Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible and something that belongs to Greenway Productions.
Hornet's Sting
Chapter One: Ron's Return
Kim Possible missed Ron Stoppable. For two years she never knew where he went. It was like he had disappeared from the world. Even the super genius Wade Load couldn't find him.
It was like he didn't want to be found.
At twenty-one years old, Kim had given up her website to live a normal life. Without Ron, the missions meant nothing to her.
She now works as a freelance reporter, traveling the world in search for a good story. But it was just a cover. She traveled the world as a reporter in search of Ron.
But her search ended in misery. She could not find her best friend. Her heart was broken. She never told him how she really felt and she wished she hadn't pushed him away.
Two years ago they had an argument. Kim was finishing her course in journalism at Triton U. when it happened. It was simple, or so she thought then. But thinking about it she realized that she had treated Ron appallingly.
Kim forgot the reason for their fight but when she finds him, she would beg for his forgiveness.
"Girl, how's the life of a reporter?" Monique, her female friend asked as the two of them walked around Middleton Mall.
"Not so good," Kim sighed as she looked at one of the window displays. "Though some of the papers buy my stuff, most of them told me it's cheaper that they use their own than buy mine."
"They don't know what they're missing," Monique huffed as she urged her friend along. "Why not go full time?"
"I tried that. But they've got too much hot air in them. It's like they see me as someone who shouldn't be there. I did my pieces to the best of my abilities and the editor trashed it!" Kim said with a huff.
"The piece you did about the war?" Monique asked as the stopped in front of a magazine stand. "That was one of your best!"
"I know!" Kim picked up a magazine and riffled through the pages. "Those kinds of people rile me up."
"Have you tried this one?" Monique got a copy of a paper Kim never heard before.
"What's this?" Kim took the paper from Monique and looked at the name of the paper. "The Middleton Sentinel?" Kim never knew that there was a paper with that name.
"It's a new paper," Monique said. "But it's the best selling one. I read it and girl, you'd better believe that you could get in here easily."
"I'll think about it," Kim said, her thoughts trailed as they bought the paper and left.
>>>>>>>>
Ron Stoppable sighed as he looked at his office. He knew that it would likely be where he would spend most of his day, but he didn't complain. He planned to see what he started through and for the first time in his life, he would accomplish it.
"Hey Chief," Tara said as she poked her head into his office. "You have a 3 o' clock appointment." Ron smiled. His three o' clock. For weeks he had been trying to get some time from his busy schedule for that appointment. He would be absolutely lost if Tara wasn't around.
Tara was more than a secretary to him, she was his friend. She was one of the few people who liked him for he was. She had been struggling in her former job, a low paid clerk in one of the smaller establishments of Middleton. He bumped into her one day and decided to hire her as his secretary. And he never regretted that decision since.
"Anyone else tried to apply?" Ron asked. Tara smirked as she heard him talked seriously. She would never get used to his calm and serious demeanor. But when all the work was done, Ron was the first to sigh in relief and go back to his goofy ways.
"None that met your standards, Chief," Tara said. Ron knew what she was talking about and simply nodded. For the past year that Tara worked for Ron, she could tell that he missed his best friend. He wanted to call her but was afraid that she still hated him.
Considering that they had traded hurtful words, it was possible.
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" Ron asked as he took his coat and fedora hat from the rack.
"The end justifies the means," Tara said with a small smile. "Good luck," Ron took a deep breath and exited his office.
>>>>>>>>
Mr. Dr. Possible was in a bind. He had discovered, by accident, that someone from his lab was stealing valuable equipments and selling them in the black market. He had reported it to his superiors but it was too late to know that they were in the take too. Now he feared for the lives of his family.
Someone rang the doorbell, making him jump. This was no good. He was getting jumpy all of a sudden. He knew they were going to get him but he didn't know when or where, and that was killing him.
Reluctantly, Mr. Possible went to answer the door. He peered through the window to see who it was. Whoever it was, he was alone. Well, if the man was alone maybe it wasn't them. Or maybe he was good that they were confident that he could do the job.
Taking a deep breath, Mr. Possible opened the door, preparing for the worst.
"Olla! Mr. Dr. P.," Mr. Possible blinked at the sound of that voice. He never thought that hearing that voice gave him relief.
"Ronald," Mr. Possible smiled as he looked at his daughter's best friend. Ron looked like a stereotype reporter. Business suit and a fedora hat. Mr. Possible smiled at the image.
"You seem to be missing a prop," Mr. Possible joked as he urged him inside.
"It's the digital age, Mr. Dr. P.," Ron took out from his coat pocket a palm pilot. "My notebook, phone, camera and recorder all in one."
"So, you became a reporter as well, huh?" Mr. Possible said as they entered the living room.
"Something like that," Ron admitted with a smile. "Is Kim here?"
"Uh, no. Ronald. Kim's out with Monique… Speaking of Kim…"
"About that," Ron swallowed. He suddenly remembered the threat Kim's father made when he was just a teen. Ron wished Mr. Possible had forgotten that. Ron wished that there were not a space probe ready at the space center.
"Ronald, I can trust you, can't I?" Ron blinked his confusion. Something was up. He hasn't seen the Possibles in two years and the patriarch of the family was confiding with him.
"Absolutely, Mr. P." Ron was puzzled at Mr. Possible's demeanor. He seemed… scared.
"By telling you this, I may be risking your life as well," now Ron knew something was up. "Do you have some influence in the paper you're working for?"
"You might say that," Ron urged the older man to continue.
"It's like this…" Mr. Possible told Ron about his suspicions about certain members of his staff. He had collected enough evidence that would connect those members to the mob. The problem was, he did not know whom to trust. He told him that they may have bought out certain members of the government and if his finding saw the light of day, it may be the end of him and his family.
For a while, Ron blinked. He didn't know what to say. A simple comfort was not enough. He needed to do more. He needed to protect the ones he considers family. And he knew exactly how to do that.
"Mr. P. I know someone in the D.A.'s office that could help. I trust her explicitly and she might know the best course of action. But one question bothers me; whey haven't you told Kim?"
"You know how she is," Mr. Possible sighed. "She'll try to fix this all by her self. These are not the kind of people who you tangle with. They're coldhearted and vicious. They may use my family to get to me."
"Might I suggest that you tell your family first, as for Kim… I think I can handle her."
"Like you handled that situation you both had two years ago?" Ron's eyes were solemn and filled with regret.
"That was a mistake I'm going to fix," Ron said, determined in both courses. "I'll give my friend a call. She'll make the proper arrangements."
"What about your paper? Could someone be on the take?" Mr. Possible asked.
"No," Ron said it with such certainty that Mr. Possible believed him.
"So…" Ron said as he peeked through the curtain, looking at the street. It seemed clear. He then faced Mr. Possible with the biggest smile he ever had. "What's for dinner?"
>>>>>>>>>
Assistant District Attorney Betty Director sat in her office, pondering the case that was on her desk.
There were three crimes that occurred in Middleton. All of them had the same M.O. (modus operandi) The perps used highly advanced weaponry and gears that even Global Justice never had.
She just needed a link with the crimes and the high tech equipments. Betty sighed as she leaned on her chair. She took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her glasses were special. One side was blackened to hide her eye. Unlike others that cover their eyes to hide a disfiguration, she hid it for a simple reason.
Her eye had no pigment.
The eye patch that she wore during her Global Justice days was there just to intimidate her foes. But she had normal 20-20 vision.
As she was about to replace the glassed back, she heard a buzzing sound, like a bee. She then rubbed the stem of her glasses and the buzzing stopped.
Betty closed the files and placed it in her briefcase. With a smirked, she exited her office with purpose.
>>>>>>>
Ron was cruising back to his apartment in his 1957 Cadillac convertible. Dinner at the Possibles was just as he remembered it. However, Kim was not there. Ron didn't know whether it was fortunate or not but he did miss her.
But there were more important things to worry about.
Ron pulled into his garage. Ron lived in an apartment building in the Middle of Middleton. It was actually quite near his office and quite convenient for his purposes.
Ron stopped the car and got out. His garage was ordinary. It had a set of tools and shelves. It seemed ordinary.
Ron opened the door and entered his apartment. His apartment had a big terrace where he could host parties but Ron had a different use for the terrace.
Entering his living room via glass sliding doors, Ron found himself tired as he sat on the couch.
"Tired, Stoppable-san?" a concerned female voice asked, making Ron sigh.
"I'm fine, Yori," Ron looked at his valet and close friend. During his stay in Yamanouchi, he had saved her life and now she was repaying him by serving him. Ron adamantly refused but Yori's code of honor was stronger than his resolve. He didn't want Yori as his servant but certain circumstances changed that he found something else she could help him with.
"You do not look fine," Yori said as she fixed Ron a lemonade. "You look like kuso, as you Americans say." Ron knew what the word was. He found out what it meant after Yori used it when she was frustrated.
"Maybe," Ron sighed as suddenly heard a buzzing noise. "Let's wait until I hear it from Dr. Director." Yori bowed and began to tip books that were on the shelf beside the fireplace. The fireplace suddenly lifted up, revealing a secret elevator, which the A.D.A. exited. As she did, the fireplace went down and Yori brought her a drink.
"Thanks, Yori," Betty said as she sipped her martini. "Hey, Ron."
"Hey Dr. Director." Ron greeted but Betty held up a hand and smiled.
"If we're to continue this unusual alliance, you should call me Betty," she said as she say on the stool by the bar where Yori was standing.
"It's still weird," Ron said as he stood to join her.
"So, I think this is not a social call?" Betty asked. Ron then pulled out his palm pilot and played the recording of his conversation with Mr. Possible. When Betty heard the entire conversation, she was concerned.
"I take it that you're surprised," Ron said as he looked at the ADA.
"Enlightened is more appropriate," Betty took out some files from her briefcase and showed it to Ron. :There were a series of unsolved crimes where the criminals used high tech equipment. With Dr. Possible's account, it cleared some things up."
"The this is, what can you do for him?" Ron asked.
"The usual, but if there's someone on the take, the Possibles wouldn't have a chance."
"Maybe someone needs to pay these men a visit," Ron smiled as his eyes glittered with determination. Yori? Is the Black Beauty ready?"
"I had made some changed but she is ready," Yori bowed and left the room.
"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Ron," Betty said as she fixed her things and prepared to leave.
"But Ronald Stoppable is not going to do anything," Ron said with a smile but then, his smile left him as he added in a softer tone. "They're family."
Betty sighed and then smiled.
"Just be careful," she said, leaving the same way she came.
Ron watched as she left. He knew this was a dangerous game, but it was a game he was willing to play.
"Everything is ready, Stoppable-san," Yori called out.
Ron sighed and went to get ready.
The game was about to begin.
