Author's Notes: Finally, another chapter makes it's way onto . I would like to thank Ghostwhiter for betaing, it's helped alot. As usual, italicized text is active thought. I don't own Kim Possible or any characters associated, they are owned by Disney.
The rope jostled as Ron let go of it, plunging towards the water below. He looked up for a split second to make sure they hadn't fallen with him. "It looks like the bar held. Good," he thought. Focusing on drawing in his power he looked down to the river. His eyes glowed slightly as he scanned the water with enhanced eyesight, looking for a deeper section to absorb his fall. He found what he was looking for, a channel between two large rocks, and used the last fuel in his blaster briefs to steer himself there. Even with the slight loss of momentum the rockets provided he still hit the water hard and plunged to the bottom of the river, smacking against the smooth rocks on the bottom. He fought the grayness, creeping into his vision from the impact as he was swept downstream by the powerful current. "Must… reach… the surface!" he thought, scrambling frantically to grab onto one of the many boulders he was being swept past. Rufus popped out of his pocket and began trying to fight the current as well. Ron grabbed a hold of him before he could be swept away. Just as he thought his burning lungs would give out he was able to get his feet underneath him and push himself up to the surface. He held Rufus up out of the water as he gasped for air. He grazed a rock, spinning him around painfully, before turning so his feet were facing downstream to absorb the impact of any rocks jutting from the water. Downstream Ron noticed some scraggly trees growing out of the cracks in the cliff walls and overhanging the river; he steered himself towards them as best he could. "Here's where you go solo little buddy," he yelled over the sound of the rushing water. Ron tossed Rufus towards a clump of branches and tried to grab onto a rock he was passing.
"Ron!" Rufus squeaked in protest as he flew through the air towards a branch. He grasped the branch as it bent down towards the water a couple of feet, but well short of the water. Thinking quickly Rufus looked downstream to the other over hanging trees. "Hnk, there!" he thought, spotting a branch hanging a little lower. He hopped from branch to branch with nimbleness that would have made a squirrel jealous while Ron was losing his grip on the rock. Rufus hopped onto the low hanging branch and ran to the tip bending it down nearly to the water just as Ron lost his grip on the rock and was swept towards it.
"Thanks little buddy," Ron gasped as he grabbed the thin branch, praying it would hold. The branch bent, pulling him behind another rock and out of the worst of the current. He tried to pull himself onto the rock, but stopped as the branch began to crackle. The riverbank sat a scant twenty feet away, but his body was exhausted from fighting to stay above the cold water and he knew that he wouldn't make it. "I hope KP is doing better than I am right now," he thought.
Kim shivered as she began to stir; the metal floor that she was laying on was cold. She opened her eyes a crack and sat up with a gasp as she saw the blue face of one Dr. Drakken, unconscious not a foot from her. Wind was blasting around her, and she saw Shego ahead of her, operating controls while standing. A beeping noise was coming from a screen mounted in a dashboard. "We're in a hovercar, what happened?" Kim thought. She saw Shego check back on her, a worried look on her face.
Shego glanced back and saw that Kim was awake. "Get over here Kimmie and scan the water," Shego demanded. "Ron fell in from the hoverlair, we have to find him quick." She turned back to scan the water, letting out a small breath of relief when Kim rushed to her side to help look instead of trying to take her down.
"How long has he been in?" Kim asked worriedly as she looked around. "And what is that beeping?"
"He's been in the water for a couple of minutes," Shego answered. "The beeping is an incoming craft, probably Global Justice."
"Aren't you worried they'll take you in?" Kim asked.
"I'll worry about that once we find him," Shego snapped.
"Right," Kim nodded, scanning the water silently for a moment. "There, behind that rock!" Kim exclaimed as she caught a glimpse of blond hair amongst the rocks and rushing water.
"I'm on it!" Shego exclaimed as she sent the hovercraft into a dive towards the rocks. The gravatronic ray extended from the hull with a press of a button and Shego aimed carefully, plucking Ron from the rapids. She pulled the craft up and headed towards the cliff edge near Ron's truck, placing Ron on the grass with the tractor beam.
Ron was shivering, nearly numb from the cold water from the river. Erik rushed to his side and helped to hold him up, a little groggy from his own experience with the snoozulator. "He's freezing!" Erik yelled towards the two women.
Kim jumped out of the hovercraft just before Shego, who held up to grab an emergency blanket from one of the cargo holds and put the vehicle into 'hover'. They grabbed the blanket together and slid into it, wrapping Ron up with the two of them.
"We have to get these soaked clothes off of him and get him warmed up!" Shego exclaimed worriedly as she began stripping him of his clothes as Ron shook. Kim assisted.
"Erik, get the truck started and warmed up," Kim said even as she was pulling off Ron's top, still firmly in mission mode. Soon Ron was down to his boxers.
Shego used her comet-given abilities to raise her body temperature slightly and pressed her body up against Ron's. Kim joined her, sandwiching him between them. Kim and Shego both grimaced at having their arms wrapped around the other but let it pass considering the gravity of the situation.
The sound of a jet was heard and seconds later a GJ VTOL buzzed them, over shooting and turning around. The voice of the VTOL's pilot crackled over the radio in the hovercar. "This is Global Justice Agent Thompson. Put your hands up immediately and surrender yourselves."
Much to Team Possible and Shego's surprise the hovercraft took off, an angry looking Drakken at the controls. "We're through Shego!" he screamed over his shoulder, shaking his fist at her as the hovercraft veered wildly. It clipped a pine tree as it flew off, the VTOL in hot pursuit.
Several minutes of awkward silence later, broken only by the chattering of teeth, Ron began to come out of his cold-induced stupor. "Ruuuufuuuuss!" he stuttered as he shook. "He wa-was o-on the r-r-rock.."
"I'll get him," Shego said, stepping out of contact with Kim and Ron. She stepped up to the cliff edge and looked down before grabbing the rope, still hanging from the front of Ron's truck, with her gloved hands and sliding down.
Kim walked Ron over to the now-warm truck and they climbed in, still side by side. Erik was busying himself with packing up the equipment and trying not to get jealous. A few minutes later he heard a crackling from the woods behind them.
As Erik was checking out the crackling coming from the woods, Kim was checking Ron over for injuries now that he wasn't in danger of going into hypothermic shock. She looked over as Erik tapped on the window and pointed behind the truck. I contingent of GJ operatives had just pulled up in a humvee and were piling out, led by no other than Special Agent William Du.
Shego reached the bottom of the gorge and skipped from rock to rock along the bank of the rushing rapids. It took a few minutes, but she made it over to the area that they had found Ron in. She was startled when a pink blur scampered up her leg and immediately snuggled to her neck, pulling her hair around its body like a blanket and chattering. She felt Ron's pet's cold skin and the slight tremble of it shivering. "It'll be OK Ruffie," she said soothingly, cupping her hands around him for warmth. After a moment he warmed enough to stop shivering and she slipped him into the pocket on her calf and headed back to the truck.
Shego rounded the last bend in the river to see the rope that she used to get down the cliff shaking slightly. She looked up and saw several men in GJ uniform beginning their descent. A voice from the top of the cliff caught her attention.
Will Du stood at the top of the cliff, looking down with his hands on hips. "Shego, you will surrender immediately and submit yourself to Global Justice custody," he said with his usual arrogant tone.
"It had to be him," she thought, rolling her eyes, "At least they didn't send someone competent." "Not today, Agent Duh!" Shego yelled with a look of contempt on her face. She fired a plasma bolt ten feet below the GJ operatives coming down, severing the rope and leaving them with a 30' drop if they wished to chase her. "Well, it's been fun, but I have to run," she sneered before running towards the downed hover lair. She used it for a bridge, as it spanned nearly the entire river. Her plasma and natural athleticism made scaling the cliff easy. Agent Du ground his teeth in frustration as Team Possible and the rest of the GJ operatives watched Shego disappear into the woods on the other side of the river.
Kim was driving Ron's truck to the hospital. "I'm fine KP," Ron stated as they zipped around a corner a little too fast, the inner wheels rising just a little off the ground. "But I won't be if you smash into something!"
"Amp down Ron, my driving is fine," Kim said with a tight smile.
"I don't see why I need to go to the hospital though, I'm fine," Ron stated.
"Then we should be right in and out," Kim stated, "No big, right?"
"Fine KP, but you and Erik are getting checked too," Ron stated, folding his arms across his chest.
"What for?" Erik asked, a little puzzled.
"You were both hit with some sort of funky ray," Ron said, turning his head to look at Kim. "Again."
"Hey it's not my fault that Drakken is obsessed with the things," Kim said, jumping the curb into the hospital parking lot, parking near the entrance. They made their way inside and were met by Mrs. Dr. P.
"Wade called ahead?" Ron asked.
"Yes Ronald," Mrs. Possible answered kindly. "Now let's get you to a room and have a look."
"Kim and Erik need a look too," Ron stated, "they were hit with some funky ray that made them lose consciousness."
"Ron!" Kim hollered in shock. "I can't believe you actually told on us!"
Erik grumbled a bit too.
"He's just looking out for you Kim," her mother stated, smiling at her and patting Ron on the shoulder. "If we couldn't trust you two to do that for each other than we wouldn't allow you to go on missions."
"Alright Ronald. The MRI on your spine came back normal so you can go home today," Mrs. Dr. Possible stated with a smile. "I scheduled an appointment with a massage therapist in Room 120 in a half an hour for the knots in your back."
"Thanks Mrs. Dr. P.," Ron stated, trying to stretch a little. "How are Kim and Erik?"
"They appear to be OK as well, though we're going to monitor them overnight just to be safe," she replied.
"You can never be to careful when dealing with mad science," Ron stated with a grin.
"They're in rooms 210 and 211 if you want to say hi before your appointment."
"Sure thing Mrs. Dr. P.," Ron stated, stepping forward and giving his second mother a hug before heading out of the room.
Green eyes that had arrived at the vent in the ceiling just as Mrs. Dr. Possible had entered the room to speak to Ron disappeared back into the darkness. "It looks like I'll have to catch him in a half an hour then," the woman thought to herself. She slipped through the vents, stopping above a storage room and dropping down inside. A few moments of searching later and the woman pulled a set of nurse's scrubs off of a shelf and slipped into them. She listened at the door for a moment and, satisfied no one was around, stepped into the hallway, heading to room 120.
After a quick stop in to chat with Kim and Erik, Ron headed to room 120 for his appointment. He shook his head with a grin at Kim and Erik's faces as he informed them that he was getting a massage and heading home while they had to stay the night under observation. He reached the room and knocked on the door.
"Enter!" a muffled voice called from in the room. Ron opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind him. The room was sparsely furnished, just a padded table with a face rest on the end, a few plants and a table with bottles of oil and a small cd player. There was also a closed doorway leading to another room, where the voice likely came from. "Please disrobe down to your underwear and lie facedown on the table," the muffled voice commanded.
"OK, I'll let you know when I'm ready," Ron stated loudly at the doorway. He stripped down to his boxers, tossing his clothing in a pile in the corner. "Alright, I'm ready!" he stated, relaxing into the table.
"I'll be right out!" the muffled voice stated. She switched out the spiked coffee cup that she had brought the massage therapist with another and made sure that they wouldn't slip out of the chair in front of their desk. They would wake up in a couple of hours. She then attached the belt around her waist before stepping into the room. She walked over to the CD player and started it up, soft sounds of soothing music sounded in the room. Massage oil filled her hands as she stepped over to the table and began rubbing it into his back, working at the knots. After working on his back for a while she moved to his arms.
Ron sighed in contentment, the pain from the knotted muscles was subsiding and a warm tingle flowed across his skin. He opened his eyes as the massage therapist stepping in front of him to work on his shoulders and neck. His body tensed and his eye shot open in surprise as he saw the hospital slippers below him, his eyes following up to the pale green-tinged skin on the ankles. "Susan?" he asked.
"Yeah sport?" Shego purred, working the oil into his skin, her hands tingling with the slightest of plasma energy. "You really need to relax if this is going to do you any good," she stated still rubbing.
"Is Rufus OK?" he asked, starting to sit up.
Shego pushed down gently on his shoulders. "He's fine," she stated. "He's in the other room sleeping off an overdose of Bueno Nacho. Now let me finish here."
Ron relaxed back into the cushions, enjoying the massage. "That feels wonderful," he stated. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just applying a little heat," Shego stated with a grin. "Now turn over so I can get your front." Ron rolled over and she put a towel over his waist before working on his chest, legs, and arms.
Ron broke the silence after a few moments. "What's going to happen now?" he asked as she finished up his massage.
She swatted him on the chest, "That's it, I don't give 'happy endings'."
He flushed in embarrassment. "That's not what I meant," he stated, waving his hands in front of him. "I meant I don't think your going to work for Drakken again, so what are you going to do"
She stood looking down at him for a moment. "I don't know yet," she stated shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, I have a lot of money in numbered accounts, enough to live comfortably for a long, long time. But I don't think I'm ready to retire quite yet, I'm only 17 after all," she stated with a laugh.
Ron sat up, looking at Shego. "You could always stay in Middleton. Not too many people even know that you've been 'rejuvinated' so you could blend in, you know, start over?"
"You think too much Tiger," Shego stated with a sad smile. "How about for now we just settle for dinner at Bueno Nacho?"
"Alright you've convinced me," Ron stated, breaking into a smile.
"Next time don't make me try so hard," Shego said with a grin, rolling her eyes. "I'll get Rufus while you get dressed," Shego stated before leaving the room.
They drove to the mall; Shego needed clothes besides the scrubs she was currently in. After shopping for an outfit, that consequently made Ron's jaw drop, they hit the Bueno Nacho Express. Rufus was nearly in a cheese-induced coma, but was still able to pack away one more Naco. After some small talk about what had been going on for the past week Ron decided it was time to get to the point.
"So where are you going from here?" Ron asked, fidgeting a little bit.
"I have to leave for a while," she stated, looking away.
"Are you going to work for Dementor or something?"
"Nah," she scoffed. "If I do any more villainy it will be for myself, and it won't be some stupid rule the world scheme. I mean who has the energy to rule the world? Even when you tried out evil you were only after 'the world's supply of nacos'," she stated, trying to suppress a laugh.
"Ugh, don't remind me of Zorpox, the attitudinator is just sick and wrong," Ron said with a frown. Shego couldn't hold the laughter in on that one, Ron just looked at her blankly as the giggle-fit subsided. "Are you done now?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said. "Ut oh."
"What oh?" Ron asked turning around. His face went a little white as he saw his nemesis walking through the food court.
"Stoppable!" Mr. Barkin called out as he walked over. "Weren't we just going over the importance of eating right in health class?"
"Yes Mr. B.," Ron said. "I'll keep that in mind."
"See that you do," Barking stated solemnly. "Goldstein," he said, nodding his head to Shego before walking away.
Shego wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I do really have to be going though Ron, GJ will be keeping an eye on the area," she stated, getting up.
"Will you ever be back?" he asked standing as well.
She turned to him with a smirk, "Oh you haven't seen the last of me Ron Stoppable." She stepped in and gave him a peck on the cheek before turning and disappearing into the crowd, leaving Ron with a stunned grin on his face.
"Ah Booyah!" rang out through the mall a moment later.
"Agent Spade, what took you so long to report?" Dr. Director asked, speaking in person to the illusive agent.
Agent Spade looked back at Dr. Director and looked away, seemingly bored, although her heart was pounding. This woman held her very freedom in her hands, but she wouldn't kowtow to her. "I got here as quickly as was convenient," she stated evenly.
Dr. Director dropped a packet of orders in front of Agent Spade. "We are pulling the plug on Drakken, he is getting too dangerous to just monitor. We have the Intel you gathered on the backup base in the Rockies, we will give Drakken's lackeys until Sunday evening to gather before we make our strike and bring them in. You will be working with Agent Du."
Agent Spade rolled her eyes. "Agent Du? That'll be fun." Dr. Director raised an eyebrow while Agent Spade continued, "But we should wait until Monday morning to strike. Some of the henchmen are bound to not show up until then, considering they usually get Sundays off."
"Duly noted," Dr. Director stated. "Agent Du will assemble the strike teams, you fill out your report on this last fiasco and get some rest. You'll be needing it these next few weeks as we secure all of Drakken's assets."
Ron waited at the airport; the last few weeks of school were hectic, filled with finals, pep rallies, and the occasional party. Ron partook in all of them to a degree, in between time spent training and hanging out with Kim and his other friends. Erik was starting to warm up to him as evidenced by the handshake Ron was now receiving. The few missions that had crept up over the past weeks helped the two to bond a little and accept each other.
"Have fun at summer school," Erik said with a grin as they shook up.
"Oh, that's how it's going to be!" Ron said back with a smile. "You two be careful on any missions that come up, remember Erik, distraction."
"And you be careful with that Yori girl, she looks like quite the handful," Erik riposted.
"Erik!" Kim exclaimed, socking him in the shoulder before giving Ron a hug. "I'll miss you Ron."
"I'll miss you too KP!" Ron said, returning the hug.
Rufus scampered up to his shoulder and gave Kim's face a hug. "Bye, bye!" he squeaked, receiving a peck on the head from Kim.
"Last call for flight 627 to LAX," sounded over the intercom.
"Alright, see you guys later this summer," Ron said with a wave.
"Bye Ron," Erik and Kim said together.
"Jinx, you guys owe me a soda!" Ron exclaimed a second later. "I can't believe I finally got one!" Ron stated as he disappeared up the ramp.
"You let him win didn't you Kim?" Erik asked with a grin.
"Muwa?" Kim said in mock outrage. They turned and left for home as Ron made his way to Japan.
Authors footnote: I know I said this before, but there won't be as long of a wait until the next chapter. In fact I already have the first 1000 words typed up.