CHAPTER 30 – Prom Night: Part 7
Global Justice: Middleton HQ
At Bueno Nacho headquarters Rufus had wrecked the antenna and caused the Diablos to deactivate only minutes before Drakken's deadline was up, and just in time to prevent a nuclear attack on the building from where Drakken and his cohorts had threatened the world.
But Drakken had had a back-up. A satellite launched, ironically, by Kim's father. Broadcasting independently of the antenna. And reactivating the Diablos – this time, to strike indiscriminately.
Elizabeth Director looked despairingly at her monitor as reports started coming in of a fresh set of Diablo attacks. As far as she could tell, the attacks were so far limited to Colorado and the Midwest, unlike the previous wave of attacks on military and political targets which were worldwide. But the attack zone was expanding by the second.
Looks like Drakken had an ace up his sleeve¸ she thought. And just when it looked like Stoppable had succeeded in ending the Diablo threat.
Her scrambler phone rang. Knowing who the caller would be, she picked it up and listened in silence.
The nuke attack was back on. Despite the troops currently encamped outside the gates. There were only seconds left before the countdown restarted.
Can Du, sitting next to her, monitoring military chatter, sat up excitedly.
"Ma'am, the Diablos – they're stopping again!"
Elizabeth stared at her monitor again. A feeling of relief tinged with caution filled her as she watched Diablos shrinking down for a second time, less than two minutes after they had been reactivated.
"Do you copy that, Will?" she asked her number two. He acknowledged.
This had better not be another false dawn, Elizabeth hoped. Even a mere one hundred seconds of attacks will have caused widespread damage. And significant numbers of deaths and injuries. And with no explanation yet as to why the Diablos had failed a second time, there was every possibility that this was still not over.
The military confirmed that the missile launch had been held, but launch control remained on standby. No one was taking any chances. She turned to the image of Wade, who had informed them only minutes ago of Rufus' success and Kim's condition.
"Wade, have you heard from Ron," Elizabeth spoke sharply. "We need to know if the Diablos remain a threat."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. He's not answering his Ronnunicator. But I have just heard from the Possibles: they need urgent assistance. The damage caused by a Diablo in their house has weakened the force field around the house. The synthodrones will gain access any minute now."
"Okay, we'll send a relief force to take care of the synthodrones. Director out." Provided the Diablos don't come back on line!
Can left the room to organize the rescue mission as Will Du looked up elatedly from his own monitoring station.
"Ma'am, the lights have just gone out throughout the BN building. And the shield strength is fluctuating!"
The military had cut off power to the building as soon as GJ had confirmation that Drakken was inside, but it had had no effect at the time. Clearly the villains weren't reliant on mains power but had their own generator. But now the lights had failed.
Elizabeth looked at her lieutenant. "What's happening?"
"I'm not sure Ma'am. But I'm guessing that someone has sabotaged the generator and the shield is now running off a battery back-up that doesn't give a perfectly steady current so the shield is cycling. As soon as the battery runs out the shield will fail. With that kind of power drain it can't be more than a few minutes."
"It looks like Team Possible may have pulled it off after all," she breathed deeply.
Elizabeth picked up the radio that connected her to the assault team waiting by the main gate to BN headquarters.
"Director here. The shield is failing, repeat failing. We expect it to be down within …" She turned to Will questioningly. He held up one hand and three fingers. "… eight minutes. Commence full frontal assault at 2145 but advise extreme caution as the site is defended by toughened AIs with blood lust. Diablos currently inactive."
She paused, and then continued. "We want Drakken and Shego alive. Henchmen can be engaged at will. There are at least three civilians in there: Kimberley Possible, Ronald Stoppable and Stephen Barkin; current status and locations unknown. Get them out safely. Regard any other humans as potential hostiles."
She put the phone down. "Let's pray that we can get Kim and Ron out of there alive."
Will spoke out.
"There's something else, Ma'am, which seems to be connected. Several minutes ago we detected an unscheduled launch from Middleton Space Center. It appears to have deployed a satellite that was transmitting a signal for just under two minutes then stopped."
"Why do you think these are connected, Will?" Elizabeth asked.
"Because that transmission coincided with the reports we were getting that Diablos were reanimating in Middleton. And they shut down again just as the transmission ended. It looks like Drakken's back-up plan was the satellite. And for some reason it's no longer functioning."
"Or else it's been switched off ... ," his boss said thoughtfully.
" … and could be switched on again at any time," he finished the thought. "But not if the power is down at the headquarters. And so long as the generator isn't restarted."
Elizabeth looked thoughtful. "You think Drakken had help at MSC?" she questioned in surprise. "You know there are only two people there who would have the authority to trigger a launch themselves? You're not seriously suggesting that James Possible or Vivian Porter are working for Drakken?"
"I don't know Ma'am. I agree it seems crazy but it had to be one of them who launched that satellite."
"Crazy doesn't begin to describe it. James Possible cooperating with the madman who regularly threatens to kill his daughter … ?" Unless he was coerced?
Her communicator buzzed.
"Yes, Wade," she responded to the caller. "We know. I've authorized an attack as soon as the shield comes down."
A thought struck her. She turned back to Will.
"Are we aware of any thefts of classified cybertronic research?"
The agent considered. "MSC is the only lab licensed this side of California. And they haven't reported anything missing."
And James Possible and Vivian Porter are the only two researchers licensed at MSC to work on cybertronics. Together.
"So how did Drakken get his hands on it?" The GJ pair stared at each other, scarcely able to believe what they were thinking.
"You'd better go pay a visit to the Possibles," Elizabeth instructed her second-in-command.
Inside BN headquarters: Shego
The door in front of Shego revealed a downward flight of stairs, an arrow indicating that the basement lay below. An inky blackness filled the bottom of the stairs.
Once at the foot of the stairwell, she felt the wall until she found the light switch and lit up the room. Yellow bulbs in storm covers lined the top of the wall, casting deep shadows. The basement was clearly rarely visited as there was no sign of recent disturbance.
The villain glanced around the room. A red wall-mounted box with a lightning symbol told Shego she had found what she was looking for.
The box was secured with a padlock but her glow made short work of that as the door swung open. There were three circuit breakers marked Int, Ext and Gen.
She memorized the position of the stairwell, then mentally conducted a walk-through of the building in order to reach the side wall, the one without an entrance and out of sight of any frontal or rear observation.
Shego took a deep breath then quickly pulled down the first circuit-breaker. Nothing happened. The second produced the same result. She was unaware that mains power had been disconnected to those switches. In frustration she tried the third switch.
Instantly the lights went out and the hum of the air-conditioning ceased. She could just make out shouting as she crossed the room and fumbled her way to the foot of the stairwell.
Shego ran into a henchman as she walked quickly through the main corridor but he did not impede her progress. Emergency lighting was just beginning to come on as she switched on her personal force field and phased through the outer wall.
She found herself on the right hand side of the building. Hidden from view, noises to her left and right indicated the presence of soldiers at the front gate and rear exit to the building, preparing she assumed for an assault. She smiled grimly. Not if they can't get through Drakken's shield, she thought.
Two synthodrones, vision apparently unaffected by the dousing of the floodlights, moved toward her but she quickly realized that they were just patrolling. In fact they seemed to ignore her.
As though they're only programmed to stop intruders, not escapees!
She saw a parking lot straight ahead with just two ancient cars. She could make out two figures in a Roth SL Coupe. An odd location for a tryst, especially as they were going to find themselves in the middle of a war zone shortly. As the boy pushed his partner to the floor she smiled tightly but decided not to draw attention to herself by taking the car and having to deal with hostages.
She recognized the second car as belonging to her one-time head teacher Steve Barkin. So this was what Kimmie got here in, she thought. She looked more closely. It seemed that a synthodrone had ripped off the driver's door.
More than a little conspicuous but it's my best option right now. I'll torch it when I get clear and grab something else.
She used her glow to hot-wire the car.
Go City or the Lowerton safe house? She pondered.
She looked back over her shoulders. There was no sign that she was being pursued. The building remained dark and the assault had not apparently started.
She thought of her erstwhile boss. She felt a slow-burning anger fill her veins. Possible and Stoppable – they were ultimately to blame for what had happened tonight. Not just tonight. If they hadn't taunted Dr. D for his repeated failures. If they hadn't been so insouciant about their victories.
She remembered how sad and defeated he had been when she found him as the last lair was collapsing.
They brought him to this. If it hadn't been for them, the Doc never would have used that infernal machine on himself. If it hadn't been for them, she would never have been moodulated. If it hadn't been for them, she might have lived out a comfortable life in a comfortable lair in somewhere warm.
But instead, she was forced to flee. And he – well she didn't know what was to become of her former boss. But she feared the worst.
Shego left the scene of Drakken's latest plot and headed for an uncertain future.
Possible residence
Hearing their mother weeping, the tweebs had joined their parents and Dr. Vivian Porter in the living room, avoiding the Diablo which had grown to a size where its head and upper torso protruded into the entrance hall. Crumbling masonry continue to tumble down from the hole made when the Diablo grew to ten feet. Its baleful eyes stared at the tweebs as they crept past it, mindful of their mother's warning that it must not feel threatened. Tim shivered at the look of malevolence on the Diablo's face, no longer a smiling konichiwa, now more a portent of doom.
Jim looked uneasily at his parents, picking up on their tearful faces and the tension between them. He and his brother had not seen the television show that Drakken had laid on for the world and so had missed the terrible peril that their sister was facing. Nevertheless, after seeing the Diablo he feared for Kim and the boy whom he thought of as his big brother.
And yet something more than mere fear for Kim seemed to be motivating their mother and father. He glanced at his parents. There seemed to be an invisible wall between them that he had not experienced before. Anger on one side. Guilt on the other.
He looked sidelong at his twin. A look passed between them.
"What's Dad done?" they thought.
Suppressing her concerns about James' activities, Vivian broke the uncomfortable silence.
"You heard what Drakken said," she urged. "We need to get away from that Diablo. We've got less than twenty minutes before he activates them all."
"But what about the synthodrones outside?" Tim queried.
"Soda blinds them, Wade told us," Vivian answered as she tugged at Anne's sleeve to get her moving. Tim had already run into the kitchen to get the drinks. He came back empty-handed. "We finished the last one yesterday," he explained apologetically.
With the battery slowly running down on the force field that was keeping out the synthodrones, and the waiting Diablo an imminent danger from inside the building, the group was caught between two mortal threats.
James shook off his apathy and despair. "I'll call Wade. See if he can summon help."
He came off the phone looking grey. "The authorities are up to their necks in calls. Half of Middleton has a Diablo in the house. All Wade can suggest is preparing for when the Diablos come alive."
The beleaguered group looked at each other in alarm.
"How about using mirrors … " Tim ventured.
" … to deflect the Diablo's lasers?" Jim completed.
"Genius," exclaimed their father.
Keeping a wary distance from the Diablo, the boys searched the house for mirrors. By the time they had finished, they had built a hide in the corner of the living room by leaning against the wall three full-length mirrors taken from the bedrooms.
Anne consulted her watch. "Five minutes before Drakken's deadline expires. Boys, get out of sight and not a sound."
Just in time, the family and their guest made their way behind the wall of mirrors. Each held a smaller reflector for plugging any gaps. James was the last to enter, shielding the others from a frontal attack while monitoring the outside with the help of a hand-held mirror.
A humming sound from the Diablo indicated that it was transforming, but to James' delight it was shrinking. It looked like something had stopped Drakken. Or, he thought soberly, the world had surrendered to him.
The family maintained caution, staying behind the mirror walls. It was fortunate that they did, as the humming recommenced. And this time the Diablo was growing larger again.
The world's armies and politicians had not given in to Drakken's demands. And Drakken had responded by issuing the command to the Diablos to attack indiscriminately.
Vivian and Anne clung to each other as a hissing sound indicated that the Diablo was firing its lasers. Its aim seemed to be haphazard, as they could hear chunks of plaster falling from the walls. A direct hit on the mirror wall caused the beam to ricochet and strike the ceiling. Loose plaster fell down and some struck the mirror but fortunately it was too light to cause any damage. But it made them realize that their defenses would not hold up indefinitely. If a mirror cracked … worse, if it split …
James waited sixty seconds then risked a look, using his handheld mirror. The Diablo was firing wildly but did not seem to have registered that they were hiding behind the mirror wall. A dull implosion indicated that the television had been struck. He could see flames coming from the kitchen and daylight was visible through the ceiling. He felt heartsick as he observed the wholesale destruction of their home.
He pulled the mirror back and looked gloomily at his family as the sounds of demolition continued.
Suddenly there was silence.
The family looked at each other nervously.
James counted silently to one hundred then risked a further look. After a long moment he gave the thumbs up. The Diablo was stationary. And more significantly, had shrunk.
"It's over," he whispered to the others. "Someone must have stopped Drakken."
They clambered out of the hide, grateful to be alive but looking aghast at the devastation that the Diablo had wrought and still wary of the now toy-like object, not knowing if it might reactivate.
A thumping noise from outside reminded them that they were still facing a second threat that evening.
The phone buzzed.
Outside BN headquarters
The hastily-assembled assault team comprised GJ special ops and United States marines from the nearest military base. The team had positioned themselves either side of the main gate, awaiting the order to attack the building which housed the villain and his team.
Their CO gave them final instructions.
"As soon as we get word that the shield is down, we blow the gate. Red Group, take the roof and disable any functioning transmission equipment. Blue Group, find the civilians and get them out. Ms. Possible's safety is a priority. Green Group, capture Andrew Lipsky and his sidekick Shego. Terminate any non-human hostiles who get in your way."
A jeep pulled up and two soldiers emerged, carrying between them a crate of soda.
"What's with the drinks?" Colonel Mustard demanded.
"Sir, we've been told to deliver this to you. Apparently soda blinds the synthodrones."
The CO scoffed, but having watched Drakken's broadcast, he took nothing for granted. Cans of soda were distributed and deposited in backpacks.
Mustard's radio sounded. He listened to the message.
"We have a go at twenty one forty five, men," he informed his team. GJ had confirmed that the shield should be down by then, but no one knew if it was some sort of elaborate trap. "Proceed with caution but speed. We have civilians to protect."
At exactly 9.45pm an explosion marked the beginning of the assault. The Red Group, leading the attack, confirmed that the shield was indeed down. The Blue Group included soldiers trained in hostage release. They had been informed that Kim Possible had suffered injuries and time was of the essence to get her to safety. The Green Group were wearing asbestos suits to protect themselves against Shego.
Within 45 seconds, the entire assault team was inside the building.
GJ monitored the radio chatter as the operation proceeded.
"External synthodrone guards neutralized with soda."
"Roof secured and comms tower destroyed."
"No signs of Lipsky or Shego yet. Sweeping first floor."
"Two hostiles found in control room. Names given as Manfred von Steinhaus and Hank Perkins. Von Steinhaus meets description of senior HenchCo operative. Now in custody. Perkins not known to us but taken into custody too. Seems to be a lawyer."
Let's see how good his legal skills are in this one, Elizabeth reflected grimly.
"Henches located on first and second levels .… returning fire but opposition largely taken out …. Sixty-five have surrendered …. request containment vehicles to rear entrance immediately."
"Male calling himself Doctor Cyrus Bortel found locked in store-room. Advise if Bortel is a civilian or a hostile."
A good question, Elizabeth thought. "Hold him pending investigation," she responded.
"Synthodrones are impervious to small arms fire but are proving vulnerable to frag grenades and soda. Expect full clean-up within fifteen minutes."
"Neither Lipsky nor Shego located. Commencing re-search of building."
Elizabeth felt disturbed at the news that Drakken and Shego had not been found. Could they both have got away? Together? To start this up again somewhere else?
"Kimberley Possible and a civilian found in gym. Both need medical attention. Plus probable hostile calling himself Don Snowball."
Elizabeth grabbed the radio. "That's not a hostile, that's Ron Stoppable. I want to see him when he gets out." She had known of Ron long enough to be aware of the tendency for people to forget him and his name.
"A crown and a slice of Lipsky's robe located in studio, but no sign of him. Continuing search."
Inside BN headquarters: Ron
In near-total darkness, Ron, with Rufus stowed away, made his way gingerly down the stairs, scarcely believing he was still alive and that the Diablos were no longer a threat. He reached into his pocket for his Ronnunicator to let Wade know what had happened, but his hand came out empty.
Snap, it must have fallen out when the synthodrones tried to throw me over the edge.
The thought reminded him that his task was far from over. He had to find Kim again and get the two of them – and Mr. Barkin – safely out of the building before the power was restored. While the shield remained up he could not expect any help from the outside. And while the Diablos seemed no longer to be a threat, the same could not be said of the synthodrones, not to mention Shego and Drakken's henchmen.
The need for silence and his only partial memory of the layout of the building meant that it took him a good few minutes before he again found the door to the gym. His vision had been helped by the emergency lighting coming on during his search but it also meant he had to detour repeatedly to avoid patrolling synthodrones. To his relief he had seen no sign of Shego, and Drakken had shown no signs of following him down the stairs.
He slid through the door, to confront the same scene that Cyrus Bortel had encountered several minutes earlier. To his alarm, Mr. Barkin was lying on the ground close to Kim. The emergency lighting cast long shadows over the occupants, but Ron was able to see that they were still breathing. He heaved a sigh of relief then started when he saw the husk of Eric the synthodrone lying next to Kim.
Ron knelt down beside the stricken girl.
Shego laughed gleefully as Kim felt Eric's hands slide around her neck.
"No," she moaned.
"KP?" he called softly.
Kim opened her eyes in terror.
Ron stroked her forehead. "It's me, KP. Ron." He saw recognition flare in her eyes as the fear receded.
"You came back," she whispered, her eyes expressing the joy she felt. She reached out to touch his face with her fingertips. His breath caught at the intimate gesture.
"I'd never leave you, KP," he reassured her. I promised I'd always have your back.
He glanced at the other prone figure. "Mr. Barkin looks in bad shape. What happened?"
"Eric happened." She shuddered.
He gestured to the non-functioning synthodrone in worry. "Did he hurt you too?"
"No," she responded unsteadily. "He tried. But I killed him with my nail file." It didn't occur to either of them to question her use of the word killed.
They looked at each other, each thinking of the mental pain that Eric had brought the other.
And Kim thought of the pain she had brought Ron.
"You do know there's one guy who's never been weirded out by your activities don't you."
If only she'd listened to Monique.
He saw the regret in her eyes mirroring his own.
"Ron, I …." Emotion overcame Kim and her eyes moistened. She tried again.
"You saved the world. You saved me. You've been right here beside me all this time."
She swallowed hard, her eyes pleading with him to understand.
"And I never knew." She shivered despite the heat.
Ron looked at her with concern and took her hand, brushing his lips against it.
"I just want my best friend back," he told her.
Best friend? That's more than I deserve, she thought.
She continued, her voice fading. "When Drakken had me at his mercy, the worst thing by far was when he told me you were dead. I was ready to give up then."
"You always had friends out there," he reassured her.
She squeezed his hand.
"Out there. In here," she whispered.
ooOooOoo
There was a muffled thump, followed by the sound of gunfire. Ron jerked upright.
"Something's happening. We need to get out of here. Do you have your Kimmunicator?"
She gestured to her top pocket. Ron drew out the device. He called Wade and explained the situation. His eyebrows rose.
He disconnected the call and turned back to Kim.
"The shield is down. The army is attacking the building. Help is on the way," he comforted her.
Her eyes closed.
She's going into shock, he realized. He took her hands in his, trying to keep her awake.
"Step aside from Ms. Possible and put your hands in the air!"
Ron looked up at the speaker, who was gesturing with his rifle at Ron. The soldier was accompanied by two others.
"Move," the soldier repeated, finger on the trigger of his gun.
Ron stood up and raised his arms, backing away.
One of the other soldiers was examining Barkin and Eric.
"Sarge, we have a KIA and a badly-injured here."
The troop leader turned to Ron. "Did you do this?"
"No, I'm Ron Stoppable. I'm Kim's team mate. She needs urgent medical attention," Ron pleaded. The words fell on deaf ears.
"Johnson, Benson, keep this man at gunpoint."
The soldiers watched him warily as their leader spoke on his radio.
"Blue Group. Male hostile detained in gym, appeared to be trying to kill Kim Possible. Two other casualties here, one dead. Taking hostile into custody pending confirmation of identity and reason for presence. Claims he is Possible's sidekick. Identifies himself as Don Snowball. Please advise if such a person exists."
He disconnected the call.
"I wasn't trying to kill Kim. For heaven's sake call a medic!" Ron shouted in frustration.
"What was your role in Doctor Drakken's plot?" the sergeant demanded.
"I told you," Ron said in exasperation. "I'm Kim's sidekick. I'm Ron Stoppable. And that's Steve Barkin. The collapsed one is Eric, who was working for Drakken. Kim killed him to save herself."
Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket and glared at Johnson. "Help Kim," he chittered.
"Talkin' vermin!" the soldier exclaimed, backing away. Rufus blew a raspberry.
"And this is Rufus," Ron added unnecessarily.
A squawk drew their attention back to the radio. The sergeant listened intently. His face changed.
He turned back to Ron. "Seems someone believes your story. Why didn't you say your name was Ron Stoppable?"
Ron closed his eyes and counted to three.
"Can we get Kim out of here now please?"
The sergeant spoke into his radio.
"Blue Group. Kim Possible and two civilians, one meeting the description of Stephen Barkin, found in gym. Possible suffering severe burns. Barkin has suspected fractured skull. Request immediate medevac."
It was less than two minutes before four army paramedics entered the gym, carrying two stretchers. One of them retched when he saw the husk of Eric.
"I wouldn't bother with him, he wasn't human anyway," Ron assured them.
Quickly, the two survivors were picked up and secured onto stretchers. The paramedics started to leave the room with their patients. Ron ran towards them.
"Stay here, Stoppable," called the sergeant. "Global Justice wants to ask you some questions."
Ron stared back evenly at the soldier. "I'm going with Kim. If you need authority, ask Betty Director. Or you can just shoot me now and spend the rest of your career cleaning out latrines."
The sergeant looked uncertainly as the procession left the room.
Who was that anyway? He thought.
Possible residence
"Yes, Wade?" responded Anne to the buzz of the phone.
"GJ are coming to your aid. They said to sit tight."
"Sit tight?" Anne shrieked hysterically. "The force field is down. Those things outside will be in here any moment!"
As if to reinforce her words, the front door shutter began to crack as the besieging synthodrones spotted a laser blast hole and focused their efforts on the weak spot.
The family and Vivian gathered protectively together, the adults shielding the tweebs, as a synthodrone arm reached through the damaged shutter, fumbling for the door lock.
"Kids, stay behind me," cried James as he prepared to take on the synthodrone.
A siren sounded from outside the building. There was a sound like water pouring from a fire hose. The noise of battering gradually gave way to silence.
The family looked at each other in confusion filled with hope.
"Mr. and Mrs. Possible, this is Global Justice. Open the door please," came a voice from the outside.
Tim stood up and opened the panel that contained the Ghost Protocol controls. He pressed a button and the door and window shutters rose, letting in daylight and allowing the occupants to see a large tanker parked outside the house beside an ambulance with flashing lights.
Jim opened the door. A man wearing a GJ uniform was holding a hose from which a dark liquid dripped.
"Soda tanker," he explained, grinning. "You won't be bothered by the synthodrones now."
He stood aside to let two paramedics in. "Is anyone injured?"
Miraculously, no-one was harmed. The tweebs' mirror idea had protected them from the Diablo's lasers.
A GJ transport pulled up sharply to the curb outside the front door. A man got out, accompanied by three military policemen. Anne Possible and Vivian Porter stepped out of the door to greet him with relief.
"Agent Du," Anne greeted the man, surprised that GJ would have sent their second-most senior agent. "Thank you for coming to our assistance. I don't think we could have held out for more than another minute or so." She paused, and asked hesitantly "Is Kim all right?"
Will looked back unsmiling. "Kim is safe but injured. You'll be able to join her shortly. But I'm afraid this is not purely a rescue visit." He turned to James, who had joined his wife.
"I must ask you and Dr. Porter to accompany me to headquarters for questioning. You are both suspects in the transfer of cybertronic technology to a felon, and of an unauthorized satellite launch designed to activate the Diablo attack this evening."
Vivian and James looked at Will in horror.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Vivian exclaimed. "What unauthorized launch?"
She hesitated as she recalled finding James wandering through MSC earlier that evening.
He was coming from the launch control center!
Vivian stared at James, appalled. "What have you done?!" she yelled at him.
"No," he protested. "I didn't do anything. I … I don't remember what happened."
Anne, listening to the exchange with increasing concern turned to Will, pleading. "James was acting on a post-hypnotic suggestion. He didn't intend to do anything wrong tonight. I know he didn't!"
Will listened impassively. "We'll get to the bottom of this back at headquarters. If you're right they have nothing to fear." He turned to one of the MPs. "Read them their Miranda rights then take them in."
Anne shook with fear as her husband and his colleague were frog-marched into the GJ transport. She thought she knew her husband. But the earlier revelations and the uncompromising nature of the GJ accusations made her question him for the first time in her marriage.
Surely James could not have faked the fugue states he exhibited three weeks earlier and this evening?
Or could he?
The strain of the night finally got to Anne and she began to weep openly.
A second MP came up to the distressed woman looking embarrassed. "Ma'am, I need to take you to Middleton General Hospital. Your daughter is currently being medevac'd there."
Anne opened a tear-filled eye. "How … how bad is Kim?"
With an apologetic look on his face, the MP answered "She's been stabilized but is badly hurt. I have a 'copter ready to airlift you and your boys to the hospital."
"What's happened to Ron?" Jim demanded. Tim nodded.
"He's unharmed. He's being debriefed right now," answered Will, overhearing the question. "We think he is responsible for your sister being alive and a lot more too."
Anne looked back at the wrecked home where she and James had brought up three children. Amid the rubble that had previously been the living room she spotted a photograph frame. She picked it up, brushing off the efforts of the paramedics to urge her to the helicopter. Remarkably the photograph of the smiling faces of the Possibles, taken by Ron the night of the Middleton Days fair with Kim resplendent in her little black dress, had survived with scarcely a scorch mark.
Five happy people. And now her daughter was seriously injured and her husband might be facing a federal charge.
And she had somehow tonight to keep herself from falling apart for the sake of the twins.
"Come on boys. Your sister needs us."
Inside BN headquarters: Drakken
The villain lay on the ground as Ron ran towards the stairs. For several minutes he lay there, eyes closed, feeling Li'l Diablos falling about him like raindrops. He picked one up and hugged it to himself.
Why did my satellite fail? What did Stoppable do?
The roof lights went out.
His dream was over. He still found it impossible to believe that his plan had been thwarted. It was perfect in every respect. But somehow, Stoppable and Possible were still alive, his synthodrones had been fought off by Global Justice and his Diablos had been deactivated.
What did I do wrong?
He opened his eyes. His mother was standing there.
"Giving up, Drewbie?" she challenged him. "This is only a temporary setback." She disappeared.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes.
It's not over yet, he thought. Eric will have finished off Possible by now. The shield is still up. Nothing can stop me!
He smiled at the thought. There was no need to rush. He would just rest a few minutes in the cool of the spring night.
Drakken picked up more of the Li'l Diablos. They still hummed. All he needed to do was find a way to reactivate them. How hard could that be?
He lay the Diablos down in ranks, like toy soldiers. He pointed to the first rank.
"These will get rid of the siege.
He pointed to the second rank.
"These will capture the Possibles and that annoying techie."
He pointed to the third rank.
"These …"
He was interrupted by an explosion from the front of the building followed by the sound of gunfire.
How did the shield go down?
To his consternation, he could hear the sound of fighting two floors below him. Judging from the growing volume of sound, his defending synthodrones and Manfred's henchmen were being outmatched by the firepower that was being arrayed against them by what he assumed to be Global Justice.
I wonder where Shego is? She'd know what to do.
He stood up and stumbled to the stairwell. So far, no one seemed to have made it to the floor below. He walked slowly down the stairs.
I must go and rally my supporters. They need their emperor.
He made his way back to the studio where, forty five minutes earlier he had made his triumphant broadcast.
Entering the room he beamed as he found himself greeted by a host of cheering henchmen led by Professor Dementor. Shego emerged from the crowd bearing the ermine robe and laurel crown that had been discarded after his transmission earlier. She handed them to him with a smile, her head bowed in obeisance. He wrapped the robe around his torso and placed the crown on his head.
"Hail Drakken," Shego cried.
His sidekick stepped aside to allow her boss to see the figure of Kim Possible standing behind her, looking eagerly at the Emperor.
"Emperor Drakken, you're all that!" the hero gushed as she knelt down on one knee. "I beg your forgiveness for having tried to resist your glorious reign."
Drakken magnanimously accepted the submission of his former nemesis, as befitting the supreme ruler of the planet. He recognized fellow members of the villain fraternity in the crowd, nodding in response as they acknowledged his sovereignty with a bow or curtsey. Even his cousin Motor Ed had managed to suppress his usual discourtesy for the occasion.
There was a hubbub as Ron Stoppable entered the room and walked up to Drakken. His eyes glowed red and yellow, a sneer on his lips. Konichiwa, he said as he grew to a height of ten feet.
Drakken closed his eyes in fear.
When he reopened them the room was empty.
He found he was wearing his robe and crown. If he was going to encounter those Global Justice thugs he intended to look the part. Nobody would ever be able to say that Emperor Drakken faced his foes unsuitably dressed.
He looked around at the television images filling the screens. Scenes of cities around the world celebrating the end of the Diablo attacks, their largely-pristine nature mocking his failure to expand the destruction when his backup plan failed.
His mother walked through the door. He shrank at the sight.
Drewbie, you failed. You had it all and you still let Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable beat you.
"Mummy I tried, I really did," Drakken pleaded.
I always knew you were a loser. You blew your one chance to prove me wrong.
"It wasn't my fault, Mummy. Shego and Eric let me down. They didn't kill Possible and Stoppable when they were supposed to."
His mother snorted.
Pathetic. Eric was your own creation and you couldn't even get that right! And you gave Shego far too much freedom. Why did she go to Canada the other day? To betray you!
Drakken's eyes filled with tears. He walked to the side of the room and removed his crown, setting it down on the ground. He switched on his personal force field belt. His mother followed him as he phased into the wall. He disappeared from view except for the fold of his robe.
You were a disappointment to your father and me from the day you were born, she taunted him. A fearful child, a pitiful adolescent. You made no real friends. You couldn't graduate. You let yourself be bossed around by that she-devil of yours.
A look of scorn filled her face.
You're been nothing but a failure your entire life.
Failure.
Failure.
Failure.
So what are you waiting for, she sneered.
Failure.
Failure.
Failure.
Or haven't you got the guts?
Failure.
Failure.
Failure.
Andrew Theodore Lipsky Jr., better known as Doctor Drakken, slid his hand down to his hip and felt for the force field control.
Goodbye Mummy. I only ever wanted to make you proud of me.
He pressed a button.
A slice of ermine robe joined a laurel crown.
Continue reading for Chapter 31: Epilogue