A/N: Sorry I'm a little late with this part, but I had to spend some time in hospital to get my gall bladder removed. Thankfully they did the outpatient procedure so it's not as painful, but it's still no fun. Also, quicker recovery time with outpatient. Still, better that gall bladder was removed, the surgeon said that it was really...really bad.
A Lowton back alley
"You're sure about this?" Shego asked, glaring at her snitch as he trembled in fear.
"Yeah…Yeah." The man nodded his head as he gasped. "Lab equipment…very advanced. Coming in on the Starlight Courier, a Liberian flagged freighter. It's supposed to dock at Port Go in three days."
Counting out five twenties, she handed the money to her informant. "Okay…you've earned your pay."
"Oh…" The informant added, almost as an afterthought, "I've got word on your boss…how much is it worth to you?"
"Depends on what the info is and how timely it is."
"It's happening now and it involves cloning."
"One hundred dollars on the spot." Shego replied as she counted out the money, "Now…spill."
The informant spilled.
Tara and Hope's House
Answering her cell phone, Tara at once recognized the voice at the other end. "Hey, Cheeky. Still on vacation?"
"More or less." Shego replied with a wicked grin as she sat in her car. I got a lead on something you and Cheerleader might be interested in. A ship is docking at Port Go in three days carrying some very expensive lab equipment. My contact says it might be tied into our designer drug ring. Wanna help me check it out?"
"Count us in." Tara replied as Hope nodded her head in agreement.
"Figured you'd want to be invited to the party." Sheila laughed, "You might want to pass this on to the Princess. You can also pass on this other little bit of info: Drakken, Killigan, and that weirdo you guys busted recently, DNAmy or whatever, busted out a few days ago and no, I didn't break them out. "I would have busted Dr. D. out after this caper, but I had no intention of breaking those other two idiots out."
"Did they break out on their own or did they have help from someone else?" Tara inquired as her housemate listened in.
"My source says they did it on their own. Most likely, Dr. D. came up with the scheme and those other two provided the muscle. I'm expecting a message from Drakken soon telling me to come back. When I get it, I'm telling him I'm staying on vacation until we finish this op."
"Sounds good to us." Tara replied as Hope nodded her head in agreement. She then asked, "Do you think the three of them might be teaming up on something?"
"Probably not." Shego answered back, "At least not anything in the near term although I wouldn't rule out them getting together in the future. I think they'll split up for now. Drakken and Killigan aren't exactly best buds and from what I've heard, this DNAmy is a real head case."
"You can say that again." Tara replied with a snort.
"Anyway…" Shego continued, "As things now stand, Drakken will most likely be using his mobile command center for the near future as GJ will be watching his Middleton lair in case he decides to go there."
"Sounds logical." Tara pondered, "Do you think he might be planning something immediately?"
"If he is, he's doing it without me." Sheila replied, "Like I said, I'm not going back to work for him until after this op. Gotta go now, I have to go to Go City—no pun intended. There' s someone I have to see there and I need to get things set up. If all goes well, we'll have another heavy hitter for the op. I'll touch base with you once I arrive. Be ready to move in a couple of days."
"So…do we tell Kim?" Hope asked as she walked over to the bar and poured herself a white wine after making a gin and tonic for her housemate.
"Yeah." Tara responded as she lit a cigarette. Taking the offered drink, she smiled at her best friend. "No need to disturb her now though. As I recall, she's on a date with Josh. We'll tell her tomorrow at school."
"Sounds good to me." Hope leered as Sergei came out of the bedroom. "How was your nap, lover?"
"Slept like a baby." Sergei grinned as he kissed his girlfriends. "So…what's on the television?"
"Movie night." Tara replied as she rose to her feet and returned her lover's kiss. "We were thinking a murder mystery. Sound good to you?"
"Da." The Russian youth nodded his head as Hope handed him a vodka. "And after…"
Hope's lips turned up in a wicked grin, "Strip poker."
Middleton High—Morning
"Josh…Sergei…Oscar!" Ron called out as he ran towards the other three boys hanging out by Oscar's locker. "I need your help—bad!"
"What's the problem?" Oscar inquired.
"Girlfriend problem…" Ron answered as he scratched the back of his head, "Valentine's Day's coming up and…"
"Well…what did you do before?" Josh asked.
"Ummm…Me and Kim would trade Valentine's Day cards with each other and pig out on Sweetheart candies—you know the little candy hearts? Thing is…now that you're going with Kim and I'm going with Zita…"
"Yeah…" Josh nodded his head, "They're going to be expecting us to do something special."
"Da." Sergei agreed. "And it had better be very special. Because if we mess it up…"
"We're dead." Oscar finished.
"Valentine's Day problems?" Crystal asked, joining the conversation.
"Sorta." Ron nodded his head. "We're all kinda new at this and we don't want to screw it up."
"Smart boys." The cheerleader replied with a chuckle. Taking out her phone, she hit the speed dial. "Hey baby. Sorry if I woke you up, but I've got some boys who are having Valentine's Day problems. You will? Cool. I'll tell 'em. Mmmm…I can't wait. Kisses." Putting away her phone, Crystal smiled at the boys, "Zoe said to meet at her apartment and she'll help you out."
"Thanks, Crystal!" Ron exclaimed, speaking for all of the boys.
"Hey…don't mention it See ya later!"
Middleton High—Morning—Bonnie and Monique
"So, B. You and Brick got Valentine's Day plans?"
"Yeah." Bonnie smiled as she and her best friend walked down the hall to class together. "I made sure Brick understood that he was to take me to a fancy restaurant for dinner and gave him a list of three to choose from, told him to bring me flowers and chocolates and what flowers I liked and what chocolates to bring, and that he was going to take me to the Ice Carnival."
"Sounds like you've got it all planned out." Monique quipped as the two girls laughed.
"I have to with Brick." Bonnie laughed, "Otherwise, it's a carnation, sweet tarts, Bueno Nachos, and go-cart races. What about you and Jason?"
"He's taking me out to dinner and then a show and I made sure he understood that he better bring over some good chocolates and roses." Monique answered back with a chuckle. "Got that boy trained good."
Go City—Mucho Grande Bueno Nacho
Gritting her teeth, Shego, now dressed in a conservative dark blue skirt and matching top, entered the restaurant. Making her way to the counter, she at once recognized the manager—a handsome man about thirty years old with dark hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a lantern jaw.
"Hugh?"
Looking up from his paperwork, Hugh Goh at once recognized his sister. "Sheila? What are you doing here? Please tell me you've decided to turn yourself in and go straight."
"No. I haven't. And if you try to force me to, I'm outta here." Shego warned, "But not before the two of us trash this place. And I don't think you want that."
"No." Hego shook his head, "I don't. So…why are you here?"
"I…" The dark-haired supervillain forced herself to admit, "I need your help with something."
"Then we need to go to team headquarters." The leader of Team Go declared. "Your brothers should be appraised of the situation as well." Pausing for a moment, Hego vowed, "I promise you safe conduct."
"No." Sheila shook her head. "I don't want the others involved." Seeing the suspicious look on her older brother's face, the green-hued supervillain snorted, "It's not illegal or even immoral. It's just that I don't need them for this op and I need your super strength."
"I'm going off shift in half an hour." Hugh replied, "Grab yourself a bite to eat, then we'll go somewhere private and talk. Agreed?"
"Works for me."
"So…what can I get you while you wait?"
"A grande plate and soda will do." Sheila decided, adding, "With verde sauce."
Calling out the order, Hugh turned to his sister, "It'll be up in a couple of minutes. Take a seat and I'll have it brought out to you."
Middleton High School—Cafeteria
"What the fuck is this goop and why is it on my plate?" Tara grimaced as she picked at the pudding like substance on her tray.
"The cafeteria lady calls it turkey and vegetables." Kim responded with a scowl on her face as she jabbed the slop with her fork. "It looks more like something that escaped DNAmy's lab."
"Remember that slime monster we killed last night when we went dungeon crawling." Zita quipped as she and Ron took their seats at the table.
"Yeah." Ron replied as he poked at the quivering mass. "I think it grew an appendage." The blond youth exclaimed as he drew back in his seat. Striking with his fork, he cried out, "Die monster!"
"Looks like the seniors are eating good." Hope snorted as she gestured at the senior table currently dining on sea food and pate.
"Maybe we should storm the table." Tara joked, "I think we can take them."
"Da…" Sergei agreed with a laugh, "We take their shrimp cocktails and tuna salads."
"I told you poofy pink was in." Monique exclaimed as she and Bonnie, both wearing the newest look, strode towards the seniors table. "Elsa Clique's always up to date on the latest fashions, B."
Smirking at her fellow sophomores, Bonnie announced, "If you need me or Monique, we'll be at the seniors table enjoying the fruits of the sea."
"TTFN!" Monique waved as the two girls sat down with the seniors.
"Well…this fucking sucks." Kim growled as a fly landed on her turkey pudding. "It's stuck."
"No, baby." Josh shook his head, pointing at the fork. "It's sinking."
"I think I've lost my appetite." Kim muttered pushing her tray away just as Wade beeped everyone on their Kimmunicators.
"Hey, guys…" The young pudgy computer genius called out in cheery greeting.
"Hi, Wade." Kim smiled, "Tell me you've got a mission for us."
"I've got a mission for you." Wade affirmed. "A Dr. Fenster sent an email to your site asking for immediate assistance. He says the matter's urgent, but it's just a meet and greet so you won't need to bring along Tara and Hope—sorry, girls."
"It's okay, Wadesy." Tara grinned, "Hope and I have plans for this afternoon anyway."
"Yeah." Hope grinned. "We're going to hit the new clothing store that's opening up in the Old Town district."
"Awww…I was hoping to go there." Kim pouted.
"Don't worry, baby." Josh grinned, "We can go together later. The shop's next to the art supply store I go to and I need to pick up some new charcoals and brushes."
"Spankin." Kim grinned as she gave her boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Bueno Nacho after school, Zee." Ron said as he squeezed his girlfriend's hand under the table.
"Looking forward to it, Ronnie." Zita smiled as the bell rang. "Oh well…" She grimaced as she looked down at her barely touched meal. "Not that I was hungry anyway. Turning to Ron, she smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "Call me when you're done?"
"Of course." Ron smiled as he kissed his girlfriend back.
"Oh…Kim!" Tara called out as the group exited the cafeteria.
"What is it, 'ra?" Kim inquired.
"We heard from Sheila last night." Tara announced, lowering her voice so that the other students walking down the hall couldn't hear. "She had a couple of pieces of news. First—she got word of a shipment of advanced lab equipment coming into Port Go in three days and is planning an op to investigate and if necessary, take it out."
"Count me in." Kim at once replied. Turning to Ron, she inquired with a note of worry in her voice. "I promised you that I'd always tell you if it's a possible killing situation so that you could choose…"
"Kim…" Ron's lips turned up in a sad smile, "You know what my answer's going to be. I'm always going to have your back."
"I know." The lovely redhead gave her best friend a chaste kiss on the cheek before turning her attention back to her fellow cheerleaders, "So…what's the next piece of news?"
"Drakken, Killigan, and DNAmy busted out of jail last night." The blonde cheerleader declared.
"Did Shego bust 'em out?" Kim asked.
"No." Tara shook her head, "She was going to let Drakken stew until after the op and had no intention of busting those other two plonkers out. She thinks that the three of them pulled it off on their own with Drakken being the brains of the operation. Makes sense to me."
"Does she think Drakken might be planning something?" The redhead inquired.
"She says that he might be, but he's going to have to do it without her. She's not going back to him until after the op is over." Tara answered back. Her lips turning up in a smirk, the blonde quipped, "That's Cheeky's way of telling you….A—not to worry about her causing any trouble for you in the near future and….B—letting you know that as far as she's concerned, there's a truce between the two of you if you decide you want in on the operation."
"I can live with that." Kim responded with a chuckle. "Keep me updated if the sitch changes, would you? Please and thank you,"
"Sure thing, Kim." Tara replied as they reached their next class. Spying Ms. McKay, the new literature teacher standing by the door, the blonde cheerleader smirked, "Well…time to go to work."
Go City University—adjunct faculty office
"I teach a physics course here." Hego explained as he closed the door and sat down behind a desk with a picture of his family—including Sheila on it—and a desk calendar. "I share the office with two other adjuncts, but they're not scheduled to teach today so we shouldn't be disturbed. So…why do you need just my help and why do you want to keep whatever it is you've got planned lowkey?"
"A source tipped me off to a shipment coming in to the port tonight." Shego explained, "The shipment is advanced laboratory equipment…"
"Nothing illegal about that." Hego interjected.
"There is if it's going to be used to manufacture illegal drugs." Shego responded. "I've got some friends that I'll be contacting after I talk to you. We're going after that shipment—it'd be easier if you joined us as I've also been tipped off to the fact that there will be at least one…maybe more…mercenaries equipped with a prototype combat armor and they'll also have exoskeletons that enhance strength. But…with you or without you…we are going after that shipment."
"Who are these friends of yours?" Hego demanded. "Are they villains too? Mercenaries?"
"They're mercenaries…" Laughing at the snarl forming on her brother's face, Sheila quipped, "You can put the fainting couch away and stop clutching your pearls, Hugh. They only take contracts from your side of the tracks. They helped me neutralize two of those missing nukes and bust up a frat house where the members were using the designer drugs as a date rape drug."
"If so, why do they remain soldiers for hire rather than working in an official capacity for an agency such as Global Justice?" Hugo pressed, leaning forward on his desk.
"For the same reason people like Simon Templar, Alexander Mundy, and Modesty Blaise did." Shego exclaimed. "They like their independence. As free agents they can pick and choose who they work for and the jobs they take." Her eyes taking on a hard expression, she growled, "Those goody-goody agencies you go on about aren't always as pure as you think they are. I've seen Betty and Global Justice pull some pretty nasty shit a time or two. You know…" Her lips turned up in an ironic smirk, "When you hero types put your mind to it, you can be as vicious as the most blood-thirsty supervillain."
"We can have this debate some other time." Hugh growled. "For now, let's concentrate on the threat. Do you trust the information your source gave you?"
"Of course not." Shego smirked, "I never take anything at face value. Once the ship gets close enough…which should be in about twenty-four hours or so…I intend to do a stealth recon using the cloaked holo-disc I borrowed from Drakken. Its surveillance gear should give me a more complete picture." Pausing for a moment, she fixed her brother's eyes in her gaze, "So…you in or out?"
"If the information you have is valid and if the threat is genuine…" Hego decided, "You'll have my support."
"And you'll keep quiet about it to the others?"
"Yes." Hego sighed, "I'll keep my silence."
Uniblab Laboratories
"Thank you for coming, Ms. Possible." Dr. Fenster stated with a worried look on his face.
"It's no big, Doctor." Kim smiled, "So…what's the sitch?"
"It's a rather delicate matter involving national security." Dr. Fenster replied as he ushered Kim and Ron into his laboratory. "Our company was contracted by the government to create a satellite defense platform equipped with a laser powerful enough and accurate enough to destroy a target as small as a person from space."
"This sounds like a violation of several international treaties." Kim noted, giving the scientist a suspicious look.
"I don't deal with those issues." Fenster coolly responded, "That's the Board's responsibility. I merely conduct the research and construct the prototypes. In any event, the laser was stolen last night." He pointed to a hole obviously cut through the wall.
Activating her Kimmunicator, the teen hero asked the young boy appearing on the viewscreen, "Wade? Can you do an analysis of that hole? Find out what cut through it? Please and thank you."
"Sure thing, Kim." Wade responded as he typed on his keyboard. "Got it. Standard cutting laser, most likely from a hovering source."
"Like a cloaked hover disc?" Kim hypothesized.
Nodding his head, the computer genius affirmed, "That would work."
Turning to Dr. Fenster, the redheaded hero smiled, "Don't worry, Doctor. We'll track down Drakken and recover your device."
"Thank you, Kim Possible." The worried scientist replied, managing a shaky grin. "I don't even want to think about what that weapon can do in the hands of the wrong person."
"Like Dr. Drakken." Ron muttered .as he and Kim left the laboratory.
"Exactly, Ron." Kim sighed as she spoke to the scientist. "Dr. Fenster? Is there a way to possibly trace that satellite? A transponder or something like that?"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Possible." The scientist replied in an apologetic tone of voice. "We hadn't gotten around to installing a transponder yet. We were going to do that shortly before we released it to the military."
"Is it powered through a nuclear or ion source?" Wade asked through the Kimmunicator.
"Why, yes, young man." Fenster answered back. "It has a lithium-cesium battery with a unique isotope. You should be able to trace it through that device of yours—but you'll have to get fairly close."
"How close?" Kim inquired.
"Approximately half…maybe three-quarters of a mile." The scientist replied.
"Well…" Kim sighed as she and her partner were ushered out of the laboratory, "At least it's something."
"Yeah." Ron nodded his head, "More than we had."
As the two teens exited the lab, Ron pointed towards a large gathering. "What's going on over there?" He asked. "Looks like something big."
"Dunno." Kim responded, "Wanna check it out?"
"Sure." The blond youth shrugged his shoulders, "We've got time before I need to get home for our dungeon crawl."
Kim chuckled, "Let's check it out."
Spotting two rock and roll singers on stage, Ron exclaimed as he pointed at the stage, "Now I know what's going on! It's the Downloader Awards. Wanna get a closer look?"
"Okay." Kim smiled, "Kinda wish I'd brought Josh with us. He'd have gotten a kick out of the music."
"Yeah." Ron nodded his head, "Zita's more into the dancing, but she'd have had a blast here too."
"You know…" Kim proposed, "We should double date sometime."
"I'm on board with that." Ron smiled, "Let's get with Josh and Zita and see if we can maybe catch a movie or something like that together."
"Sounds good!" Kim exclaimed as they passed by a woman speaking into a recording device accompanied by a photographer.
Ron smiled and then, changing the subject, asked, "So…how are we going to track down Drakken?"
"Good question." Kim sighed. "Right now, the ball's in his court. We pretty much have to wait until he makes his move. At least we won't have to worry about dealing with Shego."
"Did you get that redheaded girl on tape?" Elsa Clique demanded, turning to the man with a video recorder standing next to her.
"Yeah." The man replied, "I got her—why?"
"Because…" The fashion designer grinned triumphantly, "I've found our new look."
Dr. Drakken
"When are you coming back, Shego?" Drakken asked as he spoke to his employee over his comm unit.
"I'll be back when I told you I would." Shego replied, "After I completed what I'm doing now."
"And what exactly is it that you're doing?" Drakken demanded.
"It's personal." Shego flatly responded, "And that's all you need to know."
"Fine!" The blue-skinned mad scientist pouted, "I'll take care of Kim Possible myself. I don't need you anyway. I can get an entire army to do my bidding."
"You better not be doing what I think you're doing." Shego growled menacingly. "You know I have a no-cloning clause in my contract. If I hear of one…just ONE clone of me running around, it's gonna be me and you playing ouchie and take three guesses on who gets the ouchies."
"I promise, Shego…" Drakken answered back in an oily voice, "No clones of you."
"Good." The green-skinned supervillain replied, "I'll be back as soon as I've taken care of this matter. Bye."
As his sidekick's image disappeared from the monitor, Drakken's lips turned up in an evil grin. "I promised you I wouldn't make an army of clones of you, Shego. But I never promised not to make an army of clones."
Zoe's apartment, that evening
"Hi boys." The Asian stripper smiled as she welcomed the high school boys into her apartment. "Thanks for coming."
"No…we're the ones who owe you and Crystal thanks for helping us!" Steve grinned as he and the other boys took seats on the couch or the floor.
"Yeah." Kevin nodded his head, "Thanks for the help. We really do not want to mess this up."
"I'm kinda new at this dating thing…" Ron remarked as he scratched the back of his head, "I really don't want to screw up this time."
"Me neither." Josh interjected, "Especially since my girl can kick my ass."
"Da." Sergei gave the artist/musician a friendly poke to the ribs, "Our lyubovniki are not to be taken lightly."
"Glad to see you're taking this with the seriousness it deserves." Zoe smirked, "So…Crystal told me she gave you some ideas. What do you boys have planned for your girls?"
"I am taking my lyubovniki to the Carnival on Ice show and then to dinner at Maxims." Sergei replied. "And of course bringing them roses and chocolates."
"Good." Zoe nodded her head in satisfaction, flashing a wicked grin. "Hope and Tara will like that and I'm sure you'll like the present they're going to give you in return." Turning to Steve, she asked, "What about you, Shortstop? What's your plans?"
"A dozen roses, candy, dinner at Castillo's, and after that a romantic movie." The baseball player replied, "Jessica loves Spanish cooking and is a sucker for roses and rom-coms."
"Okay…" The Asian dancer nodded her head in approval. "That should work. What about you, Josh?"
"I was thinking about flowers, candy, a carriage ride in the park—there's supposed to be a full moon on Valentine's Day—and then taking in the view from the lake."
"That should work. From what I've seen and heard, Kim likes that sort of thing. Just keep an eye on the weather and have a Plan B ready to go just in case." Zoe advised. Turning to Kevin and Ron, the exotic dancer's lips turned up in a teasing grin, "So…what do you two rookies have planned?"
"Liz likes animals and the outdoors so I was thinking horseback riding…" Kevin responded only to have Zoe interrupt him.
"Either of you ever ride on a horse before?"
"I think Liz has, but I haven't." The chess player confessed.
"Then I'd suggest scrapping the horseback riding for now." Zoe advised, "Although in the future you might want to ask her if she'll teach you how to ride a horse. Maybe take her to the Tri-City Zoo instead and then a picnic afterwards? They've got an area where you can get close to the animals and lots of stuff to do and they've also got a really pretty area for picnicking—great view of the lake—I'm betting she'll love it."
"Good idea." Kevin nodded his head.
Turning to Ron, Zoe, having heard of his reputation for off-the-wall ideas, steeled herself, "Okay, Stoppable…what are your plans?"
"Zita likes video games and pretty much anything having to do with computers or electronics." Ron declared, "So I was thinking of taking her to the Electronic Frontiers Gaming Convention in the Civic Center. They've got new releases and alphas demos for games that are still in development, so she'd like that. She's also not really into fancy restaurants so I'm going to cook dinner for the two of us and I'm gonna bring her chocolates and wild flowers because she doesn't like roses."
"Wow." Zoe cracked a wicked grin, "Not a typical Valentines date, but then, you and Zita aren't a typical couple. Tell me…how did you find out all this? Did the two of you talk or…"
"I….ummm…I had Wade contact her parents and they told him and he told me." Ron confessed as Zoe and the other boys in the room laughed.
"So…" Sergei grinned as the other boys looked on, "What do you have planned for Crystal, Zoe?"
Opening her coat to reveal a new scanty bejeweled gold and leather costume, Zoe leered, "This."
"Bozhe Moi!"
Middleton High—the next day
"Why are we wearing this, M.?" Bonnie demanded as she looked down with disgust at her new outfit consisting of black midriff top and olive-green cargo pants and laced boots. "This is what Kimmie wears."
"Exactly, B." Monique, wearing a similar outfit, grinned as she pointed at many other girls in the hallway attired similarly. "See how almost everyone else is wearing this outfit?"
"Yeah? So?"
"It's Elsa Clique's new look." The dark-skinned fashion expert explained, "But…" her lips turned up in a sly grin, "…and this is something people don't realize unless you're wired into the industry like I am. Clique's styles go in and out of fashion faster than boys in and out of the Dirty Pair."
"Okay…" Bonnie drawled, paying attention to her friend as the pair walked down the hall.
"It's a fad. In about two or three weeks, there'll be a new look and anyone wearing this will be passé." Monique grinned. "All we have to do is jump off the train to the next fashion before this one crashes and burns."
"All right…" The teal-eyed cheerleader nodded her head in understanding, "But I'm still not seeing how this is gonna mess up Kimmie."
Her smile becoming more an evil grin, Monique explained, "By stealing Kimmie's look, Elsa has ruined it for her. It's not her look anymore and when the fad crashes and burns…"
"She can't go back to it without being seen by everyone as being uncool." Bonnie's lips turned up in a sly smirk. "Nice."
As the pair walked down the hall, they never noticed the quiet girl walking close by carrying a clarinet case. Turning left at the T-section instead of right like the two popular girls did, Sue Waters shook her head as she came upon a casual friend of hers, "Hey Cindy?"
"Yeah, Sue?"
"I noticed you're not wearing that new style."
"Of course not." Cindy laughed, "It's just a fad. I'm not gonna spend my money on something I'll never wear again. Why? You thinking about getting it?"
"Hell no." Sue laughed, "I was walking down the hall for a while in the same direction the Queen Bitch and her best friend were walking and overheard them talking." The clarinet player then filled her friend in on the details of the conversation she had eavesdropped in on.
Spotting a slender brown-skinned girl standing by her locker, Cindy's lips turned up in a grin, "Come on, Sue. I'll introduce you to Zita. I think you'll like her."
"Ummm…bestie…" Hope quipped as she pointed at Monique and Bonnie, both wearing versions of Kim's mission clothes, "Did someone order an army of Kim clones?"
"Wasn't me." Tara rolled her eyes as she saw Amelia also decked out in midriff top and cargo pants. "There's Kim…let's see if she knows what's going on."
Walking up to their friend, who was at that moment involved in conversation with Josh, Ron, and Zita, the Dirty Pair called out, "Hey Kimmie…you donating your mission clothes to the needy or something?"
Shaking her head, Kim replied, "I think it's Monique's doing. I heard from Zita who heard from Cindy who heard it from some girl named Sue who overheard Monique and Bonnie talking about it. Apparently, I'm the victim of fashion theft."
"Take a look." Zita said as she handed Hope and Tara the fashion section from today's newspaper.
"Kim style?" Tara shook her head.
"I think that woman…Elsa Clique…took a picture of me at the Downloader Awards yesterday and decided to market the design." Shaking her head, the lovely redhead declared as Bonnie and Monique passed the group by in the hallway, "Now I'm gonna have to change my look."
"I can fix you up with the people who do mine and Hope's catsuits. They're the same outfit that used to supply Auntie Emma and Grandmama. They do excellent work." Tara offered.
"Yeah…" Hope grinned, "Not only do they look and feel good, they're practical."
"Hmmm…" Kim pondered for a few moments, "…you know….that's not such a bad idea. I've been thinking about changing my look anyway."
"Brilliant!" Tara exclaimed, "I'll give them a call. They'll need your measurements because all their suits are customized to the wearer and it'll take them a few days, but it'll be worth it."
"Great!" Kim smiled, "You girls know what they are from our Halloween costumes." Taking a breath, she exhaled, "Now, I just need to figure out what Drakken's scheme is."
"Yeah." Tara nodded her head in sympathy, "It sucks having to wait around until the oppo makes their move."
"Tell me about it!" The lovely redhead sighed as she turned to the brown-skinned girl standing next to her, "Sorry if I have to take Ron away from you later."
"It's cool." Zita smiled, "Ron explained how he could get a call anytime…anyplace…and I understand."
"You know…" Kim remarked fondly, "We're all really lucky we've got such cool boyfriends."
"Yeah." Hope leered, "You know…we really should do something special for them this Valentine's Day."
"What have you got in mind, luv?" Tara smirked as the four girls huddled together. After several moments of quiet whispering, they broke from their huddle.
"So…you two sure you wanna go through with this?" Hope asked Kim and Zita, "I mean, for me and my bestie, it's no big …"
"I've got no problem with it." Kim smirked, "I was planning on a nice long makeout session and I don't think Josh'll mind us moving it to some place more private. He's already playing with the girls, so no big if he sees a little more—a little look at things to come. Besides, I'm thinking of letting him slide into third sometime around my birthday anyway."
"Kim Possible!" Tara joked, "You randy little vixen! What would your father say about that?"
"Yeah…well…" Kim blushed, "We're trying to make sure he doesn't. I don't want Josh going down in history as the first astronaut into a black hole."
"At least not before he goes down on you first." Hope jibed, the other girls giggling at her wisecracking remark.
"I've pretty much decided to let Ron get to second too." Zita remarked, "We've been going out with each other for a few months and he's been a good boy. So…he gets to see 'em a little earlier than I had initially planned. Like Kim said, no big."
"Okay then…" Hope grinned, "Let's get ready to give our boyfriends a Valentine's Day they're gonna remember for a long time."
Drakken's Mobile Command Center
"I wish Shego were here." Drakken moaned as he contemplated who to clone. Glancing at the henchman driving the vehicle and his associate seated next to him, the mad scientist grumbled, "Cloning either one of you would be like cloning an army of Cuddle Bunnies. Not even I am capable of such cruelty. No…" He mused as he channel surfed, finally settling on the Style File channel, "The person I clone has to be…"
"And as I predicted…" Elas Clique authoritatively declared, "…the new look inspired by teen hero Kim Possible is sweeping the world."
"…an army of Kim Possibles!" Drakken cried out triumphantly. "Who better to defeat Kim Possible than Kim Possible?"
"Ummm…Boss…" The henchman driving the mobile lair cleared his throat. "If we can't beat one Kim Possible, how are we gonna beat an army of them?"
Laughing, Drakken replied, "Don't worry, I've thought of that. The clones will be genetically engineered to possess the reflexes of a king cobra…the strength of a rogue elephant…and the killer instinct of Commodore Puddles!"
"No!" The second henchman cried out in panic as a toy poodle held in a confinement tube snarled, "Not Commodore Puddles!"
"Yes!" Drakken shouted triumphantly, "It will be a wild animal. Kim Possible cannot stand up to an entire army of her clones. Now, lackies, send out the robodrone. I want a sample of Kim Possible's DNA at once!"
Guiding the robodrone into the girls locker room, the henchmen paused for a moment at the shower when the audio pickup overheard voices.
"So, Kimmie…you're really gonna let Josh steal third?"
"Not right away, Jessica. My birthday's not until the end of the semester so it's going to be some time before I let Josh practice his cunning linguistic skills on me. But…I'm not against him taking a little peek at what's ahead."
"You are one naughty girl, Kim."
"That's our Kimmie. Right, luv?"
"Not all of its us. She's got natural talent—you saw how she went down on that banana after her third shot of tequila."
"I blame you and Tara. You two have made me the drunken sex maniac I am today."
"You hearing this, Boss?" One of the henchmen laughed. "Who'd have thought Miss Priss had a wild side?"
Biting back his initial retort as a cruel thought entered the evil genius's mind, Drakken cackled, "Wait a second…stupid henchmen and broken clocks have one thing in common."
"What's that, Boss?" The henchman driving the vehicle asked.
"You're both right twice a day." The mad scientist replied. "Make a recording of that audio and save it. What you have just given me is something potentially more destructive than the biggest atomic bomb. This recording…" he declared triumphantly as he made yet another save of the audio tape, this one on a thumb drive, "…released at the right time and place, will utterly destroy not just Kim Possible, but her family and her entire world. Good job, henchmen! You've given me the ultimate doomsday device against Kim Possible!" Drakken cackled joyfully, "Now…get me that DNA!"
"Okay, Boss." The henchman said as the robodrone's sensors homed in on a hairbrush. "Got it."
"Bring it in."
Minutes later, the robodrone returned with the hairbrush. Taking a strand of hair, Drakken placed it in the cloning chamber and pressed a button on his console. "We should have our first clone shortly, gentlemen." Again, after several minutes, the smoke and liquid in the chamber dissipated to reveal a Bonnie clone. "You got me the wrong DNA you idiot!" Drakken screamed then, as the clone let out an angry snarl, the blue-skinned evil genius's lips turned up in an evil grin, "But…that's okay. I think we can work with this."
A cloaked hover-disc flying over Go Bay
"These are the coordinates…" Shego muttered as she read her instruments. "Now…where are you?" Spotting a solitary freighter making its way towards Port Go, the supervillain's lips turned up in a smug grin. "Gotcha." Flying closer, she activated the disc's surveillance suite. "Okay…let's see what you're carrying." Her smile growing wider, she exclaimed in a low whisper, "I knew it! Lab equipment…one suit of power armor…and two more exoskeletons. Good thing I brought Hego in on this after all."
Turning the hover-disc back to the city, Shego began making plans. "First thing…contact Cutie and Cheerleader and get their asses down here. That means a trip to Middleton. Should work out just right. By the time I pick them up and bring them back and we all get together with Hugh, that ship should be docked and we can scout it out and hit it before they unload the cargo."
Taking out her cell phone, she hit a number on her speed dial. "Hey Cutie. It's on. I'm on my way to pick you and Cheerleader up. You bringing the Princess and Stoppable?" No. They're neck deep in Drakken shit." Chuckling, the raven-haired supervillainess quipped, "Yeah…that's tough to wash out. Just as well. We know Princess can keep her shit together when it starts getting rough, but the jury's still out on Stoppable. Best not to bring him in on this op. We're gonna have to move hard and fast. I'll see you girls tomorrow. Later!"
Middleton Mall
"So Shego picked up Tara and Hope for that op in Go City." Kim related to her best friend as he was examining the merchandise at Club Banana, "And…Ron? Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"
"Oh!" Ron started, "Sorry, KP. I was looking at this." He held up an outfit that was an exact duplicate of Kim's, except for males. "Kim for Him. What do you think?"
"I think this has gone past ridiculous and into utterly stupid." Kim grumbled as she picked up a black shirt and tossed it aside in disgust. "What next? Kim for Pets?" Spying Rufus with a tiny Kim outfit, the redhead facepalmed, "Fuck me dead."
"Ummm…KP…" Ron stammered as he pointed to a snarling Bonnie that almost seemed to be literally frothing at the mouth. "Did they forget to give Bonnie her rabies shot this month?"
"What the hell?" Kim gasped, dodging as the wild Bonnie clone attacked just as several more appeared. "Move!"
Making their way through the mall ahead of the clone, the two teenagers heard a familiar voice. "Can you be even more a loser than you are already, Kimmie? Wearing the same outfit every day."
"Are you the real Bonnie?" Kim asked as she reached to pinch her arm.
"Hey! Hands off, loser!"
"Yep." Ron nodded his head, "That's the real Bonnie."
'Then the other one must be a…"
A snarling, menacing figure appeared opposite the teenagers.
"Clone!"
"Run away!" Ron shouted as the three teens dashed into a fast food restaurant. Spotting another Bonnie clone, the blond teen gasped, "How many Bonnies are there?"
"I don't know." Kim shook her head, "One Bonnie's one too much."
"Hey!" The real Bonnie bleated an outraged shout.
"This is weird." Ron exclaimed.
"Tell me about it!" Kim sighed.
"No…not the army of clones. "We're standing in soda and look what happens when one of those clones touches the soda." Ron said as one of the Bonnie clones attempted to lunge at him only to begin melting into a puddle on the floor.
"Eeewww…" The real Bonnie retched as she saw a mirror image of herself dissolve before her eyes.
"It's melting." Kim cried out, further quipping with an amused smirk, "Guess it's true about Bonnie being descended from the Wicked Witch."
Bonnie bit back, "At least I don't wear buy my outfits at the Smarty Mart."
"Hey!" Kim retorted, blushing a brilliant red, "It was one time only and I didn't have a choice. There weren't any Club Bananas in the area."
"Yeah…Yeah…" Bonnie smirked as Monique arrived. "Whatever you have to tell yourself."
"Hey, B. What's happening?"
"Some weirdo cloned copies of me and now they're running around and tearing everything up." Bonnie grumbled.
"Can only happen in Middleton." The dark-skinned teen quipped, "Well…come on, girlfriend…let's get outta here."
"Yeah." Bonnie replied. "Let's go."
Watching as the pair departed, Kim sighed in relief. "Well that's two problems taken care of. Now all we've gotta do is take out an army of crazed clones."
Smirking, Ron pointed to the soda dispensers. "You thinking what I'm thinking KP?"
Her smile growing wider, the young redhead nodded her head, "Let's."
After a brief, yet sticky, battle, the two teen heroes, their opponents now nothing more than puddles on the floor, took a moment to catch their breaths. "I'm gonna be showering for at least an entire hour tonight to get all this clone shit and soda out of my hair." Kim sighed as she patted her now wet and sticky hair.
"Tell me about it, KP." Ron replied as he tugged at his collar. As the pair slowly recovered from their battle, Kim's communicator beeped.
"Wade!" The young redhead exclaimed, "I was just getting ready to contact you. I'm sending over to you an analysis of this puddle that used to be a Bonnie clone…"
"Say again." The young tech genius exclaimed in surprise, "Did you say Bonnie clone?"
"Yeah." Kim chuckled, "Go figure. Anyway, can you tell us what we're dealing with?"
"Give me a moment." Wade replied as he typed on his keyboard. "This is beyond weird…"
"How so?"
"We're looking at a syntho-chemical-duplicate here." Wade reported in an astonished voice, "Not a real clone."
"In other words…" Ron shook his head, "It's an imitation clone. A knock off of a knock off."
"Essentially…" Wade agreed, "Yeah."
"Well…" The blond youth snorted, "That sounds like Drakken's speed."
"I spotted a big energy signature just before your attack." Wade reported, "The same type that we detect coming from Drakken's lairs, but this one was mobile."
"So…he is using a mobile command center now." Kim concluded. "Tara's right. GJ must be monitoring all his regular lairs.
"Apparently so." Wade agreed. "Anyway, it's gone now. I'll keep monitoring it and will alert you the moment I pick it up again."
"Thanks, Wade." Kim smiled as she turned to her partner, "Well, Ron…" She smirked as the pair observed the multiple puddles throughout the mall, "Not much we can do here now. Let's go home and get under those showers."
Go City University—Adjunct Student's Office
"Sheila." Hugh Go, aka Hego, stood up as he greeted his sister and her two associates, "Are these the merc…"
Raising her hand, the raven-haired supervillain silenced her brother as she took out a tiny device and activated it. "White noise generator and scrambler. In case someone's listening in." Shaking her head as she closed the door behind her and her friends as they entered the office, she quipped, "You wouldn't last five minutes in The Game, Hugh." Inclining her head in the direction of her companions, she made introductions. "Tara…Hope…this is my brother Hugh. You might know him better as Hego. He's our muscle for this op and a general pain in the ass."
"I take it you checked out that freighter last night, Sheila?" Hugh inquired as he took his seat behind his desk.
"Yeah." Shego nodded her head, "My informant was telling the truth. Not only is it carrying advanced lab equipment for drug processing, it's also guarded by a merc with powered armor and two more with strength enhancing exoskeletons."
"Good thing I brought Big Brother." Hope declared, "Sounds like we're going to need him."
"You got the right ammo for the job?" Sheila asked.
"12.7 mm depleted uranium rounds should take out those powered armor bozos." Hope concluded as Tara nodded her head in agreement.
"I'm figuring Hego's coming along for the exoskeletons and to handle the power armor if necessary." Tara surmised as Shego nodded her head in assent.
"Wait a moment!" Hego held his hand up, "You're not seriously talking about killing those men—are you?"
"If you've got another way, we're all ears, luv." Tara countered.
"I do, actually." Hego smiled as he took an odd looking bullet out of his pocket. "This is an EMP bullet. Fire it as you would an ordinary round. On impact it will release an EMP pulse that will completely disable the armor."
"If it works, I'm on board with using it." Hope replied, "I'd prefer not to kill anyone if I can avoid it."
"Agreed." Tara nodded her head.
"It'll work." Hego responded, "But…you have to be sure to hit the power source. Otherwise, the EMP pulse won't do its job."
Taking out several photographs along with a chart of sensor readings, Shego pointed to what appeared to be a slightly raised surface on the back of one of the power armor suits. "The readings from my instruments all point towards that raised surface as being the power source. All you've got to do is hit it as close to dead center as possible. Up for the challenge, Cheerleader?"
"Bring it." Hope smirked.
"So…" Tara asked, "Do we hit the ship on the seas or wait until it docks?"
"Less chance of collateral damage if we hit it while still at sea." Hope pointed out.
"True, but also more risk of loss of life if we damage the ship beyond repair and it goes down." Hego pointed out.
"We're also after information." Shego added, "We need to know who's behind this and the names of any manufacturers or distributors. Could be easier to get that information while still at sea."
"Combat will also be at closer quarters at sea." Tara advised. "And your plasma advantage will be negated, Cheeky…too much risk of catastrophic damage."
"True." The green-skinned supervillain nodded her head in agreement at the blonde's assessment.
"And I probably won't have as stable a platform to fire from." Hope pointed out, "Not to mention the fact that I work best at range."
"Both alternatives have their strengths and weaknesses, but it looks like hitting the boat while it's docked is the best compromise." Shego concluded, "I say we go for that."
"Agreed." Hego nodded his head. "What about the two of you?" He asked Hope and Tara.
"Yeah." The Dirty Pair responded with nods of their heads, "We hit it when it docks and before it unloads."
"All right. Looks like we're on." Shego announced, "Get some rest, we hit the ship when it docks tomorrow."
Middleton
"I got him, Kim!" Wade announced through her and Ron's Kimmunicators. "He's parked at a shopping center on Broad Street. If you turn left at 23rd, you should be able to catch him."
"Thanks, Wade!" Kim replied as Ron made a quick left hand turn. "That must be it!" The redhead shouted as the pair came upon a large vehicle stopped in a parking lot. "Get ready…NOW!"
Leaping off the scooter, Kim grabbed a railing at the rear of the vehicle next to the back entranceway. Grabbing her partner's hand in hers, she pulled him up to join her as she kicked the door in. "Drakken!"
"Kim Possible!" The mad scientist snarled, pointing to the teen hero and her partner as he yelled at the henchmen, "Get them!"
"Knock out the cloning machine, Ron!" Kim shouted as she dodged and traded punches with the henchman.
"Get me Kim Possible's DNA!"
"Rufus…" Ron called out to his little pet, "See if you can find the self-destruct."
"Okay…" The naked mole-rat chittered as he began madly pressing buttons just as Ron got knocked into one of the cloning chambers.
"Shit." Kim cursed as copies of Ron emerged just as one of the henchmen yanked a strand of hair from her head. "Hey, fuck-face!"
"Language, Kim Possible!" Drakken chortled as the henchman put the strand of hair into the cloning chamber, "Now I've got your DNA!"
Ron gulped as half a dozen snarling Kim clones emerged from the cloning chambers. "Kim…"
"Kim…Ron…" Wade called out through their communicators. "Remember what stopped the Bonnie clones."
"Soda!" Ron exclaimed as he found a tray of sodas and began spraying them at the clones.
"Ewwww…" Kim crinkled her nose as the clones began melting. Turning about, she spied Drakken slipping away in a stolen car. "Shit. He's getting away."
"It's okay, KP." Ron smiled as the pair cuffed the two knocked out henchmen. "We'll get him next time."
"And…we can hit the showers in time for our dates tonight." Kim grinned as the pair exited the van just in time to greet the gathering crowd of police, reporters, and curious onlookers.
"Maybe they'll get my name right this time." Ron laughed as the duo awaited their public.
Port Go Docks
"That's it." Shego pointed to the docked freighter. "It just docked and they're getting ready to begin unloading. We're gonna have to move fast."
Pointing at a tall scaffolding, Hope announced, "That looks like a good spot. Excellent view of the area and there's good cover."
"Good thinking." Hego, now in costume, remarked in praise, in a tone of voice that managed to be sincere while being at the same time patronizing. Seeing the shuriken and throwing knives carried by the blonde standing next to his sister, the Team Go leader queried, "Surely you don't intend to kill…"
"Not my first choice, luv." Tara responded in a flippant and irreverent tone. "The shuriken are color coded. The blue ones pack an electrostatic charge that will temporarily scramble the systems of those exoskeletons—although they're not powerful enough to take out the power armor. The green ones are a corrosive that will do some damage to both exoskeleton and power armor. The white ones are coated with a sedative and the black ones are the poison ones. The ones that aren't color coded are plain old shuriken, but they're sharp enough to cut into the power armor."
"I see." Hego nodded his head as he laid out the plan of attack. "Looks like the best way to do this would be for me and Shego to hit first and draw the attention of the heavy troopers while you…"
"Tara." The blonde interjected, reminding the superhero of her name.
"Tara." Hego inclined his head respectfully at the blonde adventuress, "I am told that you are an expert at infiltration."
"I get the job done."
Nodding his head, Hego outlined her role in coming action, "While Shego and I keep the crew occupied, try to slip by and into the cargo area where they're keeping the lab equipment and set these at in the cargo hold approximately ten meters apart. When activated, they will emit a sonic pulse that will destroy the cargo without setting off any explosive devices."
"Handy." Tara drolly noted.
"Also…" Hego advised, "If you can do so, try to find a computer that might have downloadable information or any hard copy files."
"Planning on doing that anyway, luv." Tara flippantly responded.
"Looks like we're set then." The Team Go leader took a deep breath. "Let's do this."
"In position." Hope reported. "They've got lookouts fore and aft, but I can't see anyone in power armor."
"Makes sense." Shego commented, "The power armor users are being held in reserve. Spot any of the exoskeleton types."
"Yeah." The raven-haired sniper replied. "One standing at the gangway."
"Safe bet we've got at least one in the cargo hold and the other probably a rover." Tara postulated.
"The power armor types are the wild cards." Hope declared, "You guys need to draw them out so that I can take a shot at them."
"I'll start the party by going after the guard with the exoskeleton with a few plasma balls. That'll bring out at least one of the power armors."
"That should work." Hego agreed. "Once the power armor shows, take your shot at the first opportunity, Hope."
"Understood."
"Ready?" The leader of Team Go asked the two women on either side of him.
"Yeah." Shego responded as Tara nodded her head.
"All right. Let's go." A couple of minutes later, after the strike team had moved into position, Hego whispered through his comm unit to his sister. "We're in position, Sheila. Take your shot when you're ready."
Forming a plasma ball in her hands, Shego grinned as she launched her projectile, "Boy and girls…it's party time!"
"We're being attacked!" One of the guards shouted as the man with the exoskeleton reeled back in pain from the impact of the plasma ball.
Smiling in satisfaction as armed guards rushed to their position, Shego turned to her brother, "Your turn. Let's see what you've got."
"My pleasure." The super-strong hero smiled as he picked up a large crate and threw it at a group of gunmen taking cover. Speaking to the blonde next to him, Hego directed, "There's your opening."
"Thanks, luv." Tara grinned as she turned to the raven-haired supervillainess, "Lay cover fire for me, Cheeky?"
Smirking, Shego replied with a rapid succession of plasma balls, "There's your cover fire, Cutie."
"See ya on the boat." Tara replied, blowing the supervillainess a kiss as she slipped into the water and swam for the docked boat. Taking advantage of the distractions created by plasma balls and thrown objects—including a forklift, the blonde adventuress, firing a grapple, climbed up the ship, finally arriving undetected on the main deck. Hugging the shadows, she made her way towards an entrance hatch, pausing as she heard a loud noise in front her. Cautiously glancing around the corner, the British agent spotted one of the men wearing power armor suits emerge from the ship's interior carrying what looked like a rocket launcher.
"Power armor with heavy weapons coming for you. Get ready Hope." Tara cautioned as the armored figure made its way to the fighting.
"Hear that, Hugh?" Shego called out. "We've got company coming!"
"I heard." Hego replied as he pointed to a covered alleyway. "There. It's got good cover and will allow you to flank."
"What about you?" Shego asked, "Not that I care."
"I'll be fine." Hego grinned, "I'll pull back at the last moment. Hopefully, that will draw the armored man out and give Hope her shot."
"Yeah." Shego answered back. Lowering her voice, she added in a plaintive tone, "Just don't let yourself get hurt."
His lips turning up in a slight smile as he saw his sister move off to her new position, Hego shouted as he threw a golf cart at the man in powered armor before hastily withdrawing, "Over here, Dumbass!"
Smiling as he saw that his taunt had successfully goaded the man in power armor to attack, the superhero leaped high in the air, coming down with a crash as he struck the ground with his fists, knocking everyone within a several yard radius down—except for the man in power armor who struck at the hero with an energy beam.
Staggered momentarily by the energy blast, Hego shook his head as the power armor wearer struck him with a vicious uppercut knocking the superhero back at least ten yards.
"Not bad." Hego laughed as he picked up a truck and threw it at the armored villain. "Catch!"
Instead of catching the car, the villain launched a massive energy pulse that threw it back towards the superhero. Reacting by instinct, Hego punched the flying truck, the force of his blow caving the vehicle in as he pushed it away. "Bring it, villain!" The superhero shouted as he lunged at his foe, catching him with a right cross to the head.
Shrugging off the hero's blow, the armored villain drew back his fist to launch a rocket powered punch, but in doing so, made a fatal mistake as he twisted his body just enough to make the power source on his back a vulnerable target to the patient Hope.
"Gotcha." Hope purred as she squeezed the trigger, sending the EMP projectile unerringly towards its target. Impacting the power source, the bullet released its charge, instantly frying the armor's systems.
"Good shooting." Hego called out as he quickly ripped the power source from the back of its armored wearer. "He's out of action now. How are you doing Sheila?"
"Having fun." Shego responded, slashing with her claws as she dodged an exoskeleton wearing villain. Smirking at the man's cry of pain, the green-skinned supervillain purred, "Like that? I got more."
"Switching ammo to non-lethal." Hope announced as she began sniping at the ship's crew.
"Be careful." Hego admonished, "Aim for legs or arms. A direct hit to the head or torso can still kill."
"I know my job." Hope growled back before speaking to Shego. "You're right, Sheila. He is a pain in the ass. You got that guy in the exoskeleton or do you want me to take a shot."
Laughing as she delivered a quick slash at the exoskeleton's power source and then another slash at the vulnerable midsection, Shego replied, "Nah…I got it. He's going down."
"Cool." Hope responded as she continued laying down fire. "Wonder how Tara's doing."
"Don't worry about Cutie." Shego answered back reassuringly, "She knows what she's doing."
"Enough chatter!" Hego called out, "Let's wrap this up!"
In response, two female voices shouted back in unison, "Fuck off asshole!"
Seeing a guard posted at the hatchway, Tara threw a sedative coated shuriken. Nodding in satisfaction as the man silently slumped to the deck, the blonde adventuress moved swiftly and silently through the entrance into the inner cabin. After a quick moment in which she oriented herself, she moved quietly down the corridor into what appeared to be the radioman's room. Seeing that the room was empty, Tara entered and quickly scanned the logs. Completing her scan, she heard the sound of footsteps running down the corridor towards her position. Taking station to one side of the door, she waited until the door opened to reveal a man carrying a machine pistol
"Heinz? Are you there?" The man called out. Then, on hearing no response, he entered. As he cleared the door, Tara lashed out, striking with a karate chop to the back of his neck, rendering him immediately unconscious. Checking the corridor to make sure there were no other rovers, Tara slipped out of the room, making her way towards what she hoped would be the captain's cabin.
Freezing as she heard a loud crash, Tara heard through the loudspeakers, "The ship has been boarded! All hands on deck!"
"Damn." The lovely blonde swore, "Gotta move quickly before the captain trashes his hard drive." Picking up her pace, she burst into the captain's quarters just as the skipper was preparing to reformat his computer's disc drive. "No you don't!" She hissed, throwing a pair of shuriken, one a sedative, the other normal, as the man reached for his pistol. Readying a throwing knife in case her other missiles missed their mark, Tara sighed in relief as the man slumped down unconscious. Dashing to the computer, the British agent took out her Kimmunicator. "Wadesy? I need you to scan everything on this computer and be quick about it, luv! I'm kinda pressed on time."
"On it, Tara." Wade responded as he quickly typed on his keyboard. "Downloading…got it."
"Thanks, sweetie!" Tara responded as she blew the young genius on the tiny screen a kiss. "Talk to ya later!"
"Get Hego's autograph for me!" Wade pleaded as Tara shut off the transmission.
"Time to trash all that lab equipment." Tara breathed as she exited the captain's cabin. Activating her comm unit, she called out. "Luvs? Got the data. What's your status."
"We're on the ship converging on the cargo hold." Hego replied.
"We've taken out most of their heavy stuff, but there's one more exoskeleton wearer unaccounted for." Shego announced.
"Not anymore." Hope called out. "Bow hatch. I can take him out, but it'll have to be a kill shot."
"No!" Hego shouted into his comm unit. "No killing!"
"Then it's on you to stop him. Hope angrily replied, warning, "But if my bestie gets hurt, I'm taking it out of your hide."
"And I'm helping her." Shego spat out to her brother, commanding him. "You take the big guy; I'll get the others."
"Right." Hego leaped into the air, coming down in front of the enhanced human. "Give up, villain!" The superhero demanded as the man punched the hero in the face using all his enhanced strength.
"Not bad!" Hego laughed as he retaliated with a fierce uppercut, "But mine's better."
"Cutie?" Shego worriedly called out through her communicator, "Tell me you're on your way out."
"Just finished setting up the sonic charges." Tara replied, "On my way out. Bow exit clear now?"
Looking at her brother currently holding the bow hatchway secure, Sheila responded, "Yeah. Hurry up. I'm hearing sirens. Sounds like the cops are on the way."
"Be there in a jiff." Emerging from the hatchway, Tara let out a low whistle at the destruction the foursome had caused, "We better get off this tub. Those charges should be going off about…" as the three adventurers dashed off the boat, they heard a loud boom, "…Now!"
Joining her teammates, Hope quipped as the police arrived, "Time for us girls to split and leave Dumbass to deal with the authorities."
"Good idea, luv." Tara agreed as she turned to the raven haired supervillain next to her and leered, "So…Cheeky…wanna join us and Sergei for a special Valentine's Day party?"
"What sort of party?" The villainess flirted coyly.
"Take three guesses." Tara smirked.
As she dropped her fellow mercenaries off near their home, Shego asked, "So…what time on V-Day, Cutie?"
"Seven o'clock." Tara replied with an evil grin, "Wear something sexy, sweetie. And…be sure you get plenty of rest—you'll need it."
"Promises…promises!" Sheila laughed, "See you on V-Day and tell that Russian stud of yours that he's about to become one very lucky young man."
Middleton High—Mr. Barkin's Office
"And that's why we took a couple days off school, Mr. Barkin." Tara concluded after she and Hope had brought the substitute assistant principal up to speed.
"The lab equipment was destroyed?" Mr. Barkin queried.
"Shattered by the sonic charges." The blonde adventuress nodded her head.
"And the power armor?"
"Confiscated by Global Justice." Hope responded.
"What about the information you recovered from that computer?" Barkin asked.
"Wade and Global Justice both have copies and are analyzing it." Tara responded. "We're hoping we can get some names to go after."
Nodding his head in satisfaction, the burly substitute remarked, "Sooner we can get that shit off the streets and the people making it either locked up or six feet under, the better." His lips turned up in an evil grin, Barkin ruled as he presented both girls with a stack of papers, "I'm going to permit you to make up the work you missed. Have all this done by Friday next."
Rolling their eyes as they picked up their makeup work, both girls answered back in unison as they turned to leave the office, "Yes, Sir."
"Oh!" Barkin called out, almost as an afterthought, "What are the two of you doing tonight for Valentine's Day?"
"Let's just say we have some very special plans for tonight involving a certain boy from the soccer and chess teams and a certain bad girl." Tara grinned lecherously. "What about you, Mr. B? Gonna hook up with Clea?"
Smiling, the former special operations specialist replied, "Let's just say that I won't be alone. And…Oh yes…Good work, you two and have fun tonight."
Stoppable Residence—Valentine's Day Evening
"I had a wonderful time, Ron." Zita smiled as she hugged her boyfriend. "I can't believe you scored us an entry into the alpha demo for the new Zombie Mayhem game. How did you pull that off?"
"I did a little namedropping." Ron replied, blushing slightly. "I remembered that the developer was someone Kim and I helped a year ago. Someone was pirating his games and selling them overseas and we tracked them down. So…I mentioned Kim's name and he got us on the playlist."
"Well…" Zita whispered shyly as she gently pushed Ron down to the couch, "I thought it was marvelous. Now…" She said as she played a soft tune on her music player and began to dance, "…just sit back and enjoy the show…it's my Valentine's Day gift to you."
"Rufus…" Ron whispered.
"I know." The little rodent chittered, "Room."
"Good boy."
Small cabin near Lake Middleton—Valentine's Day Evening
"Wow!" Josh gasped as his eyes took in the rustic cabin and wooded scenery. "This is…it's…" his eyes falling on the lovely redhead standing in front of him as his arms embraced her, "…beautiful."
"What?" Kim asked in a low voice, "The cabin…the woods…"
"You." Josh declared as he kissed his girlfriend on her neck. "How did…"
"Someone I helped out with a little something a while ago owed me a favor, so I cashed it in." Kim replied with a smile as the pair entered the cabin, smiling in delight at the sight of the roaring fireplace. "We've got the cabin all night. As far as Mom and Dad are concerned, I'm spending the night at Tara's."
"Ummm…Kim…." Josh stammered, "I…uhhh…don't want to…you know…rush into…"
Chuckling softly, Kim gave her boyfriend a coquettish grin before kissing him gently on the lips, "It's okay, Josh. I'm not ready for that either. If you promise to keep your briefs on, I'll keep my panties on—deal?"
"Deal." Josh blushed and then haltingly qualified, "Until we both think the time is right."
"When the time is right…the panties come off after I rip your briefs off you" Kim guided Josh to an easy chair by the fire and then began to dance to the music. Slowly and sensuously stripping down to her panties, she whispered, "But until then, everything else is yours."