Well, here we go again. I think I have some pretty good action in this. There's a little gore, but not bad. It's kind of indirect. Thanks again to all who have read, and another big thank-you to those who have reviewed: CajunBear73, AtomicFire, MrDrP, RealityBreakGirl, sveta89, romantic-cancer, Alphamech, and Kim's 1 fan. I really appreciate them all!

Disclaimer: I don't believe any of the KP characters are mine (in fact I'm pretty sure), and no real GJ agents were harmed in this chapter. (Gotta keep the GJ Union happy…)

Chapter 16

5:15 pm, just after guard change. Probably the most vulnerable time during a 24 hour period for Global Justice, as the new shift was just getting all information together from the dayshift passdown. No one would try anything at this time, would they?

Whether by pure luck, or perfect planning, this was the exact time that the two groups of Eric drones attacked.

One of two big differences between the first version of the Eric Drone and the second, Version 2.0 was ruthless. After all, they had no heart, soul, or emotional programming.

The initial reaction played out the same at both sites. The five Drones just walked in through the front door and up to the main security station. One dropped a small EMP grenade behind the desk while the other four circled the three guards who had been on duty for only 15 minutes. They were the last 15 minutes of their lives.

One fatal decision made by one of the governing bodies of G J was to abolish all projectile weapons, and carry DEW arms. (Directed Energy Weapons) After all, they could be dialed down and used as non-lethal weapons. But there was one major design flaw that no one had even considered. The electronics were vulnerable to an EMP.

After the monitor stations blinked out, and each guard tried their now inoperable weapons, a short fight ensued. A few got some licks in on a Drone, but they were shrugged off, and then a neck was broken.

From there, paths at the different locations diverged slightly. At the main complex in the middle of town, the group began to head for the largest concentration of humans to start taking them out. At the smaller base, where a certain redhead, now turned brunette, was having improvements made, they headed for the main power station.

…x x x x…

A bit earlier in the day…

By 7:30 am, James had been working hard at installing the upgrades for his daughter. Since everything had been explained to him what was going on, he felt a sort of urgency to get everything finished. For some reason, something in the back of his mind kept telling him to finish as quick as he could.

The first project was to install hardware, and that was probably the easiest. The backup control system was placed inside Kim's upper left thigh. It was really the only place it could go, as her limbs weren't really built to have more add-ons. As it turned out, her Dad knew what he was doing (as usual), and the small control box fit perfectly.

Next was the software upgrades. Again it wasn't too bad, and the connection for the upgrade was wireless, so there was no need for a physical connection. Ron was definitely glad to hear that, as he felt uncomfortable every time Kim had her syntho-skin cut open. Last, and certainly not least, was the ESD protection.

"Ron, you really don't need to be here." Kim said, gently holding her boyfriend's hand as he sat next to her. "Daddy said this will take almost the rest of the day for my systems to absorb all the EMP resistant material. There can't be the smallest air bubble, as that would compromise its integrity. That's the reason for it to be introduced slowly."

"I only wish I would have come up with this much sooner." Mr. Dr. P said. "All electronics could have been individually coated with the substance before assembly. As it is, now we need to completely fill each of your limbs with the stuff, and let it attach itself to any part that is electrical in nature. Don't forget Kim… we need to drain out the excess before releasing you. If we leave the extra material in your limbs, it may interfere with mechanical parts."

"Understood." She said with a nod, and looked back at Ron. "Now I think it would do you some good to go get something to eat, and drink. For both of us. It's almost one o'clock, and neither of us has eaten since that light breakfast this morning. You don't need to sit here holding my hand the entire time"

"But… I like holding you hand KP." Ron said. "I like feeling your hand in mine, even if you can't feel the same."

"Oh Ron…" She said, softly stroking his cheek. "I CAN feel. I can feel the small stubble that's growing from your face, and I can feel the pressure of your hand squeezing mine. There are sensors in my fingertips that are constantly looking at the pressure I apply, and can test the textures of what I'm touching, or is in contact with my skin. The system shuts down if anything over a certain limit, whether it's pressure, heat, or cold, is detected. That way I can't feel anything, such as when I punch my hand through a wall. Believe me though, it's a weird feeling.

"Now would you please go get me something to eat? I'm hungry. I'll be fine."

"OK… OK." Ron replied. "Would you like anything in particular?

"Besides coffee?" Ron amended, as he knew exactly what she was about to say.

"You are so sweet, Ronnie." Kim smiled sweetly. "Thanks. Anything else will do. Speaking of food, where's Rufus?"

"He's back in my room sleeping, as usual. I think he's still a little tweaked about you spitting pop all over him."

"I said I was sorry." Kim said, meaning every word.

"He'll get over it. I think you might owe him a chunk of Swiss, or something though." Kim chuckled softly. "Well, I better get going on some food. See you in a bit."

The two briefly kissed when Kim's dad turned his back on them, and Ron left the room as James and his sons finished connecting the hoses to various positions of her bionics. She sat there on a chair with rubber tubes about an inch in diameter attached to each limb.

Kim looked herself over, shook her head slightly, and muttered under breath. "Well, just when I thought I was starting to feel like a Human Being again…"

"What's that dear?" James asked as he heard his daughter mumbling to herself.

"Nothing Daddy. Nothing at all."

"OK boys, start the pumping cycle." He said loud enough for the twins to hear him. "Your limbs might feel a little heavy as this is pumped in, but your systems should compensate fairly quickly."

Sure enough, Kim's arms sagged a bit, and she felt like her legs were suddenly being held down by weights. "Wow. That does feel weird. When does it look like this will be finished?"

'Let's see…" He looked at his watch. "Probably a little after 5:00. Would you like anything to read?"

"Cosmopolitan?" Kim asked with hope in her eyes.

"You want a drink Kim?" Her dad asked flabbergasted.

"No, Daddy. It's a magazine." She said, rolling her eyes.

Just then Dr. Director entered the room. "Well now. How's my favorite Bionic Woman?"

"Just fine Betty. I'm doing well. Besides looking like this." She slightly shrugged her shoulders.

"I saw Ronald fixing you guys something to eat in the kitchen He should be back in about half an hour. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Cosmo?" Kim asked.

"Sure." Was all Betty said, as she immediately knew what Kim was talking about, "I think I may have some other reading material you might like too."

"Well, I've got the time." Kim said, and Betty Director left the room.

She returned about 20 minutes later, just after Ron had arrived with the food. "Hey that looks good! Do you have enough for another person?" She said eyeing the sandwiches stacked on a nearby tray.

"Sure do, Double… Ow!" Kim had used a well-placed elbow to silence Ron. "Help yourself." He winced, rubbing his side.

After everyone had eaten, Dr. Director left to go do some administrative duties, and Kim's eyes started to droop slightly as she was trying to read an article in her magazine.

Ron noticed. "Why don't you lie down, Kim?"

"Well, Daddy?" Kim asked, looking at her father.

"I don't see why not. That is if Ronald wouldn't mind helping me carry a couch from the back office in here. This machinery isn't very… portable." He pointed at the 6-inch lag bolts that held the main pump to the floor.

"No prob Dr. P." Ron said, and the two went to the back office, and retrieved the couch.

"There you go KP." Ron said as he set his end down.

Carefully she lay down on the couch mindful of the hoses so they wouldn't snag on anything or become kinked. She was out like a light as soon as her head hit the over-sized cushion Ron had placed down for her.

After a bit Ron decided to get a few winks himself. He carefully sat at the end of the couch where her feet were, and placed them on his own legs. Within a few minutes, he too was out like a light.

…x x x x…

Ron woke with a start about a quarter after five. He wasn't sure what woke him up, but he looked over at Kim's dad and the twins. They were keeping an eye on the various gauges and readouts on the pumps.

"Did you guys hear something?" He asked.

"No. Did you?" James asked.

"Maybe it was nothing. It was more felt than heard. Almost like a thud, or something." A distinct rumble echoed in the room.

"Now you heard that, right?" Ron asked again.

"No Doubt." The twins chorused as Kim sat up rubbing her eyes.

Not more than two seconds later, Dr. Director rushed into the room with Anne behind her. A few seconds later some G J agents arrived looking a little disheveled. One was a certain officer that Kim knew too well.

"Agent Du?" She said, surprised.

"Yes Ma'am?" Wil said, as he still thought of her as Quinn Probable.

"William…" Dr. Director said, "This is actually Kim Possible. You remember her, don't you?"

His eyes went wide. "The amateur?" Kim crossed her arms and huffed.

"You mean she's… She has…?" He couldn't believe that he hadn't seen it before. Wil always thought he could see through any disguise.

"Deal with it." Dr. Director said. "We have a situation on our hands."

Dr. Director went over to a nearby desk, and tapped the keyboard, bringing the screen to life. With a few clicks of the mouse, she was able to bring up a few cameras that were still operational.

"Look." Was all she said, and everyone crowded around the screen, except for Kim, as she couldn't go far from the pumping unit. Her bionic eye compensated and zoomed in on the screen between them. She placed her hand to her ear (careful to move her hair out of the way) and listened.

"Is that… Eric?" Ron asked, looking a little nervous. Kim's lips squeezed together forming a small line. She felt intense anger at the mention of its name.

"From what reports I've heard, it only looks like that synthodrone you two encountered before. These seem to be much stronger, and faster. Look at this."

With a few clicks she brought up a recording from just a few moments ago, and hit 'Play'.

The picture was a bit grainy, but it was enough to see what was happening. One of the Eric drones punched his hand through a door, ripped it off it's hinges, and threw it into a group of on-coming GJ agents like a frisbee. It chopped the first two in half, and then slammed into the other three behind them, flattening the entire group.

After the recording went to static, Dr. Director looked at everyone in the room.

"That steel door was reinforced with a sheet of titanium about half an inch thick, and weighed about 4 tons. After seeing what he did with it, I certainly don't think this is even close to what we've seen before. It also looks like they are using EMP grenades to disarm all of our agents before they can even get a shot off. I TOLD those idiots upstairs it was a bad idea to go to all electronic weapons."

Just then a large explosion was heard close by, and the lights flickered. Immediately James and the twins went over to the pumps, and checked everything over. Ron went with them as he was concerned about his girlfriend.

"This thing doesn't have backup power. Kim only has a few minutes to go, but if it quits before it's finished…" James didn't finish his statement, as everyone knew what it meant.

Nobody saw Ron step over to the main power cable that ran to the pumping station, deep in thought

Wil Du spoke next. "It looks like they are doing a complete sweep of the building! I would guess they'll be down in very soon!"

Just as will stopped talking, without warning, the lights went off in the room as all power was shut down! Everyone in the room immediately yelled out the same name, but just in different vernaculars.

"Kim!" Kimmie!" "Kimberly!"

"I'm fine… I… think?" Behind her there was a blue glow that illuminated the person who was standing there.

It was Ron! And he was holding onto the power cable, obviously somehow keeping the pumping station running!

"Ron!" Kim exclaimed. "How did you… How are you…"

"I just remembered a question I had asked Sensei when I was at Yamanouchi. I had asked him 'What is the nature of energy?' He told me that all energy is the same, whether it is produced mechanically, or biologically. I took a chance and started to feed some of my power into the cable. I guess it worked.

"I hope I haven't freaked anyone out." He said while keeping the pumps running.

"Probably just us, Ronald." Mr. Dr. P. replied. "I mean, Anne and I have always had our suspicions, but we never thought it was anything like this!"

Finally battery powered back-up lights came on throughout the room.

"Finally!" Dr. Director said. "We need to get those things fixed!"

The sound of tearing metal was heard, and everyone looked at each other. "They're here!" Wil yelled.

"Ronald!" Dr. Director screamed. "Finish Kim's sequence! It should be about finished! The rest of you… follow me! There's an escape tunnel over here that's protected by a much sturdier door than that other one! In fact, it's about 5 times as strong!"

Everyone rushed out of the room into the office, as that's where the exit was located. It also helped that it was hidden behind a shelf of books. Just as the office door closed, the main door from the hallway was ripped off its hinges and in stepped a group of three Eric drones. Their eyes glowed a sinister red as they stepped towards Ron and Kim.

Just then a small ding was heard as the sequence finally finished. Ron quickly dropped the power cable and the pumps immediately shut off. Kim almost literally ripped the cables out of her arms and legs, but she knew about the quick connects, and didn't have to destroy anything.

Both took up their distinctive fighting stances, and Kim grabbed the metal tray that still had sandwiches on it. Flipping the food off, she ripped the rounded edge from the tray, effectively making it into a throwing disc with sharp, jagged edges.

Ron charged his hands with his MMP, and drone closest to them charged. Kim threw the disc at the legs of the leading drone, effectively shearing them off. It tumbled to the floor, but for some reason didn't deflate.

Neither of the two took any care, as the other two were now advancing on them. One drone jumped at Kim, and the other leaped at Ron.

The one that attacked Kim quickly reached for her head, assuming she was your daily average teenager, intent on breaking her neck as it had done countless times earlier to GJ agents. It didn't expect to have her grab it's wrists, and get thrown about 20 feet away.

The other also made the same assumption about Ron, and learned the hard way what an MMP charged teenaged boy could do. Ron grabbed the wrists as Kim had, but then twisted and dropped to the floor, bringing the drone with him. Just before it landed on top of Ron, he pushed up with his legs, and caught the drone in the stomach and launched it off of him flipping it over and landing on the other one that Kim had just thrown.

Ron mule kicked himself up, and both teens now stood next to each other, watching the two drones try to untangle themselves. They both heard a scrapping noise, and looked to their right.

Mouths dropped open, and eyes almost bugged out of their sockets when the looked at the first drone that went down. It didn't turn to goo like they were used to seeing! The upper part was still solid as it crawled over towards the legs that lay there next to each other.

"It's like they're… T-1000's Kim!"

"Huh?" Kim said, not recognizing the "Governator 2" movie reference right away.

"It's not syntho-goo… it's more like… syntho gel!" Ron said as he watched the downed drone reattach it's legs as the syntho-gel flowed, and reassemble the drone.

"Oh snap…" Both said, not even bothering to call Jinx. The next thing Kim thought of was that the ESD fluid was never drained from her limbs.

Double Snap! Was her only thought, as all three drones stood together and slowly advanced…

To be continued…

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Sorry I cut this fight scene a little short, but it seemed like a good place for another one of those… "evil cliffies"…

Other A/N: For those of you reading "GGW: Middleton!"… Sorry, but I can't update that until next week…