Kim Possible and all related characters are the property of Disney. Buckaroo Banzai and all related characters are the property of Earl Mac Rauch and W.D. Richter.
----
Buckaroo Banzai sat in front of a computer monitor, blankly staring at the schematics for the oscillation overthruster. Buckaroo had intended to look over the designs and see if it was possible to repair the unit, or if someone could reconfigure it into some kind of ultimate doomsday weapon, but his mind couldn't focus on the task at hand. Instead, he thought about all those who had been destroyed by that infernal machine.
Dr. Emilio Lizardo had effectively been killed in 1938 when he pierced the 8th Dimension and had his mind taken over by the Red Lectroid warlord John Whorfin. In 1955, Buckaroo's own parents, Dr. Masado Banzai and Dr. Sandra Willoughby-Banzai, were killed when the overthruster they were testing was sabotaged by the leader of a criminal organization. Then, in 1984, Buckaroo's friend Rawhide was murdered by the Red Lectroids on Earth who were trying to steal Buckaroo's overthruster. All Buckaroo could think was, I should have destroyed this thing when I had the chance.
"Buckaroo?" A soothing voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Are you all right?"
Buckaroo Banzai smiled when he looked up and saw his former student Anne Possible at the door to the Middelton Space Center's conference room. "Honestly, Anne, I don't know if I'm all right or not." He closed the overthruster file. "What can I do for you?"
A sour look crossed Anne's face. "The people from Global Justice have started questioning John Ya-ya. I know you're not GJ's number one fan, Buckaroo, so why let them look Ya-ya over and interrogate him?"
"It wasn't by choice. GJ autopsied the remains of the Red Lectroids I stopped in 1984, and they have a pretty good track record when it comes to getting information from difficult prisoners. Using that information in an effective manner is another story." Buckaroo sighed and pulled out a chair for Anne. "How are Kim and Ron?"
Realizing that the subject had been changed, Anne took a seat. "Kimmie's fine. Last time I saw her, she was on her way to where John Ya-ya is being questioned. And Ron's sleeping it off right now."
"Sleeping what off?"
"I assume you saw that little glow trick Ron has," Anne said, picking her words carefully.
Buckaroo nodded, remembering the image of Ron in unarmed combat with Warhok and Warmonga. "He changed colors. He didn't glow this time."
"Oh. Then he should be up and around in no time then." Anne saw the confused look on her old teacher's face. "My son-in-law is........ special. That little trick of his takes a lot out of him. The first time he went all out was when he sent the last two Lorwardians flying. He would up sleeping for almost three days after that."
Buckaroo nodded again. "Did the GJ doctors get a chance to give Ya-ya an examination?"
"If you could call it an examination," Anne grumbled. "All they looked for were those implants that made Ya-ya have the seizures that almost killed him."
"They did kill him," Buckaroo said. "I had to recuscitate him more than once."
"Well, all of those things seem to be inert now, including the one in his brain that controlled them all. He seems to be fine, not to mention rude. He keeps calling everyone hairless apes."
"Not surprising," Buckaroo snickered. "Ya-ya was never really all that personable."
"Any idea what this Warpaath person is going to try with the overthruster?"
"No clue," Buckaroo sighed. "Until the mess in 1984, I had no idea that it had interdimensional capabilities. The Lorwardians are a highly advanced civilization. God only knows what kind of a weapon Warpaath could turn the overthruster into."
"But you said it doesn't work anymore."
"Not since the nineties," Buckaroo said. "A stray bullet from our rude friend caused a power backlash that melted the power conduits and fused the phase inducer with the rectifier coil. I'm pretty sure that's what made it open both an interplanetary wormhole and a pan temporal vortex before it shorted out completely. The internal mechanism is a twisted mess! The overthruster could probably be repaired, but I never took the time to do it. By that point, I was done with it. It's caused too much death and destruction." And now it may cause even more.
----
Warpaath sat in his command throne, looking with disgust at the device he had gone through so much trouble to acquire. It doesn't work, he thought. Looking over the interior scans of the oscillation overthruster, Warpaath was actually impressed. Even by Lorwardian standards, this was highly advanced. But then again, if a device couldn't be used as a weapon, or as a means of conquest, it wasn't built. The very thought of phasing through solid matter was a moot point when one could simply destroy whatever was in the way.
I may have underestimated this Buckaroo Banzai, Warpaath mused. If he could create such a device, then he could very well be as dangerous as the Great Blue. He looked over at the overthruster again. I could capture Banzai and force him to aid me, but he would either refuse, or sabotage the machine. A deadly smile crossed Warpaath's lips. At last, an opponent worthy of my guile. He stole another glance at his new prize. Maybe he could use this situation to his advantage. The inner workings of the machine were hopelessly melted, but maybe that didn't matter. Perhaps it's time to visit my ship's trophy vault, he thought. I seem to recall a device crafted by the inhabitants of Maxis VII that may be of assistance.
----
"I will tell you nothing!" the Red Lectroid known as John Ya-ya spat.
"Oh I think you will," Global Justice Chief Agent Will Du sneered. "You see, you have nowhere to go. You either tell us what we want to know, or we lock you up and turn you over to our top scientists to dissect."
"And what's to stop you from doing that even if I do tell you what you want to know?" Ya-ya retorted. "I seriously doubt you'll provide me with the means to return to Planet 10 if you survive Warpaath's final assault. I fully expect to spend the rest of my life as some hairless ape's science fair project! Why should I give you any more help than I already have?"
"What is the final assault?" Du demanded, ignoring the Red Lectroids rather accurate assumption of what his fate would be.
"Go blow it out your-"
"All right, this is getting us nowhere." Shego was getting impatient. "Why don't you give me five minutes alone with our reptilian friend here? I think I can make him talk."
"I don't care what the UN says, Mrs. Lipsky," Du said in a voice dripping with disgust. "You and that blue imbecile you married are still villains in my book."
Shego's eyes narrowed. "You do realize that I still owe you for last year when you broke down my front door and dragged my husband away on bogus charges?"
"We settled with you."
"No, your lawyers settled with my lawyers." Shego's hands erupted in a searing flash of green. "I haven't even started getting my pound of flesh from you yet."
"That's enough, Mrs. Lipsky," an authoritative voice from the door said. "Chief Agent Du, stand down."
"She threatened a GJ agent while he was in the process of interrogating a prisoner, Dr. Director," Du protested. "She should be locked up right beside him."
"Just try it, skippy," Shego threatened before feeling a hand on her shoulder.
"Sheila, it's okay," Kim Stoppable said. "Du's not worth it."
The chief agent gave Kim a dirty look. "I almost thought you had gotten smart, Miss Possible. True you were a rookie, but you were on your way to becoming a professional; maybe even another top agent. Instead, you went right back to being an amateur after Fast Track folded."
"It's Mrs. Stoppable now, Will," Kim growled. "And I do more good being an amateur than I would if I was turned into a clone of you."
"I said that's enough!" Dr. Director shouted. "Mr. Ya-ya, I am authorized to offer you asylum on Earth in exchange for your cooperation."
"Cooperation that even you admitted you had no choice but to give us, I might add," Shego said, conjuring a plasma ball on her right index finger. "So why don't you just spill it before I follow that old song's advice about fresh barbecued iguana!"
"It's obvious that Warpaath treated you like dirt," Kim said, playing the good cop to Shego's bad cop. "Why not just help us so we can bring him down?"
"If he learns that I helped you, he'll kill me in an even more painful way than he did at the Tech Museum, and in such a way that there won't be enough left of me to revive! I have no desire to die by his hands again."
At that moment Buckaroo Banzai and Anne Possible entered the room. "I think we can come to an understanding, John. Your former jailer isn't as invincible as he would have you believe. We've either disabled or captured over half of the walker fleet that landed on the North and South American continents, and our allies overseas are following suit. As for your situation, I'm going to wager a guess that our friends from Global Justice neglected to inform you that those torture devices you were implanted with are offline." Had Ya-ya possessed eyebrows, he would have raised one. Will Du, meanwhile, was scowling. That was a piece of information he didn't want divulged. "We can stop him. And after that, you'll be free to go, as long as you stay out of trouble. I give you my word."
John Ya-ya leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. "I have a demand to make, Banzai. I want to be there when you bring that green conniver to his knees."
"Unacceptable," Du said in a superior tone.
"If that's what you want, Mr. Ya-ya," Dr. Director said, overriding the chief agent.
"What!?" Du shrieked. "Dr. Director, you can't be serious."
Buckaroo nodded. "Okay, John. You can come with us when we face Warpaath again, in exchange for any information we want."
John Ya-ya bared his teeth in the Red Lectroid equivalent of a smile. "Well then, Banzai, let us talk. We'll discuss my former master, and the one he calls the Great Blue."
----
Warpaath watched with satisfaction as the manufacturing plant deep in the heart of his ship assembled his new weapon. On a table in front of him sat the overthruster. Above it was a monitor screen that showed its innards. The internal mechanism had been nothing but a jumbled mass of mishapen metal and plastic, but now the image on the screen was becoming clearer, as if somehow the various components were regenerating. Warpaath looked over at the device the overthruster was resting in. A series of orange lasers were tracing the outlines and contours of the overthruster's interior and exterior, seemingly turning back the clock and restoring the overthruster to a functional state.
Why go to Banzai to repair this device when I have machines that can do the job for me? Warpaath again gazed into his ship's factory. Not only will it be rebuilt, but it will be incorporated into a new class of weapon. I can use this one template to manufacture an entire arsenal of overthruster powered artillery! Warpaath's grin turned into a feral sneer. Very soon, Great Blue, your pelt will be mine, your world will be nothing but a burned out husk, and all of Lorwardia will be bowing down before me!
Warpaath turned his attention to a live feed of the Banzai Institute from one of his watchers. Banzai's people were installing new weapons on the walkers they had captured. While I wait, I think I'll teach these humans what happens to stolen Lorwardian technology.
----
A short time later, Kim, Shego and Buckaroo had taken John Ya-ya to the conference room, and were joined by Drew Lipsky and a not quite awake Ron Stoppable. He had only just woken up from his honor nap and was nursing his first cup of coffee. "Are you sure this isn't decaf?" he asked his naked mole rat Rufus, who had found and poured the coffee.
Rufus shrugged and squeaked, "I dunno."
"Well, was it in an orange pot?"
"Color blind," Rufus said.
"Right. You're color blind. Hey, KP, is this decaf?"
"Ron, honey, I know you just woke up, but I need you to get your head in the game, okay?" Kim took the mug from him and had a taste. "And yes, this is decaf. Really bad decaf."
"If you yammering primates are done," John Ya-ya said in an annoyed tone. He looked at Ron with disdain. "How Warpaath believes one such as this is the Great Blue, I'll never know."
"Neither will I," Drew grumbled. "I was the Great Blue! How come the Buffoon is now?"
"Sorry, Drew," Shego said from the other side of the room, "but you didn't stop two nine foot tall aliens unarmed and all by yourself. That seems pretty great."
"What exactly is the 'Great Blue' anyway?" Buckaroo asked. Drew answered before Ya-ya could.
"He's some sort of ultimate warrior from Lorwardian legend," he began. "Warmonga said that the Great Blue would reach out from across the stars and lead the Lorwardians into victory. She thought it was me because of the time I was on American Star Maker to plug my mind control shampoo."
"That was epic fail," Shego muttered under her breath.
"I know you're in uniform again, Shego, but must you mock me at every turn and give me lip!?"
"Sorry, honey," Shego said with a genuine smile. "It's just, you're so easy to mock. Not to mention..." she sauntered over to Drew and put her arms around him, "you look really sexy when you get all flustered like that, and you like it when I give you lip." Shego brought her lips to Drew's.
Kim let out a gagging sound. "Time and place, you two."
"Like you and the Buffoon are any different?" Shego retorted without breaking eye contact with her husband.
"But why think I'm the Great Blue?" Ron asked. "I mean, I'm not blue!"
"You turn blue when you go full monkey," Kim suggested.
"Sometimes you glow blue, too," Shego added.
"But I didn't reach out from across the stars!"
"In a way, Ron, you did," Buckaroo said. "That last transmission from Warhok's ship showed you in battle and glowing blue. I'd say you just met the second criteria."
"But what about the third?" Kim asked. "I mean, Ron's so not intergalactic conquerer material."
"Attitudinator anyone?" Shego said. "Flip his brains and he's as bad as they come."
Ron swallowed hard. "I guess it's a good thing that Wade infected all the Attitudinators with a computer virus that makes the user sing show tunes. I don't want to go bad again."
Buckaroo stood in silent thought for a moment. "The question is, why does Warpaath want to destroy this legendary figure who is supposed to bring victory in battle? It just doesn't make sense."
"If you'll let me continue," Ya-ya hissed. "Warpaath wants this one dead for two reasons. The first is because it would make him feared back home. Anyone who could destroy the famed Great Blue is no one to trifle with. The second has to do with the female called Warmonga."
I had a feeling about that, Kim thought to herself.
"My former master and this female knew each other since childhood," Ya-ya continued. "They were inseparable."
"Reminds me of a couple of people," Shego smirked. Kim didn't reply; she just took Ron's hand and held it tightly.
"But one day, she met another young warrior called Warhok. He was sort of an alpha male type." Ya-ya snorted. "Warmonga was putty in his hands. She left Warpaath high and dry because of it. She even joined Warhok and all the others in ridiculing him because of his thinner build."
Buckaroo started pacing the floor. "That answers my other question. Warpaath's not as physically imposing as Warhok was. It sounds like Warpaath is small for a Lorwardian."
"The small theory would explain his lack of fighting skills," Kim said.
"Don't forget that we had him seriously outnumbered, Kim," Buckaroo added. "Warpaath's smart. He knew he couldn't fight his way out, so he thought his way out instead. That doesn't mean he can't fight. It just means he chooses to use his brain instead of his fists."
"He's had to hone his mind into a deadly weapon," Ya-ya said. "Physically, Warpaath was no match for his peers. But mentally, he is unrivaled. He has plots on top of plots that are almost impossible to keep up with. He is hated because of this. He is seen as weak, but he is almost second to none when it comes to conquest. I lived on Lorwardia for several years. Emperor Warlorrd always hated giving Warpaath commendations for successful invasions! It was unheard of for what they considered an inferior physical specimen to be that proficient at the art of war."
"You see? Warlorrd is another war name!" Ron exclaimed. "What is up with all the war names?"
"They are a warrior culture, you imbecile!" Ya-ya said with a growl. "They live for combat and conquest. And Warpaath has decided to go after the most dangerous conquest of all; Lorwardia itself. And with it, the entire Lorwardian Empire."
Buckaroo snapped his fingers. "That explains why he wants the overthruster!"
"It does?" Drew asked, clearly perplexed. "How?"
"Buckaroo's right," Kim agreed. "The Black Lectroids used the 8th Dimension as a place to put their war criminals." John Ya-ya growled at Kim's assessment of his people.
"And the overthruster is the key to the 8th Dimension." Buckaroo gave Kim a smile. "Great minds think alike, Kim. Warpaath is going to use the overthruster to imprison his enemies in the 8th Dimension when he goes to conquer Lorwardia."
"I get it now," Shego said. "These guys have to live by some kind of warrior code. Being taken prisoner is probably a huge disgrace to them."
"And the 8th Dimension is the ultimate prison," Buckaroo added. "There's only one way in, and no way out. He can keep the whole population in line with just that threat. He'll hardly have to lift a finger. This is all makes perfect sense."
Ron was scratching his head. "Not all of it. There's still the way he'd freak whenever someone mentioned Warmonga's name. I get they were buds and she stabbed him in the back, but why would he freak like that?"
Kim looked down. "I have an idea about that, but I'd like to get some more facts before I go with it."
Dr. Director, who was leaning against a far wall in the room, had been listening quietly to the exchange. "I don't think that's a good idea, Kim. If you have intel on Warpaath, we need to know what it is."
Buckaroo let out an annoyed grunt. "Like you people know what to do with good intel."
"Is there a problem, Dr. Banzai?"
"Yes, Dr. Director, there is." Buckaroo stormed across the room and got in the director's face. "I can sum it up in three letters. WCL."
"The World Crime League has nothing to do with this, Banzai," Dr. Director hissed.
"The hell it doesn't! They were a worse threat than the Worldwide Evil Empire coud ever hope to be, and you people ignored all my warnings about them. You dismissed me as just another person out for revenge!"
"Okay, I came in during the middle of this movie," Shego said, "so would someone like to fill me in on what the hissy fit's all about?"
"The World Crime League was the biggest criminal alliance in recorded history, Shego," Buckaroo said, the anger still thick in his voice. "Their leader is the one who sabotaged the overthruster my parents were testing back in 1955 and killed them!"
"That last skirmish you had with them in 1995 was during my predecessor's tenure, Dr. Banzai. I had nothing to do with how the World Crime League was handled."
"That's because they were 'handled' by me and my team, Betty, not GJ!" Buckaroo snarled. "And when you took over, what did you do? You dedicated more time and personnel into going after the Worldwide Evil Empire in just one year than was sent after the World Crime League the entire time they were at large, and all because their leader just happened to be your twin brother!"
"You're out of line, Banzai."
"No, Betty, you're the one who's out of line! You've let your little sibling rivalry run your life and influence almost every decision you've made as the head of Global Justice. Why is it that you couldn't respond to Diablo Night, or the first invasion? Could it be that the hunt for your brother has spread your resources too thin for you to be effective at anything else? Or could it have something to do with the fact that your organization is so bureaucratically top heavy that you can't decide on where to go for lunch without having to go through a committee? No wonder you've had to rely so heavily on Kim and Ron. Just like your predecessor did with me."
Both Buckaroo and Betty stood nose to nose for what seemed like an eternity. "I'm here now, Buckaroo," Betty finally said. "I admit it, mistakes were made. A lot of mistakes have been made, but I'm here now. Like it or not, you need Global Justice as much as we need you." Buckaroo sighed and stepped back. "We don't have to like each other to work together, Dr. Banzai."
"Fortunately for us," Buckaroo muttered.
"Now, Kim," Dr. Director said, "please tell us what your theory is."
Kim took a deep breath. "Shego was right when she said Warpaath's sitch was like Ron and me." She turned and looked at her husband, and gently caressed his cheek. "Warpaath is what I'm afraid you could have become, Ron."
"I could never be like him, KP, you know that."
"Ron, just listen to me, please and thank you. What if I had stayed with Josh, of if Erik had been real and I turned my back on you? Lord knows I did some pretty stupid things over the years. Like the supply closet sitch at the spirit dance, going on a date with Josh when I was in danger of blushing myself do death, and asking you to have your mom take me and Walter Nelson to the orthodontist when we locked braces. Even though things worked out for us, I still can't help but wonder what could have happened; the 'what if's.'" Kim sighed and closed her eyes. "I've been fighting with those 'what if's' for over three years now; ever since Diablo Night. Erik could just as easily have been real. Or I could have shut you out when you came clean about how you feel about me. And then what?"
Kim and Ron didn't see it, but both Drew and Shego had hung their heads in shame. Neither one of them was looking forward to the day that they had to tell their son about their villainous past, or about what they had put his godparents through.
"Bottom line, Warmonga didn't give him a chance," Kim continued. "And she betrayed him. That's why Warpaath goes all freak whenever anyone mentions her." Kim closed her eyes. "I could have done the same thing to you, Ron."
Buckaroo put a hand on Kim's shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up over what might have been, Kim, you'll only make yourself crazy. Besides, I think you're selling yourself short. If you were that shallow, you wouldn't go out of your way to help people. Getting back to the business at hand, I think you may be right about our alien friend. We might be able to use this against him. We almost got the upper hand when he lost it the first time, but he was quick enough on his feet to recover before we could press the advantage. Now that we know why, we can get in his head and keep him off balance."
Before anything else could be said, the four alarm tones of the Kimmunicator cried out. "What's the sitch, Wade?"
"Big trouble, Kim!" Wade exclaimed. "Warpaath's ship is on the move! He just shot out of the ocean at high speed! He must be halfway to the Moon by now."
"Is it too much to hope that he's gonna just leave us alone now that he has the thruster thingie?" Ron asked, already knowing the answer to his question.
"That's weird," Wade said, almost to himself. "He left something behind when he took off. I think it's a drone. It's emitting some kind of rapidly expanding energy field!"
"What kind of energy?" Buckaroo asked, running to the nearest computer terminal.
"I don't know!" Wade frantically replied. "It's nothing I've seen before. This is really odd. It doesn't seem to be doing anything." Just then, a series of loud crashes rumbled through the Space Center and shook the walls. "Uh oh. I think I spoke too soon."
James Possible burst through the doors to the conference room. "The walkers are disintigrating!"
"Buckaroo, I've got a Sidney Zweibel from the Banzai Institute on the line!" Wade said.
Buckaroo pulled out his own Kimmunicator. "Put him through." The image of a man in a red shirt and a cowboy hat appeared on the small screen. "Let me guess, New Jersey," Buckaroo said, referring to his fellow neurosurgeon by his Hong Kong Cavalier nickname, "all the walkers are disintigrating."
"Disitigrating nothing!" New Jersey replied. "They just turned to dust! The pollinator system and the upload arms came crashing though them. You'll need to ask Mr. Lipsky how to kill those mutant plants of his. When the mutagen tanks ruptured, the stuff got all over ther place. We're not an Ive League institute, but the main hall is covered in aggressive mutant ivy now. I think they're trying to crush the building."
"I'll get on the super weed killer," Drew grumbled.
"But it's not just the walkers, Buckaroo," New Jersey continued. "Perfect Tommy just came from the warehouse. He said the wreckage we have from the first Lorwardian ship did the same thing."
"I've got reports from all over the world of the walkers crumbling," Wade reported. "And I just got a message from General Simms that the Lorwardian wreckage at Area 51 dissolved!" Wade's fingers shot at lightning speed across his keyboard. "Even the drone is gone now. That energy field must have interracted with something in the molecular structure of the material the Lorwardian hardware is made of!"
"That explains why Warpaath got out of town," Buckaroo said angrily. "His ship would've fallen apart, too. We should've guessed that he could remotely trigger the self destruct systems! All that effort was for nothing! New Jersey, get the troops together and get to the bunker. Things are going to get ugly."
"What are you gonna do?"
"I don't know," Buckaroo replied. "We've just been thrown back to square one. I'll keep you posted, Jersey. Banzai out."
"Well, now what?" Kim asked uneasily.
"I can take him," Ron said darkly.
Kim's eyes shot open. "No, Ron!"
"KP, I know I can take him."
"And what if you have to go to extreme measures to stop him?" Kim's face softened. "That almost destroyed you last time, baby. And I wasn't there to help you because I was off with Fast Track."
"You're here now," Ron pointed out. "And, y'know, last time it was something I couldn't avoid. I think I can this time."
Shego wasn't buying it. "That would be a good plan if not for the fact that the not so Jolly Green Giant is out gunning for you!" She stormed up to Ron and got in his face. "Warpaath wants a showdown with you! We've got no weapons and no plan, while he's got the overthruster and a serious desire to fillet you! If you think I'm just gonna let you go out there and get skinned...."
"Why, Sheila," Ron said with an exaggerated sniff, "I didn't know you cared."
"Of course I care, you idiot! You think I made you my son's godfather because of your good looks? Which, by the way, you don't have."
Dr. Director was studying the screen of her PDA. "I can have half a dozen GJ platoons here within the hour, Dr. Banzai."
"An hour's gonna be too late," Wade said in a frantic voice. "Now that the energy field has dissipated, Warpaath's ship is reentering the atmosphere. He's heading for downtown Middleton; right to where Ron stopped Warhok and Warmonga. He'll be there in about twenty minutes."
"That's it then," Buckaroo said. "This is the fight he wanted." He walked over to Ron and put a hand on his shoulder. "It looks like you may be our last chance, son."
Kim steadied herself. "No. There's another way to do this. I have an idea." Kim ran towards the confernece room door.
"KP? Where are you going?"
"To get my battle suit from the Sloth. Like I said, I have an idea!" I just hope it doesn't blow up in my face.
----
Warpaath's ship hovered above the Middleton skyline. He flew by sky cycle from his ship to the ground below to await his prey. He made no effort to conceal his return, and thus knew that Banzai and the Great Blue would come to him. Warpaath smiled as he felt the weight of the new battle harness he was wearing. A device that looked like the barrel of a ray gun was now attached to his left gauntlet, with power conduits running to the silver disc shaped device on his chest; the newly restored oscillation overthruster in a brand new armored casing. Warpaath was ready.
----
Kim had finished zipping up her white and blue battle suit in her father's office when there was a knock at the door. "KP? You still in here?"
"Come in, Ron." Kim was in Ron's arms with her tongue his mouth as soon as he walked through the door. "Booyah," she said, breaking the kiss.
"That was beyond booyah," Ron said in a dreamy voice. "But what was it for?"
"Because I love you. No matter what happens today, I love you and I always will." She put her hand over Ron's heart. "Out there, in here. That goes for me, too."
That's when Ron noticed Kim wasn't wearing her gloves yet, and that she still had her wedding band and engagement ring on. "You don't wear these in the field, KP," he said, knowing Kim's fear of them being lost, destroyed, or stolen by villains. He normally didn't wear his ring on missions, either.
"Wade reinforced the glove to protect them," Kim said. "Besides, I kind of like wearing them."
Ron pulled off his left glove, revealing his own wedding ring. "Me, too." Ron pulled Kim back into his arms and held her tightly. "I love you, Kim." They stood in silence.
A knock at the door pulled the couple out of the moment. "Kim, Ron, it's time to go," Buckaroo Banzai said.
Kim went into mission mode. "Right. Let's do it." She put her gloves on and called Wade on her suit's Kimmunicator. "Is the battle suit's new holo-projector app ready?"
"I just uploaded the configuration to your suit's on board computer, Kim."
"You rock, Wade." Kim's eyes narrowed. "All right, let's go."
----
Warpaath could only smirk when the modified Roth SL coup screeched to a halt five feet from him. "Welcome, Great Blue. Welcome to your end! And to you, Buckaroo Banzai, I offer my thanks. Your overthruster will be remembered as the most powerful weapon in Lorwardian history."
Buckaroo glared at the eight foot tall alien, taking special note of the silver disc on Warpaath's chest plate. Even though it had a new outer shell, Buckaroo immediately recognized the overthruster. "That device was never intended to be a weapon! It was meant to further the cause of science!"
"Ah, but to a Lorwardian, there is no higher science than the development of new weapons. And this one will allow me to bring the entire galaxy to its knees."
"You're awfully confident for a guy who's about to get his biscuit kicked all the back to Lorwardia," Kim snarled.
"Your temperment is the same color as your hair," the Lorwardian chuckled. "You amuse me, fiery one. It's a pity I have to destroy you. You would have made an excellent pet."
"Replacing me already, Master?" another voice asked. John Ya-ya slowly emerged from a black car that pulled up behind the Sloth. Next to him was Dr. Betty Director, her sidearm drawn.
"John Ya-ya," Warpaath said with disgust. "Didn't I kill you already?"
"I just keep coming back," the Red Lectoid snarled. He winced when he saw Warpaath press the button on his gauntlet to activate the punishment modules. Ya-ya visibly relaxed when nothing happened.
"I guess you did die," the Lorwardian said nonchalantly. "The modules are designed to shut down when the heart stops." Warpaath cracked his knuckles. "I'll just have to kill you with my bare hands this time!"
Dr. Director fired a shot at Warpaath's feet when he started to move. "Not so fast!" she warned. "On behalf of Global Justice and the United Nations, I must request that you get off our planet, or face the consequences."
Emerald flame erupted around Shego's hands. "And we're the consequences."
Ron's eyes started glowing a violent blue. "Trust me, war dude, you so don't want to tangle with us." Ron saw the bloodlust in Warpaath's eyes, and was glad that he left Rufus back at the Space Center.
Warpaath could only laugh at the show of force against him. They still think they can overpower me. They have learned nothing! This will be too easy.
Kim saw the look of supreme confidence on Warpaath's face. He thinks we're just gonna attack. I hope I'm right about this. Kim took a cleansing breath and went into a fighting stance. "All right, Warpaath, let's dance!"
----
Author's Note:
Again, big thanks to Eddy13 for letting me use the name "Warlorrd" for the Lorwardian ruler.