Tian Cai
By mkusenagi2
The story concept © 5-19-2006
All Marvel characters are © Marvel Comics.
Kim Possible and other Disney characters
are © Disney Co.
Level 4: Jian (Mage)
From Ronald Dean Stoppable's Logs…
Mr. B said for want of a nail somethin' was lost…
Thank God for stubbornness…
Part IV
05-06-2006
Condor 1/SHIELD Helicarrier flagship
Hovering over Triskelion HQ
Manhattan, NY
Special Agent Al Evan's
Quarters
2355 hrs
"Ok. You, Kim, and Sheila were at her place in the Czech Republic when you felt something…" Al said to Ron.
"Yeah. I got ripped open. Kim and Sheila too. Zorpox' gone… Kim… looks down on us… her dark side does… Sheila… I can't say it… some of it. I saw her get twisted by Hego… and there's something else; a secret she's repressed." He stumbled through the shattered landscape. "It's like I'm blind and deaf. Somehow I got here… 'ported I guess…"
"Ok. Give 'em some space. Relax. It should come back 'I hope.' You were hit by the Grid. Some Cold War stank from the day… If ya can't stay away from each other 'til it passes… stay neutral. Folks have flung off the handle and worse 'cause of what they learned… it's one reason Omega Red's nuts."
"Oh. The Grid? Dude what's your story? How…"
"Need to know. You DON'T." Al said. 'Hope he buys it.'
"'k." Ron stared at Al. 'When I get the chance, we're gonna talk.' "Night dude."
"Later." 'Gonna have to make some calls…' Al thought.
---
Meanwhile Rufus and 'Taka stood guard over a very cooperative Spymaster…
---
Somewhere in the Carribean…
"Find Him! When you do, bring him to me!" Herr Smith roared as his lackeys fought Drakken's versions of Zola's monsters in the halls of Alpha base. "Viper's mine as well!" 'The schwinehund will pay for this… his thievery from our funds database has set us back years… this is Viper's doing…'
---
05-08-2006
Condor 1/SHIELD Helicarrier flagship
Hovering over Triskelion HQ
Manhattan, NY
The Practice Room's locker room
0700 hrs
Special Agent Sheila Goble-Baux, Marquise of Liguria, Crown Princess to the throne of Monaco…
Stared at her partner…
And former fiancé…
Kimberley Anne Possible.
Pissed didn't being to describe how she felt.
"You want to put everything on hold. The engagement. The one we swore before God."
Kim cringed. "The Essence… whatever… yes. I…have my doubts…"
"About us. You and me. All of us." She was getting more pissed by the second. 'Breathe Sheila… relax. Use the training.'
"Yeah. About whether we're good enough…"
"For you. I saw it. Your dark side." Sheila took a deep breath. "Kim. The Grid. It hit us…hard. A lot of the heavy hitters left this plane because of the damage it did… maybe we should wait, at least 'til Ron's here. We could try Xavier…"
"No. I need to figure out what's real… I love you guys… just don't know if I'm 'in love' with…"
"hi." Ron said as he entered.
Sheila turned to Ron. "Kim wants to halt the engagement… for a bit."
He turned to his best friend. The person that had been with him since he was four.
He also looked at his oldest partner…
"So you don't love us? Me? Not good enough for you? Better yet, maybe you're right."
"I…" her eyes slid from his. She'd never seen him this low before…
"Fine. If it makes you happy Kim. I'll do whatever it takes… I know you've always looked at me as a bit dim anyhow… unlike Sheila… but I always have loved you. Kim…" tears ran. "I gotta go." He looked at Sheila and stumbled into the Room. "Guess I'll take it out in practice…"
Sheila's heart was breaking for all of them…
"Happy now?"
She stomped out.
An inch high Kim followed…
---
They stood in the Practice Room in tripod formation…
A spot shone on them while they listened to the darkness…
"Alright boys an' girls… the test's simple." The Specialist growled. "Despite your trauma an' losin' that link of yers, survive whatever the room throws at ya. Let's start with the basics and work our way up." 'Damn shrinks… what do they know? I gotta see fer myself.'
They tensed.
"GO!"
Fog flowed along the Cliffs of Dover…
A patrol flickered towards them.
They ran to the edge…
Ron tossed micromines behind them; while Kim and Sheila scrambled to secure guylines in the cliff below.
"CRACK! BUDDA! BUDDA!" was heard as the enemy pinned them down with gunfire as they crept closer.
"Ron! Get back here… 'BAM!'" Kim cried as he tried to rout the enemy and was 'killed'.
The lights went out. "Team Possible 0. Training Room 1." The computer said.
Another landscape flickered up.
They were in the Xmansion's hangar…
Fighting N'gari demons…
Sheila's plasma guttered sickly…
Kim's aura was nonexistent…
Ron's bo remained frozen.
The were overwhelmed…
---
Finally the test was brought to a screeching halt.
They'd failed.
"C'mon up to my office." The Specialist said.
---
"Yer suspended 'til further notice." The Specialist growled as Nan walked in.
"SIR?" they cried.
"You heard him Kim. Suspended." Nan said.
"But… nana…"
"Quiet!"
"NO! I can understand if that's all we had… but we've got other abilities that…"
"I SAID BE QUIET SOLDIER!" Nan roared.
That did it.
The link roiled… a bit.
Kim tore off her Captain's insignia. "I've HAD IT! We're taking crap from this guy!" she pointed at The Specialist. "Fighting God knows who for God knows what reasons…! And for WHAT? Him? Ron?" she pointed at Nan. "YOU?"
"SMACK!" Kim jumped back… holding the cheek Nan had slapped. "The next time I fight someone old lady, it has to be over something clearcut. I'm sick and tired of these games. People died in Monaco… all over… 'cause of this…"
Sheila grit her teeth.
"Can I go, Sir?" Ron said. 'I don't need to see this… Kim and Unc… at odds like this… When I find Drakken I'm gonna settle this once and for all. She dumped me 'cause of him.'
"No." The Specialist said. He turned to Kim. "Ok, you want something real to fight for? You wanna get back on board?"
"Uh. Yes Sir." She glared at The Specialist.
"Ok. Al?" he growled. "Wall's on." Al said. "Alright Kim. Here's the Deal. I'm SHIELD's Acting Director. You're being suspended because someone's been using Pulsar's old MO."
"WHAT!" Team Possible cried.
---
A Holofield sprang up as the lights dimmed.
"Viper's using Pulsar's plasma powers and MO to rob several facilities… Several terrorist attacks have occurred in the last 72 hrs. She raided WHO, CDC, and ARMRIID HQ databases and vaults using her powers. Fortunately you guys were on board or accounted for when they happened. That's one reason. Another is… and I hate to admit it… The Lab Boys are right… you guys are walking wounded. Yer powers are shorted out… and yer personal lives are bein' affected too by this Grid thing." He growled as several sites were shown being broken into.
"The stakes here are very high people… as we speak HYDRA's on the ropes. Several factions are dukin' it out."
Nan stepped forward. "There's two factions vying for supremacy now. Smith's…"
"And Drakken's" Kim growled her frustrations temporarily forgotten. 'The Specialist's in charge…? Makes sense… but who is he really?'
"Right. Drakken was tryin' for me at my physical… and was stopped by Smith. We figure Smith's bein' territorial about who he gets ta bring down…"
"We can breathe a bit right now because the struggle's got other terrorist groups on the run for now. Hopefully we'll get the genie corked before it's too late… or the heavy hitters recuperate and help…" Nan added.
"Yer stripped of yer duties 'til further notice. Go back ta school guys 'til we get a better handle on this… thing that's happened to yer powers." The Specialist growled. "I'll cut ya some slack this time Kim. Agent Goble."
"Sir." 'Damnit Nick. What are you playing at?'
"You're going to England. Recovery mission."
"Yes Sir." 'Just wait when I get my…'
"Dismissed."
And that was that.
---
Or so they thought.
---
Kim stormed into the locker room and dumped her gear into her kit…
And found a file sitting inside her locker.
'Here's all I've got on Drakken and Co; use it well.
The Director.
PS: Stay in Character.'
'Huh? But I thought…' a crafty grin formed…
'Ok. Back to school it is…' she thought.
Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator.
"Wade I Need a Ride."
---
05-08-2006
Condor 1/SHIELD Helicarrier flagship
Hovering over Triskelion HQ
Manhattan, NY
The Briefing Room
1800 Hrs
A rare political event was in full swing…
Nicholas Joseph Fury was living up to his name.
And the Russian Premier was the target of his wrath!
"GODDAMNIT! How could you let VIPER of ALL people get her hands on that data!" he roared into the link. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE DAMAGE THAT'S BEEN DONE?"
"Tovari…" Premier Kozyrev (a burly Ukrainian in his 50's) blustered.
"SHUT IT!" Fury grated. "I've got reports of The Hulk… THE HULK rampaging through China's countryside 'cause of this. Thor's down… Hercules is sick! Every LAST ONE OF THOSE STATIONS is to be trashed by days end or else you're NOT gonna make it through the election. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"
"da."
"Good." Nick collapsed into his seat and lit up. "… Arkady… I suspect he's back. The Third Beast… He's bored into the GRU pretty well… and other agencies… It's only through luck that he hasn't been able to make much headway here at SHIELD. I'll get 'im for ya. Yer sons were good men…"
"Da. They were. When this is over…"
"We'll toast their sacrifice. I give you my word."
"Thank You, Tovarich."
The link was cut.
Nick pulled up his list…
'So many goddamned deaths… and for what? C'mon guys, don't fail Uncle Nicky now… I need Team Possible back in one piece. Do what ya do best buck the system…' he thought as he looked at the list of SHIELD war dead…
---
05-09-2006 to 05-13-2006
Middleton, CO
For the next week Kim and Ron avoided each other… or tried to hang with each other…
She got chewed out by her folks for her outburst towards Nan…
Since he could 'port somewhat, Ron decided to hang out with Al and worked on his project…
Sheila was incommunicado…
Ron helped her on missions from her webpage…
They attended classes at Middleton High and hung with their friends…
Kim was making little headway into her search for Drakken…
Or for what was real for her…
Kim felt like she was in prison.
Then she got a visitor…
---
"Tap. Tap. Tap."
"ungh." Kim fumbled for her clock. "g'way 430…"
"Tap. Tap. Tap. C'mon frail open up." She heard.
Kim shot up in bed. 'no.'
She padded to the window…
And let Victor Creed of the Exiles in.
"Hiya kid. I heard. Rough?" he asked as he sat next to her bed and leaned back.
"Yeah. I was stupid… shoulda left things the way they were. He shies away… Now he'll never get to know how sorry Imph?"
"Now you are bein' stupid. What'd ya do if he died? Someone killed 'im?"
Kim frowned.
"Exactly. You feel the same way about Sheila?" he took his hand from her mouth.
"Yeah."
"Time. Give it time. They'll come around."
"And if they don't be happy for them. Be their friend." He rose. "Gotta go. Kim I got a question for ya."
"yes."
"Whatever it is… the problem… is it worth losing your life long friend over? Never see him again over? Have him die without saying how he feels about ya over?"
"No."
"Shake it off Kid." And with that he leaped out of her window and disappeared.
End Part IV