I do not own any Disney characters named herein and am only borrowing them to tell a nonprofit tale meant for entertainment purposes only.
Kim Possible: Gifted
By LJ58
46
Ron yelped as he almost lost his grip again as he clung to the side of the very steep, and very tall peak he was scaling without even a rope as he looked down, grimaced, and forced himself to keep going.
Ahead of him, a smaller, yet more agile figure was higher than he had managed as yet, and yet they kept slowing to look down at him. He was wondering if they were thinking maybe he had no place here. Or if they were thinking about him falling, and leaving them free to do what they wanted without him.
The lithe, muscular girl was his own age, but she was outstripping him as easily as Hirotaka had when he had begun his training.
Ron grimaced, and froze, closing his eyes, and focused. For a moment, all his doubts and fears virtually swamped him, but then he remembered his unlikely friend. Kim had jumped in to save him, and everyone else without hesitation. Sure, she had powers, but so did that weird monkey freak. Plus, he had weapons. He felt something stir within as he asked, 'And what did he have?'
Opening his eyes which began to glitter with a faint blue rather than his usual brown, he saw the way up that seemed as easy as a set of stairs before him. He began to move, scrambling, even jumping at times, and was soon pacing the young ninja girl who only smiled at him. Then he was up on top of the very small plateau, and a small, stone building stood before him as he guessed that this was his test.
He heard the ninja girl climb up behind him, but she said nothing as he stood and stared at the temple's single, engraved door that had images that boggled his mind. In the center, of course, was a stylized image of a large monkey with a sword in one hand.
Walking forward, he stopped at the wide stairs that led up to the small temple, and looked back at the ninja girl.
She smiled, nodding to him, and he pushed a hand out to test the door and was suddenly surrounded by darkness. A darkness that was so black he couldn't see his own hands in front of his face. He knew because he checked.
"Okay," he murmured. "I get it, this is some kind of test," he realized. "Only….what kind of test," he frowned, and then saw a faint, bluish light that seemed a lot farther away than he expected considering the size of the temple.
Or what he thought was the size of the temple.
Focusing, something Hirotaka claimed he really needed to learn, he walked forward, and yet the blue light just stayed the same distance.
He stopped, frowning as he eyed the faint light, and remembered something that Master-Sensei had told him when Ron had asked about Monkey Fist.
"Eyes that see only this world can never truly find the path to greatness," the master had said in that weird Zen way he had of confusing everything.
"Eyes that see only this world," he murmured and drew a deep breath.
Then he closed his own eyes and used that inner focus he was still learning, and to his shock, he was surrounded by blinding, blue-white light, and there was a small altar of some kind, not four feet from where he stood.
He resisted the urge to open his eyes, and kept focusing on the altar as he moved slowly forward, half afraid of tripping, and reached down to take what seemed a small, glowing knife that rested on the altar.
Even as he lifted it, he felt a jarring rush of wind and he felt his head spin even as he landed on his knees, and opened his eyes to look up at the ninja girl. Only in his right hand, he was still holding the knife. Only it was now a sword, and it was still glowing a bright blue even in the sunlight.
"Okay, so….. What happened to the temple," he asked, looking around as he stood up to find the temple had vanished, and they were standing on a rocky point with no sign of any building.
"You are truly the Chosen One, Stoppable-San," she bowed to him. "It is now your destiny to face the powers of evil, and defeat them before they rise."
"Ah, yeah, so…. How do I do that?"
The ninja girl only smiled.
"When it is time to stand, you will find your own way, Stoppable-San," she told him. "As you found your own way here, so you will learn to find your own way. Just as Toshimiru-Sama did in his time."
"Right. So, uh, what now?"
"Now, we return, Stoppable-San," she smiled at him as if amused.
Ron looked around the steep slope, and asked, "I don't suppose there is a secret way down that doesn't involve fingernails and toes?"
The ninja girl smiled again, and declared, "It shall be our honor to climb," and turned to do just that.
"Of course," he sighed, and headed for the edge of the cliff.
~KP~
"You're kidding me," Kim declared as she stared at the general, and just slammed the door in his face.
"Kimberly," Ann asked as the man outside pounded on the door.
"C'mon, mom, he's obviously bluffing. Besides," she said, tapping on the panel beside the door. "I just armed the house's defenses. They can do whatever they want, they aren't getting in here now."
"We still have a lot of neighbors out there," Ann pointed out even as Shego came down fully dressed, her hair still damp from her shower.
"What's happening now," Shego asked.
Ann sighed and pulled back a drapery, and Shego gaped.
"That moron," she growled. "Even I didn't think he would pull this one," she complained and reached for her phone in her jacket pocket.
"Who can you call," Ann asked her.
"One thing I learned working for the Agency, Dr. Possible," she grinned. "When you find yourself caught between two bosses, let them butt heads, and stay out of it," she told her, and then spoke into the phone. "Hey, Bets….."
She paused, and Kim almost smiled, guessing what she was saying just then.
"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Just thought I'd let you know that tin soldier Hastings just parked half the Guard on our front door. We were kind of wondering what we should do about it. Because you know how Kimmie likes to play with posers."
Kim almost giggled now as Shego held the phone away from her ear, and Ann only sighed.
"That doesn't really help us, and besides, the neighbors are starting to complain. You can only run over so many gardens with tanks and Humvees before they get testy….."
Shego held out the phone again.
"Okay, okay. So, what should we do?" Shego nodded, "Yeah, we can manage that one. Sure, no problem. Hey, we won't do anything. Unless they do."
There was a loud outburst from the phone just before Shego hung up.
"Bets is on her way. We're not supposed to do anything until she gets here. You know, unless they do."
"Somehow I doubt that was all she said," Ann sighed as James and the boys came down.
"Hey, what's with the mock invasion outside," Jim asked.
"What did you do now," Tim grinned at Kim.
"Me," Kim sputtered.
"Well it wasn't us," Jim and Tim declared as everyone looked at them.
"This time," Ann asked dryly.
"Hey," they both complained. "So, breakfast? Whatever else, we are hungry," the twins grinned.
"Works for me," Shego nodded before she yawned. "I could use some coffee!"
"Kim kept you up again," James asked pleasantly, then looked around with a frown.
"Something wrong, dad," Kim asked.
"My paper…."
"I was about to go get it," Ann sighed, and looked toward the door. "Only I was interrupted," she added.
"Inter….rupted," James asked, and looked out at the men and equipment outside when he pulled the door open.
"Watch, dad," Tim nodded.
"Right. Well, I tell you one thing," James Possible cut off the surly man still standing there looking furious. "In my day, we called before we came over," he declared as he walked out past the soldiers to the end of the drive, picked up his paper, and came back to declare. "We certainly didn't clutter the roads and lawns with a lot of unwanted guests. And we still haven't heard who was at fault for abducting my daughter, or Tara."
Then James shut the door in the man's face who had found while he couldn't enter the house, James had no trouble coming and going.
"Well, let's see what's going on in the world," he smiled and opened his paper without any other concern as he headed for the kitchen. "Coming, dear," he asked Ann.
Shego just shook her head, but Kim had to finally laugh.
"Well, he has the right idea," Shego declared. "Coffee, and breakfast," she declared and led Kim into the kitchen.
~KP~
Ron leaned back in the seat as the jet carried him home, and felt genuinely relaxed in spite of the fact he was crammed in with over two hundred other passengers.
One thing he had always been able to do was to relax, and after the past few months he had endured, he really needed to relax. Just then, Rufus was hiding in his cargo pants pocket since he wasn't technically supposed to have pets in the cabin. Which was, in his mind, stupid.
Even he knew a lot of bad things could happen to animals in some drafty cargo hold. Especially someone as small as Rufus. So he was letting his friend ride with him the same way he had gone with him in the first place.
He really couldn't wait to be home.
Sighing in contentment, he waited for the flight attendant and decided he was still pretty lucky after all.
He just tried not to think of that warning Master-Sensei had given him just before he left for the airport.
"Remember, Stoppable-San. Monkey Fist will know you have risen by now. He will be furious that you won what he could not. He will try to take it from you. So long as you stand in the light, his darkness will ever be defeated. Especially if you are wise enough to seek allies," the aged master declared.
Allies, Ron mused.
Maybe that weird comet-girl could help. After all, she sure took care of Monkey Fist the first time. Even he was surprised at how strong she seemed. He'd talk to her when he got back. He was certain Master-Sensei must have known about her and might think she was cool.
Once it was safe, he'd asked Rufus what he thought. Rufus always seemed to have the right answers.
~KP~
Kim had finished breakfast and was getting ready to leave when they heard a lot of very loud shouting outside again.
"I think Bets just arrived."
Kim rolled her eyes, and said, "I'm going to be so late," she groaned as her father just walked out the door, gave a polite excuse me, and went to his van. Kim noted the two sides out there, for GJ had arrived in force, just stared after the rocket scientist as he went off to work without giving them the slightest glance.
Ann just grumbled, and said, "I'm so glad I'm off today," with a weary sigh.
"You know," Kim told Shego. "I think dad has the right idea. Ready to go, boys," she asked her brothers.
"Call us if you need us," Shego told her. "And no running off," she shook a finger at her.
"Shego," Kim whined.
"Kimberly, listen to your friend. Go before you're late."
"Yeah, Barkin would flip if he had all three of us in detention," Jim and Tim chortled.
"I shudder to think," Shego remarked.
"Hey," the boys howled as Kim opened the door.
"Let's go, guys. We should still be able to make it before the first bell," she told them as she led the way to the car as the general stood with Betty, mouth open as if in midsentence.
"Kimberly," Betty simply nodded.
"Hey, Dr. Director," she smiled at her. "We're heading for school. Big day today," she beamed, thinking of the squad that was using her more than expected. Even if was only in using her brains to help them improve.
"Woman, you remain the property and an official asset of the U.S. Government, and you will listen to me," Roger Hastings all but barked at her.
For a moment everyone cringed as Kim walked purposely over to the fuming general, and reached out.
Only all she did was pat his cheek, smile, and declare, "Isn't that sweet how you still think you're in charge here," and turned to go.
Betty Director barely hid her own smirk as Shego burst into laughter as she watched from the door as Kim climbed into the car, and shut the door.
When his men moved to block her path, she only waved, and the car rose into the air, and flew off toward school, leaving the soldiers literally gaping after her.
"Her car flies," General Hastings sputtered. "Why didn't anyone tell me she has a damn flying car?"
Dr. Director smiled thinly now, and declared, "It wasn't in your purview."
"My purview…..? Woman, Project Rainbow is my asset, and no one, but no one gets her but me," he thundered.
"I would say that your project has her own mind," Dr. Director smiled blandly at him now. "And isn't it just as well we were able to manage to lead her toward the right side in spite of your inept leadership," she asked.
"My….? Woman, I have the authority of the President…."
"You had his authority," Will Du appeared as if on cue. "Directly from the Council, ma'am," he declared and held out the missive.
Dr. Director smiled as she read the words that put Kimberly Anne Possible in her hands to train, and guide as she saw fit. She held out the missive to the general, and suggested, "Perhaps you'd better read this yourself. So you don't think I'm prevaricating."
Roger Hastings looked furious as he eyed the words, and crumbled the paper in one hand as he all but snarled, "This is not over."
"I think it is," Dr. Director told him. "Recall, when she first broke free, she went through twice this number of men," she gestured at his command, "And a lot more hardware. As I recall, you didn't even slow her down then. Do you really think force would win her over now?"
General Hastings stomped away without comment, and climbed into a Humvee before shouting, "Abort." Then looked at Betty, and if a gaze could wound, the head of Global Justice knew she would have been struck down just then.
"So, it's over," Will asked her.
"Hardly, Agent Du. I would say it's just beginning. Or did you think Kimberly would have been so daring the first time we met her?"
Will said nothing to that. He wasn't sure what could be said.
To Be Continued….