"Big Time"
Story Written by Freedom Fighter
Making gut-wrenching decisions is never easy. Kim's on track to face a few in this story, and none of them will be as simple as she's used to.
Let's get back in the game, readers!
Disclaimer: The characters and places of the TV show 'Kim Possible' do not belong to me. They are property of Disney and the show's creative staff.
Part Two - One Shot (07.11.06)
Middleton High School
Last Day of Classes for Seniors, 47 Hours Until Graduation...
Kim made her way to her locker and, in a split second, had managed to get it unlocked and opened. As soon as she did, she spotted the computer monitor inside already on. With the smiling face of Wade, the boy genius, there to greet her.
"Morning, Kim!"
"What've we got this time?"
"You've got to see this one to believe it," Wade remarked.
Wade proceeded to press a button on his keyboard, and the camera feed of his room was instantly replaced by a stream from the surveillance system of a nearby bank.
"Isn't that..."
"Yep," confirmed the 12-year old, "First Middleton Bank."
Kim noticed that there was one person on the other side of the room that had his back turned to the camera and he had a mask covering his face. He also looked like he had a firearm of some sort in his right hand, but she couldn't tell. There were only three other people in the room, all to the mysterious man's right, and they all seemed to be frightened of him.
"As much as I'm glad you saved me from hearing any more of that stern lecture Mr. Barkin was giving me... isn't a simple bank robbery something more suited for the police to take care of?"
"Normally, yes... but take a closer look at the robber's weapon!"
Wade zoomed in the feed to accentuate what he wanted Kim to notice. And notice she did... almost instantly.
"That's no regular firearm. High-tech and experimental, and can probably fire intense laser beams. Enough to seriously injure someone."
"Uh, yeah... which brings me to the other reason why I brought the robbery up."
Wade had the camera zoom out, then pan to the right. It was then that Kim noticed the form of a fourth person, this one lying face-up on the ground and unconscious. Kim gasped in shock.
"Is that who I think it is? Wade, zoom in on the guy on the floor!"
Wade did as Kim told him to, and upon closer inspection she did recognize the man's facial features and slick haircut.
"That's Agent Will Du of Global Justice! Wait... you're telling me a secret agent like him couldn't handle one little bank robber?"
"One bank robber packing some heat, that is."
Kim sighed. "Well, the guy's probably not gonna appreciate this. Actually, I know he won't anyway. Still, I guess I'd better get over there and save his sorry butt."
"Already working on transportation as we speak," Wade said as he typed away on his keyboard.
"Good. I'd better go get Ron. Call me when you got something."
Kim was about to close her locker when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ron headed her way. But he seemed overly distraught about something.
"Aw man," Ron said aloud. "I'm gonna need a miracle to pass this history test!"
"Ron!" Kim yelled from a few hundred feet away.
"That's it! KIM!"
Ron ran over excitedly, knowing he had one last chance to get prepared for that final exam of his.
"Kim, thank goodness it's you! Look, I knew I kinda blew up at you earlier..."
"It's no big," Kim replied. "I admit, I wasn't exactly myself either..."
"But I really need your help," Ron interrupted. "You've got help me cram for this final! I take it in thirty, right after lunch! You gotta help me... I don't wanna have to wait another year to get out of here!"
"It's too late for that," Kim said as she grabbed Ron by the hand and pulled him towards the nearest exit. "We've got a bad guy to take care of!"
"How can you say that?" Ron asked despondently as he pulled himself away from Kim. "This is my future we're talking about!"
"He's right, Possible!" exclaimed Mr. Barkin, walking up from behind the teen heroine. "The results of the history final are important because it'll determine if Stoppable is history! As in he won't have a future if he does not pass this last exam!"
Kim smacked herself on the forehead. "I... I didn't mean it like that!"
"Saving the world may be your goal for today, Possible, but for Stoppable here, his goal today is to make sure he graduates! Which do you think is more important in the long run?"
Kim opened her mouth as to answer, but...
"Exactly!" guessed Mr. Barkin. "So let Stoppable worry about his own problems... and you worry about yours."
Barkin then glanced at Ron and poked him in the chest with his index finger.
"See you after lunch, Stoppable!"
As Mr. Barkin left, Kim and Ron just stood there, staring at each other silently for a minute or so. Finally, after a tense moment, Kim decided to speak up.
"Mr. Barkin's right..." she admitted. "You've got to pass that final! I want to help you, but..."
Ron frowned as he lowered his head and turned away. "Just do what you gotta do. Right?"
Kim nodded, then pulled out her Kimmunicator as she sprinted towards the exit. Ron didn't even wave goodbye as he turned about and headed for the cafeteria to eat and sneak in some last-second cramming.
Less than ten minutes later, just outside the First Middleton Bank, police officers and observers alike turned their heads towards the sky as they saw Kim gliding in, headed for the roof. Most of them didn't seem to recognize her, but it was probably all for the better. Especially as she searched for a way in on the rooftop as she landed safely.
Kim went to work disassembling her glider, then she proceeded to call Wade on the Kimmunicator as she made her way to a nearby air vent.
"Wade! Do you have the schematics of the bank yet?"
"Uploading them to you as we speak! It should be easy to get in!"
"That's not what I'm worried about," Kim commented as she reached to remove the filtering grate from a nearby air vent. "If this guy was able to take out an agent of GJ, even if it is 'him,' then I'm going to have to watch my back. He could be a professional."
Managing to shake the loose screws out, Kim took the grate out and placed it on the ground beside her. She then reached down to her utility belt and unclipped the pack of rope at her side. She tied one end to a nearby pole, then threw the other end down the ventilation shaft. After one last check to make sure everything was secure, she began descending down into the building.
Agent Will Du awoke to find himself sitting upright in a swivel chair, with his limbs held back by masking tape. His shouting was inaudible, as his screams were muffled by tape as well. But he could turn his head to see the three other people that were also hostages sitting in the exact same position. He then turned his attention to their captor, the man in the mask that was wielding a laser rifle.
"I think it's time we dropped this little charade," the masked man said to them. "You see, this bank robbery is just a cover for me so I could attract the man that's wronged my organization for so long! Isn't that right... Agent Du?"
"Mmmmppphhh! Mmmmuuummph!" That was all the agent could muster out thanks to his taped mouth.
"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to kill you in front of these three innocent people here," he continued, pointing to the other captives. "It can't be helped... my job specifically states that I must not leave any witnesses!"
Above them, Kim was crawling along in the ventilation shaft, as she finally found a grate in the lobby she could enter through. But it was awfully close to where the masked man was, and any element of surprise would be limited to a scant second or two. It would have to do... Kim immediately observed that the situation did not leave much time to think about an elaborate plan. With the captor looking as if he was going to shoot Agent Will Du, it was now or never.
"I've gotta be quick!" Kim told herself as she kicked the grate off.
Before the grate had even hit the floor, Kim jumped down, landing on all fours to brace herself. Not even glancing up at the bad guy, who had obviously had heard and seen her by this point, she quickly cartwheeled to her right, behind a nearby desk. Just in time, too, as she heard a rifle fire and a laser beam strike the exact spot she was just in, scorching the carpet.
"That's strange," Kim heard the man yell from across the room. "I was under the impression GJ agents worked solo! Apparently, our intelligence was wrong!"
Kim tried to peek around the corner of the desk, trying to get a good view of the assailant. But her view was obstructed from where she was squatting.
"No matter!" she heard the 'agent' continue. "I'd rather not dirty my hands getting rid of a second operative. Nevertheless, the fact that you are here with the full intention of rescuing Agent Du, I sadly cannot allow you to leave here alive."
He quickly walked over to where all the desks were, with rifle in hand. Keeping his eyes open for any signs of movement, he knew that he had to dispatch of this 'second agent' quickly. Especially if there were more lurking about outside, ready to burst in.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Finally reaching the desk he had seen the intruder at, he turned the corner, ready to fire without warning. But when he did so, he discovered that there was no one there. Undiscouraged, he continued his search, walking towards the back. He searched each and every desk, both around and under.
Kim watched as the agent came closer to her. She had already prepped her hair dryer grappling gun and aimed it right at the guy's rifle.
"I've only got one shot..." Kim uttered to herself as she peered through the crosshairs and fired.
The grappling hook fired, and it was heading right for the target. Suddenly, the captor, out of the corner of his eye, sidestepped the projectile, then with his free hand, reached out for the rope attached to it. He caught it and then quickly tugged it, catching Kim off-guard and pulling her out of her hiding place. Before she could get to her feet, she could already sense that the bad guy had his laser rifle pointed at her head, ready to kill her. She was stuck, stomach-first on the floor.
"On your feet!" he ordered as he pulled the hair dryer away from her. "And hands where I can see 'em!"
Kim looked up at the guy, just to confirm that he was indeed aiming his weapon at her head. She then did as she was told, slowly rising to her feet. As she became visible to the other captives, Agent Du's eyes jumped wide open as he recognized her.
"You don't look like an agent of GJ to me! Just who are you?"
"The name's Kim Possible. And who are you?"
"Does it matter? I'm about to kill you anyway."
"I don't think so," Kim said with a smile. "You really shouldn't be underestimating me."
"Funny..." the agent smiled back. "I was about to say the same thing..."
He turned and fired a laser shot past Kim. She turned just in time to see the shot hit Agent Du... right in the heart. The blast tipped his chair over backwards, causing him to land on his head as he had been flipped over. Kim gasped in dismay.
"Agent Du!"
"Don't cry, my dear," the agent laughed as he pointed the rifle right at the heroine's own heart. "You'll be following him to the world of the non-living!"
He laughed once more before pulling the trigger and firing at Kim.
To be continued in Part 3 - Coming next week!