Author Notes: Okay chapter 4 up and running in record time! I hope everyone likes where the story is going but wouldn't mind a few more…cough…cough reviews just to know what you think or that you guys are out there ). Also I don't Kim Possible…you know the rest. Just to warn to you guys I didn't have time to really read over the story but if it's really bad I'll repost. Now on with the show!
Open the Door Chapter 4: A Villain Revealed
By
Darkcloud
Guided by his stomach the young man walked down the hallway unaware of his surrounding having just a few moments before had one of his greatest desires come true. Kim Possible his best friend since Pre-K had said she wanted to date him! Now this had two immediate consequences the first of which was he was temporarily in heaven and the second was that when he smelled the familiar scents of a kitchen he instinctively walked toward it while not actually meaning to do so. Walking to the kitchen only took a few minutes and when Ron started to come to he found himself in a rather large kitchen. The appliances in the kitchen were rather expensive but were built to blend in with the stone and wood architecture of the mansion. At a glance he could tell most of the place actually went unused with gave Ron his first moment of sadness since his talk with Kim. While not being able to decide if he was going to turn it into a career Ron loved to cook and the kitchen at his own house was way too small for him to go wild in. He had tried once and his mother had refused to talk to him for a month, well in her defense the kitchen had taken almost a month to clean all the dishes. His had father had defended him by saying it was the best meal they had ever eaten but after that he had tended to keep his meals more reasonable.
"Hey Rufus!" The naked mole rat popped his head out of Ron's pocket. "I think now that I have a date with Kim no one would mind if we had some celebratory snackage, what do you say?"
"Uh Huh snackage!" the naked mole rat responded with an excited nod of his head.
"I'm sure Mr. Whack you with a stick won't mind if we dip into the pantry a little." Ron said as looked around the room to make sure said stick wielder wasn't around to prove him, painfully, wrong. Ron was alone in the room except for Rufus.
Kitchen raiding can take a few minutes but after a little time he had a massive sub sandwich ready to be split between him and Rufus and the two friends were eyeing it hungrily.
"If you are going to eat Elder's food you can at least get Elder his tea!" A gruff voice said from behind them. Both friends jumped at the sound and turned around to see the small old man glaring at the both of them.
"Dude you could have given me a warning. You could give some one a heart attack doing that." Rufus mimed grabbing his chest and falling over. Come to think of it Ron thought to himself how had he gotten in? Ron had kept an eye out for Elder or Kim and the only entrance was in his line of sight.
"Maybe if don't sneak around Elder's kitchen like thief Elder not manage to scare you!" The old man said raising his Bo menacingly. Ron cringed back and Rufus hid behind him peeking around Ron's Elbow to see what would happen.
"Your not going to hit me is you?" Ron asked waiting for the blow. Elder eyed the teenager and the sandwich, it did look good.
"You split sandwich and Elder call it even."
"No problem!" Ron said as he split the sub into three even pieces.
"And get Elder his tea!" Ron looked over and saw in the corner of the room there was an ancient cast iron stove with a teapot already boiling. Now how had the old guy done that?
Kim was finally dressed and she felt ridiculous not to mention a little embarrassed. Though to admit this outfit REALLY showed off her figure she would have to see about getting a proper maid's outfit tomorrow. If the old man wanted her to actually do two weeks of hard work she was not going to spend it wearing this. Kim closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could not believe she agreed to wear this or that Ron would see her in it. The poor boy will probably melt. Okay that's kinda cool she thought. She steeled herself and stepped out the door.
"Okay Ron don't freak out but what do you think?" Kim still had her eyes closed and was waiting for his reply. When one didn't come Kim thought for a moment that he really did melt. But when she opened her eyes she saw that Ron was nowhere in the hallway.
"Ron!" She shouted. There was no reply. Kim decided that Ron might have gone ahead and started on one of their chores. They did have a lot after all. Kim walked down the hall looking for friend.
"Humph you make bad butler but excellent cook." Elder said as he continued to munch on the sub sandwich. Elder now sat with Ron and Rufus at a counter in the large kitchen. Rufus had finished his piece of the sandwich and was lying down contentedly. Ron still had some of his to go mostly due to the fact that we a little worried Elder would change his mind about using the Bo. Ron took a sip of the tea and felt a little more relaxed. While he couldn't place the flavor it went surprisingly well with the sandwich he briefly considered asking the old man but decided to wait until later. Didn't want to spoil the hit free moment after all.
"Yeah cooking is one of the things I am good at but this is as close as your going to get to me being a real butler." Ron said as he poured Elder another cup of the tea.
"Clumsy as you are you make bad butler anyway. You always cook this good?"
"Yup it's a gift. I have seriously been considering making a career out of it after high school but that's awhile away and I don't know if it's what I want to do with my life."
Elder glanced up at the boy. "And what does young American teen want to do with his life?"
Ron rubbed his hand across the back of neck and gave it some thought. "I'm not sure I mean I got this whole saving the world thing with Kim but we don't really make any money doing that but I love it. I have to find something that will let me make money and still be part of the team."
"Elder think you should find new hobby."
"What?" Ron asked thinking the old man was referring to his cooking."
"Elder think you may like this whole saving the world thing but you not obviously committed to helping young Possible."
"Okay first me helping Kim is not a hobby I have you know we have saved the world quite a few times. Second I take our team very seriously and….what gives you the right to say that anyway?"
Elder held up his hand in a gesture of defense. "Hey Elder calls it like he sees maybe Elder has it wrong. Tell Elder what you do then to help. If Elder wrong he will apologize."
"Well I mean I am always there to have Kim's back."
"What you find information about enemies young Possible has to face?"
"Uh no that's Wade he's the information guru."
"Oh so maybe you help American hero teenagers get past enemy defenses?"
"Well actually Rufus does most of that." While he was still lying on the countertop contentedly he did make a quick thumbs up.
"Ah."
"But I own him!"
"Okay well forgive Elder maybe Elder's intense age is making him miss the point what do you do young Stoppable?"
Ron sighed. 'Well I provide the distraction."
"Elder sorry the what?"
"You know when Kim is having problems with the bad guy I do something to draw their attention away from her and give KP the time to get the upper hand."
Elder stared at Ron for a few seconds remaining perfectly still long enough that Ron wondered if he should say something else when he saw the smallest crack of a smile starting form on the old mans face and then, like a dam giving way, the old man busted out laughing and wiped tears that were forming around the corners of his eyes.
Ron dipped his gave to the ground and anyone looking right then could have seen the pain and anger on his face. "Glad to see you think the highlight of my life is so funny."
Elder saw that he had hurt the young man's feelings and tried…unsuccessfully to stop laughing. However he did manage to curb his laughter to a small chuckle. "Elder meant no dishonor but he find it funny that the highlight of your life is to get in a corner waving your arms and yelling "Look at me!"
"So sorry I guess you'll be wanting me leave now that I don't live up to your vaunted expectations."
Elder sighed as he thought of hitting the young man on the head with his Bo. It would make this conversation go so much quicker but for now he decided to take the gentler road.
"Don't let silly American ego cloud your judgment Elder already said you both are passable."
"I'm surprised that you haven't landed in jail by now if you greet everyone who comes here by trying to attack them."
"Well Elder might have exaggerated just a bit."
Ron stopped the bit he was about to take of his sandwich. "Say what?"
"What you think Elder not own a TV, Elder has full digital package and Elder knows exactly who Team Possible is and decided to," he paused for a moment looking for the right phrase, "up the ante a bit."
"Dude that is just sick and wrong."
"Elder can't just through a few grueling chores at a couple of crime fighters Elder have to see what you really made of."
"Well Kim's showed her usual badicalness but why did you let me in?"
"I saw great strength in both of you Young Stoppable."
"Dude I ended in a chair facing the ceiling."
"Hai but you tried and I could see some great potential in both of you."
"Sorry I know you mean well and all but the only one with potential on this team is Kim." Rufus gave Ron a kick on his elbow.
"Oh and Rufus." The naked mole rat shrugged his shoulder at Elder like Ron wasn't quite getting what he was meaning.
Elder's face took a hard look and he began to slightly twirl the Bo in his hand and the tone in voice left Ron with no doubt that he should listen to what the old man said very carefully.
"If Elder says that you have potential lying within you Young Stoppable then Elder means you have potential lying within you. Elder saw power untapped lying in wait for you to see it and someday soon it WILL rise to the surface."
Ron leaned back from the old man a little scared but his curiosity in what the old man said would not just let him nod his head in agreement but pushed him to ask a question.
"So why haven't I seen this potential already?"
"A suitable moment has not yet arisen to call it out. You fight alongside someone whose abilities are there for the entire world to see and as such her abilities become a crutch to your own. Now hear this Young Stoppable Power calls Power and someone will call to the power within you and when they do you will have to answer that call or I fear you will be destroyed."
Ron's warning bells went off. Weren't him and Kim her to just clean a house? Why was he getting a use the Force speech? Who was this old guy anyways? He was about to ask the very same question when a large muffled crash came from the distance. Ron turned quickly toward the door expecting something to be there. Kim! He thought worriedly. Ron looked back at Elder to ask him if he knew where the crash had com from.
The old man was gone.
Kim walked down the hallway in the opposite direction that Ron had left. She had guessed that Ron had tried to get a head start on their chores. Well she thought to herself Ron might feel guilty but to be honest that wasn't likely. Oh well she was sure he would show up looking for her soon. If not she did have him chipped.
The first room they were to work on was the library. The instructions Elder had left on his list was annoyingly simple. Find Library. Put up books. Organize furniture. Clean. Didn't leave a lot of room on how she was supposed to do all of that. But she had noticed a closet full of cleaning supplies and though she would raid it for some essentials before finding the library. Even if Ron had tried to get started early on cleaning she was sure that he had not thought to grab any.
She found said closet not to far from where she had picked up this ridiculous outfit. It was well stocked and after a few minutes she had a decent stock of assorted cleaning supplies in the biggest bucket that she could find. The young woman turned and left the closet carrying the laden bucket with both arms. Out of the corner of her eye a sudden movement cloaked in shadow seemed to disappear just as she left. Kim dropped the bucket and went into a fighting stance; she scanned the ceiling's rafters looking for the source of the movement. Despite looking for several minutes she found nothing in the ceiling or the surrounding area. Nothing, well she thought to herself maybe she had imagined it. Not that she would go out of way to admit it but this place was pretty creepy especially by herself. Satisfied with her own answer Kim picked up the bucket and made her way to the library.
Meanwhile once again near invisible in the shadows the spy breathed a sigh of relief. If he had been discovered his Master would have been most displeased and that was never good for one's continued health.
Kim found the Library and for one of the few times in her life Kim felt a real urge to swear. And given how Kim thought about swearing as a general rule this meant she was really pissed. This room was just about as bad as the foyer they had been in earlier. Now though instead of being filled with furniture (though there was quite a bit of that mind you) Kim found the room was filled with books. Now if the books had been on the abundant shelf space the floor to ceiling bookshelves had provided that would have been fine but only about a quarter of the shelf space was actually being occupied, the rest of it was stacked in piles taller than Kim all over the room. She made her way through the mess looking for a base of operations from which she could make a start at cleaning. Ron better get here soon she thought to herself darkly. She decided on the room's fireplace which was a large ancient stone hearth. Kim liked the carvings in the construction which appeared to include many scenes of warriors and ancient mythical animals. Also as an added benefit it was large enough to walk into and relatively debris free.
She decided to start by dusting off the shelves. It would kill some time before Ron got here and then they could organize the books and see about getting these books off the floor. It was after a few minutes of dusting that she thought she heard a shuffling sound coming from one of the piles of books. It was about time Ron got here she thought.
"Ron get over here." She said but after a few moments she realized there had been no reply. The redhead remembered the shadow from earlier and went into mission mode. The cleaning supplies were left on the floor and slung her backpack over her shoulder, it had her gadgets in it and she felt more comfortable with them there.
Following the occasional sounds of shuffling she began to explore the room. Kim took the grappling hook out of her bag and held it offensively like a real gun. While not actually loaded with bullets the hook could hit someone with a significant amount of force enough to end a fight before it starts if need be.
Nearing the source of the shuffling she was on guard for all she knew it was Ron organizing some books and she didn't want to hit him in the head with a grappling hook before their first date. That was a weird thought. Kim let her mind roll over it as she got closer to the sounds. Her and Ron dating. A smile crept on her face. Not weird just different and pretty cool. Ron could be a little stressful sometimes but he had always been there for her. She heard the shuffling again but this time she could tell it was just on the other side of the pile of books she was standing in front of. A force of will banished her and Ron's relationship from her mind, can't get distracted in mission mode. Quietly as she could she made her way around the corner of the pile and she just before she would come into whatever it was line of sight. Putting her body into roll the teen hero came around the hero bringing her grappling gun to bear on….nothing. No one was there and the sound of shuffling had ceased.
But someone had been there she realized. All around her were scattered books laying open as if someone had been going through them researching for something. Kim bent over (first checking behind her to make sure no one was there to see the show…stupid skirt) and picked up the book on top. Kim was pretty sure the language was in Japanese but while she could speak it well enough to get by she could read a word of it. The book had been left open to a picture of a katana, the page was creased and Kim had a feeling that this was important. Wade could translate it later she thought to herself and put the book in her pack. While doing so the shuffling sound returned again but this time left no mystery as to where it was coming from. The redhead looked up and saw the pile of books tilting toward her.
There was no time to think Kim just automatically did a back flip away from the falling books. She barley avoided the avalanche of reading material and did not have the room to properly finish her flip, when she landed back on her feet she slammed in the pile behind her and gasped as she lost her breath. It wasn't over she wasn't sure if she had caused it or if had been her mysterious assailant but the pile she now leaned against began to fall as well. Kim rolled away and saw another pile of books beginning to fall before she even stopped her roll. Someone was trying to killer her or at least incapacitate her. She was more ready this time and bounded out of the way but was now in between two falling towers and was forced to run forward. Kim skidded to a halt in front of one of the large bookcases. She had hoped whoever it was would not have had the strength to push over the large heavy bookcase. As it started to tilt she realized how badly she has misjudged. There was no time to dodge or roll away so Kim did the only thing she had left and fired the grappling hook hoping to pull herself away.
Ron raced down the hallway. Kim had not been in the changing room (given that he had burst in there without knocking we was kinda glad) and was running down the hallway calling out her name. The fact that she had not answered sent a chill of fear down his spine. He came to a door left open with a cloud of dust still settling around it. He recognized the room as the Library which was one of the rooms they were supposed to be cleaning! When he wasn't there she must have headed here to get a heads start. He cursed himself for leaving her on her own in this place and rushed in taking a lungful of dust in the process. Ron came to a halt trying to stop coughed and frantically looking around the room. Books were scattered everywhere and one of the huge bookcases was lying on the ground. If Kim had been under that when it fell! Ron climbed over books and reached the case. He didn't see her and tried shouting her name a few times but here was no response. Fearing the worst Ron grabbed at the edge of the bookcase and tried to lift but he couldn't budge the thing. It was too heavy and refused to respond to his silent prays for it to move. Tears welled in the young man's eyes as he thought of it landing on his best friend and once again he put all the strength he could muster into lifting the massive bookcase.
It would not move. Ron screamed in frustration.
"KP!" he yelled. It was then he heard the coughing and it was not from underneath the bookcase. Ron rushed toward the sound and found her lying there next to a large old fireplace, dazed and maybe a little beat up but alive.
She looked up at him with here green eyes and gave a tired smile. "Hey Ron sorry I scared you but--." Her words were cut off when Ron wrapped her into a hug that pressed her against him and she could fear his warm tears.
"Ron?" she asked with worry in her voice.
"Don't ever do that to me again." He whispered.
She pulled away and looked at his face. The tears had stopped but she could see the fear written on his face and she struggled with what to say.
"Ron I'm sorry I scared you but I'm okay I managed to use the grappling hook on the hearth to pull myself out of the way."
"You almost died."
"It's been close before."
"This time was different."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I hadn't done this yet." He said and then he pulled into a kiss. Do to the shear surprise of the moment at first Kim resisted, but a second passed and any resistance melted away as she pulled him closer returning his kiss with a reflected passion. She could feel the heat and life of him against her and for the briefest of moments all the doubts and fears she had were gone. All their shared history was no longer an issue. Fears of losing a wonderful friendship felt silly. Even their responsibilities as Team Possible no longer bothered her. Here in this moment she was just a girl and he was just a boy and she realized that she loved him. The doubts she had been dealing with until now were merely due to the fact that she had not recognized this fact. She continued to kiss shim waiting for the moment the real world would return and bring back all the worries and fears but now she faced it with the one simple fact and knew everything else would be fine.
Elder watched the moment playing out before him and felt a pang of regret for the love in his life that was now long gone. He had lived a long life with her and made peace with her death but still you never really got over losing that special love that becomes a part of who you are. He was glad that Young Stoppable had found his. Silly Americans he thought to himself, not realizing it sooner. This generation had mastered scientific marvels but had such problems with the things that should be simple.
He had known about the intruders ever since they had dared to enter his home. He had briefly considered teaching them the error of entering his domain but had decided that they would be more useful for his plans for Team Possible. However he had not anticipated an attack so soon. The girl had handled herself well for such a dishonorable attack but now he wondered if he should speed up his plans. He almost had not been quick enough to pull from the bookcase before it had crushed her. There was much work to be done with the both of them. Especially with Young Stoppable and his fate was the most important to deal with. But for now the intruders had left and the young couple was relatively safe so Elder left the room as unseen as when he had entered leaving the new young love to themselves.
They lay in each other arms and Kim told him about what had happened.
"So you're sure it was an attack KP?" Ron asked.
"If you had been there you wouldn't be even asking me. Those books fell in the perfect order to herd me toward that bookcase."
"So who's after us this time?"
"I think it might be Elder."
Ron pondered the thought in his mind for a moment and shook his head. "No I know it he makes a prime suspect but he was with me when you were attacked."
"You said he disappeared." She reminded him.
"Yeah but no one's fast enough to get there that fast. Besides he didn't disappear until after the first crash."
"True well maybe we'll find some clues from this." Kim reached over and pulled out the old book from her backpack. Flipping to the page her assailant had been so interested in Kim showed Ron the picture of the katana. Kim was surprised when the blood seemed to drain from his face.
"Ron do you know what that is?"
"It's the Lotus Blade. Kim I know who's behind this."
"Who?" she asked wondering where all this insight was coming from.
"Monkey Fist."