The Rook II: The Letter
By mkusenagi2
The story concept ©
6-20-2006
All Marvel characters
are © Marvel Comics.
Kim Possible and other
Disney characters
are © Disney Co.
Part II
Port de Fontvielle
The Mini Tanker
Ludovic
1955 hrs
Under the cover of darkness a new player dropped from a stealthed aircraft onto the deck of the Ludovic while our heroes were making their plans onshore and made their way to the storage hold…
"Whack!" "You Fool!" the Viper said to Zola after smacking him with her Dadao, "Where is The Chameleon?"
"I don't know… he never made it back… I've checked the cargo… they are PRISTINE… perfect for HIS needs."
"That will matter little if we don't account for HIS SON… HE'S bad enough when he's a pitiless monster… even WORSE about someone that he 'LOVES'. You have NO IDEA what he'll do to us if we fail to bring the Chameleon back!"
"You, my dear VIPER are the EXPENDABLE one here… you're nothing more than a common mercenary… I on the other hand am VERY useful to him… AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT!"
"Now leave me… You must ensure that we do not fail."
---
While en route to the Ludovic Ron discovered he could make the cloud change colors or invisible…
"Ron! Stop playing around!"
"Heh. Sorry KP!"
"Everyone get ready!" said Mockingbird.
---
While our heroes were making their way to the Ludovic a hunter had cut off his rather ignorant prey and was preparing to pounce.
'Soon I'll rendezvous with Zola and we can leave this place with Viper.' The Chameleon thought. 'Why do I feel like I'm being watched?'
'This is gonna be TOO easy,' Sabertooth thought, 'It's one thing to take a frail from me, it's another ta try ta KILL one in front of me. I'm gonna take this out in trade!'
---
Meanwhile…
William the 3rd, Jenkins, Hercules, the Guardsmen, and the Carabiniers were burning or splattering any monstrosity they came across on the outskirts of Monte Carlo.
"We MUST hold the line! Do NOT let them pass!" cried William over his link.
"Paladin 1!" William said to the Guardsmen's commander.
"Yes Sir!"
"I need 10 of your troops to drive the enemy towards the cliffs west of Monte Carlo. Once there we can bury them in rubble."
"Yes Sir!"
"Ready Gunny?"
"Yes Commander."
"Hercules?"
"Yes my friend!"
They went west.
---
Ron landed the cloud on the deck in the shadows near the hold's deck hatch, dissolved it and put up a stealth field.
"Rufus, check the area in stealth mode." Rufus nodded and melted into the shadows.
"Everyone stay alert, the Viper's here somewhere." Mockingbird said over the link.
Ron and the rest of the team got video feed from Rufus.
"Good job Rufus. C'mon back buddy."
"Where's the crew?" Shego asked, "The place's picked clean, not even a roach."
"Zola probably fed the corpses to his creatures, and let them eat everything else."
'Gorchy!' Kim and Ron thought.
After Rufus returned they tried to come up with a plan.
"She's mined EVERY hatch," Kim said, "How do we get in now?"
"Since she knows we're here Princess," Shego said, "let's take advantage of it and turn the tables on her. No time like the present!" and with that Shego walked up to the hold cargo hatch and set off the charges on it.
Our heroes lowered themselves through the hatch on Ron's cloud leapt off and watched their surroundings.
"ZZZT!" Shego was thrown into a stack of crates by a blast of energy from Zola's ESP Box.
"Leave this place or Die." He said as he walked out of the shadows.
"Dude! Where's your head, and why's your face on a screen on your chest?" Ron cried as he beheld one of the other Beasts of Auschwitz.
"I put my brain into this armature to become immortal!"
"Yeah but how… y'know… can you… uh… the ladies…"
"To become immortal it was a small price to pay!"
"Turning yourself into a walking TV… that's SO sick and wrong… Nothing can replace being with someone you love… not that I'm an expert or anything… Hey can you get Satellite? 'Cause if you can…"
"Ron!" the ladies and Rufus chorused.
"Enough! DIE!" Zola unleashed a barrage of bolts throughout the hold.
Ron put up a shield.
Mockingbird used her gymnastic skills.
Kim and Rufus stood next to Ron.
Shego hard-tapped Zola with a small pulsar to his faceplate and knocked him out…
"I thought you said the Viper was here." Shego said.
"She is, we'll have to fan out. She WANTS us to hunt her. STAY FROSTY!" Mockingbird said as she melted into the shadows.
"Be careful!" Kim and Ron chorused.
"Jinx! You owe ME a soda!" Ron cried.
---
The Guardsmen had formed a phalanx, PUSHED the enemy back against the cliff face and backed off.
"Ready, Hercules?" asked William.
"Ready!"
"Now!"
Hercules sized up the area and let fly a DOUBLE HAMMER blow to the ground that shattered the cliff face and buried Zola's creations.
A cheer rose from the assembled warriors as the monsters were crushed beneath the earth.
Until…
"Sir! Look!" a humongous mass heaved itself up from the ruined cliff face and began to move towards William and his troops.
A noise was heard… a whistling…
"INCOMING! SCATTER!" Jenkins roared as napalm cluster bombs went off and formed a ring of fire around the heaving mass.
"Figured you boys might need a hand…" Col. Dugan said on the link as he flew overhead in a SHIELD Rattlesnake fast bomber. "What'd I miss?"
"Nothing old friend." The Prince exclaimed, "Good to see you!"
---
Mockingbird crept through the hold, sensed something and backflipped just in time to avoid Viper's swipe with her Dadao from behind a stack of crates.
"You've improved since your return. How was it… being dead?"
Mockingbird leaned against her Bo.
"Are you terrified speechless?"
"I only talk to those that have something to say. I know a molerat that has more on his mind then you'll EVER have."
"When I get through with you you'll wish you were in the shape I left you in LAST time!" Viper hissed.
"As Kim Possible says, 'Bring It'!" said Mockingbird as she formed the bo into Arnis sticks.
---
Shego and Kim backed into each other and simultaneously turned to attack.
"Sorry!" they chimed.
Rufus whistled as he jumped into Kim's pocket and pointed where Zola had lain. He was gone!
---
"Ron! Zola's missing… be careful!" Kim linked.
'Where would I go? Hmmm.' Ron thought as he leaped up to the catwalk above.
'Gotcha!' he thought as he landed soundlessly behind Zola and rapped his ESP Box with his Bo.
"Tag! You're It!" Ron cried as he pummeled his foe with a combination of Drunken Monkey, Systema and Bagua with a dash of Krav Maga.
Zola fell under the blows laid there and stood up.
'What's this guy made of?' Ron thought as Zola rose.
"I've had enough playing with you boy. Here's a treat!" At that moment Zola threw a blob at Ron's face and leaped to the deck below, "I hope you enjoy it. It's designed to kill beings like you by draining their energies, I was going to use it on Shego for her friend but you'll do."
'MAN THIS HURTS! UUUUHH! GOTTA GET IT OFF! HEY! I'M NOT FIGHTIN' FOR AIR, COOLIO! SHIT HE'S GOING AFTER THE GIRLS! GOTTA HURRY. Let's see relax and give it EVERYTHING I'VE GOT!' THE parasite burned off. 'Booyah.'
---
"You're a lot faster than last time I'll give you that!" Viper hissed as her blows were deflected by a combination of saltik, bunot kaluban, and bartikal strikes combined with straight and side kicks aimed at her attacking arm.
Mockingbird backed off and waited.
"What's the matter… afraid to die… again?"
"You Talk Too Much. Time To Break The Fangs Of The Snake." Mockingbird said as she walked through the Viper's defenses and stove in her lower ribs on both sides with the tagang San Miguel.
Viper for the first time in years was AFRAID. She dropped a smoke bomb and RAN!
---
Zola clipped Shego and Kim as he landed between them and backfisted Shego. While the girls lay dazed on the deck he pulled out a biopsy stake.
"I'll take a biopsy from Possible while he's occupied." Zola said as he leaned over a dazed Kim Possible with the stake! He felt a tap on his back… and turned to see…
"NO ONE TOUCHES THEM… EVER!" Ron roared at Zola with eldritch blue fire streaming from his eyes as he used the bo to crush and rip out his ESP Box.
"NOOOOOO!" Zola screamed as he went into deep shock. While Ron did this the remaining duplicates under Zola's control on shore died and oozed away.
Seeing the battle was lost Viper ran from Mockingbird and surprised Ron with a flying No Shadow kick and caused him to fly into a stack of crates.
She pressed her attack and slashed at Ron's chest with her Dadao. She managed to nick his right arm in the process…
"What!" they both thought as his blood hit the floor and 5 duplicates rose out of the small pool and converged on the Viper.
"!" she thought as she fought them, 'I have to escape… there is no way I can defeat this many foes!'
"Coolio!" they said as they drove her back.
The Viper backflipped through a hatch and hit the pressure release closing the hold's hatch behind her. As it shut she drew a smoke grenade and a self propelled shuriken from her belt and threw them at Shego, Kim, and Mockingbird as they rushed her causing them to duck for cover. The shuriken nicked Shego. Viper caught it and placed it on her belt.
"BAMF!" while the hold filled with smoke Viper ran through another access hatch hacked Zola's Braincase from his artificial body removed a remote and raced up a gangway to abovedecks, snagged a line from her HYDRA transport and took off. As she flew off she activated the items that everyone thought were LMD's with the remote.
---
"Everyone Ok?" Shego asked. 'Feel… funny… it's gone now?'
"Yeah!" Kim, Ron, Mockingbird and Rufus chorused.
"Guys I've got a BAD feeling about this." Ron said as the smoke cleared and his duplicates merged with him.
"RUMBLE!"
Kim and Shego GLARE at Ron.
"What! I didn't…"
"BOOM!" Two figures were revealed in the dust…
"No… It can't be… God In Heaven No!" Mockingbird said.
They merged into one larger figure… and FLEW to shore on a cloud LIKE RON'S!
"It's back AND its got your powers Ron!" Bobbi said.
"What?"
"The Super Adaptoid."
---
Monaco
Port
de Fontvielle
Docks
2045
hrs
The Super Adaptoid.
An artificial lifeform that can mimic other beings powers, had arrived on the shores of Monaco to wreak havoc upon the citizens of said state and then the world after mimicking SOME of the powers of one Ron Stoppable.
"Sir this is Mockingbird."
"Go ahead."
"The Super Adaptoid is loose Sir."
"What?"
"The Adaptoid is what Strucker was after Sir. We kept Viper and Zola so busy that they weren't able to take it. Viper and what was left of Zola got away though. We're enroute to the Port de Fontvielle docks now Sir."
"How?"
"A flying cloud Sir."
"…"
"Let me guess it's the Rook's doin'."
"Yes Sir. Sir we need ANY data you can get on how to shut this thing down: STAT."
"Ok. We're workin' on it. Tell all the troops to stay away from it for now ESPECIALLY The Rook and Hercules."
"Yes Sir."
"So what do we do?" Shego asked.
"We wait while The Director consults with everyone that defeated the Adaptoid before."
"So what do we do about the civilians." Ron asked.
"Most of them are combat vets or served in the military here so they'll know that they have to evacuate the area."
"So we wait." Kim said.
"Yeah." Mockingbird said.
---
While our heroes waited for The Director to come up with a plan, Sabertooth had come up with a plan of his own concerning one Chameleon.
'Good thing I have these heightened senses,' he thought as he watched his prey, 'Cause the guys good. Well let's walk down an' have some fun!'
'No one can see me so it should be easy to meet Viper and…' Chameleon reached the pier and saw the Viper fly off with Zola's braincase.
'NO! How am I supposed to get out of here now? Wait until I get back to base. I'll make sure they both PAY!' The scent of FEAR radiated from the Chameleon.
The Chameleon backed away from the pier's edge and bumped into something…
"AWWW," A voice purred in his ear, "miss your cab? Don't worry… I'll help ya for a price…"
The Chameleon turned around and saw his way was blocked by Sabertooth!
"Not!"
---
"Ok people lissen up," Fury said on the comlink to all troops, "Hercules, Shego, and The Rook are our reserve cause we don't want this bastard to get his hands on their powers. I talked to Cap and Stark and they think the best bet is to let Mockingbird and Possible take a shot at it since they have the most hand to hand experience to see what it can do and take it down. If that doesn't work we'll have to use Herc, Shego, and Rook to shut him down."
'Kim!' Ron looked at Shego. She walked over and hugged him.
'He loves her… hope the Princess makes it… I WON'T know how to deal with it if she doesn't!'
"Ready girls?" The ladies stepped forward.
"Go get 'im!"
---
"The names Sabertooth… punk… an' if you're wonderin' the reason I'm here is cause you tried to off my ex when I was goin' to deal with her new beau an' talk to her! You an' me gots business… and when I'm done with you… takin' it outta yer ass in trade… you'll wish for the day when Mary Jane Parker kicked it with that Louisville Slugger of hers."
Sabertooth leaped forward and slashed the Chameleon's forehead and licked his claws before his prey could blink.
"MMmmm… You taste pretty good! I'll give ya a head start." Sabertooth said.
As a terrified Chameleon turned to run Sabertooth grabbed his throat.
"Oh yeah, since I'm just usin' what nature intended so should you." He said as he stripped the Chameleon of his weapons and clothes.
Creed set him free and waited.
'No time like the present.'
The hunt began.
---
'I can do this! I can do anything including fight androids with near godlike powers!' Kim Possible thought while she and Mockingbird dodged the Adaptoid's attacks and returned with attacks of their own.
"You shall not stop me," the Adaptoid cried, "After I defeat you Captain America's next! Where's a Bueno Nacho when you need one?"
"Retreat, now! It's a draw. 'Sides The Adaptoid's actin' REAL weird." Fury said.
'What's weird for something like that?' Kim thought.
"Sir, I have an Idea!" Ron said over the link.
"Go ahead."
"The Adaptoid copies as much as it can before fighting somebody, right?"
"Yeah."
"Is Col. Dugan still in the area?"
"Yes he is."
"Could you tell him to stop by the Monte Carlo Bueno Nacho and grab everything they have?"
"Ron…" Kim said.
"See I was thinking about Bueno Nacho when we saw it… so I'm thinking it'll go berserk about the food worse than Rufus or I would… give us more time to cook up a plan…"
"Ron that's the stu…" Kim started.
"That's brilliant!" Fury cried.
'?' Kim thought.
"The Adaptoid's ALWAYS tryin' to become human!"
"Oh uh Sir… tell the folks at Bueno Nacho to use LOTS of Bad Beans and Diablo sauce."
"Copy."
---
While Fury and Dugan were preparing to engage in the LOWEST form of chemical warfare Sabertooth was stalking his prey…
"Aww… ya GOTTA do Better Than That… I thought Kraven was your brother?" he said while stalking his prey.
"See I'm worse than the Vic Creed from this world… I'm a GOOD guy… I LIKE people… where I come from I've found some pretty cool ones…"
Sabertooth landed behind the Chameleon and clawed his calves and allowed him to hobble away.
"When I came to your world VERY few people wanted to get to know me… fewer still wanted to hang out with me… and only one wanted to date me and treat me like a man…"
"I'll give you one guess who that was… and you tried to kill her…"
Victor Creed cornered a speechless Chameleon.
"So I gotta ask… Who… SLASH… What… SLASH… Where… SLASH… When… SLASH… and Why… SLASH…"
"Oh yeah, since I'm all worked up 'cause I haven't seen her I'm gonna take it out on you… 'fore I skin ya and HEH!"
The Chameleon finally did scream… until he couldn't… ever…
---
25 minutes later…
"Ok kid. We got your BN, now what?" asked Col. Dugan after he landed 2 miles behind their position.
"I need a wimpy guy with a glass stomach to drive up to the Adaptoid with the Bueno Nacho and have him sit there while it eats the food."
"Hey KP?"
"Yeah Ron?"
"Does Wade have any viral programs that might work on something like this."
"!" 'Why… how?' "I'll check. Wade here's the sitch."
Shego walked up to Ron. Kim nodded yes to Ron.
"So who are you? Where's the guy that I fell in love with?" she asked jokingly.
"Huh?"
"I'm impressed. You're running rings around Possible without trying. Why?"
"I'll show you." And he DID.
When they came up for air she asked him, "What's the plan?"
"We have to get it to use more than eight powers to shut it down according to what I remembered from what Cap told me. Then we infect it with one of Wade's hyperviruses and vaporize it or better yet…" Ron called a friend in Middleton and later called a number in Manhattan and explained the sitch to both persons. When he got the answers he wanted he called The Director.
"Got those messages from yer friends… we can make it happen on our end… how about you?"
"We have to Sir."
"Good luck Ron."
"Ok people," Maj. Stoppable said while the Adaptoid ate the BAD Bueno Nacho, "I need the Prince, Jenkins, Hercules, Shego, Possible, Mockingbird and the Guardsmen to mix it up with the Adaptoid since you either have superpowers or heavy skills. While you're doing that I'm gonna take it down."
"How?" Kim asked.
"With the Power of Imagination."
"?" everyone else thought.
---
After the wimpy agent a guy by the name of Gnotts (the G is silent) left the Adaptoid, the heavy hitters in the group went forward and 'mixed it up'.
Ron in the meantime told Rufus to stay behind, and proceeded to 'marinate'.
'I hope this works… It has to work…'
Ron created a cloud and rose 2 miles above the battlefield.
"Hey ugly… get yer' PUNK ass Up here if you want True Power!" Ron bellowed. "Cap told me you can't even beat an' old lady on your best day!"
The Adaptoid went for it… hook line and sinker! As it rose towards him, Ron dissolved his cloud and went into freefall towards the Adaptoid.
He caught it… and the slugfest began.
For every blow the android landed Ron landed 20. Fractures appeared in the Adaptoid's skin as they traded blows.
"BOOOOOOMMMM!" the shockwave knocked everyone about except for Hercules who joined the battle.
"Y'know,' Ron said as he and Hercules pounded the android's abdomen, "You shouldn't eat bad Bueno Nacho. That stuff's been labeled WORSE than the soil at Chernobyl for toxicity."
"You will not… GURGLE… defeat… BLORCH… Me…"
"Dude we're not breakin' a sweat and we're kickin' it."
"Ok guys… NOW!"
While Ron and Herc duked it out with the Adaptoid everyone else jumped in and took a shot until…
"Enough!" the android railed as it tried to push everyone back and grabbed Ron, "I will defeat you all with his powers."
As the Adaptoid looked through Ron; Ron's soul, linked with one of the NAMES of Godhead LOOKED back.
'Coolio! He's a cheap Golem knockoff… let's see Rabbi K told me this when I was a kid… Oh Yeah! Erase The Name and the rogue Golem is destroyed.'
"What… WHAT are YoU DoInG tO ME?" it said.
"FOUL THING! YOU WERE BLESSED WITH LIFE AND SQUANDERED IT! BE NO MORE! YOU ARE ERASED FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE FOREVERMORE!" ROARED The Voice Of Hanuman.
The Adaptoid clicked off and DIED.
Ron fell to his knees. The world was in slow motion… Kim ran to him…
"Ron! Don't pass out!" Kim shouted in his ear.
"Shego needs you! Ron!"
"Shego's collapsed!"
Ron shakily got up and pulled it together.
"Shego?"
---
6-17-2004
Victory: At what cost?
"I've never seen anything like this. Shego's been poisoned with a scrambler neurotoxin. We'll have to send her to Project Pegasus for treatment." Reed Richards said over the link after checking the test results.
Ron's physical wounds had healed but he was mortified, no terrified at losing her. He held her hand in the ICU tent that was set up inside the Palace ballroom while Rufus slept in his pocket.
"Hey kid, how's she doing?" said a familiar voice.
"Huh…" Ron looked up into the eyes of, "Hawkeye! Thanks for coming. Shouldn't you be with…"
"I already was… she's got some sprains… SHE told me to check on you… that's why I love ya Ron, you always look out for folks… she'll be ok, Shego's TOO ornery to die…"
"It's crazy… she was my worst enemy… now I can't live without her… guess I know how you felt when…"
"…"
"Ron, if you EVER need a favor you KNOW The Avengers have your back…"
"Thanks."
Later that day…
"Hey kid," a voice growled.
'How?'
"The name's Victor Creed… Sabertooth of the Exiles… how's she doin'?"
"Holdin' her own, you're the ex right?"
"Yeah… I'm gonna miss her… BIG pain… GREATER Pal… Do what ya can to make her smile… gonna miss her." Vic turned to leave.
"Hey dude, what happened to the Chameleon… You Got Him, Right?"
"Yeah… HEH HEH… the little bitch tasted like chicken… BELCH… see ya."
"Creed."
"Yeah?"
"Stop by. You're welcome at my home anytime. Where's OUR Sabertooth?"
Creed LOOKED at Ron and left.
'Right. There Can Be Only One… or something like that.'
---
The Adaptoid's remains were shipped to the Baxter Building, placed in stasis by Dr. Richards, placed in a Skrull hypercraft, sent to Hydrobase and launched towards black hole coordinates supplied by one Dr. James Timothy Possible, and was seen no more.
---
Later that afternoon…
When Kim heard that Shego was being transferred to Project Pegasus for treatment she walked over to Col. Dugan and asked for a favor. After she got her answer she went to see Ron in the medics' ICU tent.
Kim was shocked at what she found…
'I've never SEEN him like this before… it's like he's dead inside… I've gotta DO something…' Kim thought while Ron knelt by Shego's cot and held her hand.
"…"
Kim walked over to Ron.
'It's now or never… I've gotta DO this!' Kim thought.
"Ron… can we talk… in private? … I mean." Kim asked.
"Uh, sure KP." he said. Ron told Rufus to watch Sheila, then followed Kim as she climbed the palace steps.
"Where were you two staying?" she asked.
"We had these rooms here across from Jenkins' over there… I was in this one… why?"
Kim took his hand and led him into Sheila's room and proceeded to search for something.
"Kim! This is SO not cool! What're…" KIM GLARE.
'Ah! Found it… let's see… do I have one… Yes!' Kim fiddled with the Item that she'd found and put her hands behind her back.
"Ron… could you come here please?"
Ron did so with a look of disdain.
"Kim… WHAT ARE…"
"RONALD STOPPABLE… WILL YOU SHUT IT FOR A MOMENT… and trust your 'partner'?" Kim said with a weird look in her eye.
"ok" 'PARTNER!'
"Kneel … and close your eyes… please?"
"?" He did so.
Kim placed a locket around his neck…
"Ok… you can open your eyes…"
"Can I stand up now?"
"Yes!" 'He's so silly… one of the reasons I LOVE HIM! WOW! I DO LOVE HIM!'
Ron looked at the locket on his chest and opened it…
'WOW! When… HOW did Sheila get a picture of us snuggled in the kitchen 'that' day… JENKINS… the Dude's SO cool… there's a picture of Kim in here TOO?'
"Ron." Kim said as she walked over to him, "I have to tell you something…"
"Kim I…"
"Shhh." She said as she walked up to him and placed a finger on his lips.
"?"
"I love you… Ronald Stoppable… I know I can't take you from Sheila… wouldn't dream of it… can't… but you need to know… and you also need to know that I'm sorry for ALWAYS taking you for granted… some best friend I turned out to be…"
Kim turned and walked away…
A hand gently grabbed her shoulder and spun her around…
"Man… you've got to be the stupidest girl I know…"
"RON!"
"YOU THINK YOU CAN SAY THAT… WALK AWAY… AND NOT PAY A PRICE FOR WHAT YOU SAY OR DO IN PEOPLE'S LIVES?" he yelled at her.
"Sorry."
"Gotcha."
"Huh?" Kim was shocked as she was pulled into an embrace!
"I Love You Too Kimberly Anne Possible, Always Have, Always Will!"
"!" 'HE LOVES ME!'
Ron lifted her chin. Chocolate Wisdom and Compassion looked into Emerald Joy and Budding Wisdom.
Ron leaned forward…
'What's he doing! What's that in his… eyes… OH MY GOD HE'S…' SCARLET.
And KISSED Kim… the Dragon merged with the Phoenix… Heaven and Earth were One.
Ron's hands slid down and embraced Kim… he tucked himself into her… and merged his heart with hers…
'! … ! … ! … !' Ron's totality thought/experienced.
'BOBBI AND SHEILA ARE RIGHT I AM STUPID… THIS MAN HAS STOOD BY ME ALL THIS TIME JUST TO MAKE SURE I WAS OK… AND HE'S GOT… THIS TO OFFER… THIS IS WHAT SHEILA HAS WITH HIM… WOW!'
Ron leaned his forehead 'gainst Kim's.
"Wow!" she said, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm stupid too."
"!"
"I'm NOT leaving her Kim."
"…" "i know…"
"But… I'm not leaving you either… I'm still your partner… your best friend… and I DO love you."
"what are we going to do?"
"We're going to have a talk… all of us… I HAVE to tell her."
"…"
"And I need a favor… if you say yes… I'll owe you… forever Kim."
"ok."
"Will you protect Sheila for me?"
"Yes."
"…"
"Huh? Ok now I'M confused."
"I asked for a favor… on your behalf… from Col. Dugan AND The Director… to Command the security detail… at Pegasus for Sheila…"
"Why?"
"You're going to do something for her… something courageous but stupid… AREN'T YOU?"
"Yeah, guess you do know me… better than I thought!"
"Yeah… The pictures in the locket are to remind you of the greatest treasures you have in your life… while you're away."
"Wow… How'd you get so wise?"
"I've got some GREAT tutors."
"…"
"Let's go… we've gotta see how she's doing." Kim said.
"Ok."
---
Later at Project Pegasus…
"Beep … Beep … Beep … Beep …"
"Mmmm…" 'Ohhh… I haven't felt this bad since I got mutated… what's that?'
Sheila woke to see Ron and Kim sleeping on opposite sides of her hospital bed holding her hands. She gently tugged her hands free and ran them through Kim and Ron's hair and noticed they were holding hands.
'Guess I'm out of the picture… sigh… it was fun while it lasted… better get this over with then.'
"HEY! What the hell're you doing? I'm NOT a pillow!"
"Huh?" Red and Blond chorused, "What… cool she's awake!" HUGS!
'I've got to get one… for old times sake!' Sheila thought. GRAB.
"Well…" BEETROOT Ron, "I think she's gonna make it Kim."
"Sheila!"
"What? I've gotta have SOMETHING to remember him by… since he's leaving me… for you… Thanks for the wild ride Ron… I'll NEVER forget you." Sheila said with tears in her voice.
Ron looked at Kim, Kim at Ron, and they Smiled.
"OH! So you think this is funny? When I get out of here I'm gonna… Mmm."
The rest went unsaid as Ron leaned over and shared… with Sheila… his essence.
They broke the kiss…
"You're… not…" Sheila asked.
"No."
"?" Sheila looked at Ron and Kim.
Kim took her hand.
"She's gonna be in charge of protecting you… when I leave. You've been poisoned by Viper, they've never seen the toxin before. Dr. Richards and Dr. Xavier are here working on a cure, while they do I expect you to behave."
"I'm not…" Serious Face.
"ok."
"They said it's supposed to be self replicating but your mutated systems have 'frozen' it… encapsulated it. You can't use your powers 'cause we don't know what'll happen."
"…"
"Uh ladies… We Need To Talk."
"I LOVE you Sheila… and I LOVE you too Kim. I don't know WHAT to do… you're both fantastic… I…" Ron teared up.
Sheila looked at Kim: Warrior; Rival; Friend; Partner, and put a question in her eyes.
Kim nodded… Yes.
"Hon… it's Ok… you don't have to choose… with ALL the crap I've been through… and what you've FREELY given to me, Kim and the World you won't have to choose…"
"Huh? Oh No! You couldn't… didn't… i'm gonna need a medic…"
"What's the matter… HON?" Kim asked as she walked over to his side of the bed and put his hand in her left hip pocket.
"!"
"Kim, I've got a chalet in Lovosice…"
"Really, in the Czech Republic?"
"Yeah girl and I'll HAVE to introduce you to Henri… he's my personal designer… owns a HUNK of Prada… only crafts one of a kind items… for us!"
Ron disentangled himself from the ladies and walked out to the waiting room, got Rufus and went to the mesa's roof to find Ben Grimm standing there smoking a Cuban.
Ron walked over.
"Sir, may I ask you a question?" Rufus hopped off and lit up a Jamaican.
"Hold on kid… lets see… Ok, here!" Ben lit and gave Ron a cigar.
"Puff."
"The secret is you don't inhale. Women right?"
"Puff. Yeah. See, I'm in this relationship with Shego… Sheila I mean, and Kim told me she loves me but doesn't want to take me from her and now they want to…"
"Kid," Ben said as he laid a hand on Ron's shoulder, "I've seen ALL sort's of things… been to different universes… watched worlds die only to be reborn… fought with some of the greatest beings and against some of the nastiest… but one thing is still the same."
"What's that?"
"Women, True Women are the Universe's Greatest Mystery."
"Yeah."
"…"
"So how'd you get so wise Sir?"
"I keep it simple, and I've got the greatest friends a guy could EVER have. Kid, if they've come to an understanding, roll with it. More importantly RESPECT 'em"
"Ok."
"Oh yeah. I heard ya fooled Doom. We've been crackin' up for DAYS at the Baxter Building over that. Reed, Susie, Johnny and me decided you and the ladies are welcome anytime."
"Thanks Sir." 'This is SO cool. I'll have to spring it on the girls! Huh? WOW! THE GIRLS! Ok.'
As Ron walked back to the elevator he heard Ben come up behind him.
"Hey Kid."
"Yes Sir?"
"Great Job in Monaco, MAJOR Stoppable. Coulda used your help in WWII, you're just like your Great Grandpa. Reed told me some stories about 'im."
"THANK YOU SIR!"
"Kid… I got a name… call me Ben, ok?"
"Ok, Ben." Smile.
"Later Ron."
End Part II