Venice: Canals, Romance and Rocket-Powered Gondolas
Disclaimer – I don't own Kim Possible.
A/N – Thanks to all my readers and everyone who reviewed. If the last chapter seemed badly structured, that is because FF.n ate some of my scene breaks. I have gone back and fixed it. Note that ~O~O~O~ indicates major shift in time and place, while ~o~o~ indicates small shifts in time or place.
Since this chapter, like all the others, ran long, I've decided to stop trying to shoehorn each chapter into the outline and just let it be as long as it needs to be. Not quite as lighthearted as planned but the reunion took over and became much darker than originally planned. The end, however, is much more lighthearted and contains a variety of atrocious puns and general buffoonery.
Chapter 6 – Venice: Canals, Romance and Rocket-Powered Gondolas
Kim trailed after Shego as they walked along a canal in Venice; having just left St. Mark's they were now headed for what Shego called her favorite restaurant in Europe. Kim was dressed in jeans and blue button down shirt while Shego wore a pair of black dress pant and a lime green polo shirt. Shego was providing a running commentary on the city and the sights, but Kim was too busy glancing around nervously, looking for threats, to pay attention. Shego shook her head when she noticed Kim's distraction and, stopping her running commentary, pulled her into a nearby the cafe.
"Kimmie, you haven't been listening to a word I said."
"But, I have. You were telling the history of the section of Venice." Kim protested, trying to look attentive.
"Bull. You were too busy looking for bogeymen to hear a word I said." Shego chided, as she led Kim to a table. Once they were seated and had ordered, Shego continued. "What's bothering you? You act as if you expect to be ambushed at any moment. I told you not to worry; no one is going to come after us unless we cause trouble."
Kim's face scrunched up in confusion. "I know what you said, but it doesn't make sense. We are both wanted by Global Justice and you are still wanted in 14 countries. We aren't wearing disguises, so someone could recognize us and call the authorities. I don't see how you can be so calm."
Shego sighed in exasperation. "Princess, we went over this. I have been a villain for over ten years and I have never been targeted except when on a job or in a lair. Trust me on this."
Kim sat in puzzled thought for a moment. "But the local authorities –."
Shego cut her off. "OK, pumpkin, time for you to learn how things work in the real world. The local authorities don't want to have a super-villain fight in their city, so as long as we don't break any laws, they will look the other way."
"What about Global Justice? Surely, they will have agents looking for us. I mean, after what we did at the Space Center, not to mention the prison, they must be hunting for us." Kim made a face as she sipped her espresso.
Shego gave a slight smirk while savoring hers. "Got to learn to like grown-up drinks sometime, cupcake. When it comes to hunting villains, Global Justice doesn't have the resources to mount a long-term worldwide search. Generally once a villain escapes and can longer be easily tracked, GJ simply adds their new crimes to the list and hopes they get caught the next time."
"Doesn't Global Justice monitor things and look for villains. If someone reports seeing us won't they come for us?" Kim asked, taking a bite of her biscotto.
Shego laughed. "Nope, Global Justice has to face their worst enemy, bureaucracy. First, any country that wants them to pursue a villain has to file a report detailing their crimes plus a request to place them on the global wanted list. Once that is done, GJ can pursue the villain if they have credible information they are in an area." She dunked a biscotto in her espresso and took a bite. "Because most countries don't want GJ running around at will, the UN says that credible information has to be a GJ agent or local law enforcement officer. So, as long as the local cops don't call, we're safe."
Kim looked both relieved and puzzled. "Won't the local civilian's report us? We are famous wanted fugitives."
Shego gave a brief laugh. "This is where Betty screwed herself. In covering up details of what happened years ago in Plantain," A brief, angry look crossed her face, "she also covered up the reasons for her to be looking for us. Officially, I was never arrested or convicted so I can't be charged with escaping prison. Officially, that wasn't a GJ prison you broke into so GJ has no reason to be looking for you. Officially, GJ had nothing to do with what happened at the Space Center, which means there weren't any agents present to identify us. Therefore, we have no current wants or warrants so Betty has no reason to push for our capture."
Kim smiled at the thought of Betty having to let them run free because of her own sins. She absently took another sip of her espresso, this time without the face. "So, the only thing they want us on is your old warrants?"
"Most of those were canceled when GJ threw me in prison. Only three are still outstanding: China, Iceland and Lichtenstein. I don't think we have to worry about the last two. Besides, as far as people in Venice are concerned, I am a wealth land owner and patron of the arts." Seeing that Kim was finished, she rose from her seat, left some money on the table, and escorted Kim out of the cafe.
They were strolling down the street towards some of the local shops when Kim caught sight of a black woman walking next to a man in high-tech wheelchair and stopped dead in her tracks. Shego gave her a puzzled look. "What's the matter, Kimmie?" She asked as she looked at the couple.
Hearing the mention of Kim's name, the woman turned and stared in open mouth surprise at her.
"Kim!"
"Mo!"
~O~O~O~
Will and Ken Du stood at rigid attention in front of Dr. Director's desk, waiting for her to finish speaking with the oversight committee. Disconnecting the call with an angry stab of her finger, she fixed her gaze on the two agents in front of her. After several minutes of enduring her silent scrutiny the brothers started to sweat, wondering what was in store for them after the fiasco at the Space Center. She swiveled her chair to face the viewscreen on the wall and gestured for them to pick up the remote.
"Would either of you care to explain what happened? We had two teams of elite agents lead by our two best agents and didn't even slow them down."
The brothers shared a brief glance before Will activated the viewscreen, to display a list of items. "We underestimated them, ma'am. They used numerous distractions, both internal and external, to confuse us, which allowed them to face us piecemeal."
Dr. Director's gaze did not soften or waver. "What kind of internal distractions did they employ? And how did they get them into the Center undetected."
"The internal distractions were six devices that emitted an EM signal." Ken replied as he called up pictures of the devices. "The devices were smuggled in masquerading as normal items in several supply shipments. Two were disguised as snacks in the vending machines, two as cans of food in the kitchen and two as boxes of office supplies. The timers were purely mechanical and so undetectable by our security scanners."
Dr. Director made a note of the answer. "Other distractions?"
After another glance between the brothers, Ken displayed pictures of several quadcopters. "They used several commercial UAVs to deliver smoke grenades around the Center's entrances. They also staged two physical incursions on probable entry points."
Another quick note and Dr. Director returned her gaze to the brothers. "Details."
"The first incursion was dummy with the right size, shape and body temperature to fool the sensors. The second was a simply a cart fixed with ECM to confuse the sensors. Both were equipped with thermite flares to simulate Shego's plasma." Will displayed views of the remains of the decoys as well as engineer's re-creations on the screen.
The brothers stood in silence waiting for Dr. Director to continue. She let them sweat for several moments. "What about the security system? How was it hacked?"
"Three separate external attacks were coordinated with the other distractions. The attacks were traced to a storage locker, where several computers were found, configured to deliver automated attacks." Ken clicked the remote and several shots of the locker with the computers were displayed. "These attacks were unrelated to the problems with the security system."
Will took over. "The problem with the security system was completely internal. The system had been hacked over a month ago and a series of viruses and Trojan Horses installed. Once activated, they caused the problems with the security system. Most of the actions; such as the area lock downs, the area door unlocking and the area shut down, were on a random pattern, but several specific command were programmed in. We believe they were used to facilitate their entrance and exit."
Dr. Director nodded and she made a note. "How was the system penetrated? Were any of the staff or Possible's family involved?"
"Not directly. It appears that the scientists at the Center were running a gaming server on the sly. It seems Kim had an account on the server from before being place on probation. She hacked the gaming server and discovered a number of passwords. Turns out many of the scientists, as well as several members of the security staff, used the same password on the gaming server and the Center's system. That gave her access and allowed her to plant the viruses."
Dr. Director pulled a file to her, opened it and made a notation inside. "The scientists at the Center aren't going to like having a ground up security review." She said half, to herself.
"How did they obtain access to the Center?"
"They hid in crates that were in a delivery to the Center. The distractions were timed to occur as the cargo was being inspected. The security sensors detected them at the time, but I thought it was another distraction and didn't investigate." Will sounded almost ashamed as he answered.
"You did the right thing Will. I would have done the same." Ken said in support of his brother.
"I agree, Will. Everything they did was designed to get you confused and make you uncertain about what was a real threat. We got lucky this time. With the regime change in Plantain, the committee has decided to blame the old government there for everything. That gets us off the hook." She swiveled her chair to face them directly. "Unfortunately, we still have other problems to deal with. Let me tell you about my visit to the hospital to see the Possible twins."
~O~O~O~
Monique rushed to Kim and caught her in hug, actually lifting her into the air. "Girlfriend! I missed you so much. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why didn't you contact us? What are you doing here?"
"Slow down, Mo, give her a chance to answer." Felix interrupted when she paused for breath, having approached unseen by the two women.
"Felix. I can't believe you're here, too. It's so good to see you and Mo again." Kim managed to reply, having regained her breath from Monique's vise like hug. The look of joy on her face clouded as she remembered she was not alone. "I'm here with Shego. We here doing the tourist thing and were on our way to get dinner."
Monique and Felix's sudden appearance had startled Shego, but that feeling had turned to dread when she recognized Felix and Monique as some of Kim's friends from high school she had encountered several times. Hoping to get a chance to talk, as well as avoiding a scene in the streets, Shego spoke up.
"Why don't you join us for dinner? It will give you three plenty of time to catch up. Plus, I can guarantee the best meal in Europe." She smiled at them, hoping they would accept.
Monique and Felix looked at each other for a moment, concern written on their faces, and then looked a Kim. "That sound like a good idea. We were just debating where to eat." Monique's voice was neutral but her face told Kim she would have plenty of explaining to do.
"Great. Follow me, it's not far." Shego plastered a grin on her face and led them down a side street towards the restaurant. The group traveled in silence, with Felix and Monique exchanging numerous glances and Kim daring nervous looks at the other three. She had been so happy to see her friends after all these years but now she dreaded the talk that was to come. Soon, they reached the restaurant and were met by the maitre d, who greeted the in flawless English.
"Madame, it has been to long since you last graced us with your presence. Your usual table?"
"No, Enrico, a table for four, on the terrace and with privacy, if you please." Shego replied, gesturing to the rest of the group. With a bow, he turned and led them through the restaurant's main dining room, an opulently furnished space crowded with elegantly dressed people, and onto a terrace overlooking the main lagoon. In contrast to the interior, the terrace was set with widely spaced tables and tasteful, understated decoration. Unlike the formal wear seen inside, here the diners were dressed in a mix of casual and semi-formal dress. They were escorted to the far corner of the terrace and shown a table separated from the others in its own mini-terrace. Once they were seated, Enrico motioned for a waiter to attend them and left.
"This is nice but I have a –." Monique was cut off by Shego's raised hand as the waiter approached with their menus and inquired about drinks.
"A bottle from my private cellar. A Bordeaux. Tell Nico I trust his judgment." Shego dismissed the waiter and waited until he had left before continuing. "Sorry to interrupt but I don't think we want anyone to overhear what we have to say. I suggest we wait until after we order to start anything serious."
Monique and Felix shared a glance and nodding, opened their menu. Kim smiled at Shego; glad she was handling things well so far and started to examine the menu. "A private cellar?"
"Better clients can pay to have a section of the cellar set aside to store their own private vintages. I have about fifty bottles here." Shego replied with a nervous smile. Felix and Monique shared another look, trying not to look impressed that Shego had casually taken them to the best restaurant in town where they were fawned over and treated like royalty.
"I suggest either veal, which is their signature dish, or the seafood. The restaurant has its own fishing boats and catches everything fresh each day." Shego advised as she perused the menu for changes. They sat in silence making their selections until the waiter returned for their orders. Kim and Monique both ordered the catch of the day while Felix and Shego ordered the veal. Nico, the sommelier, approached with the wine Shego ordered, as the waiter left. He opened the bottle and presented it to Shego to be tasted. After nodding her approval, she asked him to pick a white to go with Kim and Monique's fish. He bowed and left, returning in a minute with another bottle for Shego's approval.
"We should be undisturbed for about twenty minutes, until the food arrives." Shego told them sipping her wine.
"I want to know what – oh, this is good." Monique interrupted herself after taking a sip of the wine. She shook her head slightly. "Back to business. What has been going on, Kim?"
Taking a gulp of wine to steady her nerves, Kim answered. "The last time I saw you two was graduation. After that, I had to move out because of my probation. I couldn't leave Middleton to go to school and none of the local schools would take me, again because of the probation. I had to get a job but, once again thanks to my probation, the only job I could get was at Smarty Mart."
She gave a wry grin at Monique's grimace of distaste. "As soon as I turned twenty-one I quit my job and dropped out of sight. I was tired of always having someone looking over my shoulder. I ran into Shego and she has been taking me around showing me the sights."
Shego admired the artful way Kim had tailored the truth for Felix and Monique, while they both sensed that Kim had left a great deal unsaid. "What about you two? What have you been doing for the last three years?" Kim asked to forestall any questions.
"I went to Carnegie-Mellon for my Bachelors degree and am attending grad school here in Italy, studying industrial robotics." Felix glanced at Monique, who continued with her story. "You know I got into design school in New York, so I went there for two years before one of my designs caught the eye of a design firm based in Milan. They offered me a job and I have been there ever since."
"That's good. I am so glad things –."
"Don't try to duck the question, GF. YSHALTE. You still have a lot to explain." Monique interrupted Kim before she could divert their attention. "Talk. Why didn't you contact us or ask us for help."
Kim's face took on a mixed look of anger and fear. Monique noticed how quick Shego was to reach out a hand to squeeze Kim's in comfort and just how much Shego's touch seemed to calm Kim down. Putting this together with things Ron had told her as well as things Felix had mentioned him talking about, Monique decided she would have to get Kim alone and have a heart-to-heart talk.
Kim took a deep breath to steady herself. "I didn't get in touch with either of you because I didn't want you to get in trouble because of me. I saw what being around me did to my family and to Ron. My parents had to cut off all contact with me after I graduated or risk losing their jobs. My brothers had to give up going to Science Camps and the like because living with me made them a risk. Ron, –." Kim stopped for a moment, a lump in her throat. "Ron and I had to break up because I couldn't have anything to do with him. They were always questioning him about any contact with me, even if he just saw me walking down the street. Eventually, he moved away to escape the harassment. He couldn't even tell me he was leaving because that would have been a probation violation."
Felix and Monique sat in stunned silence at the look on Kim's face, a look that said someone would pay for this and pay hard. "Felix, any contact I had with you would have ruined any chance at working on a government sponsored project. Mo, if I had kept in touch with you they would have come by every couple of month to check on what I had said. For someone in such a visible profession as fashion that could have ruined your career. I didn't mean to abandon you two. Knowing you still think of me as a friend means so much to me."
Any reply was temporarily delayed by the arrival of their dinner. The four sat eating in silence for several minutes, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Felix was haunted by that last look on Kim's face, remembering time she had let her 'Kimness' take over, afraid she would give up everything for revenge. Shego hoped the two would accept Kim, who needed some friends desperately. Ever since the prison break Kim had only had her to depend on, a situation they had gone through before with disastrous results. For Monique, the big worry was Kim's emotional stability. From what she had seen, Kim was barely holding herself together and that only by focusing on revenge. Kim prayed desperately that Mo and Felix accept her explanation and not ask too many questions. She didn't want them to know about or be involved in her crusade against GJ, it was too dangerous.
"So, what are you two doing here?" Kim broke the silence, shifting to safer topic for now. She noticed the covert, semi-guilty glances between the two and made the connection. "This was a romantic getaway, right?"
Felix looked like a gaffed fish, with his mouth hanging open, while Mo's face lit up in a he smile. "Not just a romantic getaway, girlfriend. We are celebrating our engagement."
"Engaged!? No way. I'm so happy for you." Kim had leapt from her chair and grabbed Mo in a hug while Felix and Shego shared a wry grin. "You have to tell me all the details. How long have you been dating? When did he ask you? Where's the ring?"
Shego shook her head. "Kimmie, give her a chance to answer," seeing the look on Monique's face, "and let her catch her breath."
Kim laughed nervously and returned to her seat. "Sorry, I was just so excited. TME." She asked with a huge smile on her face.
Mo took a sip of wine as she caught her breath. "We met up again about eight months ago when Felix came here for grad school. At first, we just went out as friends but after about three weeks, we started going out for real. It was great having someone who didn't look at me strange when I talked about villains and saving the world. TMALSS (to make a long story short), two weeks ago he started acting all weird, stopping speaking when I entered the room, closing drawers before I could see what was inside, that kind of thing. A week ago, he takes me out to the fanciest restaurant in Milan, where we have a private room to ourselves, complete with string quartet. When it comes time for dessert, instead of the pastry I ordered they brought out a covered dish. When they lifted the cover, there was the ring. He barely had time to get the question out before I said yes." Holding out her hand, she let them see the ring, a diamond in a simple setting.
"Check out the inscription." Monique pulled the ring off and handed it to Kim. Inside the ring was engraved 'A bauble for the most precious gem in the world'. Kim let Shego see the inscription then returned the ring to MO, her eyes misty.
"That is so romantic. You two make a great couple. When is the wedding?" Kim had a slightly worried look on her face as she asked the question.
"We are looking at a date about six months from now. First, we need to arrange for us to get the time off to return home; there is no way we could ask our families to all travel here. It's hard to find a place and make the arrangements, when you are half a world away."
Kim nodded in understanding as she considered the logistics of the problem but all though was wiped from her mind at Mo's next question.
"Kim, will you be one of my brides maids. If I hadn't already asked a friend from work, I would want you as my Maid of Honor."
Kim sat unmoving here face a pale, frozen mask as the blood drained from it. "I can't. I can't put you at risk." She whispered, her thoughts in turmoil.
"Risk? What do you mean risk? Is there something you haven't told us?" As Kim sat there unresponsive, her eyes staring unseeing into the distance, Monique turned to confront Shego. "Is this something to do with you? Have you turned her into a criminal?"
Shego sighed and finished that last of her wine. "How much do you know about why Kim got put on probation?"
"She was supposed to have interfered in a government operation that jeopardized national security." Felix offered.
Shaking her head, Shego continued. "Kim was contacted by the government of the Republic of Plantain, who claimed I had stolen an item of great historical significance. They asked her to track me down and retrieve the item. I hadn't stolen the item, I was in Plantain relaxing at a beach house I had rented.
"Kim easily found me and we started to fight, her demanding that I return the item and me denying I had stolen it, when we heard the sound of helicopters approaching. Turns out, they had placed a tracer on Kim and sent the copters to follow her. There were three Apache attack helicopters, as soon as they had us in sight they opened up with their mini-guns and missiles. We barely managed to escape with our lives. In the escape, I damaged one of the helicopters. The pilot lost control, strafing his own men and launching a missile that destroyed one of the other helicopters before he crashed."
Monique and Felix were surprised at the look of regret on Shego's face. Normally she came across as a hard, uncaring villain but now she seemed more sad and weary then evil.
"For the next week we were on the run from the police and military, hiding out is abandoned farms before we hooked up with the local rebels. We found out the government was using the cover of stopping drug trafficking and combating terrorism to systematically round up and eliminate any resistance. Kim convinced me to contact Global Justice and ask for help."
Seeing the baffled looks on their faces, she explained. "They are the UN's law enforcement division and would have jurisdiction over the government, plus Kim had worked with them on several occasions. We met Dr. Director, the head of Global Justice, and told her what we had found. Instead of helping, she informed us we were wanted for terrorism and murder then refused to help us. Kim wanted to keep fighting the government but I made a deal with her instead. We would surrender to her and be dealt with by Global Justice instead of the government."
She took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "I agreed to plead guilty to whatever crimes I was charged with and to not mention anything we saw in Plantain. In exchange, Kim would not be arrested but placed on probation with no official record being kept once it was over. Dr. Director accepted the deal and called off the forces hunting us."
Monique interrupted. "There was more to it than that, wasn't there? You and Kim were involved, weren't you?"
Smiling wistfully, Shego nodded. "We were. You have to understand, we were running for our lives, with a good chance we could die at any moment. We – We were in love and I betrayed that." Shego's face was full of self-loathing. "I told Kim that what we had wouldn't last, that it was only the situation we were in. I told her it was for her own good."
"Don't blame yourself, you were right, it wouldn't have lasted." The turned to see Kim giving them a wan smile. "We got taken into custody, where they didn't even bother with a trial, they simply threw Shego into prison and placed me on probation. For three years, I had a chance to think about what had happened and to plot my revenge. As soon as I turned twenty-one, I disappeared and started to put my plan into action. First I broke Shego out of GJ's top secret, escape-proof prison."
"That news story several months ago about something weird happening in the desert, that was the prison break?" Felix asked a gleam of curiosity in his eye.
"Yep, that was it. The next part was to expose the misuse of a satellite by Global Justice and Plantain. Right now, we are simply relaxing before the next strike."
"So, when you say you are worried, you mean you don't want the police raiding our wedding?" Monique eyed Kim appraisingly; wondering how much was still going unsaid.
Kim smiled. "Right. I would like nothing better that to be one of your bridesmaids, but I don't think you want to spend your wedding day worried about being raided by the police."
Monique was about to speak when a loud roar was heard coming from the lagoon. The four stared at the sight they saw, stunned. Three gondolas were rushing their way, each powered by large rocket motors strapped onto the rear of the boats. Three-foot tall rats in nautical garb were piloting all three of the boats. A man in a white silk shirt, who was waving a cutlass and shouting at his pursuers, apparently commanded the last.
Following the gondolas closely were four Global Justice agents mounted on jet skis. The lead agent was using a bullhorn to talk to the man.
"Desmond Hanier, stop immediately, you are under arrest by authority of Global Justice."
"It's pronounced A-near, you stupid lubber, the H is silent." The man replied as he signaled his rat crew, who swerved the boats at the last moment to cut down a nearby canal. The resulting wave crashed into the terrace the four stood on, drenching them. As they sputtered and glared after the rapidly departing gondolas, the Global Justice agents struggled to swing their jet skis around to follow the gondolas. Two were successful but the other two crashed into the terrace, sending the agent flying into the dessert cart that was being wheeled out.
Shego's hands glowed with green fire. "Interrupt my dinner and ruin dessert! That's it, this guy's going down."
~O~O~O~
Dr. Director made her way through the hospital, dreading the coming conversation. With all the history between her and the Possibles, she knew it would not be a pleasant encounter. As she approached the room, she saw Mr. and Mrs. Possible talking quietly outside the twin's room. Putting on her best professional manner, she greeted them as she reached the room.
"Mr. Possible, Mrs. Possible, it is nice to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances."
While Mr. Possible looked at her with a skeptical expression on his face, Mrs. Possible regarded her with outright hostility. "What would better circumstances be, if it was Kim in the hospital instead of my boys? Is that what you wanted?"
"Of course not. I only wanted the best for Kim. How are the boys?" Dr. Director's answer was calm and unemotional.
"They both have mild concussions as well as numerous cuts and bruises. They should be all right in a few days. No thanks to you."
"Mrs. Possible, I repeat, neither I nor Global Justice had anything to do with what happened at the Space Center. Whoever attacked your sons and caused all the other problems at the Center is to blame." Dr. Director kept her voice level, hoping the Possibles caught the hint in her answer.
"Don't worry, we won't expose your cover story as the lie it is. Officially parties unknown did everything and Global Justice wasn't even present." Mrs. Possible moved closer to Dr. Director, until they stood with only inches separating them. "But, we both know this was a Global Justice trap for Kim. One that didn't catch her but did force her to hurt her brothers. If you ever try to us one of my children against another again, you will regret it."
Dr. Director's face didn't betray any emotion. "Mrs. Possible, if either your sons or your husband shared classified information with you, they could lose their jobs." Her threat was cut off by a voice from the door to the twin's room.
"Nonsense, Betty. I told them about it. Care to do anything about it?" Kim's grandmother stood in the doorway, a disdainful look on her face.
"It wasn't a threat but simply a warning. I was worried someone could try to make trouble for your family." Dr. Director hid her inner turmoil from showing on her face. It had been twenty years since Nancy Possible had been her instructor, but she was still scared of the old women.
"It's nice of you to be concerned. The boys aren't up to receiving any visitors right now and, since Global Justice had no 'official' involvement in the incident at the Center, I suggest you leave. Now." Despite the polite words, no hint of kindness or courtesy showed in her voice.
Dr. Director knew she had been out maneuvered by the old woman and would not be able to see the twins without causing a scene. Putting the best face she could on the situation, she took her leave of them. "Very well. Give the boys my regard and wish them a speedy recovery for me."
The three Possibles stood in silence as Dr. Director turned and headed off down the corridor. Neither she nor Mr. Possible caught the look that passed between Mrs. Possible and her mother-in-law.
~O~O~
"If Kim's grandmother admitted to revealing classified information why didn't you try using that as leverage against her." Will was genuinely puzzled by Dr. Director's failure to exploit the situation. Ken's laughter and Dr. Director's smile only confused him more.
"Kim's grandmother, Nancy Possible, has been involved with various intelligence agencies and covert organizations since the early Fifties and doesn't respond well to pressure. If I had tried anything with her, she would have hit back, hard." Dr. Director patiently explained.
"If she is retired, how much power could she still have?" Will still seemed puzzled by the situation.
"Will, you have to understand; in the intelligence and covert operations field she is a legend. She probably has the direct phone number of most agency heads on speed dial. Just by asking for 'favors' from old colleagues and foes, she could cause more trouble than we could handle in a year." Ken explained to his brother, who nodded in dim understanding.
"Gentlemen. That bring us to the real reason I mentioned my encounter with the Possibles. When I checked the visitor logs, I discovered that I was not the person to try to contact the twins. It seems the CIA also sent someone to talk to them. The nurse on duty said he didn't have any luck in getting to see them either." Both Will and Ken looked worried at the thought of the CIA causing problems with the Possibles.
Dr. Director continued. "It seems the Agency has been 'influencing' the twins for some time now in the hopes of using them against their sister. Hopefully, Nancy Possible's involvement will put a stop to that. That brings up my other concern. What do you know of the situation in Plantain?"
Ken looked thoughtful for a moment. "The President killed his cabinet and then himself. The resistance has taken over control of the country. Everyone suspects some sort of plot but no one know who or how. The US agencies were not happy to lose one of their favorite puppets." Will nodded his head but added no new details.
Dr. Director looked worried for a moment. "That's correct but there is one detail missing. An autopsy of the President shows he died two hours before he killed his cabinet." She gave a slight smile at their confused looks. "Servants who have worked for the President for decades say they saw him enter the room and kill his cabinet, but forensics says he was already dead at that time. Someone managed to impersonate him perfectly and it doesn't appear to be any of the normal players."
Dr. Director fixed them with her good eye. "This highlights a problem we have been having lately, not knowing things we should know. These are just two more occasions when we have learned vital information after the fact. Ken. I want you to set up full coverage surveillance on all family, friends and associates of both Possible and Shego. Cover anything related to them that you think could help find and capture them. You can use any one from regular or covert operations you need."
Ken nodded as Will asked expectantly. "What is my assignment, Dr. Director?"
"You will be working with your brother to track down and capture Possible and Shego." Dr. Director let a slight grin of amusement show at the startled look on the brother faces. "While Ken's Zeta team heals and he sets up the surveillance I ordered, I want you to hand pick a twelve man team. You can chose anyone you like, but remember this will be a covert operation and you will be facing Possible and Shego, so following the rules is not a high priority. Once both teams are ready I want them to do an intensive, advanced hand-to-hand class."
She turned back to the communication system on her desk as she cut off their protests. "Dismissed."
~O~O~
Ann Possible watched Dr. Director walk away, thinking about what she would have to do. Nancy's look had told her this was her problem and she needed to handle it. As her husband and his mother turned to enter the twin's room, she left them with the excuse of checking on the boys' condition with the doctor. She felt pride swell in her chest at having made the right decision as her mother-in-law favored her with a brief, congratulatory smile before entering the room.
She entered the nearest doctor lounge and, finding it empty, pulled out a cell phone from a zippered pocket in her purse. Unlike her normal phone, this had no screen or keyboard, just a small oval depression. Pressing the thumb of her left hand against the oval, she waited for the device's fingerprint scanner and genetic analyzer to recognize her. In a moment, the phone activated, a holographic display appearing over it. At the top was an Evil-tel logo while underneath were several option; secure call, evil-mail, UN-GJ villains' hot line and In-terror-net access. Taking a moment to consider her options, Ann reached out and activated the In-terror net connection.
Starting a new topic in the information forum, she began typing her message using the virtual keyboard.
INFORMATION WANTED
'Top dollar paid for information relating to the government of Plantain and Global Justice.
To reply contact braincase at In-terror-net'
Amy G. Dala
AKA Brainchild
~O~O~O~
Shego ignored her water drench clothes and ran to the nearest jet ski, Kim following close behind. As soon as she had it back in the water, she climbed on, Kim joining her before she could start her pursuit.
"You aren't going without me, we are a team." Kim explained as Shego gunned the engine and set off in pursuit.
Monique and Felix had shared a brief, conspiratorial look before Monique set off running to the other jet ski and Felix put his chair into hover mode. Felix rapidly ascended into the air and spotted Kim and Shego as well as their quarry. As soon as Monique got the jet ski in motion, he directed her on the right course to follow. They soon caught up with Shego and Kim, who were drawing near the GJ agents, and settled in behind them in the chase.
"Mo, what are you doing?" Kim shouted.
Mo grinned at her. "I thought you could use some back up as well as some air support. "She pointed to Felix, who was flying over the canal indicating the direction the villain had taken.
"Let them help if they want pumpkin. I don't this guy is a major threat." Shego called over her shoulder. Kim considered the situation for a moment and nodded to Monique.
Rounding a corner, they caught up with the GJ agents, who seemed startled by their presence, then very nervous when they recognized their pursuers. The rear agents called over his shoulder to them.
"This is official Global Justice business. You are interfering in a criminal investigation. Leave now." He maintained a stoic expression but his voice betrayed his nervousness.
Shego glared at him. "We are taking this clown, down. You can help, get out of the way or get run over, your choice. Nobody ruins my dinner."
The agent gulped and considered the wisdom of opposing an angry Shego, particularly when she had Kim Possible in tow. Quickly deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, and increased life expectancy, he motioned for them to take the lead in the pursuit. "This guy is new; we have no record of him. He broke into St. Mark's and stole the Doge's ceremonial robes. He seems to think they make him ruler of Venice."
As the GJ agents dropped back, Kim leaned forward. "Who or what is the Doge?"
"Chief magistrate of Venice during the middle ages, one of the most powerful men in Europe. This guy doesn't look like Doge material to me." Shego shouted over her shoulder.
An evil smirk crossed Kim's face. "I don't know, he seems Doge-y enough to me."
Shego glared over her shoulder. "Don't make stop this thing, princess."
She quickly turned her attention back to steering the ski jet as they entered a small lagoon filled with boats and had to slow down. From the wreckage in the water, it was evident that the villain hadn't bothered to slow down but had simply plowed through the lagoon and any boats in his way. The GJ agents signaled they were stopping to help those in the water and motioned for them to continue.
Carefully weaving their way through the other boats, they soon reached the other side of the lagoon but could see no trace of the villain. Looking up they saw Felix was pointing to one of the smaller canal to indicate which way he had gone. Soon they reached the small lagoon fronting the fish market, where they found the villain's gondolas tied up and empty, and an uproar coming from inside the market.
Leaving the jet skis by a jetty they ran up the steps towards the market with Monique in tow as Felix guided his chair back to the ground. The cautiously entered the building and discovered several groups of rats holding off a crowd by pelting them with fish while the man harangued them from the top of several crates.
"Listen to me people; I am your rightful ruler. If you follow me, I will restore you to greatness. I will insure a monopoly on venetian blinds that will give us a strangle hold on the world."
As the crowd surged forward, he leapt to the floor and ran toward the exit in the rear of the building, trailed by his rats. Kim, Shego and Monique struggled to push through the crowd while Felix used his chair to fly to the exit and cut off the villains escape. As the women broke free from the crowd, hot on the man's heels, several of the rats pushed a large tank over sending it contents splashing across the floor. Felix was unable to avoid the deluge and was inundated with the tanks contents.
Looking at the women with disgust on his face, he cursed. "Great, my hover chair is full of eels."
Using the confusion as cover, the man and his rats made their exit from the building. After making sure Felix was OK and would follow them once he removed the eels, the women gave chase. They pursued the man down several streets and alleys before cornering him in a bakery. Entering the bakery, they were immediately pelted with a wide variety of loaves and pastries. They ducked behind a counter and tried to located the man, who they eventually spotted standing in the rear of the shop near a large vat of honey that was being circled by a swarm of flies.
Seeing the women approach, the man addressed them with a leer on his face. "Three beautiful wenches, all for me. This must be me lucky day."
"Sure thing Desmond, I'm sure you get all the ladies." Kim replied and Shego shook her head in disbelief at the man's arrogance.
"Don't be that way lassie. Besides, they call me Captain Buck." A look of annoyance on his face, the man surveyed the store looking for signs of the women.
Using the exchange as cover, Kim and Shego had snuck towards the rear along the left-hand side of the shop while Monique used the right-hand side. Unfortunately, several of the rats noticed Monique and started to pelt her with loaves they dipped in the vat near where the man was standing. Soon, Monique was covered in honey and breadcrumbs with a large swarm of insects circling in a deep cloud around her. She ran from the shop, trying to escape the insects, as the man taunted them.
"Looks like your friend was breaded and deep flied." Using Kim and Shego's disgusted reaction as cover; he snuck out the side door of the bakery. As he made his way into the street, he saw that most of his henchrats were clustered around a baked goods display, gorging on the contents.
"Yea, stupid bilge rats, there is all the pie you can want at the base, but you won't get any if yea get caught. Now move." The threat got the rats to reluctantly leave the display and follow the man into the street, Kim and Shego trailing along, baffled looks on their faces.
"Pie, your rats love pie?" Shego asked incredulously.
Giving a tip of an imaginary hat to her the man replied. "They're addicted to the stuff, can't get enough. It's what I pay them in. Now, fair lass, I must bid you –." His speech was cut off as Kim, who had circled around behind him, knocked him unconscious. Kim picked up the bag containing the regalia and started to examine the contents. Shego smirked at her.
"Just leave everything in the Doge-y bag, Kimmie." Kim gave her an annoyed look that quickly turned into an evil smirk of her own.
"Aren't you glad we stopped Captain 'Buck' Hanier and his pie rats?"
Shego thought Kim made a satisfying squawk when she hit the water in the canal.
~O~O~O~