Author's Note: Thanks once again to all those who have reviewed, both new readers and dedicated ones alike. With school coming up, I might not get to update as much as I want, but I will try my best. In the meantime, write a review, get a response.
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Kim stood in the GJ armory, clumps of rubble and debris littered about in proximity to the giant hole now leaking sun light into the highly classified facility. She looked about, unable to conceive of Ron being cable of such devastation.
"It's my fault. All… my fault." Will Du insisted weakly, repeating deliriously even as his battered frame was lifted up onto a stretcher. As the bruised and beaten agent continued to repeat himself, Kim could not help but feel a twinge of guilt as she took in the extent of his injuries.
He'd been bandaged; his leg reset very roughly, his arm in a sling, a black eye to compliment the ensemble. Over the course of the last couple hours, Kim had certainly threatened to do much worse to Will, and had even imagined herself enjoying it. Now, to look at the consequences of such violence, it gave her pause.
As the medics carried Will out past Kim, his hand shot out for hers, causing her to jump as her eyes fell down upon him.
"I'm so sorry. For… forgive me. My fault."
Will's eyes tore into Kim, begging, pleading… Instead, Kim merely removed his hand from her wrist before nodding to the medics, encouraging them to carry him out.
"I'm sorry too." Kim whispered when she was sure no one could hear her.
Kim took another deep breath, summoning up her strength, as she looked around the armory. She never even turned to acknowledge Dr. Director as the director entered the room.
"He played us from the start." Kim recounted. "Created a threat against the world, and then made sure to get everyone involved so that we'd step on each other's toes and never figure out what he was planning."
"Created a fake deadline to make us think that our backs were against the wall." Dr. Director continued Kim's observation.
"He used me to deliver him right into Global Justice's hands, because he knew I'd never let Ron anywhere near an Attitudinator otherwise. He even took advantage of his little 'moment' in the therapy room to encourage the idea." Kim couldn't hide her frustration.
"He couldn't have known about that. The therapy was… unplanned. It was an accident." Dr. Director insisted.
"I don't think he did. I don't think that was planned. I think he expected Ron to come up with the idea on his own. When that didn't happen fast enough, he decided to point us in his direction."
"Sounds like one big desperate long shot to me." Dr. Director noted skeptically.
"He was already in his box." Kim added burningly. "He was in a position to take a desperate long shot… and it worked."
"Ms. Possible, I swear, no agent on this base will rest until Zorpox is back in his box and Ron…" Dr. Director was cut off.
"Have you tracked the hover car?" Kim already knew the answer.
"We found its transponder tore out and ditched less than a half a mile from GJ headquarters, along with what appeared to be some kind of micro tracking chip."
Kim closed her eyes in frustration, kicking herself. She'd handed Zorpox the keys to his freedom, every step of the way, just like he wanted.
"Dr. Director!" An urgent voice cut into the radio headsets. "We are receiving a transmission from Team Possible's tech kid again."
"Wade?" Kim called into her own head set.
"Kim, I've been trying to reach you, but the Kimmunicator is down." Wade spoke frantically.
"Yeah, we had a crisis." Kim noted dryly, even as she picked up the Kimmunicator with Will's missed dart sticking out of its screen. "What's up?"
"We got a hit."
Kim just rolled her eyes in frustration. "Wade, whoever it is, tell them to take a number. I'm busy."
"Kim, it's about Ron!"
"What?" Kim felt her heart leap. "Where?"
"It looks like Zorpox didn't waste any time. He went straight for the Middleton Space Center."
"My dad." Kim's voice trailed off at the sound.
"Safe and sound, apparently along with the rest of his team. They were conducting some kind of experiment when Zorpox locked them in one of the labs before making off with a bunch of tech."
"Got a list of what was taken?" Kim's mind raced. She thought for sure that if Zorpox were to attack the Space Center, her dad would surely be the target. Yet the idea of Zorpox with Space Center tech in his possession did little to ease Kim's troubled mind. What was he planning?
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"My plan is very simple." The blue skinned madman announced proudly. "Once I retrieve the necessary components, I'll be able to create a fake syntho drone, to impersonate…"
"We did that already." Shego replied unenthusiastically.
"We what?" Drakken stumbled verbally.
"The whole 'syntho-imperso' thingy." Shego went on. "Been there, done that, he sprung a leak."
"Grr." Drakken tore the sheet of paper containing the schematic of his plan off the wall, grinding it within his hands and tossing it to the ground, revealing another large piece of graph paper pinned beneath it. "Ok then, new plan. We clone Kim Possible…"
"Already did that."
Drakken proceeded to growl as he tore up the next sheet of paper before moving on to the next. "Using my shrink ray, we assault the fabled Area 51…"
"Did that too."
Another growl, another sheet of paper torn and cast to the ground with the rest of the litter. "We steal the Pans Dimensional Vortex Inducer…"
"Done that to death. So not happening again." Shego informed plainly.
"We go after the notorious ray x…"
"Did that." Shego didn't miss a beat.
"Rare flower to make Kim disappear?" Drakken asked.
"Failed."
"Mind control shampoo?"
"Didn't work."
"The Centurion project?"
"Dr. D, don't you have any new plans at all?" Shego finally exclaimed at the height of her frustration.
"Well I was thinking of building a giant ray of doom…"
"It backfired on you." Shego replied simply.
"Really? I don't remember that." Drakken admitted pensively.
"Yeah, that's cause you were in the hospital for two weeks. Oh and by the way, the hospital still keeps calling you to pay your bill."
"Yes well, let's see how intimidating those orderlies are once I've conquered the world with my latest scheme." Drakken insisted.
Drakken never got a chance to further elaborate on his plan as an explosion shattered the wall next to him; a cloud of strange blue gas filled the lair. Drakken and Shego tried as hard as they could to cough the gas from their lungs, even as a cruel voice echoed.
"Scheme! Scheme! What this time? Some evil weapon, some terrible new robot? The most evil thing you ever created was me, and that was an accident!"
Even as Shego ached to clear her lungs, she felt her heart seize. It couldn't be…
"I was so much better than you, better than you ever dreamed of being, so you allied yourself with Kimberley Anne to take me down."
Drakken's eyes desperately tried to focus through the blue cloud, finally setting upon the outline of a tall figure appearing through the hole where his wall used to be.
"You sent me to that place, trapped me inside that no good do-gooder…"
"Oh no. No, it can't be." Shego stuttered out.
"…but I'm back!" Zorpox exclaimed with delight as the gas cleared, revealing him standing in all his glory, donning his black, red and purple costume, complete with cape and all.
Shego was speechless. Fortunately, Drakken spared her the trouble. "The buffoon? How did you find my lair?"
"It's all thanks to her." Zorpox exclaimed as he pointed towards Shego. "Six billion people on this planet, and not one of them with a bio-thermal reading like hers anywhere. Once I snagged the proper satellite and ran the proper scans, it was easy." Zorpox broke out into his trademark laugh before adding "Sidekicks: they can really drag you down, can't they?"
"Hmm true." Drakken mused. "I do often find myself forced to shoulder the heavy burden of this evil enterprise of ours alone."
"Are. You. Insane!" Shego roared, her fears forgotten. She couldn't believe she was listening to this. "I'm the only one of us who ever does anything that doesn't blow up in our faces."
"Now Shego, there's no need to get defensive about your inadequacies." Drakken explained humbly. "After all, we all have our limits."
"Hey!" Zorpox shouted. "Remember me, the guy invading your lair. How about some attention for the real evil genius around here?"
"Of course." Drakken agreed readily. "Shego, show our guest how we attend to party crashers around here."
"Oh, so now you need me. I guess that shoulder of yours is too burdened, what with you patting it all the time." Shego noted cynically.
"Shego, now is not the time for our differences." Drakken insisted.
"Are we going to do this already?" Zorpox asked impatiently.
"Fine." Shego leapt into stance. "I've been waiting for this chance for a long time." Shego's fears had melted away before burning anger as she readied herself for a shot. "Give my regards to the cheerleader. Second thought, I'll give them to her for you."
Shego's hand flared green for a moment… only to sputter and dim. The energy that normally burned about them seemed to glimmer and fade, finally spitting out, leaving Shego with a wide eyed look of confusion and terror.
"What the…?"
"Oooh, all out of steam?" Zorpox asked gleefully, before following through with yet another laugh.
"How…?" Shego's voice felt itself losing strength and confidence rapidly.
"That blue gas I pumped this place with earlier wasn't just for special effects. Seems that there's been a lot of progress in decontaminating cosmic radiation these days, with special thanks to Dr. James Possible as the leading developer."
"Grr." Drakken growled at the very mention of that name. "I hate it when irony isn't in my favor."
"Dr. D, we got to get out of here." Shego stated certainly, the anxiousness in her voice returning, as she began backing away.
"Yes, run. If you wait long enough, your powers should return to you." Zorpox smiled with sinister glee as he eyes Shego.
"Shego, don't be absurd. It's just the side kick. You can take him, glowing hands or no." Drakken argued plainly.
"Side kick?" Zorpox seemed to spit out the words in anger. "SIDE KICK? I'll show you who the side kick is around here!"
"Uhh, Shego, now would be a good time to attack." Drakken offered meekly as he felt his feet backing away as well.
"Shego." Zorpox turned to the green clad super villain. "There's no reason for us to fight. Not that I'm looking for another side kick, but if you submit to me, I'll let you be my evil maid! Bwahahahaha. I've even got the perfect costume for you."
"Oh really." Shego felt her fear be replaced by righteous anger once again. In a moment of over confidence, Shego charged forward, leaping through the air, landing beside Zorpox and shooting out a high kick straight to his face… which was blocked by a cylindrical wall of energy that shot up, completely encasing Zorpox. As Shego's foot connected with the shield, the energy crackled across Shego's entire body, stunning her to the ground unconscious.
"Hmm, probably forgot about this little toy, didn't you?" Zorpox asked the villainess' unconscious figure even as he reached down to his belt, deactivating it. "I even improved it."
Zorpox paused for a moment before turning up to look at Drakken. "Now then, you mentioned something about a sidekick?"
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"Dad?" Kim called out as she finally ripped the door wide open; revealing her father and at least half a dozen other scientists in trademark lab coats huddled closely around the door.
"Kimmie-cub!"
Kim ignored her father's use of her embarrassing nickname as she rushed up to him, embracing him tightly. "Dad, are you ok?"
"Oh we're fine, Kimmie," James Possible assured his panic stricken daughter "but I'm a little worried about Ronald. Is he alright?"
Kim let out a weak smile as her father's eyes drew upon her curiously. She didn't even know how to explain this to her dad, and she knew if she told him, then surely he would tell the Stoppables, and then Kim would never be able to explain herself.
"Uhmm, yeah. I'm sorry… it's just… we needed some stuff for a mission. I asked Ron to get it for me, and I guess he got a little carried away." Kim explained uneasily.
"Hmm, don't see why he had to lock us in our own lab." Dr. Possible mused innocently aloud, tapping his chin with his finger curiously.
"Oh, he was probably just making sure you didn't get hurt, you know, just in case some villain was following him."
"Ahh." To Kim's great surprise, this explanation seemed to satisfy her father. Kim could only struggle to keep a straight face in spite of her father's obliviousness. It always seemed to amaze her how a rocket scientist like her father could be so brilliant and yet so clueless all at the same time.
Fortunately, Kim was spared from further awkwardness as the new Kimmunicator Wade had sent her earlier chimed.
"Go Wade." Kim insisted desperately.
"Must be a new teen super hero procedure." Dr. James Possible suggested in the background to his colleagues.
"Kim, everyone ok there?" Wade asked frantically.
"Oh yeah, all eggheads present and accounted for, and still egg headed thankfully." Kim assured with relief.
"Not sure I approve of the new costumes and the face paint…" Dr. Possible went on in the background, oblivious of his daughter's investigation.
"Any sign of Ron?" Wade looked hopefully.
Kim turned down to her 'expert.'
Rufus' sensitive nose scoured every inch of the room, frantically sifting through every scent it could before coming to only one conclusion. "Ron!"
"How long ago?" Kim looked down as the mole rat counted with each of his tiny fingers repeatedly.
"Almost ten minutes." Kim counted. "Wade, he couldn't have gotten that far, even on a hover car. Where is he?"
"Uh…" Wade began uneasily as he was frantically working at his computer.
"Wade…" Kim nearly gritted her teeth
"Kim… I'm not getting any satellite reception. I don't know why, but nothing useful is coming up over the Middleton. I couldn't find a bonfire, much less…" Wade was cut off from finishing.
"Wade… fix it, find him… or you're fired." Kim shut off her Kimmunicator without another word even as she found herself standing alone, and very frightened.
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The figure composed himself as he prepared for his mediation. Around him, his minions reacted accordingly. Incense burned as the master silenced his mind, calming down his heart, attempting to achieve inner calm.
Monkey Fist was denied his calm as the inner wall of his lair exploded, sending dust and debris fragments through the room. His meditation chamber was quickly turned into a war zone even as his monkey minions screeched and moved to surround their master, in preparation for battle.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
Monkey Fist focused his eyes on the source of the voice, just barely making out a figure approaching him.
"Wait, I'm forgetting myself. We've never actually met."
"That voice…" The name refused to taint Monkey Fist's tongue with its sound as the ninja's eyes widened with surprise.
"You can call me 'master." Zorpox announced as he entered into sight.
"You are nothing but a buffoon and a fool Ron Stoppable, yet even at that, I never dared imagine you foolish enough to enter my lair without your cheerleader to protect you." Monkey Fist glared at his arch enemy even as he redrew his stance for combat.
"Protect… me!" Zorpox's face nearly burned red. "That cheerleader was the only thing keeping me from making a freak show out of you like I should have so long ago and now that she's not here…" Zorpox finished his statement by drawing a uniquely modified pistol, setting his sights squarely on the half monkey man.
"Surely you jest." If this drawn weapon came as any fright to Monkey Fist, it didn't show to look at his expression. "You're too weak for murder."
"Murder?" Zorpox drew back almost in surprise. "Oh I'd never kill you. Then I'd never get to watch you suffer!"
Zorpox leveled his weapon, taking aim. Monkey Fist leapt up into the air, landing quickly on his hands, holding himself up for a second before leaping back up through the air right at the blue skinned villain.
Zorpox's aim never once lost its lock as his shot struck true, hitting the monkey master square in the neck, the slight impact enough to cause the ninja to lose his pose in mid jump, landing him clumsily just a few spare inches from his target.
Zorpox leaned over, grinning proudly as his prey began convulsing before him.
"What… what was that…?" Monkey Fist managed to spit out as he felt his insides burn. His skin felt like it was on fire even as his body began trembling uncontrollably.
"You know, I'll never understand how GJ could have had such a hard time finding DNAmy's lair. Once I was able to find the right satellite, it was easy. It was the lair with the giant pterodactyl flying over it. Of course, since she was in custody, she didn't much object to me going through her notes."
Fist barely heard any of Zorpox's words as he struggled down the urge to scream in mortal agony. The monkey master could scarcely contain his horror as he saw the hair on his hands and feet begin to recede right before his very eyes.
"The most interesting parts were her early notes. All about some of her first experiments, including a very interesting section all about you."
The ninja pulled aside his gi, revealing his chest hair shriveling away as well.
"In between all that disgusting love sick poetry she wrote about her precious 'Montikins', there was some very interesting information about possibly further advancing your condition, as well as even reversing it if necessary."
Monkey Fist looked up to his minions for aide, even as the ensemble of monkey ninjas began backing away hesitantly.
"Ooh, I guess they know you're no longer really one of them." Zorpox sneered.
"My minions! Help me." Monkey Fist pleaded, even as the hair running down the sides of his face receded to no more than some unsightly sideburns.
Zorpox turned to the small army of primate ninjas, addressing them directly. "If you're smart enough to learn ninjitsu, you're smart enough to appreciate what this will do to you." Zorpox held up his weapon for display. "One shot of this will turn you all into a bunch of hairless freak children with tails. You cross me, and I'll send every one of you to the nearest sweat shop I can find."
For a moment, the ninja's seemed to silently converse with one another as they looked to each other for some sign of leadership, some indication of the proper course of action. Finally, they shrieked and hollered as they took flight, fleeing out of the room, vanishing quickly.
"NOO!" Monkey Fist cried, even as he tried to chase after them. As he did, moving with his arms to the ground in support, he found his hands clumsy to the task as he slipped and fell to the ground.
"Oh, sorry." Zorpox taunted. "I guess you're going to have to learn to walk on two legs like an evolved primate for a change, you evolutionary freak!"
"No, this can't be happening. I'm hideous." Monkey Fist repeated to himself, his mind having clearly snapped at the unreality of the situation.
"Guess without that monkey mojo working for you, you're just a rich freak with an obsession for hair." Zorpox cackled loudly.
"I'll change back." Monkey Fist murmured nonsensically to himself. "I'll find a way to change back. I swear."
"That's assuming that I'm feeling generous enough to let you go." Zorpox bent down, to eye his once arch enemy squarely in the eye. "And I'm not."
