Graduation chapter 3
A Kigo fanfic.
Contains Yuri. Don't like, don't read.
Kim Possible and all related characters are owned by the original creators.
This story is owned by me, Mereel Skirata, and cannot be used without my permission.
A stunned silence fills the control room, as the personnel gathered there take in they have heard. Even the normally unflappable Dr Director seems a little taken aback.
She quickly recovers her composure, clearing her throat with a short cough, attracting everyone's attention back to her. "What about the White House? Is the president safe?"
"I'm afraid we don't know. The White House was one of the first targets they hit. As of yet, we have received no transmissions to indicate that either Air Force 1 or Marine 1 have been launched."
"Alright. Please keep monitoring their progress. But if it looks like they are going to discover you, pull out. Make your way to us here." Confirming his orders, the agent closes the link.
Dr Director turns around to talk to Kim, only to find her and Shego heading towards the exit. She races after them, gently taking hold of the young heroes arm.
"Miss Possible, where are you going? It might not be safe outside."
Kim pulls her arm back, "Of course it's not safe out there. But that's exactly where my family is. And I'm not leaving them there."
Dr Director nods, sympathetically, "I understand. But you have to understand this. We can't win this fight. Not here. We've lost our largest instillation. And we can't win this fight with just a handful of small observation posts. So, I'm pulling all our forces out. That will take about an hour. If you are not back by then, we will have to leave without you."
"Okay. But we'll be back. Count on that."
With that, Kim sprints out, Shego by her side.
Dr Director sighs, muttering under her breath, "I do hope so. Good luck, Kim."
Outside, Kim stops for a few moments to collect her thoughts, as Ron, Yori and Shego gather around her. "Okay. I think we're about ten blocks from my house. Shego and I should be able to make it there on foot. Then we use dad's car to get back here."
"Great. Sounds good. You up for a brisk jog, Yori?"
"Not you, Ron. I need you two to go and get Wade. His folks are out of the country, but we can't leave him here."
"Got it, KP. While we do that, I'll send the rest of the students back to the chopper. I'd like to have another way out in case we miss Dr Directors deadline."
"Good idea. Take Wade there as soon as you get him. When we get back, we'll choose the best way to go."
Shego falls into stride beside Kim, matching her steady pace. She can see that Kim is holding back though. It's clear that she wants run as fast as she can, to get to her parents as quickly as she can. But she knows that she could never sustain that pace for the distance they have to cover. And she knows that if she tried, she'd be too tired at the end to do anything.
Shego knows all too well the panic that must be clawing at Kim. Because she feels it to. The feeling that the Lowardians are getting closer every second. And if they arrive before they manage to escape, then things will get very dangerous for all of them.
Back at the Possible house, everything seems to be normal. Having missed the special dinner they had planned for Kim's graduation, they have fallen back on their usual standby, a take away. James puts the phone back in it's cradle, disconnecting the call to the local pizza parlor. Then he glances around as he hears a loud knock on the front door.
"Huh. That was quick."
He strolls out into the hallway, already reaching into his pocket for his wallet, when the knock comes again, a little louder this time.
"Alright. Keep your shirt on son."
As he pulls the door back, a large shadow looms over him.
He gulps, as he realizes what is standing in front of him. "Oh boy."
Kim and Shego sprint around the last corner, the Possible house coming into view.
Kim slows down, then stops all together, quickly catching her breath.
At the same time, she glances around the street, checking for any sign of the Lowardians. Nothing. Everything looks normal.
She lets out a sigh of relief, "Looks like we beat them here."
Just as those words are out of her mouth, the air is filled with an ear splitting roar.
Instinctively covering their ears, Kim and Shego look up, to find a Lowardian ship hovering almost directly over them. Kim can make out at least three others surrounding it.
"Or not." Shego replies, as the sound of the engines dies away.
Then another sound replaces it. A high pitched whine that sets their teeth on edge.
A series of bright yellow beams lance down from the belly of the ship, shimmering for a few seconds, before a Lowardian soldier appears in each one. Kim counts at least ten in this street alone.
None of them appear to have noticed the two young women, instead they seem to be intent on reaching the nearby houses, breaking off into groups of ones and twos. And one is striding towards the front door of Kim's house.
Kim and Shego dash forward within a second of each other, reaching the alien just as her dad opens the door. Using all of their momentum and weight, they drive him forward into the door frame, his head connecting solidly with the wood. He crumples down to the floor without a sound.
James looks down slowly at his daughter, "Kim, what.."
"No time, dad. We've got to go. Now."
"But..?"
"Right now!" Kim practically screams.
"Kimmie, what's all the fuss?", Anne asks as she walks in from the kitchen, Kim's grandmother behind her. She stops, staring at the unconscious alien on the porch.
"Mum, we have to go. Where are the twins? In their room?"
Anne nods.
"Okay. Shego, you get everyone to the car. I'll follow in a minute."
Shego leads the troop of Possibles' out to the garage, taking the lead in case any more Lowardians show up. She moves to stand guard by the closed shutter, ready to raise it when it is time to leave.
Anne and James have just helped Nana into the car, and are walking around to the front seats when the very air around them seems to rip apart.
Shego is sent flying, landing on her back right at the rear of the garage. She looks up, her ears still ringing, to see a crowd of Lowardians standing in the smoking remains of the door.
Shego tries to stand, but she suddenly feels dizzy.
'Did I hit my head?' she asks herself, as she manages to get back onto her feet.
Even this small action has started the world spinning around her. She leans against the wall, struggling to prevent losing her lunch. How she is actually going to fight, she has no idea. But she has to protect Kim's parents. She doesn't seem to be the only one suffering this strange disorientation. James makes a lunge for the Lowardian that grabs his wife's arm. But his legs will not support him and he collapses after only having taken a single step.
Shego glances towards the car, noticing that Kim's grandmother seems to be unconscious, as she debates if she could make her way to it. Maybe use it to steady herself.
Luckily she doesn't have to. At that moment Kim arrives with the twins in tow. At her urging, they climb into the back of the car, while she moves to engage to alien that has her mother. She never gets there, as a burst of weapons fire forces her to dodge to one side.
By the time she has rallied, the alien soldiers have grabbed both her parents and are dragging them away. Again Kim tries to reach them and again she is driven back, the laser blasts forcing her to hide behind the solid concrete wall.
"Mum! Dad! Hang on. I'm coming." She has no idea if they heard her calling, but she hopes they have.
Outside, the aliens have gathered their captives together. Kim has already lost sight of her parents in the throng of panicked people. Even worse, the aliens seem to be making preparations to come back for her. Kim ducks back around the corner as five of them start to advance towards the house. She has to hope that she can catch them by surprise.
As the first Lowardian steps into the garage, his eyes do widen in surprise. But not because of her. The night is broken by a bright light that blinds the aliens. With a loud rumble James' car kicks into life, lurching forward with a sudden burst of acceleration. Caught off guard, the Lowardians are thrown backwards as it crashes into them. Glancing through the windscreen, Kim sees either Jim or Tim behind the wheel, his brother in the passenger seat.
Taking advantage of this distraction, Kim rushes to Shego's side, helping her back to her feet and guiding her into the car.
Shego groans as her stomach lurches again, but gratefully slips into the seat that her brothers have vacated. Sliding over the bonnet to avoid a grab from the first Lowardian to stand, Kim slips into the driver's seat, gunning the engine.
He takes the hint, quickly sidestepping as the car races forward a lot more smoothly this time.
Kim calls back to her brothers, "Can you see mum and dad?"
"No. I can't. It looks like they are transporting people up to their ships."
Kim wrenches the wheel sideways, as the soldiers open fire again.
To her horror, Jim is right. The crowd does seem a lot smaller. The air is again filled with that unearthly whine. Then the yellow beam of light descends and the crowd becomes even smaller.
Kim curses to herself. With all this gunfire being directed at them, she has to keep circling, hoping to find an opening. But every second she waits more of the captives are transported away and the chances of saving her parents decrease.
She glances over at Shego, wondering if she could send a few blasts their way, distract them for a while. But it is obvious she can do nothing of the sort. She is sitting with her head between her legs, clutching her stomach, her lips pressed tightly together. If anything, her skin seems even greener than normal.
Suddenly one of the laser blasts hits the car, catching it on the back, the impact sending the car into a spin. Kim fights to regain control, wrestling with the wheel, conscious of Shego retching beside her.
The car skids to a halt, crashing into the front of a house, damaging the wooden porch with it freshly painted White fence.
Kim turns her head trying to figure out where the crowd of captives is, so she can drive back towards them. But she cannot see them anywhere. What she can see is the Lowardians closing in again.
Shego raises her head, wiping a trial of saliva from the corner of her mouth.
"Kimmie, they're gone. And we can't do anything for them if we get caught too.
Kim knows in her head that she is right. She does the only thing she can. Pulling the car away from the house, she speeds back to the Global Justice facility. But she cannot resist one last glance behind her.
'I'll come back for you. Count on it."
Dr Director looks up from the terminal in front of her as she hears the door to the command room open.
She sees Kim enter, supporting Shego with her arm draped over her neck. Behind her come two teen boys she guesses must be her brothers and an older woman standing between them.
"Ms. Possible. You made it back just in time. You should hurry and get your patents in here."
Dr Director cannot help but notice the pain in Kim's eyes as she replies, "They're not here. The Lowardians got them."
"They're not..?"
"No." Kim replies forcefully, as much to convince herself as Dr Director. "No. But they were taken onto one of their ships."
"I've been getting reports of the same thing everywhere they land. They seem to want to round up the whole population."
"We have to do something then. We have to rescue them."
Dr Director's tone is gentle but firm, "And we will. But not here. Not now. We have to plan, to prepare. If you act now, you will do nothing to help your parents. You will only end up captured with them."
Kim nods slowly, not trusting herself to speak.
Ron paces back and forth in the passenger area of the helicopter, walking to one end then striding back to the other.
Wade and Yori's eyes tracking him as their crosses their vision.
"Don't you guys think it's taking too long? I mean, shouldn't we have heard something from Kim by now?"
Yori sighs, "It's only been two minutes since you last said that, Ron. You know better than anyone that she can take care of herself."
"Yeah, I know. But.."
He is interrupted as an alarm fills the air. It is quickly silenced and replaced by the voice of the pilot.
"We have multiple craft descending on the city."
Yori opens the intercom to the cockpit, "Have they detected us?"
"I don't think so. They seem to be headed to the most populated areas."
Ron stands, heading for the cockpit. "That's it. I'm calling Kim."
Before he even has the chance to take one step forward, the cockpit is bathed in a deep red light, which spills out into the crew bay behind him.
The helicopter starts to shake violently, leaving the three ninjas in no doubt about what happened. Some kind of missile had been fired at the grounded aircraft, coming close to hitting it.
'Too close,' Ron thinks to himself.
Not giving attacker a chance for a second shot, the pilot kicks the rotor blades into life, getting airborne as quickly as he can.
Not having the time to get to their seats in the back, Yori takes the copilots chair, bucking her belt around her waist, while Ron clings onto the back of the chair, his arms and legs straining to resist the g-forces of a particularly sharp turn.
Out of the Plexiglas viewport he catches a glimpse of the alien craft that fired at them, before they dodge past it. He cannot see if it is following them or not, but the fact that the pilot is continuing to make violent evasive maneuvers would seem to indicate that it is. The explosion of another near miss shakes the helicopter, as the same time as the pilot wrestles the controls sharply to the left, his face straining with the effort.
This combined turbulence is enough to cause Ron's hands to slip from the back of the chair. He braces himself with his legs while he tries to regain his grip. And he would probably have made it, if the helicopter hadn't climbed sharply just then. He is helpless to prevent himself from falling backward into the crew bay. All he can do is tuck himself into a ball and hope that he hits something soft. As he flies backward, he just about catches Yori shouting his name.
The impact isn't as hard as he feared, but it still knocks all the wind from his lungs. Getting his breath back, he realizes that he is resting on his head, his back pressed against one of the seats in the front row. He also thinks that he can see Wade sitting next to him.
Taking advantage of the fact that the helicopter has leveled out, he flips over onto his feet and straps himself into the seat that he just vacated, grabbing the radio headset hanging above him.
Yori's voice, sounding a little crackly due to interference on the intercom, drags him out of his thoughts. "What now, Ron? Should we look for Possible-San?"
He wants to. He really does. But...
"No." That small word hurts him, hurts him more than he could have imagined. But he knows that he has to say it. "Try to contact her now."
The next few minutes of silence drag on like hours before the headset springs to life again, only this time it is Kim's voice that he hears amidst the static.
"K.P. Are you okay? Did you get to your parents?"
"Yes. We got to them, Ron. We're back with Global Justice now. Once we reach...wherever we're going, I'll contact you again. You should head back to Yamanuchi now. Talk to you later."
With that she breaks the link. Ron sits back, frowning. It could have been his imagination, or an effect of the interference, but Kim's voice had sounded a little heavy somehow.
"Hey, Wade." Ron said slowly, turning to the young genius, "Did Kim sound a little off to you?"
"Maybe. Why do you ask?"
"I dunno. I just get the feeling that there is something she isn't telling us. Like, something went wrong and she doesn't want us to know."
"Well, even if you're right, what could we do about it? We'll just have to wait until she feel like telling us."
Kim had been especially quiet since her talk with Dr Director, Shego couldn't help noticing.
In fact she had hardly said a word. Instead she seemed to have replaced words with actions. Anything from guiding her Grandmother down the long flights of steps, to hurrying her brothers along whenever they stopped to look at some interesting gadget they spotted on the Walls of these otherwise featureless tunnels that they have been walking through for so long that Shego has lost all sense of time or direction. At least Shego has stopped feeling nauseous now. Whatever had caused it seemed to be temporary at least. But if she did still sick, she would have bet that Kim would have been silently fussing over her as well.
Kim almost seemed to be acting like the head of the Possible family now which ,Shego supposed, she is.
Finally their long trek took them to something that resembled a subway platform, complete with subway train waiting for them. A very high tech subway train, but still a train.
Once again taking charge, Kim ushered her brothers inside behind their Grandmother, making sure that all three were seated before she sat down next to Shego, the rest of the Global Justice agents crowding in to the other seats. She didn't even say a word as Shego put her arm around her shoulder. In fact the only thing she did for the whole trip, is keep glancing over at her family, as if checking that they are still there.
Shego shuts off the TV mounted on the wall of the small room that she had been shown to as soon as they had gotten off the train. Dropping the remote down next to her, she flops back down to the bed. She still doesn't like this place. It feels a bit too much like a prison, with all the long winding corridors and heavy metal doors leading off them. But the room she has been given is at least comfortable. Bed, television, bathroom, all the comforts of home really. She had managed to find a collection of global justice sweatshirts in one of the drawers. She doesn't much care for the look, but it will be more comfortable than sleeping her jumpsuit. The view out of the window is spectacular, a crystal clear lake against the backdrop of mountains soaring up into the sky, topped white by snow and clouds. But nothing that gives her a clue as to where she is. Or where Kim is. Her gaze moves to the clock on the table beside her bed. It's been two hours since Kim left her here, saying she had to get her family settled in. Not that Shego begrudges her that choice, but she can't help feeling a little lonely, a little cut off from everyone.
Shego raises a hand to cover her mouth, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. Also she is starting to feel exhausted. She moves up the bed to rest on the pillow. Maybe she should just close her eyes for a minute.
Her eyes snap open again, as she feels the mattress of the bed sag under her. Fighting a sense of disorientation, she look over to her right, catching a glimpse of Kim's orange hair even in the darkness. Cursing to herself, she struggles upright. She had made a promise to herself that she would stay awake until Kim came back. Feeling a little guilty for breaking it, even if no one but her knew about it, she moves to sit on the edge of the bed next to her girlfriend. "Everyone settled, Pumpkin?"
Kim nods once, the suddenly wraps her arms around Shego's body, hugging her fiercely. Shego is caught off guard, unsure how to react, unsure what Kim is trying to tell her, until she feels something wet drop onto her neck. She returns the embrace, as Kim screams into her shoulder, all the tears that she had been holding back flowing out of her.
Shego has no idea how long Kim cried for and she really didn't care. She just holds her against her chest with one hand, the other gently stroking her hair. Soothing her with her touch and her presence, until her tears start to dry up. With one last sob, Kim breaks her hold on Shego, wiping the last of the moisture from her eyes. Kim's eyes are red and puffy, and she seems to be struggling to stay upright, so Shego guides her down to the bed, rolling to the other side to make room for her.
Kim manages a weak smile of thanks, before she speaks, her voice extremely horse, which is not surprising considering how she must have screamed her throat raw.
"I can't do it, Shego. I just can't do it."
Shego's face slides into a confused frown, "You can't do what, Kimmie?"
Kim's tone changes to almost a desperate plea, "Anything, Shego. I can't do anything. I don't know what I'm supposed to do next. I know that I had to get Nana and the Tweebs somewhere safe. I had to be strong for them. And I did that. But what do I do now?"
"Well, we just have to find out where your parents are being held and get them back."
Shego adopts a tone more confident than she actually feels, hoping that it might boost Kim's mood.
It doesn't. If anything, it seems to make her worse. "But how can we do that? They could be anywhere in the whole of America, held with hundreds, if not thousands of people. How do we find them in that?"
Shego can tell from Kim's voice that she is on the verge of tears again, can imagine them welling up in her eyes. Comforting lies don't seem to have worked, so maybe it's time to try a little painful truth.
"Okay, Kim. Listen to me. You're right. We don't know where they are. So that means that you can't do anything for them now. Also, you're exhausted. So, the best thing you can do right now is sleep, okay. If we are going to have any hope of rescuing Anne and James, then we need you at your best. So, either you try and get so rest, or I go and see the medical staff at this wonderful facility and we get something to knock you out for a few hours. Cause one way or another, you are getting some sleep tonight."
Kim nods, slowly. Sleep does sound like a good idea. It may be running away, but she would give anything to go somewhere that she doesn't have to think about all the horrible things that have happened. Rolling over onto her back, she closes her eyes, feeling Shego pull the blankets up to her chin. Forgetting everything that is going on in her head, she loses herself in the physical sensations that surround her. The feel of Shego's body next to hers, the gentle rhythm of her breathing, her soft hair against her cheek and the warm hand wrapped around hers. Amidst all of this, she can feel sleep creeping up on her. Willingly, she lets it claim her.
Shego wakes first, sitting up slowly, her head still a little muddled by the lingering effects of sleep. She glances over at Kim to make sure that she is still sleeping, then slides to the edge of the bed, linking both arms over her head, stretching them as far as her muscles will go.
She lets them drop as a someone can be heard knocking on the door.
'Too much to hope that's someone with a pot of coffee,' Shego grumbles to herself, as she strides towards the door.
Rushing to open it before the knocking wakes Kim, she twists the handle and pulls it open sharply, revealing a young man in a Global Justice uniform.
If he feels any surprise at being greeted by a woman dressed only in a sweatshirt with her panties just visible beneath, he shows no sign of it.
"Dr Director requests that you and Ms. Possible attend a meeting in the war room in an hour."
Figuring that doing something would do Kim some good Shego agrees, despite not really thrilled about spending any more time with Global Justice. But she'll be there for moral support.
"Okay. How do we get there?"
"Someone will come to collect you about a quarter of an hour before it starts."
Bidding the youth a curt goodbye, Shego shuts the door and turns back into the room, only to find Kim sitting up, watching her.
"Sorry, Princess. I didn't want to wake you."
"You didn't. Did I hear something about a meeting?"
"Yeah, in about an hour. Do you feel up to it?"
"I think so. I need to be doing something."
Kim had just finished getting dressed into her mission gear, when someone knocks on the door again. Kim pads over to it, pulling it open a bit more gently than Shego did. She cannot help staring at the woman on the other side. Just like the last time she saw her, she is struck by the resemblance to Shego. For a fraction of a second, she thought she was Shego. Only the white hair and lines on her face are the main differences.
Kim manages to shake off her confusion, and accept the extended hand.
"Miss Possible. We really didn't get a chance to be introduced properly last time. I'm Isabel Langton."
Kim lets that word bounce around in her head. "Langton? Is that Shego's last name?""
The older woman chuckles softly, hiding her mouth behind her hand. "You didn't think it really was Go, did you?"
"No, I guess not. I never really thought about it."
"There's no reason you should. She hasn't gone by the name Langton for over ten years. Since then, she's just been Shego."
Kim cannot help being intrigued by this mention of Shego's past.
"Why did she stop using it?"
Isabel is about to answer, when she glances past Kim's ear, as Shego walks into the doorway. Her eyes narrow as she sets them on the older woman.
"What the hell do you want?"
If Isabel is taken aback by the harsh words, she shows no sign of it. Which could mean that she is used to hearing them. Kim cannot help wondering how many of these encounters they have had over the years.
"I thought I would escort you to the war room. It's quite easy to get lost in here."
Clenching her teeth together, Shego takes hold of Kim's hand, before pushing her way past her mother. "Fine. Just show us the way."
Kim keeps glancing over at Shego, as they walk through the winding corridors. She is keeping her eyes fixed ahead of her, completely ignoring Isabel.
After a long five minutes, Isabel stops in front of one of the myriad doors, which slides open as she enters a code into the keypad next to it.
The room is set out like a small auditorium, with a stage at the far end, facing out over a collection of chairs, most of which are already filled. One row, about two back from the front, has three empty seats on the end.
Kim slips into the first one, Shego next to her, with Isabel taking the last one.
Kim looks over to her right, as someone taps her gently on the shoulder. She finds herself looking at a tall figure, his well-muscled arms visible under his blue and black jumpsuit. He is clearly smiling, his eyes bright behind the black mask he wears over them.
Shego buries her head in her hands, as she recognizes the figure at the same time as Kim.
"Hego. Great. How can this day get any worse?"
As if in answer, another figure leans around the blue clad superhero, his face plastered with a mock cheerful smile.
"Hey, sis. You could call once in a while, you know see how I am. I could have been dead, you know."
Shego returns his false smile with one of her own, "Yeah, sure. I don't have that kind of luck. Although if anything would have killed you, I thought Hego would have bossed you to death by now. How are the twins, anyway? Are they here? Or did Hego's speeches finish them off first?"
Before either of them can answer, the lights in the room dim, as Dr Director steps up onto the stage, accompanied by someone else, who hangs back in the shadows. The only features that Kim and Shego can make out are the ears that jut out from the top of his head.
Their attention returns to the one eyed spy as she begins to talk.
"Good morning. For the benefit of the new arrivals, let me quickly catch you up.
This is Global Justice's base in Japan, one of our largest staging posts. From here we have the resources and personal to begin countering the Lowardian occupation of America. We will be co-coordinating with other bases globally, who will assist with troops and logistics. But the main planning will take place here. Before I update you on the situation in America, I would like to introduce you to our liaison with the Japanese government. A man that has experience with this kind of situation, and has worked closely with Global Justice since its creation. Chief Kruger?"
On her directions, the man steps out of the shadows. Kim and Shego cannot help staring. He is obviously not human. The ears they noticed earlier are just the tip of the iceberg. Where his mouth should be, instead there is a long muzzle, like a wolf. In fact, he looks like a humanoid dog, his skin covered in a light blue fur, with white stripes over his mouth. He is dressed in a suit of deep black, with a gold trim. A long sword is attached to the belt around his waist.
He speaks with a deep voice, his English fluent, but very formal.
"You have my greetings as well. Unfortunately, that is really all I am allowed to offer. While the Japanese government is more than willing to allow this operation to be staged from their country, they are less than willing to assign any of their assets to it. Their position is that they will wait and see. It is possible that they are seeking a way to profit from it. Also regrettably, this means that I and my team are bound by the same rules. We currently have no authority outside of Japan, so we have no legitimate reason to set foot on American soil. That being so, we will be more than willing to assist, should even one Lowardian set foot on Japan. But until then, we have responsibilities in Tokyo. We are a police force, not an army. Again, my apologies to you all and Dr Director."
At the mention of her name, she steps back into the spotlight again.
"No apology necessary, Chief. I realize your hands are tied. Now, I will share with you the latest intelligence we have from America. No transmission are going in or out, but we have managed to collect some satellite photographs."
The screen behind her flashes up an image.
"What you see here is an energy field that surrounds the whole country. It is what is preventing any transmissions from being received. It also blocks the view of our satellites. But we did manage to get some pictures before it was raised. Most of the major cities are intact. It is possible they are being kept to provide housing for the native population. We don't really know. But we are seeing large construction projects in places like Kansas and Nevada.
But more important to us right now, is intelligence about the leaders of this invasion. We received these transmissions just before the shield went up."
Three pictures replace the single one.
"First, we have Warmonger. She is well trained and strong. She almost wiped out two full squads of Global Justice shock troops, but thanks to the efforts of Ms. Possible and Ms. Shego, she was driven off." Dr Director points to where the two adventures sit. "Although, they both sustained serious injuries in the process. In short, she is not a foe to be taken lightly. Luckily we think her strength is above average for a Lowardian, so some should be easier to defeat. Next, is this one. Security recordings from buildings they attacked, have heard him being referred to as Warhok. He seems to be senior to Warmonger, giving orders to her. He have to assume that he is as dangerous as she is. And lastly, we have this one. Clearly not Lowardian, we believe it to be a cybernetic being, with an organic life form under that armor. This one seems to be the mastermind of the group. It prefers to hang back, directing the troops, like a battle computer. It also has the ability to convert our technology to its own use. The last place we saw it was entering the Pentagon. Shortly after that, the energy field was raised. It is fair to assume that this blue entity is generating it. Until we find a way to neutralize that field, any frontal attack would be suicidal. We have to assume they have other defenses that are just as dangerous."
"So how do we fight it?" a voice from two rows back calls out.
It is a good question. One that is in the mind of everyone in the war-room.
"The same way we deal with any threat. We watch, wait and observe. That is our game plan for the moment. The enemy has a place of strength where they can plan their attacks. And we must do the same. We must gather our forces, and collect as much intelligence as we can. Your assignments over the coming weeks will reflect that. Any questions? No? Then report to your assigned team leaders. Dismissed."
Around them, every member of Global Justice, along with Team Go, stands, quickly leaving the room, moving purposely to complete whatever tasks they have been given. After less than a minute, the only people left in the seats are Kim, Shego and Isabel, who leads them down to the front of the room, where Dr Director is packing sheets of paper into her brief case.
She looks up as they approach.
"Thank you both for coming this morning. I know this isn't an easy time for you. I apologies that you are the last ones to receive your assignments. But I wanted to speak to you privately. Since you are not part of Global Justice, it is my feeling that you should be offered the chance to decline it. This feeling is not shared by all members of the command staff, however."
Kim cuts across her suddenly, as a question leaps into her mind. "Wait a minute. I thought you ran Global Justice."
"No. I am in charge of one of the American Divisions. Due to its size, the country is divided between two Division Chiefs. Global Justice is run by a Command Staff made up of all of the Division Chiefs."
"Okay. What about Team Go? Were they offered the same choice?"
"Team Go's situation is a little different than your own. Given the state of emergency they were drafted into Global Justice by the order of the second American Division Chief, and placed under his direct control. It was him that wanted to take the same steps with the two of you."
"What? Why would he want that? And why would Hego agree to that? He could have joined Global Justice any time. Why did he decide to follow that order?"
Dr Director glances sideways at Isabel, as if asking her if she wants to answer. Letting out a sigh, she nods, stepping forward so she is looking at both Kim and Shego.
"Because that Division Chief is someone that Team Go, particularly Hego, respect and look up to. Long before he joined Global Justice, he provided the money and resources for Team Go to get on its feet. Without him, it probably wouldn't exist today."
Kim feels Shego tense up next to her, but she keeps her eyes on Isabel.
"And, at one point, I was very close to him too. He was my husband. And by that token, father to Hego, Mego, the twins and Shego."
Kim looks at Shego's face, as she takes in this news. When she found out that her mother was here, she had looked furious, and she had expected the same reaction at the mention of her father. But she looks more scared, than angry. That expression doesn't last long, though. Shego doesn't do well with fear, and her reaction to it is to bury it under her anger.
Before Kim or Dr Director can stop her, she steps forward, grabbing Isabel by her collar with one hand, and dragging her close. Her other hand is raised, and Kim almost expects her to ignite her plasma. But she doesn't. She seems to be fighting to keep it inside her. Her mouth shows no such restraint, though, as she speaks with a low, icy tone.
"You knew this, didn't you. You knew that he would be here, and still you brought me here."
"Shego, I had to. I'm sorry, but we had no choice. Where else could you have gone? He has just been looking for a way to get to you again. He was the one that sent the troops to arrest you, after you were accused of that robbery in Japan. He was using that as an excuse to have you imprisoned, somewhere he would have constant access to you. And had Dr Director not found out about it and convinced the Chiefs you would be better off with Ms. Possible, that is what would have happened. But if you had gone anywhere else after we fled America he would have claimed that you broke the conditions of your release, and he would have the leverage he needed to arrest you again. But if you came voluntarily, the two of us could suggest that you be placed in our charge, Since you are based in our half of America, that puts you under our jurisdiction, not his. I'm sorry we didn't tell you. But I promise, I will do all I can to keep him away from you."
Reluctantly, Shego let's go of her mother, slowly lowering her fist. "Yeah, well. Your promises haven't done much good for me in the past, have they?"
Trying to steer this conversation away from such an emotional topic, Kim tries to return it to the original one. " So, what is this assignment you have in mind for us?"
"Nothing too difficult, at least to start with. As I said, we will need to gather intelligence on Lowardian activities. And the best way to do that is to place a team on the ground in America, undercover, to identify key strategic targets, maybe even destroy them, as well as discover the fate of the population. And given your experience with them, I would like to make you a part of it. But the team still has to be assembled, and trained in some new equipment. While that takes place, I will place you under Isabel's direction, who will provide training in the tools you will need, as well as some advanced combat techniques. Mainly, learning to fight together, as a team. The limited battles you have done together prove that you are quite effective as a team. We hope that we can improve on that performance. The first session will begin this afternoon."
Back in their room, Kim is seated in a chair facing towards the window, starring outside, barely moving a muscle. She hardly reacts, as Shego leans over her shoulder, wrapping her arms softly around her neck.
"Hey, Kimmie. What's up? Still thinking about your parents?"
Kim looks up at her, her face lined with a deep frown. "Of course, I am. But I'm also thinking about yours."
"Huh? What's that mean?"
"All this stuff with your family. And about your last name. Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were done keeping secrets from each other?"
Shego starts, seeing the hurt in Kim's eyes.
"Kimmie, it's not like that. I know that I kept things inside me before. And I know how much they hurt me. But this isn't the same. Those were the present. This is the past. I didn't tell you about my family or surname because they have nothing to do with me now. Okay? That's not who I am. I'm not Shego Langton anymore. And I'm certainly not my father's daughter. That's not he wants. He doesn't want a child. So I'm Shego now. That's all. Just Shego."
"But what about your mother? What does she want? I think she still cares about you, as her daughter."
"Maybe she does. But I don't give a damn about her."
"Why, Shego? What happened? Why did you leave your parents?"
"You want to know? Really? Fine, then. She drove me away, as surely as my Father did. I bet Hego told you that I took to crime because I got a taste for it. But it was because of my father. He wanted us all to be his creation, his perfect Team Go. Stealing seemed to be the best way to stick it to him. One of the heroic Team Go becoming a villain. My mother knew that I didn't like him. Unlike the others, who either admired or tolerated him, I hated him. And somewhere in her heart, I think she did too. She just stayed for us when we were kids. But when we grew up, I noticed that they weren't as close as I remembered. Anyway, one day I decided to leave. And she tried to stop me. Not to make me stay, but to come away with her. She said that we could start over, just the two of us. Make a new family. We could take her name, leave my father, and his name, far behind us. She said she cared about me, but I saw the truth. She just wanted to control me, just like he did. I would be replacing one jailer with another. I asked her to let me go, but she wouldn't. She tried to hold onto me, to make me stay. I got so angry at her, that I.." Shego pauses, her voice catching in her throat for a second.
"What, Shego? What did you do?"
Shego speaks again, her voice a little strained, obviously pushing away whatever memory she was reliving. "I lashed out at her. With her my plasma. She wouldn't let me go, so I made her. I burned her, then I ran. And now, after what I did, she still wants to be a mother to me? No. She is just trying to get control of me, just like my father is. But I won't run from her. She can teach me all she wants. But she won't get me back."
She takes a step back from Kim, looking directly into her eyes. Her hands, hanging by her sides, slowly clench into fists.
"Neither of them will ever get me back. I won't let them. I swear it."
Sorry for the long delay. I've been so busy, I've had no time to write fanfics.
Anyway, if you like, let me know what you think.