Chapter Ten

The would-be Ultimate Monkey Master turned tail and ran for his life. "Monkey ninjas! To me!" he shouted.

Kim didn't move from her spot. She dropped the weight and spun it around to gain momentum, then she threw it to one side of Fiske. As it reached its full length, she guided it back and it wrapped around his legs, tripping him up. The weight cracked into his shin, breaking his leg.

He screamed in pain, rolling over and grabbing the leg, the chain making it difficult. He frantically tried to get untangled.

The chain and weight vanished, becoming once again its default form of a katana in Kim's hand.

"Monkey ninjas! Help me!" he screamed as Kim started walking toward him. There was no response.

"Your helpers have been taken out of the fight," said Kim, now standing a few feet from him. "No one will help you." She squatted down, holding the Blade away from him, fixing him with her glare, "No one CAN help you."

Fiske cowered away from her, whimpering.

Raf and Kabale stood nearby, watching.

"Looks like we're back on duty," said Raf.

"Yeah, let's decide who gets the first move," answered Kabale.

Raf picked up a British 10-pence piece Fiske had dropped. "We don't have time for a challenge. Will this do?"

"Fine. Heads," the devil said.

Raf flipped the coin, and it fell at their feet. Tails. Raf got the first move. Of course, that meant Kabale got the last move. Kabale gestured toward Kim, and the angel went over to her, the devil following.

"Don't do it. He's not worth it, Kim," whispered Raf in her right ear.

"He killed Ron! Take your deserved revenge!" whispered Kabale in her left.

Kim paused, not moving. Fiske was crawling backwards away from her, dragging his broken leg, fear plain on his face.

"Ron would not want you to do this," said the angel.

"He was your best friend, and now you'll never see him again. This... thing... deserves death." countered the devil.

"And he may get it. But not by your hand. Vengeance is not your way, Kim. Let the proper authorities deal with him." said Raf.

"He murdered Ron. Who knows who else he might kill if you don't stop him now and he escapes. Their blood will be on your hands." said Kabale.

Kim stood up, her angel and devil assigned doing so as well. They both stepped back from her. It was Kim's decision now. They looked at each other. This was the most important thing they had ever done, and both realized it.

At the Golden School, teachers and students held their collective breaths. They were watching the ultimate exercise of free will by a human.

Kim watched, face impassive, as Fiske crawled away from her. She looked over at Ron, lying still with Rufus on his chest. The little mole rat had curled up and was not paying attention to anything. Tears began flowing again, and she looked back at the evil man.

Fiske had managed to get about ten feet from her, and she took several long strides to reach him. He started and shrunk away from her.

"S- stay away!" he said, voice shaky.

Kim raised the Lotus Blade over her head in a two-handed grip. Her face was flushed and filled with anger and grief. Fiske shrieked and turned away from her.

As the Lotus Blade came down, it morphed into a chain again, and wrapped itself around him tightly from shoulders to feet, ignoring his broken leg. The ends of the chain came together, and the end links became a padlock, securing him. The sudden movement of his leg caused him to cry out in pain.

KP/AF KP/AF KP/AF

"She did it!" cried Urie, high-fiving with Dolce and Miki.

"Ahh, you got lucky," grumbled Gas.

"Guess I'll have to give Kabale some pointers, then," said Cabiria. "Kim Possible will come around eventually."

Sulfus didn't participate in the conversation. He was just glad Raf was okay, and would be back soon.

"Class dismissed," said Arkan.

The students immediately headed for the door, the chairs and monitors behind them disappearing. The teachers watched them go.

"I think we all got lucky," said Temptel, "Even if your side won."

"Yes, I agree..." Arkan replied, thoughtfully.

KP/AF KP/AF KP/AF

Kim stood over Fiske, staring with contempt. Then she activated the Kimmunicator.

"Wade, call Global Justice and tell them to send out a unit and medical help. There are around fifty monkey ninjas to collect, and Fiske has a broken leg," she said.

"Doing it now," her friend answered. "Everything okay? You sound funny."

She switched off the device without answering, and stood there over the insane archaeologist, staring into the distance. Fiske was relieved, seeing that Possible wasn't going to kill him. But he didn't dare say anything, lest she change her mind.

Raf knelt by Ron, activating her healing power.

"What are you doing? It's too late," said Kabale.

Raf shook her head. "It isn't his time. The destiny I told you about, remember? Rufus, I know you can see us. I need you to move, please."

Rufus lifted his head and looked at them. Then he got up and slowly climbed down to the ground. "Wake Ron?" he asked.

"Yes," said Raf, and put her hands over him.

The green nimbus swirled around the blond boy and faded away. He took a hitching breath and coughed. He sat up, shaking his head. "KP?"

Kim turned toward the voice she never expected to hear again, and Fiske looked as well. His mouth gaped open. The poison gas had never failed before!

"RON!" she screamed, running over to him. She gathered him in her arms and hugged tightly.

"Oh, man, what a headache!" he put a hand to the back of his head. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?" asked Kim, leaning back to look at him.

"Fist threw something at me, and I choked on smoke... I saw... I saw... an angel and a devil by you. I think. It's kinda dim, now." he answered.

"Well, don't worry about it. Fiske is wrapped up, and GJ on the way," she said, giving him another hug.

Ron picked up Rufus, who hugged him as well as he could with his little mole rat forelegs. Then he climbed up on Ron's shoulder and gave the angel and devil a thumbs up. Both returned the gesture.

Ron and Kim went over to Fiske, who was struggling in the chain and glaring at them.

"Kim, you used the Lotus Blade to wrap him up?" he asked. "So what Sensei said was right."

"I don't understand this!" said Fiske, "I can't control the Blade! I should be able to change it's shape, but I can't!"

"Dude, you have to be worthy of the Blade to use it, not just have the MMP," Ron answered.

"But- but I'm the Chosen One! Not you!" he struggled futilely.

"You lost the worthy-ness when you killed me," said Ron.

The monkey-man glared. "This is not over."

Kim and Ron sighed and rolled their eyes. Unseen, Raf and Kabale did the same.

As they waited for Global Justice, Kim went to fetch the Sloth and look for Raf and Kabale, but saw no sign of them. She called Wade, but he had no luck either. He did pick up a trace of energy like that from the PDVI, so suggested the effect had worn off. They decided not to mention the visitors to Ron.

Finally a transport showed up and they took Monkey Fist and his ninjas into custody. Ron got the chain and discreetly changed it back to its katana shape. Then he sent it on to Yamanouchi, where it would wait for him to call again.

On the flight back to Middleton, Wade called and told them what he knew about the package. He had traced it back to a store in California, but there hit a dead end. The parts were unmarked and he couldn't find any fingerprints or DNA or any other way of identifying who sent it.

"I'll keep looking, but don't get your hopes up," he told them.

Raf and Kabale, in the back seat, looked at each other and shrugged. Maybe they'd find out who did it when they got back to the school.

They got back home at sunset, and the first trick-or-treaters were just coming out.

Ron gave Kim a kiss, and he and Rufus headed home. Kim put away the Treatanator, preferring to pass out candy herself. She wore her mission clothes, giving out autographs to kids and adults who recognized her.

Finally the evening was over and she went up to her room. She looked around, but saw no sign of her recent visitors. They were both still with her, though.

"Raf, Kabale," Kim said aloud, "I hope you're here and listening. Thank you both, very much. It was wonderful to meet you, and learn something about life, the universe, and everything."

She waited, but there was no reply. "I hope we get to meet again someday," she added, then turned to get ready for a shower.

Once Kim was out of the room, Kabale asked, "Are you going to take her memories of us? And Wade's?"

"No," answered Raf, "I have a strong feeling I shouldn't. We can trust them to keep the secret. And Wade will find our conversations didn't record, so there's no evidence beyond what they remember."

Kabale smiled. "Sneaky."

"Let's go home," said Raf.

"I'm all for that. Food and shower and bed, in that order," answered Kabale.

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Raf.

And the Guardian Angel and Guardian Devil took off through the window, heading home.

The End