled over the engines. "If Wade ever needs my measurements or anything, just let me know!"
"Pilot, drop us off on that apartment complex!" Kim yelled, the pilot acknowledged her with a thumbs up.
After being dropped off, the duo started running from roof to roof in search of, whatever it is that they're looking for.
"Wouldn't searching from the air be easier?" Ron asked.
"Sure if we wanted a bulls eye on us." Kim said as she jumped to another roof. "Whoever took Shego knew that we'd come after her, so they tried to take us out before hand."
"Great, so we're up against an enemy we know nothing about, but is also expecting us. I don't even know what we're looking for."
"Just keep an eye out anything unusual, chances are it's Shego."
Elsewhere…As Slade's henchmen searched throughout the technology lab that they had broken into, Shego stood and stared at a clock on a nearby wall. While her demeanor had an appearance of calm and collected, inside she was screaming.
Sure she had lost to Kim Possible more times than she'd care to admit, but if there was one thing Possible lacked, it was a killer instinct. Possible didn't have it in her to take the life of another human being. It was only against Slade that Shego ever thought that she might die.
Slade, the thought her new master brought feelings of awe and disgust. He was cold, manipulative, everything that Drakken's not, and dare she say, inhuman. He felt neither remorse nor mercy for those who serve. Shego knew that if he felt it necessary, Slade would kill her on the spot. She'll have to be cautious.
If Slade wants an apprentice, fine, she'll give him one. Slade wants to teach her everything he knows, that's all well and good. She'll learn, she'll remain loyal, and earn his trust if such a thing is possible. Shego smirked, feeling a bit of satisfaction. Soon enough, evolution will run its course. The student will surpass the teacher. And when the time is right, she'll kill Slade.
Just a matter of time. Tick-tock-tick-tock…
"Okay people, grab what you can, it's time to go!"
Shego led the group of ten henchmen through the skylight to make their getaway across the rooftops. The henchman taking up the rear didn't even make it to the first ledge as a pair of gloved hands reached out from behind an air conditioning unit and pulled him out of sight.
Unaware the group continued on, leaping gracefully across the next gap. Just as gracefully, something the night only revealed as a giant bird swooped up the last two of the group in mid air. Shego and the now group of seven jumped down to a lower roof. While Shego and the next four tucked and rolled easily upon landing, the next three sank without a trace into the shadows beneath them.
The remaining five made it across the next jump, but made only a few steps before two henchmen were pulled into the alley below by a pair of robotic arms. In the process, scaring a cat, which caught Shego's attention. Shego turned around to find that eight of her men, along with their 'cargo,' had gone missing!
"What?" Shego got out before some kind of projectile was thrown at them. She tried to duck for cover when it went off, but she then found out what it did. She couldn't move, her, as well as the henchmen's legs had been frozen to the roof.
"Well don't just stand there, get me out of…!" Shego was cut off when an energy bolt came from nowhere and blasted the head off of the henchman she was yelling at. She turned around just in time to see the other get decapitated by a boomerang. Shego's eyes followed the boomerang as it made a u-turn and landed in the hand of someone a few feet in front of her.
"You're surrounded. So don't make any sudden moves." Said the young man. He was dressed in a red and green uniform, completed by a black and yellow cape and mask that covered his eyes.
Shego looked around her to see that she was in fact surrounded as four others were circling her. A small green boy dressed in purple, a girl covered by a dark cloak, an orange skin girl with red hair that was floating over the ground, and a big man with cybernetic parts covering most of his body.
"Looking for these?" Said the green one as he held up four of the henchmen's backpacks in mocking fashion. "We'll be taking that too." Added the girl in the cloak. Shego's pack started glowing black and removed itself from Shego before floating over to where the other bags were.
"So, you guys must be the Teen Titans I've heard so much about." Shego said, raising her hands in surrender. She looked at the group again. "Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire, and you must be Robin." She added, looking at the young man with the mask. "Few people ever get the drop on me like this, pretty impressive."
"Guess there's a first time for everything." Cyborg gloated.
"Especially considering you guys did it dressed up like rejects from a convention." None of the Titans seemed to appreciate that comment.
"And perhaps you would like to tell us who you are." Said Starfire.
"And while we're on the subject of fashion, what're you doing in one of Slade's uniforms?" Robin added.
"My name is Shego. And I'm serious, you guys really surprised me, one would think..." Shego paused as Slade's henchmen emerged from all around the rooftop. "…That I did it on purpose."
"We've been set up!" Cyborg yelled as he blasted several henchmen with his sonic cannon.
"Titans Go!" Robin shouted, ready to lead the offensive, but Shego broke the ice around her legs and quickly derailed him with a clothesline.
"'Titans go,' and I thought my brothers were lame." Shego said as she went to kick Robin in the gut, but he sat up to his knees and blocked. Robin blocked a few hits before jumping onto his back to avoid and front kick. He kicked to his feet to avoid a leg sweep and back flipped to dodge a left hook. They clashed forearms.
Raven kept blocking the henchmen's blows with her force fields; she ducked down and used her telekinesis to uplift the asphalt around her, forcing the henchmen off her feet. She saw more men coming from the ledge, so she lifted up the fallen henchmen and threw them, sending them all off the roof.
Beast Boy mule kicked (literally) two henchmen. In mid-move he morphed into a bear and clubbed away three of them. The henchmen started dog piling onto him only to be thrown away by the tentacles of a giant squid.
Cyborg swung at enemies with his left arm while blasting with his sonic cannon. His cannon-arm detached from the upper forearm, still connected by a steel cable. Cyborg swung his arm around like a mace, clubbing surrounding henchmen while blasting them at the same time. The arm grabbed a henchman by the ankle and reeled in, taking him of his feet. Cyborg held on and swung the henchman upwards before sending back toward the ground.
An airborne attacker got blasted out of the sky by Starfire's eye lasers. She took to the sky to avoid a tackle, but one of them managed to grab her by the waist and pulled her back down. She threw him off and blasted two more with her star bolts. Then she saw what was transpiring across the roof.
"Robin!"
Even though Robin was on the offensive, he wasn't gaining much of an advantage. Shego was fast with power to match, easily blocking Robin's hits. He slowly backed her up to the edge of the roof, but there was no change in her composure. He went for a left but Shego swung up her left forearm and deflected it, allowing her to connect with a right hook. Shego went with the momentum and landed a spinning back kick that sent Robin off the side. Shego looked over the edge and repeated the swinging movement her arm with a smirk.
"Wax off."
A purple and orange blur sped past Shego. The alien girl, Starfire, had caught Robin in midair and they were flying straight for Shego's position.
"So the birdie can fly, guess I'll have to clip his wings." Shego said as she started running to meet them head on. She started throwing energy blasts that Starfire evaded. Starfire let go of Robin so that he could stop Shego in her tracks, but she was already a step ahead of him, or to be more accurate, a foot above.
Shego spun in midair and connected with both feet on Starfire, sending her into the next building. Robin tried to go after her, but was cut off by three henchmen. Shego looked at the damage she just created, feeling proud of herself. But only long enough for her to grab the green bull by the horns before it rammed into her. She forced the animal onto it's side and rolled over it to hit Cyborg with a kick to the chest and connected with a backhand on Beast Boy as he changed back into human form.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
Shego's glove flamed up and she blasted an energy bolt straight through the incoming piece of rubble, right at Raven. Raven only had a moment to block the blast with her force field before she could evade the onslaught of punches and kicks Shego was throwing. Raven flew up to avoid a kick as Starfire came out of nowhere and tackled Shego at full speed. Shego somehow maintained her footing and used a backflip-kick that sent Starfire into a midair collision with Raven, knocking them both down to the rooftop.
Shego only had a moment before she felt the arms of a gorilla wrap around her, the changeling again. She was starting to get annoyed by the Titan's persistence. She had orders to follow from a master that would accept nothing less than satisfaction, and every minute wasted on this battle would keep her from her objective. She reeled her head back and head-butted the green primate in the face. It was enough to break the changeling's concentration on his form, allowing Shego to break his grip and pull him by the forearm into a stiff clothesline.
With his bo staff extended, Robin made quick work of the henchmen and went back on the attack against Shego. Shego dodged a thrust attack and Robin swung the staff for a downward slash, but Shego caught it in her left hand, leaving her right free, and Robin's chest wide open.
The blast sent Robin flying back into a nearby wall, leaving a sizable burn mark on his uniform. Good thing it was made out of special reinforced fabric or else he might have suffered second-degree burns on his chest.
Shego slowly spun the staff around in her hand as she approached Robin, then she ignited her hand and allowed the weapon to melt through her fingers. "Not bad kid, but not in my league." She said as Robin swung out his arm, forcing Shego to react just in time to catch the bird-a-rang as it flew past her head. She had been annoyed that the kid still had fight in him, now that she felt blood running down her cheek, she was pissed.
'Nice reflexes.' Robin thought to himself. He was hoping to get a knockout shot when he threw his bird-a-rang, and with the pain in his chest, Robin was going to need a few minutes before he could get back into any kind of fighting shape. He saw Shego reel back to send the bird-a-rang back at him. He wasn't sure what he'd do next, but for now, he'd try to dodge his own weapon, and see what he'll do from there.
Then something pounced Shego as she threw the weapon, and Robin jerked his head to the side as the bird-a-rang imbedded itself beside him. Robin looked to see whom it was standing over Shego. It was a teenage girl, couldn't have been any older than eighteen. She had long red hair, and was wearing a white and blue uniform of some kind. Shego kicked up and turned to face her new attacker, and was obviously displeased.
"Just what I needed, prom queen 2.0." Shego said.
"I see you got yourself a new look too, Shego." The girl said as she struck a defensive pose.
"The outfit isn't the only thing that's new Kim. New boss, new Shego." Shego said as she charged and threw a right and swung into an elbow, both of which Kim dodged. Shego connected with a kick to the side and deflected Kim's right. Kim went for a leg sweep but Shego jumped and connected with a dropkick that sent Kim back a few steps. Both girls went back into fighting stance.
"This boss must be something," Kim said. "You've improved more in three weeks than you've had in the past three years."
"You don't know the half of it princess." Shego yelled as she threw an energy bolt at Kim. Thanks to the technology of the suit, she easily deflected it. They charged each other and locked hands in an old-fashioned test of strength, trying to tip the scale into one another's favor.
Raven and Starfire started to stir from their mid-air collision. As they recollected their bearings they saw one of the remaining henchmen coming right at them. They braced themselves when suddenly a young man with blond hair, wearing a black shirt with khakis almost tackled the henchman in half. The young man jumped victoriously.
"Boo-yah! Fear the spear! Ow my shoulder!" Ron winced, grabbing his shoulder before offering the strange looking girls a hand up.
"Thank you for your help." The orange-skinned one said with a smile.
"Aw no big." Ron said when the fallen henchman suddenly sat up.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" The cloaked girl yelled out. The henchman's head glowed with black energy, causing him to twitch desperately before his head literally caved in. With his eyes wide and his mouth agape, Ron was in awe.
"Call it even." The girl said before heading back to the battlefield.
"That…would have been so cool if it wasn't so freaky."
"Raven…tends to have that effect on people." The other girl responded.
Cyborg helped Robin to his feet with Beast Boy joining them as they watched the fight between Shego and the redhead transpire.
"Who is that?" Beast Boy asked, not really expecting an answer.
"Who ever she is, she's defiantly not with her." Cyborg responded.
"That's good enough for me, Titans go!" Robin yelled as he charged back in. Shego blocked Kim's punches when she suddenly had to duck to avoid a spin kick from Robin. Shego now found herself blocking blows from both sides. She blocked Robin's forearm and went to give him a right, but Kim held her arm back, giving Robin the chance to land a kick in the abdomen. She threw a kick at Kim's side, but Kim held on. Shego threw her leg back to kick Robin, but he grabbed her foot. Held at both ends Shego did the only thing she could do, she spun in mid-air and the centrifugal force threw the three apart, bringing them to a standstill.
Ron gave up trying to count henchmen because another one always seemed to popup whenever one got knocked down. He was being chased towards the edge of the roof when remembered a move learned a long time ago. When he got to the edge he turned around, ducked down and shoulder tossed the henchman over the edge. Making sure he was gone Ron gave himself a smile.
"Who says wrestling doesn't teach you anything?" Rufus squealed his agreement with a thumbs up when they both saw another henchman coming at them. Rufus quickly climbed up Ron's shoulder and jumped onto the henchman's face, blocking his vision. The distraction was good enough when a green kangaroo came up and kicked the henchman.
"Nice kick," Ron said. "Wait a minute, where's Rufus?"
The Kangaroo reached into its pouch and produced the naked mole rat. Ron quickly grabbed little friend.
"Thanks buddy."
"No problem" The kangaroo turned into a green human before changing into a mountain lion and rejoining its teammates. Ron considered freaking out but decided against it.
"I'm not gonna say anything, I just gonna go with it."
Shego back flipped to avoid Robin's kick and rolled out of the way to avoid a star bolt. She got up and was pounced by Beast Boy in mountain lion form, whom she monkey flipped over her. She got up and dodged Kim's punch. She spun around and knocked away Cyborg's sonic cannon, disabling it, then kicked him back. Shego was suddenly levitated of the ground by Raven's telekinesis. She threw down a wave of energy bolts, making them take cover, and freeing her in the process.
Shego got the chance to access the situation. The Titans and Kim, six-on-one, and to top it off the buffoon and his rodent were holding their own. Only a couple henchmen were still functional, and if she was going to end it, she would have to end it now.
Shego jump kicked Starefire and Raven. She then used the charging Beast Boy's wolf form's momentum against him into a judo toss. She ducked a punch from Robin and spin kicked him to the side. She then gave Cyborg a knee to the gut and an elbow to the back of the head, forcing him to his knees. She rolled over him and landed a left on Kim. She focused her attention back on Cyborg, and in a move that made everyone freeze in shock, Shego swung her arm up and dug her burning right hand into Cyborg's chest.
"Nobody move! Or the tin man loses his heart!"
The Titans nor Ron and Kim moved a muscle, but Shego noticed the look in Kim's eyes.
"You wanna call my bluff, Kimmy?" Shego said as she placed her other hand over Cyborg's face, and ignited it as well. Smoke started to come up from where her hand made contact.
"I could be guessing, but I think she's serious." Cyborg said as Shego tightened her grip.
Kim looked around her. She saw the looks of these people she found herself fighting beside, all looks of concern for their friend. She could probably stop Shego here and now, but she couldn't risk another's safety for it. She slowly sunk to her knees, and soon everyone else did the same.
"That's more like it." Shego said. She motioned to the three remaining henchmen to recover their lost loot. When they were gone and out of sight, Shego lifted Cyborg up to his feet.
"Hey Robin, my master sends his regards!" She yelled before giving Cyborg a spin kick that sent him crashing into Kim and the Titans like bowling pins. Kim got up in time to see Shego leap off the roof in a graceful somersault. However, when Kim got to the edge, Shego was gone.
"So is everyone okay?" Ron asked from the bottom the would-be dog pile.
"Define okay." Raven responded.
"Cyborg, are you alright?" Starfire asked as she pulled the half-robot up.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. But I think she damaged my power cell. I'll have to replace it before it dies out." Cyborg said as he inspected the damage to his chest.
"Let me take a look." Kim requested, Cyborg reluctantly obliged. Kim pulled out her kimmunicator. "I'm not sure what kind of power cells you use, but the kimmunicator should give you enough charge till you replace them." Kim said as she pulled a small cable from the hand-held device and plugged it into a compartment in Cyborg's chest.
"And in the meantime," Kim pushed a button on the kimmunicator. "Wade, you think you can help this guy with repairs?"
Wade popped up on the screen. "Wow, this is some pretty advanced circuitry, but I think I can have it fixed in an hour or so."
"Please and thank you." Kim handed the kimmunicator to Cyborg. "Just tell him what he needs to know and he'll have you good as new."
"Um…thanks." Cyborg managed to get out before focusing his attention on the much younger person on the screen. "Nice to meet you Wade…how old are you?"
"Dude, those were some pretty sweet moves back there." Beast Boy said as he threw a couple shadow punches.
"So not the drama. Just part of the teen hero thing." Kim responded casually.
"And judging from the way you two fought, you and Shego must know each other pretty well." Robin said.
"Oh yeah, first name basis and everything." Said Ron.
"I've fought with Shego quite a few times over the years," Kim added. "But she's never been so, aggressive with her fighting. Would this 'master' have anything to do with it?"
"Slade's influence no doubt." Robin answered.
"Who's Slade?" Ron asked.
"Only the baddest of the bad dude. And we're talking serious-psychopathic-bent-on-world-domination-bad." Beast Boy said with his arms up in an intimidating pose.
"Nothing we haven't dealt with before." Ron responded.
"Trust us, there is nothing like Slade." Robin said with serious emphasis.
"If he's really that bad, and with Shego working for him, they could be a real problem." Kim thought out loud.
"Common enemies. I guess it only makes sense that we team up." Robin said with an assuring smile.
"Agreed." Kim said, returning the smile and extending her hand.
"I'm Robin." He said, accepting the handshake. "This is Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg. We're the Teen Titans."
"Kim Possible, and this is my partner Ron Stoppable."
"And this is Rufus." Ron added, holding up the naked mole rat. "And we ah…don't really have a team name."
"Nice to meet ya Rufus." Beast Boy said before turning himself into a naked mole rat and shaking Rufus' paw; causing Ron to jump a little.
"Dude, no disrespect or anything, but please give me a warning before you do that. It's gonna take me some getting used too."
"Fair enough." Beast Boy said as he changed back.
Unsure of how to deal with the unusual situation, Kim asked, "So, I don't suppose you guys could recommend a good hotel?"
"No problem," Robin answered. "You can stay at our place."
"Oh yes new friends, you must stay with us!" Starfire yelled out as she caught Kim and Ron in a fierce bear hug.
"Who are we to turn down a friend's hospitality?" Ron said in between breaths.
Shego stepped into the single spotlight and kneeled before her master.
"I'm impressed. You handled yourself against the Titans very well."
"Thank you master. She came as well."
"As I expected. So the message has been sent?"
"Yes master, but I don't see the need for it." Shego stood up. "I could've disposed of them easily had my orders not have been to hold back. Even with Possible there I could've…" Shego started before she started to feel the collar of her uniform tighten around her neck, threatening to choke her.
"And there's also the chance that you'd lose either way, or that she wouldn't of arrived then. She would've come sooner or later, despite injuries. It's only fair that we allow her a chance to see what she's gotten herself into. The Titans are reminded of whom they're dealing with, and Possible now knows that this isn't just another one of her 'missions.' Now it's simply a matter of two birds with one stone."
To be continued…
Wow, that took a lot longer than thought it would. You try writing a six-on-one fight scene with an undetermined amount of minor characters and we'll see how fast you get it done. Hope to have the next chapter up in a couple of weeks, depending on work and school.
Fun fact: Will Fredie, the voice of Ron, also did the voice of Fang (the guy with a spider for a head) in the Titan's episode "Date with Destiny."