A.N. Ah, an exciting new chapter!

Action, dramatic dialogue, things seem looking up for the good guys, except…The romance seems to be troubled!

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Chapter23- So, confused…

The lights in the camp reflected off the assortment of tents and crates.

Kim lowered her head to allow herself into the tent.

Everything was clumsily stacked on top of each other. A small desk with a lamp lit the inside. Beside the desk was something that resembled a bed. Sat on the edge of the bed was someone who resembled her mother.

"Mom?" Kim asked, her mom's head snapped to her daughter.

"Kimmie!" She greeted excitedly, "How did it go?"

They hugged for a moment and then let go of each other to speak.

"Well," Kim put on a disturbed look, "It's a mixed bag. On a positive note, we've freed all the prisoners and liberated most of Middleton!"

"Well that's great!" Her mom cheered.

"On a negative note, Drakken's troops still control Upperton and Lowerton, and they could probably strike anytime within the next couple of days!"

"Oh," her mom's expression was of disappointment.

"Also," Kim gave off a sigh and sat beside her mom, "I just missed dad."

"You mean…"

"They got away with him before we attacked…by a couple of minutes!"

Her mom watched her daughter sorrowfully. She was trying so hard. But things weren't going her way.

"It was just not meant to be, Kimmie," her mom rubbed her shoulders, "But I'm sure you'll find him next time, I have faith in you!"

Kim turned her head towards her mom, this time the expressions were switched.

"Kim," her mom began, "Your dad and I were wrong…"

"Mom?"

"It was wrong of us to do what we did," she sighed, "This sudden turn of events showed us who were really the strong ones. Who really are the ones in control of the situation."

"I don't understand what you mean, mom"

"Kim, you and Ron have grown up…you are the ones taking care of us. And not just us…but the entire world!"

"You shouldn't go that far, mom!" Kim criticized.

"But I should, Kim!" Her mom's face turned serious and made eye contact with her, "You two have a gift! It's clear to us now Kim that you and Ron were destined to live this way. We should've never gotten in your way!"

Kim turned her head away and stared at the wall. Her mother could be right, after all it is what she does…almost effortlessly.

"And now," her mom added, "the whole world paid the price for our tasteless decision!"

"No mom!" Kim snapped, "That's where you're wrong!"

"What do you mean, Kim?" her mom quizzed.

"Ugh…a…well…" she stuttered.

"What is it? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I'm trying to…well…"

"Talk to me, Kim!" her mom demanded.

"Mom…do you remember that night?" Kim hesitated, "at the prom? With the Diablos and the whole Eric thing…"

"Yeah," her mom interrupted, "why did you remind me! Ugh!"

"You see…Ron and I went back to the prom together…"

"I know that too…"

"Except you don't know that…well we went there…as…dates."

"Oh…"

"And we kind of…well…" Kim stared her mother in the eyes, "kissed."

"Oh! I...see." her mom's face was of total shock, she never expected it would happen so quickly, "So you're both now…"

"No…we haven't talked about it since…" Kim went silent for a moment, "After you grounded us, we began talking about it again, but then it turned into an argument. We just couldn't…communicate about it."

"I understand…"

"How could you?" Kim snapped, "If we could manage to kiss, I'm sure we could talk about it…"

"But you just said you couldn't!"

"I know…but…I'm not knowing what's going wrong!"

"You and Ron haven't yet developed an adult relationship! You still are doing the stuff you've been doing since you were children!"

Kim thought about her mom's words for a moment. It is true, Ron does still do childish things…and so does Kim, in a way.

But, are they willing to drop all that to start a romantic relationship? What if they do? What would happen then?

She does like Ron for who he is now…and she always hated it when he changed. Perhaps her mom was right, everything should clear up in time, otherwise, and this all could lead to a very dark conclusion…

"You and Ron have been grown up together for a long time. I think you can handle growing up for the rest of your lives!" her mom got up and picked up a sheet from her bed.

"The rest of our lives?" quizzed Kim, "What…you mean?"

"Well, if you think it's a good idea!" her mom smirked.

"You're not being serious are you? I'm still too young!"

"Not in my eyes, Kim. Like I said though, it's up to you!"

Wow, Kim thought, my mom is actually suggesting I marry Ron! At my age! But why, this is all too weird, I'll need to think it through…

With that Kim started walking out the tent.

"Where are you going Kimmie?" her mom called.

"I've got a meeting with Kyle!"

"Don't forget we've got get those ration crates at six!"

"I won't!"

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Kim and Ron both walked into Kyle's tent. Kyle stood alongside several others over a table with drawn up maps and geometrical tools. Behind them a board had arrows drawn up and numbers representing battalions.

"Hey, Commander, what's the sitch?" greeted Kim, several other officers scoffed, including Captain Jolly.

"Ah, Kim Possible!" Kyle smiled and shook her hand, "An excellent show at the prison camp! Very well done!"

"Thanks, commander!"

"Although I am very sorry about your father…"

"Don't worry yourself, it wasn't meant to be!" Kim looked down at the map, "Where do you need us now?"

"You see this area…" Kyle pointed at a circled area within Middleton, "This part is a heavily militarized area within downtown Middleton. It is where they position their artillery for bombardment. Last night, something out of the ordinary happened. They didn't hit us from there…at all!"

Ron scratched his head, "So…you think they might be…"

"Gone?" Kyle interrupted, "possibly!"

Kim and Ron gave each other the same quizzed looks.

"Kim, we need you and Ron to go in and scout the area…but use extreme caution!"

"Sure…up for it, Ron?" Kim turned to her sidekick.

"ugh…"

"Great! Let's go!"

With that Kim dragged Ron out of the tent.

Captain Jolly's eyes squinted towards where Kim made her exit.

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Dark, cold, smoky, dusty, and smelly, these words pretty much describe downtown Middleton. Kim and Ron couldn't help but step on rubble, wreckage and corpses of the street fighting that erupted in the past couple of weeks in Middleton.

"Kim…" Ron moaned, his voice echoed off the haunted buildings, "This place is creepy, and I think I stepped in something gross!"

"Ssh!" Kim snapped, "We're trying to sneak here! Deal with it!"

The ghost town was quiet, too quiet. The wind blew across the street, or what's left of it, and the feeling it gave Kim made her shudder.

Suddenly Ron gave off a yelp from behind, and Kim turned in an instant to find him grossing out on something he spotted on the floor.

"What is it?" she rushed over to him, "Eeew!"

"I don't know what limb that is supposed to be…but…" A hand blocked Ron from finishing his sentence.

"We'll leave it at that, Ron!"

Kim removed her hand from Ron's mouth and walked away, still trying to get her eyes off the 'thing'.

They finally made it into an open square. A field of wreckage and destruction lay before them. Corpses of Drakken's army, who had fallen victim to the same tragedy as the one they had spotted a moment ago, littered the terrain.

"Oh my…" Ron awed.

"What happened here?" Kim joined.

Both quickly blocked their noses with their fingers.

"This…is awful!" Kim remarked.

"What type of weapon did they use against these guys?" Ron added, "It's like they just…melted!"

"Be careful Ron…whatever did this might still be around!"

As if on cue, Ron spotted a small red beam directed at Kim's head.

"Kim!" Ron charged towards her as she turned towards his call, meanwhile the beam fixated on her forehead, "Watch it!"

With that Ron elbowed Kim onto the floor and took the shot to his shoulder. A yellowish-green blob knocked Ron on to the ground as he clutched his shoulder in pain.

"It burns! It burns!" He cried, "Make it stop!"

"Ron!" Kim screamed and dragged him out of the open and beside a fallen Drakken jet fighter. She proceeded with throwing dust and dirt on the burn hoping to neutralize the acid…but it wasn't working. Ron continued to scratch the wound feverishly.

"Aagh! It Stings!" He panicked.

Kim quickly pulled out her water bottle and poured it onto the wound…alas it stopped.

"Phew…" Ron panted on the floor, "You know Kim…you'd make a bon diggity medic!"

"Nah…I'd miss out on the action!" she giggled.

A shadow cast over the heroes. They turned their gaze towards their attacker.

His boots grayed with travel. His pants cut but pretty much reasonable for what he's been through, his black trench coat almost white, offering a perfect camouflage for the environment around him, in one hand a pistol which is half way into its holster. He wore a proud smile as though he'd achieved an extra-ordinary victory, but the goggles over his eyes made Kim and Ron wonder whether it was a friendly or evil smile.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kim took up a crouched fighting stance, Ron made a backwards crawl so that he was leaning against the fallen jet plane.

"I am Commander Wiley!" he announced with a pompous laugh.

"What are you laughing about?" Kim's eyes squinted at him, "you're the one who did this…didn't you!"

"I am the master of chemical warfare…and an excellent war strategist!"

"My guess is that you've had a nasty accident with your chemicals…am I right?

Commander Wiley glared at Ron through his goggles…Ron could feel the cold stare he gave him.

"Or…not!"

"What happened?" Kim inquired.

"I tried to kill Drakken, but his sidekick, Commander Shego was too good. Then I got shot down trying to escape."

"Why…" Kim scratched her head, "Why did you try to kill Drakken again?"

"Because I don't like the way he works." Wiley replied.

Kim walked up to him, "And you want to join our side, am I right?"

"Yes," Wiley nodded, "I will see what you people are like."

"Huh?" Kim peered at him confusingly.

"I don't get what he's trying to say…" Ron murmured almost to himself as he stood beside Kim.

"Me neither…" Kim shook her head, "Look, either way, you're coming with us. Now hand me your gun."

Kim stretched a palm out, and Wiley glanced at his pistol.

"Well?" Kim impatiently inquired.

"No!"

"What do you mean no!" Ron snapped, "Hand us the gun or get your butt kicked!"

Wiley's lip twitched and he placed the gun into Kim's waiting hand, "I will want this back later…"

"We'll see!" Kim placed the item into her thigh pocket and nudged Wiley to move ahead.

As they began their journey back, Kim noticed Ron clutching his left shoulder painfully.

"How is it?" She asked gently.

"I'll live!" Ron smiled back.

She stretched her hands out to study the wound, "It looks like it's pretty…"

"Don't worry about it," Ron interrupted and nudged Kim's hands away, he then picked up the pace.

Kim was left lagging behind and her pace was getting slower. Her lips quivered as she held back her tears, feeling so confused…

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A.N. I'm sure you can see the sorrow with the romance Kim and Ron are struggling with.

I also understand if some of you aren't familiar with the comedy I write!

To get a real understanding of what Wiley looks like check out my bio page. The music video called "Tragedy", he's the last character that shows up and says,

"Our army is Strong!"