Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing. 'Cept for Kolie, Cyra, Sade, Fion and other crappy OC's and ideas.
A/N: A big thank you hug for all of you who reviewed or added this to your favorites!
Music for last chapter: Loathsome by Pig Destroyer
Couldn't think of any music for this chapter, sorry!
Shego has done nothing wrong. Shego has only done what she had to do to set things straight. To quiet that voice inside telling her to get even. To kill. What anyone would do under the circumstances. Behind all the tests, ballistics, experiments, Christian fetishism, substance abuse, Shego knows pain. And soon so will they. Troubles of the past have a tendency to linger in the mind…despite concerted efforts to eradicate them. After all, murder ain't as easy as they'd have you believe.
Chapter Two: Ghost Workers
All the parts of me that lived inside
I'm drowning in the sea of waking life
Thirty years later.
Kim Possible's Apartment.
NYC
It had been five years since her graduation, and things were going pretty damn well. Kimberly Ann Possible snuggled deeper into the fluffy white cushions on her couch. After successfully moving out of her parents' house she had almost immediately found a suitable place to live and was now living in a cozy apartment on the upper west side of NYC. Kim sighed and looked out into central park. Some days she missed Team Possible more than others. She had completed collage – majoring in behavioral science- despite being still very much involved with the hero business. She and Ron had broken up three years ago, after Ron was accepted into a culinary school in Japan and Kim decided long distance relationships mixed up with crime fighting was just too much to handle. Surprisingly, Ron agreed with Kim's decision to break it off and had maintained their friendship. Kim would drop buy Ron's apartment whenever she was in Japan (which was pretty often considering her hero business) and they would catch up on each other's lives. Ron let it slip on one occasion that he was interested in a fellow ninja, and Kim couldn't be happier for him. But where did that leave her? Alone, and very very bored. Many of her former foes were either reformed (Doctor Drakken), in jail (Doctor Dementor) or had simply vanished off the face of the earth (Shego). Leaving Kim with nothing to distract her from the gnawing loneliness she felt.
So it came as a shock when Doctor Drakken- Lipsky, died. After months of not seeing anything relating to the blue man, Wade alerted her to a news report from Venezuela. Apparently one of his experiments malfunctioned -which unfortunately did not surprise Kim- and he was killed in the blast. What he was working on was unknown, but apparently it was very unstable.
An envelope came in the mail a few days after the accident; much to Kim's surprise it was an invitation to attend the private funeral which was being held in Middleton.
4 Months ago
What a perfect day for a funeral. Rainy and cold with a touch of wind to spice things up. The funeral had been nice, if not small. Closed casket, predictably. Kim shook off her damp coat and shivering, stepped into her apartment. Man that was sad. She was the only other person there, next to Drakken's mother. Shego didn't even bother to show up. What a bitch. It was just like Shego not to show up. Sighing, she made her way into the kitchen and poured herself a drink. Wait a minute. Kim noticed the puddle of murky water on her kitchen floor. Since when do I leave the window open on a rainy day, She looked at the bottle of Jack in her hand And since when do I have whiskey? Kim quickly turned off the lights, bathing the apartment in darkness
"Come on out! I know you're here!" Why the fuck didn't I notice this before Kim thought angrily and dropped into a fighting stance.
The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up just before someone whispered "Hi Kimmie" in her ear.
Kim didn't respond, instead she attacked, spinning around and landing a savage kick to Shego's ribs. Knocking her off balance Kim was able to tackle the Shego to the ground and straddle her. She landed several punches to the her face before she was satisfied the green woman wasn't going anywhere. "Attacking me at my own home is low, even for you Shego" Kim growled through her teeth. Shego looked up at Kim through half lidded eyes
"Same ol' pumpkin" Shego said softly "I've missed you" She reached up and stroked Kim's cheek gently.
More mind games? Kim pushed Shego off and sent her flying into the fridge across the room
"What are you doing?"
Shego groaned "Saying hi, what's it look like? Her words were slightly slurred. Looking around Shego located her half empty bottle of vodka and took a swig.
"Shego…" Shego did not look the way Kim remembered her. Her skin was paler then usual and her suit was ripped in various places. Kim could see bruises and cuts through the trs. Not to mention she was dripping wet and shivering. "Are you drunk? "
Shego chuckled "Hammered more likely! This," She held up the now empty bottle "Was my fourth bottle" She continued to chuckle.
Her patience was wearing thin. "What do you want Shego?" Kim barked
Shego stopped chucking abruptly "You were at Drakkens funeral, you gave him flowers," She said so softly Kim had to strain to hear her
Kim snorted "How would you know? Didn't see you there!"
Shego's face contorted into a grimace "Well I was, Princess!" She bellowed "He was…important to me ya' know." Shego rubbed her hands over her arms.
"I'm sorry! I just- I didn't see you.." Kim trailed off awkwardly and looked at her hands.
"No, couldn't have, wouldn't have" Shego sing-songed "Bastards did him 'cause of me!" Shego stood up shakily, leaning heavily on the refrigerator. "Saw it happen, was too slow too fucking slow…If he didn't know me, If I didn't exist-" Shego gripped the bottle so tightly that it burst, imbedding shards of glass deep into her hands. "Shit Shego! Kim grabbed a towel off the stove and ran over, gently putting it on Shego's bleeding hands
"What did you do that for, dummy!" Kim scolded her lightly
Emerald met olive as hot angry tears pricked at the back of Shego's eyes. "I missed you so much Kimmie" Shego sniffed pulled Kim into a crushing hug
Kim was not expecting that. "It's all right" Kim murmured. She rubbed Shego's back tentatively.
"Didn't you miss me Kimmie?"
Shego's lips placed tender kisses along Kim's pale neck and jaw "Wait what-" Kim's halfhearted protest was silenced by a pair of black lips on her own. Shego kissed her passionately, and Kim responded with just as much vigor.. Shego tasted so good. Kim wasn't aware that she was moving until her back collided with the wall. Shego pulled back slowly. Kim was breathing heavily and adorable blush decorated her cheeks. Shego smiled softly at her. Kim felt herself returning the tender smile and leaned in for another kiss but stopped an inch from Kim's face. Kim felt Shego tense and blinked in confusion. Shego jerked away from Kim "Oh god" Shego moaned and covered her ears. "No no ,Shut up!" Kim tentatively approached the trembling woman, laying a hand on her shoulder."S-shego?" "No! Stay away!" Shego pushed Kim's hand off and staggered to the open window "Just stay away!" "Shego wait a minute! Calm down!" Shego shook her head feverishly, a terrified look plastered on her face. A moment later she jumped out of the window. Kim ran towards the window and was just in time to see Shego disappear into central park. She stared out into the rainy night a few minutes longer before slowly shutting the window and turning to her ransacked kitchen. She touched her swollen lips. "What the hell just happened?"
Not a word from her since then! Kim wasn't sure if she was more pissed off because of the kiss or that Shego hadn't bothered to contact her since then. All she knew is that she hasn't been able to stop thinking about Shego since then. How soft her lips were or how sweet she tasted, or even how beautiful Shego would look naked and writhing under her…
Kim's thoughts were cut short by the steady 'Beep Beep' of her Kimmunicator.
"What's up Wade?" She greeted him.
"Kim! I just received a distress beacon from a GJ out post in Norilsk, Russia and-" He said rapidly
"Are you sure they need me, I mean why not call in someone else-"
"They requested you specifically and Kim, take a look the security footage"
Grainy security footage of a woman in all black, with long dark hair firing green plasma at various agents popped up on the Kimmunicator's screen
"Shego!" Just the person I need to see.
"'Fraid so Kim"
She sighed and ran a hand through her fiery red hair "All right wade, can you get me a ride?"
"Already done KP! One's on route now. "ETA, twenty minutes."
"Thanks Wade, you're the best!" Kim gave him a toothy smile.
"And don't you forget it! Oh dress warm Kim; Norilsk is right in the middle of Russia's arctic tundra."
Kim cringed. "Got it wade"
Later
Kim hopped out of the helicopter and waved her goodbyes to the pilot. The frozen landscape of Norilisk greeted her with an icy chill that cut through her protective gear. She shivered. Wade sure wasn't kidding when he said tundra. Kim scanned her surroundings for any sign of life of GJ out post. Finding nothing but snow, snow and more snow Kim beeped Wade.
"Are you sure this is the place wade? I'm not seeing anything but snow..."
"Positive. The signal is coming from thirty yards in front of you. I'm assuming the entrance should be around there. Keep your eyes peeled for a door or anything that looks like a way in"
"Got it" She began trudging through the deep snow.
Several minutes of hard trudging later she heard Wade's muffled voice. Pulling out the Kimmuncator she was confronted with static. Kim frowned and hit the device, a fuzzy image of Wade appeared on the screen "Kim! –kzzz- Something's interfering with -kzzzz- No contact -kzzz- be careful!"
"Wade?" Kim asked the Kimmunicator. No response "Wade!" She shouted. Still no response.
What a lousy piece of junk. She grumbled inwardly and trudged on.
Finally reaching the foot of the mountain she spotted a rusty door. Warily she approached it, looking for any sign of danger or Shego. Cautiously, Kim reached out towards the handle and was just about to turn it when- BAM!
The door abruptly sung open, knocking her back on her butt. Out bounded a blonde haired woman clad a long grey trench coat and sun glasses, which was odd given that it was dark out.
"Hello! Kim Possible!" The blonde woman greeted her in a heavy Russian accent. "Welcome to No-" The woman didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before Kim hit her on the nose and pinned her throat against the stone wall of the inner chamber.
"Who are you?"
"Ah ha! You pack quite the punch no?" Smiling, the blonde touched the trickle of blood that ran from her nose down to her chin.
"Who. Are. You? Kim strengthened her hold on the woman's throat "And where is Shego?
"I am Kolie." The woman rasped, "Shego? I haven't seen Broccoli in years, пламенный!
What the fuck? "Then why am I here." Kim shouted "And what's with the tape you sent me?" she slammed Kolies head against the wall. Hard.
"Oof! So violent! Was not expecting that, I can say." Kolie smiled and wagged her finger at Kim.
Kim fought off her rising blush and punched her again, this time in the ribs.
"Oy oy! All right all right!" Kolie coughed out. She put her hands up in surrender "You are here, Kim Possible, because I need your help. Shego needs your help"
Kim's eyes widened, before narrowing again. She raised her balled fist. "What did you do to Shego?"
"Nothing! Nothing I am friend!" Kolie shouted back motioning to herself "I would never hurt her." she said softly.
"Listen you-"
Kolie tensed and looked past Kim into the frozen field. "Perhaps…" Kolie started slowly "is better to continue this inside." Her eyes glued on the horizon
Kim opened her mouth to protest but was cut off, "Please I will explain but we must get inside. Is not safe to be out here."
"I- Fine, yes. Let's continue this inside" Kim said defeated. Maybe it'll be warmer in there.
"Very good! Let go of shirt please!" Kolie said tersely as her eyes detected movement in the field. Kim dutifully let go of Kolie's tattered shirt and watched as she body slammed the rusty door and bolted it shut.
Sighing, she gave Kim wan smile "Please, follow. Is easy to get lost in here" Kolie adjusted her glasses and walked briskly past Kim. Kim nodded and followed Kolie deeper into the mountain.
After what seemed like hours and thousands of doors and hallways later they arrived at a large wooden door labeled "Meeting room"
"Well here we are!"
Finally
Kolie opened the oak door and ushered Kim in. The damp rock stretched endlessly above Kim's head and dark walls with leaky copper pipes surrounded them. It reminded Kim of Drakkens ice lair. At least it's warmer in here. On the far wall dozens of screens were mounted, all depicting various scenes of places around the world. Kim recognized some like the Taj Mahall and Big Ben but there were others, like the screen that depicted a desert battle ground, that Kim was ignorant of.
In front of the many screens was a huge round table with piles of papers, wires and general clutter covering almost all of it.
Kolie moved a pile of papers off a chair and motioned for Kim to sit "Ah please sit, I will explain shortly."
Kim nodded stiffly, still not trusting the blonde woman. Said woman moved to an equally cluttered counter on which an ancient microwave sat.
"Would you like some tea?"
She rifled through various tea boxes and found they were all empty.
"Eh, maybe not…water then?" Kolie emptied out a cracked porcelain cup and moved to the sink, intending to fill it with water. When she turned on the tap something that was definitely not water rushed out. Kim flinched and covered her mouth. Water was not supposed to smell like that! Kolie on the other hand shrieked and jumped back, abandoning the cup in the murky sludge. She turned and smiled sheepishly at the redhead. "Never mind!"
After turning off the tap Kolie made her way back over to where Kim sat and plopped down on the table.
"All right" Kolie cleared her throat "So the matter of most importance; Shego."
"What exactly made you call me...Kolie?" The blonde woman smiled at the use of her name.
"Perhaps is better if I start at beginning, yes?" Kolie pulled a battered remote from her pocket and aimed it at the screens. "FION!"
The monitors flickered on and a pale face appeared on the largest one. "Yes Ko-san" A feminine voice filtered through the speakers.
"Fion, allow me to introduce you to the world famous Kim possible! Kim, this is Fion our tech uh… woman"
"Greetings, Kim Possible." The robotic woman said
"Hello... Kim inclined her head towards the monitor.
"Fion, Please show me tape XI-837106"
"Confirmed, please wait"
Kolie nodded and turned back to Kim. "We intercepted this video about five months ago. Where it comes from we have our uh…speculations but do not know for sure. It appears that it was on its way to all major bounty hunters, gangs, crime originations and powerful super villains around the world"
Kim swallowed "Not good, but why not alert Global Justice, they're better equipped for this sort of thing"
Kolie chuckled humorlessly "You shall see"
"Streaming now" Fion's robotic voice alerted them.
Uppity music and a man's voice boomed through the speakers "Have you seen this woman?" A picture of a smirking Shego flashed on screen "If you have, you're in luck! This meta-freak is wanted for questioning in relation to mass murder! That's right folks, mass murder!" Images of charred and bleeding bodies flitted across the picture of Shego "If you can capture this woman, or anyone seen with this woman, and return her to us five million US dollars will be transferred into your account, no questions asked! And what if I kill her you say? No worries! Just bring her body to us and you'll still get your money! So just again, dead or alive, five million dollars-"
"And that's where it ends…Are you alright miss possible?" Kolie asked, noticing that Kim had turned slightly green.
"I think I'm going to be sick"
"Have bucket" Kolie pulled a metal bucket out from underneath the table.
Kim grabbed it and promptly emptied her stomach into it.
"Was, was that for real?"
Kolie Sighed. "Da, this is most recent information we have on her. We have been trying to contact her for years now you see."
"We?" Kim said shakily, pictures of burnt corpses still dancing behind her eyes.
"Ah yes, here!" Kolie tore through a stack of paper closest to her and retrieved a framed image of Shego, herself, and two other women. They all stood close together with broad smiles on their faces.
"We were great friends back in day." She smiled wistfully and handed the image to Kim.
"W-what happened?" Kim set the bucket down and took the picture from Kolie.
"That, I cannot say. Perhaps is better if you ask Shego."
Kim nodded slowly and placed the faded photograph on the table
"So –not to be rude- but why do you need my help? If you can't go to Global Justice, Why not just ask them?" She motioned to the other women in the photograph.
Kolie exhaled sharply and rubbed a hand over her forehead. "We tried. She didn't seem to recognize any of us and she almost kill me. This was ehh…three years ago? But you, you have seen her recently, yes?"
Kolie smiled lecherously and pressed a button on the remote. Images of Shego entering and leaving her apartment showed on the screen.
Kim glowered and stood, slamming her fists on the table "Just how long have you had me under surveillance anyways!"
Realizing she had made a mistake, Kolie put her hands up in surrender "It was only precaution! I was not sure if you were able to be trusted but after this," Kolie motioned to the images still on the screen. "Is safe to say Shego trusts you, so therefore I trust you!" She finished her impassioned speech by thumping a hand over her heart
Kim, confused but satisfied with Kolie's outburst slumped back into her chair. "She did say someone was coming after her…"
"Eh?"
Kim blushed slightly, remembering Shego's soft kisses. "When she uh, visited me four months ago she said someone was after her"
"Well as you can see, she was not wrong. The former Global justice is now headed by this man" Kolie pulled a manila folder out of yet another stack of papers and tossed it to the redhead.
"Who's he?" Kim stared at the glossy images of a white haired man in a lab coat.
"He is reason why we cannot ask Global Justice for help. He is new head of Global Justice. A monster, doctor, rapist, a scientist all of this is him. Silas." She hissed his name with obvious contempt. Clenching and unclenching her fists repeatedly, Kolie continued. "He has been working at underground and, highly illegal laboratories for years, experimenting on meta-humans much like Shego and myself. Now that he is in control of GJ well," Kolie ran a hand over her face "things are worse than ever."
"For whatever reason, he has been pursuing Shego for years and is closer then he has ever been. We cannot let him get to her" Not again.
Kim looked up from the folder and into Kolie's glasses. "How do you know all of this?"
Kolie shrugged off her coat. "To make very long story short," She turned so her back was facing Kim "I was there along with Shego when he began."
Kolie flung off her tank top, revealing her back. Kim gasped. On it, Kim could see various scars ranging in shapes and sizes. The largest of all the wounds was a number nine that stretched from Kolie's shoulders down her the length of her spine. Kolie let Kim absorb her back for a few seconds before grabbing her shirt.
As she dressed, Kolie continued. "I am number nine, my sister is number ten and Shego is number twelve." Now fully clothed, she sat back down on the table. " I never got to meet numbers one through eight, or eleven for that matter." Kolie tapped her chin "They were probably killed off before my time…" Seeing Kim's shock and subsequent horror, Kolie leaned in "Look, I know it is…difficult, and you don't trust me but please, please help us help Shego." Kolie looked down at her hands "And other meta-humans, so they do not have to go through…that"
Kim sighed heavily. This was a lot, even for her. Fuck it. "I'll do it."
"Ah really! You will?" Kolie perked up.
"Yeah" Kim gave Kolie a toothy grin. "But you have to tell me everything."
Kolie nodded rapidly and flung herself across the table, trapping Kim in a crushing hug. "Oh thank you, thank you!"
"We are also prepared to make you offer of 200,000 dollars for the completion of this uh…sitch?"
Kim couldn't help but laugh at Kolie's use of "sitch"
"It's no big! Just tell me what I have to do."
"Eh, really?" Kolie glanced at Kim.
"Yes" She gave Kolie a pointed look
Kolie rubbed the back of her neck and cleared her throat. "Very well."
She pressed another button on her remote and began in a business like tone "We have received some Intel suggesting Shego is now in Somalia, working for a local war lord named Saleem Abbaas."
Pictures of an Arabic man holding an RPG surrounded by other weapon toting soldiers appeared on the screens
"You will be taking our fully automated, completely refurbished ULTIMA jet! And will start your search for her in Baidoa." Kolie brought up a map on the monitors along with blue prints for the "ULTIMA" jet "Unfortunately, I am no longer allowed in Africa for reasons we will not discuss, so you will be going in alone, with no back up. Good news though, my dear Fion will be piloting ULTIMA jet and can walk you through emergency procedures if need be."
"So!" Kolie clapped her hands "How soon can you be ready?"
Kim blinked. This was going to suck.
A/N: Blech I hate info-dump chapters, but alas it had to be done. Also the mountain that serves as Kolie's "lair" is Medvezhonok Mountain.
Next chapter: Somalia. Warlords guns and violence, oh my!
Reviews are much appreciated!