Chapter 8
"Finally," Kim said as she burst through the door amidst a throng of other students. "I thought the school would never end."
"Hold up, girl," Monique said. "Aren't we going to wait for Ron?"
"Mo, girl talk, remember?"
"We could still say hi before we head off. You can't be in that much of a rush." Monique gestured towards the door. Ron was just exiting with Felix.
"No time." Kim grabbed Monique's hand and led her off.
As Kim led Monique towards the mall she developed a distinct impression of somebody following them. With Adrena Lynn on the loose, she was the most likely suspect. Kim covertly checked out her surrounding as they proceeded. She was relieved to discover they were being tailed by Shego; relieved and a little thrilled. Shego might protest that she wasn't protecting Kim, but she certainly did a good impression of it. Kim decided she could leave watching out for Lynn to Shego and enjoy her day out.
"First off we're going to check out a couple of stores, alright?" Monique said.
"Monique, I really need to talk to you. And not while browsing."
"Come on, Kim. I haven't seen you in days. There's some shopping I need to get out of my system."
"I'm not sure what you need me for. You always ignore my two cents anyway."
"I do not. I listen to your opinions. I only ignore them when you're dead wrong."
"Which seems to be always."
"Is that my fault?"
"Just a couple of stores, right?"
"Right," Monique said. "Then we'll grab a table somewhere and you can tell me all about what you've been doing the past few days. Or who you've been doing."
"Monique!" Kim blushed and averted her eyes.
"O em gee! Really?" Monique's eyes were wide.
"I... uh. Are you sure you want to go shopping first?"
"Now I'm seriously torn... but you have to see the things I found the other day. Then you will tee em e. And I do mean everything."
Spending some time shopping wasn't altogether a bad thing. Kim found it difficult to get exited by any of the tops or earrings or shoes they looked at, but she was grateful to have a little time to compose herself. She was about to out herself. Sure, Monique wouldn't blab, and it didn't need to go any further than her if she changed her mind, but it was a big deal. She wasn't sure how Monique would react when she heard who she had been sleeping with.
Monique finally decided she had covered everything important, and suggested they get a table at a cafe and talk. It wasn't quite as private as Kim could have wished, but it wasn't like there was anybody she knew there. There was a certain privacy in the anonymity of a crowd. The conversation of two teen girls wasn't likely to interest anyone else. Kim was starting to feel nervous. Monique, by contrast, was exited.
"So, there is somebody, then?" Monique said.
"Kinda, yeah."
"Kinda? Is it Ron? Is that why you've been avoiding him? I didn't really get that vibe from him."
"No, it's not Ron. It isn't any guy from our school."
"Are you going to tell me something at any point, or am I just going to have to guess?"
"Okay, okay, it's just that..." Kim trailed off. Then she rallied her courage and decided to just get the big one over with. "It's not any guy at all."
"Then why... oh."
"Yeah." Kim shrank in a little. She didn't think there was anything wrong with her for liking girls. She didn't think Monique would think there was anything wrong with that. It was still stressful waiting for Monique's response, like waiting for a judgment.
"Wow. I had no idea. When did you realize you went that way?"
"I've been trying to figure it out for a while now. I'm pretty sure I like girls. Some girls."
"I remember giggling about boys with you. Competing for their attention, too. Were you ever interested, or was that just your Kimness showing?"
"I'm pretty sure I like some boys, too."
"Are you sure it's not just a phase?"
"It's not a phase, Monique. It's never a phase. It's just how I am."
Monique was silent a moment, playing with her latte. "So who's the mystery woman?"
"..."
"I didn't hear you, Kim."
"...Shego."
"Shego. The green woman that tries to kill you every other week. That Shego."
"She doesn't try to kill me. She tries to beat me. That's different." She was also currently sitting a few tables behind her, but since Monique hadn't spotted her, Kim didn't see the need to point that out.
"How?"
"She doesn't want me dead, Monique. She's never wanted me dead. She's not a murderer." She decided not to mention that they had had fights where Shego could have killed her had she been even a little slower. They were both too good to let the other pull their punches, and there was always a chance of a tragic accident. But that went both ways, and Kim was confident in her abilities. She wasn't sure Monique could appreciate the distinction, though.
"Okay. Fine. Forget that. When did you jump in the sack with her?"
"Friday night. Well, more like Saturday morning," Kim said. Then she grinned. "And then Saturday afternoon and Monday night."
"Okay. Now I see why you've been busy." Kim just hummed, smiling.
"I though she was in prison. I'm pretty sure you aren't on the list for conjugal visits."
"Not anymore."
"Kim, please tell me you didn't break her out for a booty call."
"No! No. She broke herself out." Kim looked down at her untouched muffin. "I might have given her a lift."
"You just happened to be in the neighborhood, huh?"
"Shego's kinda predictable. I thought there was a good chance she would break out over the weekend, based on the timing of her earlier escapes, so I arranged to be waiting with a car. I didn't really expect to get lucky the first night, but I did."
"Got lucky is right. What kind of thing are we talking here? Some sexual tension you've been building over the years or something more?"
"We agreed it was just a fling."
"You don't sound so sure."
"Monique, I really, really like her. Last night when we said goodbye I touched her and it was like every nerve on my fingers was on fire. I've never felt like that with anyone else."
"Is it just physical attraction, or do you actually like her as a person?"
"She's not that bad. I mean, she puts up a front, but she's not that bad underneath it."
"Does she feel the same about you?"
"I... I hope so. She hasn't said anything, but I think she does." Monique gave her a skeptical glance.
"No, really. It's not just wishful thinking."
"Kim Possible!" the voice of Adrena Lynn said. Kim's eyes narrowed.
Kim sprinted through the mall hot on the heels of Adrena Lynn, dodging shoppers and fuming. First Lynn called her out, then she turned tail and ran. She really was a poser. Kim was just thankful she was wearing capris and Converses rather than a skirt. She reflected she probably should have considered the possibility of action when she chose her outfit this morning, but she really hadn't expected Lynn to make her move this soon. How had she even followed her here without either her or Shego noticing?
Lynn went through a door marked 'employees only'. Kim though the door should have been locked, but she didn't complain. There would be less bystanders in the service corridors. Kim had had occasion to visit this part of the mall before, and was tolerably familiar with the layout. She knew she had Lynn when she turned into a dead-end corridor.
"Nowhere left to run, Lynn," Kim said as she entered the storage room after her.
"And no distractions," Lynn said.
Lynn lit up her hands and shot two orange spheres at Kim. Kim didn't think she could dodge the missiles in the narrow space between crates and hand trucks and braced for impact. The glow hadn't had much of an effect on her the last time, but Lynn's determined look led her to suspect she had gained a better grasp of her powers since the last encounter.
The spheres struck her chest and abdomen. It was like being poked with a pillow; a little annoying, but quite harmless. This time the orbs didn't bounce away. They recoiled a little, but then pressed against her again. From the look of concentration on Lynn's face Kim concluded she was doing her best to will the spheres towards her. She wasn't sure what she expected them to do.
Kim felt sorry for Adrena. She was essentially just a showwoman who had overreacted to Ron accidentally exposing her tricks. Now she had thrown away her chance at rebuilding her life looking for a way to help her even the odds, and it didn't even work on the one person she wanted revenge against.
No, that was nonsense. Lynn had brought this on herself. She had been in jail because she had chosen to kidnap someone. She had never intended to use the break she had been offered; she'd set out to commit a crime the minute she was out on parole. Kim got annoyed at the orange things fruitlessly pushing against her and, flexing new mental muscles, she pushed back. The glowing spheres shot across the corridor and bounced off the walls a few times before winking out.
"It's not fair. Not fair!" Lynn said.
"Tough," Kim said. "Are you going to give up easy, or do we do this the hard way?"
Kim was interrupted as two security guards barged into the room. One of them was middle-aged, overweight and visibly out of breath. The other was young, tall and built; very nicely built. If the circumstances had been different, Kim wouldn't have minded giving him a second look.
"What's the situation, Kim?" the older guard asked.
"Adrena Lynn here just made parole. She seems eager to get back in, wouldn't you say?"
"I'd say that's a fair judgment. Don't worry, we'll hold her for the police."
The guards stepped closer to the blonde would-be villain. For some reason she looked more relaxed than at any point earlier in the encounter. She looked almost jubilant. Kim began to worry she had some ace up her sleeve, though she didn't have a clue what it might be.
"It's three against one, Lynn. It's over."
"Oh, yes it is."
Lynn lit up her hands again and sent a sphere at each guard, smiling a predatory smile. The spheres struck their targets and vanished. Kim though she briefly saw an orange nimbus surround each man, but it might have been an afterimage from the bright orbs. The guards walked over to Lynn and turned around, flanking her. Their eyes glowed orange and their expressions were blank. Lynn smiled triumphantly.
Kim eyed the trio warily as she put up her guard. As hard it was to believe, it seemed Lynn's power had just reversed the odds. Kim stepped deeper into the room. If she was going to face three-to-one one odds, she wanted more room to maneuver than the corridor offered. The guards had the advantage in mass and strength, but she had more skill and mobility. The stacks and shelves should work in her favor. Lynn and the security guards under her thrall followed her movements, circling to face her and keeping the distance. Lynn seemed to savor the situation. Stalling suited Kim, as she was expecting Shego to join the fray at any moment.
She didn't have to wait long. When Shego joined the fight the older guard charged Kim as the younger one intercepted Shego. Lynn used him as a cover as she sneaked out the door. Shego tried to follow, but she had her hands full with the guard blocking her way. Kim couldn't pay them any more attention, as she had an opponent of her own to worry.
Kim wasn't sure what to do. She could easily stay out of reach of the old security guard, but with the baton he was wielding it wasn't easy to get close enough to do a clean take-down. Her fighting brain supplied her with a catalog of moves to disarm or disable him, but she didn't want to hurt him. There was a stun gun on his belt. If she could get her hands on it, maybe she could use it to finish the fight. No; he was old and overweight, his heart might not stand it. Her dilemma was resolved by Shego, who dropped the guard with one touch, the show-off.
Kim watched Shego depart and then checked on the guards. The one Shego had stunned with her glow was breathing fine. The younger one had a broken jaw. Shego really needed to learn some restraint. The guards had just been doing their job when Lynn took control of them. Kim called Wade and asked him to make sure the guards got medical attention, then went to find Monique.
"So who was that?" Monique said as they exited the mall carrying her shopping bags.
"Adrena Lynn. She has a grudge against me."
"You have many enemies like that?"
"Most of them keep it to working hours, so to speak."
"Did you catch her?"
"She got away. I'm sure she'll be coming after me again. Uh, Mo, I hate say this, but maybe you should keep a little distance until I get her."
"And when you say 'get her' you mean..?"
"Monique! She's a foe."
"And Shego isn't?"
"It's different. And Adrena Lynn is so not my type."
"Not into sporty blondes? You just like fit brunettes, then, huh."
"Monique, can we get off this subject?"
"Hey, you're the one who wanted to talk about it. Oh!" Monique stopped in her tracks, eyes wide.
"What?"
"You slept with Bonnie!"
"What?" Kim quickly looked around her. "Who told you that?"
"I just figured it out. I thought there was something weird going on between you two, but it only clicked right now."
"Don't spread it around, okay? And it's not like we're a thing anymore. If we ever were."
"I don't see how you ever could have seen that working out. All you ever do is fight... Is that what it takes to get your interest? Are you sure you don't want to give this Adrena a chance?"
"I'm not discussing this. Look, seriously, keep your head down for a while. Lynn doesn't seem to have a lot of patience, I'm sure she'll try to attack me again soon."
"You be careful, too, Kim."
"Eh, I can handle her. So not the drama."
Kim made it home before her parents. The empty house was somehow disorienting after school and the mall. Lights were on, suggesting her brothers were home, but from the silence Kim concluded they were in the basement lab; plotting, not doubt. Kim made her way to her room and dropped off her school things. She was about to change when she decided she had a more immediate need. She never had got around to finishing her muffin. She headed out for the kitchen.
Kim spied something from the corner of her eye, and dove to ground just in time to dodge a rocket that would have hit her head. It exploded against the wall, showering her with shrapnel. The explosion was loud enough to make her ears ring.
"Tweebs!" Kim said. The rest of her admonishment died on her lips when she saw his brothers.
Jim was holding a pistol that looked like a ray gun from a cartoon, while Tim had an armful of small rockets like the one she'd just dodged. They had identical looks of mischief on their faces, and they looked at her with identical glowing orange eyes.
Jim took aim, and Kim moved. She kicked at the wall to launch herself the other way. Searing beams followed in her wake, scoring the floor. Kim rebounded from the opposite wall and dove for the stairs. She descended in a more or less controlled tumble. He could hear her brothers running after her.
Kim's mind whirled. When had Lynn got to her brothers? Had she been at the house to look for her? Was she still here? How much autonomy did her minions have? Assuming the two henchmen in Upperton had been under her control, they had stayed to delay Kim while Lynn escaped. Lynn could have left her brothers here to ambush her and left.
Lynn's power had worked on her brothers; her annoyingly bright and willful brothers. There had to be another reason the power hadn't worked on either her or Shego than strength of will. She remembered the green flash when Shego had been struck by Lynn's power. Perhaps her own glow had protected her. Between Shego and her, the implication was clear.
Kim's thoughts were interrupted when her brothers got her in their sights again. The living room was too open to give any cover from their attacks, and the bedrooms were dead ends. She didn't want to lead them outside as that would place bystanders at risk. She lunged into the kitchen.
She couldn't stay on the defensive indefinitely. Unfortunately she didn't have any of her gear, and the weapons her brothers had made ambushing them too dangerous. She had no real means of protecting herself, except staying out of their sights. Well, there was one, but it wasn't a path she wanted to take, and since she hadn't exactly gotten a lot of practice in, she wasn't even sure it would work. An almost-familiar sensation pushed at the edges of her consciousness, reassuring her that it would.
Her brothers had split up. Jim stepped in front of her as she exited the kitchen from the back, and she could hear Tim coming up behind her. The gun came up and she was out of options. She threw her hands in front of her and willed her new glow into being.
Kim's power lit up with a yellow flash, smooth luminescent spheroids enfolding her hands. The incandescent beam struck her glowing hands and was reflected back at its source, blowing up the gun in Jim's hands. Kim whirled to face Tim. He lobbed two rockets at her, which ignited the moment they were in the air and streaked towards her. She intercepted both with the yellow glow surrounding her hands, sending them towards Tim. Still powered and homing for her, the rockets didn't quite return to the sender, but veered into the walls and exploded. Tim still went down hard. Kim didn't waste a moment in closing the distance to Jim.
This wasn't like facing the security guards or the henchmen. With her brother unarmed, Kim had the edge in everything that counted. She was bigger, stronger, faster, and much more skilled. Before Jim could recover she had him in a choke hold, pressing down on his carotid arteries to cut the flow of blood to the brain. Her spine went icy cold at the thought of using a potentially dangerous move on her brother, and she eased up the moment his struggles ended, trusting he wasn't playing possum. She would have tried it, Shego would have tried it, but her brothers' fighting experience was limited to schoolyard scuffles. She didn't think Jim had the presence of mind for deception.
Kim spent a few seconds making sure that Jim's breathing and pulse seemed alright, then went to check on Tim. He was out cold, but breathing. Kim suspected a concussion from the fall. She gingerly felt at his head, but only detected a small bump at the back. Luckily there would be a neurosurgeon at hand to examine him shortly.
Kim went to the supply closet, got some zip ties, and secured her brothers, not knowing how long they'd be out or if they'd still be under Lynn's control when they came to. Only then did she go to her bedroom to retrieve her Kimmunicator, which had been beeping for a while.
"Kim. You just got a video message on your site. I think you need to see it."
"Play it for me, Wade." Kim didn't really approve of gambling, but she would have bet good money it was from Lynn.
"Kim Possible," smirking Adrena Lynn said. "I hope my little helpers weren't too rough on you. I know they had some freaky stuff in their lab."
Lynn moved out of the frame, revealing Ron tied to a metal scaffolding. Next to him, Felix lay tied up in front of his wheelchair.
"I've got your boy toy. If you don't want anything bad to happen to him, come alone. You know where." The camera superfluously zoomed out to show the dilapidated roller coaster at the old Middleton fairground. Lynn walked back into the frame. "The clock's ticking."
"How do you want to play it, Kim?" Wade said.
"I'll play it by her rules for the moment. No police." Kim paused to listen. She was certain somebody was walking on the roof, and with Lynn presumably at the fairground, the list of likely suspects was very short. "But I'm not going in alone. I think my backup just arrived."
"What do you mean, Kim?"
"Better you don't know. I'll talk to you later."
Kim closed the Kimmunicator and made her way onto the roof. Shego whirled around as she approached her, hands lit up.
"Hi, Shego," Kim said, her face unusually grim. "Do you still want a piece of Lynn?"
