The Mist Chapter 9: You call this a Plan?, a kim possible fanfic

Darev: Fastest update ever, huh? I don't know how much longer I can keep updating like this. This story is much longer than I would have expected and I fear I might be digging myself into a hole here. But like life, you've gotta enjoy things in there here and now and not worry about tomorrow. Though I guess it's that kind of thinking that got the economy in the state it's in now right? LOL.

Not much action in this chapter, but that's because things will happen in the next one. A nice blend of action and plot.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far.

Another gone, Kim thought as they put Tara to rest. When news of her death had reached her, Kim almost believed she hadn't heard right. Last she thought, they had dealt with all the dragonflies that managed to penetrate their defenses. Smarty Mart had been secure. They were safe for the moment. But after seeing Josh carry Tara's limp body out of the employees' locker room, her neck inflated to twice its original size and her creamy-white skin turning an ugly shade of purple and black, it took every ounce of willpower she had not to succumb to her sorrow and break down then and there.

Not that Josh wasn't crying enough for all of them. The boy was inconsolable. Who could blame him? Tara had been the love of his life. He wouldn't let anyone touch Tara, not even her friends, and had to literally be pried away from her less the disease the bug had implanted inside of Tara be transmutable through human touch. It turns out it wasn't, but it did not matter what they did. Tara was already dead long before Josh had even squashed the bug that killed her and none of them had the medical knowledge or the tools to assist her even if she had somehow survived the initial attack.

How the damned bug had even gotten into the locker room was anyone's guess. There was no way it could have opened the heavy door with its scrawny strength and Kim had been assured that there had been nobody hiding in the room when the bugs came. Most of the fighting had transpired far away from the locker room, so it was left to the survivors to figure out the truth less another unfortunate soul succumb to a sneak attack. Oscar had decided to investigate the matter personally. The rest went to pay their final respects to their lost friend, a girl who had so much to live for.

They all gathered at the loading dock, placing Tara's body right next to Patrick, the man who's throat had been ripped apart by the alien pterodactyl. Like, Patrick, a tarp had been placed on Tara's body as she was laid to rest. Even under the tarp they could still make out the distinctive bulge of her neck, as if Tara had been wearing some sort of helmet underneath. It was a sickening sight and all those present had to look away. Only Josh kept looking at her, at his beloved, his body shaking with convulsions and his breathing ragged. There was no way to calm the boy. He'd been there when it happened. He'd watched the bug kill his girlfriend. He was there when she died in his arms. As far as Josh Mankey was concerned, he had died along with Tara.

So it was left to someone else to say the eulogy for Tara Strong. That person was Kim, but try as she might, the words would not come out. She didn't really know what to say. How could she make Tara's death seem like it had been worth something? The girl was killed by a mutant insect from another world. She died quickly, but painfully, and her face was unrecognizable. For once, Kim's overly optimistic attitude had failed her and she could barely stutter out the eulogy. Ron was told her that she could do anything, and that includes failing. Well Kim Possible had been failing a lot lately.

"T-Tara was...my friend," a good start. Standing somewhat to the side and behind Josh, Kim folded her hands before her and tried to speak. "She was a...a very special girl. I'll always remember her laugh, and her smile." She paused. "Tara loved to smile." Behind her, Bonnie, Justine, Ron, Rufus, Monique, Ned, and Felix bowed their heads in respect. Josh kept sobbing, though it was getting weaker. It looked like his body would collapse at any moment.

Kim tried to go on. "I cared for Tara so much. She and I were like..."

"Don't!" That came from Bonnie. Kim turned around to look at her. The brunette's green eyes were flashing, glowering at Kim. "You were not sisters. You weren't BFFs, or girlfriends, or acquaintances." Bonnie stepped forward, pulling Kim back so hard that she almost fell. Wide-eyed, Kim opened her mouth to speak but was stopped when Bonnie shoved her away. "You didn't know Tara!" Bonnie snapped. "None of you did!" She eyed everyone, including Josh. "She was my friend before she knew any of you." She took two steps to Josh, touched him on the shoulder, and in a very uncharacteristic voice, spoke very softly to him. "I knew her better than most, Josh. I can honestly tell you that she cared about you more than I ever saw her care about anyone. What you and she had was special."

Bonnie looked at the body. She was fighting back tears, and losing. "I can't say I was the best sort of friend to Tara. I always teased her, made fun of her, and bossed her around. Yet despite all that, she never stopped being nice to me. That was always Tara's problem, being nice." Bonnie wiped away a tear with her free hand. "I hated her for it."

That made Josh turn to her.

Bonnie stared back. "I think I was kind of jealous of what you two had, you know?" She wiped more tears. "It was special. It was real." Bonnie then glanced at Kim with Ron standing behind her. "I never knew something like that." Back to Josh she said, "I guess I was angry because you took my only friend away from me. Tara and I didn't hang out anymore because she was always with you. You can call it payback. I used to do the same thing when I was dating Brick. But Tara was always there whenever we broke up and got together again. She never judged me or called me stupid, even though I was stupid half the time. She was always good to me. I...I didn't deserve a friend like her."

Bonnie started to cry. "But you did. You did, Josh Mankey." Crying openly, Bonnie said her farewell. "Goodbye, Tara." She turned away and ran, pushing her way through the crowd and running into the aisles.

"I'll follow her." Monique said her goodbyes to her fallen friend and ran after Bonnie. Ned watched her go. He noticed Felix watching Monique leave as well. Their eyes met and something dark passed between them. Ned had been crushing on Monique and when he saw her lying on Felix's lap, however brief, it send waves of jealousy and anger spiraling through him. He thought Felix was his friend, but apparently even wheelchair guys got more booty than him. Why couldn't Felix have stuck with Zita Flores? Why did he have to be with his girl?

For Felix, the feeling was personal. During the dactyls' attack, one of the birds had cornered Felix and was about to rip him to shreds. Felix called out to Ned who had been close by, but the spectacled boy was long gone, leaving Felix to die. If Shego hadn't appeared, he wouldn't be here right now. Felix had no idea why Ned abandoned him. He tried confronting him about it but Ned had avoided him since the fight. Their brief friendship, it seemed, was over.

Their eyes parted when Kim began speaking again, trying to finish her eulogy. Justine remained very silent, but she noticed the hard glares exchanged by the two boys. Perhaps it was something she could exploit for later.

Once Kim had finished, she and the others turned to leave but she stopped to share a few words with Josh. "Take as long as you need, Josh." She touched his arm. "We're all here for y..." Kim gasped when Josh pushed her away. He glared hard at Kim. "Josh?"

"What did you tell her?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You spoke to Tara before, back in the locker room. Why did you tell her to break up with me?"

Kim almost fell backward. "Break up with you? I didn't tell her that."

But Josh wasn't convinced. "She left me, Kim. Before she died, Tara broke up with me. Was I not good enough for her, Kim? Did you and the girls talk about us behind our backs? Did you convince her that she was better off without me?"

"No! Josh, I didn't tell her to break up with you!" She looked at the corpse. "Tara told me she was thinking of breaking up with you. I told her to tell you how she really felt, to take your feelings into account, and not to drag you along because it wasn't fair to you."

"Well she listened."

"What?"

"She took your advice." He looked away. "When Kim Possible speaks, everybody listens."

"That's not fair, Josh."

"Fair! My girl is dead and you want to talk to me about fair?"

"She was my friend."

"That's why she listened to you. She did what you told her to do!"

Kim's face turned red. "I didn't tell her to do anything! God, Josh, I'm on your side here."

"On my side?" He turned on her. "Then why didn't you tell her to stay with me?"

"It was her choice!" Kim couldn't believe they were having this argument. "I didn't want Tara to break up with you."

"What did you want, Kim? Huh? What did you and the rest of the girls on the cheer squad want?" He stepped up to her. "Tara followed the Food Chain, which meant she did what everyone else wanted her to do. You and those tramps on the squad control the Food Chain. So what did you and your friends say that made Tara feel I was no longer up to her standards?"

"We didn't say or do anything." Kim balled her fists. "You're angry, Josh. You lost someone you loved and I'm sorry. But lashing out at your friends won't help matters."

"We're not friends."

"Hate me all you want, Josh." Kim tilted her head towards Tara. "But know that she wouldn't want this for you. Right now, we need you. Everyone needs you. Hate me if that will make you feel any better but please, don't make this all about you because it's not. We're all in this together."

He scoffed. "Not all of us." He looked at Tara's body.

Kim lowered her head. "I'm so sorry."

"Leave me alone." Josh turned away from her fully now.

Normally Kim would have pursued the issue, but these were not normal times. Sighing, she turned to leave Josh alone with Tara. Looking over her shoulder, Kim whispered that she was sorry again and left, back to the hell that was Smarty mart.

"Hang in there, Doc. You hear me?" Shego hadn't left Drakken's side since the interrogation. She was pleased that Kim and her posse were somewhere else for this was one thing she did not want them to see. Despite her cold outlook on Dr. Drakken, the woman genuinely cared about him. Not in a romantic way, for Shego was far too independent, and smart, to fall in love. Drakken was about as attractive as a bulldog and had the same sexual appeal, and lord knows his personality was next to the shitter at the best of times. Since she'd started working with him, he had been nothing but a pain in her ass; annoying, nosy, arrogant, incompetent, stubborn, accident-prone, incapable of performing the simplest tasks because he had a tendency to overcomplicate them. The man was a born nuisance.

Yet looking at him now, all weak and near death, Shego's heart could not help but sink at the thought of the very real possibility that he might die of his injuries. The last thing she remembered was how Drakken had seemed more concerned for her well-being than his own while the mist monsters were attacking them. Shego hated that fatherly trait about him. She already had a father figure that didn't work out and all his needless concern for her made Shego feel like he was smothering her. She often gave him the business for it, except that this time she could not help but be moved. If the situation were reversed, Shego had no doubt that Drakken would have dragged Shego's body all the way to Smarty Mart and beyond just to get her to safety. He cared about her that much that he would forgo his life if it meant that Shego would live.

"You're an idiot, Doc," Shego said, keeping the wavering out of her voice despite the fact that Drakken could not hear her. "I told you we should have just left when we had the chance. But no." She felt his neck, feeling for his pulse. It was weak but there. She knew that Drakken needed help and soon. "You just couldn't keep your nose out of everyone's business." Shego sighed. "For once I wished you'd listened to me. Now look at you, all dying."

She bit her lip. "Drakken, I swear to whatever powers have made my life a living hell since the day that comet destroyed my brothers' tree house that if you die, I will kill you. Do you hear me? I will kill you!" Softness crept into her voice. "Please, Doc. We've still got so much work to do." She chuckled. "Who's going to listen to my snarky remarks when you're not around, huh? Whose plans am I going to make fun of? Who's going to drive me up the wall with all his senseless ranting and cocoa moo and Friday night karaoke?" She was kneeling by the couch now, concern plastered on her pale face. "What's more, who's going to keep me employed. I could never manipulate anyone like I could you, Doc. You just made it too easy. As far as bosses go, you were the best. Rich and dumb, just how I like them."

She used a towel to pad his head dry. The fever was slowly returning. Shego didn't kid herself. Drakken would get worse before his time came. She didn't want this to be her final memory of him. Turning, Shego sat herself down against the couch and hugged her legs. "You know, Dr. D, if you kick the bucket, that means I get all your stuff. Can you imagine what I'd do with the old haunt? I'd redecorate it, of course. Put up some new carpeting and some curtains, all green, of course. I think I'd sell your inventions on e-bay, make a pretty penny while I was at it." She pinched her lip. "I think I'd turn your room into a sauna. What do you think about that?"

He said nothing obviously.

"Or maybe a rec room. The boys have been bugging you about an updated recreational facility. If you ask me, a gym would do them wonders, sweat off a few pounds." She scratched her chin. "Or how about a movie theater? No wait!" She perked up. "A daycare center?"

Drakken actually fidgeted in his couch.

Shego chuckled. "Yeah. I hate kids too." She looked back at him. "So you'd better wake up soon, Doc, else who knows what I'll do with the place." Shego heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Guess Kim and company are coming back." She stood up. "Thanks for the talk, Dr. D. It helped."

Standing up, Shego composed herself before the room got too crowded. The last thing she needed was these Middleton kids thinking she'd gone soft. A little glare, a small sneer and they'd be back to quaking in their pants all over again. A villainess had to keep up appearances after all. It turned out to be Oscar who had been coming up the stairs, the portly man looking exhausted with bags under his eyes. "Where's Kim?"

"I'm fine, by the way. Thanks."

Looking embarrassed-Shego was an attractive woman-Oscar dipped his head in apology while scratching his neck. "Sorry, ma'am."

"It's Shego. Ma'am makes me sound old."

"You don't look it."

"Gee, thanks," she responded half-heartedly. Great, now Mr. Rogers was infatuated with her. Sometimes Shego wondered which was more dangerous, her beauty or her powers. "Kim's not back yet. She and the Breakfast Club went to bury their friend."

Oscar became sad. "Such a shame. She was such a young girl."

"She was a young woman," Shego corrected.

"Still...to lose someone at that age, it's just terrible."

Shego shrugged. "I'll tell Kimmie you stopped by." She turned around.

"Uh, Miss Go?"

She turned back. "Shego!" She snapped, almost flaring up. The last thing Shego wanted to be reminded of was that horrendous alter ego of her that pocked up during the attitudinator episode. "The name is Shego."

Oscar apologized again. "Sorry. I never spoke to a world-renowned villain before. It'll take some getting used to."

"Don't get too used to it, buddy boy. The doc and I won't be staying much longer."

Oscar gawked at that. "You're leaving?"

"Soon as Kim gets back, I'm taking Dr. D and getting my fine ass out of here."

"But you can't go out there. It's dangerous."

"I know that better than you."

"But the kids. They need you."

Shego raised an eyebrow at that. "Come again?"

"Steven was a strong authority figure around here. With him down it's just me, and I'm not exactly the confidence-instilling type."

No argument there, Shego thought.

"You're Kim's nemesis. Everyone knows you. But after seeing how you handled those pterodactyls, your powers could be a real help to us. Kim respects you. I've heard how she talks about you. With you two working together, we can keep everyone safe until help arrives."

Shego chuckled aloud. "Look, Ozie, help isn't coming anytime soon and you're going to have a lot more to worry about than big gray tweetie birds before it gets here. Like I told Kim, this place and everyone in it is going to hell in a hand basket and I'm not sticking around when that happens."

"So you'd just up and leave? Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"You'd abandon us?"

Shego shrugged at him. "Villain."

"I don't believe that."

That did not amuse Shego. She raised a taloned glove. "Come again?"

"You said you were taking your blue friend here with you. If you were really a bad person, you'd just leave him behind. He'd just slow you down out there."

Damn. For all his apparent white breadedness, this Oscar fellow was sharper than he looked. One day Shego would have to stop judging books by their covers. She missed out on a lot of good reads that way. "I could use him as bait," she began, "toss him to the first monsters I see and escape while they're chewing him away."

Not fooled, Oscar shook his head. "You could have done that before. Instead you carried him here with wounded leg. You risked your life to save his, just as I'm sure he'd have done the same for you. Trust me when I say this, young lady. I've seen true evil and you aren't it."

"What?" Shego flared her hands, gathering plasma.

Oscar was not afraid, though he did hold up his hands to signal that he meant no offense. "Don't take it the wrong way. You are scary." That settled her down a bit. "But compared to the things I've seen, you're practically a saint."

Shego flared up again.

"And that's my cue." Oscar turned and left the waiting room.

Alone again, Shego powered down and looked at Dr. Drakken. "Can you believe that guy? What does he know about me?" She placed her hands on her hips. Turning around, Shego fired a remark Barkin's way. "You know how bad I can get, right Stevie?"

Like Drakken, Barkin was unable to reply.

Shego sighed. "Typical. I'm alone with a couple of guys and they're both a couple of stiffs."

Sitting on the sink counter, Bonnie watched as Kim and Ron observed the dead specimen she and Justine had dragged back from the loading dock. Ron kicked it a couple of times to make sure it was dead, which earned him a reprimand from Kim. Rufus was on the floor. He sniffed it a couple of times and pulled his nose away, gagging. Well what did the stupid animal expect? Bonnie thought. It was a dead animal. Even if it was from another dimension.

"It was designated specimen 34183," Justine said. She and Felix were by the door. After carefully observing the dead beast, Felix had pulled back to gather his thoughts. Outside, Monique and Ned were on guard duty, allowing the others privacy in case a bystander should be walking by. "From what little I was able to pull off the space center mainframe, it's actually able to glide across the air while inflating its body. While on land, it uses its legs to skitter along."

"Like a cockroach," Ron said.

"Thank for the imagery, Ron!" Kim had been kneeling beside it when Ron said that, and she jumped back, the image of a dead giant cockroach stuck in her head. "As if it weren't bad enough."

"How did it die again?" Felix asked Justine.

She shrugged. "Like I said, it was dying when Bonnie and I found it."

"Why?" Ron asked.

Shrugging again, "Couldn't tell you."

"Can't or won't?" The boy pressed, his hand never far from his scissors.

"I don't know," Justine told him sternly.

"That's a first."

Looking at Bonnie, Justine fired back. "When you have something worthwhile to contribute to this conversation, we will speak to you. In the meantime, why don't you go get us some refreshments?" Justine waved her off like some servant.

"Bite me, Flanner."

Ignoring Bonnie, Justine turned to Felix, the closest thing to a peer she had in the entire group. "No offense, Felix, but if I couldn't figure it out,"

"It suffocated."

Everyone looked at him then. Thinking aloud, Felix said, "It was in the air vents when you found it, right?" Both Justine and Bonnie nodded. "Then maybe it slowly suffocated to death." Felix rolled his chair toward the kite monster and pointed. "You see those pores lining the lower end of its body? At first I thought they were suction cups but now I'm thinking they might be blowholes of a sort."

"You mean how it breathes?" Kim asked.

"Yeah."

Ron crossed his arms. "Newsflash, Felix. Those birds and bugs were able to breathe inside the store no problem. They sure didn't look like they needed a respirator."

"Prolonged exposure to our air, perhaps? That thing might have been trapped in the vent and couldn't find a way out. Cut off from its natural environment, it must have suffocated and was in its death throes when the girls found it."

"How long do you think?" Kim asked him.

"Couldn't tell you. Probably a while. The mist had covered the store for a few hours before it fell out of the vent."

Ron began to scratch his chin. Seeing this, Rufus began to wave to get his attention. The mole rat began to wriggle around like a tentacle. "Right, Rufus."

"Um...weird much?" Bonnie told him. "We' don't all speak rodent, Stoppable."

For her sake, Ron ignored the comment. "Before the tentacles attacked the loading dock, Oscar said that something had clogged the ventilation shaft from the outside. This thing might have gotten itself caught and could not escape, which caused the generator to overheat and shut off all the lights."

"But what was it doing there to begin with?" Kim asked him.

"I don't know about you, KP, but if giant tentacles were and flying raptors were all over the place, I'd try to find the deepest, darkest hole I could find and hide. It was probably trying to find shelter or something."

"And instead wound up dying in its hole," Justine surmised. "Both logical theories, gentlemen." She nodded to Felix and Ron, sounding impressed. "So here's a question: will the same happen to us if we breathe the mist outside?"

"Wait a minute!" Bonnie shot off the counter. "Doesn't all our air come from the outside? That means the mist is seeping in through the vents and we've been breathing it all along!"

Ron shook his head. "We have a system that recycles the air to make sure it's fresh. There used to be a coal mine near here almost a hundred years ago. When the newer buildings were put up, the engineers made sure to include the system to as to clean the air that was poisoned by the fumes from the mines. We still use it, though it's a more updated version."

That settled the brunette a bit.

"I remember people screaming," Felix began, "when the mist came. Could they have been poisoned by the cloud?"

Ron shook his head. "When Vinnie opened up the loading door, some of the mist seeped in. None of us had any breathing problems though..." he paused, remembering Junior's screams. "Breathing was the last thing on our minds then."

Kim wanted to comfort him, but Justine got in the way, literally. "Regardless, we still can't see through the mist. Our eyes aren't large enough."

"Those birds and bugs had pretty big eyes," Bonnie said.

"True, Bonnie. But I suspect they rely less on sight and more through other senses."

"How so?" Felix asked and watched Justine approach the dead kite monster. She kneeled beside it.

"Those pores you pointed out, look how big they are. I'll be this kite thing used them to smell its prey from above before swooping down on it."

"Those dactyls did a lot of swooping," Ron said. "And the dactyl that killed Patrick did seem to sniff him out."

"That's it!" Kim smacked her hand with her fist. "That's how they see in the mist! They hunt through smell."

That's when it hit Ron. "The giant tentacle! It was sniffing when it entered the loading door." Then he said. "That's why none of them came at me while I was fighting to save Junior. They smelled his blood and it drove them into a frenzy. They didn't attack the rest of us because they didn't know we were there." So Junior had just been unlucky. That first tentacle had merely been feeling around the way a human would his fingers underneath the couch. Junior happened to be nearby so it grabbed him. The poor, unlucky fool.

"Fascinating," Justine said.

Ron glared at her. The memory of that attack still haunted him. To think she cared more about the discovery than the lives lost to the mist was aggravating. Rufus hopped on his shoulder and Ron settled down. Now was not the time to punish Justine for her indiscretions. Not yet.

"So if we can somehow mask our scent, then maybe we can sneak past the monsters without them ever knowing." An idea came to Kim then.

Bonnie saw it. "Why we sneak..." Her eyes bulged. "Kim! You're not seriously thinking of going out there are you?"

"Drastic times, Bonnie."

"She's gone psycho!"

"Scream louder, Bonnie," Justine chastised.

"But it's true."

"Not it isn't." Kim walked toward Bonnie. "A group of us can leave the Smarty Mart and go for help. All we have to do is figure out a way to hide our scent from the those things and we should be okay." Seeing all the arguments about to erupt, Kim motioned everyone to be silent. "Guys! I don't need to tell how tough things are getting. We lost two people in that last attack. Anymore and the others are going to freak out. I can't guarantee another one of those things won't get in here, or something worse."

She looked at each of their faces. "Look, I know we're all scared. We have no idea what's waiting for us out there. But we can't stay here forever. Dr. Drakken and Mr. Barkin will die if they don't get help soon. I don't plan on letting them down. I'm going to help them by finding someone who can save their lives."

"How?" Justine asked.

"Middleton General. We can find a doctor and bring him or her back with us."

"And you're planning on transporting this savior by..." Justine pressed.

"The sloth," Ron told her. "It's the safest vehicle in the state of Colorado. Maybe the whole country."

But Bonnie walked in the middle of the group, holding up her hands in a giant T. "Time out! Your car? The same car you parked on the other side of the freaking lot? That car?" She waited for Kim to confirm her inquires. "It may as well be on Pluto! Who knows how many of those things," she gestured at the kite monster, "these things are out there? It's suicide to even try."

"It's suicide not to," Felix said. "Bonnie, we have to do something."

"Look!" She waved everyone to be quiet. "Say you somehow manage to reach that crapbox of yours."

"The sloth."

"Whatever, Possible. You reach the sloth. Then what? You drive all the way to Middleton General through the mist. Those things may be able to see using their noses but you can't."

"She has a point," Justine said, reluctantly.

But Kim was smiling. "My brothers equipped the sloth with gear that enable me to see through various spectrums. Infrared, night-vision, you name it. The mist won't slow me down."

"But those monsters might! It may not be a bug or a bird next time, Kim." Bonnie pointed at Ron. "What if it's that thing that killed Junior? Is your car a tank? Can it morph into some giant Gundam robot wielding a laser sword?"

Ron glanced at her, shocked. "How do you know about Gundam?"

"Shut, it loser!" To Kim Bonnie said, "And say you do reach the hospital? What if it's overrun? There might not be anyone left for you to bring back?"

"It's a chance I have to take, Bonnie. We all do?"

"We?"

Kim nodded. "If the mission is successful, I plan to go to GJ headquarters and bring back some heavy firepower."

"GJ?"

"I'll fill you in later. Suffice it to say they're government people with guns. Lots of guns. If we can round up enough transport then we can take get everyone out of here. Once the people are safe," Kim held up a fist, "I'm going to the space center and shutting the Arrowhead Project down once and for all."

"Not without me you're not!" Justine spat. "It's my invention. I deserve to be there."

Kim was in no mood to argue right now. "We'll discuss if after Ron and I get back from Middleton General. First we get the doctors. Then the soldiers and transport."

"Sounds like a plan, KP." For the first time, Ron looked like his old self again. Kim was happy.

Bonnie crossed her arms. "I hope you don't expect me to go with you."

"I expect you to be you, Bonnie. Besides, we can't take too many people with us. We need to save room for the one or two doctors that will accompany us back from the hospital."

"We can always put her in the trunk." Ron gestured toward Bonnie, to which she raised her finger at him.

Kim smiled. "Maybe Shego will agree to come with us. We could use the extra firepower."

"You think she'll leave Drakken behind?"

"She's scared and angry, Ron. This will be a good way for her to let off some steam."

"On us or the monsters?"

"Both." Kim looked around. "Now, how do we go about disguising ourselves?"

"Sounds like they have a lot to talk about," Monique said from outside the restroom. She was standing by the door like some bouncer. Ned was staying quiet on the other side and hadn't so much as looked at her once. How Monique wished she were inside. She was starting to feel less like a member of Kim's inner circle and more like an outsider.

"Ned."

He didn't answer.

"Hey, Ned!"

He snapped out of his stupor. "Huh?"

"Didn't you hear what I said?" She raised her voice, irritated. It was bad enough her BFF wasn't including her in everything, now a nerd was omitting her as well. "What's up with you? You're distracted."

"I am?"

"Yes, Ned. Something bothering you?"

Ned rubbed his arm.

"I'll take that as a yes. Look, if we're going to play bouncer, the least we can do is keep each other entertained."

"E-Entertained?" He said almost expectantly.

"You know...talk. As in exchange ideas and information? Anything to keep away the boredom."

"You're bored?"

"What is wrong with you, boy?"

"Nothing's wrong with me?" Ned turned defensive. "Just leave me alone." He turned his back to her.

"Being alone is all you seem to do. Geez, Ned. Don't flip out on me."

"I'm not flipping out!" He shot over at her.

"Don't get lippy with me, buddy." Monique approached him. "Seriously, Ned. What's bothering you?"

Ned sighed. "Everything, Monique. This place. The monsters." He lowered his voice. "You."

"What's that last part?"

"Nothing." He moved away from the wall, away from Monique. Ned walked a distance before saying what was on his mind. "Monique, is there something going on between you and Felix?"

A small wind could have bowled her over at that point. "Say what?"

"I saw you sitting on his lap when we were attacked." Turning to her slowly, Ned said, "Are you two more than friends?"

"Hell no!" She covered her mouth, glancing left and right before speaking again. "Ned! What makes you think I'm with Felix? He's my boy, but not like that." She looked once at the door where Kim and the others were still talking. "I slipped on a bug and Felix was there to catch me. That's it!" She stepped back. "Wait. Why do you care who I'm with?"

"Are you with anyone?"

"No. Do I look like I need someone?"

"So you're not dating anyone?"

"I never dated anyone!" There was a time when Wade, Kim's horny little geek, had brainwashed her with a cupid ray, but that didn't count. Besides, Ned need not know about that embarrassing chapter in her life. "Ned, are you crushing on me?"

He turned around, embarrassed.

"Oh boy!" Monique rolled her eyes. "Listen, Ned,"

She never got to finish that sentence as Oscar came running up to them. "Monique, is Kim in there?"

"The whole gang's in there, Oscar. Except for us." She motioned to Ned. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to give Kim an update on what's going on. Is she busy?"

Monique shrugged. "Couldn't tell you."

"Oh. Okay then. You mind if I..."

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." Oscar excused himself and entered the room.

Turning back to Ned who was still looking away from her, Monique tapped him on the shoulder. "Ned, you're cool and all and I like you, really. But you see I'm kind of a loner and I haven't met the right guy yet. Not that you're the wrong guy. Just not my guy. You get me?"

"No, Monique." He turned to her. "I don't get you. That's the problem." He turned to walk away.

"Smooth, Mon," she said to herself. "Real smooth."

Once Kim and the others made a plan, they existed the restroom, leaving Oscar to hide the dead kite-thing in one of the stalls, and walked towards the head of the store. Shego was standing beside one of the counters and staring out the windows. The mist blocked all view.

"Shego," Kim came up to her. "I've got a plan. We,"

"Go out and try to bring back help," Shego finished for her.

"Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

"Because it's what I was telling you all along." Shego stood up straight. "And it's the only logical thing we can do."

"You never said we should go out."

"I said we can't stay here. Therefore, logic would dictate that we..." Shego paused, waiting for Kim to finish the sentence.

Kim did not take the bait. "Look, we're going to use my car. It's on the north side of the parking lot and is the safest vehicle on the road. But first we need to disguise ourselves."

"Come again?"

Kim smirked. "We figured that the mist monsters track their food by scent. It's too dark to see anything so if we can hide our smell then we can get by without them ever knowing."

"You're sure about that?"

Kim shrugged.

"That's not being sure."

She did it again.

"And if it doesn't work?"

She did it a third time.

"Dammit, Princess! There you go again being half-cocked, going it without a plan. That's always been your biggest problem."

"It's been enough to defeat you and Drakken."

Shego grumbled. "Okay. Point taken." Then she said, "But you're not dealing with Drakken this time. Those things out there aren't Jack Hench's goons or Monty's monkey ninja brigade. They don't think like we do. If they think at all. You're basing your entire plan on a big assumption and that's a sure-fire way to get yourself killed."

"It's the only plan we've got."

"What plan?" Shego cried. "You never have a plan!"

"Shego!" Kim urged her to calm down. The others were talking by themselves a bit down. Urging Shego to follow her, Kim led her to the window. "Look out there, Shego. What do you see?"

The villain did as Kim suggested and shook her shoulders. "Is this a trick question?"

"What do you see?"

"Nothing, that's what."

"That's not what I see." Kim looked out. "I see an obstacle that's preventing me from saving lives. If I want to help these people, then I have to nut up and do what I think is best for everyone. I won't let this beat me, Shego. Too many people are counting on me."

Shego sighed. "This isn't about you, Kim."

"You're right." She looked back at the store, to the patrons. "This is about them. You said they will all go crazy if we don't do something. Well, after thinking on it, I think you're right." Kim lowered her voice. "Josh is starting to lose it."

"Josh?"

"The boy whose girl just died. He and Tara were dating before this happened. I was in the back with him and he turned on me, like he blamed me for what happened to Tara."

"He attacked you?" Shego asked with a hint of concern.

"No. But he wanted to. I could see it in his eyes."

"Stupid kid."

"He's angry, Shego. I've known Josh for almost three years and I've never seen him act like this. It's not just him either." She motioned for Shego to follow her gaze towards the group. "Ron's starting to lose his mind. He lost a boy to a mist monster while trying to save him and hasn't been the same since. You saw him in the manager's room. He was threatening Justine with a pair of lawn scissors. The Ron I know would never threaten anybody. And Justine," she regarded the blonde. "She's so bent on getting back at my dad that she's willing to turn this whole store against me." Kim turned back to Shego. "One by one, people I've known my whole life are starting to lose themselves." She hugged herself like she was cold. "It's only been one day, Shego. One day and my friends are going crazy."

"I told you s..." Shego stopped as Kim put a finger to her lips, cutting her off.

"What I'm trying to say is," Kim removed her finger, "that it won't be long before everyone in the Smarty Mart starts doing the same. We have more than a hundred people trapped in here, Shego. They need to get out. I can't wait for something worse to happen. I have to act." She said, "We have to act."

"What's this we?"

"Two words: Drew Lipsky."

Shego sighed.

"Look, I get my car, drive it back here, then you, me, and Ron head over to Middleton General and bring back an ambulance with a few doctors. We leave them here where they take care of Drakken and Mr. Barkin before heading out to Global Justice. It's an underground head quarters which means they're more than safe from the mist. We rally the troops, arm ourselves to the teeth, and garner enough transport to take everyone out of Middleton. That sound like a plan to you?" Kim asked smugly.

But Shego was a woman accustomed to finding flaws in plans. She'd made it a habit with Drakken. "New flash, Princess." She crossed her shoulders. "You're assuming that there's still anyone left at Middleton General. What if we get there and there's nobody around?"

"It's the safest place in Middleton."

"I'm sure they said the same thing about the space center." She smirked, seeing Kim wince. "And Global Justice and Smarty Mart."

"We're safer than a lot of people out there."

"Uh-huh." Then Shego asked, "Does going to the hospital have anything to do with a certain red-haired lady Possible that you're very close to?"

"If you're talking about my mom,"

"I am."

Kim fumed. "The hospital is one of the most secure facilities in the city. If there was an emergency, she'd take my brothers there and hunker down."

"Why not stay at home? I thought your house was the safest place in the city."

Kim winced again. She remembered the gaping hole in her room. "It's been...compromised."

"How so?"

"Never mind that, Shego! It's a plan."

"If you say so." Seeing Kim glower, Shego stepped back. "Look, Kim, I can spend all day poking holes in this so-called plan of yours. Though I'll admit it's better thought out that one of Drakken's schemes, there's still too many variables. What if the ambulance is attacked on the way back? What if there aren't any doctors with surgical knowledge? Last I checked, Mama Possible's specialty was the brain, not burnt or serrated tissue to the chest, face, and arms. What if the hospital is swamped with people or so undermanned that they can't afford to send people back with us? What if it's been destroyed or under attack when we get there? Can we fight out way through hordes of monsters? The roads could be jammed or so damaged we can't get through."

"We'll deal, Shego."

"Deal?" Shego towered over Kim. "Did you forget about that electromagnetic interference that knocked out my hovercar? It might have done the same to your precious car."

"The tweebs installed a protective shield to keep that from happening."

"So your car is safe, but what about the ambulance?" Shego's voice was so high now that the group had turned to look at them. "Do hospital vehicles have the same capabilities? Because if not, it's going to be a crowded trip, and I don't ride in the back."

Kim had finally had it. Growling, the redhead stepped up to Shego. "Do you want to save Drakken or not?" She actually got on her tiptoes to shout in Shego's face, her thin body trembling with agitation. Kim was doing everything in her power to save the day and here Shego was making the situation less hopeful with her endless pessimism. "Well?"

Shego spoke softly. "You know I do."

"Well our chances of saving him are better if you work with us. So how about a little less 'tude and a little more suggestions on how we can make that happen?"

Shego wanted to argue. It was in her nature. Finally she decided that, for once, this was an argument she could not win. Besides, it's not like she had any other alternatives. "Fine." Shego put some distance between her and Kim. "But if things go to shit, I reserve the right to say I told you so. Got it?"

Kim agreed with a nod.

"So how do we disguise ourselves?"

Kim turned a shade of green. "We have an idea." To Shego she said, "But you're not going to like it."

"You're right. I don't like it," Shego said to Kim a few minutes later. "I hate it!"

"Stop whining," Kim said, though her voice sounded like it was the one whining. She held her breath as she plastered another slab of blood on her sleeve, forcing down the impulse to gag while she was at it. "Oh God."

"KP, as far as crazy ideas go, this one is sick and wrong!" Ron kept coughing excessively as he coated himself with the monster's blood. Rufus kept a safe distance from him, waving the air in front of his nose as he said "P.U."

Standing by the door and holding her stomach, Monique watched the trio coat themselves in the blue-black blood of the alien kite monster. Ron had opened it up using the lawn scissors and he and the ladies began dabbing their clothes in its blood to mask their scent. "Are you sure about this, Kim?"

"This way, the monsters will think we're one of them and leave us alone," Kim said. "That kite thing is pretty big. I don't think there are too many things out there that would mess with it."

"Tentacles," Ron gagged, referring to the beast he first saw.

"He's right, Kim," Monique said. "We figured this thing must have been hiding from whatever that tentacle monster was. Who knows what other biggies are out there."

"We just need to mask ourselves long enough until we've reached the sloth. Once we're safely inside, we can worry about changing our clothes later."

"Changing? Does it look like I'm carrying a pair of jeans on this catsuit?" Shego asked. "God, Kim. This reeks!"

Ron finished dabbing himself in monster blood and stepped back to observe himself in the mirror. He was covered from head to toe, looking like he'd just jumped into a pool of goo in one of those crazy kids shows. "How do I smell, Rufus?"

The mole rat gagged.

"I'll take that as a good sign."

Shego just finished and looked up. "I swear, Kim, I will get you back for this. Someday. Somehow."

Kim turned to the mirror, standing beside Ron. "Well, I guess we're good to go."

Watching the three of them, Monique didn't look convinced. She looked downright worried. "Kim, I really don't think this is a good idea."

"We have to do something, Monique. When people see we're doing more than just sitting around and waiting for help, it will give them hope."

"But they look to you for protection. If you leave, who will look after them?"

"Not me, that's for sure," Shego said.

"You and the gang can hold the fort while we're gone. We'll be back as soon as possible, so don't worry."

Ron, glancing once at Rufus, mouthed, "Don't worry, she says." To his reflection he said, "I look like a greased-up piece of chicken."

"We do need a sacrificial lamb." Shego smacked him behind the head. "You always made a good distraction, Stoppable. I'm sure you'll come in handy."

Rubbing his head, Ron walked away from Shego. He watched Monique retreat as he approached, holding her nose. "I envy you, Mon. Keep the home fires burning until we get back."

"He's right, Monique. You're in charge until we get back." Kim wanted to put a hand on her friend's shoulder to reassure her, but she knew Monique wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole right now. Covered in monster blood, Kim just smiled at her instead, her red hair matted to her smeared face. "I know you'll be okay."

The three of them, plus Monique left the restroom. Outside, Oscar, Bonnie, Justine and Felix were waiting for them.

"I really don't think you should go," Oscar began. "It's too dangerous."

"Danger's my middle name," Ron told him.

"It is?"

"Actually it's Ezekiel."

Bonnie rushed up to Kim. "Kim! Are you deranged? What you're doing is suicide!" Then she covered her nose. "Ugh! What is that?"

"Um...monster blood. It's the thing I told you we were covering ourselves with." Kim shook her head.

"It's terrible!"

"Doy." Kim led the troupe towards the front of the mall where a small crowd had gathered. News of her expedition had become public knowledge and everyone was on edge.

Felix rolled next to Ron, covering his nose. "I'm rooting for you, Ron-man. Just make sure to come back in one piece."

"Don't worry, Felix. I've got Kim and Shego with me. What could happen?"

Walking behind them, Shego rolled her eyes. "Had to say it!"

Ron smirked. "Don't worry, Shego. I'll protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Careful, Ron." Felix looked back at her. "She seems more dangerous than the monsters."

"Bad for the monsters then." Ron joined Kim at the front and turned to regard the crowd. They were joined by Shego who couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at how terrible she smelled.

"You'll die out there," Justine told Kim. "You do know that, don't you?"

Kim resisted the urge to say, "We'll die in here" and focused solely on the girl in front of her. "We have to do this, Justine. Trust me on this."

"You'll forgive me if I have a hard time trusting Possibles."

"Justine, we'll deal with the disruptor issue later, right when we're not busy trying to stay alive. Until then, I expect you to help Monique and Oscar keep this place up and running until we get back."

"So Monique's in charge?" Justine raised an eyebrow.

"Who did you think I'd put in command? You? Bonnie?"

"I heard that, Kim!"

Kim smiled at her rival. "Stay safe, Bonnie."

Scoffing, the brunette crossed her arms and looked away, not caring that the crowd was looking at her make a scene.

Kim addressed the crowd. "Listen up, people! We're going to get help. I need you guys to hold down the fort until we get back. Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"Famous last words," Shego muttered.

"I know everyone' scared of the mist. Just say inside and nothing will happen. Remember that the monsters attacked during the night. If we move during the day, we should be alright." Kim added that last part on a whim, not knowing anything at all about the creatures' hunting habits. It was a sound theory and Kim noticed that many of the people did nod their heads and seemed contented by her reasoning. Still, more than a few worried murmurs filled the air. "I promise you, we're going to get through this. We're Middleton! We're Maddogs!" She pumped her fist. "We're going to survive!"

This wasn't Middleton High School. This wasn't a football game and Kim wasn't in her cheerleading outfit. What this was is a very tense situation and no manner of optimism would lift the veil of darkness from the people's hearts. A few did offer some half-hearted cheers and a few claps, but no jovial outburst like Kim was trying to make. Monique looked around at all the scared faces. She told Kim this would happen. They looked to Kim for protection. She was their savior, their town hero. For her to leave now was a drain on their reserves. Monique would trade places with her if she weren't so scared herself.

Lowering her fist, Kim smiled at everyone. "See you all soon." She glanced at each of her friends and classmates in turn.

"Good luck," Monique said.

Kim, Ron, Rufus, and Shego turned towards the entrance. Oscar had made sure to clear a way through the barricade before their departure. Standing in front of doors. Kim took a deep breath. "Okay, guys. Once more into the breach."

"Kim, shut up." Shego spat as they walked towards the door. It slid open and when it shut they were still holding their breaths.

Only when she couldn't hold it anymore did Kim let it out and stay still. She wasn't gasping for breath or falling down dead from poison so at least it was breathable, for the moment, anyway. The mist permeated everything. Kim couldn't a foot in front of her and it felt like a soft blanket was tickling her face and clothes. It smelled dank, like the inside of a shack, but other than that there was nothing that made it smell like an alien world. Kim looked from side to side, barely able to make out Ron and Shego's images in the mist. When she spoke, it was barely above a whisper. "Maybe we should hold hands." Kim felt Ron's hand in hers a moment later. To her left she said, "Shego?"

"I'm right here." She was whispering too, and Shego's hand clamped down on Kim's arm, vice-like.

"That's not my hand."

"You'll have to kiss me first, cupcake."

Sighing-and even that sounded loud-Kim resisted the urge to look back inside for she might lose her nerve. Rufus huddled inside Ron's pocket, not so much as poking his little head out. Kim could feel the mole rat's shaking travel up Ron's side and through his hand.

"Follow me." Kim took a step forward and entered the mist.