All the World's a Stage
Disclaimer – I don't own Kim Possible.
A/N – Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. I am amazed at the reception this story has received; over 11,000 views, 75 reviews, 104 followers and 49 favorites. You guys rock.
Note that ~O~O~O~ indicates major shift in time and place, while ~o~o~ indicates small shifts in time or place.
This story is an AU and diverges from canon early in the fourth season before Mad Dogs and Aliens or Big Brother, so there are no Lowardians in this universe and no Hana.
To the anonymous reviewer who commented on Rufus's lifespan. I checked and you are right, naked mole rats can live to be thirty. Unfortunately, it is too late to change this story but I will keep it in mind for future stories.
The Fannies Second round is voting is open. Please vote for your favorite stories and authors.
Special thanks to my beta reader Halo17442.
Chapter – 11 – All the World's a Stage
Shego sat in the main room of the Aerie looking out over the valley below the base, deep in thought. She had been distracted ever since waking up in Kim's arms, feeling safer than she had in years. Kim had simply smiled at her as she got up and stretched.
"Princess, what happened last night?" She had asked in confusion.
Kim had sat in a chair near the sofa where Shego reclined. "You should know, sweetie, you're the one who laid down next to me and fell asleep. I must say it was the best sleep I've had in years."
Shego ducked her head in embarrassment as she remembered finding Kim in the middle of a nightmare and holding her tight to quiet her. "I – you were having a nightmare so I tried to comfort you. You settled down when I held you so I lay down next to you. I must have drifted off to sleep."
"Well it worked. I slept like a baby. I bet you did to."
Shego stood and started to pace the room. "Yeah, I slept alright. What time is it, anyway?"
Kim stifled a giggle as Shego stared at the clock in surprise. "That's right, sweetie, we slept for almost sixteen hours. I said it was the best sleep I've had in years and I bet the same is true for you. Did you have any nightmares after you joined me?"
Shego shook her head. "No, I didn't have any more nightmares. What does that prove?"
Kim got up and walked over to Shego, taking her hands in hers. "Don't be so dense. We both slept for hours without any nightmares and had the best sleep we've had in years. I know I have been half-dead from fatigue and I bet you have too. We can't take down Global Justice if we are falling down from exhaustion."
Shego searched Kim's face for a moment. "So what, pumpkin. One nights sleep won't fix anything."
Kim smiled at her. "Still being dense I see. The solution is for us to sleep with each other." Seeing the look on Shego's face, she quickly continued. "I mean just sleep, sweetie. You have to admit, it worked wonders last night."
Shego shook her head in amazement at Kim's audacity. "OK, pumpkin, we'll give it a try."
Kim had almost jumped for joy at her answer. "Good. Now, let's get some breakfast. I don't know about you but I am starved."
As Kim dashed up the stairs, Shego hurried to follow her. "Wait for me, princess. I don't want you setting the kitchen on fire trying to make toast or something."
Kim yelled over her shoulder. "Very funny, Shego."
Ever since then Kim had been acting different. After they ate, instead of returning to the computer room to work, she had joined her on the couch to watch a 'Where Are They Now' super-villain marathon. They had laughed themselves silly over Duff Killigan being reduced to running a miniature golf franchise and Junior spending $50 million dollars of his father's wealth to become the biggest pop star in Tajikistan. They had both cringed when Adrena Lynn's adult film career was talked about. It had been like hanging out with a friend, not hiding out in a secret location, planning revenge on a global law enforcement organization.
The next day was pretty much the same, Kim didn't spend any time in the computer room but instead challenged Shego to a sparring match that lasted for hours and only ended when they both collapsed in exhaustion. Once they had recovered enough to walk, they made their way to the kitchen where they ate another huge meal. After that, they watched several DVDs before turning in for a good night's sleep.
That was the weirdest part to Shego, the sleep. For the last two nights, she had slept with Kim in her arms and without nightmares. The same had been true for Kim, a long nights sleep without nightmares. For Shego it had been the first time since sometime before Plantain that she had gotten more than one night's undisturbed sleep in row.
That hadn't been the weirdest part though; the weirdest part had been how Kim seemed unaffected by holding Shego all night. For Shego it had been sweet torture to hold Kim in her arms and not kiss her and caress her and love her. For Kim though, it seemed that holding Shego meant nothing more to her than holding a friend. Shego had resigned herself to taking what she could get and holding Kim tight each night. She was careful to keep any hint of her true feelings from showing, not wanting to burden Kim with her unwanted attentions.
Shego looked up, taken from her thoughts, as Kim came up the stairs from the computer room. "I think I have the perfect target."
Shego patted the couch next to her. "Sit down and tell me about it, princess."
Kim sat down a huge grin on her face. "The last couple night's sleep has been just what I needed. Now that I am thinking straight, I found the perfect target. Global Justice has closed or transferred to another agency almost all of their covert activities, but there is one thing they wouldn't be able to move or transfer without a great deal of trouble."
Shego gave an exaggerated sigh. "Enough with the back patting, cupcake. Just tell me what the target is."
Kim stuck her tongue out at her. "Very funny. The target is their covert operations training center. It is too large to easily move and too important to shut down for any length of time. From what I could find on the AUNT system, the center is still in operation. It receives supplies on a regular basis and from what I can piece together from the personnel records, it is still in operation."
Shego returned Kim's smile. "Then it looks like we have a target. When do you want to leave?"
Kim looked thoughtful for a minute before a devious smile appeared on her face. "At least a day or two, I haven't had enough sweetie snuggles yet. Lets gets some lunch, I'm starved."
Shego shook her head as Kim leapt from the couch and charged into the kitchen.
~O~O~O~
After taking to Mr. Dr. Possible, Ron had headed back to his hotel, aware that Yori was shadowing him, looking for any ambush or tails. Once he was in the room, he waited a moment for Yori to appear before speaking.
"I take it no one followed me?" Ron's face had lost its goofy look and taken on a hard mien. Now that he was out of the public eye, he no longer needed to maintain his old goofy behavior in order to allay suspicion.
"No, Ron-san, I saw no one following you or exhibiting any undo interest in you or your doings." Yori made her way to the bed and sat on the corner of it. "Did Kim's parents have any useful information?"
Ron sat on the bed next to her. "No, her father was the only one home and he hadn't been in contact with Kim since she left home. Her mom was out of town." He shook his head is disappointment.
They sat in silence for several minute, lost in thought. Hesitantly, Yori raised her hand to touch Ron on the arm. "Do you . . . do you wish to see Kim that badly?"
Ron looked at Yori lovingly. "Yes, I do. We have unfinished business between us and I think that we will need to finish that business before we can deal with the prophecy." He raised a hand to her cheek. "Don't worry, dearest. You are the one I love now, the one I intend to marry. What was between me and Kim is in the past."
Yori smiled at him. "Then, what shall we do to find a clue to Kim and Shego's location?"
Ron returned her smile. "I have an idea but it means I will have to visit an old adversary." Ron's smile grew and an evil glint appeared in his eye.
Yori looked at him with a bewildered look on her face. "What are you planning on doing? What old enemy must we visit?"
Ron took her hand in his. "Tomorrow we will go to Global Justice and pay Dr. Director a visit. She should have information that will lead us to Kim and Shego."
Knowing how Ron felt about Global Justice and its leader, Yori returned his evil grin. "I do not think she will be happy to see us, do you?"
Ron leaned closer. "No I don't think she will be happy at all. Now we just need to occupy the time until then." He kissed her briefly and looked at her with love in his eyes.
Yori leaned closer to him. "I think we can find something to occupy the time." Yori kissed Ron back as they fell back onto the bed.
~o~o~
Dawn found two figures seated on a ledge on Middleton's tallest building, waiting for the day to begin. Ron sat motionless in lotus position, his eyes half closed and rimmed with a subtle blue light, while Yori sat next to him, her eyes darting about downtown Middleton looking for any anomalous behavior or person. She had a decade more training than Ron but knew that when he used an Aspect of the Mystic Monkey Power like the Watchful Monkey he was employing now, he could easily outperform her or any other Yamanouchi ninja, including Sensei.
Yori was startled but not surprised when Ron was suddenly on his feet, grabbing her by the waist, before starting a wild series of leaps from building to building, his hands and feet flashing blue as he use the Monkey in Trees Aspect of the Mystic Monkey Power. In under a minute they were on the ground and silently following a seemingly normal businessman as he entered a barbershop. Effortlessly Ron followed him unobserved into the shop and watched him enter a small room in the back of the shop. When he did not emerge, Ron quickly entered the room himself and, after setting Yori down, examined the room closely.
Yori noticed a strange wear pattern on one of the light fixtures and called Ron's attention to with a quick motion of her hand. At Ron's nod, she twisted the fixture and followed him through the opening in the far wall that was revealed. They blended into the shadows and remained unseen as they walked down a short corridor, a flight of stairs and past a security post watching the entrance. Soon they were observing the main control room of Global Justice. With a small jerk of his head, Ron indicated the door to Dr. Director's office and the assistant who was approaching the door with a report in hand. They quickly made their way to the door and covertly slipped into the room behind the assistant when she opened the door and entered Dr. Director's office.
Dr. Director raised a hand to tell the assistant to wait while she continued her conversation with Will and Ken Du. Ron and Yori faded into the shadows in the corners of the room and eavesdropped on Dr. Director's conversation.
"I think that should finish the process of cutting all ties with other agencies, Dr. Director." Will stood at rigid attention while reporting as his brother stood slouching next to him.
"Agents Du, has the new analysis of probable targets for Possible and Shego produced any results? We need to intercept them before they can do any more damage to Global Justice."
Ken Du straightened slightly. "The latest analysis says the most likely target is the covert operation training facility. It is the one covert operation that we haven't moved, shut down or transferred to another agency. The analysis suggests Possible and Shego will target this facility in order to gain access to updated Global Justice deployment files as well as the covert operation archive stored there."
Dr. Director nodded her agreement with the assessment. "I want the two of you and your team to deploy to the covert operations training facility. Don't bother to look for weaknesses in the facilities defenses, the last few months have shown that Possible and Shego will find a weakness even in the most secure facility. I want you to deploy to protect the data center and related files, but you are not to engage Possible or Shego if at all possible. I also want you to take a tech team to remove any compromising files as soon as practical. That will be all."
"Yes, ma'am." The brothers replied in unison before signing off.
Dr. Director turned from the viewscreen to face her assistant, who handed her a file then turned and left the office.
Dr. Director started when a strangely familiar voice spoke from the corner of the room as she opened the file she had just received. "Betty, I have questions. You have answers."
She stared in amazement as a two figures in black ninja garb, including hoods, stepped from the shadows. She started to move her foot towards the alarm button on the floor under her desk, when the strangely familiar voice spoke again. "Don't move your foot another inch. I won't allow you press the button under your desk to activate the alarm until I have what I came for. That goes for the two buttons located in your desk as well as the one on the viewscreen, the one next to the coffee pot and the one in the fake plant in the corner."
Dr. Director hid her surprise as she pushed her chair away from her desk and folded her hands in her lap. "Who are you and what do you want? How did you get into this facility, not to mention my office, undetected? What do you want?"
Ron stepped forward and pulled the hood from his head, giving Dr. Director a goofy smile. "I think you know who I am and what I want. Getting in was easy, we just followed one of your agents into the base and then followed your assistant into your office."
Dr. Director looked hard at Ron for several moments. "Ronald, are you aware of how serious what you have done today is? You have committed multiple felonies and compromised global security. You are facing twenty to thirty years in prison just for breaking in. If I tell you anything you will be facing life without parole."
Ron laughed at her. "You can't intimidate me, Betty. I am not the silly boy you used before. I want to know what you know about Kim's location."
Dr. Director looked at Ron with a critical eye, noticing his changed stance and manner of carrying himself. "Ronald, I do not know where Kim Possible is. If you entered with my assistant, you must have heard me talking to the Du brothers, checking to see if we had any predictions for where she and Shego will strike next. We wouldn't be going through all of that if we knew where to find them."
Ron nodded, his face somber. "I suppose you are right, but I want to warn you, Betty, if your goons harm Kim in any way you will pay for it."
Dr. Director returned Ron's gaze, not flinching for a moment. "They will do what they need to, to protect Global Justice from attacks, but they are under orders to not hurt Kim or Shego and to try to arrange for me to talk with them."
"I suppose that talk will be taking place in the interrogation room of one of your secret prisons?" Ron's voice was full of scorn.
Dr. Director bristled at Ron's tone. "We don't have any secret –." Betty bit off her comment when she saw the amused look on Ron's face. She shook her head in annoyance, knowing Ron, Ron of all people, had baited her. She took a deep calming breath. "I only want to talk to Kim and Shego. They could pick the location. I don't think they understand the damage they have done and could do with their crusade."
Ron snorted. "Oh, yes all the damage they have done, exposing your secret prisons, illegal surveillance stations, under the table backing of dictators and general ruining of people's lives."
Ron's voice had risen to an almost shout as he finished. Yori placed a calming hand on his arm, letting him know he was not alone. Ron flashed her a quick, grateful look before returning his attention to Dr. Director. "You must have forgotten that I know firsthand just how you and your little villain group operates Betty. You almost ruined my life over a mistake Kim made, if it was a mistake. You don't care about the innocents you may harm, all you care about is getting your way."
Dr. Director sat in stunned silence for a moment, knowing that there was nothing she could say to defend herself or her organization. Ron's tirade had brought home just how removed from the pursuit of justice Global Justice had become.
Not getting any reply, Ron turned to leave with Yori at his side. "When I see Kim, I'll let her know you want to talk to her. I doubt she has anything to say to you."
As they reached the door, Dr. Director stopped them. "I am sorry Ronald; sorry for everything that happened to you and everyone else around Kim. If I could undo it, I would but I can't. I have to deal things as they are, which means I can't afford to cut Kim and Shego much more slack before I move against them. If you talk to them, let them know I really do need to talk to them."
Ron had turned as she spoke and regarded her with a critical eye. "Betty, saying you are sorry doesn't mean anything unless it is back up with actions. You talk a good game but I don't see you doing anything to fix your mistakes."
Dr. Director dropped her gaze to stare at the floor. "You are right, Ronald. I have spent all my efforts lately in restoring Global Justice to what it is supposed to be, a force for justice above politics and petty partisan concerns. I have cut our ties to any questionable activities we were associated with and closed down all of the secret operations we had going on that I wouldn't want the public to associate with Global Justice's name. I have done everything except make things up to all of the old victims of what we did."
Ron held her gaze with a searching eye for a moment before his face softened. "I think you mean that, Dr. Director. I will talk to Kim for you when I find her but you have to remember she went through everything for three years more than I did. I was lucky and had friends to help me, something she didn't, thanks to you."
Dr. Director looked at Ron and his companion closely until she made a connection. "Yes, I can see you were lucky, Ronald, you had Yamanouchi to help you. I do wonder though, how you came in contact with them. Was it on one of your missions with Kim? Did they send you out to look for Kim as part of your training?"
Yori stepped forward, an edge to her voice. "Stoppable-sama had finished his training. He is the chosen heir to the leadership of the Yamanouchi clan. You will treat him with the respect he deserves."
Dr. Director caught Ron's slight wince at Yori's words. "I am sorry is I have offended you, I did not know Ronald was so important."
Yori gave a short nod and stepped back as Ron spoke. "I am not that important, Dr. Director. I have a job to do and must proceed with it. I doubt we will meet again."
As he turned to leave, Dr. Director asked one last question. "If I may ask, what is your mission? Is it something Global Justice should be concerned about?"
Ron paused a moment before answering. "We received a prophecy. It is my job to fulfill it.
"Storm clouds gather in the twilight.
Darkness soon will engulf the world
Only the impossible and the unstoppable
Can find the daughter of mind and the son of machine
And lead them to the world salvation"
Dr. Director sat in thought as Ron and Yori exited her office and the base, unseen by any of her agents.
~O~O~O~
Jack Hench's normally smiling face was twisted into a scowl as he reviewed the latest intelligence report on Brainchild and her activities. It was obvious from what he read that the Possible women were using every means at their disposal to find and punish those who were responsible for what had happened to Kim Possible. The reports of problems at the CIA were particularly disturbing; some people with memory loss, a number of death and several disappearances.
From his own investigations into what had happened in Plantain, he knew that several of the CIA agents involved in what happened to Kim Possible and Shego were also on the list of those who were recently affected. He had expected the Possibles to dig for information and perhaps punish one or two individuals but what had happened at the CIA went far beyond anything he had imagined happening. He had imagined a covert campaign with a few surgical strikes to punish the guilty not this wholesale war against the agency that was making headlines around the world.
If the Possible were waging an open war against those who had hurt them and their family, his long term plans were going to need to be re-evaluated. The deal he had made with Nancy Possible and the intelligence community twenty years ago would be worthless if the people he had made the deal with started fighting. He would be caught between the two opposing sides and if word of the deal leaked, his own customers would be after his head too.
Making a decision, Jack picked up his phone and contacted his head of special projects, Dr. Amy Ting. He ordered her to his office and paced his office nervously, awaiting her arrival. The step he was planning to take would mean breaking an agreement that had shielded him from government interference for two decades, but he saw no other way out of the bind he was in. As soon as Dr. Ting entered his office, he put it in secure mode and activated his special security measures to insure there was no eavesdropping.
"Dr. Ting, I have a top priority project for your section to handle. I don't want anyone outside of those directly working on the project to know anything about it. Is that understood?" Jack's voice was hard and carried an edge of menace.
Dr. Ting nodded, her bosses demeanor leaving her unaffected. "Of course, sir. Should we find a separate secure facility to use or should we just use a secure lab?"
Jack nodded, his tension easing. He knew he could count on Dr. Ting to handle any problem in a thoroughly professional manner. "I want a new secure base for the operation. All employees will be required to undergo new security clearance and will be sequestered for the duration of the project and for however long it takes to implement."
Dr. Ting made notes on a simple pad with a pencil, using a personal shorthand only she could read. "What is the project and how large is the budget?"
Hench started pacing again. "The budget is unlimited. I want you spare no expense." He stopped pacing and turned to face Dr. Ting. "I want you to create a new version of the In-terror-net from the ground up. I do not want any of the code in the current version to be reused. I want new security and encryption systems based on different principles than the current ones."
Dr. Ting paused in her note taking for a moment to look at Hench. Seeing that he was deadly serious she finished making her notes. "This will be a major undertaking, sir. It could take over a year to finish." She was cut off by her boss's snarled reply.
"This is a rush job, I want it done and ready to implement within six months max. Grade one bonus, to the entire team, for early completion. You have authority to use any personnel or resources you need, just get the job done. Understood?"
Dr. Ting nodded, not letting her concern over the assignment show. "Understood, sir. I will start the project immediately."
Hench sat down behind his desk and watched Dr. Ting leave as soon as he took the room out of secure mode. He gave the orders necessary to implement the assignment he had given to Dr. Ting and then sat back and started reviewing his plans. If he could get the In-terror-net moved to a new, secure, untapped system, the he would be out from under the deal he had made with Nancy Possible all those years ago. He would also, with a little salesmanship, be able to keep his customers from lynching him. A faint smile crossed his face at the prospect of putting one over on Nancy Possible and her old cronies.
~O~O~O~
Anne Possible removed the hood to her Brainchild costume as Nancy Possible sat on the bed of their hotel room. Anne was tired and annoyed, they had spent the last week visiting people in Washington, Plantain and scattered points around the globe looking for information about what had happened to Kim in Plantain. However, at every turn they were met by dead ends. Sometime literal ones where a lead had died. The only fact they had discovered was that there was an unknown third party involved, one that was taking great pains to hide its identity and existence.
Throwing her hood on the bed and starting to remove her costume Anne looked at Nancy. "That was our last lead and we are no closer to finding out exactly what happened in Plantain or who was behind it. Unless you have some new lead for us to follow it looks like we will have to return to Middleton empty-handed."
Nancy gave her a small, smug smile. "Oh, we will return to Middleton, but not empty-handed. We know that someone was behind what happened in Plantain. That gives us a lead to follow in itself. Our best bet for finding out something about that group is in Middleton."
Anne closed her robe and slipped the Brainchild costume into the hidden compartment in her luggage. "What would be in Middleton that could give us a lead on our mystery party? I don't know –." Anne stopped in mid-sentence as a look of comprehension came over her face. "That is evil, Nancy. Betty would have a fit if she was allowed to remembered what we are going to do."
~o~o~
Betty Director came awake instantly, her gun pointed at the intruder in her bedroom, as voice from the darkness spoke. "You must be getting old Betty; I have been sitting here for ten minutes."
Dr. Director returned her gun to its concealed holster and clicked on the lights. "If you wanted to talk Nancy, you could have made an appointment and seen me at the office. My door is always open for you."
Nancy smiled at her, an empty perfunctory smile that did not reach her eyes. "I didn't want to bother you at work. Besides, I know you wouldn't tell me anything if you could sit in your office and stand on your global security soapbox." She gave a dramatic sigh and the mumbled to herself. "Why is it that everyone we talk to says and does the same thing?"
"So you're the cause of all the trouble at the CIA? I should have known. You always were one to go the extra mile." Dr. Director sat on the edge of her bed and stared at Nancy. "So what do you want?"
"We are only responsible for a few of the incidents at the CIA, the rest were people running around trying to keep us from finding any leads. We want to know who was behind what happened to Kim in Plantain. We know there was a group other than the CIA or Global Justice involved but so far all of our leads have taken us to dead ends." Nancy never took her eyes off Dr. Director, watching for any suspicious move.
Dr. Director tiredly rubbed her face. "I don't know of any group other than the CIA and the Plantainian's who were involved in the situation in Plantain. As far as I know, it was a plan hatched by the Plantainian government with the backing of the local CIA chief. Langley only learned of the situation when Kim contacted me. As usual, they were most concerned with playing CYA, instead of doing what was right."
Nancy shook her head. "I don't believe you, Betty. I think you know more than you are telling, just like everyone else we have questioned."
"You keep saying we, Nancy. Do you have a partner?"
"Yes, I do. Will you come out, my dear? I am afraid your services will be needed again."
The door to Dr. Director's bedroom opened and Dr. Director saw a woman in a body suit with a face-covering hood stepped into the room and sauntered towards her. The woman had long blond hair that fell from under her hood but Betty's eyes were caught by the shifting, swirling pattern of colors on the body suit the woman wore. The colors seemed to shift and move in a way that was more than random, that seemed as though they would almost spell out some secret knowledge or reveal some hidden scene.
Shaking her head and deliberately keeping her gaze focused away from the woman, Dr. Director gathered her thought for a moment before replying. "Aren't you Brainchild? I have heard of you. I thought you were supposed to be dead?"
Brainchild laughed as she reached Betty. "That's what everybody says, but obviously, I am alive and kicking. Now I want you to tell me everything you know about what happened in Plantain and who was involved." With a quick motion she used a small concealed atomized to spray a liquid in Betty's face.
Betty wiped the liquid from her face, glaring at Brainchild. "What did you do to me? Why would I answer your questions?"
Brainchild watched, a smirk on her face, as Betty started to sway while a dazed look crept across her face. "It is my ACCORD serum. In a few moments, it will render you compliant and docile. You will answer our questions."
Dr. Director struggled to maintain control of herself but found her will power rapidly vanishing until she sat placidly on the bed, a slack look on her face. Brainchild lifted her hand and felt her pulse for a moment before letting it go. "Now, Dr. Director I want you to summarize for me everything that you know about what happened to Kim in Plantain."
Betty stared ahead blankly as she answered. "I first learned of the situation in Plantain when Wade contacted me on Kim's behalf. I collected what information I could while on my way to meet her and Shego. All I knew at the time was that they had been involved in a running gunfight with a CIA/DEA sponsored anti-drug task force and after that; they had been sighted helping a rebel group with ties to several terrorist organizations.
"I met with Kim and Shego and heard their version of what had happened. I then contacted the Plantainian government and the local CIA office in order to get briefings from them. Kim and Shego said that Kim had been summoned to return a stolen cultural treasure. A tracking device had been placed on her. Once Kim found Shego, they had been ambushed and attacked without provocation. After they escaped, they were on the run and took refuge with the rebels as the only safe haven they could find.
"According to the Plantainains there had been no call for Kim's services. They said that Kim had met Shego to conspire to overthrow their government but were stopped by the brave men of the Plantain Army. The Army pursued the two rebel women and cornered them along with a group of terrorists hiding in the mountains near their border. They said they were just about to attack and wipeout the rebel, with Kim and Shego thrown in too.
"The CIA stated that Kim was called into recover a cultural treasure that had been stolen. The Plantainians hid this fact because the object had been stolen by the president's son as a drunken prank. A tracking device had been used but it was not planted on Kim or Shego but rather had been placed in a large cache of currency that was to be used in a major drug buy."
Brainchild and Nancy's frowns had grown as they heard Betty's story. They realized Dr. Director had been lied to, just as they had.
"The DEA had a task-force working in conjunction with the Plantainian Army. They followed the signal to Shego's beach house and were trying to contact their base to get instructions when Shego attacked and destroyed two of the helicopters used by the task force. Once Kim fled with Shego, they had no way to contact her to let her know what had happened. They were the ones who suggested placing Kim on probation in order to make certain her time with Shego hadn't altered her personality permanently."
"Since then I have learned that the CIA knew of the Plantainian's plan to eliminate Kim along with Shego and had approved it in advance. The Plantainian's insist they did not plant a tracking device on Kim. They also claim that Kim and Shego's claims of human rights violations are the result of them being duped by the terrorist who posed as poor oppressed rebels."
Brainchild's hand had involuntarily balled themselves into fists as Betty continued her story. "Did you conduct any investigations into Kim and Shego's allegation?"
Betty slowly shook her head from side to side. "I wanted to investigate the CIA and DEA as well as the Plantainians but was ordered by the Oversight Committee to simply take the CIA report at face value."
Nancy shook her head in disgust. "Typical politicians! More concerned with covering their butts than doing what's right. I think we will need to have a talk with them after we finish with Betty."
Brainchild nodded and turned back to face Betty. "Do you know anything else about what happened in Plantain to Kim and Shego?"
"I know they became romantically and sexually involved during the week they were on the run together. Shego offered to surrender and plead guilty if we spared Kim. Kim was very upset with Shego for 'betraying' her. The Plantainians were mad that Kim and Shego survived their attack, so they bribed the Probation officer to treat Kim in the worst way he could. Kim told me when I spoke to her just before her probation ended that she was going to take me and Global Justice down."
Brainchild looked at Nancy questioningly. "What should we do with Betty? It sounds like she was duped, just like we were."
Nancy thought for a moment. "Erase her memory of our visit. I think she was duped into acting against Kim and she gave us a lead to follow in the Oversight Committee."
Brainchild pulled a small case from a hidden pocket and opened it. Taking out a syringe and vial, she filled the syringe with a small amount of the drug and injected it into Betty's arm. "Betty, I want you to lie down and go to sleep."
As Betty returned to sleep, Nancy and Brainchild made there was from her apartment to their cloaked hovercraft. Once they were in the air, Brainchild removed the hood of her costume and turned to confront Nancy. "I need to spend some time at home. I think James is growing suspicious of my frequent absences lately."
Nancy gave her a doubtful look. "I don't think James has noticed anything my dear. You know he is not the most observant man when it comes to anything not related to science and rockets."
Anne shook her head. "James may not pay much attention to things he does not care about but he is very observant and has an eidetic memory. From the way he is acting, I believe he is suspicious of all my recent absences. I want to get the people who hurt Kim as much as you do but I am not throwing away the rest of my life or family to do so."
"You are right, my dear. You spend however much time you need with your family." Anne looked at Nancy in shock, having expected more of a fight. Nancy smiled at her. "Don't be so shocked, dear. You are right; I was getting too obsessed with revenge and almost forgot why we want revenge. Besides, I want some time to research the Oversight Committee before we pay them a visit."
~O~O~O~
A/N – Looks like I am back in the grove after the last chapter took so long. It looks like I will be posting about once a week, since the story is becoming more complex with five groups (Kim/Shego, Anne/Nancy, Betty/GJ, Ron/Yori and the villains) to keep track of, which takes more time than some of the early chapters.