Meetings With Remarkable Men
Disclaimer – I don't own Kim Possible.
A/N – Thanks to all my readers and reviewers.
**The Fannie Awards are accepting nominations. I am honored that I have been nominated for Best Action/Adventure Story this story and best new author. Please nominate your favorite authors and stories; feedback like this is what drives most of us to write. Information on categories and how to make nominations can be found here –
topic/329/131053374/1/2014-Kim-Possible-Fannies-Nominating-Period-is-Open-3-29-2015-to-4-30-2015.
April 30 is the dead line.**
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. Note that ~O~O~O~ indicates major shift in time and place, while ~o~o~ indicates small shifts in time or place.
Chapter – 14 – Meetings With Remarkable Men
Jack Hench leaned back in his chair and gave a slight smile. The last few months had been the most stressful in his long career but everything seemed to have settled down for now. Kim Possible and Shego had been quiet for several weeks, leaving Global Justice to repair the damage they had done and return operations to normal. Ann and Nancy Possible had been similarly quiet, reducing the chance of an all out intelligence war greatly. His project to redo the In-Terror-Net from the ground up was ahead of schedule. It seems that things were finally going his way.
Getting up, he went to the bar a poured himself a glass of twenty year old single malt before heading for the leather couch against the far wall. Settling into the couch with a sigh, he took as sip of his drink as he turned on the large screen plasma on the far wall. Second latter, scotch was being sprayed halfway across the room as Jack sputtered and choked. The cause of his distress was playing on the screen, a breaking news story with the headlines, United Nations Committee for Oversight of Law Activities Corruption Confessions, scrolling continuously across the bottom of the screen.
Wiping his mouth with his hand stitched monogrammed silk handkerchief, Jack made his way to his desk and stabbed the intercom button. Before his secretary could answer, he was barking orders for his head of Government Affairs and his head of Community Relations to be summoned immediately. He paced the room nervously as he waited for them to arrive, worry etched on his face. His mind raced, seeking a way to get what he needed from his subordinates while hiding his real concern, the brief statement that all of the members of the committee were suffering from memory loss.
Stopping his pacing he sat at his desk and struggled to compose himself, while his mind raced with what ifs and might bes. He prayed to whatever god there might be that the Possible women would not cause a global catastrophe. His thoughts were cut short as the two division heads entered the room. Turning to the head of his Government Affairs Division, he snarled.
"Why did we not have any warning about the problem with the oversight committee?"
The division head, Simon 'Sip' Hemo, gulped nervously as he straightened his tie. He didn't actual know anything about the problem except for a few hurried words from his assistant, having been at an expensive and extended lunch on his bosses tab. "Sir, it seems this was a sudden, unforeseen development. There was no hint of anything like this from the committee or any of the other government sources we control."
Jack nodded grimly. "Very well, I want you to monitor the developments with the committee and make certain that their replacements are willing to work with us on things."
Hemo nodded and headed on his way, glad to have dodged the bullet. His first task would be to make certain that none of his side deals with the committee became known. Once that was taken care of, he would start working on Jack's orders.
Watching Hemo leave, Jack leaned back in his chair, breathing deeply and evenly to calm himself before addressing his head of Customer Relations, a giant of a black man called Themistocles M'zangwe. "I need you to monitor customer reactions to this news. Depending on how complete those confessions are, we may be mentioned in them. Do you have any advice on how to handle that, if it occurs?"
Them thought for a moment before replying, his voice a low rumble in his chest. "As long as it doesn't show us betraying any of our customers, we should be fine. We can spin it as using our 'vast' influence to bend the committee and by extension Global Justice, to our will. That should improve our reputation and allay any fears."
Jack nodded, his mood improving slightly. "Good, you can get back to your job. Send me updates if anything goes wrong."
Them nodded his understanding and exited the office, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts. If Ann and Nancy Possible were willing to take out the United Nations Committee for Oversight of Law Activities via public confessions of their crimes, then things were getting very serious indeed. This one action alone could bring down several government and cause scandals for fifty or sixty more. This combined with their actions against the CIA, made them a threat not just to him but the entire world.
Sitting up, he pulled his keyboard to him and started typing. A minute later, he was looking at Brainchild's latest post on the Hench Co. forums and the In-Terror-Net, requests for information on a shape shifter capable of changing both height and weight. Jack thought for a moment, trying to recall a shape shifter meeting that description, before perusing the replies. So far, no one had supplied any information or contacted Brainchild about the request. If Brainchild was asking about a shape shifter immediately after dealing with the oversight committee, that meant she had obtained information about them from the committee. That meant there was a shape shifter around, one that he knew nothing about, possibly influencing major government bodies and who knew what else.
Jack rapidly typed out orders for his research division to collect all of the data they could on any and all shape shifters that they could locate. Once the orders were given, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. Opening a drawer in his desk a pulled out a bottle of aspirin, poured out a handful and washed them down with a large swig of Pepto-Bismol. Once again rubbing his throbbing temples, he wondered how his day could get any worse.
~O~O~O~
Kim and Shego sat in a trendy coffee shop, sipping cappuccinos and talking about nothing in particular. Periodically one of them would casually glance out the window but no one would think they were surreptitiously keeping watch on the hidden entrance to the local WEE station located under a dry cleaner's shop across the street. Their intelligence indicated that the Du brother's should be trying to infiltrate this base sometime this afternoon or the next.
Of course, neither of them looked like themselves at the moment. Kim had dyed her hair black and applied a spray tan to darken her normal peaches and cream complexion, while Shego had pulled her hair up and use special cosmetics to given her skin a normal tone. They wore clothes that fit into the hipster, being gentrified feel the neighborhood had, Kim in a skirt and blouse and Shego in a tailored pantsuit. Both looked like office drones on break, the perfect cover.
So far, they had been on station for two hours and would have to move on to another location soon. They already had to change position twice that day and were running out of convenient places to move to. They had one more location ready, a casual dining restaurant half way down the block, before they would have to give up surveillance or risk being spotted. When the time came, they simply left the coffee shop and walked around the area for a few minutes, taking care to disappear into the crowd several times. They also subtly changed their appearance, Kim adding a scarf and changing the color of her purse and Shego letting her hair down and removing her jacket, before they made their way to the restaurant.
After tipping the waitress, they were seated by the window and resumed their surveillance. After ordering, they fell back to their aimless conversation to fill time and divert suspicion. Kim made a subtle gesture to alert Shego that she had spotted the Du brothers. Out of the corner of their eyes they watched the brothers covertly checkout the WEE base, before the brothers entered the coffee shop they had just left.
"I guess we were lucky we moved or the Du-Du's would have spotted us." Shego whispered around a mouthful of salad.
"Come on, they couldn't spot us if we were wearing signs." Shego looked up and saw a familiar smirk on Kim's face.
After a moment, Shego looked inquiringly at Kim and asked. "Do we just sit here and watch them or so you have something else planned?"
Taking a sip of her drink, Kim replied. "We will watch them for about half an hour and, if they stay put, move in to take out the WEE base right under their noses. If they try to interfere, we take them down and leave them with the WEE agents."
Shego nodded and continued to eat her salad. Kim joined her and they passed the next thirty minutes in comfortable silence. Once they were done with their meal, they paid the bill and made their way out of the diner and across the street to a large department store. The store, which they had scouted earlier, had three stories and an easily accessible roof. Making their way to the second floor, the duo quickly retrieved packs they had secreted their earlier. They then made their way to the roof and, once they were certain they were not being observed, proceeded to change into their mission garb.
Shego glanced at Kim as she changed then quickly turned her back on her, chiding herself for ogling something she could never have again. She just hoped that Kim didn't get too wrapped up in her quest for vengeance. With luck, Global Justice's continual embarrassment would be enough and Kim would return to normal, she would go back to being a famous hero, helping anyone in need. Shego froze for a moment, and then angrily continued to change. She wasn't concerned about what would happen to her if Kim went back to her old life, she had lived an exciting, wonderful life before she met Kim and she would again.
Kim was focused on the coming mission when she caught Shego turning her back on her to change. Kim longed to hug her and tell her it was all right, that she was beautiful and had nothing to be ashamed of. She averted her eyes, reminding herself that they were only friend, nothing more. Part of her wanted to finish her vendetta against GJ and return to her life but another part wanted to prolong the vendetta so she could spend more time with Shego. Maybe if she had time enough, she could help Shego to realize that she was not a freak but one of the most beautiful women in the world. Kim shook herself to clear her mind and turned to regard Shego.
Shego nodded her readiness to Kim and they moved to the edge of the roof overlooking the WEE base. A quick check using binoculars showed the Du brothers still in place and no visible guards or agents at the WEE base. A few quick hand signals later and they both leaped from the roof to the ground, descender rigs slowing their fall as Kim threw several smoke bombs into the street, blocking sight of the entrance to the WEE base, while Shego threw several flash-bangs far down the street, to the spook the crowd and sow confusion.
Reaching the street, they unhooked the rigs and ran toward the store hiding the hidden entrance to the WEE base. Kim kicked open the door and took out the two guard disguised as customer near the front counter with two crescent kicks. Shego jumped through the front window after blowing it out with a plasma blast. Landing on the floor in a crouch, she sent a flurry of plasma balls towards the back of the store, sending the customers running and taking out the guard at the rear of the room. They dashed to the entrance of the stockroom, where Kim used a gel bomb to trap a WEE agent before he could send an alert.
Kim sent a stink bomb down the transport tube as Shego forced open the emergency access hatch and started down the ladder. Shego reached the bottom of the shaft and carefully cracked the door to the WEE base open. She peered through the crack she had opened as Kim moved to stand behind her. The room beyond was the main control center of the WEE base, the occupants now scurrying to deal with the events on the street. Giving Kim a signal to indicate no one near the door, Shego dashed through the door open and charged into the room with Kim in tow.
Shego vaulted a low railing and ran straight to the main communications panel, her hands wreathed in green fire. Kim moved in a light skipping step towards the nearest agents before launching a flurry of kicks and punches at them. Agents rushed to confront Kim and were met with fists and feet that sent them flying. Others rushed Shego as she rammed a glowing hand through the panel, shorting out the bases communications. Shego whirled, sending the agents diving for cover from the plasma on her hand hands, then dived to Kim's side.
Once Shego had taken over the fight with the nearby agents, Kim knelt next to the main computer console and pried the panel off. Agents rushed the two, intent on preventing them from compromising the base's computer system. Shego gave them an evil grin as she punched, kicked, whirled and leaped, sending the agents flying in a ballet of violence.
"How's it coming, cupcake?" Shego asked over her shoulder, never taking her attention from the fight.
"Nag, nag, nag. Almost got it, sweetie." Kim kept her head down focused on attaching a small box like device to the main computer. Kim made a few adjustments to the device then slammed the panel back into place.
"All ready, we just need to give it three minutes to download their data and then we can go." Kim dived forward into a roll that turned into a handstand before it became a flying attack on the agents.
"Three minutes, what will we do for the last minute; you know these guys won't last more than two?" Shego quipped as she threw herself after Kim. For the next several minutes, the control room was alive with action as agents poured in from the rest of the base, to be met by Kim and Shego. Even thought they were outnumbered almost a hundred to one, the women carried the fight to the agents, using their numbers against them. They dodged around the room using some agents as cover from others, taking out groups of agents by throwing other agents into them and generally exploiting their edge in maneuverability, speed and skill.
"Well, that wasn't a bad workout, princess. Let's get the box and go." Shego and Kim simply stared when they turned and saw the Du brothers kneeling by the computer console, Will placing the box Kim had planted there into a pouch at his side.
"We want to thank you ladies for doing all the hard work for us. This data will allow us to stop WEE in its tracks." Ken gave a jaunty salute, then he and his brother started to run for the access shaft.
Breaking out of their shock, Kim and Shego jumped after them.
"Those, lousy, lying thieving . . ." Kim grumbled as she ran.
"When I catch them . . ." Shego echoed Kim's sentiments as she moved beside her.
They assumed they would be able to intercept them as they moved up the shaft but the brothers had come prepared with motorized clips on their belt that whisked them up their climbing ropes to the top of the shaft in mere seconds. They started to climb the ladder in the shaft, ceasing their grumbling in order to save their breath. Once they reached the top of the shaft, they raced through the store to the street and looked for some sign of the Du brothers. After a moment, Kim placed her hand on Shego's arm and pointed to a nearby rooftop, where a Global Justice Hover Jet was waiting.
Shego took careful aim and sent a volley of plasma balls at the jet, destroying the tail assembly. She smirked at Kim as the Du brothers scrambled from the crippled aircraft. Reaching the front of the building the jet was on Kim grabbed Shego and used her grappling gun to ascend to the roof. They both cursed under their breath when, feet from the roof, the Du brothers dove over the side of the building, descender rigs on their belts.
As soon as they reached the rooftop, Kim, never releasing her grip on Shego used the descender setting on her grapple gun to follow the brother to the street. As soon as they touched down, Kim raced in the direction Will had gone, while Shego set off in pursuit of Ken. The brothers had headed in separate directions and, with no way to know which had the device; both needed to be chased down.
~O~O~O~
Dr. Director was seated at her desk reviewing intelligence report concerning the situation with several rogue supervillians when her secretary rushed into her office, clutching a news dispatch in her hand.
"Dr. Director, you need to see this immediately. It's the Oversight Committee." Handing Dr. Director the dispatch she grabbed the viewscreen remote and turned on the news. Dr. Director scanned the dispatch, pausing is surprise at the news of the committee's confessions, then turned and looked up at the viewscreen.
The secretary silently left as she watched several analysts talk about the possible effects of the entire United Nations Committee for Oversight of Law Activities being removed for corruption and speculating about the amount of corruption at the UN. They offered ponderously phrased guesses as to the effect on Global Justice and other law enforcement operations. Dr. Director felt a chill race down her spine when they mentioned the committee members claiming to experience memory loss.
Nancy Possible, she thought as she punched a button on the intercom and director her assistant to get complete transcripts of the committee's confessions and any interviews or statements they had given. Obviously, the trail from the CIA had led to the Oversight Committee and must have produced some results if she was making them confess, then wiping their memories. Hopefully, something in what the committee said would give her a lead on what was going on and where Nancy would strike next.
Once an agent delivered the transcripts, she pulled a notepad to her and started reading, making notes as she went along. An hour later, she sat back and stared blankly at the ceiling, reviewing what she had learned. She had known about the corruption and kickbacks at the committee, she had used that knowledge to blackmail the committee for autonomy but she was surprised at the some of the other things the confessions contained.
The committee had been working for an outside power, one they had no name or face for. The litany of bad decisions and patent injustices had shocked her, but she had been in awe of the long range vision and subtle understanding of psychology the 'man' who had corrupted them had shown. It was plain from all the committee said that they had no idea of how they were being used and actually though they were using their benefactor. The revelation of the 'man' being a shape shifter had startled her but also explained many things, including the recent change of government in Plantain.
All of this tied in with what she had learned over the last couple of months, that at least one group was manipulating things behind the scenes. Had Nancy Possible stumbled on a major clue or was all of this an elaborate ploy to mislead her. She considered the idea for a moment before dismissing it; if someone could subvert Nancy Possible then the game was truly over. No, she was certain this was real, the question was, how to use it to Global Justice's advantage. She pondered Stoppable's cryptic warning, seeing if it fit in with the current situation.
Sitting up with a jerk, she picked up her phone and contacted her communications department. "Get me Nancy Possible, now."
~o~o~
Nancy Possible sat on a secluded bench in a park on the outskirts of Middleton, seeming to simply enjoy the warm weather. Those who looked closely would have spotted eyes that never stopped moving and saw everything. They might notice that this bench, of all those in the park, could not be seen from any other bench or by anyone outside of the park. Professionals would have observed a lack of covert approaches to her position as well as the strategically placed shelter that could contain reinforcements.
Exactly on time, a figure in a casual pantsuit walked briskly down the path to the bench, then sat next to her. Nancy Possible and Dr. Director regarded each before a moment before other Nancy spoke.
"It's your meeting, Betty. What do you want?"
Dr. Director sighed. "Still as charming as ever, Nancy. I wanted to talk and share information."
Nancy pursed her lips. "What information would I be able to share, Betty. I have been retired for a decade. Most of what I know is out of date."
"Don't play games with me Nancy, I know about your vendetta against the agency and what you did to the oversight committee." She kept her gaze level and steady, meeting Nancy eye to eye.
"If you know so much, why do we need to talk? You should know everything that I know." Nancy's face stayed calm and placid.
"Because there are things that aren't in the reports I have. Things like information on a shape shifter." She kept her face calm, while inside she crowed in triumph at the slight look of surprise that flashed across Nancy's face.
"The news reports mentioned something about a shape shifter, but it seems like wild rumors to me."
"Nice try Nancy, but I doubt you have been following the stories on the oversight committee so closely that you read the complete text of the confession online, since that is the only place shape shifting was mentioned. What if I told you I have information about the shape shifter?"
Nancy's gaze bore into her for a minute then turned to regard the nearby shelter for a moment, then returned to Betty's face. She gave a brief nod. "Very well, but you have to understand I am not in this alone. If you breathe a word about my partner, you will never talk again, understood?"
At Dr. Director's nod, Nancy gestured towards the shelter and waited as Brainchild slipped out of the shelter and made her way to them. Betty's mind was a whirl as she watched the figure in the skintight suit covered in hypnotic patterns sauntered over to join them. She gave Nancy a wondering look.
"Is this the original Brainchild? I thought she was dead."
Brainchild laughed. "You said almost the same thing the last time, Betty. Of course, everyone who recognizes me does."
"What do you mean last time?" Dr. Director felt a chill of fear settle in her stomach.
This time it was Nancy who laughed. "Because we have talked to you before, Betty, we just removed your memory of it. Do you think we wouldn't talk to you if we were looking into what happened to Kim down in Plantain? Don't worry, we simply found out what you knew, then erased the memory of the meeting before we left. No long term control or damage, once we realized you had been used by the oversight committee."
Dr. Director forced down her anger and asked in a level voice. "I thought Brainchild was dead. Twenty years ago, you said you took care of her. No one has had a hint she was still alive in all that time."
After a brief shared look with Nancy, Brainchild reached up and removed the mask to her costume. She laughed at the open-mouthed look of surprise on Betty's face. "Nancy convinced me to retire, so I did. It wasn't until the incident at the Space Center that I dusted off my old identity and went back to work."
Taking several breathes to steady herself, Dr. Director pressed on. "Ann Possible, I never suspected. I though Nancy had found your old formula's and simply improved them. Now I see you must have been working on them all along."
Seeing the inquiring looks on Ann and Nancy's faces, she continued. "I think we should find a less open place to speak. I have information about the shape shifter and his involvement in affairs in Plantain."
"I have a base nearby we can use." Brainchild volunteered after a short, whispered conversation Nancy. The two women stood and waited for Betty.
Dr. Director sighed in exasperation, convinced they were determined to surprise her at every turn, as she rose to follow them. The three walked in silence for several minutes as Ann led them, first to the edge of the park then down a faint trail in the grove of trees. Stopping in front of a sewer grate, she activated a remote, causing a section of concrete to slide aside, revealing a set of stairs leading down.
She followed Nancy and Betty her down the stair and into her lair, closing the door behind her. She motioned Betty to take a seat on the couch as she went to the main control panel and made certain the base had not been discovered or compromised. Once she was certain their secrecy was assured, she turned to face Betty.
"So, what exactly do you know about the shape shifter?"
"Do you remember when the President of Plantain went nuts and killed his cabinet, then killed himself?" Dr. Director waited for Ann and Nancy's nods before continuing. "An autopsy revealed the President died two hours before the cabinet meeting where he is supposed to have killed himself and his cabinet. Several servants who had known him for years insist it was him.
After a moments silence, Nancy spoke up. "That was about the time we started looking into what happen to Kim in Plantain. If this man is behind all of the dead ends we have encountered, it makes sense for him to have removed all connections to him in Plantain."
"I have my research division looking for any other traces of this shape shifter. I think, now that we know what to look for, we will find his presence in a number of places. What concerns me most is evidence that he is not the mastermind but merely the mastermind's agent."
Ann nodded her agreement. "That is what I suspect from the evidence in the committee's confessions. The planning is long term, takes into account different possible outcomes and very sophisticated in conception. As a matter of fact it reminds me . . ."
Dr. Director stared at her curiously, as she trailed off into silence with a thoughtful look on her face. She turned to look questioningly at Nancy, who simply raised a finger to tell her to wait. Ann swiveled her chair to face the console of the computer and started typing. Records flashed across the screen for several minutes before a 'please wait – working' message came up. Ann turned back to face them a grim look on her face.
"Betty, how much do you know about my original career?"
"You started out as a social justice activist then became a full fledged villain. Towards the end of your career you seemed to be almost a nihilist, working to create chaos more than anything else."
"That is the popular perception but not the truth. I started as a social activist, tricking the wealthy and powerful, exposing the hypocritical and undermining unjust systems. That is what I thought I was doing for most of my career but near the end, I found out that several of the people I trusted, people who helped me pick targets, were working for someone else. They were manipulating me into removing his enemies and helping his friends."
Ann leaned back in her chair a wistful, bitter expression on her face. "Once I knew I was being used, I found out all I could about the man behind it and his plans. I never found out the bosses identity but I knew many of his agents and most of his plan. I spent the next year removing his agents from power, placing his enemies in position to block him and thwarting his plans. I was just finishing up when Nancy and I had our talk and I retired."
Nancy spoke, drawing Dr. Director's attention. "I verified some of what she told me, enough for me to believe her. It was that and the fact she was in love with my son that convinced me to allow her to retire instead of removing her."
"You think the same person behind that plan is the one behind the current problem." Dr. Director asked.
"Correct. I have my system looking for connection between current events and past ones. If we can find them, we should be able to use the knowledge to figure out his plan and stop it."
Dr. Director sat in thought for a moment. "Recently I had a visit from Ron –."
"Ron?" Ann interrupted.
"Yes, Ron. Apparently, after he left Middleton he went to ninja academy he and Kim were aware of for training. While he was there, he was given a mission to investigate a prophecy the leader of the ninja's received. It went"
"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"
The storm clouds gathering in the twilight could refer to this person and his plot." She turned to look at Ann. "I think the daughter of mind is obviously you. Who the son of machine is, is a mystery."
Nancy spoke up. "The impossible and the unstoppable obviously refer to Kim and Ron. Do you have any idea where they are or how to contact them?"
Dr. Director shook her head in chagrin. "No. After everything that has happened between us, they are not likely to contact me. All I know is that Ron seemed to be looking for Kim. As for Kim, all I know is she is still gunning for me and Global Justice. You two on the other hand, should have more luck talking to them."
The three were interrupted by the computer console that beeped to indicate it was done as the main screen displayed a large graph of interconnected points. Ann turned to regard the display for a moment.
"It seems there are some signs connecting past events to current ones, but it will take further analysis to derive a pattern."
Dr. Director reached into her pocket and pulled out a flash drive. "This is all of the data Global Justice has current events as well the opinions of our analysis division."
Ann took the drive and plugged it into the console. Once the data was loaded, she started a new analysis running and Nancy looked questioningly at Betty.
"You just happen to have the data and analysis with you? I think you knew more than you let on."
Betty laughed. "Not really. I knew you were involved but I had no idea about Brainchild's involvement or identity. I hoped you and your allies would be willing to help since I fear Global Justice may be compromised. All of the reports I have indicate that almost every organization has been penetrated. That and the fact of the oversight committee working with our mysterious shape shifter have me questioning how much I can trust my own people."
Nancy nodded as they turned back to face the computer console as Ann called up the result of the first analysis. They would work long into the night, tracing out what they could of their opponents plans and making plans of their own to oppose him.
~O~O~O~
Kim ran down the street, dodging random people as she struggled to keep Will Du in sight. Much as she might dislike him, she gave him credit for being a competent agent and knew if he got out of her sight for any length of time she would never be able find him again. She grinned to herself as she saw him appear to duck into an alley while using a passing cart to hide his actual movement into a pedestrian overpass across the street. She pulled her grappling gun and shot the hook up to the middle of the bridge.
Swinging across the highway, she land lightly at the far entrance to the overpass and leaned casually against the wall to await Will's arrival. When he emerged from the overpass, looking over his shoulder for sign she was following, she gave him a smirk.
"About time you got here, Will, I've been waiting forever." As she moved to chase him, he gritted his teeth and turned to run back into the overpass. Kim calmly pulled her grapple gun and again used it to easily reach the other end of the overpass. If Will kept this up, he would exhaust himself quite soon, making her job easy. She waited impatiently for him, wondering where he was. A thought occurred to her and she dashed out of the overpasses entrance to look across and see him exiting the overpass and dashing down the street after giving her a jaunty mock salute.
Cursing herself for underestimating him right after she had warned herself about that very error, she used her grappling hook to cross over the other side of the overpass and set off after Will. She had to sprint to keep him in sight as he ducked through several alleys then into an open-air market. Kim followed as closely as she could, afraid of losing him in the market's crowd.
Once Will left the market and entered a business district, Kim had an easier time keeping Will in sight. She steadily closed the gap over the next dozen blocks or so despite Will's efforts to lose her. When he ducked into a blind alley, she sensed her chance. Dashing after him, she lept to the attack when she found him boxed in. Will parried her attack as he went into a forward roll and started to move towards the mouth of the alley.
Kim pushed off the wall at the end of the alley and used the impetus to tumble after Will. Her shoulder crashed into his back between his shoulder blades, sending sprawling. At the last minute, Will managed to turn his fall into a partial roll and lessen the impact. Kim had managed to keep a grip on his arm and rolled with him. She tried to move into a full mount but Will was able to counter and transition into a half guard. Kim moved to get an arm lock on Will but he countered and attempted to escape Kim's mount. The two struggled and strained to get an advantage and finish the fight for several minutes.
Kim was shocked when Will slipped her compact from her belt pouch and blew the face powder into her eyes. She struggled to clear her eyes and maintain her mount on Will but he managed to escape. Once her eyes were clear, she saw him standing nearby with her grappling gun in his hand. With a jaunty little wave, he raised the gun and used it to ascend to the roof of the closest building. Kim silently cursed Will as she headed for a fire escape in order to climb after him.
~o~o~
Spotting Ken in the distance, Shego ran after him, determined to catch him as soon as possible, get the data from him and return home with Kim. She pushed people out of her way as she sprinted after him, slowly gaining ground on him. Sensing her nearness, Ken ducked into busy food court, hoping to use the crowd to distract her and escape. Shego avoided the crowd by the simple expedient of jumping from table to table in Ken's wake. Once they exited the food court, Ken headed for a local shopping mall.
Shego tossed several plasma balls in an effort to redirect Ken but they proved fruitless. Cursing under her breath, Shego put on a burst of speed and using the short cut of dropping two stories instead of taking the stairs, she manage to get in front of him. Seeing his way blocked, he threw several smoke pellets at the ground and used their cover to head for a nearby alley. Shego cleared the smoke, and set off after him down the alley. Rounding a corner, she was assaulted by several garbage cans thrown by Ken from his perch on the top of a nearby dumpster.
Seeing Shego sent sprawling, he lept up and grabbed the edge of the roof on the closest building. As he pulled himself up, Shego sent a barrage of plasma balls his way, hoping to slow him down. Unfortunately for her, Ken managed to reach the roof without being hit and race out of sight. Shego muttered threats under her breath as she climbed on top of the dumpster and from there to the roof. She set off after Ken, as he disappeared around a large machine room on a nearby building.
For the next ten minutes or so, they played a game of cat and mouse across the rooftops and around the various machinery they contained. For every trick Ken had, Shego had a counter, for every ploy of Shego's, Ken had an escape. Tempers fraying, the two faced each other across a five-foot gap between roofs. Panting from exertion, they glared at each other waiting for the other to move. With a quick motion of his hand, Ken threw several smoke bombs to the ground in front of him. When the smoke cleared, Ken had vanished from sight.
Suspecting a ruse, Shego lept across the gap and performed a quick check but saw no sign of Ken. Briefly baffled as to how he had escaped, a faint noise from behind her drew her attention to the far edge of the roof. Looking down she saw a covered walkway barely ten feet below, a large dent as though from an impact plainly evident. A quick scan showed Ken running for the far end of the alley containing the walkway. Smirking to herself, Shego lept over the edge after Ken.
Sliding down the covered walkway to the ground below, Shego rushed after him. Dashing out of the alley, she caught a glimpse of him entering another alley half way down the street and ran after him. As she rounded the corner in pursuit, she was caught across the shin by a two by four, wielded by a crouched Ken Du. As she fell heavily to the ground, Ken lept up and sped off with a faint 'tsk, tsk' trailing after him. Shego got to her feet with a groan and set off after him.
~o~o~
It had been two hours since the assault on the WEE base and the four people in the contest to get and keep the data stolen from the base were exhausted but still struggling to win. Kim jogged tiredly after Will Du as he slowly made his way back to the location of the WEE base. From the opposite direction, Shego limped after Ken Du as he weaved his way to the same location. Once they met, the brothers gave an exhausted grunt and, falling into each other's arms slumped to the ground. Kim and Shego took up position over the brother, not making a sound as they struggled to catch their breath.
"Where is the data?" Kim asked tiredly, once she caught her breath.
Will and Ken chuckled softly instead of answering. Shego stepped closer, her hands wreathed in weak fluttering plasma.
"What's so funny? Give us the data now or get hurt."
The brothers erupted into full-blown if tired laughter. Will stopped and looked at the women, with a smile on his face.
"We don't have the data."
Kim and Shego stared disbelievingly at him. "What do you mean you don't have the data? We saw you take it from the base." Kim's voice was tinged with anger.
Ken smirked at them. "We took the data from the base alright but we don't have it now. When you took out the Hover Jet, we knew you would come after us so we left the data in the Jet and took off. Just as expected, you followed us all over the city, while Global Justice's agents were able to retrieve the data at their leisure." The brothers collapsed again a fit of mirth.
Kim and Shego stared at them uncomprehendingly for a moment before Shego started to chuckle. Grabbing Kim's arm she led he away from the Du brother and towards home. "You have to admit, pumpkin, it was a pretty good ploy." Kim merely grumbled a reply as left walked off.
~o~o~
Kim leaned tiredly against Shego as they stood in the elevator to the Aerie. The chase around the city had been exhausting, their trip home had been tiring, with all of the detours necessary to prevent them from being followed, and Kim couldn't wait to fall into bed for a good night's sleep. Shego nudged her to stand straight as the elevator reached the livings quarters.
"Only a few more minutes, Princess, and you can go to bed." Shego teased as she stepped out of the elevator and stopped dead in her tracks.
"Ha, ha, very funny. What's the –." Kim lurched to a stop next to Shego, both gaping open mouth at the sight before them.
"Hey, KP. Long time no see." Ron looked at them from the couch, Yori at his side. "We need to talk."
~O~O~O~
Since we are at a lull in the action, next chapter will check in with cousin Larry, Frugal Lucre and Prince Wally.
:-) Joke. Obviously, we will pick up with Kim and Ron.