5) Under no circumstances is a Creator allowed to change the plan set forth by the Founders. The only exception is if they are given permission to do so by the Founders.
Clar·i·ty: [klar-i-tee] noun
1. clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.
July 9th, 2012
Los Angeles, California
5:27 P.M.
Ding
Robert swore under his breath as his computer dinged yet again. It was the eighth time that night and he was well past the annoyed stage and was nearing the attacking his computer with a large hammer stage.
Ding
With an exacerbated sigh, Robert rose from his seat on the couch and made his way to the study where his computer flashed the same message as before.
Your Computer is currently unable to delete files 114 and 267. Advise we come back later.
Robert fought back the curse that had formed on his tongue and instead spoke in a deceptively calm tone that conveyed all his anger, "All I want you to do is delete what's on this thumb drive, nothing more," he took a deep breath, "Nothing less. Can you do that?"
Ding
Robert through his hands into the air and pulled out his cell phone, "I can't believe I'm doing this..." he muttered as he dialed that well known number.
The phone was silent as he waited for his friend to pick up- "Hello?" came the greeting.
Robert was silent for a moment before mumbling, "It's me."
He could almost hear the laughter on his friend's voice, "Is your computer giving you trouble again?"
"...Yeah..." Robert replied meekly.
"Well that's what happens when you buy a Mac," came the remark, "instead of a PC."
Robert struggled to keep his emotions in check, "Just get over here."
His friend nodded, "I'll be over in twenty minutes."
Robert didn't respond but hung up angrily, "you're in trouble now," he whispered at the computer.
December 15th, 2015 A.D.
Castle Rodigan, Rodigan Empire
8:07 P.M.
"Are you sure this is absolutely necessary?" Kim asked as she donned a paper gown.
She stood behind a partition, changing from her super suit to a hospital paper gown and felt as if everyone was watching her.
After detailing her plan, Kim had been led into a large room with something that resembled an MRI machine and hand painted over the entry tunnel were the words, Tunnel Of Doom. She was almost sure the words were meant to be a joke but after today...Kim wasn't so sure.
At first Kim had balked at the idea of going in there but Betty had insisted upon it and now here she was, removing all metallic objects from her body and donning a paper gown that did little to cover her body.
As Kim changed, Yori had said something to Ron about a "han," whatever that was, and quickly made her exit. Will had followed suit minutes later when Betty ordered him to start prepping their derricks for Kim's plan. Kim still had no idea what a derrick was but she hoped it was big and could help her out. With those two gone, it was just Felix, Betty and Ron with two scientists.
From the other side of a glass wall Betty stood next to Wade who was powering up the MRI while monitoring a large panel that stretched from one side of the room to the other. His assistant manned one half while he manned the other. Reaching across the board Betty pushed an intercom button, "Do you still believe that you are from four years ago and that we need to steal that machine from Warhok?"
Kim nodded from behind her partition, "Yes I do," she answered confidently.
Betty nodded back, "Then yes, this test is absolutely necessary," she turned off the intercom and turned to Wade, "How long will this take?"
Wade didn't look up as he twisted dials and calibrated his board, "You asked for a full scan of Kim and I'm going to give it to you. Could be anywhere between thirty seconds or thirty minutes. Justine?"
Wade's assistant, Justine Flanners looked up from her side of the board, "She'll be ready when it's done," she answered haughtily.
Betty shook her head, Back at GJ I'd have slapped her for talking back to me like that, she looked up as movement caught her eye from across the glass.
Kim, wearing a paper gown with the giant slit in the back, awkwardly walked across floor to the MRI machine and scooted up on it. She was trying to keep from flashing the observers but failing miserably at it.
Seeing Kim's discomfort, Felix pushed the intercom button, "Take it easy Kim, it's not like we all haven't seen that before."
Seeing Kim's look of shock Felix slapped a hand to his forehead, "That's right..." he smiled, "Your graduation party two months before Lowardia invaded, we were all at the lake and well..." Felix laughed at the memory, "someone didn't tie her bathing suit correctly."
Kim's face went ghostly white at Felix's words and she looked like she was about to be sick or mortified. Before she could do either Wade wrestled the microphone away from Felix, "Kim, I need you to lay down on the table," he waited for Kim to do that before continuing, "All right, so I think this might take about ten minutes, you ready?"
Kim's head rose a few centimeters so she could look at the group on the far side of the glass, "Can I have someone to talk to? Maybe a magazine?"
Felix nodded and was about to join Kim when Betty placed a hand on Felix's shoulder, "You need to go see munitions and explain the situation to Barkin."
Felix looked like he was about to protest but a raised eyebrow from Betty squashed that protest in an instant, "Yes Ma'am," he begrudgingly agreed.
Betty waited until Felix was gone before looking at Ron, "You're the only one left. Get in there."
Ron's passive face didn't let any emotion show and he remained rooted to his spot.
Betty placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke softly, "Look...I know what happened between you two but you have to get over it-"
"I have," he answered coldly.
"No Ron, you haven't," she answered just as coldly, "Granted what Kim did was not fair to you but if what she says is true then the Kim you knew back in High School is laying on that table, isn't that worth investigating?"
Ron was silent even as Betty kept at him, "I know you two haven't spoken in four years but just twenty minutes ago you were willing to defend her crazy plan before us all," she jerked a thumb at Kim, "Time to back up what you said."
Ron let out a sigh, "I'll stand in there with her but that's all."
Betty nodded at her victory, "that's all I ask."
Ron walked to the door and stopped with his hand on the door knob, "Betty," he waited for her to make eye contact, "I know what you might try to do and let me remind you, I'm happily married to Yori with a little girl and I won't let someone like Kim get in the way of that."
"Last time I checked your 'little girl' looked to be in her teens," Betty countered, "and if the reports are to be believed she's even more powerful than you."
"She's still my girl," Ron argued, "and I won't lose my family for Kim."
Betty nodded, "I understand."
Ron held the door knob without turning it, "you purposely planned for me to be with Kim in that room."
It was a statement more than a question.
"Maybe," came the reply.
With that Ron opened the door to the MRI chamber and entered the room. Wade waited until the door had shut firmly behind Ron before asking, "Are you sure it's wise risking our alliance with Yamanouchi over something like Kim and Ron?"
Betty looked down at the teenager manning the board, "If they're going to lead this assault, I'm going to need them talking to each other again."
Whir
The slab Kim was resting on slowly slid into the tunnel and Kim's vision was suddenly reduced to a tiny hole near her feet that showed the outside.
"You ok in there Kim?" Wade's voice echoed through speakers built into the tunnel.
Kim shook her head, "I've been transported to an alien invasion four years in our future, I'm married to the one man who was my boyfriend's best friend through most of high school and for some reason I'm being put in an MRI machine," she took a deep breath and shut her eyes, "So yeah Wade, I'm peachy."
Wade chuckled and pushed a button, "Starting scan now."
Brtz-ka-CHUNG
As Wade pressed the button, the machine started screaming in protest as the board erupted into sparks and smoke. Even as the lights started to flicker, Wade pressed the emergency shut down button and the machine suddenly found itself without power.
"HELLO?" Kim yelled from her tunnel, the echoes nearly deafening her, "WADE?"
She looked down the tunnel towards the flickering light and suddenly saw a set of legs appear by her feet, "Calm down Kim," Ron said as he placed a hand comfortingly on her ankle, "Wade just had a hiccup somewhere," he looked to the glass wall where Wade and Justine were frantically batting at the board in an effort to keep an electrical fire at bay, "They'll have you out of there in no time."
Kim laughed, "I may not know what's going on but I can still tell when you're lying Ronald Stoppable."
She saw his legs tense up and she knew Ron was fighting back the urge to say something, "You all right out there Ron?"
Ron placed a hand on the MRI to steady himself and shook his head, "No," he answered flatly.
Kim was silent for several long seconds before asking, "Oh..."
An awkward pause that lasted an eternity.
"Why?"
"Because of you Kim," came the monotone reply.
From the other side of the glass Ron could see Wade and Justine starting to slow the electrical fire while Betty was on a phone talking to someone who he presumed to be a fire crew. Within thirty seconds he was proven right as a group of Eric synthodrones entered the control room and started to quench the fire.
"Why?" Kim asked, jolting Ron back to the woman in the tube, "Why do you hate me?"
Ron was silent before replying, "I don't hate you," he thought back four years, "You hate me."
From inside the MRI, Kim idly tapped her fingers against the metal plating, "Why do I hate you?"
Ron couldn't take it any longer, "Look Kim," he said angrily, "I don't know what you're getting at with this little game of yours but I don't like it," he could tell she was about to say something but he beat her to it, "Five years ago you tell me that you never want to see me again and that I'm dead to you. We haven't spoken since and now you suddenly want to talk?" he shook his head incredulously, "I never understood you Kim and seeing you telling a flat out lie like this-"
"It's not a lie," Kim defended, her echoing voice broadcasting just how much Ron's words hurt her.
"Sure," he mocked, "you just woke up and found yourself fighting Lowardia this morning, is that it?"
Kim nodded, she had never seen this side of Ron and it scared her almost as much as it hurt her, "Yes."
Ron chuckled, but it was not a happy chuckle, "And I guess that we're supposed to follow you blindly to our deaths, is that it?"
Kim couldn't understand this Ron, "Why are you treating me like this Ron? You stuck up for me twenty min-"
"The only reason I stuck up for you was so you could keep your post," Ron snapped, "as a field commander you are second to none," he took a deep breath, "but it doesn't mean that I have to like you."
Kim had had enough and taking advantage of the powered down MRI machine pulled her sliding slab out of the tunnel.
Hopping off the tray she pushed Ron back until he was against the wall and angrily asked, "What is your problem with me Ron?" she tried to maintain the anger so he wouldn't see her tears, "I know you hate me, or rather the other me, for something that happened but you taking it out on me is getting old," she took a deep breath and hissed, "so either man up and tell me what happened or drop the subject."
When Ron didn't say anything Kim pushed away from him disgustedly and muttered, "If this really is the future and you are the Ron I have to look forward to, maybe it is better that I'm married to Felix."
The fire in the control room had long since been extinguished and the occupants were watching the fight as one watches a car wreck: not wanting to watch, but unable to turn away.
"Should we try the scan again or..." Wade said slowly as he saw Ron slump against the wall and Kim storm away.
"Give them a minute," Betty said, "better they're getting this out of the way now than on the field."
Kim was angry and she hated herself for it. If she didn't get control of her heart rate she'd stay angry all day and that was the last thing she wanted. The change in Ron was what really angered her, she loved him. Or at least she thought she loved him, but seeing what had happened to him scared her as much as it hurt her.
"Have you..." Ron said quietly from the wall, "have you seen your family here?"
Kim turned around and lashed out, "what do they have to do with anything?"
Ron slowly straightened to his full height but still kept his head bent as he asked, "Have. You. Seen. Them. Yet?"
Kim shook her head, "No, I haven't seen them since I've been here," she gestured to her hospital gown, "I've been a little bit occupied here. And what do they have to do with anything?"
Ron's head rose a fraction, "They're why you hate me."
Kim slowly walked to the metal slab and leaned against it, "What are you talking about?"
"September 2007," Ron recounted, "Warhok is making his first full scale offensive against Earth. He chooses Middleton as his landing zone," Ron shook his head as the scream filled memories burst into his mind, "it was chaos. The last remains of Drakken's Diablo army and Dementor's forces are buying us enough time to evacuate the city and G.J. was planning to nuke the city in hopes of slowing Warhok."
"A nuke?" Kim asked incredulously, "Even Betty wouldn't be that stupid."
Ron caught her meaning, "You mean if we set off a nuke everyone will?" he saw her nod, "Warhok disabled the world's nukes and locked the codes away so even he couldn't get to them. GJ had the last free nuke," he thought back, "and even then it was really their self destruct command for their base. The entire thing went up with the force of the bomb that dropped on Hiroshima."
Kim's eye twitched as another facet of her plan materialized, a part of her plan that now revolved around a nuclear bomb. She'd have to make do with something else but what...
"You and me were on the last hover jet out of Middleton, your family was still at the Middleton Space Center helping to coordinate the refugees and provide intelligence for Lowardian incoming ships," Kim saw him lower his head in respect, "it came down to detonating the bomb and buying time or saving your family but dooming humanity."
Kim's mouth opened in shock, "Where's my family Ron?"
Ron was silent as the screams, Kim's screams, rampaged through his mind.
"Where's my family Ron?" Kim repeated the question.
September 7th, 2007 A.D.
Middleton, Colorado
5:07 P.M.
"Go Fraulein!"
BWeeee-ish
Kim watched from the open cargo door of the Global Justice hover jet as it blasted off into the night sky, the sun setting against the now raining sky. In the distance, at what remained of Upperton, the Lowardians had erected a large pylon that Global Justice had knocked over just a few hours ago. Once erect, a bright burst of blue light shot into the clouds covering Middleton and the rain poured harder in response.
"Dementor!" she shouted, "get in! We need to get out of here!"
Below her Kim watched as Professor Dementor waved her jet off, "Mein forces vill hold zem at bay! Get out of here!"
Kim nodded and silently mouthed a thank you as her jet vanished into the boiling sky.
Overhead, the portal Warhok's forces had set up was doing its job and every second ships of all shapes sizes poured from Lowardia and into Earth's atmosphere.
Beep Beep Be Deep
Kim held her wrist up to eye the Kimminucator, "What's the sitch Wade?"
Her tech genius looked around and rubbed at the stitched up gash under his eye, "Zita and I are airborne but your family's jet is still at the Space Center."
Kim was silent as she looked out over the burning town of Middleton, smoke rising against the setting sun as the reptilian creatures clawed their way over the buildings and screamed at the fleeing jets, "Wade connect me to Betty," she ordered silently as the wind whipped through the cargo hold, her blue super suit rippling as the tears slowly started to stitch back together.
Wade nodded and Kim grabbed onto an overhead strap as a Global Justice Hover Jet nearby exploded into a ball of flame, rocking her craft in response, "Everyone all right back there?" Will Du called out from the cockpit as he flew the Jet through the storm, the golden light from the sunset in his mirrors as he flew East.
"We're good," Ron shouted back as he walked to Kim at the open door. He placed one hand on her shoulder while holding onto a hanging strap for support, "right?"
Kim shook her head, "how is that right?" she asked as the true scope of events were seen for the first time.
Middleton was being abandoned. The thriving metropolis which at one time acted as the hub that connected the East and the West coast was collapsing in on itself as explosions rocked the city.
Skyscrapers of steel and bronze that at one time had held the greatest minds of the scientific community tumbled to the ground as Lowardians unleashed their entire arsenal on the city. Bolts of yellow energy licked at the buildings, liquefying the metal and causing them to buckle under the strain.
Against the setting sun, Global Justice hover jets and military helicopters rose into the sky, each craft weighed down with countless evacuees and refugees from the dying city.
Kim and Ron watched as a Spider like robot climbed up the Middleton Tower, the tallest tower in the city, and perched on the top of the building with extraordinary grace. It raised one of its four legs into the air and let loose an otherworldly scream that was heard from miles away.
"Lie to me Kim," Betty pleaded as she appeared on the Kimminucator, "tell me you closed the portal."
Kim was silent as the wind whipped through the cargo hold.
"Can you at least tell me that you have a plan?" Ron asked as the hover jet rocked her image.
Betty nodded, "We're going to regroup in Go City and try and create a-"
"It doesn't matter," Kim interrupted, "Lowardia has a foothold. We failed."
"Kim we don't know-" Betty tried to speak but was cut off.
"We are out gunned and out numbered," Kim retorted to the one eyed woman, "Counter attacks won't work, they have Middleton and after thoroughly defeating the Army in the city..." Kim trailed off, "we had to rely on Dementor and Drakken to get us out of here," Kim paused as she watched an enormous flying carrier emerge from the portal, "they gave their lives so we could escape."
Betty looked crestfallen, "And Shego?"
Ron turned to the woman strapped into the seat behind her, her unconscious body shaking limply with each bump, "alive but out of the game for a while."
Betty nodded as she pondered their next move, "can we retake Middleton?" she asked Kim, knowing the answer but afraid to say it aloud.
Kim gave a final look to the city gleaming against the setting sun.
Her home a burning shell.
Her school, the makeshift refugee camp, all burning in the golden light.
The city, apart from Ron the only constant in her life, the city was falling to the ground.
Reckoning was at hand.
Kim shook her head, "Middleton is lost."
Betty took a deep breath, "Then I'm executing Protocol 1"
"Kepplar Initiative?" Kim asked in disbelief, "you told me that-"
"Desperate times," Betty replied stoically as she removed a key from her neck, "Under the Global Justice Security Protocol 1: Survival of the Species at any cost, I'm ordering a nuclear strike on the town of Middleton via the destruction of Global Justice."
"Betty you're insane!" Kim shouted.
"I'm sorry Kim," Betty said as she inserted her key into a gray box, "Will, you need to insert your key as well."
In the cockpit Will Du pulled an identical key from around his neck and inserted it into a slot on the control panel and turned it into position, "key inserted ma'am."
Kim looked back at the burning city, "what about my family? They're still at the space station."
Betty looked to Kim, "They're giving their lives for the greater good."
"No!" Kim shouted as she raced for the cockpit, "WILL DON'T TURN THAT KEY!"
She reached the cockpit even as she sensed Ron at her back, "WAIT KIM-" he shouted but it was too late as Kim was already reaching over Will for the Key.
In the process of reaching for the key Kim slammed into Will, pushing him forward into the controls of the Jet. Instantly the craft spiraled out of control and towards the ground as everyone in the craft lost gravity.
Kim pushed off the walls and reached the key. Pulling it from the socket, she held it triumphantly as Will leveled the plane, slamming everyone into the deck.
"I can't let you do this Betty!" Kim stated angrily.
"Kim please," Betty pleaded, "think of the world-"
"I need my family out of-" Kim was cut off as a hand reached over and grabbed the key from her hand.
"Ron?" Kim asked in disbelief.
Ron Stoppable, always one to follow Kim shook his head with no as he stood up to Kim for the first time in his life, "I'm sorry Kim," he said as he inserted the key.
Kim lunged for the key but a blue glow surrounded Ron and he easily held Kim, "No," he said firmly.
"WHY?!" she shouted as she struggled against his Mystical Monkey Power.
"Because we have several million people that need Lowardia pushed back to escape," Ron said as he held his girlfriend around the waist, "even if that push is only for a few hours."
"But my family-" she argued.
"Would say the same thing," Ron said forcefully, even as he realized what he needed to do.
He placed his hand on the key.
"If you turn that key Ron Stoppable," Kim threatened, "I will leave you. I will hate you and never forgive you."
"It needs to be done," he took a deep breath.
"Please Ron," Kim whispered as she struggled to reach the key.
"Forgive me Kim," he whispered as he turned the key.
Kim screamed at Ron but it was lost as the sky turned white and Middleton was consumed in fire.
December 15th, 2015 A.D.
Castle Rodigan, Rodigan Empire
8:43 P.M.
A tear fell from Ron's eye, "I...I detonated the bomb and killed your family," a second tear fell, "I didn't want to but I had to..." a third tear, "You screamed at me, yelled at me, cursed me and told me that you never wanted to see me again."
Kim couldn't speak but found a way to, "You...you killed my family?" she asked sadly.
Ron nodded, "It was either them or we lose the human race a lot sooner," he tried to defend himself but Kim could tell that he wasn't believing it.
She wanted to be angry. She wanted to hate him. She wanted...what did she want? Revenge? Retribution? Vengeance? No...those were things she didn't want and try as she might she couldn't stay angry at Ron.
"What did I do to you?" she whispered softly and she saw Ron's head rise a fraction of an inch.
He studied her for several long moments before asking her a question, "you really aren't from here. Are you?"
Kim shook her head, "No Ron, I'm not," she took a deep breath, "I'm not sure of all the details but I'm sorry for doing this to us," she was silent before adding, "I'm not sure I want to know all the details, but I'm sorry."
Ron bowed his head a moment and when it rose again, she saw a sparkle that she recognized from high school. He wiped at his eyes and looked at her, the trace of a smile on his lips, "So what's the sitch Kim?"
December 15th, 2015 A.D.
Castle Rodigan, Rodigan Empire
9:45 P.M.
"She's out of sync," Wade stated proudly.
"I'm sorry?" Dr. Director asked confusedly, "I'm not following you."
They were back in the war room with Wade's findings and scanning of Kim. To Kim it seemed as if he was almost as confused as he was excited. She wasn't sure whether to be accepting or nervous.
Wade pulled out a piece of paper with a series of numbers on them, "All right, so the world is surrounded by an electromagnetic field. Right?"
He waited for the confirming nods before Justine took over, "And each being, object, whatever is surrounded by their own electromagnetic field-"
"Flanners-San, that is not exactly how it-" Yori interrupted but was cut off by Justine again.
"I know Yori," she snapped, "I'm just simplifying it so everyone understands."
Yori was taken aback for a moment and was about to beat some respect into the scientist but a reassuring shoulder squeeze from Ron kept her in check.
"This electromagnetic field surrounds us and binds us together," Justine explained she tapped her fingers against the table as she searched for words, "Um...this field acts as a sort of barrier for us to interact with out surroundings."
Wade took over, "without the field, we'd phase through objects or float apart," he was silent for a moment, lost in thought, "think of the field as something like a forcefield that keeps our molecules together."
Everyone around the table nodded, it was simple enough.
Kim looked around in confusion as she tried to place the owner of the voice.
"Kim's field doesn't match ours," Justine reported.
And there went the simplicity.
"And we're back to square one," Betty observed dryly, "What do you mean?"
Wade sighed, this had gone a lot better when he had explained it to Olivia, "Simply put," he squeezed the bridge of his nose, "Kim doesn't belong here."
The room was silent and Kim's expression showed sarcastic acceptance, "Well that makes sense," she mocked.
Justine pressed a button on the table and the series of numbers from the paper appeared in holographic form for all to see, "These numbers represent the field variation of every person here in this room," she pointed and the numbers grew, "And this portion is what keeps us aligned in the universe so we respond to each other."
Wade snapped his fingers and another set of numbers appeared next to the first set, "Notice anything?" he asked.
Kim scanned the number lines and nodded, "Yeah, the numbers doesn't match."
Wade nodded and highlighted the two numbers, "That's right," he typed in a command and announced, "Everyone in this room has an electromagnetic field...channel," he struggled to find the right word, "of 34.127."
"34.127 what?" Felix asked, causing everyone to stare at him, "You're missing a designation at the end. Are we talking frequency band like a radio or are we talking-"
"It's just 34.127," Justine replied tersely before sighing. Her place was in a lab, not surrounded by idiots like these.
"So everyone here has a frequency of 34.127...units," Wade continued, "And Kim has a frequency of 1 unit."
"J-just one?" Kim asked in disbelief.
"Why?" Felix asked as Wade took a deep breath.
Everyone leaned in for the explanation of Wade's revelation.
"When we tried to scan Kim earlier, the computer nearly fried itself trying to scan Kim simply because it couldn't read her like it reads us," Justine said as she touched a burn on her hand, "For some reason Kim has been knocked out of sync with the rest of us. Not enough for her to phase through things or have her molecules drift apart, but enough for her to jump through the timeline."
Ron nodded, "And what exactly does that mean?"
They're all idiots, Justine thought morosely before replying, "She's not from here."
It was silent for a moment before Kim raised a timid hand, "You know...I could've saved you a lot of time by saying that."
Betty ignored Kim and addressed Wade, "Do you have a reason why Kim's field changed?"
Wade shook his head, "It could be any number of things."
"Such as?"
"Give us a second," Wade turned away and started rambling silently to Justine, "a change in diet, but that would have affected us all...a change in the Centurion Suit's electrocurrent module-"
"But then all the troopers would be experiencing this," Justine commented and she thought silently before venturing an idea, "How about a sudden transfer of her heat core to another medium?" she saw Wade's shaking head.
"A combination of nuclear radiation with solar energy?" Wade ventured.
Justine snapped her fingers, "It has to be a combination, no way there is a single base cause."
Wade nodded and spoke quickly, "Magnetic extrapolation of her polar source code with a laser encoded data file," he pursed his lips, "and possibly a bit of solar radiation?"
She shook her head, "How about exposure to a high energy source-"
"No," Wade shook his head, "That won't work, you'd need a high burst of..." he trailed off.
"Microwave radiation with some form of solar radiation at the same time," Justine finished excitedly, "If you combine all those together and add some adrenalin to the mix you get-"
"A change in your electromagnetic field," Wade finished, equally excited, "Biochemistry with quantum mechanics and a set astrophysics for good measure."
Turning back to the table, Wade and Justine saw the blank expressions from everyone present and Betty shook her head, "Care to explain that again? My theoretical physics is a bit rusty."
Felix shook his head, "you both stopped speaking English a long time ago."
"Is that what that was?" Yori asked mockingly.
Kim saw Ron nod his head in agreement.
Wade rolled his eyes and addressed Kim, "Kim, have you been exposed to a large burst of electricity?"
Kim shook her head, "No...well I mean I was outside about an hour ago and there was lightning flashing-"
Justine shook her head, "Something like this would have to have occurred within twelve to twenty-four hours for you," she thought, "If you really are jumping through time, it would have occurred before you came here," she added, "Try thinking four dimensionally."
Kim scrunched her forehead, and thought-
"The radio tower."
The hairs on the back of Wade's neck bristled, "What about the radio tower?"
"Less than a day ago...my time," Kim started, "it was the diablos."
"The fight with Eric and Shego on the roof by the radio tower," Ron finished quietly.
"Exactly," Kim took over, "At the end, I kicked Shego into the tower and there was a big explosion..."
Wade smiled, "You have the microwave radiation from the radio tower, the solar energy from Shego, your adrenalin pumping from the fight, and the electrical surge from kicking Shego into the tower."
Betty nodded, "So Kim's not crazy?"
"Far from it," Justine said with a trace of respect, "she's the world's first time traveler."
Felix thought for a moment, "but what about Shego?"
Betty and Yori took a step away from the table to confer silently, "What about Shego?" Wade asked. His previous frustrated demeanor had been replaced with scientific curiosity.
"Wouldn't Shego be jumping with Kim?" Ron asked as he saw where Felix was taking the conversation.
It was silent for a moment but Justine jumped in, "No, Shego simply gave Kim the energy," she thought for a second, "she's the conductor of the energy and Kim was the recipient," she tossed her hair back, "She's still the Shego we know, but Kim is the one jumping through time," she saw Ron's look of confusion and sighed, "but if it makes you feel any better we can ask Shego if she's been jumping through time."
Betty picked up on that last bit of the conversation as she and Yori returned and she shook her head, "We can't do that at the moment," she saw the looks of confusion around the table, "Andrea Lynn and Shego were both on a scouting mission of Paris this morning when we lost contact with them."
Wade nodded and looked to Doctor Director, "Anything else?"
Betty shook her head, "You can go, thanks Wade."
Wade nodded as he and Justine packed up their results and left the war room, "All right," Yori said cautiously, "Now that we have that sorted out, what's next?"
Kim leaned against the table, "I've had to tweak the plan-"
"How so?" Betty asked as she pushed a button and a holographic representation of Paris, complete with the shield, appeared on the table.
"That shield," Kim explained, "I have the majority of the plan revised but that shield is the key," she saw the looks and explained, "We need something almost as powerful as a nuke to blast through the shield. Without that shield down, we can't get the machine."
Will was silent throughout the explanation of Kim's plan and now saw a chance to contribute, "What about Prince Wally and Zita?"
"What about them?" Doctor Director asked.
"You think they might have something?"
He shrugged, "They might, after all they are in charge of R&D."
Kim nodded and pushed away from the table, "Everyone, go do...something," she grabbed Felix by the arm and pulled him away, "We'll meet back here in an hour."
December 15th, 2015 A.D.
Castle Rodigan, Rodigan Empire
10:25 P.M.
The doors hissed shut behind Kim and Felix as they entered the research and development section of the castle. Surrounding them was every manner of tool and electronic diode and hanging from the ceiling were naked light bulbs which cast a pale glow on the surrounding work space. Kim placed a hand on the frigid steel counters and picked up a tiny remote control. Seeing no one of authority around, she pushed the red button in the center slightly and a large platform in a corner of the room clanged to a start.
From a hidden doorway further in the workshop a woman hurriedly stumbled out and pointed at Kim, "What are you doing Renton?" she shouted even as she furiously buttoned up her blouse, "You know as well as I that you can't power that up in here."
Not hearing an answer from Kim, the woman directed her attention to Felix, "Aren't you going to reprimand her Renton? She almost-"
"She didn't do anything Zita," Felix smirked, "except ruin your chances with Wally."
He saw Zita's anger fizzle out and to Kim it seemed as if a portion of her deflated, "What do you two want?"
Kim shook her head as Zita finally made it to them and pulled the remote control from Kim's hand. She pressed the red button again and the machine powered down as Kim finally found the words to speak, "We need something that can destroy a shield."
"A shield the size of, oh I don't know, Paris?" Zita asked sarcastically, "Word travels fast," she explained when she saw their faces.
"Yeah," Kim replied, "We have nothing to break through that shield and without it we can't take down Paris," she saw the wheels in Zita's head turn, "So do you have anything?"
"Sorry Kim," a posh voice said from the shadows, "Nothing of the scale you're talking. Although my Kingdom was on the verge of space travel months before Lowardia invaded."
Kim looked over Zita's shoulder and couldn't help her mouth from opening.
Prince Wally was walking towards her without any help and a charming smile on his face.
To Kim this Prince Wally had all the looks of a monarch and Kim couldn't help but wonder that had situations been different, Rodigan could have been a great nation.
"You OK Kim?" he asked in his posh accent as he looked at a clipboard before setting it on the counter lightly.
Kim shook her head and swallowed, "N-no Prince Wally," she looked into his eyes, "I mean yes, I'm fine," she shook her head to clear her mind, "We need something to break through that shield at Paris."
Wally shook his head, "And I'm telling you that we don't have anything on hand that can do that."
Kim turned away for a second, she needed that machine. If only there was something- "What was that thing earlier that caused the panic?"
Wally pointed up at the cracked raised an eyebrow to Kim's question, "I'm assuming you meant the Space Debris or the patrol," he saw her nod at the space debris, "So?"
Kim shrugged, "What about that?" she thought, "actually, what did you do?"
Felix leaned against the counter and with Prince Wally's permission started to scribble something on the clipboard, "That was a magnetic grappler. We use it to create a magnetic field that pushes metal objects like falling Space Debris away, while at the same time it acts as a radar jammer, effectively making all of us invisible."
Kim's mouth twitched as her plan began to take shape, "Could you use it in a different way?"
Zita smiled, "You're wondering if we could pull something big from space down onto the shields of Paris?" she saw Kim nod and Zita laughed, "There's no way we could do that," she continued laughing but didn't hear Felix, "Right Felix?"
Prince Wally was silent as he watched Felix continue scribbling, "We'd need at least twenty three Volkswagen sized hunks of metal pulled down and dropped on the shield," Felix continued scribbling, "It's a lot of math to get the angle just right..."
Kim looked downcast, "Are you saying you can't do it?"
Felix shook his head, "No, I just want you to know how incredibly difficult it's going to be."
Prince Wally leaned over to an intercom and pushed a button that was blinking rhythmically.
Moments later a man walked in to the room, "Yes your highness?" he said cheekily with a hint of mockery.
Wally eyed the man with a mixture of humor and contempt as he handed the piece of paper to the man, "I need you to bring this to Betty and tell her Rodigan is willing to commit everything to this final push."
The man was silent for a moment as he looked over the scribbling before looking up in shock, "You do realize what dropping that will do."
Wally nodded, "sometimes in chess it becomes necessary to sacrifice a queen for checkmate."
The man shook his head, "just be sure you know what it is that you're doing."
"I will not let you lecture me-" Wally started but the man held up a hand.
"I meant nothing by it," with that he tipped forward respectfully, "Your highness."
"Make sure you deliver it in person Tam Agmiln," came the reply.
December 15th, 2015 A.D.
Castle Rodigan, Rodigan Empire
10:45 P.M.
"So that's the plan," Kim explained to the group assembled in the war room. The table had been cleared of all paper and in its place was a holographic representation of Paris, "Infantry takes out the anti-air and then the Yamanouchi fighters come in to keep the Lowardians off our backs."
Betty's face was blank, "And how are you going to get the machine back here?"
Wade raised a hand, "Justine and I have been working on a teleporter with Prince Wally and Zita," he saw their looks and nodded, "Before the war Rodigan apparently had a pretty good technology sector," he shrugged and continued, "It's one way so far, but if Kim can get a teleport beacon on the machine, we should be able to teleport the machine away without any extra danger."
"And what of our soldiers?" Yori asked, "We will have no way of knowing when the machine is teleported."
Bonnie nodded, "As soon as the derricks hit the wall, the infantry led by Betty and Will Du, swarm the walls," she saw both tense up, "The Centurion units will have jumped deep into the city by this time and will be divided up among causing as much mayhem and getting the machine," she took a deep breath and Ron took over.
"Once the infantry is off the derricks, the drivers will spin around and wait thirty minutes before revving up their engines and heading back," he saw the looks and commented, "You get lost, you get left."
"And the shield?" Betty asked, "Have you figured out that one?"
Felix took a step forward and motioned to the hologram of Paris, "We'll begin bombarding the city with space debris the moment we leave here," the hologram zoomed out until it showed the whole world which was orbited by chunks of metal, "the plan is that by the time we arrive, we'll have knocked the shields down so they're either gone, or you can pass through."
"And if you can't lower the shields Renton-San?" Yori asked, "What then?"
It was silent but Kim answered as she blinked at the bright hologram that had slowly started to blind her, "They'll be down."
Silence reigned in the room.
Betty looked at Yori before nodding, "This is so crazy that it just might work."
"Sure," Yori agreed, "just knocking out a shield, punching a hole through the Lowardian troops there into the center of the city, stealing a machine and getting out within thirty minutes," she made eye contact with everyone in the room, "what could go wrong?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Betty asked.
Yori nodded, "The MAMA."
Every eye turned to Yori as Will leaned forward, "The MAMA was supposed to be secret."
"Well it wasn't," Yori argued, "and if you activated the MAMA when Lowardia had first invaded none of this would have happened."
Betty shook her head, "releasing an unshackled artificial intelligence would only have traded one enemy for another."
Yori shrugged, "at least the MAMA wouldn't slaughter an entire school just to make a trophy."
Wade leaned across the table, the hologram flickering in response, "Yori, I built the MAMA and I can tell you if we had activated it every living soul in the world would have been dead within three months."
He pushed a button and the hologram flickered into lines of code that swirled about in a vortex, "the MAMA rewrites any code we wrote for it so it kills everything present. It becomes the most deadly being on the battlefield," he looked around the table, "while we were still working on the MAMA before Lowardia invaded, the MAMA escaped the network we kept it on and killed thirty GJ scientists before we were able to pull the plug."
Will nodded, "releasing the MAMA would be the greatest mistake we could make in this war."
"You saved it for a reason," Yori said, her voice rising, "you obviously had a reason for saving it and not Possible-San's family."
The war room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"What did you say?" Kim whispered.
"Way over the line Yori," Betty threatened.
"Director-San didn't tell you?" Yori asked ignoring Betty's threat.
Kim looked from Betty to Wade, "what's she talking about?"
Betty shook her head, "I made a choice-"
"She had your family working on developing code to shackle the MAMA so it could be transported out of Middleton when Lowardia was invading," Yori explained, "that woman put her science project ahead of your family and has refused to honor their sacrifice for eight years as she sat on the one thing that can save the world."
Kim looked at Betty, tears forming in her eye, "Is this true?"
"Kim, I'm sorry," Betty replied, "but it had to be done. This thing it was just-"
"What killing my family and letting me think that for four years that it was all Ron's fault when it was really yours?" Kim argued loudly, "that was more important that the MAMA?"
"She did what was necessary," Will interrupted.
"ENOUGH!" Ron roared out over the argument.
Everyone in the room reached for a weapon and took a step back as they stared in fear at Ron.
Ron looked down and saw the blue glow of the Mystical Monkey Power covering his body. His eyes snapped up as he heard a click as Will unholstered his gun with Yori pulling one out as well.
"I'm sorry my love," Yori apologized as she held the gun in shaking hands.
That was when Ron saw the Lotus Blade in his hand, a wicked blade, razor sharp replacing the normal shape of the Lotus Blade. As he stared at the blade he realized he couldn't remember when it was he had pulled the blade out or transformed it into this killing tool.
Flames licked the cold steel as Ron looked around the room, "we can argue about what happened four years ago or we can take our last chance to make a difference here and get the machine."
"Regardless of what you do now, we all will be dead before the week is over," a new voice echoed.
All eyes turned to the door where a teenager calmly strolled to the assembled team the doors to the war room closing with a soft boom.
As she entered the light Kim took in the new addition to the team. She stood at Kim's shoulder height, her petite face and almond eyes highlighted her Japanese parentage but the long golden hair that cascaded down her body told Kim all she needed to know about who the father was. She walked with a quiet grace normally unbecoming of a teenager but she carried herself as if she were a princess despite the black robe she wore that had been patched and sown back together countless times.
She passed by Yori with a knowing glance and the woman put down her gun.
The girl approached Ron, the blue flames that licked his body lessening the closer she came, "Father, put down the Blade."
Ron stared into the chocolate eyes of his daughter and sighed as he offered her the Lotus blade.
She politely refused it as she turned to Will who had put his gun away and was waiting patiently to continue.
Kim looked at the new addition with a skeptical glance, "who are you?"
Ron pulled the girl close, "Kim Renton-"
"Possible," the girl corrected from her Father's side.
"Kim Possible," Ron corrected, "this is my Daughter, Hana."
Kim took a step back at the revelation as Han extended a hand, "Greetings destroyer, I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
December 15th, 2015 A.D.
Castle Rodigan, Rodigan Empire
11:15 P.M.
Yori stared defiantly at the reassembled group that was now considerably calmer, "if you go with Renton-San's plan everyone here will be dead by the end of the week. A full on assault will only draw the Lowardians here," she pushed away from the table angrily, "assuming anyone makes it out of that death trap."
"People will make it out of the death trap," Hana said calmly, "But as for who, well that is still being written."
Yori cast a look at Hana, "My sweet I need you to provide us with something more clear than that."
Hana shook her head, "if you understood the meaning of my words you would realize I answered your statement Mother."
The room was silent for a moment as everyone pondered Hana's statement. Kim blinked rapidly and rubbed at her eyes, "Could you guys turn down the display of the hologram?" she asked, "it's blinding me."
Ron nodded and turned a knob below the table as the hologram darkened.
Kim looked at Betty as a high pitched ringing sounded in her ears and quietly asked, "When can we move out?"
Betty looked to Will who started scribbling numbers on a sheet of paper, "Two days and we can move out," she reported as soon as Will finished.
"Great," Kim said distractedly as the hologram brightened and blinded her again, "Ron you bumped the display again."
Ron looked around and shook his head, "No I didn't."
Kim gave him an irritated look, "Ron, you must've bumped it because it just blinded me," she forced herself to yawn as the ringing increased in volume, "and can you do something about that ringing?"
Felix gave Kim a confused look, "What ringing?"
Kim's eyes widened as she put the pieces together, "Oh no," she whispered softly.
Yori peered at Kim quizzically, "What is it?"
"It's happening ag-" Kim's response was cut off as the pain suddenly began in her skull and she screamed as her head suddenly exploded into pain beyond words.
If she thought that the pain before had been bad then this was a thousand times worse. It felt like a drill was burrowing into her head with a red hot poker for the bit and acid to clear the wound. Even as she screamed in pain she felt her world was dissolving into light. The pain radiating in her skull flow into the rest of her body and she quickly lost the strength to stand as the pain ravaged her body.
From around her, Kim could hear voices of people shouting and calling for help but Kim knew it was no good. Nothing they could do could stop her jump and she almost pitied them.
Almost. If her head didn't hurt as much, then she'd be pitying them.
The whiteness had almost covered her vision but she saw Felix's face leaning in, shouting something it seemed like and it took all of Kim's strength to whisper, "take me with you...to-" she struggled, "to Paris," she saw Felix's face soften for a moment before he leaned in and kissed Kim.
"Come back to me," he said softly even as he saw Kim's face contort in pain again.
Suddenly, the whiteness cleared for Kim and she saw Ron standing over Felix, the look of concern etched into his normally stoic face. Upon seeing Ron, Kim's eyes rolled back and she uttered a long forgotten sentence, "Let loose the bonds and shrug this mortal coil, only then will the path to the creators open."
Ron looked down at Kim who was now convulsing in Felix's arms, "Kim?" he whispered, Kim's words echoing in his head.
Hana appeared over Kim and her chocolate eyes bored into Kim's emerald eyes, "I will see you soon Destroyer."
Abruptly, the convulsing stopped and Kim uttered a final word as she stared into the chocolate eyes, "Jump."
And then...
...it was all gone.
August 13th, 1257 A.D.
Castle Stoppable, The Kingdom of Middleton
3:08 A.M.
Silk sheets. Solid pine bed posts. Solid rock ceilings. Ron naked in bed next to her. Nig-
What the-?
Kim's eyes traveled back to the sleeping form of Ron next to her as she took in her new surroundings.
"Where am I?" she asked quietly.
She heard Ron stir next to her and she held her breath as he rolled over in the bed and started to snore softly.
Kim lay back for several seconds as she contemplated what to do but her contemplation was stopped as she felt something warm start to trickle from her nose. Bringing a finger to her nose and dabbing lightly Kim held her hand up to the moon light trickling through her window and gasped slightly as she saw blood on her finger.
It had been years since she had had a nose bleed but here was one.
She sighed and shook her head, here she was jumping through time and she was concerned about a little nose bleed.
Slowly sitting up so as not to disturb Ron, Kim allowed the covers to fall from her body and hissed as the cold air blanketed her nude form.
Where are my clothes? she thought just as she stubbed her foot on a bed post.
Twitching angrily and fighting the urge to curse, Kim grabbed at the top blanket and draped it over her shoulders as she padded towards the window.
Peering out Kim saw a dark land stretched out before her, tiny pinpricks of torch light blanketing the countryside and giving the surrounding landscape the appearance of a long lost treasure. Looking above Kim simply stared as two moons hung suspended in the sky like pieces of fruit waiting to be plucked. She couldn't help herself and she reached a hand towards them in an effort to touch them but stopped when she realized they were farther away than they appeared.
In the distance, Kim saw what looked like a row of mountains, the tops of each capped with a blanket of white snow. In the midst of the two closest mountains Kim saw another city, glimmering and sparkling like a diamond in the sun. She let out a sigh as she felt the warm breeze of the night caress her body through the blanket and she sighed again in contentment. Had it all been a bad dream? Had she really been fighting aliens? Looking around again, Kim shook her head, surely not.
Her gaze traveling to the space below her, Kim saw she was in a tower easily as large as sky scraper. The stone cobblestone that held the tower in place still felt warm to her touch and she relished the feelings on her feet. Her tower was surrounded by an enormous wall easily the height of a giant and the moat surrounding it all winked and waved at Kim as moonlight danced upon the waves.
"I'm a Princess now?" she said aloud in disbelief as she realized that she was in a castle.
"I believe the term is Queen," Ron's voice said quietly from behind her.
Kim jumped, dropping the blanket but quickly scooping it up as she saw Ron standing behind her, "You think you're being quiet when you leave the bed but you never really are," he joked before peering through the window, "now what has so grasped your fancy tonight my beloved?"
A myriad of questions pounded through Kim's head, but they were all drowned out by a single sight. Ron was standing before her, completely nude.
Kim simply stared at Ron, "Wow."
"What?" he asked, completely confused.
Kim didn't say anything but instead lead him back to the bed. She knew that she should probably be trying to figure out what was going on here, but a naked Ron in her bed took priority over everything else.
June 27th, 3019
Middleton General Hospital
Middleton, Colorado
8:45 P.M.
Beep
Kim's near lifeless body lay on the hospital bed. Next to her sat a young man, his bloodshot eyes nearly closed as he held her limp hand to his mouth in a perpetual kiss.
Beep
She just lay there and there was nothing he could do about it. The monitor next to her head beeped rhythmically as her heart continued to pump blood, it was the only thing indicating she was still alive.
Beep
It wasn't supposed to be like this. They were supposed to be married by now, for both of them that meant the happiest day of their lives but now...she was completely brain dead. The doctors looking at her couldn't figure it out, not even Kim's mom knew what was going on and she practically wrote the book on the human brain.
Beep
So focused on her was he that he didn't even notice the door of her hospital room open, nor did he notice the lone woman enter silently.
Beep
She leaned against the wall and allowed the shadows to cover her face. She couldn't let him see her jubilation, it would only anger him and the last thing she needed was Josh Mankey angry at her, she smirked at her last comment.
Actually getting an artist mad at me might not be so bad, Dr. Betty Director thought to herself, What's the worst he's going to do? Paint an unflattering picture of me? And with such little time left? I could care less.
This time she allowed the laugh to come out but she was able to disguise it as a cough.
Beep
Josh turned around in his chair and saw Betty leaning against the wall, "What are you doing here Betty?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
Beep
Dr. Director walked slowly to Josh and placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "I heard Kim collapsed before the wedding and I wanted to see if she was all right."
"You waited a week before you came to see her," Josh said accusingly.
"I had to be sure," Betty countered.
"Sure of what?" Josh asked.
"How is she?" Betty asked, avoiding Josh's question.
Josh shook his head, "She's not all right," he pointed at his fiancée, "the doctors don't know what's going on. No one does," he added bitterly.
Betty was silent as Kim's monitor continued it's beeping, "Actually Josh..." she trailed off as she studied Kim, "I think I just might."
Disclaimer: Disney owns Kim Possible, I own an original idea and provides the definitions.
Author's Notes: Thank you all so much for your reviews, PM's and comments. They mean the world to me as I hold you guys to being the best fans out there.
So here are a few answers for you in this chapter. Not all the answers but a few to keep you biting at the line. From this point on most chapters are going to be between 9,000 and 10,000 words so just a heads up.
Special thanks this chapter goes out to CajunBear73 who has promised 73 bears to the cause, Joe Stoppinghem (I'll ignore the MS comment), Sentinel103 (Everything happens for a reason), Katsumara (I know sir), Darev (keep nibbling and that hook will stick good), Mr. Wizard (This next jump seems like just your locale) and to everyone else who reads this, thank you.
As always, if you leave a review with a comment, question or theory I will respond before the next chapter is up regardless of the number.
Until next time,
TRS