Chapter 8

Kim Possible sat across from Shego in a little coffeehouse near Middleton Mall, nursing a mocha and waiting for Shego to put down her espresso and start talking. Kim would have thought she'd be overjoyed to be on a coffee date with Shego, but in the event she was too distracted by the weirdness of the situation to enjoy it. Facing Shego over a table in a public place was one thing, seeing her dressed like a schoolteacher was another.

Shego put down her drink, cast one last quick look to make sure they were not being overheard, and finally started speaking. "So, I guess you aren't used to this kind of interaction with me."

"Not really. I mean, it's nice, but a little strange."

"It is, isn't it?"

The two women idly stirred their coffees for a while.

"So, uh, I promised you an explanation, right?"

"You did. I mean, I believe you when you say you aren't up to something, but..."

Kim trailed off, and another small silence ensued, finally broken by Shego.

"Okay, maybe I'll start with some context. You know I was part of a hero team, right?"

"Yeah. I met your brothers, remember?"

"Oh. You did, didn't you?"

"Are you all right?"

"I think so. Some things are just a little fuzzy. Anyway, we faced a lot of villains in our time, fighting the good fight."

"And you developed a taste for evil. I know."

"I... I don't think that's quite right. But that's not the point. One of those villains was a woman who called herself Electronique. She was one of our most dangerous enemies, but we eventually managed to get her in custody. She was bad enough they built a special facility just to hold her."

"Wow, that's impressive. You'd think I'd have heard of her before."

"Well, impressive as she was, we made sure she never got beyond Go City. And she got caught years ago, you were probably a little too young to follow the news back then."

"Maybe." Kim didn't really want to be reminded of how much younger than Shego she was.

"Now, apparently she managed to escape some time ago. I've been, uh, a little out of the loop, so I never heard about it. She kept pretty quiet, planning her revenge on us."

"So, an old enemy gets out of jail and comes after you. I can relate. Adrena Lynn just escaped, too. Actually, I meant to talk to you about that."

"Can I finish my story, first?"

"Yeah, sorry. Go ahead."

"Now, Electronique was an electronics whiz. She could turn just about any electronic device into a weapon. And if it was already a weapon, she could turn in into a better one. Do you remember Jack Hench's Attitudinator?"

"Yes." The device had been responsible for turning Ron into a surprisingly competent villain with delusions of grandeur, which had been more than a little disturbing. It had also turned Dr. Drakken into a kind, helpful soul, which had been just plain weird. "She had the Attitudinator? She used it on you?"

"Yeah, she had done some improvements to it, and she was planning on using it on all of us. She wanted to turn Team Go into her evil little helpers. I wanted nothing to do with her."

"You got turned good?"

"I... maybe? Was I really... evil? I remember doing things... working with unsavory characters, but..."

"You used to like reminding me that you were evil. But I always thought it was mostly talk, that you weren't that bad underneath it all."

"Aww, thank you, Kimmie. Anyway, with Electronique on the loose, and my brothers turned... evil, I knew I had get out of there. I didn't have a chance against all of them."

"You left your brothers at her mercy?"

"What was I supposed to do?" Shego looked pained. "I didn't know how to help them, and if I was captured, or worse, turned evil, I wouldn't be able to even try. I had to run and I had to hide."

"So you came here?"

"I thought this would be the last place anyone would think to look for me. Besides, I remembered you, Kimmie. I knew you'd help me. You will help me, won't you?"

"Yes, of course. But why are you teaching at my school?"

"Well, I needed to do something. I want you to know I'm fully accredited." Shego smiled. "I'm quite happy that I get to finally put my Child Development degree to work. I always wanted to be a teacher."

"Huh. I didn't really expect that. I do remember you mentioned that you went to college."

"Yeah, that was a pretty wild time in my life."

"More wild than your life of crime?"

"Can we not talk about that? It wasn't really me."

"But it was, wasn't it? It was what you became."

"It's not me anymore. Electronique inadvertently saved me from that nightmare. I... I don't know how I ended up like that."

"You don't remember?"

"Seriously, I don't want to talk about that."

Shego pointedly sipped her espresso. Kim wanted to learn more about Shego's past, but she realized she shouldn't push right now.

"Where are you staying? At a hotel?"

"No, I... I'm still wanted." Kim was shocked at the tears in Shego's eyes. "How will I ever... I got a room at a hostel I know here. I've stayed there before."

"I remember. You told me about it."

There was another pause and both women awkwardly drank their coffees. Kim decided to broach the other subject she wanted to discuss with Shego.

"Adrena Lynn escaped from prison last weekend. Your brother broke her out."

"What, really?"

"I thought he was under her control, but do you think it was because he was turned evil?"

"I don't know why he would do that. I'm not even sure how he learned about her. It's got to be because of her Glow."

"Do you think it might have been on the orders of this Electronique?"

"Maybe. She definitely wanted all of us to work for her."

"Your brothers being on the wrong side of the law is bad enough, but Lynn's power is trouble. It might not work on you or me, but there's no telling how many people are susceptible."

"She can only control two people at a time, right?"

"Maybe. I never saw her control more, and she only seems to have one... mind control orb per hand, but we don't really know for sure that is her limit."

"Yeah, let's not dwell on that. It's too depressing."

"You're right. We took her down before, we can do it again."

"I just wish we didn't have to fight at all. I don't like violence."

Kim nearly spit out her coffee. Of all the things she expected Shego to say, that wasn't one of them.

"You really are different, aren't you?"

"Yep. Much better, I assure you. No more moping around in some silly old lair, I'm going to turn my life around."

"That's... really nice to hear."

"Thank you, Kimmie." Shego's face fell a little. "Now I just need to figure out what to do about my criminal record."

"You aren't planning on turning yourself in, are you?"

"Do you think I should? There's enough there to put me away for the rest of my life. It just doesn't feel fair to have to throw my life away since it wasn't... it wasn't exactly me who did all those things, you know?"

"I don't really know how to look at it. I mean, you got zapped from evil to good, but that doesn't mean you are a totally different person, does it?"

"It kinda does. When I think back, trying to figure out how that other Shego got where she was, I don't understand it at all. All those things she did, all her decisions, it's like having a stranger's memories. I don't know what I was thinking. I literally don't know what led me... her to do the things she did. It's like a bad nightmare."

"Huh. I don't really know what to say."

"You're not going to turn me in, are you?"

"No, don't worry, I won't do that. I will help you, any way I can. I'm just not sure how."

"We'll figure it out. Thank you, Kimmie."

Kim fell silent again as she finished her coffee. There was one more thing very much on her mind, but she wasn't sure how to approach it, and she suspected this wasn't the right time for it. She decided to just bite the bullet and get it out in the open.

"Speaking of decisions you made, what about, uh, us?"

"Oh, I like you, Kimmie. I don't blame you at all for fighting me. You're good people."

"Thank you. But, um, that's not quite what I was going for. I meant, uh, about us... together?" It wasn't quite a coherent question, but Kim wasn't feeling quite coherent at the moment. The sides of her neck felt warm and her stomach was twisting into knots.

"Oh." Shego blushed very fetchingly. "That. Um."

"It's just that you said it'd never work between a hero and a villain, but you're not a villain anymore, are you?"

"Kimmie, what we did should never have happened. I... she shouldn't have taken advantage of you."

"Shego, I'm the one who approached you."

"Yes, but you are still so young. I'm older, and I... she should have been the responsible adult."

"We didn't do anything wrong!"

"Kimmie, the woman I was, she didn't care for you like you cared for her. She was only seeking her own pleasure. She used you and she hurt you. I am so, so sorry for that."

"I knew she didn't want to date me. I just wanted to... I just wanted her. You."

"Kimmie..."

"But you are not like that anymore. You wouldn't hurt me, would you?"

"No, of course not. I'd never be with anyone if I wasn't serious about it. But, Kimmie, I'm not going to... we can't be in a relationship."

"If you feel you're not the person you used to be, I understand if you want to get to know me first..."

"It's not that, Kimmie. I am your teacher now. I can't be involved with a student of mine."

"What? No, that's just... you're just a substitute, anyway. You're not going to be teaching me long, right?"

"I think I'd like to get a permanent position here. They're seriously understaffed, these poor students need all the help they can get. That's what's important here."

"You don't really just see me as one of your students, do you? Surely not, with all our history."

"I'm not looking to be involved in a scandal, Kimmie. Anyway, you really should date someone closer to your own age. Like your friend Ronald."

"Please don't call him Ronald. It's weirding me out."

"You're evading the issue, Kimmie. But if you're not into him, maybe someone else. What about that cute guy I saw you on a date with?"

"Josh? So over him."

"Well, maybe your friend, what was her name, Monique? If that's what you're interested in right now."

"I doubt she'd be interested." She probably wasn't interested, although Kim had been wondering about that, lately. "Can we drop this now, please?"

"Okay, Kimmie. You're the one who brought it up, anyway."

"So, uh... you're thinking of staying in Middleton long term?"

"I think so. I kinda like it here."

"Are you just going to stay at that hostel? I'm sure you could find something better."

"I'd like to, but I really need to, uh, keep a low profile."

Kim wasn't sure that teaching at the school her well-known nemesis went to qualified as low profile, but somehow it seemed to work, anyway. Refuge in audacity, perhaps.

"You know... you could stay at my place, maybe?"

"I don't know, Kimmie. That might not be a good idea."

"We have a guest room, you wouldn't need to share mine or anything." Although she would be most welcome to.

"Would your parents really be okay with a known criminal in their house?"

"I'm sure they would, once I explained the situation. It'd be much better than a hostel, and I doubt anyone would think to look for you there."

"It's kind of you to offer, but I'm not sure I could really accept the hospitality."

"Shego, if Lynn is going to come after me again, she might try to get to me through my family. I'd really appreciate it if there was somebody at hand who can fight off her power. And if she's in league with your brothers..."

"Oh, you're just looking after your family! I thought maybe you just wanted to... oh, never mind."

Kim tried to not look guilty about her family being an afterthought to having Shego near. She didn't quite succeed.