CHAPTER 24 – Prom Night Part 1

Author's note: At this point I start seriously deviating from canon. While the essence of Drakken's plot remains, the progress of the night is off-piste and I can't give guarantees about the survival of all major characters. Hope no one is offended.

Global Justice HQ 9am

Will Du skimmed the schedule of overnight non-priority alerts that made their way to his desk each morning. For the straight-laced GJ officer, this was a dull but necessary start to his working day. There was rarely anything that required his intervention, but no-one knew better than him how easy it was for a bureaucracy to overlook something out of the ordinary. The very reason in fact why his boss had in effect co-opted Team Possible. There was always the possibility that amateurs would see something that the jaded professionals might have missed.

He was about to close the program when something caught his eye. Or rather, some place: Tibet. He was instantly reminded that Dementor was suspected of having dealings with China.

The message had come in from an unlikely source, GJ's small operation in Lhasa, Tibet. A GJ satellite had overnight detected an unusual energy spectrum emanating from an extinct volcano in the Himalayas, triggering an automatic alert to the local office. It appeared to be a low-level emission that was rapidly reducing in strength. The spectrum did not match anything expected in that region. Permission was requested to investigate further in order to identify the energy spectrum and to pinpoint its location. This was likely to require an on-the-ground investigation by the Lhasa team.

Will pondered. It might have been nothing significant but this could be related to the investigation into Professor Dementor and the self-replicating synthoplasm that Elizabeth was so concerned about.

He typed a confirmation message to the Lhasa team and asked how long it would take them to locate the site and report back. The answer came back. About ten hours. He urged them to expedite the investigation and to let him know as soon as they had answers.

Middleton High School afternoon

Steve Barkin sighed as the end of class bell sounded, cutting him off in the middle of his homily to his final class for the day about being careful and not bringing illicit liquor to the Prom. Excited juniors were headed out of the door before he could draw another breath. Not that they had been paying attention to him for the previous fifteen minutes anyway.

At least it's not the senior prom, he reflected. There had been at least one pregnancy arising from that event for the past three years. And the local hospital kept a stomach pump on call for Senior Prom night. The juniors by contrast were neither quite so hormonal nor so alcohol-driven.

For all his apparent gruffness, Mr. Barkin actually looked forward to the Junior Prom: watching as fledglings took wing for the first time and ugly ducklings transformed, if only for the night, into swans. Even the boys mostly behaved like half-grown adults: despite the occasional high jinks, the presence of girls dressed to the nines seemed to have a restraining influence on their fellow students. The normal absolute ban on PDAs would be relaxed for the evening but teachers would still be on hand to ensure that no one – or rather, no two – got too carried away on school premises. What they did after they left the building was not his concern.

The Junior Prom had in previous years resulted in some unexpected new pairings, the deepening of some steady relationships and a fair sprinkling of jealousy-driven breakups. Contemplating this year's participants, Steve Barkin found it much more difficult than usual to predict the outcomes. Possible seemed joined to the hip with the newcomer, but to him they didn't ring true. It was all too sudden: Possible was not known for embarking on amorous adventures so quickly. Renton and his girlfriend by contrast felt a long time coming and they seemed good for each other. The usual cheerleader/sports star pairings abounded, but most of them would not survive the first infidelity – some likely even taking place at Prom itself – which in Barkin's experience eliminated as viable long-termers all bar a tiny handful.

His thoughts turned to Ron Stoppable. For a time, it appeared that Stoppable would hook up with Possible, which didn't make much sense: the boy seemed hopeless in every way bar an extraordinary talent for cooking. Though Barkin had to admit that if he was Possible's partner on missions there might be more to the boy than met the eye. He also was observant enough to notice that Stoppable's affections may in reality lie elsewhere: with Tara King. Who seemed to him to be play-acting with Mankey.

Oh what a tangled web we weave …

Despite his deserved reputation for being hard on Stoppable, he had a sneaking regard for the lad. There was unfulfilled potential there and Steve Barkin saw it as his own mission to develop that potential.

Tonight was going to be even more interesting than usual, he felt.

The silent room reminded the teacher that it was time to close up the school and open up the gym in readiness for the evening to come. Closing the door behind him, he savored the peace and quiet. It would not last.

Middleton that afternoon

It had been a busy afternoon since school finished. Kim had visited the ball gown rental store and impatiently awaited her turn to be fitted for the long pale-blue sleeveless and backless dress she had set her heart on for that evening. She had spotted the dress the previous day and, immediately struck with it, had placed a reservation on the item, hoping that the size measure was accurate. To her delight, when she went to collect it, it was almost a perfect fit. Her Mum would only need to make a few minor adjustments to the straps to ensure that it sat just so on her body.

None of her family had seen the dress, but she was confident that it was chaste enough to pass muster with her parents yet still appealing to her ball partner. She had not forgotten the raised eyebrows she had received from the 'rents when she had worn the little black dress to her date with Eric the other day. This dress by contrast concealed her legs but still showed off her figure to its best.

After collecting her dress Kim attended her hairdressing appointment, joining in the excited gossip of her classmates as speculation grew as to who would be the belle of the ball. The teen hero secretly hoped that her partner would help her make enough of an impact to swing the Prom Queen her way, though given the intense competition amongst her fellow cheerleaders, this was by no means certain. That it would be a cheerleader was a given.

The hum of conversation had quickly turned to the male escorts who at this time were probably lounging around in their living rooms engrossed in the game that was being televised that afternoon, needing no more than half an hour to get ready.

Liz spoke for them all when, while sitting under the hairdryer, she announced "If those boys only knew what efforts we've gone to for them this afternoon …"

"They're lucky," Crystal nodded. "All they think they need to do is drag a brush across their head, slip on the same tux that they'll all be wearing and they're ready to go."

Marcella, sitting beside her, screwed her face up. "I just hope they manage a shower and shave as well. And not forget to use deodorant".

The other girls sighed as they contrasted their own exacting preparations.

Hair coiffured to perfection, Kim had reached home with ninety minutes to spare before Eric was expected. Thoughts of her Prom partner sent shivers of anticipation down her spine.

At least I can't be called away on a mission tonight, she thought.

Bueno Nacho HQ early evening

Hank Perkins looked up wearily at the blue-skinned villain who had marched into the situation room accompanied by his green-skinned accomplice and the rest of the human members of Drakken's team. With the help of Manfred's Henches he was connecting to the roof tower an extra piece of kit that Drakken had brought with him from Tibet, adapted from a partly-complete project that Dementor had been working on before his lair was taken over. Apparently this was a precaution against aerial attack. The very thought that they might be exposed to an attack from the air made Hank cold with fear.

Drakken called them to attention.

"We are almost ready to go. One last run-through to make sure that everyone knows their part to play. Shego?"

She looked at Eric standing beside her, resplendent in his tux. "We're all set, Doctor D. Eric will head for Middleton in half an hour. He collects the limo and reaches the Possible residence at 6.30pm. We then initiate Phase 1 soon after Kimmie arrives at the Prom."

"Excellent," her boss responded. "And Manfred?"

"I'm heading to the Middleton Bueno Nacho now. I'll eliminate our manager there: we don't want him smelling a rat before we're ready to go. Hank will meet me there after dropping off the parcel. Once Possible leaves the Prom we will initiate Phase 2 and round up hostiles. And Shego will secure the hostages."

Drakken looked delighted. "And once everyone is back here we go into Phase 3." The assembly nodded.

Everything seemed to be in place.

He looked round. Someone was missing.

"Where's Bortel?" he demanded.

Manfred stepped forward. "He's got cold feet. I've locked him in a storeroom. I'll deal with him later."

"No matter," Drakken waved dismissively. "He's served his purpose. We only want the mentally tough in our new world." Hank unconsciously shrank from the words.

Shego raised her hand. "What are we going to do about Kimmie when we get her?" she asked. "Your briefing note was silent on that."

"It's obvious isn't it?" he said. "She's too dangerous to let live."

A look of shock ran fleetingly across Shego's face before being replaced by a mask of delight.

He smiled conspiratorially at her. "You will have the honor of finishing her off. But not until she fully understands the extent of her failure."

"Not until the entire world fully understands the extent of her failure."

Possible residence 6.15pm

The doorbell rang and James went to answer it, his wife and daughter being otherwise occupied.

Ron was standing there in his tuxedo with a naked mole-rat in his hand.

"Hello, Ron," greeted the older man. "I gather from Anne you're leaving Rufus with us tonight?"

"It's very kind of you to agree to look after him," the boy responded apologetically. "Mum and Dad are out this evening and I didn't think it was appropriate to take Ruf to the Prom."

James was surprised. As far as he knew, Ron and his pet were inseparable. He'd assumed a medical problem with Rufus when Anne had explained the call from Jean Stoppable. But it seemed that Ron off his own bat had decided that a formal ball was no place for a naked mole-rat.

Maybe the boy is growing up?

Rufus gave an angry grunt of Nacooos as he hopped into James' hand. He had been looking forward to the treat ever since Ron got banned from Bueno Nacho. Ron looked apologetic. "Easy, little buddy. I promise I'll bring some nacos home with me tonight," he reassured the little creature.

"And Anne just happens to have made a cheese sauce this evening," James added.

Rufus brightened. Cheeeeez, he squeaked enthusiastically.

James looked more closely. "New tux, Ron?" he asked.

The boy smiled hesitantly. "Yes sir."

"Good choice, son. Now Kim is getting ready upstairs. Do you want to speak to her?"

"No thanks," Ron responded. "I'll be seeing her later anyway. She's probably in a mad panic over her make-up at the moment."

James smiled. That was exactly what had been happening when the doorbell rang.

As Ron turned away from the door, James murmured to himself. "Pity you're not the one taking her to the Prom."

ooOooOoo

Kim bounced on the balls of her feet with nervous energy as she looked into the mirror, applying the finishing touches to her make-up. Even to her overly-critical eye, she felt that she had done herself justice.

Her Mum looked on with approval as she slipped into the waiting dress. Anne stepped forward to adjust the halter-neck.

"Kimmie, you look beautiful. And that dress was an inspired choice."

Her mother's mind went back to her own Junior Prom, when a gauche Anne Morrow was just beginning to emerge from her shell. While her partner that evening had disappeared into the mist of lost memories, she would always recall the blue long-sleeved ball gown that matched her eyes. And she would never forget its second outing at her first formal dance at Upperton University when she met a shy physics student for the first time.

"Can I come in?" Anne was dragged from her reverie by the sound of her husband's voice.

Kim gave her consent and her father theatrically pursed his lips as he saw his daughter in her finery, looking more like a twenty year-old than a high school junior.

She's barely my Kimmie-cub any more, he thought wistfully.

Kim had learned to read that particular expression on her father's face. "I'm still your Kimmie-cub, Dad," she reassured him. "Always will be."

James brightened. "That was Ron dropping off Rufus." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You look beautiful in that dress. I hope your beau appreciates all the effort you've gone to for him tonight."

Kim giggled at the thought of a beau. It sounded like something out of Gone with the Wind.

Hoping that Anne was not looking, his face dropped slightly as he was reminded of his own junior prom. He had got drunk when the punch was spiked and he had become amorous toward his friend's date, returning home in disgrace with a shiner and dripping with orange juice.

"That young man had better be on his best behavior with you."

"I'm sure Eric will treat Kim properly tonight," Anne admonished her husband. Sometimes his over-protective nature when it came to his adored daughter was just a bit excessive.

The ring of the doorbell for the second time that evening ended the conversation.

Middleton High 6.30pm

The muffled sound of excited teenagers could be heard from the gym as Ron pulled off the road and headed for a parking space. Even though the Prom would not start officially for another half an hour, the car park was already near-full and he would have had difficulties were it not that his scooter would fit into any odd corner.

As he disembarked he could see a line of limousines waiting to enter the school gate. It was every boy's dream to pick up his date in a limo, but only a select few – mainly the ones in long-standing relationships - could justify the cost. The rest had to rely for transport on their or their parents' cars. Or, in Ron's case, his trusty but ponderous scooter.

He looked back at the first limo in the queue. He was unsurprised to see Steve Foley emerge, walking round the car to open the passenger door and offer a helping hand to Jessica Gold. Ron had to admit that the baseball captain and the cheerleader made a very fetching couple. They had been dating now for over a year and seemed as committed to each other as ever. They were a high-status pair, right up with Bonnie and Brick and now Kim and Eric at the zenith of the food chain. But Ron could not find it in himself to be too critical. The food chain did appear to reflect an essential truth: sporty handsome boys and lithe pretty cheerleaders naturally gravitated towards one another.

And not every cheerleader was a Queen Bee. He still had warm memories of the night he saved the cheerleading team from Gil Moss aka Gill at Camp Wannaweep and the appreciation that most of them showed that evening. He'd even got a kiss on the cheek from Tara: he'd been grateful that it had been dark as his flaming face would have given away his feelings. Kim had looked at him in a new light that evening too, though they quickly reverted to their hero/sidekick shtick.

His mind turned to Bueno Nacho. It looked as though nothing had happened on Friday after all, at least anything that would impact him and Kim. He felt slightly foolish at his reaction the other day. He was surely imagining the sound of the Li'l Diablos. It was probably no more than the humming of a power cable. He was after all in a sour mood that evening, having just been banned from BN by the new manager. And even if the toys had some sort of internal mechanism, maybe this was just some gimmick to entertain the kids. Perhaps they said konnichiwa when wound up or something.

He put his continuing uneasiness down to the unsettling events that had occurred since Eric the Hottie had appeared on the scene.

Another couple emerged from the next vehicle in line. Tara and Josh were a rung down on the food chain, Josh being seen as a bit of a geek but compensated for by his artistic abilities. Tara was wearing a stunning red ball gown that perfectly complemented her coiffured blonde hair. She looked radiant as she took Josh's arm and the pair made their way towards the gym, passing no more than twenty meters from Ron but apparently oblivious to all but each other.

A lump filled Ron's throat at the sight of his crush. I'll never be in her league, he thought. What am I doing here anyway? I feel like a fraud.

No, he thought. Not a fraud. An outsider. Who needs to stop pretending that's what I want to be.

The last week of enforced Kimlessness had not been entirely without value. Ron had found himself looking inward especially after somewhat reluctantly agreeing to attend the Prom. He recognized that so much of his life was governed by fear: fear of getting hurt on missions, fear of Kim getting hurt, fear of change. And more recently, fear of losing his friend to the murky uncertainties of adulthood. Especially as she looked for something beyond friendship in a relationship. It happened to be Eric today. But it could be someone else tomorrow. Whatever the outcome, he could no longer live in the past as though his life were frozen in ice. Even missions would stop eventually as college loomed.

If he wanted to retain his position as best friend forever and make something of his life he needed to grow up too. Take risks. Expand his horizons. Consider a proper career – cooking maybe: he seemed to be naturally good at that. Else he and Kim would drift further and further apart, she maturing into a wonderful adult while he remained stuck in permanent adolescence. Even Felix would eventually give up on him.

The truth was, Ron had admitted to himself, that his never be normal façade was to some extent just that, a façade. For much of the time he was content to strike his own route through life, comfortable within his skin, tolerating and occasionally responding to Kim's efforts to get him to take life and his studies a bit more seriously. But Ron could not lie to himself for any length of time. In his heart of hearts he knew that if he was going to make anything of himself in this world, beyond the pet department at Smarty Mart, he needed to make some real changes to his life.

And this evening was not a bad time and place to make a start on reinventing himself. Not in an over-the-top way: he still had painful memories of how he lost his perspective after he received naco royalties. But he knew he needed to change the perceptions of his peers as well as himself. Leaving Rufus behind was a first step to both those goals.

He had also made a symbolic beginning in his clothing choice. Ron had foresworn his father's old ill-fitting blue tux that he had been wearing on formal occasions since the Spirit Dance last year. More than that, he had dumped it in the garbage can and purchased a brand new one that very afternoon.

He looked up as a mobility-adapted car pulled into its reserved slot a row away from his scooter. Ron waved as he watched Monique leave the car and open the trunk.

"Do you want a hand with that," he asked as Monique pulled out Felix's folded wheelchair.

The effervescent girl smiled back at him. "Thanks Ron, but I've got this. It's a lot lighter than it looks." She wheeled the chair around the car and met Felix as he emerged.

"Hey dude," Felix greeted him with a high-five. "Glad to see you made it to the Prom."

"Kim gave me the full PDP," he explained. "Didn't leave me with much choice." The friends smiled at each other.

"Sorry we can't share a table," Felix said apologetically. "But you can always come and join us when things thin out a bit." Ron nodded.

Felix looked more closely at his friend. "Is that a new tux?" he asked. "Finally gave up on the other one?"

"And not before time," Monique interjected. "That was a fashion disaster when your Dad was wearing it." She looked approvingly at his jacket. "Now this is much more like it. Looks like it's from the Coco pour Homme range. How did you afford it?"

"Oh, you know, this and that … ," Ron murmured. Given Monique's part-time job working for fashion house Club Banana he decided not to mention that he had bought the item at Smarty Mart: identical in all respects with the Club Banana version but a fifth of the price. Ron had never got over his surprise that his school-friends seemed unaware that both shops had the same owner. The only difference between the two items was while Smarty Mart described the tux as black, the designer boutique called it onyx.

"You look pretty snappy this evening Ron," Felix's girlfriend continued. And those are some tasty-looking pecs under that jacket. You've been hiding a rather fit body under your baggy clothes. Those missions must have given you a serious workout. "You have your eye on someone?"

Ron Stoppable painted a smile on his face. In truth he had no idea how tonight was going to pan out, but he was determined to give being normal a shot.

"No-one special," he responded. "I just want to properly look the part tonight."

"That you do my friend," Monique said appreciatively. I'd love to see how Tara reacts when she sees Ron tonight, she thought mischievously.

"Now you two boys can escort me into the ball. And make sure I get all the attention when we enter!"

ooOooOoo

As the threesome crossed the threshold of the gym entrance they paused to take in the scene. The lights were low and it appeared that more than half of the guests had already arrived. Most were engaged in conversation with their dates or other students on their table. A few looked back at the entrance and waved at the new arrivals. Soft rock was playing quietly in the background and the bar was busy serving fruit cordials and sodas to a small but growing queue. The stage was set up for a band but at present was unattended.

"This looks pretty cool," Felix uttered in admiration of the decorations, especially Josh's backcloth to the stage.

Monique saw Brick and caught his eye. He was standing beside Bonnie, who was holding forth to Steve and Jessica. The latter pair seemed particularly close tonight, and Monique wondered if they had taken their relationship to the next level recently. She could only hope they were taking the necessary precautions: cheerleading and pregnancy definitely did not mix.

Brick came up to them. "Hey guys, you're all looking great." Even Ron, he realized. In fact, Ron looked … well … normal. No, better than that. Pretty darn presentable in fact. He'd even managed to tame his cowlick hair it seemed. Perhaps his trademark goofy smile was a bit subdued, but he seemed to have entered into the spirit of the event.

Felix and Monique followed Brick back to their table, leaving Ron to take a look at the guest list to find his own table. He looked over to see that Kim and Eric had not yet arrived but Tara and Josh had already taken their seats, He wandered over to greet them.

Josh stood up as Ron approached. He had not demurred when Tara told him that Ron would be joining their table, but he had to admit to having mixed feelings. Ron was a good-if-somewhat-weird guy but he could ooze angst, and Josh had a shrewd idea that the arrival of Eric had magnified that. Ron certainly seemed to be stuck on Kim that night at the fair and the mere fact that her feelings had proved to be artificially created didn't mean that his own were false. With Kim and Eric due to join their table, Josh hoped that Ron could keep a lid on his emotions else it was going to be a long night for everyone.

Josh held out his hand and indicated that Ron should sit the other side of Tara. If he had known the true focus of Ron's affections he might have been rather less happy about the seating arrangements.

Tara's eyes followed Ron as he took his seat next to her. Her pupils widened imperceptibly as she took note of his unaccustomed smartness and the physique it revealed. She looked away briefly as her cheeks colored. Glancing at Josh, who was engaged in an animated discussion with Steve Foley, she shook her head.

The friends looked up as a murmur swelled around the room. Everyone's attention was drawn to the newest couple to arrive at the ball.

"Possible shoots, she scores," called out Brick to scattered applause but to the visible annoyance of his date.

Possible residence 6.30pm

James left the room to answer the door before the tweebs could play whatever pranks they were planning on Kim's date. Tim's face dropped as he saw the determined expression on his father's face. Busted, he thought, shaking his head at his brother.

James opened the door and gestured to Eric to enter. The young man was wearing a cream-colored jacket over a white shirt and black bow tie. His black trousers completed the outfit. He carried a small box and a bunch of flowers.

"These are for Mrs. Possible," he exclaimed, handing the flowers to the older man, as the stairs creaked and the lady herself descended the stairs. She smiled at Eric. "Kimmie will be down shortly."

Anne was thanking Eric for the flowers when there was a sound from above. All eyes turned to watch Kim stepping carefully downs the stairs towards them. She smiled happily at Eric as he opened the box he was carrying and removed a corsage of green flowers.

"To match your beautiful eyes," he whispered. Kim blushed deeply.

He affixed the corsage to her right wrist then put his hand into the box again. "This is also for you," he added as he brought out a silver bracelet. Kim gasped as he unclipped the bracelet and put it around her slender left wrist before securing it. Anne and James looked on approvingly. Even the tweebs had the sense not to spoil the moment.

"Your daughter looks absolutely gorgeous tonight," Eric told her parents while staring into Kim's eyes. "Be assured that I appreciate the honor she has done me by agreeing to be my date tonight."

Behind his back, the tweebs glanced at each other and mimed a vomit.

Anne picked up a camera and motioned the pair to pose. She took several photos before handing the camera to Jim, who snapped various combinations of the pair and her parents before returning the camera.

"I have a limo waiting outside," Eric informed her parents.

James was realizing that his daughter was no child anymore and was about to spend an unchaperoned evening with a very charming and handsome young man. "Um…," he began.

Anne watched the exchange. She knew her husband well. He had started to regret extending Kim's curfew. Before he could say anything more, she interjected "Don't forget to be back by eleven."

"We promise," Eric assured them as he led Kim out of the door.

Anne took her husband's hand reassuringly as they watched from the doorstep the limo driving away up the road. As it turned right towards Ron's parents' home, she felt some regret that Kim's escort wasn't the goofy young man who had endeared himself to her family since Kimmie was four.

"Stop worrying, James. Kim is in good hands. And she's more than capable of looking after herself if things go wrong."

I know you're right, he thought. So why do I feel so unsettled about this evening?

Just a few minutes before seven, the limo pulled into the drop-off zone and Eric helped Kim to leave the car. Kim was on cloud nine as she contemplated the evening ahead. Already, Eric had made it memorable. Limo, corsage, beautiful bracelet. Could this be a more perfect date?

"Ready for this?" he asked her, smiling.

"Oh yes," she responded enthusiastically as she entered the gym on Eric's arm.

Global Justice HQ that evening

Candace was taking a break from the painstaking task of designing a counter-measure to the moodulator. Since acquiring Wade's Mark I device – Wade had couriered it across as soon as the call with Doctor Director was over – progress had hastened. With Brian and Mary working together on interpreting and simulating the output signals from the moodulator remote control, she had felt able to step back and leave them to it. They felt confident that the next day they would have a working prototype for what the team were now referring to freely as a mood-canceller.

Candace's idea of a break was to seek out her brother. While Will, as Elizabeth Director's number two, had a higher security clearance than Can, she was sufficiently senior that they could discuss the moodulator and Professor Dementor freely between them without breaching protocols. Will appreciated his sister's insights and she in turn found him a good sounding board for her own ideas. Despite their differences of personality, they worked together remarkably well as a team.

"What do you think the threat level is from Dementor?" Can asked Will.

Her brother had met with Dr. Director a couple of hours earlier. Elizabeth had confided that while there was little hard evidence that Dementor was a clear and present danger at this time, her instincts told her that there was more to all this than met the eye and it involved synthoplasm and artificial intelligence.

Elizabeth had been convinced that something big was going on, and her inability to anticipate the next steps was worrying her. Unfortunately, her bosses at the United Nations had felt that she was building a case on mere speculation and saw no urgency. She had not told them of the brief she had given Candace – they would find out about the budget hit in due course. Either she'd be proved wrong, in which case she would have some tough explaining to do. Or she'd be proved right. In which case, she wanted to make sure that GJ would be ready to act.

Will had expressed the view that Dementor had never been much of a serious threat in the past, and his acquisition of the moodulator, while potentially concerning, was not a major worry. But he trusted his boss's intuition, something he personally lacked. He had told her about the message he had received that morning, and she told him to let her know if there seemed to be anything out of the ordinary, especially if China or Dementor were involved.

"It's hard to say," Will responded to his sister's question. "We've a lot of speculation but little by way of hard facts. But the boss has a nose for these things. If she's worried I suppose we should be too. But right now I can't see why."

They shared thoughts for a while before the psychologist returned to her team. Her brother left the conference table and sat at his desk.

What was worrying Doctor Director?

The ping of an incoming message alert caught Will's attention. He scanned the email. His eyes widened as he read the message, before hitting the call button that took him straight through to his boss.

ooOooOoo

"What is it Will?"

"I've had a message from Lhasa. Can I join you to call them back?"

Five minutes later, the two most senior operatives in Global Justice were speaking to the station chief in Tibet. She quickly explained to them that her team had reached the site of the unexplained radiation previously detected. They had found a badly-burned corpse that appeared to be the source of the radiation. Although the body was burnt beyond recognition, the presence of a scorched metal helmet left little doubt that this was Professor Dementor. They had analyzed samples of the skin and were transmitting a radiation spectrum analysis to Elizabeth.

Will looked in shock at Elizabeth. Who would have killed Dementor? And why?

"And there's more," the voice added. "We searched the immediate area and found a concealed entrance to what looks like an airlock. We think that this was Dementor's lair judging from the over-complicated entry security. I authorized two men to enter the airlock. They have just emerged. The building shows all the signs of a lair, but it is completely deserted. It appears that it was abandoned very recently, probably in the last day or so judging from the freshness of some food left though it's difficult to tell given the extreme cold. I've sent a forensic team in to search the place thoroughly to find any indication of what happened there and where the occupants went."

"You detected the radiation burst overnight?" Elizabeth asked.

The voice confirmed that. Elizabeth turned to Will.

"So we can assume that someone compromised Dementor's lair, then killed him as they left last night. And apparently burnt the body to hinder identification.

Will nodded. "Though the latter seems off given Dementor's distinctive headgear. Maybe it was the source of the heat that actually killed him? And created the radiation burst."

Elizabeth looked troubled as she returned to the caller.

"Okay, thank you. Let me know immediately if you find anything else from the lair." She disconnected the call.

"We've been looking for the wrong villain," Will spoke shakily. "Whoever did this covered their tracks thoroughly, and completely misdirected us."

"I'm afraid so, Will. And the fact that they have now broken cover and abandoned their hideout can only mean one thing. Whatever they're planning is imminent."

The two GJ operatives looked at each other silently.

Elizabeth's secretary came in that moment, bearing a print-out.

"Ma'am, I've matched the spectrum analysis with known sources." She paused.

"Well?" her boss asked.

"It's Shego, Ma'am."

Wade's room that evening

The pre-teen genius was preparing to shut down his operation for the night. He would ask GJ to handle any new mission requests. Wade had promised Kim that he would not contact her this evening except in an emergency, and he had sworn not to interpret that lightly provided that she agreed to keep her Kimmunicator with her just in case. Its GPS tracker confirmed that she had just arrived at the Prom.

With no need to support Team Possible, and with most of his fellow Everlot clan members unavailable this evening due to their own attendance at the MHS Junior Prom, he would take a welcome break from being continuously on high alert.

He left one terminal running. Force of habit would not allow him to disconnect entirely from the virtual world.

The action triggered a memory. He had promised to check out Sheila Goh for Kim and Ron. Her profile had seemed slightly too good to be true and he had intended going to do more of a deep dive. With everything that had happened since, it had slipped his mind.

Well, no harm in running a quick search before he called it a night.

Junior Prom

"Would you care to dance?" Eric asked his date as the band struck up with a recent hit.

Kim looked up from her conversation with Josh. "Please and thank you," she answered eagerly. She stood up and followed Eric onto the dance floor Josh and Tara joined them, leaving Ron alone at the table. Now that the party had properly got underway, he had to admit that he was enjoying himself more than he had expected. Being on the same table as two of the most attractive girls of the evening and their partners had given him an unexpected but appealing raised profile. At least temporarily. Ron had few illusions that his new status would extend much beyond the Prom, but he had to start somewhere.

Ron would have been surprised but pleased to learn that there were several others present who were looking at him in a new light. One of them came across to his table to ask if he wanted to dance.

"Hey Monique," he responded after recovering from his surprise. "Don't you want to dance with Felix?"

"Sure I do," his friend offered, "but Felix is taking a breather right now and I want to boogie!"

Grabbing his arm, Monique led Ron to the dance floor. Unfortunately, his new maturity did not survive too well an encounter with Chic's Le Freak. Fellow dancers smiled with barely-suppressed giggles as Ron flung his arms around to the disco classic in a none-too-elegant manner, his irrepressible goofiness to the fore. Nevertheless, Ron understood that his classmates were laughing with not at him for a change.

The song changed to YMCA and Monique grabbed Ron's hand to show him the moves.

Kim looked across at her best friend who was manfully trying to keep up with Monique. She appreciated the effort that he had been making that evening and smiled across at him in encouragement. She had also noticed the looks of approval that Ron had been receiving since she had arrived with Eric. How she had managed to miss his ripped physique despite fighting alongside him all those months was a mystery. Ron really should wear tight-fitting clothes more often. She felt slightly disconcerted that she had been so unobservant.

By contrast, Eric was showing himself to be a funky dancer as he moved in harmony with his partner. Kim melted into his arms as he led her through a complicated routine that had neighboring dancers applaud in admiration.

"Is this guy for real?" Jessica mouthed at her as the couples passed each other.

"Yes," she mouthed back as Eric pulled her into him, an arm around her waist, the other holding her hand. Their eyes met and she shivered with pleasure. Her eyes closed and she breathed in his cologne.

This is definitely the best day ever, she thought.

Distracted as she was, she failed to notice Eric's forehead tighten in concentration as he received a message from Shego.

"Initiate Phase 1."

Most people have experienced a mind-split: for example, holding a conversation while simultaneously driving a vehicle on 'autopilot'. Something similar was happening to Eric on receipt of that message, which in effect split Eric into two people. His nanites continued to reinforce their original programming of Love Kim, while the new instruction triggered a set of pre-programmed responses that only affected what in humans would be described as his unconscious mind.

Eric led Kim back to her chair. "I'll get us some drinks," he told her and went to join the bar queue.

Tara and Josh returned to their seats. Ron joined them shortly after, having seen Monique back to her table where she was now engaged in a deep conversation with her boyfriend.

"You looked like you were having fun out there," Tara commented to Ron. He considered. "Yes, I was." He was surprising himself tonight. Being part of the crowd was not so bad after all.

His thoughts turned to Rufus. Sorry as he was to have left the little creature behind, he had to admit that his style would have been somewhat cramped otherwise.

Eric returned with a tray of drinks and passed them around. It was warm in the gym and the cool refreshing cordials and sodas were welcomed by the five teenagers.

The band stopped playing as they took a break. Background music came over the PA while the sound of funk was replaced by a buzz of conversation. Josh's band was due to perform in twenty minutes, after which food would be available.

Ron sat quietly watching as Kim and Tara, and Josh and Eric gossiped between them. The girls seemed to have totally overcome the embarrassment of Middleton Days and Ron was happy for them. Even if he was never to be the recipient of either of their affections, they would always have a place in his heart. For the first time in several weeks, he felt at peace. When real life returned the following day he would have to deal with his confused emotions about both girls, especially Tara, but for tonight he would chill.

He blinked as a pounding began in his forehead and he felt flushed. He took a swig of his cordial to cool himself down.

Josh seemed to be getting on with Kim's date. Ron was finding Eric more difficult to reconcile himself to. There was still something about the boy that didn't make sense. But he recognized his feelings as being irrational. He wanted his friend back, and while she was so wrapped up with the hottie this wasn't going to happen.

He was looking at Kim but something was wrong. She was fading in and out of focus. The room started spinning. Was he ill?

Ron stood up unsteadily, shaking his head. He stumbled forward and put his arm out to save himself, but only succeeded in knocking his glass over, spilling the contents over the table towards Josh, who leapt up in surprise, narrowly avoiding getting splashed. He was due on stage in a few minutes and it would have been disastrous.

Tara and Kim stopped talking and looked at Ron in astonishment.

"Help me," he tried to say. "I'm not well." But his mouth felt thick and it came out as a moan.

Ron's last coherent thought before he slumped semi-comatose in his chair was that someone must have spiked the cordial. But why was no one else affected?

Tara, sitting next to Ron, turned from her annoyed boyfriend to the groaning boy beside her. Her attention was drawn to a small object on the floor under Ron's chair. She reached down and picked up a silver drink flask from the floor under Ron's chair. Tara unscrewed the top and sniffed the contents.

"Whisky," she pronounced. "Ron must have brought whisky with him to the Prom."

The rest of the table stared at the flask. Ron, getting himself drunk? Seriously?

Kim looked at Tara in disbelief. It made no sense. Ron would never do something like that. And yet the evidence was there to see.

Eric came to the rescue. "Look, why don't I take Ron out of here and try to sober him up before anyone else sees what's going on?"

The others nodded eagerly. Ron was going to feel bad enough when he came to without the entire Junior High knowing of his humiliation.

"Do you need a hand?" Josh offered.

Eric shook his head. "We need to be as discreet as possible and we can't let Barkin see anything so it would be better if I took him alone. I'll walk him out to the washrooms and get some water on his face, then bring him back. Nobody will notice. I doubt I'll be gone more than ten minutes." He addressed the last sentence to Kim as he looked apologetically at her.

Kim was reluctant to lose her Prom partner even for a few minutes but saw the sense in what Eric was proposing to do. She was irritated with Ron for spoiling what had so far been a perfect evening.

Drunk? What on earth was he thinking?!

Eric put his left arm around Ron's back and used his right arm to keep the boy upright as he lifted Ron out of his chair and started to walk him across the gym towards the restrooms in the school corridor. Apart from their table, no-one else seemed to be aware of what had happened and Kim breathed a sigh of relief as Eric and Ron disappeared from view.

ooOooOoo

Eric half-walked half-dragged the semi-comatose Ron along the school corridor in the direction of the washrooms. They turned a bend. Eric looked both ways. There was no one in sight. Everyone had either gone home or was in the gym. The corridor was completely silent.

"I have Stoppable," he reported to Shego over their subvocal link. "The others are oblivious. What do you want me to do now?"

The response came back almost immediately.

"Kill him. Kill Ron Stoppable. Now."

"Then return to headquarters without being seen. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Shego."

ooOooOoo

Shego disconnected the conversation with Eric and turned to face Drakken. The villain had donned an ermine-lined cape and was wearing a crown on his head. The thief rolled her eyes but wisely kept her counsel.

He's gone a bit far with this Emperor thing, she considered before the thought was extinguished by an overwhelming urge to praise her boss.

"Everything is proceeding according to plan Doctor D," she reported. "Stoppable's dead. Kimmie will be on her way shortly. Your plan is brilliant. It can't fail. I know it."

Drakken's face lit up. "Give Possible half an hour to stew in her own juices before transmitting the message to her techie." Shego nodded. "As soon as she leaves the Prom, let Manfred know to start Phase 2."

His mother walked up to him. "You're doing well so far, Drewbie. Don't weaken now. You've dealt with the buffoon. Soon it will be time to finish off the cheerleader."

"I will, mother," he promised. "I will."

She kissed him on the lips. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth once more. But this time he welcomed the sensation.

Soon he would let slip the dogs of war on an unsuspecting world.

And then there would be lots more blood.