Kim Potential…
Summary: A desperate Dr. Drakken has sensibly reviewed his Files of Past Plots to find the most effective weapon yet used on KP and improve it with unexpected results. Ron and company find they have a new partner.
Disclaimer: No infringement intended.
Part XLVII…
"Hey." Potential eyed the spectacle before her.
Ron happily chatting with the tall and rather pretty but for those teeth, the said skyscraper-ridiculous height, and utter lack of proper fashion style, Anna, beaming at him…
"Hey…KP." Ron, a bit uncertain.
Likely to be a bit rough given what Wade spilled…
"Hi, Kim…" Anna Eleanor beamed.
"Are you assuming my 'hey' is a greeting?" Potential eyed Anna Eleanor…
"Excuse me?" Anna Eleanor, genuinely puzzled.
"It's 'hey'…As in…Get away from my boyfriend…" Potential, coldly.
"KP?" Ron. Slight jaw drop…Several students nearby eyeing them…And quickly seeking somewhere else to be at Potential's stare…
"Kimberly?"
"I don't know if you're trying to undercut the competition for the election or just a horny slut, you buck-toothed hyperthyroided freak, but if you don't get away from him in five seconds, I'm gonna fix those teeth the hard way." Calmly, but with earnest sincerity.
Anna glanced at Ron…Ron at her…
Hmmn…
Looks like that heroine thing is finally getting to the girl's short red head…
Well, the family is always warning me to be careful to keep my feet on the ground in the political circus.
"Kimberly, I've no idea how you got such an idea in your head but I'm afraid you're mistaken…" hard stare, arms folded.
"You heard me…"
"Kim…" Ron, shaking head. "What's gotten into you?"
"Go ahead and try, Kim." Anna, coolly. "But I'm just talkin' to Ron because he's nice and I like to talk to nice people. It's nothing that you should be upset about…I'll assume you're a little stressed out with your stuff these days. It's ok, Ron."
Thin smile from Potential...Tensing…
"Ok, is it?"
"KP…" Ron, grimly. "That's enough…"
She whirled on him, angrily… "You think you can…"
She met his look…Hard, level on stare…
Uh…She blinked…
"Yeah, I do…Since it concerns me." level stare continued, coldly… "But we got bigger concerns now…"
She stared at the open Kimmunicator he held…
"What?..."
Her eyes bulging….
"Wade? Is this for real?"
"Ummn…" Wade still a bit floored by the situation before him on screen.
Ron Stoppable, giving Kim a look that well…
He'd never seen Ron in Evil mode but…Somehow…He suspected…
This look made any glare Evil Ron ever made pretty lame…
Kim looking…For the first time ever…
Scared.
Scared? Of…Ron?
Though now, looking at the message he'd put on screen display…
She looked positively terrified…
"Dr. Drakken's meeting the Throwback…?" she choked a little…
"Yeah…This is one of his old transmission frequencies that I cracked the encryption on years ago. He used to use it to speak to Dementor when they were…Well, weren't enemies…Much…I was keeping it open, just on the chance…"
"He's meeting the Throwback…?" anxiously.
Dad?!
"I guess…But if they're allies, it's a little strange that he's suggesting they meet like it's their first…" Wade blinked as the Kimmunicator started bouncing round.
"Come on, Ron!" she paused to look back at him standing calmly…
"Ron?! We've a chance…"
To save my dad…She barely managed not to say…
"…To find out what they're up to…"
"We should let the UN and the other guys handle this. You agreed." He replied, calmly.
"What? No…I mean…Sure, we can alert them… Team effort and all that but we need to get after this… Wade?!...Tell the UN and the rest to follow us in…." Potential told the screen.
"Come on, Ron!"
"Apologize." He eyed her.
"That's fine, you two are very…" Anna began, shyly…
"No. Kim, apologize or I stay right here."
"You'd let me go face…!" furious look…
"You promised not to face the Throwback alone. Now you want to run off because Dr. Drakken's going to face him?" Ron eyed her.
"What?! That's crazy…I mean I'd hate to see old Drakken bite it but…" she eyed his firm stare. "Fine, right…Anna, I lost it. Bad day, I'm sorry. I'm too fond of my blonde boy here. Ok?" she looked at Ron.
"It'll do for now. Anna, see you later. I'd love to discuss the music budget with you. We oughta figure a plan for whichever one of us or Johnny FKR who wins to deal with it."
"Sure, Ron. And it's ok…I understand Kim's under stress." Kind smile Kimward…
"Thanks…Great…" Potential, smiling briefly at her… "We're all better…Lets go!" turn to Ron…Pulling.
"Ok…" Ron nodded. "Wade, can you get us a chopper? Land it just outside the right wing exit, on the grass?"
"Guys…I don't think you two should go in without the whole force, including the Gos and Team Impossible and anyone else we can get…
"Fine, send them…Tell 'em to meet us wherever the Throwback's meeting my…Nemesis…" Potential insisted. "Now get our helicopter or I take one."
Fine, fine…Wade typing…As the two headed for the exit…
"So?" Ron eyed her as they halted to await confirmation of the chopper's arrival, having made their way down the stairs to the street exit…
"So?" Potential back at him briefly…Nervous look out the door…Where is that thing?
"Your what? Master? Boyfriend? Creator? In danger? Must be rough." grim look…
"Boss?" Barclay indicated a small insert screen on which Drakken's message offering a meeting of possible…Nice pun, boss…Importance…To Dementor and his new ally…Had just been answered.
"Very glad to make your acquaintance, Doctor. Will be happy to meet at any reasonably secure location you wish. Lindendon."
"He's nibbled, now to go and make it a serious bite…" Drakken beamed.
"Barclay? You know what to do?…Just in case I can't…At the right time?" he eyed the minion in red Team Drakken henchsuit.
"Yes, Boss…" Barclay nodded, troubled but firm.
"But try to make sure everyone is out…The funeral and medical charges could break us and we'd be sure to lose our employee insurance." Smile…Turning to the waiting, blank Shego. "Shiela? I love you very much…Just in case? Thanks for being such a wonderfully uppity sidekick, keeping me on my toes and making all this so much fun all these years…And you've been a wonderful mother and wife these past few days." Drakken kissed her on the cheek.
"I love you too, Dr. Drakken…" blank stare, beam.
"Well?" Lindendon with Avair at set dining table, both observing a wall screen on which Drakken's message was displayed, along with Lindendon's answer and Drakken's affirmative reply.
"I can't say…Drakken has made alliances frequently in the past. He could be being honest." Avair shrugged… "Knows your rep, wants to cut a deal rather than suffer the consequences…Or…"
"Wishes to entrap me?" smile…
"I wouldn't underestimate Drakken…He's managed to do the impossible with Possible it seems."
"I won't. But his success with the girl is interesting and could be so useful to us…Perhaps though we should be cautious in our first encounter. Despite my 'rep', I know the wisdom of discretion…"
"I could meet him." Avair shrugged. "If you like, with you standing by…"
"A true comrade's gesture, friend Avairius. But I think we may as well protect both our precious selves." smile…
"If you're thinking synthodroid…Drakken knows them too well…He won't be fooled, he developed them."
"No…I was thinking of allowing our staff to earn its keep…After all, neither party has pledged to meet in person…No, lets send our intermediaries in to handle the pesky details while we observe."
"And if he pulls back?"
"I've no deception intended….I'll inform him we are perfectly willing to let his people speak for him…Ms. Shego no doubt is free of her control device by now…Fascinating creature, that female…Yes, I should like very much like a chance to study her intently."
My Shego? Avair, gulping involuntarily…
The main reason…After my desire to finally free Go City from her ruthlessly exploitative, domineering family forever…I stayed in that tiresome city, monument to her father's blindness and her grandfather and great-grandfather's greed and brutality…Listening to that brother of hers pontificate on their heroes' status while everyone knew the Go family had been devastating and plundering the city and the surrounding county and much of the rest of their state for decades.
My one convert to my message that the Go family's pristine image was a shoddy lie…That even the young, heroic Gos had done nothing to atone for the brutal crimes, corruption of politics, and dreadful environmental damage caused by their family.
Far too easy and too much fun playing at being superheroes than actually confronting their family's past to heed my cries for justice and environmental reform. Giant Go Towers and Go factories and Go Utility monopolies don't come without a price, you ignorant morons…
But Shego listened…
Even if she was more inclined to hear it as an excuse to follow her ruthless relatives' drives than join me in a crusade to save my friends and liberate Go City from the Goes…
"Friend Avairius?..." Lindendon, politely…
"Hmmn?...Oh, sorry…Miles away with my friends…" Avair, hastily.
"I understand…" nod… "Often, in the old days when I soared above the world, alone, in my craft, I too was swept away by the majesty of the skies. But I must try your method of flight one day, my friend…You truly soar alone in the clouds, almost free of assist. It must be wonderful." Earnest smile.
"Thanks…Anytime." Avair, wan smile…
Dear God, I'm really beginning to think he likes me.
Hmmn…Drakken eyed the screen on his flying submersible's control panel…
He refuses to meet me face-to-face for our first encounter? Wants a meeting of subordinates…Due to the excited situation with the authorities, eh?
Hmmn…Call him out? Counterdemand and insist? Heck, I am coming all this way…Crossing five time zones to reach his meeting coordinates, putting my neck…Assuming it is me, which I suppose he's not obliged to…At risk.
Still, only sensible…Surprisingly so…He's not crazy in terms of tactics, that's clear…
Well…I suppose…If it will give me a chance to urge him into our trap…
And turning back now that I've revealed myself on his radar…Could be difficult.
In fact, near impossible now…He eyed the escort of two sleek small jet-powered craft on either side of his…
"535?..." he turned to his copilot…
"Sir?..." the synthodroid in form of a husky hench thug looked at him.
"I think we'll have you take on the initial negotiations as the Throwback wants a meeting by proxy first. I'm sure you're up to the challenge?"
"Certainly, Dr. Drakken…"
"And I think it would be wise to have you represent me in proper form…" he noted.
"Now…Either you tell me the truth or we stay right here…" Ron eyed Potential, exit door open…Chopper awaiting…Kimmunicator open as well in his hand…Wade's anxious face staring…
"You're out of your mind, Ron…" Potential shook her head. "Wade? Ron's flipped. Have someone take him to the hospital for a check, I'll get going and…"
"No, I'd say it's the other way around. Which explains things." Ron sighed. "So what did Drakken do to you?"
"Ron…I'm just concerned about the Throwback. For your sake, actually…And there you were, makin' eyes at Anna Eleanor…"
"Stop it, Kim. Drakken's done a fine job on you but I know you too well…I've known something was wrong for days but Wade's tests were all negative, so I tried to put it up to worries."
"Exactly…" she pounced at the opportunity… "Negative, completely…Wade? Tell him…"
"But that didn't rule out Drakken coming up with something new…And this is not you these last few…" Ron, calmly. "Wade, that chopper goes nowhere without my say-so."
"Tests that would get past our Wadey? Ron…? That's a shocking lack of faith in our tech support. Wade, I'm sorry…Are you sending someone? You can see Ron's gone off the deep one…"
"Kim…" Wade, anxious… "I don't know what to think but…"
"I wasn't sure till I saw the look on your face when Wade showed us that message…" Ron, sadly… "So Drakken isn't the Throwback's ally, is he? He's trying to cut a deal, yes, but the Throwback's with Dementor…No wonder you were so anxious to find out about him the other day. Drakken ordered you to…"
"Nobody orders me around, Stoppable! Except…Someone I care about, like you…Ron? How can you doubt me, after all these years? Wade, I'm ordering you to…" she grabbed at the Kimmunicator, Ron pulling back…
"I'm tryin' to help you, Kim…"
"By betraying me?!"
"I realize you might not even understand Drakken's controlling you…Or think it's control, but…"
Sigh, calming…"Ok…Ron, you are putting our lives and the world in danger…I'm not about protecting Drakken, I see a chance to nail this maniac…And the bad doc too, if we can. Wade? If you want to run more tests, now…? Something quick…"
"I'd guess you'd pass 'em…Drakken was very clever on this one." Ron shook his head. "But he's got hooks into you, somehow. You're ready to go risk your life to save him…Either you're in love with him or you think you are."
"I love you! Though if you keep this up…" glare… "Ok, I've tried to argue…Time's running out…" she grabbed at Ron, tossing him back hard…Scooping the Kimmunicator
"Ron, I don't want to hurt you…Whatever you think, I love you. Just wait for me here and once this is done you can run any test you like…"she called to his prone form on the stairway floor.
"No, Kim…" Wade on screen… "You're not going anywhere. Ron's right and I was wrong, there is something wrong with you and Drakken's behind it."
"I've got no time for this!..." she closed the Kimmunicator, racing for the chopper…
Hmmn…No pilot? She looked to see two men fleeing to the side.
And no doubt took the keys…
"Miss Possible!" loudspeaker from another chopper moving overhead… "We must ask you to step away from the helicopter and turn yourself in to the soldiers coming…"
She eyed the approaching van full of soldiers…
Well…
I'm not a Drakken for nothing…She opened the copter door and climbed in…
Ok…Dad's lifetime of science and engineering training crammed into a six-hour neural loading session to the fore…Focus, lets see…Helicopters, control panels…Hot wiring control panels when stealing equipment…Yeah!
I think…She climbed down, peering under the main dash panel…Ok, all electrical controls work on a circuit…Find the ignition control and, assuming they didn't lock up the controls otherwise…
There ya go…A cough and the rotors began turning…
Dad and his talent for the quick start…What a car thief he'd've made. She pulled up into the pilot's seat as a banging started at the passenger door.
"Kim!..." holler.
Right…My hero. Frown.
Well, Ron Factor…And I might yet get a chance to clear my Evil name…
Never say die to a good lie, one of the many Drakken mottos…
Plus, given those soldier guys pulling guns in front of me…A hostage might be a useful thing.
She opened the door… "In!"
He climbed in… "Kim, stop this right now!"
"Not till you believe in me!" she grabbed at the door, closing and gunning the engine, took off…
Soldiers uncertain, guns pointed and raised…
"Kim!..."
"Stop it, Ron! You'll make us crash!" she pushed his struggling hands from the controls…Shoving him back in his seat while desperately trying to keep the copter somewhat level and rising.
"Oh, God…You had to bring the rat?!" she eyed Rufus…Worriedly peering at her from Ron's pocket…
Bwhrrr…