Disclaimer: Kim Possible and all characters portrayed and/or implied inside that television animated program belong solely unto Walt Disney Productions.
All technology and/or terms mimicking Star Trek belong unto CBS and Paramount Studios. All similarities to any television programs or series along with magazine and other media outlets' stories, cartoons, character names, in name of incidents, are purely coincidental, not intentional
Teen Titans were created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, produced and belong unto DC Comics
Justice League was created by Gardner, published by DC Comics: Justice League in this series includes: Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Green Lantern, J'onn J'onzz (Martian Manhunter), and Firestorm. Batman, on occasion. Base of operations is the Watchtower, a space station orbiting the Earth.
Batman created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, published by DC Comics, along with the Mentor and Nemesis, Ra's al Ghoul, Founder of the League of Shadows.
Green Lantern dates back unto the 40s. This character's been revisioned several times. Character and subsequent property right belong unto DC Comics.
Avengers created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and published by Marvel Comics, and includes Tony Stark (Iron Man), Captain America, Thor, and other heroes.
Spider-Man created by Stan Lea and Steve Ditko, and expanded by Brian Michael Bandis, and published by Marvel Comics under The Ultimate Spider-Man, along with Villains, Modok and Doctor Octopus, Otto Octavius.
S.H.I.E.L.D. created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, published by Marvel Comics.
Walking Target
Chairman Pedrov grimaced nervously. A GSC source assured him. The GSC's Special Investigations Division's probe into this mutants' allegations, filed by their alleged victims' families, would start by week's end. The GSC committee would then suspend all vacation time, until they'd completely resolved this issue, however long that took.
For now, preliminary investigations had already begun. SID investigators gathering a detailed list of their suspects, scrutinizing everything they'd done over the past few months. Pedrov knew, if they found something compelling enough, international law permits them going back 7-10 years. Who knows what, if anything, they'd find?
He couldn't ignore the old axion. If you look hard enough, you're bound the find something, even the most innocent act can seem suspicious then. Just this morning, a junior agent illustrated this point. He asked his boss innocent but pointed question. Each query held valid points. And yet, as his boss, Pedrov simply didn't have any suitable answers to allay his doubts, let alone sway his bosses' or chief justices'. He knew, this was only a taste of what's to come.
He needed to get away, have time to think. A security conference was the ideal venue. Attending that event would delay investigators and his bosses from directly questioning him, for now. It'd give him time to come up with more believable lies to pacify their doubts. It'd been 5-years since he'd attended such an event. And It was past time he did attend.
The GSC investigators couldn't prevent him from attending this function, despite their suspicions. U.N. regulations required all GSC and SSC council members attend these functions, a minimal, once every 5-years, to stay current on global threat issues.
It's part of their job description. He requisitions a Falcon 7X heavy jet, which seats 19 with a range of 6,847 miles. New York, U.S.A. To Stockholm, Sweden was about 4,000 miles. They could reach their destination safely with fuel to spare.
Wade works his magic. Scarlett Flame joins the crew. The plane was within an hour of its destination. She'd served drinks and food, listening unto Pedrov and his pals bickering. No wonder they stay dead-locked on so many issues. They can't simply agree to disagree. Each man and woman had to be right in every incident.
Worse yet, his colleagues divided by sex. Boys verses girls. They squabbled like grade schoolers the whole time. In fact, the girls sat up front; and boys in the back, near the hostesses, and liquor. The women belittled their male colleagues' chauvinistic attitude, as the men bragged about their latest conquests. They'd request harder liquor, just so they could pinch and flirt with the flight attendant.
Scarlett Flames was their lately 'victim'. She storms into the back growling under her breath.
"What's wrong, Dawn?"
"Fingers over there, always touching what he shouldn't. It makes me want to," she jabs and twists her knife midair, "geld those old codgers sometimes. Let them see how they like men pawing them".
"Calm down, Dawn," the older attendant coaches. "It's just their way. And besides, a couple of the ladies pinched me, too".
"Oh, I don't mind them so much," Scarlett Flame vents. "At least, they still look half decent. But, those old farts, sheesh," she shudders, even imagining dating one, finally quipping, "I'm not that hard up for a date". Giggling, "What about you?"
"Stewardess," a councilman interrupts their casual conversation.
"Here, you'd best take this," Scarlet Flame hands the older woman her knife.
"Too tempting?" the older woman jokes.
"I'd say, you have no idea, except we know you do," Scarlett Flames hugs her companion for helping her deal with her first day on the job. And she thought being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was hard.
8-hours later, the battle of the sexes ends, when their plane finally touches down in Stockholm, Sweden. The GSC council members pile into their waiting SUVs arriving at their hotel 20-minutes later.
"I've booked a private message," Pedrov tips the bellhop 16 Krona.
"I'll get your bags checked into your room. Enjoy your message, Sir".
Another bellhop shows him the way. Pedrov walks into the massage parlor, parts the 3rd booth's blue curtain, and undresses, everything but his shorts, laying across the massage table. His masseuse ambles inside wearing a black free flowing knee-length silk skirt with matching floral halter top.
Aconasema watches her reach behind her back. A melanize blade shimmers in the sparse light. She starts towards Pedrov. A sinister gleam shown in her eyes. Aconasema produces a silenced .38, shooting her three times, once in the heart, twice more in the head.
Pedrov didn't hear the silenced gunshots. He didn't know anything was wrong, until a limp body falls and rolls off him, thumping hard against the floor. A pool of blood seeping beneath his table boded ill-will. He immediately sits back up snapping around, greeted by Aconasema holding a smoking .38 revolver pointed directly at his head and asking, "Do you wish to live?"
Pedrov nods, "Yes". He wasn't unsure what else he should do.
"Put your hands behind your back, very slowly, and don't make any sounds or move suddenly".
He does so, feeling zip-ties fitted around both wrists and a gag-bit placed inside his mouth.
"Get up and walk ahead of me".
"What about my...?"
"My people will redress you. The towel will have to suffice for now," Aconasema shoves him ahead.
Again. He didn't offer any resistance. A portal opens ahead of them. He stops cold, terrified by tis swirling energies. Aconasema shoves him hard towards the vortex. A sure sign he'd best not stop. He steps through with eyes shut tight reappearing in the dungeon's isolation units.
"You two," she summons two male guards, "dress this idiot and secure him inside Interrogation Room C-3. My daughter doesn't need to see this idiot wondering naked around my base".
"Yes, Ma'am".
Evasive Reasoning
The guards secured him inside stocks within 30-minutes. Kim gives the prisoner a couple of hours to sleep and collect his thoughts. Maybe he'd be a little more talkative then.
"C'mon, Lazy, wake up!" Aconasema shines a bright light into her prisoner's eyes.
A voice reaches into his deep slumber. Pedrov raises his head. Eyes squinted. "Who's there?" He asks. A million questions crowding his mind.
She kills the light, "Who do you think?"
"Aconasema," Pedrov grits his teeth. All muscles stiff with bitterness.
"That's me," she deigns, even speaking with him.
He perceives her contempt biting back, "What do you want?"
"Me? I don't want anything. From you," she smiles coyly.
Pedrov didn't catch her subtlety sighing, "What the hell does that supposed to mean?"
"I'm just saying, there's a fine line between what one wants and one needs. Want annotates a desire to possess something you don't have. Like, I have something you desire, and you want to trade what you have of equal value for what I have. Need, however, speaks beyond wants. It's something you can't live without, like food, shelter, and clothing. Trust me, you're living on need, right now".
"So, what's your point?"
"Fact is fact, Mr. Chairman. I don't need anything from you. So, wants don't even factor into our little negotiations. You, however, need something from me".
Pedrov pieces together what he thinks she meant. She must've put together their campaign against her and her daughter. He pales under her austere leer. "And what do I need, Miss?" Pedrov tests to see how much she really knew.
"Protection".
"Notice that did ya?" She was more observant than he'd thought.
"Hard to miss," she shrugs nonchalantly. "You're alive for one reason, only. You breathing makes your boss more nervous and edgy. I'd like to know, what do you have on him that merits carrying out such a blatant assassination attempt on foreign soil at an international security conference of all places. Your assassination would draw a lot less media attention.
This attempt on your life leads me unto one conclusion. Whoever ordered this hit wanted to make a public statement in blood. And he/she doesn't care about exposing his/her operations behind the scenes. That can only mean, he/she is about ready to launch the final stage. And yet, he/she jeopardizes this op simply to silence you. I want to know, why?"
Pedrov curses how low he'd sunk. Here he was, consorting with a mutant. What choice did he really have? His own kind want him dead now. "I may know who's behind this madness".
"Who?" Her voice deepens, and aura turns darker than ever.
"Hydra," Pedrov weeps.
"Hydra?" She feigns having considerable doubt.
"What does your Boss want you dead so desperately?"
"Therein lies the joke," he chuckles over how far he'd fallen.
"Joke? Do you think I'm joking here? My daughter's life is on the line," she rears back her hand.
"Hammerhead was my Hydra handler," he belts out, hoping that appeased her enough. So, she'd let him finish his testimony without getting physical.
"Who is he?" She again feigns ignorance.
"Hammerhead is a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Shadow Committee. I suspect, but can't prove, he's in reality Emil Rocco. I do, however, have ample recordings with Hammerhead and me planning our ops against Kim Possible, along with her husband, family, and friends".
"Why her?"
"I don't know, but am sure Rocco does".
"Come, Kimiko, we have our next lead".
"Coming, Mama," Hanna join in her adventure.
Heads Up
Kim douses the sleeping couple with ice cold water.
Emil and his wife jerk awake. Both try to sit up, but couldn't. Arms and legs fettered unto their own bedposts by white energy bands.
"Hello, Emil".
Every muscle immediately goes rigid. He recognized that voice. "Aconasema?"
"It's me, Mr. Chairman," she spreads her arms abroad.
"How'd you know where I live?"
"Oh, please, I knew your last two predecessors' real names and where they lived. Why shouldn't I know the same about you?"
His wife simply stared ahead. Mouth agape. Limb trembling. Her eyes never leave the assault rifle clutched in her hands.
Her husband immediately identifies it as an EF-88 assault rifle retrofitted with an M203PI grenade launcher. He props himself upon his pillow alerting his guards.
"Go ahead, alert security. Help won't arrive, right Kimiko?"
"No, Mama, they won't," a 16-year old Hanna ambles from the shadows. Her clothes soaked in what appeared to be human blood.
"My babies..." Emil's wife gets hysterical, thinking she'd harmed her babies. And her children's blood stained her clothes.
"...are only sleeping, Mrs. Rocco," Kimiko assures the grieving mother.
"For now," Aconasema leaves some doubt about their on-going safety.
Emil gets her message quickly, "What do you want, Woman?".
"Answers," she deadpans.
"To what?" He knew she was after something specific, though he suspected what.
"Are you the Boss?" She asks the last question he ever suspected.
"That idiot Pedrov asked me the same thing".
"Well, Emil, that idiot may've been wrong about you. His accusation sure rattled the real Boss, because he sent someone working very closely with you to silence that idiot".
"Why are you insinuating, Miss?"
"Insinuations implies stating an accusation without solid evidence. Hearsay, in other words. I know, and can prove, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, sanctioned as an assassin, tried to kill Pedrov earlier today".
He'd heard rumors about agents doubling as assassins. He never bought into such hearsay. He couldn't chance she may be telling the truth asking, "A S.H.I.E.L.D. agents? What level? What's his/her name?"
"Her name, Latoya Breslin, a Level 3…"
Emil immediately recognized her name. He'd worked with her on many occasions. He didn't buy her ever moonlighting as an assassin retorting, "That's impossible!"
"Impossible, hey?" She shoves the assassin's photo into his face screaming, "Is this her?"
"I don't believe this," Rocco contemns her accusations. But, he couldn't deny facts. His agent was in Stockholm. And his department didn't send her there. "You're correct, Miss. This is…"
"…was her," she corrects his verbal tense, getting her point across strongly.
"Is she…?"
"Dead," Aconasema didn't show any remorse. "I killed her saving Pedrov hours ago".
"She was assigned unto S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Internal Security Division, responsible for heading up the investigation into the allegations against the SSC, G.J., Dr. Director, Will Du, and a few others. She was code named Silver Fox".
"As I've already shared, you agent is dead. I slew her saving Pedrov. Later, I questioned him, and he claims Hdyra's behind these attacks against my daughter".
"Why would they do this?"
"According to him, they're angling to kidnap my daughter. What's your take on his theory, Emil?" She keeps this interrogation informal, as not to alienate him til necessary.
"I suspect the same thing, but don't have any solid evidence to corroborate my suspicions".
"Who else showed any interest in what Pedrov spouted yesterday?"
"Will Chamberlain, my Vice Chairman. His address is in my rolladex downstairs, Miss".
"I'll speak with him," she produces a tranquilizer shooting Emil and his wife.
"Come, Kimiko," mother and daughter venture downstairs and into the study. Kim searches the rolladex memorizing Chamberlain's address.
Red Handed
Will Chamberlain couldn't sleep. Mind disturbed by his last conversation with Viper. Making matters worse, he'd come home to discover a parcel on his doorsteps. Hammerhead immediately opened the box losing all his complexion.
Viper, a.k.a. Fukushima, had indeed located Pedrov's secret evidence against himpersonally. But, the box was empty. A sure sign, he'd kept Pedrov's evidence, as an insurance police for a later date, should he get in trouble with authorities and need a favor. Who knew when he'd call in this favor? How many times he'd call in the same favor? Only time would reveal his true intents.
A shaft of light washes over his personal office. He didn't know who or what was responsible, but wasn't taking any chances. Chamberlain shields his eyes drawing his .357. He listens closely trying to pinpoint his target.
Kim and Kimiko fully materialize inside.
Kimiko steps wrong. A plank underfoot squeaks.
A marksman. Chamberlain turns, firing on instinct. A rimmed .38 special bore through the vest and shallowly into her right shoulder. Kimiko collapsing, crying in pain and nursing her wound.
Aconasema was there within a quarter second. Two more rounds ricochet harmlessly off her gold armor. She raises her EF-88 pumping a round through his right wrist. His hand contracts involuntarily, loosening its grip and dropping his firearm. She didn't spare him shooting his right leg. He collapses, rolling back and forth, begging for mercy. She takes aim, only stopped upon hearing...
"Mama, don't. I'm fine," Hana grasps her shoulder reassuringly.
"Yea, yea, listen unto her. Take whatever you want, it's yours, Lady".
"Fine. I'll take all your evidence," she drops her gold veneer.
"You," Chamberlain pales in her presence.
"Yea, it's me," her laser dot aligned between his eyes. "I only came here for answers. You then had to go and shoot my little girl".
He pales worse eyeing the lanky teen, and especially noticing her blood thirst, "Ask what you will, and I'll answer".
"You'd better answer me quickly and truthfully, or the next round goes where X marks the spot," her laser pointer painted right over his scrotum. "Who's this boss? Really?"
"I've never met him personally. I only fronted Hydra's cell within S.H.I.E.L.D., as did Pedrov within Global Justice's GSC".
"His name?" Aconasema pumps another round into his other arm.
Hammerhead cries in immense agony.
"His name!" She perches her handgun against his right thigh.
Hammerhead knew, talk or he's a dead man. The boss betrayed him, first. Why die over someone who doesn't even care? "I suspect Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker's new alias is Nicolo Silvino". He shares what he knows, praying it's enough to appease this irate mother's wrath.
"How does this new Hydra network of his work, Chamberlain?"
He didn't bother stalling or negotiating. Who knew what she'd do? Kill him? He feared her greater than Silvino. "Hydra is back, but weaker than most of its allies know. Strucker has less territory than last time. Your civil war delivered such a decisive blow. It decimated Hydra's global network. Sister factions and their allies are still at such odds. There are still skirmishes every so often to settle territory disputes.
Plus, you accomplished in one stroke what none of their enemies accomplished in the 70-years since it was founded. You didn't simply expose a cell working within a particular organization. You exposed 85-90 % of their operatives. Global authorities butchered Hydra's top leaders. Few survived, survivors incarcerated or embroiled in petty disputes to worry about rebuilding Hydra's network.
Struck proved luckier than most. He eluded capture and underwent invasive plastic surgery along with rejuvenation treatments, even vocalization training. He reinvented himself as Nicolo Silvino, an Italian immigrant. He now faced a new hurdle. Nearly eighty-four pretenders arose amidst this bloody civil war. Each claimed his/her own segment of Hydra's vast empire.
Strucker knew he couldn't battle them outright. Win or lose, it'd draw international attention. Global Justice and S.H.I.E.L.D. could then prove Strucker survived your 'civil war' trap, and had resurfaced again. Strucker had no choice. He reactivated what few double agent—those, he once considered as being expendable—and wire-worked things behind the scenes, where they'd get promising promotions.
He, then, had each assigned unto G.J.'s GSC and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Shadow Committee. He did the same thing with other prominent agencies throughout the world. These double agents utilized their newfound authority to recruit other agents into Hydra's new inter-agency cell. They also downright replaced less cooperative co-workers with more compliance ones.
Men and women who held offices in various levels of management within each organization. He/she was loyal to Hydra, not their parent agency. I was among those recruited. The Bosshad us work behind the scenes. We planted evidence and falsified reports. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Global Justice systematically hit and dethroned Strucker's enemies, who'd stolen his empire".
"How'd he do this?"
"Strucker had us label Kim Possible as a traitor. Most people defied that notion. The media lambasted our agents, until we linked her with Aconasema. The media started to back us. That was when we could really begin our operation. We didn't name everyone at once. Our investigators slowly connected her friends, family, and support base helping her in these terrorist activities. The NSC didn't hesitate in giving us full authority to terminate these domestic terrorists".
"What about these attacks on Kim Possible?"
"My boss, Strucker, believes you're Kim Possible. Aconasema was only your alias. Authorities kept you under surveillance nearly 2-years. We never found a single shred of evidence to support his claim. But, who argues with the Boss? Everyone rejected this notion. He started to lose supporters fast. Then, Fukushima proposed a twist on what the boss had been saying all along".
"And what was this twist?" Kim couldn't wait to hear more lies. She rolls her eyes.
"He argued that you weren't Kim Possible. It only appeared that way, because she arranged her little girl's adoption through anonymous contacts at Yamanouchi. This was when the boss devised a scheme so Hydra could acquire custody over Hana Stoppable".
"Idiots," Aconasema backhands him so hard. He stumbles back tumbling several times. She recalls what Red Hawke said. They intended on taking custody, then having Wolverine rape her daughter. She loses it again, raising her EF-88 assault rifle fully intending on killing him.
"Mama, no," Kimiko intercedes. "We need him alive. Remember".
"Here, you'd best keep this," Kim hands over her assault rifle.
"Your boss made a grave mistake, Mister".
"My boss's mistake was targeting the wrong little girl. Is that why you're mad?"
"Her? Hell, no!" She backhands him again, showing him Hana's baby photo, "Kill her! Hell, kill the whole lot! They mean nothing unto me!"
"Then, Miss, what'd we do that pissed you off so badly?"
"First, you shot my baby," she backhands him again. "Second, you dare compare my seed with these vile mortals. They aren't worthy to touch a hair on her head," she punches, shattering his nose bridge. "Third," she yells over his agonizing cries, "you're still holding out on me".
"What do you wish to know?"
"Where's Strucker?"
"I don't know".
She rears back her hand, ready to deliver a more decisive, wounding blow.
He recoils in terror, imaging the worst, screaming, "Find Fukushima, a.k.a. Viper, and he can tell you everything".
Aconasema lays him out with a single punch. She shrinks all the evidence boxing it. She loads the box in one hand, grabs his shirt collar, and drags him through a portal, followed by Kimiko.
Aconasema must diffuse everything without ending humanity, or getting her child killed. So many already want her dead. She'd seemingly lost her way, disassociated herself from her own humanity. Can she reclaim her humanity? And still preserve humanity? And Mutants? Only time will tell.