A/N: Here's Part 2 of "Royal Headache". I hope you're enjoying this story and this off-beat take on the Kim Possibleverse.
Middleton High—the next day
Spotting the confusion at the front of the high school, Kim quickly spied the Dirty Pair getting out of Tara's Alpha Romeo. "Tara! Hope!" She waved as she rushed to her friends, "What the hell's going on?"
"That's what we were going to ask you." Tara replied, "We thought you were going to keep this low profile."
Her eyes falling on Ron talking with someone who was apparently a local reporter, Kim growled, "That's why he went outside last night. He leaked to the press. I'm gonna kick his ass so hard…"
"Save some for us when you're done." Hope said as she took a long case and her binoculars out of the trunk of the car. Looking about, she saw a building with an exterior ladder to the roof. "Good sniper perch." She noted, "I'll set up there."
"Right." Tara nodded her head as she took out a black leather belt with pouches and belted it to her waist. "I'll take station over there." She inclined her head towards a building from where she could get a clear view of the area. Turning to Kim she advised, "You better get to the prince."
"On my way." Kim replied, "I'll see what I can do about clearing everyone out."
As Kim approached the front of the school, she heard a student who sounded like Melody Patterson, one of the cheerleaders, call out, "There he is! Prince Wally!" Spotting Ron making his way towards the reporters along with the prince, Kim rushed to join him.
"Ron? What the hell is going on here?"
"Listen up, everyone!" Ron called out, raising his hands in the air, "The press conference will begin shortly."
"Press conference?" Kim exclaimed in a shocked voice, "Ron…what the fuck about low profile do you not understand?"
"Kim! Language! You're lucky Mr. Barkin didn't hear you." Ron stage-whispered to his friend, "This is just what your campaign needs to put it over the top."
"What do you mean?" Kim rolled her eyes, "What are you talking about?"
"Look, KP…" Ron sighed, speaking as if to a child, "We have to do something to counter Brick's popularity. What better than an endorsement from a prince. Now…excuse me, Kim. I've gotta get back to the press conference."
"This is Tricia Labowski, KMID News." A bottle-blonde reporter introduced herself. "It's not every day that Middleton gets to play host to royalty. Prince Wally, the heir apparent of the throne of Rodegan, was kind enough to grant us an interview." Turning to the prince, she stuck out her microphone as she asked her question, "Your Highness, we were told that you wanted to endorse someone for the upcoming school election."
"Oh…" Prince Wally, distracted by an attractive brunette student blowing kisses at him, quickly turned his attention back to the reporter, "Ummm…yes. That one over there…" He pointed to the still seething teen hero. "Her…Kim something or other. While she's a bit too high-strung to be a world leader, she should perform…adequately…for public high school."
"Are you saying that you would do a better job as leader?" Tricia asked leadingly.
"But of course." Wally replied with a dignified sniff, "I've been trained and groomed for leadership my entire life.
"So you're saying that you would be a better class president than Kim Possible?"
"No…" Wally shook his head, much to Kim's relief, "Of course I'm not saying that because it goes without saying that I would be." After a few moments of thought, he declared, "Maybe I should enter this little 'election' after all. It should prove an…interesting…diversion."
"How does it feel to be running against royalty?" The reporter asked Kim.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge." Kim replied with a phony grin, "Democracy is all about earning the right to lead."
"Unless one has the birthright." Wally interposed with a haughty smirk.
"There you have it." Tricia announced to her audience, "The prince versus the pauper. Who will be the next student government president of Middleton High? This is Tricia Labowski of KMID News."
"I spotted one watcher." Hope reported to her partner as the pair placed their gear back in the trunk of the Alpha Romeo. "White…brown hair…stocky build…grey suit and tie…sunglasses. He wasn't obviously carrying, but he was keeping a close eye on things and recording with a cell phone. You?"
"Another bloke." Tara recalled. "White too. Dark hair…slender…suit and tie and sunglasses like yours. He wasn't carrying either and was recording with a cell phone. Looks like we've got party crashers."
"Why didn't Stoppable just shoot up a damned flare?" Hope muttered as the Dirty Pair made their way towards the school. Seeing Mr. Barkin at the door, the olive-skinned cheerleader frowned, "We're tardy. Looks like detention."
"Ladies." Barkin nodded his head. "You see anything interesting on your way from the parking lot?"
"We saw a couple of creeps and figured it'd be better to wait until the coast was clear before we came on in." Hope explained.
"I saw them too." The ex-Marine replied, "Couldn't do anything about them though. They weren't on school grounds and weren't making any trouble." Nodding his head once in approval, he ordered the girls in a crisp voice, "Get inside before I decide to give you two detention. Oh…" He added in a low voice, "Be sure that long case you were carrying, Ms. Rossi, and what's probably in it and what's in those pouches on that belt you were wearing Ms. King do not come on school grounds unless absolutely necessary—understood?"
"Understood."
"What the hell were you thinking, Ron?" Kim scolded her sidekick as their royal charge watched with a bored look on his face. "The reason we brought Prince Wally here was to hide him from the Knights of Rodegan. But no…you had to call a fucking press conference and make sure everyone knows!"
"Stoppable! You fucking numpty!" Tara growled in a menacing voice. "What gave you the bright idea to do something so stupid?" Glaring at Prince Wally, she sneered, "Is this the useless toerag we're supposed to be keeping an eye on?"
"And who are you to address me?" Wally sniffed disdainfully.
"I'm the bitch that's going to shove your head up your arse you fucking toff." The blonde adventuress bit back.
"And I'm the other bitch that's going to kick your ass back to that shithole of a country of yours." Hope snorted.
"This is Tara and Hope." Kim introduced, "They're also looking out for you." Giving the prince a pointed glare, the redhead declared in a threatening tone of voice, "They're not as patient as I am."
"Well…" Tara sighed, "The damage is done."
"We spotted two men recording the press conference." Hope explained, sparing a glare at Kim's blond sidekick as she did so. "They weren't carrying any weapons or doing anything illegal so we couldn't do anything."
"I was afraid of something like that happening." Kim sighed. "Now the Knights know where we are."
"They probably already had a good idea as to where to start." Tara remarked consolingly. "They know you live and have your base of operations in Middleton, so it would make sense for them to send people here."
"This circus makes things a lot tougher though." Hope sighed. "If we'd have had more time, we could have set them up and maybe hit them first. Now…"
"Now we have to wait until they make the first move." Kim shook her head. "We can't hole up in a safe house until they finally decide to do something. So…we'll just go about our normal business and stay alert."
"That's about all we can do." Tara agreed. Turning to Ron, she said in a soft voice, "You understand why we're upset at you, don't you?"
"Yeah." Ron answered back in a low voice, his head hung low. "I screwed up again, didn't I?"
"Ron…" Km sighed, "Next time…just take a moment and think before you do something and ask yourself whether it's a good idea to do it and, if you're not sure, come and talk to me or Hope or Tara. Please?"
"Okay, KP." Ron sullenly replied.
"We good?" Hope asked as she gave the teenage boy a slight smile.
"Yeah." Ron slowly nodded his head, "We're good."
"Great!" Tara exclaimed, "Because you really should see these posters Josh did for your campaign."
"Aren't they great?" Hope beamed, "We've been putting them up as fast as Bonnie and her people have been tearing them down."
As she gazed at the posters on the wall, a broad smile appeared on the redheaded hero's face. "These are the coolest!" She declared as she saw that Josh had drawn a picture of Kim with the caption on one poster reading Nothing's Impossible with Kim Possible! and the other one saying, Imagine the Possibilities with Kim Possible. "I really have to thank him." Turning to her campaign manager, her smile grew wider, "What do you think, Ron? Don't they look great?"
"Yeah, Kim." Ron answered back with forced enthusiasm. "They're very good." Turning to Prince Wally, the blond sidekick smiled, "Come on, Wally…there's something I want to show you before class." Before Kim could offer to join the boys, Ron cut her off, "Sorry, Kim…I'm showing him where the boys' locker room and restrooms are."
"Oh." Kim nodded her head, "Okay. I'll catch you later."
"Later Kim!" Ron replied as he dragged the prince off, whispering in his ear.
"Now…what was all that about?" Tara murmured.
"Maybe he's still feeling bad about what happened." Hope opined as the three girls walked together to their next class.
"Maybe…" Kim agreed and then qualified, "I don't know…Don't ask me why, but I've got a bad feeling about this."
Middleton High—Lunchroom
As the three girls entered the cafeteria, the sight of Ron and the Prince sitting at the Seniors Table immediately attracted their attention. Shaking her head, Tara chuckled, "Some things never change."
"What do you mean, bestie?" Hope asked as the trio took their places in the lunch line.
"RHIP." The blonde adventuress snorted, "Rank Has Its Privileges."
"I can see the Prince being invited to the table." Kim commented, "But Ron?"
"The more you blow…" Hope quipped, rolling her eyes as the lunch lady ladled today's mystery meat on to her tray.
"The higher you go." Tara finished.
"Ron? Sucking up?" Kim shook her head, "No way…not 'Never be Normal' Ron."
"I don't know…" Hope remarked as the trio sat down at the same table as their fellow cheerleaders Jessica and Liz and their boyfriends, Steve Farley and Kevin Guberman, "Ron's nose looks pretty brown to me."
"You mean you three haven't seen them yet?" Jessica exclaimed as she took out a leaflet and handed it to Kim while Liz handed her a campaign button. "Ron's been handing them out all morning."
"A Royal President: Vote Prince Wally." Kim growled as she read the writing on the button aloud.
Glancing at the leaflet in Kim's other hand, Tara read aloud, "Prince Wally: The Noble Choice for President."
Rising to her feet, Kim stomped over to the Senior table. Standing behind her best friend, she tapped him on his shoulder. "Ron?" She glared at the youth, pointing at the leaflet in her hands as he turned his head towards her, "You wanna explain? You're supposed to be my campaign manager!"
"Oh…" Ron stammered, "About that, KP…ummm…since I've become Wally's campaign manager…well…there's a conflict of interest now…so…I've resigned as your campaign manager."
Gritting her teeth, Kim barely held back the series of F and S bombs she was about to let fly, settling instead for a relatively tame rebuke. "Fine! I'll just run my own campaign—with less golfing!"
Storming back to her table, Kim plopped back in her chair. "That…"
"Let it all out, Kim." Hope laughed. "You know you want to."
"That fucking…" Kim snarled as she began her rant while the others at the table sat listening with amusement.
"Our little girl has grown up." Hope grinned as the redhead continued her stream of invectives.
"Wow!" Steve shook his head, "I don't think I've heard that one before."
"She's picked up quite a vocabulary." Kevin chuckled.
"I taught her that one." Tara declared with pride.
"I don't think that's physically possible." Liz wryly commented, "At least not without breaking something."
Jessica giggled. "I don't think you can fit a two by four up there."
"Not without a ton of lube." Hope snickered.
Her rage having finally run its course, Kim took a deep breath as her face reddened, "Sorry…I didn't mean to…"
"Yes, you did." Tara laughed, "Don't sweat it, luv"
"Feeling better now?" Hope asked with a crooked grin.
"Yeah…I actually do." Kim laughed, "I think I needed to get all that off my chest."
Pointing at the slender young man entering the lunchroom, Tara smirked, "Kimmie? Remember what you said about wanting to thank Josh for doing those posters?
"Yes." Kim replied, "Why?"
"Well, darling…" The blonde cheerleader announced, "He's over there. Now's as good a time as later."
Taking a deep breath as her eyes fell on her crush, Kim felt her heart racing as her knees buckled.
"Remember the first time we talked to each other, Liz?" Kevin chuckled, "Remember what you said to me?"
Laughing, the other redheaded cheerleader replied, "I think it was something like 'Are you talking to me?'"
"More like 'Are you talking to ME, Geek?'" The chess captain guffawed.
"And then, later on, after the Lowton game, you did that amazingly, wonderful stupid thing." Liz smiled as she took the slender boy's hand, "When that Lowton High football player wouldn't leave me alone you put yourself in between us and told him to back off and when he took a swing at you, you ducked and kicked him in the shins."
"And then I grabbed your hand and the two of us ran for our lives while that big bruiser was hopping around on one foot." Kevin laughed.
"Yeah." Liz giggled. "I never had anyone willing to do that for me." She smiled as she pulled her young man's palm to her lips and kissed it. "You were willing to risk getting beaten up for me even after the horrible things I've called you and your friends over the years."
"You were never that bad, Liz." Kevin smiled.
"Yes…I was." Liz solemnly declared. "I was one of Bonnie's stooges along with Marcella since middle school until a few weeks ago. I bought into the food chain all the way and called you and your friends every name in the book: Loser, nerd, geek, a few others I won't mention." She shook her head.
"All water under the bridge now." Kevin smiled as he patted his girlfriend's hand. "All that's important is that we're together and…"
"And Bonnie can go fuck herself if she has a problem with that." Liz finished, then smiling at Kim, prompted, "But…you know…I never would have had the courage to stand up to Bonnie and break away from the food chain if Kevin hadn't had the courage to stand up to that bully."
"He's still there, Kim." Hope whispered, pointing to Josh.
"All right." Kim took a deep breath, "I'm going to do it. I'm going to march up to him and tell him thank you."
"Go for it!" Jessica, Steve, and the others cheered as Kim rose to her feet and, after stumbling a few times, drew close enough to her crush to call out, "Josh?"
"Hi Kim." Josh smiled back at the lovely redhead as both Tara and Hope gave him an encouraging thumbs up.
"Josh…" Kim stammered, "I…uhhh…I just wanted to say…thankyoufordoingtheposterstheylookgreat."
"Ummm…" The slender artist smiled, "You're welcome. I was glad to help and you've got my vote in the election. Ummm…" He began only to have the bell ring before he could finish his statement.
"Sorry…" Kim stammered as she felt her knees buckling, "I gotta go…class."
"Yeah." Josh replied, "Me too. Later?"
"Yeah." Kim sighed, "Later."
Moving to either side of their friend, the Dirty Pair picked her up as it looked like she was about to slump down to the floor. "Easy mate." Tara grinned as she and Hope waved goodbye to their friends, "We've got you."
"Way to go, girl." Hope grinned as the trio made their way out of the lunchroom. "You did it. First contact."
"Hard part's over with, luv." Tara said as the girls paused in front of Kim's locker just as their Kimmunicators all beeped at the same time. Answering simultaneously, the three girls saw Wade's visage on the screen.
"What's up, Wade?" Kim asked.
"I checked out Rodegan's website and it mentions something about a tapestry, but I can't figure out what it means."
"What does it say, Wade?" Tara inquired.
"The tapestry holds the truth."
Kim inclined her head to the left as she pondered the statement, "There was a tapestry in the throne room. Do you think there might be some sort of coded message embedded in it?"
"It's possible." Tara nodded her head, "It's an old trick. You probably won't be able to tell anything without doing a very thorough analysis though."
"Wade?" Kim requested, "Could you ask King Wallace to ship the tapestry over here. The new imaging equipment my father's lab has just gotten might be able to detect something that could have been missed when the King's people did their work."
"Sure thing." Moments later, the young African-American returned to the screen, "It's on its way. Should be here in a day or so."
"Thanks." Kim responded as she ended the call. Turning to her friends, she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess all we can do now is wait."
"Want to hang out with us for a while after school?" Hope offered, "Don't worry, we'll get you home in plenty of time for dinner."
"Tea and scones at Lady Di's?" Tara further tempted.
"Sounds good." Kim replied and then, shaking her head as the three girls watched Ron and Wally walking off together to their next class, she remarked, "I can't believe he ditched me like that without even giving me any warning."
"Is everything all right between the two of you?" Hope asked with a concerned look on her face.
"I don't know." Kim somberly answered back as the three girls made their way to the next class. "Can we talk more about it after school? I kinda need to get your take on it."
"Sure thing, Kim." Tara and Hope both responded, "After school we'll have a nice long talk over tea and scones."
Middleton Motor Lodge
"We have found him, Your Grace." Sir Reggie reported over his cell phone. "Wally the Weakling is hiding at the local high school. What are your orders, sir?"
"What is the status of the package?" Count van Rodegan inquired from his estate in Rodegan.
"He is safely under cover as per your orders, Your Grace." The loyal knight responded.
"Good. The rest of your team should be at your location by the end of the week. Remember, the prophecy must be fulfilled. You must wait until the full moon next week before you strike and you must strike at the palace."
"Excuse me, Your Grace." Sir Reggie deferentially pointed out, "There is no palace in this city."
Glancing down at his map of Middleton, Conrad smiled as he identified a particular feature. "Ah, Sir Reggie, but there is."
Middleton High School
Nodding his head in approval as he examined the poster that had just been printed, Prince Wally smiled at his new campaign manager. "The Only Royal Choice: Prince Wally. Very well done…"
"Ron." The blond boy interjected with a sigh, "Ron Stoppable."
"Right." Wally nodded his head, "You've done well. I must admit…" The prince stated as he accepted the greetings and smiles from the students he passed by with a polite smile and nod of his head, "I am finding this…election…quite exhilarating. But…" He frowned as he pointed at two Kim Possible for President posters and one Pick Brick poster, "We really must do something about those other posters."
"Not a problem, Wally." Ron grinned as he tore down first the Brick poster and then, after a moment's hesitation, the posters of his best friend. "All taken care of."
"Very good." Wally nodded his head in approval, "What's next on our agenda?"
"Meeting with the debate club and then the drama club and chorus.' Ron replied as he checked his appointment book. "I've got meetings scheduled tomorrow with the track and field team, girls softball, tennis, golf, lacrosse, fencing, and girls basketball teams." Shaking his head, he declared, "We're going to have to write off the football, hockey, and boys basketball teams—they're solid for Brick, and the baseball team is all in for Kim. Chess team is also committed to Kim. The cheerleaders are split. Tara, Hope, Jessica, Liz, and Crystal are supporting Kim. Marcella, Melody, Maria, and Bonnie are supporting Brick. We've got the rest. Even without the support of the other groups and cheerleaders, we've got this election in the bag."
"Let's make sure." Wally commanded, "I want more posters and buttons and let's see what we can do about getting some time on the morning announcements."
"That's a good idea!" Ron exclaimed, "I'll get right on it."
"Good Man." The prince replied dismissively, "You do that."
Middleton—Lady Diana's Tea Shoppe
"I'd recommend the Formosa oolong." Tara suggested to Kim who was perusing the menu.
"Sounds good." Kim replied as Tara placed everyone's order.
As the tea arrived, Tara poured for everyone and, after offering milk to the other two girls, poured a dollop into her cup and stirred. Taking a sip of her tea, the blonde Englishwoman sighed in relief as she spoke to her redheaded friend, "You wanted to talk to us about Ron?"
"Yeah." Kim nodded her head as she sipped her tea. A smile coming to her face, she remarked, "This is good."
"I like the Assam myself." Hope grinned as she sipped her tea, "But…we were talking about Ron?"
"Oh yeah." Kim sighed, "I don't know what's been going on with him recently. I can't believe that he ditched me for Wally like that—it's so unlike him."
"From what I've seen of him, he's always been a little impulsive." Tara commented.
"Yeah." Kim agreed, "But he's never ditched me before. We've always had each other's back."
"Why do you think he threw you over for Wally?" Hope inquired. "Did the two of you have a fight on the plane?"
"No." Kim replied as she tried to recall everything that happened on the way back from Rodegan. "After I'd gotten off the comm with Wade, I noticed that Ron seemed…I don't know what word or words to use. He was mumbling a bunch of nonsense…I can't remember what all of it was. Just that it was a hodgepodge of a bunch of different stuff. I remember him saying something about getting his name right and dodging laser bolts and Josh, but it wasn't anything coherent."
"Do you think he might be feeling resentful?" Hope asked. "Like maybe he's not getting enough credit?"
"It's possible." Kim conceded. "I try the best I can to make sure that the press and everyone else knows that he's my partner and that he's as much responsible for bringing down the bad guys as I am and also that he's an indispensable part of the team. And I try to make sure they get his name right, but they…"
"Screw it up all the time." Hope finished, "Yeah, I think most of the jocks on the football team have a higher IQ than those reporters."
"Tell me about it." Kim sighed.
Tara commented. "You're doing all you can. You can't control what comes out of a reporter's mouth or what a newspaper or blog prints."
"True." Kim sighed. "Anyway, for the rest of the flight, he was good. I was exhausted and he made me lie down and get some much needed sleep."
"Okay…" Hope nodded her head, "So far so good. Any problems at your house?"
"Other than catching Mom's meltdown?" Kim chuckled. "No. He seemed perfectly okay. But I think that was the first time he ever saw Mom lose her temper like that." Letting out a snort, the redhead quipped, "She doesn't lose it often, but when she does, it can be scary—especially if you've never seen it before." Shaking her head, she concluded, "It can't be anything at the house—although if I'd have known that he was contacting the press on that cell phone of his, I'd have said something."
"That's why you and Wade don't trust him with a Kimmunicator." Tara surmised.
"Right." Kim nodded her head once. "I hate to say this and I know it's a horrible thing to say—while I trust him with my life, I can't trust him with a Kimmunicator or anything else that could be dangerous or unsafe or that he could use to get himself or someone else in trouble with. He's too much like a child."
"That's probably part of the problem." Tara guessed, "But like you said, he just hasn't shown the maturity to be trusted with something like a Kimmunicator. He knew that you wanted to keep the Prince's presence here low profile and you told him as such on multiple occasions, but he went on ahead and notified the press anyway. Now…if he can cause all this chaos with one cell phone call, think of the damage he could do with something as sophisticated as a Kimmunicator."
"That's exactly the point." Kim agreed, "I don't know what to do about this. Until he proves to me, Wade, and you guys that he can be trusted with one, I don't think he should be allowed to have a Kimmunicator."
Hope expressed her agreement as her partner concurred with a nod of her head. "You're right. Until he shows us that he's grown up enough to use it properly, he can't be trusted with anything sophisticated like that."
"What else do you think might be the problem?" Kim asked as she took a sip of tea.
"Well, we did hammer him pretty hard after the press conference." Hope recalled.
"Yeah. We were kind of rough on him." Kim and Tara both nodded their heads in agreement. "But I thought we'd settled that." Kim pondered, "We asked him if we were good and he said we were."
"Then we showed the two of you the posters Josh did." Tara remembered.
"You don't think that set him off? Do you?" Kim asked with a worried expression on her face.
"I don't see why it should." Hope answered back. "The two of you aren't going out or anything like that."
"Right." Kim nodded her head, "And it wasn't as if I was going to ask Josh out on a date or he was going to ask me out on one—at least not yet." She blushed, "All I wanted to do was thank him for what he did. There was no reason for Ron to get upset at that."
"You know…" Tara advised, "Sooner or later Josh is probably going to ask you out or you're going to work up the courage to ask him out. It might not be a bad idea for you to begin prepping Ron for that happening. In any event, if it doesn't happen with Josh, then at some point some other boy's going to ask you out and you're going to have to deal with Ron's reaction to that."
"I know." Kim nodded her head slowly as she moaned dejectedly. "I love Ron…he's my best friend, and I don't want to see him hurt. But…" She shook her head, "I just don't see him as a boyfriend." Taking a sip of tea, the lovely redhead sighed, "Can we table this line of discussion for now. I do want to talk to you two about it, but at the moment…"
"We've got other matters to deal with." Hope nodded her head, "It can wait 'til later."
"Thanks." Kim smiled at her friends as Tara, returning to the current topic, queried.
"I'm wondering if he might have gotten upset because we talked to Josh about the posters without talking to him first?"
"It was a sudden thing." Hope recounted to Kim, "We saw the posters that Bonnie had put up and then managed to catch Josh in the hallway and asked him if he could make posters for your campaign and he said yes. We weren't able to run it by you or Ron because you'd already left by then."
"He could have felt left out." Kim surmised. "Maybe everything piling on together caused him to act out? . I was also planning on clearing out a weekend just to spend time with him once we get all this Rodegan stuff dealt with."
"Good idea." Tara nodded her head approvingly at her friend's plan.
"I also asked Wade to keep a lookout for an event or show or something along those lines that Ron might be interested in going to and if and when he does find something, I'm going to surprise him with tickets for it." Kim further announced.
"That's also a good plan." Tara applauded. "But we also do need to see about expanding his circle of friends."
"You're right, of course." Kim agreed. "I know I never would have had the courage to go up to Josh and thank him if I didn't have the two of you and Jess, Liz, Steve, and Kevin giving me that boost I needed. More friends might give him that push to step outside his comfort zone like I'm starting to."
"The first steps are the toughest, luv." Tara smiled as she sipped her tea.
"Tell me about it!" Kim sighed. Finishing her tea and scone, the young redhead smiled, "You two mind if I come here with you more often?"
"You've got a standing invite." Hope grinned as she glanced at the time. "But we better get you home now before your mother kills Wally."
"Maybe we should just let her kill him and save the Knights the trouble." Kim laughed as the three girls paid for their tea and departed. "Thanks again, girls. I needed this."
James Possible's lab—the day of the harvest moon.
"Thanks for letting us use your lab, Dad." Kim said as she bent down over a console with Hope and Tara on either side of her.
"Not a problem, Kimmie-cub." Dr. Possible replied, favoring his daughter with a wide grin while giving the other two girls in the room a slight and polite smile. Noticing someone was missing, he asked, "Where's Ronald?"
"Back at school." Kim sighed, "With Wally…campaigning."
"I see." The rocket scientist responded with a frown. "Well, we can run the sequence whenever you give the word."
"Go ahead!" Kim called out and then concentrated on her analysis, "Nothing yet." Kim sighed and then, noticing something, exclaimed, "Wait a second!"
"Find something, Kim?" Tara asked.
"I don't know." Kim answered back, "Maybe. Yeah! I see something. Dad? Can you widen the beam?"
"Sure." James responded.
"There's writing weaved into the threading. Take a look!" The redhead exclaimed as she moved aside so that her companions could see.
"Very clever." Tara purred, "I remember Uncle John telling me about a case he and Auntie Emma were working on once where someone did something similar." Waving her housemate over to her, the lovely blonde called out, "You should see this, Hope."
Taking the position vacated by her roommate, Hope's eyes widened at what she saw. "Damn. That's smart. No way this could be picked up without knowing exactly what you're looking for or using a device like this."
"Cutting edge technology." James bragged, letting the olive-skinned cheerleader's use of the minor curse word slip by him. "The advantages of federal funding. So…what does it say, Kimmie?"
Kim read aloud, "Awaiting the light of the full harvest moon. Rodegan's foe will face his doom. In the shadow of the palace we will not be deterred. The monarchy ends with Wallace III." Pondering the prophecy for several moments, Kim speculated, "The harvest moon is tonight, but Middleton doesn't have any palaces."
"Where prophecies are concerned…" Tara advised, "It's often better not to take them literally, but rather allegorically. Also, they like to give themselves as much wiggle room as possible so it could be interpreted in multiple ways."
"Your friend is right, Kimmie-cub." James agreed. "Writers of prophecies like to keep them as vague as possible. That way, no matter how the prophecy turns out, they can say that they were right."
"That's a good point." Kim conceded. "Still…it wouldn't be a bad idea to get back to the school and urge Wally to be a bit more careful—at least until the full moon has passed. Once we get through that, we can probably relax a bit more—at least until the next harvest moon." Giving her father a hug, Kim looked up at him and smiled, "Thanks, Dad."
"Anytime, Kimmie-cub. You three have a good day at school! And Tara…" James commanded, "No speeding in that sportscar of yours—please!"
"Yes, Sir!" Tara responded with a friendly laugh. "Promise. I'll be good! Or…rather…I'll be less bad."
Shaking his head as his daughter and her two wild friends departed, a sly grin crossed the rocket scientist's features. While a big part of him didn't want his Kimmie-cub growing up so fast, the wise father understood that it had to happen and he was glad that she had finally found friends, albeit a bit more rowdy than he'd have preferred. Still, he couldn't help but be pleased by the fact that she wasn't as alone as she once was.
Middleton High School—the day of the harvest moon
Catching Ron and Wally in the hall between classes, the three girls called out to them. "Wait up!"
"Make it quick, KP." Ron petulantly remarked, "We've got to get to class before the bell rings."
"We found out what was embedded on that tapestry." Kim announced, "A warning." She then recited the prophecy. "Look Ron…Wally…we think it's a good idea for you to lay low until after the harvest moon."
"Interesting…" Prince Wally smirked, "The election just happens to be coming soon as well. You wouldn't by chance be seeking to remove me from the competition—would you?"
"She's trying to get you to stop campaigning!" Ron spat out, much to the amazement of Kim and the Dirty Pair.
"This doesn't have anything to do with the sodding election!" Tara growled.
"Yeah…right." Ron snorted derisively as Hope shook her head in disbelief at the young blond's obtuseness.
"We're trying to keep the Knights of Rodegan from killing you, Wally! Stop and think about it!" Kim pleaded.
"Miss Possible…" Wally declared in a condescending manner, "You said that the prophecy states that I must be in the shadow of the palace. Now…do you see a palace in Middleton?"
"You know as well as I do, Wally…" Tara snorted, rolling her eyes, "That you have to take these things metaphorically, not literally."
"Then what in this city could serve as a symbolic image for a palace?" Wally countered.
"That's what we're trying to find out, shit for brains!" Hope grumbled.
"Well…" Prince Wally snorted, "When you find out, let me know. Now, I must be off to biology class."
"Ron?" Kim turned to her old friend, "Talk to him. Please. Get him to see reason."
"Kim…" Ron shook his head, "I think you're wrong here. You're afraid of losing this election. Most of the students love Wally. He's going to win and you can't stand coming in second. I've got to get to class now. I'll catch up with you later."
Shaking her head, Kim turned to her friends. "We need to get with Wade and figure out what in Middleton might be used as a metaphor or allegory for the shadow of a palace."
"Good idea." Tara nodded her head in agreement, "Come on, luv." She grinned at her best friend, "We've got work to do."
Possible Home—the evening of the harvest moon
"Come in!" Kim called out on hearing the gentle rapping on her door.
"I thought you girls could use some snacks and something to drink." Mrs. Dr. Possible said as she entered Kim's bedroom bearing a tray with cans of soda and chips and dip.
"Thanks, Mom." Kim replied with a smile as her mother set the tray down on her daughter's dresser drawer.
"Thank you, Mrs. P." Both Tara and Hope said in unison as the blonde cheerleader took three cans, handing one each to her fellow cheerleaders as she opened the third and took a sip.
"What's going on downstairs?" Kim asked as she took a sip of her soda before grabbing a chip and dipping it in the creamy onion dip.
Sighing, Ann sat down at the edge of the bed, glancing down at the map lying on the floor. "Ron and Wally are working on their campaign and being generally pains in the rear, James is barely resisting the urge to ready a deep space probe for two, the Tweebs are ready to help him build it, and I'm on the verge of committing homicide."
"Looks like you need this, Mrs. Dr. P." Hope grinned as she took her flask out of its hiding place in her boot and handed it to the older woman.
"Needed what?" Ann grinned as she took a healthy swig of rum and then handed the flask back to Hope who promptly put it back in its hiding place. "How's it going?"
"Frustrating." Tara shook her head. "Right now, we're trying to narrow down potential candidates.'
"We've got Palace Drive, the Palace Theater, the Palace Hotel, Palace Oaks Funeral Home, and at least a half dozen other places with the word palace or that could be associated with a palace." Kim moaned. "We need to narrow down that list and soon. The harvest moon is tonight."
"Maybe you're going about this all wrong." Ann postulated.
"Do you see something?" Tara inquired as she glanced down at the map.
"Perhaps what you need to do is look not so much for the word palace as for what might contain a palace." The older woman smirked as her eyes fell on a particular point on the map.
Following the direction of her mother's gaze, Kim's lips turned up in a knowing grin. "I think I know what you're talking about now, Mom."
"Of course!" Tara exclaimed, "The miniature golf course!"
"Right!" Hope nodded her head. "The sixth hole! It's a mockup of a palace!"
"The shadow of the palace." Kim nodded her head. "We need to warn Ron and Wally!" As the three girls and one mother dashed down the stairs, they saw James standing by the door shaking his head.
"Where are the boys?" Ann asked her husband.
"They said something about talking campaign strategy at the golf course." James shook his head, "All I know is that I'm glad they're out of this house."
"We've got to get a move on!" Kim exclaimed, "You girls bring your gear?"
"In the boot." Hope and Tara replied as they dashed to Tara's Spyder, returning moments later with carry bags.
"Mom? Mind if we get changed here. We don't have time to waste." Kim pleaded.
"Go ahead." Ann nodded her head. "Just holler when you're done."
After quickly changing and outfitting themselves, Kim called out to her mother as the three girls dashed down the stairs. "We're done."
James and Ann at once noticed the holstered pistol on Hope's hip as well as the knife in its boot sheath. They also quickly spotted the throwing knives and shuriken on Tara's belt as well as the combat knife. "I hope you girls don't have to use that stuff." Ann prayed with a worried frown on her face.
"We do too, Mrs. P." Hope answered back. Turning to Kim and her best friend, the olive-skinned cheerleader exclaimed, "Ready."
"We don't have a lot of time. Let's go." Tara commanded as the trio dashed out the door.
Middleton Mini-Golf
Exiting the Alfa-Romeo, Hope scanned the area with her eyes. Finding a good sniper's perch, she pointed. "I'll set up there."
"Right." Tara nodded her head as she readied a pair of poison coated shuriken. "I'll flank right." She pointed to a clump of faux-shrubs. "Looks like a good spot for a grenadier to set up. All goes well, I'll catch him before he can do any damage."
"I'll go up the middle." Kim declared as she readied her hair dryer/grapple gun. "Ready?"
"Let's go."
"The strike team reports ready and the package is in position, Sir Reggie." The Knights team leader reported.
"Very good." Sir Reggie responded, "Now we wait for Wally the Weakling to appear before the shadow of the palace. When he does, then we shall fulfill the prophecy."
"Where is that caddy?" Wally whined as Rufus, lugging a bag of golf clubs, trailed far behind grumbling and complaining the entire time. "Hmmm…the number three putter should suffice."
"Now!" Sir Reggie shouted as the Knight strike teams struck.
"For Rodegan!"
"Death to Wally the Weakling!"
"Whaaaa…" Ron exclaimed as he barely dodged a thrust from a knight's laser staff. "A laser pointy ball stick!"
"Waaaaagh!" The prince shouted as he ran off in a blind panic, leaving his campaign manager and the little naked mole rat alone to fight the burly knights.
Leaping into the fray, Kim drove one of the knights down with a drop kick as she shouted, "Oh no! We've got an election coming up. No way I'm letting you kill my opponent."
"Kim!" Ron exclaimed in relief as he dodged another blast from one of the laser staffs, losing his trousers in the process. "You're here!"
"Of course I am." The young redhead grinned at her friend, "You're my best friend. We're a team. Speaking of which…" Her lips turned up in a grin as she delivered a karate chop at one of the knights, knocking the laser staff from his hands, "I brought a couple of friends along. Hope you don't mind the extra company."
Reaching the bushes, Tara spotted one of the knights with a rocket launcher aiming at the clustered group by the palace, Throwing her shuriken, she struck the man in the back, the poison instantly doing its damage as the villain collapsed to the ground twitching for a few moments before finally lying still. "Got my man. One down." The blonde reported to Wade and Kim through her Kimmunicator.
Spotting Count Conrad van Rodegan watching the battle from his vantage point on a hill, Hope took careful aim through the scope of her sniper rifle. "Got van Rodegan in my sights." The raven-haired cheerleader reported through her Kimmunicator.
Betty's voice then came through the comm devices, "Take the shot."
Squeezing the trigger, Hope grimly watched through her scope as her target went down. "Got him."
"They got the Count!" One of the knights shouted as he redoubled his efforts to reach the prince. "You'll die for that, Weakling!"
"No!" Wally cried, "I'll give you gold…jewels…whatever you want!"
Another shot rang out, followed by Hope's terse announcement, "Sniper down. Looked like he had a bead on Wally"
"Had to take out another grenadier." Tara grimly declared.
"Wrapping up here." Kim exclaimed as she knocked out Reggie with a combination kick to the groin followed by an uppercut that sent him reeling into a mockup of the Titanic. "I think that's it." The young redhead panted as she caught her breath. "Everyone okay?"
Rushing up to their friend, Tara and Hope both called out, "We're fine. How's Ron and Prinny?"
"I'm okay." Ron answered back as he tried to pull up his pants.
"I think Prince Wally might have peed his pants though." Kim chuckled as the prince tried to cover up the wet spot on his lap.
Wade's image then came through on the girls' Kimmunicators. "Doctor Director said that a cleanup crew from Global Justice is already en route. They'll have the…" the young boy visibly cringed as he continued his report, "…bodies removed by the time the police arrive. She'll have someone handle the police as well, so you won't need to worry about that."
"We didn't have a choice, Kim." Tara consoled in a low voice, giving her redheaded friend a hug. "If that rocket launcher or grenadier had fired their weapons, you, Ron, and the Prince would have been killed—along with those knights that you knocked out."
"That sniper would have taken Wally's head off." Hope declared, "And van Rodegan was a very bad man and had diplomatic immunity. He couldn't be touched."
"He's responsible for killing or having killed an awful lot of people." Tara pointed out as the Global Justice cleanup crew quickly and efficiently did its job.
"I know." Kim sighed, "It's just that…" She shook her head as she brushed away a tear, "This is the first time I've been on a mission where I know people have been killed. It's a little…"
"We understand." Tara whispered as she and Hope both hugged their friend. "We've been there. Come on…" The blonde smiled warmly at her redheaded friend, taking one of her hands in hers as Hope took the redhead's other hand. "You need a stiff drink or three." Turning to Ron, she pleaded, "Can you see that Wally gets back okay?"
"Sure." Ron responded as he patted the prince on his back, "Come on, Wally. Let's go home."
Activating her Kimmunicator, Tara hit the speed dial for Kim's parents. As they appeared on the screen, the blonde reported, "Ron and Kim are okay, so is the prince although you're going to have to do his laundry, Mrs. P."
"He pissed his pants." Hope quipped as Ann heaved a sigh.
"Did you have to…" Mr. Possible asked.
"Yes." Tara grimly nodded her head, "But Ron and Kim didn't." On hearing that, both Ann and James heaved a sigh of relief. "However, Kim's a little shaken. Would it be okay if she stayed with us tonight?"
Turning to her husband and taking his slight head nod as granting permission, Ann replied, "Yes." She then pleaded, "Can I talk to Kim?"
"Of course."
Entering the conversation, Kim forced a smile to her face, "Hi Mom."
"You doing okay, Sweetie?"
"Tara and Hope are taking good care of me." Kim replied with a shaky grin. "I'll be alright."
"Okay." Ann nodded her head, "If you need to talk or anything…"
"Thanks, Mom." Kim gave her mother a warm smile, "I will."
Middleton High—Election Day
"Good luck, Kim." Tara and Hope cried out as they cheered their friend on from the pro-Kim section of the auditorium where the baseball team, chess team, soccer team, a third of the cheerleading squad, and several other students cheered and applauded the teen hero.
"Settle down, people!" Mr. Barkin commanded from his place behind the podium, "I said SETTLE DOWN!" As a hush fell on the auditorium packed with students and the press, the permanent substitute teacher announced, "Here are the votes for your new student government president: Brick Flagg gets seventy-five votes; Kim Possible comes in second with 225 and leading with seven hundred votes Middleton High's new student government president—Prince Wally!"
"Congratulations, Prince." Kim smiled politely as she extended her hand.
"Way to go Wally, my man!" Brick Flagg, with an big grin on his face, congratulated the new student government president while his campaign manager, Bonnie Rockwaller, sulked in her seat.
"My man has leadership experience!" Ron exclaimed, patting the new president on the back, "He's very good at giving orders!"
"Congratulations, Son!" King Wallace beamed as he made his way up to the stage to give his heir a paternal hug. "You did well. Now it's time for you to return home so that you can continue to prepare to take the crown when it is your turn to rule."
"There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about, Daddy." Wally confessed, "I've decided that after you abdicate, I will refuse to take the crown. Instead, I want to become president. It's time our country became a democracy."
"A big step, Son." Wallace demurred, "But we have time to discuss it. I don't plan to abdicate any time in the near future."
"The prophecy did state that the monarchy would end with Wallace III." Tara recalled to her best friend.
"Yeah…but it didn't say when." Hope cautioned. "Don't ask me why, bestie, but I have a feeling that things aren't going to get any easier for Wally or Rodegan when he officially announces that he's transitioning the country to a democracy."
"I fear you're right, luv." Tara agreed with a sigh. "It looks like we're going to have to keep an eye on the moldy cheese capital of the world."
Conrad van Rodegan's mountain fortress—Just across from the Rodegan border in Ruritania
"Perfect." The count grinned as he poured cognac into a brandy snifter, boasting to his new assistant. "Everything went according to plan. Global Justice and the world believe that I am dead thanks to the performance of my clone. Our people have arranged to leak information to the press that the monarchy will soon be coming to an end with the abdication of Wallace II in the next couple of years. That will sow the seeds for social instability as those impatient for free elections will…with our subtle and covert encouragement…become more restive. If the monarchy waits too long to hold elections, it will face a full-fledged revolution. Then, when elections are held or the revolution needs a leader, I, with my new face and identity, will step forward. I will take over as ruler of Rodegan, MALUS will have access to our hidden mineral reserves, and Gotterdammerung will be one step closer to realization. Number One will be pleased."
"And payment to Dr. Drakken for his clone formula?" The assistant inquired.
"Complete the transaction as agreed." The count commanded. "Let the blue-skinned madman use it to carry out whatever petty scheme he has planned. Him and those like him are doing as we intended. They are tying up resources and distracting Global Justice and the other intelligence agencies while we continue our work in the shadows. We will emerge when the time is right. Now…is the plastic surgeon ready?"
"Yes, Your Grace…" The assistant quickly corrected himself on seeing a glare of warning from his superior. "Excuse me…Number Three. The surgeon is ready now and, if I might be so bold, the face you have chosen suits you perfectly."
"Thank you." The count grinned, "Now…it is time for me to…as they say nowadays…reinvent myself."