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Disney's Kim Possible in
Sometimes There Isn't A Point
By Adam Leigh
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2. Inauguration
"Kim?" whispered Ron over the radio. Kim looked momentarily up from her position as a 'black guard', or more precisely a hidden sniper, to where Ron was positioned on the east side of the steps. He was dressed in a simple black suit with black sunglasses and speaking softly into his collar. "Kim, go private."
Kim put her binoculars down and tapped her earpiece. "I'm private," she said quietly. "What is it, Ron?"
"I've got her just a few rows in from the pool," his voice came over the radio. "Dead center."
Kim picked up her binoculars again and looked into the crowed before the ceremony. Towards the back she saw her, the dark hair and pale complexion. Kim sighed, she always knew. Always knew where Kim would be. She found it hard to believe she could have intricate knowledge of Global Justice agent assignments but not be doing anything illegal. She'd have to bring the matter up to Dr. Director.
"Just forget her, Ron," Kim finally said.
"Are you sure, KP?" came the reply. "It's getting pretty eerie how often we see her."
"If you think that's strange, try living my life for a while," Kim shook her head. "She moved into the apartment next to mine a few weeks ago. I see her every morning when I go jogging and every weekend when I go to the store."
"You never said anything about that!" came Ron's hastened reply.
"It's my problem, Ron, don't sweat it. I'll figure out how to deal with it." Kim forced herself to look away from Shego and scan the rest of the crowd.
"Agents!" a sudden loud voice came over the radio causing Kim to wince. "We've got confirmation of target."
Kim cursed under her breath for getting distracted and pulled out her small targeting display. A very basic graph appeared showing her location and the immediate area. A red dot appeared on the scan indicating the estimated location of the target according to whatever agent reported it.
Kim pointed her binoculars at the location indicated and looked closely. At first she saw nothing but typical spectators, then she caught a glimpse of a patch of brown fur scampering between legs. She pulled over her rifle and carefully pointed in the direction she saw the movement. With the active camouflage on the barrel, the local secret service agents wouldn't notice it sticking off from the roof until she fired, which her first shot had to count, but she had all the time in the world to aim.
Sighting with the video-scope on the top of the rifle, Kim zoomed way in to try and spot the target again. Switching to a themographic display, she watched the splotches of heat sway as they stood but kept her eyes trained on their legs. A moment later, she saw the form scampering about.
"I've got target," Kim reported, tapping her earpiece again. "Request to fire, direction 257 degrees, 48 degrees down."
A few moments of silence caused Kim to sweat trying to keep her weapon trained on the target.
"Request approved," a familiar voice said over the radio. Dr. Director liked to be the one to give the go-ahead for an operation.
Kim checked her aim one last time before holding he breath and squeezing the trigger.
A soft puff of air sounded and the rifle jerked. Otherwise the only other sign that Kim had fired was the active camouflage reasserting itself over the barrel. She peered through her scope again and saw the unmoving heat splotch in the crowd. Pressing a button on her scope she electronically marked the location, sending the position back to Global Justice.
"Operation successful," Kim reported. "Target and team extraction requested."
A few hours later, Kim and Ron were walking back into GJ headquarters with the transport team and a cage containing a rather ill-tempered monkey ninja. Ron shook his head.
"Always monkeys," he said sadly.
"Take it to containment," said Kim. "I'll give the report."
"My pleasure," said Ron sarcastically. The monkey screamed something suddenly but Ron ignored it and continued pushing the wheeled cart towards the observation wing.
Kim headed for the 'Big Office.'
The Big Office was named as such not because it was large. Quite the contrary, actually, it was only large enough for a few people plus the desk that was in it. No, the reason why it was called the Big Office was because it was Dr. Director's office, the head of the Midwest Offices of Global Justice.
Kim knocked once and was admitted. Dr. Director was seated at the virtual desk, a large table covered by a touch sensitive screen. As soon as Kim walked in, however, she banished what she was doing and looked up to face her agent. "Agent Possible," she said.
"Dr. Director," nodded Kim. "Just like we figured, there was another monkey ninja, this time at the Presidential Inauguration ceremony. Ron and I got it, though. He's dropping it off in at containment right now."
"Another one for our circus," commented Dr. Director. She tapped her desk top and a window of numbers appeared. "That makes, ten? Last six months alone."
"Monty is up to something," offered Kim. "Only the targets don't really point to anything. If it wasn't for your intel about the animal transports, we'd never get these guys in time."
"That's little more than luck," said the eye-patched woman behind the desk. "He's using channels we can trace. If he gets it in his mind to use less formal means of getting the monkeys around the world, then we'll be sitting with our pants down."
Kim hesitated. "Isn't that 'sitting ducks' or 'caught with our pants down'?"
"Our work requires a bit of improvisation."
"Ah."
"Regardless, I wanted to ask you something, Kim." The Director tapped her desk a few more times, summoning some documents. "Using what little evidence we've collected on the origin of these monkeys, we've isolated a small area in Brazil that we believe Monty is currently operating from. Probably well guarded, and the locals are... lets say they won't be cooperating with the local office."
"Well, we don't require authorization to do our work," said Kim.
"Exactly." Dr. Director enlarged a document that listed a few GJ agents and their jacket. "However, in order to keep this as quiet as possible, we'll be staffing the recon mission from here, the US office. I've picked a few agents out who will be good with the jungle ops."
Kim looked at the list but said nothing.
"I'd like you to lead this team, Kim."
Kim looked up at Dr. Director's eye. "Lead? I thought that I didn't have the necessary agent class to lead a combat team."
The Director sighed. "Kim, I think there's no use in being anything other than forward. I recommended you for GJ recruitment and it was an easy sell given your history. It was bureaucratic nonsense that restricted you from joining at any rank other than Cadet-Agent. Personally, I think you are clearly capable of much more. So, against procedure, I want you to lead this time and demonstrate to our... supporters that you're already operating at a much higher class."
Kim was stunned. "I'm... flattered. You don't have to do all this for me you know."
"On the contrary," objected Dr. Director. "I'm doing it less for you than for me."
"For... you...?"
"Kim, there are two things that have become apparent to me in recent years," Dr. Director began. "One is that my reputation as a professional has begun to be called into question. Following our last dealing with WEE and the wasted resources a few years back on the Ron Factor and Rufus Factor projects this is hardly a surprise." Kim opened her mouth to interrupt but the Director held up a hand, silencing her. "Two, is that I love each of my agents and our staff at GJ but there is nobody I feel comfortable leaving in charge following my own departure."
"Agent Du--" started Kim.
"Will is a fantastic agent," answered Dr. Director. "He knows protocol and procedure like the back of his hand. He has successfully executed on hundreds of assignments, both typical and sensitive. In any situation, I expect him to give the perfectly procedural and logical response." The woman breathed calmly. "But, I can't say that he'd necessarily do the right thing.
"Kim, you are both compassionate as well as procedural and your incredibly close ties to those you've helped only further cement the idea in my head that you are the only one here at GJ who will live to serve the second half of our name, Justice. Rules and procedures are created to keep people who don't know better from doing wrong, but they are not the beginning and end of our duties as agents of justice. To truly do what's right, you need to understand what the rules and procedures are trying to protect."
Dr. Director leaned over her desk. "Do you understand, Kim? While I still have some power, I have to set you up on the path so that, years from now, when I'm removed, there is already no question in our supporter's heads who should take my place." She sighed. "It's an awful lot of responsibility, and it will require you to eventually step away from your 'hobby' in order to perform a more executive role here. But I think you'll never find a place you fit in better."
Kim stood silently, trying to quell the shakes in her stomach. In the year since she and Ron were inducted formally into GJ, she'd done a lot of somewhat simple work in boring places. In fact, the recent movements by Monkey Fist were the first in a six month dry spell where Kim had been spending more time answering calls on her website than working assignments for GJ. To walk away from the only really rewarding thing she'd been doing in the last year to focus on her work didn't seem like the best idea.
And yet, she believed in GJ. It did do good things, sometimes rather amazingly good things, and if she could guide it towards doing more with its resources then would that be even more rewarding than occasionally helping people who find her website. Wouldn't it?
Kim composed herself. "There are things I'd change," she said. "Things I would have done differently than you in the past. Are you all right with that?"
Dr. Director smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Kim."