It's been awhile
Since I could...
Hold my head up high
It's been awhile
Since I first saw you
It's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you
And everything I can remember
As fucked up as it all may seem
The consequences that I've rendered
I've stretched myself beyond the means
It's been awhile
Since I could say that I wasn't addicted
It's been awhile
Since I could say I loved myself as well and...
It's been awhile
Since I've gone and fucked things up
Just like I always do
It's been awhile
But all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you
And everything I can remember
As fucked up as it all may seem
Consequences that I've rendered
Gone and fucked things up again...again
Why must I feel this way?
Just make this go away
Just one more peaceful day
It's been awhile
Since I could...
Look at myself straight
It's been awhile
Since I said I'm sorry
"It's Been Awhile" - Staind
Diana sighed in relief when she finally landed beside the open patio on the backside of her apartment. She let out a loud breath as she removed her tiara and shook her long, raven mane in the cool morning air. "I love him, but Bruce is a slave driver … not that I blame him in this." Diana spoke to herself. "Where was Ron? I thought he'd be hunting the hardest to keep Joker from hurting anyone … Diana, look at yourself, talking to yourself … and answering … Bruce is rubbing off on … who's there?" Diana asked, her voice taking a harsh tone as she heard a soft whimpering.
Diana carefully walked toward her bedroom and was shocked to see Cassie in her bed curled in a ball, dressed in one of Diana's nightshirts. "Cassie? What are you doing here?" Diana squeaked with a befuddled look on her face.
"What am I doing here?" Cassie choked, "I'm here because I'm a lousy bitch and I've got nowhere else to go!"
"Cassie, don't say that word, and you're not one of those, trust me, I know," Diana said, sitting down on the bed, "What's wrong?"
"You wouldn't … wouldn't under-understand," Cassie whimpered, hiding her face in her hands. "You've never used boys' hearts and ripped them to shreds without a bit of mercy."
"Umm …" Diana looked down at her lap with a pink tint to her cheeks as Cassie's head popped up with narrowed eyes, "Oh, yeah … you would."
"Cassie, let's not get into my past mistakes," Diana said, turning to the girl before she found a vent to avoid the issues. "Now tell me what happened. You can trust me."
Cassie watched her former mentor hesitantly. "Cass, I know … I've made a lot of mistakes in the past. I've hurt a lot of people; I've hurt you, but … I always liked to think that somewhere we at least kept some strings of friendship between us …" Diana said softly and hopefully. She then held out her hand in the proverbial offering of the olive twig. "You can trust me."
Diana didn't know what hit her as she was tackled literally off the bed. She hit the floor of her bedroom with a thud and felt Cassie's trembling arms around her waste and the girl's face resting against her upper chest trembling with sobs. "Hey, it's ok," Diana whispered awkwardly as she gently rocked the girl in her lap, "let it out."
Cassie pulled back and sat across from Diana, and began twiddling her fingers in her lap. She took a deep breath and relayed everything that had happened between her and Conner, her and Ron, everything.
Cassie finished her story and glanced up at Diana with puffy, red eyes awaiting a response.
Diana stared at the girl for several moments, chewing on her lower lip and taking everything in before finally speaking. "I … I wish I could say it's not your fault, Cassie, I really do … The best I can do is it's not completely your fault …"
Cassie's eyes started to brim with tears again, but before she could sob, Diana pulled her into an almost bone-crushing hug, "Don't … do that anymore, you're going to make me cry too …" Diana whispered into Cassie's blond hair.
"Listen there's blame all around in this situation, Cassie," Diana said, holding the girl at arms length, "even with me and Batman." Diana said firmly, "I should have been a better guide to you, and Batman should have been a better teacher to Robin other than teaching him to fight and be a detective, or at least warned you about training your then boyfriend to be a cold blooded knight."
"So …" Diana looked at the girl firmly, "What are you going to do now?"
"Wha-what do you mean?" Cassie said hoarsely.
"You're going back to Titans Tower, aren't you?" Diana asked with a slow nod.
"No, I'm not, how can I face them, either of them, or Cissie, or any of the Titans after … THAT?" Cassie asked, her eyes slightly wider in fear.
"So I was right then," Diana said with a frown.
"What do you mean?" Cassie asked, pausing for a sniffle, "right about what?"
"When the Teen Titans were reformed," Diana crossed her arms, "You were determined to prove to me that you were growing up, that you were or close to being an adult." Diana stated, pausing to see if Cassie was listening, which she was. "Adults make decisions, sometimes they're good decisions, sometimes they're not. But adults don't run, mature adults anyway," She added, taking a quick glare to the picture of Bruce Wayne on her night table, "the point is, are you going to face up to your mistakes, and go on about your life, maybe even fixing some of the damage that's been done. Or are you going to be a child and run away from it?"
Cassie let her chin rest against her chest, letting her long hair hide her features. The two set in unnerving silence for several moments before Cassie finally spoke up softly. "What was that?" Diana strained to hear her.
"I said you're right," Cassie said, her head snapping up, her blue eyes shining with determination.
"So you're going back," Diana asked, her lips twitching as she fought back her grin.
"Yes," Cassie nodded quickly, "It'll be awkward for a while, but if Ron's anything like his teacher, it shouldn't be long for me to be too infuriated at him to really care if we dated before."
"Hey, remember that's my boyfriend you're talking about!" Diana said in mock-offence. "No matter how true it is." Diana then gave a small smile, "What about Superboy?"
"That … will be the toughie," Cassie sighed, deflating slightly.
"It's called starting back at the drawing board, Cass," Diana patted her shoulder. "Just look at it as starting from scratch. You have to convince him to trust you again, and then you can be friends again, maybe even more." Diana winked.
"Diana!" Cassie blanched, "I thought you hated Conner?"
"I don't hate anyone, Cassie," Diana scolded, "And I find it hard to hate him after how he and the previous Robin helped Bruce and I get together."
"Huh?" Cassie tilted her head to the side.
"Tim Drake couldn't have sealed us in the Batcave by literally blocking all exits by himself." Diana said, lifting herself to her feet.
"Those two …" Cassie chuckled, "That isn't very surprising."
"So are you going back now?" Diana asked, helping Cassie to her feet.
"Yes … but … Diana?" Cassie asked looking up at the woman hopefully, "Remember before we started fighting, you used to make the best chocolate milkshakes …"
"Alright, two chocolate Themyscyrian milkshakes, coming right up," Diana said giving Cassie a one armed hug and lead her toward her kitchen. "You know, you really are growing up on me, Cassandra."
"I hadn't noticed," Cassie said with a smug smile.
"I have for a while," Diana said with a straight face, "I wish I had your boobs when I was your age." She said, thoroughly enjoying the various faces Cassie suddenly made.
"Di-Di-DIANA!" Cassie yelped, staring at the Amazon with wide eyes and glancing from her chest to her face and vice versa.
"What?" Diana shrugged, "Never heard of late bloomers?"
Cassie just shook her head and the two girls laughed as they walked in to the kitchen.
Middleton Memorial Airport was smaller than the massive airport in Upperton, but it was still a pretty active little hub. Outside the front of the small, well-kept airport, a simple little ice cream truck sat with a woman in trench coat and hat sat in the driver's seat patiently.
A tall skinny man stepped out of the airport and approached the ice cream truck. He had short red hair, wore a brown three piece suit, and carried a single suitcase.
"What's up, Doc?" Harley Quinn chirped, grinning at the somewhat scary looking man.
"What does the clown want now?" the man asked with a sneer.
"Batsy's in town and Mr. J. wants for ya to take care of somebody for 'im!" Harley said in her annoyingly high pitched voice.
"Oh?" Dr. Crane asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Here ya go," Harley said as she handed him a manila folder.
"I've seen Kim Possible before," Crane stated in an annoyed tone.
"That's not ya target! Stop being snippy!" Harley crinkled her nose at the man.
The man behind the Scarecrow mask glanced up before flipping through the pictures, "So you want me to kill her goofy sidekick?"
"Keep a lookin!" Harley chimed, "Mr. J figured somethin' out!"
"What?" Crane asked, turning the next page and his eyes widened, "Stoppable's Robin?"
"It's all theory," Harley shrugged, "but either way, get one or the other. If the other one disappears when one dies, it's true, if it's not, oops our bad!"
"Interesting way to test a theory," Crane shrugged, "But if the Joker's still paying, I'll do the job."
Neither noticed Batgirl on the rooftop watching them.
Meanwhile in San Francisco's Bueno Nacho, laughter echoed in the nearly abandoned dinning room of the restaurant. The Teen Titans were in their street clothes sitting in a large booth in the corner, laughing at Ron's stories of his earlier adventures.
"You got … STUCK in the air vent?" Cissie tried to catch breath. "Why didn't you just take the stupid ring off?"
"You're not paying attention, Ciss," Bart said swallowing his bite of naco, "By the way, Ron, genius work with these nacos! Anyway, he was stuck so he couldn't get to the ring."
"That and I was still stuck on musclesmanhood so I wasn't thinking straight," Ron shrugged, blushing slightly at the attention.
"Yeah, wonder if Conner will ever figure out that equation isn't right," Cissie smirked at the teen sitting across from her.
Conner narrowed his eyes behind his glasses, "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked indignantly.
"So," Ron said, noticing Bart getting uncomfortable with Conner and Cissie's flirting. "I still can't believe you didn't know who I was, Con," he chuckled, "I talk about KP all the time, Kim Possible, and it still didn't clue in?"
Before Conner could reply, a beeping came from Ron's pocket. His smiling goofy face instantly morphed to serious stone look as he brought the cell phone to his ear. He glanced around for a moment before speaking. "Robin."
The Titans grew concerned when Ron's eyes darkened and his cheek paled, "No, you'll never get here fast enough … hold on." Ron said, glancing up at Kid Flash, "Bart, I need a lift, think you can give me a faster than a speeding bullet ride to Middleton?" Bart nodded also, gaining a game face. "Got a ride, be there ASAP, Batman."
"What's wrong?" Cissie asked with concern.
"Scarecrow," Ron stated, standing up from the booth in full 'Bat-mode' "And Batman thinks he's after KP. Let's go, Bart."
Robin held on as Kid Flash streaked across the country side toward Middleton. "So why didn't you have Conner fly you?" Kid Flash asked as they rocketed along.
"Wanted to talk." Robin stated, his lips twitching.
"About?" Kid Flash asked.
"You like Cissie, and Cissie's sleeping with Conner," Robin said softly, almost in his Ron voice but not quite there.
"Don't remind me," Kid Flash sighed, changing his path to dodge a building.
"There's more there than what we know," Robin stated, "I don't think they're seeing each other. I think you still have a chance."
"Detective skills from Batman?" Kid Flash asked with a hint of hope in his voice.
"Nope, something I'm as good at if not better than Batman," Robin said, giving him a Ron-like grin, "following hunches."
"Almost there, we gonna go in in-costume or we putting on street clothes?" Kid Flash asked as that zipped past the 'Welcome to Middleton' sign.
"You meet up with Nightwing and Batgirl. I'll go check on KP, besides I need to apologize anyway." Robin said as Kid Flash dropped him at a abandoned building near Kim's home.
The youngest Speedster zipped toward where Robin said Batgirl and Nightwing were set up. Nightwing looked surprised when the kid formerly known as Impulse appeared on the rooftop beside them and saluted dramatically. "Kid Flash reporting for duty, SIR!"
"Batman said you were coming with Robin," Nightwing said with a small smile. "Welcome to the stake out." He nodded, looking back to see Batgirl shyly hiding behind him.
"Stake out? Aw, I was hoping for some fun," Kid Flash sighed, "Oh, well, hi Batgirl!"
Cassandra whispered a greeting, but shrunk back farther behind Nightwing hiding her shapely body in her cape shyly.
'What's going on with …' Nightwing mentally mused before it clicked into place and the original Robin grinned with amusement, "This is going to be fun."
Kim just finished getting dressed to go visit her brother when a knock on her door startled her. "I'm almost ready, mom," she called out.
"It's me, KP." Ron's voice came on the other end, and Kim froze in fear and dread.
"R-Ron," She cursed herself for stammering as she opened her door, "What's up?"
"I'm sorry, Kim" Ron said after a deep breath, "I didn't mean to snap at you last night, just everything that happened tends to weigh on you, ya know?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry about … what I did. I really don't know what came over me. I just …" Kim rambled before looking up with a start, "Are you and Cassie ok?"
"We're … not really ok, but it's ok." Ron said placing a hand on Kim's shoulder. "It'll wash, so don't worry about it."
"You sure …" Kim asked timidly.
"Yeah, besides I've got other things to worry about than girls," Ron said pulling Kim into a hug, "Like my family."
"Ron?" Kim asked unsurely.
"Legal or not, you, your parents and your brother are my family, KP, the only real family I have left. Don't forget that." He whispered into her hair. "You're all I fight for. Just like a little sister who keeps getting into trouble."
"Yeah … sister …" Kim whispered, looking away slightly, "You're only older by a few months, Stoppable," she added forcing a playful tone as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and the two embraced each other for the first real open hug they've had since before he left for Gotham.
"Hate to interrupt, but were going to go check on Tim. Are you coming, Ron?" Mr. Possible asked, planting a hand on each of the two young adult's shoulders.
"Yeah, I'm in, Mr. P," Ron nodded, "Never know when a bird will need to fly," He whispered and Mr. P nodded, understanding his meaning. Mr. Possible knew his wife's secrets and the secrets she knew. Ron was skilled fighter before everything happened, and now that he had been trained by a living urban legend, he knew his family would be as safe as they could be with Ron around. Mr. P knew Ron would die before letting anything happen to Kim or anyone else in this household.
"Then, let's go, kids." Mr. P said as they left the room.
Kim and Ron followed Mr. Possible to the car where Mrs. Possible was waiting in the passenger seat. The ride was a quiet one to the Hospital, but Ron wasn't that surprised. A member of the family was dead and the other in the hospital. Ron especially kept a close eye on Mrs. Possible from the rear-view mirror. Her eyes troubled the fifth Dark Squire. She had just lost a son and the other badly hurt, while her face showed sadness, her eyes were different.
They weren't the loving, caring eyes Ron knew from childhood. They were cold, angry … and seemed even hungry.
"You ok, Mrs. Dr. P?" Ron asked softly.
She turned back to the boy with an obviously forced smile. "I will be, Ron, don't you worry …"
Ron nodded unsurely as the car pulled into the hospital parking lot. The family entered the hospital and made their way to Tim's room. They all paused at the door as if they were all gathering themselves before they slowly entered the room to find the boy lying on the bed. His face was pale and emotionless with bloodshot eyes and a heavily bandaged shoulder.
"Timmy?" Kim whispered in a squeaky voice at her little brother, calling the boy the nickname she hadn't used in years with her eyes filling with tears.
"How do you feel, son?" Mr. Possible asked, taking a glance at his quiet wife.
"I'm …" Tim whispered sadly, turning his big, sad eyes to the group. "I'm all alone now …"
"MOM! DAD!" Ron called trying to pull open the hatch to his parents' tank, his adrenaline going higher from hearing their screams mixed with strange laughter.
"Death by Smilex!" Joker laughed, "Best way to go... is with a smile!"
"You … you bastard …" Ron growled when the clouded tank grew silent.
"Oh, that's not a very nice thing to say," Joker grinned, "I mean, I think I did them a favor! They could have died in a car wreck, or a plane crash, or one of your other little friends could have got them and disfigured them horribly, but I, out of my great mercy, will make you remember them with a nice, big, happy smile!"
Before any of the boy's family could react, Ron was on Tim, pulling him into a gentle yet strong hug. "Don't say that," he whispered, "You're not alone. You're never alone."
Tim nodded slowly as Kim also wrapped her arms around her two boys. A moment later, the whole surviving Possible family was in a group hug on the boy's bed.
They were there a moment before Tim spoke up, "Can I talk to Ron for a second, guy to guy?" Kim and her parents looked at each other before nodding, leaving Ron with the boy.
"The freak that shot us," Tim spoke up, looking up at Ron, "You can't let my sister fight him …"
"Tim …" Ron started.
"No," the boy shook his head, "He … he's not like the others, the ones that were goofy and funny … Ron, I don't wanna lose anyone else, including you and my sister."
"You know Kim," Ron tried to reason, "But I don't plan on letting her take him on anyway … the Joker's no joke …" Ron looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded to himself in decision. "I'm going to tell you a secret, one you can't tell anyone, especially KP."
Tim nodded seriously.
"Good, listen, me and my friends, we're going to stop that monster," Ron said, "We'll stop him for you, Jim, Josh, Kim, and everyone else he's hurt." Ron then grabbed the bottom of his heavy jersey and eased it up, letting Tim see the red armored tunic with the 'R' symbol on the corner of his chest.
"You're …" Tim's eyes widened.
Ron nodded, as he fixed his shirt back. "It's a big secret, Tim, but I just wanted you to know I trust you with my life. You still have one brother, pal, and I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon."
Ron couldn't help but smile when he saw the awe and life return to Tim's eyes. The boy had a long way to go, but it looked like he had just jumpstarted the healing process.
The happiness of the situation was shattered when a scream echoed through the hallway.
Ron gave Tim a quick glance before he dashed out to see what was going on. He found Mr. Possible and a group of nurses checking over a screaming nurse, writhing in his grasp. "What's wrong?"
"Some guy dressed up like a scarecrow threw some gas in this girl's face, and she started screaming. Kim took off after the guy and Andy … I don't know where she went!" Mr. Possible said, fighting the girl.
Ron reached into his bag and pulled a small dart from his utility belt and leaned down beside Mr. Possible. He poked the needle of the dart into the girl's neck and a moment later she calmed down, but continued trembling. "What was that?" Mr. Possible asked.
"It was … the antidote to fear toxin," Ron said, before glancing up at the nurses, "When the Scarecrow broke out it was handed out to all the Wayne Enterprises higher ups just in case."
"Do you have anymore?" one of the nurses asked, all of them buying his story.
"Sorry, that was the only one I had …" Ron said regretfully, and then glanced at Mr. P's questioning gaze. "Really."
Ron stood to his feet, "I'm going after KP. She's in over her head with this guy."
"Ron," Mr. Possible called after him, "Be careful!"
"Hey, straw man," Kim bantered as she stood on the rooftop looking at the Scarecrow. "Hasn't anyone told you that it's not polite to pass gas in a lady's face?"
"Ah, Kim Possible," the Scarecrow's hoarse voice spoke softly, keeping his back to the girl. "As witty as I have heard you to be and as foolish."
"Scarecrow, right?" Kim asked, taking a fighting stance, "Original outfit you got there, bet it's real itchy."
The creepy villain slowly turned to face her, completely unaffected by Kim's wisecracks and put downs. "You're but a child. And the Joker fears you to be a problem? The Teen Titans show more maturity and battle experience than a mere babe like you."
"I've been at this a while," Kim responded, her temper starting to get the better at her, and took a jumping kick toward the man, who easily sidestepped the sloppy attack.
"I expected better," Scarecrow whispered. "I expected a challenge at least. You're but a girl playing hero like so many others play house."
"At least she's trying to do the right thing and fighting the good fight instead of running around in a straw suit trying to scare people." A voice spoke behind Scarecrow and he turned quickly to see the Boy Wonder with his cape blowing behind him.
"The Joker was right," the villain smiled behind his full cloth mask, "approach Possible and her little bird will come flying."
"Time to go back to the little padded room, Johnny," Robin said, taking a step toward him, "Easy way or hard way, which is it?"
The Scarecrow laughed, "Just like the others," the masked villain chuckled, "Why do all Robins think they're unstoppable."
"Never said I was," Robin stated, drawing his bo-staff, "What I did say was you're going back to Arkham one way or another."
"Of course," Scarecrow nodded, "I believe it is inevitable for me to return to that fine establishment … but before that …" he said turning to face Kim. "Nothing is more beautiful than a young woman's screams of terror …"
"Kim, get out of here!" Robin called out, lowering his guard, preparing to counter attack Scarecrow's attack on Kim; an attack that never came.
Robin's eyes widened behind his domino mask as the Scarecrow turned quickly back to him, throwing four pellets at the Boy Wonder's feet. The four pellets exploded on impact creating a large green gas cloud. Robin coughed and gagged, trying to cover his mouth and nose to no avail.
"Simple little fake out," Scarecrow laughed, watching as Robin went down to his knees. "You'd think the student of the Bat would have recognized that. Even a fool would have recognized that!"
"Yeah," Kim spoke up, forgotten by the villain, "and also a fool would turn his back on an opponent, shows that you know all about that!" Kim said bringing her knee hard into the small of Scarecrow's back.
"You little bitch," Scarecrow hissed backhanding Kim, sending her sprawling across the rooftop.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" a deep voice called, and the Scarecrow turned to see the Phantasm flying toward him. Scarecrow barely ducked the claw, but didn't miss the hard punch sending the skinny, costumed scientist to the ground, with the Phantasm on top of him. "Your angel of death awaits …" the Phantasm hissed, bringing the claw back.
"Hey, that guy's mine," Kim barked, jumpkicking the Phantasm off the dazed Scarecrow.
The Phantasm looked stunned at Kim as the Scarecrow pulled himself to his feet, shaking his head. Kim started to move on one of the two; whichever it was would remain a mystery as her moves halted at Robin's screaming her name. Kim and Phantasm both turned to see Robin on his knees, holding his head and screaming.
"Robin?" Kim asked, turning her attention from the villains.
"What were you saying earlier, Ms. Possible?" Scarecrow asked, readying another handful of gas-pellets. "About turning your back on your ene-UMPH!" He gasped as an incredibly hard shoulder hit him in the back sending him to the ground. He gasped for breath and turned to see a large black and red S over him.
"Titans?" Phantasm asked quietly before a golden lasso fell around her shoulders, quickly followed by a powerful electric shock.
Black energy enveloped Scarecrow's pellets before launching them into the air.
"These are our friends." Starfire said floating down between Kim and the two villains, followed by Raven and Beast Boy in the form of a pterodactyl carrying Cyborg.
"You mess with one of us," Wonder Girl said, landing to stand beside Kim, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You mess with all of us." Superboy finished, popping his knuckles.
Scarecrow didn't get a MD for nothing and realized instantly he had lost this fight and tried to get away.
"Oh, no, you don't, skinny cloth person," Starfire called after him, her eyes glowing.
"No, this is my town, my catch!" Kim growled tackling the Scarecrow to the ground. She pulled his arms behind his back roughly and snapped a set of cuffs from her own belt.
"Nice tackle," Wondergirl said helping Kim heave the Scarecrow off the ground.
"Nice lasso work too," Kim nodded, then clicked, "Skull-face, where'd he go? And Robin! Is he ok?"
The Titans looked around the rooftop and found both Phantasm and Robin missing. "Dang, where'd they go?" Superboy asked out loud.
"Phantasm … left and Batman grabbed Robin." Raven stated emotionlessly "If you would actually stay aware of what was going on around you, you might have seen it happen."
"He did?" Superboy asked, looking around, "Going to have to have Ro...bin tell me how they do that."
"We'll handle this guy," Cyborg said, gripping Scarecrow's arm. "You get back to your family. And don't worry about Bird Boy. If he's with his boss, he's ok."
"Who said I was worried about him?" Kim asked shortly, looking away.
"Kim," Wondergirl spoke up and Kim glanced her way questioningly. "We're not friends, but … I respect you. I apologize if I was … unfair to you before. We had something in common that shouldn't be a bad thing."
Kim outstretched her hand to the blond. "Ron wanted us to get along …"
"Too bad it had to happen after we broke up, huh?" Cassie couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
"Keep him down!" Batman shouted above Robin's screams as he, Nightwing, and a horrified Kid Flash fought to hold the Boy Wonder down while he writhed and thrashed around screaming in horror.
"Ron … Robin …" Batgirl whimpered, watching in stunned horror as her friend suffered from the fear toxin.
"He'll be ok, Cass …" Nightwing, said gripping the young man's left arm. But Batman immediately negated that statement.
"He's breathed too much toxin, he'll go into cardiac arrest if he doesn't get the antidote," Batman stated seriously as he gripped his right arm with one hand, and reached for his belt and pulled out a needle.
"Keep him as still as you can," Batman whispered as he brought the needle to Robin's jugular. In one swift motion, he jabbed it into his neck and injected the anti-toxin into his blood stream. "Now we have to wait for it to work."
"What happening to him?" Batgirl said in a trembling voice, though the mask hid her face, it was obvious she was crying.
"He's facing himself," Batman said, narrowing his eyes.
"This the place, KP?" Ron asked, easing into the seemingly abandoned warehouse.
"According to Wade it is," She said turning on her flashlight as they walked through the maze-like set of up crates and boxes.
The pair walked out of the maze and into a large yet dark central area of the warehouse, when suddenly a blinding spotlight came down on them followed shortly by all the lights in the warehouse.
"Trap!" Kim gasped, as she and Ron took fighting stances.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Children of all ages, Mole Rats clothed and unclothed! Do you know what time it is? It's time for everyone's favorite game show! Judge! Jury! And Executioner!" The Joker announced overly dramatic as he stepped out on a massive stage in the center of the warehouse beside two covered tanks on his left and right.
"I am your host, The Joker, and this is my lovely assistant," The Joker said, making a hand gesture toward a woman to the side in a skintight black and red jester suit and her face marked with white and black clown make up, "The lovely Ms. Harley Quinn!"
"Who … what do you want?" Kim asked, forcing down the nervousness.
"I just want to have a few laughs, my dear Kimberly!" The Joker chuckled, "Now then, let's get on with the show! The rules are quite simple really, Kimmie-cub, You and your little idiot sidekick will play the roles of Judge and Jury while I, the Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, will be playing the role of Executioner!"
"What?" Kim gulped, her insides clenching in fear.
"What the heck are you talking about, Clown boy?" Ron said stepping before Kim protectively.
"Ain't this sweet, the sidekick trying to protect the frightened heroine!" Joker squealed, and then grew serious again, "Let me make it clearer, we have two couples behind curtains #1 and #2. One lucky couple will get the chance of a lifetime! The chance to have had an encounter with The Joker and lived to tell about it, while the other will be getting a one way ticket to that lovely resort called The Afterlife!"
Kim and Ron looked at each other, then back at the Joker, both working hard at figuring a game plan. When the situation got worse.
"Harley, introduce our contestants!" Joker chimed, and Harley Quinn pranced over to Curtain #1, and pulled it. The two faces Kim saw made her heart shatter and her lungs fill with panic.
"Behind this curtain are the brilliant rocket scientist and loving father, Dr. James Possible, and his lovely wife, esteemed brain surgeon, and working mom, Dr. Andrea Possible!"
"Oh no …" Kim gripped Ron's arm mostly to keep her steady as the insane woman slinked over to the second curtain.
"Behind this curtain are the jack of all trades and respectable father, Donald Stoppable, and his lovely banker wife and loving mother, Barbara Jo Stoppable!"
"Let them go!" Ron growled, locking eyes with his terrified parents.
"I will, Ronnie, oh, I will, but only one couple," Joker laughed, "One of you is leaving an orphan, which will it be? Kim or Ron."
"KP, now would be the time for one of your grand heroic plans …" Ron said, glancing back at his redheaded best friend, and his heart dropped at the sight he saw. Kim's face was pale and contorted in panic while her head shook back and forth in denial. Her breath came in short hicks as she began to hyperventilate.
Ron's mind raced, maybe just maybe he could pull it off. 'Lets see, I can make it on my own if needs be, won't like it, but still … then there's Kim, Jim, and Tim, there's more at stake there …' Ron glanced up and looked back at the still horrified Kim. "It's going to be ok, Kim, don't worry."
Ron dashed forward past the clown and shoved Harley Quinn out of the way throwing open the hatch on Mr. and Mrs. Possible's tank, locking down his own parents' tank and activating gas pumps in with them in the process.
"MOM! DAD!" Ron called trying to pull open the hatch to his parents' tank, his adrenaline going higher from hearing their screams mixed with strange laughter.
"Death by Smilex!" Joker laughed, "Best way to go... is with a smile!"
"You … you bastard …" Ron growled when the clouded tank grew silent.
"Oh, that's not a very nice thing to say," Joker grinned, "I mean, I think I did them a favor! They could have died in a car wreck, or a plane crash, or one of your other little friends could have got them and disfigured them horribly, but I, out of my great mercy, am going to make you remember them with a nice, big, happy smile!"
Joker then turned to Kim, who was with her parents and the trembling with rage Ron. "You know what I said about the rest of you leaving here alive?" he asked, pulling a pistol from his jacket, "I lied."
Ron watched in horror as in slow motion as a single bullet shot from the Joker's gun that flew toward Kim's face. Kim's head slowly flew back as the blood shot from the back of her head through her hair as she fell back to the ground. The gun went off again, this time bullets passed through Mr. Possible and Mrs. Possible.
Ron watched them all fall, no longer beside them but standing before them. He felt sick as he felt a giggle escape his throat and his eyes widened when he saw a smoking gun in his hand.
He heard the glass overhead shatter and looked up to see the blond headed Robin drop from the sky light landing gracefully before him. "Murderer," Robin said standing his full height, glaring at Ron through his domino mask.
"Wha … no, I'd never kill anyone!" Ron gasped dropping the gun as if it burned him.
"Wouldn't you?" Robin asked, cocking his head to the side. "You murdered your parents. Didn't they love you? Didn't you love them? Did Kim's parents mean so much more to you that you'd kill your own parents, let them die, in favor of the Possibles?"
"You brought him to Middleton," Robin snarled, "Wade is dead. Jim is dead. Josh is dead. And who's fault is it, Ron? It's yours. You couldn't save them. You can't save anyone."
Suddenly the Teen Titans joined Robin, completely surrounding Ron.
"And you, Ronald Dean Stoppable, oh, were you not wanting your full name known here? I'm sorry!" Wonder Girl shot sarcastically, "We're through, so you can go back to your precious KP anytime you want now!"
"All you've ever done was run," Robin smirked. "You've ran from your problems, from the truth, from Kim. You've especially run from yourself."
"I … I'm not running!" Ron screamed, back stepping away from the group, before bumping into something, somebody behind him.
Ron turned and his eyes widened when he saw his own lower face on a well built man. The lower face was all you could see. The rest of the man was dressed in a black, skin-tight outfit with a red bat symbol on his chest, a red belt, red trimmed batwing-shaped cape, and a cowl exactly like Batman's except red eye covers.
"Are you?" the Batman asked.
Ron's eyes widened as this Batman stepped around him to stare down Robin and the Titans. He opened his cape like a bat opening its wings, and in a flap the accusers were gone. This new Dark Knight turned to face Ron. "You are the Darkness and the Light." He said strangely, and before Ron could question, Batman's cape was wrapped around him as if embracing him.
Robin's eyes widened and looked around to see the emotionless faces of Nightwing and Batman and the relieved faces of Kid Flash and Batgirl.
He was trembling, but he kept his game face on as he pulled himself slowly to his feet. "You ok, kid?" Nightwing asked as he helped him steady himself.
Robin shrugged off Nightwing's hand and stepped past the group, drawing a grappling hook. "Where ya going, Robin?" Kid Flash asked as Robin fired a line.
"Home." Robin said in as close to a bat-voice as he could muster before swinging away.
"Will he be ok, Batman?" Batgirl asked.
"He's strong." Batman replied behind them.
"That didn't tell us any-" Kid Flash complained turning to where Batman was standing to find it empty, "-thing. Figures."
Kim sighed as she and her father walked into their home. "I'm going on to bed, Daddy," Kim said kissing her father's cheek. "It's been a bad day."
"Yeah, I know, sweetheart, goodnight." Her father embraced her before she walked up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened the door and half screamed when she saw she wasn't alone.
It's been awhile
Since I've seen the way candles light your face
"Sorry, KP," Ron said softly as he continued to stare at the floor from his seated position on her bed.
"It's ok," Kim said kicking off her shoes and padding toward him. "Ron, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly, seeing his tearstained face.
It's been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste
"I killed them," Ron stated, choking down a sob.
"What?" Kim said sitting down beside him, tucking her legs under her and resting an arm across his shoulders. "Ron, I'm here. Talk to me."
"I let my parents die. Even if I did save yours in the process, Kim, I killed my parents." Ron cried, "There had to have been another way, there just had to be … but I let them die … I killed them."
Everything I can remember
As fucked up as it all may seem
Ron gasped when he felt two soft hands grip his face, turning him to face her and almost drowned in an emerald sea. "Ron, listen to me. You did what you thought you had to do. You made a tough call. And you saved my parents life. Yes, your parents died, and maybe there was a way to save them. But you can't torture yourself like this, Ron."
To me...I know this pain
"The point is, Ron," Kim said softly, "You saved three lives, when all of us could have died in that warehouse."
I cannot blame this on my father
Who did the best he could for me
"And one more thing, Ron," Kim said, moving in to give him a soft gentle kiss on the lips. "Your parents are proud of you. And I'm proud of you."
"Thanks, KP," Ron whispered with a trembling voice.
It's been awhile
Since I could...
Hold my head up high
"Ron, I've got the rep for being able to do anything. But they're only half right. I need you with me. When you're with me, I can do anything." Kim stated, beginning to cry as well. "You've always been there for me, Ron. Let me be there for you."
It's been awhile
At that moment, all of Ron's walls collapsed and he slid down to the floor, hugging the still seated Kim around the waist and buried his face in her lap his shoulders jerking as he loudly sobbed, finally letting go of the pain he'd felt for months.
"It's going to be ok, Ron," Kim whispered soothingly running her fingers through his hair, "it's going to be ok …"
Since I said I'm sorry
End of Facing Fears Arc
Next chapter: Fall Out pt. 1