I do not own the Disney characters named herein, and am only using them for a nonprofit tale meant to entertain only.
Kim Possible: Rogue
By LJ58
6
"We're just going to act like nothing's going to happen," James asked as he drove through the checkpoint into the Science Center.
Ron nodded at him, looking quite innocuous in his jeans, and tee. Though the windbreaker hid a variety of special gear on his belt, and up his sleeves.
"That's just how we're going to play it. We can't let anyone on the inside guess we're on to them just yet."
"But….don't they already know that since you said…."
"True. But they likely think anyone that found them died in that warehouse."
"Oh. Well, I suppose that's possible," he murmured. Then glanced at Ron, adding, "No pun intended," as he pulled into his usual parking place.
"I understand," he nodded. "If anything happens, just duck, and stay out of the way. I'll handle everything."
"You, and GJ," he said, his tone suggesting he didn't overly trust them.
"Well, I'm not exactly relying on them. I have my own questions for this guy."
James Possible only nodded.
"Well, I'd better get to work. Today's going to be historic. After all, it's not every day someone makes a cold-fusion reactor work."
Ron eyed him.
"Well, I'm not counting the one the boys built," he smiled. "It was too small to do more than power the….Roth."
Ron thought of that old relic redesigned, and rebuilt until it was a literal mechanical marvel. It had been relegated back to the garage since Kim had gone to college, and hadn't been moved since. They still considered it Kim's car, and he didn't have to guess they all hoped she would eventually be back for it one day.
He climbed out of the car after the scientist parked, and shut the engine off, and sighed as he looked up at the steel and stone façade that had replaced the old chrome and glass exterior after they rebuilt the Center following the invasion.
"Guess I'd better get going. There's still work to be done," he said, and led Ron to the front door. "Morning, Kirby," he told the old man in the security uniform as he flashed his badge. "This is Ron. He wants to see how the big boys play before he considers a major in graduate school," he winked.
"Whatever you say, Dr. Possible," the old man drawled, and opened the door for him after buzzing a remote.
"Everything's electronic more than ever now," he told Ron as James Possible led the way. "If you don't have the right key, you can't even get into the bathroom any more. Which causes quite a few accidents if you forget your key card," the man grimaced.
"I'll take your word for that one," Ron said as he glanced around.
Five men in the lobby. Two behind the security desk. One at a reception desk. Two more security guards at the far exit consulting a map.
He frowned.
Why would employees need to check a floor plan?
"I'll catch up in a sec, Dr. P," he said, and headed toward the two men in security uniforms. "I just need to check on something."
"I'll wait in the hall for you. You can't get in without a key card," he reminded him.
Ron walked over, and pretended to glance at the mask.
He was actually studying the pair.
"Agent Du," he finally murmured. "You're being conspicuous," he said.
"I know," the battered-looking agent shot back, barely glancing his way. "I want to be noticed. I'm bait."
"Gotcha. I'm going on with Dr. Possible. Have you heard anything else….?"
"Just this. We have confirmed Henchco seems to be working with the military," Will now turned to address him. "We don't know why. We don't know the extent. We did uncover Henches training in…. In military facilities with prototype weapons."
"That is disturbing," Ron frowned. "Anyone talk to Jack about this?"
"He's apparently staying incognito. We think Shego is now after him, though, for reasons of her own."
"Ouch."
"To say the least. He even blew up his entire St. Louis division to try taking her out."
"I could have told him that wouldn't work," Ron told him. "I guess we don't know why she's chasing him either?"
"Right now, all we have is Viper. If we can catch him."
"Then let's do it. I've got a few questions myself when we do," Ron said, and walked away.
"Is that amateur really part of this operation," the agent next to him grunted his disdain for the lanky young man that walked toward the main corridor now.
"That amateur could likely take anything we could throw at him, and still keep coming," Will admitted. "Now, focus. Remember, someone else is bound to notice us eventually. We have to be ready to move when they try to confront us."
"Understood, commander."
Will swore.
"Call me Roland. We're in cover, moron," he spat.
"Sorry…. Roland."
Will groaned, his head still pounding from that close call when he barely evaded a devastating explosion the night before. Thankfully, the reception desk had been a reinforced sort that sheltered him and Dr. Director from the worst of that blast. The fact someone had managed to plant explosives in one of their own vacuum tubes without anyone seeing anything still disturbed him, though. Someone should have seen something. Yet no one had been able to find a clue.
Amateurs. He was forever surrounded by amateurs.
KP
"Ladies, and gentlemen, thank you for coming," the short, balding man smiled at the atrium filled with people. Some scientists. Some media. Some private, or military guards.
There were, after all, quite a few VIPs present, too.
The man walked over, pressed a button on the projector, and showed a seemingly arcane formula on the screen behind him.
"I know we've all dreamed of a day when we could find a power source that would fuel our dreams. Our future. A source of energy that could power our cities. Our industries. Perhaps, dare I suggest, even deep space starships that might take us beyond our own solar system. Perhaps into other galaxies. Today, we have come a step closer," he smiled. "I give you, the vulgarly named 'cold-fusion' reactor that will someday power our entire world."
He stabbed another button, and a complex schematic appeared under the formula.
"Now, I know some of you are skeptical. I was myself until my team finally managed to stumble on the key. A key many famed, and notable electrochemists have sought for years. We are all, after all, familiar with hot fusion, so to speak. We all know the dangers of nuclear power. How can we not, when we still live with the fallout from those ill-advised tests over the past decades."
"Are you just going to show us pictures and equations," a noted politico complained. "I thought you had the real deal up and going here."
"It seems some of your are a little impatient," the little man smiled, but took no offense. "Very well, I can explain the details later. If you'll follow me, everyone, I'll give you the honor of seeing the first cold-fusion reactor switched on, and fully functional."
"You've already activated it," someone asked, obviously uneasy.
"It's been running this entire facility all week," Dr. Possible said as he stepped forward now. "A little of the 'acid' proof that not only does Pietyr's reactor work, but that it's completely stable, and very safe."
"What about meltdowns," someone asked.
"What about sabotage?"
"What about…."
"Down," Ron shouted, and literally leapt up, and over the ground, landing on the projector to launch himself into the rafters where something clanged loudly as metal on metal sent very distinctive reverberations through the chamber.
A moment later, a broken dagger clattered to the floor, and the people screamed.
When Ron landed on the floor between the two doctors, and the panicked crowd, he didn't land alone.
In front of him was a lean, wiry man in a full-body costume bulky with obvious body-armor. His face was hidden by a stylized mask, and his chest adorned with a striking viper of some kind.
He was loaded with blades, guns, and every kind of weapon an assassin might desire.
"Stoppable," the man hissed.
"And you must be Viper."
"Some call me that," he actually chuckled.
"I must have missed you the other night."
"No, I'd say I missed you," the man chortled again, and drew two short blades from his sleeves, and held them in a defensive posture. "But I won't miss again."
"Docs, go," Ron shouted, and lunged at the man even as the crowd bulled their own way for the exits in their panic.
"This way," James Possible dragged his compatriot as he headed for another exit.
Even as he did, Ron moved, and the rod he used to deflect that dagger he had seen flying at the doctor expanded, and became his Bo staff. He swung it around, and managed to deflect the flashing knives aimed at his face and chest even as the masked assassin laughed again.
"You're only postponing the inevitable, boy. I've never been beaten. Never. And when I take you down, I'll finish the egghead, and collect my pay. You might as well surrender, and I'll make your end quick."
"Funny," Ron said, his eyes starting to glitter. "I was about to say the same thing."
The man only laughed.
And when Ron moved again, his monkey power manifesting, the man only laughed again as he impossibly ducked, spun around, and launched a potentially lethal kick into the space Ron had been before he sensed the attack.
"So, you know monkey kung-fu," he murmured.
"I am a master," he told him. "Unlike you, pretender."
"So, let me guess," Ron spat, and collapsed his staff as he stepped back, his hazel eyes glittering. "Fukishima."
Viper pulled his mask off, showing his dark features.
"Apparently, you've grown somewhat wiser. But have you learned any true skills," the Japanese rogue ninja asked, and moved forward, slashing at the air before him so fast that the blades seemed to vanish.
Until they went flying in separate directions, clattering across the floor as the ninja actually gaped at the realization he was only holding the hilts of his weapons.
"Not bad," Ron was told as the man tossed the broken blades away, and pulled out a large-bore automatic pistol.
"Let's see you duck this," he shouted, and opened fire.
Ron stood his ground, the deadly lead ricocheting off the blue barrier that sprang up around him even as he channeled his mystic might.
"How….? Only a master could have….?"
Fukishima's eyes narrowed as Ron simply stood there, the blue aura settling around him now in a stable aura as he stepped forward.
"I see. You finally mastered the power. Didn't you, Stoppable?"
"I am the one with questions, Fukishima. And you're going to answer them."
"I think not," he said, and leapt straight up, somersaulted through the open tile where he had come down, and vanished into the shadows of the railed ceiling.
Ron was right behind him.
"He's moving," Ron called into the radio Dr. Director had given him only then. "He's a monkey ninja, so do not confront him. He's too dangerous. I'm in pursuit. Someone get to the docs, and make sure they're all right."
He moved through the ceiling space, trying to find a trail, and then suddenly stopped.
This was all too familiar.
Far too familiar.
"Damn it, I'm a fool. Dr. Director, evacuate this place. The target isn't the doctor! It's the reactor! Get everyone…."
Something rocked the entire building, and something exploded nearby even as Ron dropped from the celing, landing on the tiled floor in front of two very nervous security guards.
"F-Freeze," the younger one squeaked.
"Sorry, guys, no time," Ron spat, and breezed past them, leaving them both laying unconscious on the floor.
He ignored the electronic locks, and simply bulled through the doors until he reached the room where Dr. Possible had shown him the experimental reactor. A device no bigger than a diesel engine, but humming with enough energy to almost glow.
Only the housing was empty now, and he only had to look up to see the massive hole in the ceiling that let whatever grabbed it get away.
"Someone snagged it," he spat into the radio, but got no reply. He leapt up through the hole, and ran across the roof, reaching the far side in time to see a sleek jet-copter flying off with something under its runners.
He didn't have to guess what.
Looking down, he saw the panicked crowds in the parking lot, but no sign of Fukishima.
"Suckered again," he spat in disgust.
Only what was a rogue monkey-ninja doing playing assassin, and helping someone steal an experimental reactor?
Dr. Director joined him when he jumped down to land on the side of the building, and headed for the nearest group of GJ agents.
"Ronald, you said that Viper was a ninja? One of yours?"
"A rogue. I thought he was finished years ago. He tried helping Monkey Fiste, and he ended up going down. The last I heard he was in a Japanese prison. I guess he broke out, or something."
"Just….how skilled is he?"
"Very. Your people are no match for him," Ron admitted. "If you see him, tell them not to try to grab him. He's too good."
"Better than you?"
Ron frowned.
"Not any more. But he's still pretty slick at misdirection. I all but fell for the same old trick he pulled on me the first time we met."
"We both did. We didn't even see that bird coming in until it was already on top of us. It obviously had some kind of electronic cloak."
"You didn't have your own jets….?"
"They also fired an EMP before taking off. We don't have a vehicle, or aircraft in the vicinity that will work just now. Even our radios are fried, as I think you likely found out. I sent an agent up the road to call in support."
Ron frowned.
"What are you thinking," she asked.
"What if…..?"
Dr. Director let him turn around, staring at the building.
"Ron?"
"We're still missing something. We're being led around by the nose here, and we still don't have a clue what's really going on?"
"Unfortunately," Dr. Director said far too irritably, "I can't argue. Any ideas?"
"One. Only you won't like it."
"No? Tell me?"
"Your own allies are working against you. Pointedly working against you," Ron told her. "Just how much do you trust those guys in the Pentagon?"
Dr. Director stared hard at him, considered all that had been happening, right up to the nearly fatal explosion in her own HQ, and then murmured, "Not as much as I did."
Ron only nodded.
"You'll understand if I don't report in from now on," Ron told her, and headed for the building to find Dr. Possible, and a ride home.
Dr. Director didn't argue.
KP
Jack walked into the motel room behind two Hench sentries to meet his contact. He was somewhat surprised to see who had showed up to debrief him.
"I'm surprised you came out yourself," he said as the man in a military uniform stood-up, gestured for the Henches to wait outside before he gestured fro Jack to take a seat.
"We didn't dare use anyone else," the man told Jack Hench. "Shego is getting too close, and she obviously wants you."
"I noticed," he grimaced.
"That said, you need to...disappear for a while," he told him. "We can't risk her finding you."
You have someplace in mind? Because that woman can be a devil to fool. If I knew a place to hide, I'd already be there. It's bad enough I had to write off St. Louis, but now I don't dare go out anywhere. So how do you think you can fool her?"
"Because I've got the perfect place to put you," Richard Flagg told him, and even as he sipped from his coffee mug, his free hand smoothly drew, and fired on the businessman, putting two high-velocity slugs in his heart. The silenced weapon was then put away, and he stood there studying his victim as he finished his coffee.
The Henches walked back inside even as Jack fell, his eyes rounded in shock at the betrayal as he died. The Henches merely nodded at the officer, and went to tossing the room, making it seem as if a robbery gone wrong which accounted for the dead man.
"Make it look good, guys," he told them before heading for the door, taking his cup with him to leave no evidence of visitors behind. "This should tie off any lose ends, if we're lucky."
The men, both professionals, said nothing as they finished by searching the body, and leaving a wallet behind after removing all cash and credit cards. They didn't even look back as they left the door partially open to allow a timely 'discovery' of the dead man so the news would reach its intended target in due time.
To Be Continued...