The Kim Possible characters are owned by Disney: Shego, Kim, Ron, Rufus, Wade, Global Justice, and any other that has or will appear or be mentioned. The only original character are Sheila Go, The Corrupted Supreme One, Duane Tiamat, and Assistant Sherry

Awakenings

Chapter 2 - American Ninja Reborn

Ron slowly tossed his head side to side, a faint groan creeping from his lips as his deep slumber was finally coming to an end. As his eyes slowly peeled themselves opened asYori leaned over him, pushing a strand of hair away from his eyes. "Stoppable-san, you're awake," she said. She was excited but she kept her voice quiet.

Ron tried to lift his head up but Yori gently placed her hand on his chest and pressed him back down onto the bed. "Yori... why am I in bed? What happened?"

"You do not remember, Stoppable-san?"

Ron closed his eyes and tried to gather his thoughts. Slowly, he started to remember the past few days. As he began to recall the events which have occurred in the last few days, his eyes widen in horror and he shoot up from his bed with a start. "No!"

Yori tried to cautiously bring him back to the bed. "Stoppable-san, I must insist you remain lying still."

Ron turned to Yori and clasped his hands over her's. "Yori, I'm so sorry. I would never, NEVER do anything like that, to anyone, especially you. You have... have to... oh... getting kinda woozy..." he commented, his head beginning to wobble to and fro.

Yori smiled softly and helped him back onto his bed. "I am deeply sorry, Stoppable-san. The technique I used to render you unconscious creates an obstruction in one of your major arteries. It is cleared now but it will take another hour or so until it becomes fully dilated again."

Ron decided to respect Yori's instruction and laid perfectly still on the bed. "Yori... I can't begin to say how sorry I am."

Yori shook her head and softly petted his hand. "It's alright Stoppable-san, you were in a very dark place and I should have seen what the lack of sleep was doing to you. But... I could not help myself, I truly believed that if you trained your body, it would help you focus your mind and find peace with Possible-san's passing."

"Yori... I understand that you were only trying to help me but that doesn't excuse what I did. I did a horrible thing to you."

Yori moved closer. "Stoppable-san... please... surely I should be the one to feel horrible. I had such selfish reasons for helping you."

Ron slowly raised an eyebrow, not sure what she was getting at. "Yori... what are you talking about? How is trying to help me selfish?"

Yori slowly leaned herself forward, moving her face closer to Ron's. "Because... I wanted you to stop blaming yourself, to not let her death hang around your neck like a shackle. I wanted you to find peace in her passing... so you can move on."

"Yori... what are you..."

"I am sorry... Ron-san... I couldn't... help myself," was the last thing she said before leaning over and kissing Ron on the lips. "My heart beats only for you... my love."

Ron tried to speak but could not form the words as Yori pressed her lips again to his. This is wrong.

She gently placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him deeply. I shouldn't be doing this.

Slowly, as she kissed him, she began to move her body atop of his. KP... forgive me...

Yori paused momentarily as she felt his arms wrap around her body, pulling her closer to him. She could feel his lips were now pressing into hers, returning her forbidden affection. Their kisses became passionate and almost ravenous, both of them felt the years of repressed emotions they carried for one another simply burst out at that moment. They knew it was wrong, they knew this was inappropriate, but all that mattered was the moment and the moment felt so right. "Ron-san... Ron-chan I want to be with you. Heart and soul, for all eternity."

Ron tried to return her proclamation of eternal love, his mind still lost in a sea of repressed emotions, guilt, and male hormones. But Kim suddenly flashed in his mind, only as long as a blink of the eye, but long enough to bring Ron back to his senses. He put his hands on Yori's shoulders and tried to turn his face away. "No..."

She tilted his face back to it's former position and kissed his lower lip. "I mean it truly."

Again, Ron tried to pull away, leaning his head back. "Yori."

"I love you with all that I am, Ron-chan." She slowly began kissing his jaw and making her way down his neck but was stopped when Ron finally pried her off.

"Yori, that's enough! I can't... I can't do this," he said.

She stood silent for a moment and removed her hands from his face. "Ron-chan... it's obvious that we both desire each other. Perhaps this was destiny's design for us all along."

Ron turned his head away and sighed. "I can't Yori... it's too soon. Maybe... one day... but I can't do this to Kim... I couldn't live with myself if I could."

Yori lowered her head and pulled herself off of Ron and off the bed. "My deepest apology Ron-ch... Ron-san. I will leave you to rest."

Ron tried to reach out to her. "Yori," he said but she made a quick dash for the door, her eyes glimmering with swelling tears. Ron could only drop his head back into his pillow and sigh deeply. "Great... I'm the biggest jerk in the world. I let Kim down because I'm a goof, I treated Yori like I was some made for TV movie wife beater, I nearly let myself go all the way before Kim even gets buried, and now Yori is probably crying somewhere because I wasn't man enough to tell her no in the first place and accidently led her on like that. What else can go wrong?"

For a moment, he just laid there, staring at the black dots on the ceiling tiles. Suddenly and without warning, a bright flash of white light enveloped the room, causing Ron to quickly raise his arm over his eyes. As he slowly dropped his arm when the brightness began to fade, he screeched out loud when he saw a pale blue figure floating above him. "Stoppable-san, you must not let your soul be crushed by despair," echoed a familiar, elderly voice.

Ron slowly calmed down and looked at the figure carefully. "Sensei?"

"A great trail awaits you Stoppable-san. Not since your final encounter with Monkey Fist have you ever faced such a powerful opponent."

Ron couldn't help but furrow his brow. "Oh really? What about that thing in Okinawa? That twisted future Shego lookalike that killed Kim? Where were you and your infinite wisdom to help me then, huh?"

Sensei lowered his head. "I am truly sorry that such a tragedy has occurred. But my perception, though impressive to most, does have it's limitation. I could not foresee her arrival for she came directly from non-existence itself and through human means. My spirit is linked the spiritual streams connected only to this world and this reality. Her soul is not bound to the material realm or it's spiritual counterpart, she comes from the empty void of nothing. The only thing that anchors her here with a physical form is a tiny ember of the soul of her past self."

Ron felt completely lost by Sensei's story and tried to make sense of what he was trying to say. As he rubbed his finger on his upper lip, he began to understand his message at a more base level. "So... you can only see what's happening here but the evil Shego isn't from here. Ok... I think I get that... but what do you mean by 'ember of the soul...'?" he asked but trailed off as a sudden realization dawned on him. "Wait... that black thing in the generator room... the thing that swallowed up Shego but didn't do anything. Is that what you're talking about?"

Sensei nodded. "Good Stoppable-san, you are beginning to understand. Yes, that formless black creature is the true nature of the Corrupted Shego. Without the soul of her younger counterpart, she would have been doomed to have all of those powers with no true body to yield them."

Though understanding his enemy was interesting, Ron quickly sank back into his depressed state of mind and threw himself back down to his pillow. "Fat lot of good that'll do me. Knowing all this won't bring back Kim."

"Stoppable-san, if you do not find the strength to overcome your sorrow, it will soon be multiplied many times over. A great evil, almost equal in destructive power as the Yono and a much graver threat to the world than the Corrupted Shego, is about to be unleashed to this world. And I believe it will come after you first."

"How bad can it possibly be."

Sensei's form swirled and became like a window reflecting a far away place. "Watch and learn my young pupil. Your greatest challenge lies within the most unexpected opponent."

Looking into the strange viewing screen that was once the spiritual projection of Sensei, Ron could see the Corrupted One walking down a very classy looking hallway with a robotic eye and the same suit she wore the last time he saw her. "Wait, you said she wasn't the great evil I have to worry about."

Sensei's voice echoed through out the room. "No Stoppable-san, to her side."

Ron shifted his eyes and saw Fukushima, walking two steps behind and just to the left of the Corrupted One. "Fukushima? He's working for her now?"

"Patience, Stoppable-san. Soon, all will be made clear to you."

Ron nodded and continued watching. The Corrupted One was walking while instructing Fukushima coldly. "This is a very important partner of mine the first time I took over the world. I'm going to need his underworld connections to get my hands on some key resources. Just stay quiet and stand next to me still while I talk," she said to Fukushima without so much as a glance.

Fukushima scowled at her, for days they had been going around the world looking for her supposed allies from her previous life and he was growing tired of it. "What about your promise to me? How does all of this give me my chance at revenge?" he asked.

She stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I could hear you thinking that but I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to actually say anything out loud."

"I want my answer! I believe you owe me that much for being your servant boy for the last week."

The Corrupted One turned around as soon as Fukushima finished his demand and wrapped her supernaturally powerful fingers around his neck. "You should be grateful you're still alive to hear this. That spaz of a sidekick is the reason I was sent into non-existence. He's going down alright and you're little revenge is to watch me snap him in half like I did Kim Possible. Until then, you're going to heel like a good doggie before I have you neutered."

"No! I must be the one to defeat him, me!"

His outburst was meet with a sudden and brutal backhand across his face, sending him against the wall hard. His body dropped like a sack of rocks, even holding back, the Corrupted One's super strength was enough to serious injure a person with ease. "You disappoint me, Fukushima. You say you want revenge but this is about your honor, isn't it. Well guess what, dogs don't get honor, dogs curl up at their mistress's feet and do what they are told. You've embarrassed me enough, stay out here while I conduct my business."

Fukushima just laid there on the ground, glaring at his supposed mistress as she walked into the next room. Damn that monster! Damn her empty promises! She has tricked me and robbed me of my chance for true vengeance!

Suddenly he heard a voice echo inside his head. "Do you wish for power?" it asked, the voice was deep and unnaturally wicked.

Fukushima quickly rose to his feet and darted his head around. "Who is there? Show yourself!"

The voice laughed and began to speak again. "Do you wish for power, little ninja? Power that far exceeds even those of the mystic monkey champion?"

"Is this possible? Can you truly make me more powerful than that outsider?"

"Yes, come to me and I will show you power that far surpasses such foolishness as Tai Shing Pek Kwar." As the voice began to fade, a segment of the wall slid open. Looking inside, Fukushima could see a gallery of priceless treasures hoarded from around the world. At the far end of the narrow room, was a golden statue of Shiva sitting a top a black tiger fur rug. Fukushima could feel the dead eyes of the tiger calling to him as he came closer. "Yes, come to me my child. Come and embrace your new destiny."

Fukushima was now almost face to face with the Shiva statue and he slowly lowered himself to his knees. "What are you?"

"In India, I was called a kali, a great demon that once reigned destruction across the land. Long ago I was imprisoned in this form by a master Yogi before I could achieve my full potential. For many centuries, I have gone from owner to owner, manipulating them, driving them mad, but now I desire more. Offer on to me your soul and you will achieve greatness."

Fukushima stood there, taking in the Faustian proposal given to him. He had already fallen for a false promise of revenge just days ago. But his desire for revenge was great and this incorporeal being was offering something his cruel employer did not; his own power. "Fine, take my soul. Take it and give me the power to crush that buffoon!"

The light in the room began to dim and several of the surrounding treasures started to quake in their displays. "The pact is now complete! Know now, human, that you serve only Hei Hu Quan and in your service you will be given power beyond human comprehension!" From the dead eyes of the black tiger, an unnatural sheen quickly formed and Fukushima's body became as stiff as a length of steel. Unable to move, he could feel his body changing from the inside, like an icy chill traveling through his veins. "You will face your rival with powers unmatched by any mortal and with the knowledge of all tiger-style martial arts. Go and achieve vengeance."

The image swirled and took the form of Sensei once again. "Fukushima, driven by his irrational hatred has become a most dangerous threat to you, Stoppable-san. You must prepare yourself for this inevitable encounter."

Ron looked to the side, silent, trying to make sense of what he just saw. Slowly, he tried to force himself out of bed, sighing in relief as it seemed the ill-effect of Yori's attack seemed to had finally worn off. On his feet, he turned to Sensei. "I'm sorry Sensei, but I don't have time for Fukushima."

"Stoppable-san, reconsider. This is not a power hungry fiend like Monkey-Fist. Fukushima has given himself to an evil deity for the sole purpose of destroying you. You must stop him before he becomes too powerful and brings his dark master into the mortal realm."

Ron clenched his fist but released his grip as he threw his hand out, as if waving off Sensei. "No... I have a responsibility to Kim. I owe her so much and I'm going to start with avenging her death."

Sensei's form floated downward toward Ron. "Stoppable-san, the path of vengeance is a path of loneliness and empty promises. Do not let this guilt consume you, you may not like what you might become and I know, neither would Kim Possible."

Ron felt his chest tighten up. It was true, if Kim could speak to him, she would tell him not to go out looking for revenge. She would tell him that it wasn't his fault and that the things he wanted to do the Corrupted One would no longer make him Ron Stoppable but something she would never love. But that voice inside him; the guilt, the anger, whatever it was, reminded him of the great power he possessed and how he was unable to use them to protect her. Ron turned from Sensei and put his hand on the door knob. "I'm sorry Sensei... I have to do this."

Sensei sighed and his image began to fade. "Very well. Life must be learned through our experiences, even the wrong experiences. Go, Stoppable-san, with my blessing."

Ron felt his head sag downward a bit, hearing the sadness in Sensei's tone. He knew he must've disappointed him with his decision but it was his to make. As he walked through the Global Justice facility, he came to realize exactly how large it was and how complex navigating through could be. After almost an hour of aimless wandering, Ron was surprised at what he saw just then; Felix and Zita turning a corner and coming toward him. "Felix? Zita? What are you two doing in a top secret global military facility?" he genuinely asked.

The two greeted him with smiles and rushed over to him. "Ron! My man!" Felix jubilated. "We've been here since three days ago, my mom is one of the scientists working on a way to stop that woman you guys fought. Oh... I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."

Ron nodded, he knew Felix must've been trying hard not to bring up Kim's death. "It's ok Felix, relax."

Zita's smile had a sadness to it as she hugged Ron. "We're so sorry Ron. But don't worry, Global Justice will make sure she gets her's," she said, hoping the sentiment would cheer him up.

"Well, they're going to have to stand in line because I'm going to go after her and bring her in myself."

The two blinked in shock. "Ron... you can't, she'll rip you apart!" Felix blurted out.

Ron shook his head. "It's my fault... I have so much potential in me... and I squandered it. Kim's dead because of that and now I've gotten enough control of my mystic monkey powers. I'm going to make things right and go after her."

"Look... Ron, you don't have to do this alone. Why don't you team up with Global Justice on this? I mean, her dad is helping them... doesn't he deserve to be part of it too?"

Ron took in a breath and slowly nodded. Felix had a point, he might blame himself but the facility was filled with people who'd give anything to bring Kim's murderer to justice. "I guess it would be stupid of me to go off on my own. Alright, when Global Justice and your mom and Kim's dad finish whatever it is they're making, we'll go after her, all at once."

Felix smiled and gave Ron a thumbs up. "Now that's more like it. I'm just sorry I can't go."

Ron's eyes perked up. "Hey, I just thought of something! There's someone here who's immune to the Corrupted One's mind reading ability!"

Felix looked surprised; he wasn't fully informed of everything but he was told enough to know about the Corrupted One's telepathic ability. "Wow, that sounds really useful. Who is it?"

"Shego!"

Zita suddenly became cautiously uneasy while Felix's face became hard and discontent. "I think you're better off with just Global Justice."

"Felix, what's with the attitude?"

Felix hovered his cybernetic chair closer to Ron. "Ron, she's Kim's enemy. That thing you're going to face is what she will become. I say we let Global Justice lock her up for good."

"Felix! I know she was evil before but she's really trying to reform. Kim knew she could be good again and I believe her... especially after I saw what that monster did to her back..."

"No! Ron, don't be soft on her just because she got scratched! She's just as much of a monster as that thing that killed Kim! To be honest, I hope she dies!"

Ron was taken aback from Felix's statement while Zita grasped her hands onto the back of his chair. "Felix, hush!"

Ron took a step forward and knelt down to Felix's eye level. "Felix... I'm going to let that slide because of our friendship. But I never want to hear you say that again."

Felix scowled and hovered away without saying a word. Ron took a single step to go after him but Zita stopped him, pressing her hand to his chest. "Let him go, Ron. Please," she pleaded.

Ron turned to her but couldn't understand why she defended him. "Zita, I know you two are dating but he just wished death on Shego. Now I'm not her biggest fan but even I think that's way too harsh."

Zita sighed with remorse. "Ron... when we got here... they told us you've been up for the last few days without sleep. We wanted to try and help you... but you were so different... you wouldn't stop practicing, you looked possessed. It hurt Felix seeing you like that... it hurt me too. You weren't the same Ron then, you were something different... something we couldn't recognize. We wanted to approach you but you wouldn't let anyone near you except that ninja girl you were sparing with. When we heard all the details, Felix took it really bad... I think blaming Shego was his way of cooping with it."

Ron shook his head. "This tanks... Shego is up and about and my best bud wants to rip her guts out. No way that can end well."

"I'm sorry Ron," Zita whispered before wrapping her arms around him, trying to comfort him with a hug. The fact that he was sharing an intimate moment with a former love for the second time since waking up eluded Ron at that moment. After she released him, Zita's eyes lit up and she reacher into her pocket. "Oh, guess who I found. He lonely without his owner!"

Zita raised her hand from out her pocket with a familiar pink critter resting in her palm. "Rufus!" Ron cried out. Hearing his master's voice filled with joy, Rufus stood up on his hind legs and chirped happily before throwing himself to Ron's grasp. "Oh Rufus, I missed you too buddy. I'm sorry if I haven't been myself for so long but that's over now. When the others are ready to go... we're going to track down that animal that killed Kim. We're going to stop her buddy... the right way, not the crazy me's way. We have to stop her... for Kim."

Author's Note

The use of Ron-chan came after some research into the full meaning of the term. Because Yori at the moment wanted to advance their relationship, I felt a more intimate title was appropriate. If I used it in the wrong way or you disagree, please comment... thank you.