Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible. She is owned by Disney and Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. Any original characters shown or mentioned belong to me and cannot be used without permission. Got it?

Maternal Instinct: Spotlight

Chapter 17: Zim Possible-Fighting Crime In A Future Time

One hundred years into the future, mankind finds itself among the stars. Due to massive overpopulation, the Earth could no longer support the sheer numbers of humans living on its surface. So they looked skyward. First a colony was set up on the moon then in the passing decades five gigantic space colonies were built around Earth's orbit. Behind each of their heavily armored walls lived millions of people, thriving in sprawling cities and suburbs like those found on Earth proper.

Unfortunately, just like the cities of Earth, these metropolises had more than their fair share of crime. Most of these cities had their own law enforcement agencies to handle criminals, be it local law enforcement or a branch of Global Justice. But the town of New Middleton, had their own unique defender of the people. She was the latest in a long line of teen heroes that helped saved the world, or in this cause the colony, in general and the city in particular. A lineage that went back at least a hundred years and maybe even longer. They had worked as free agents and members of Global Justice alike. Like her ancestors before her she worked with her life long friend to stop whatever wacko wanted to dominate mankind. And just like her ancestors she could do anything.

She was Zim Possible.

And at that moment she was very, very frustrated! She and her friend Don Stoppable had gotten a call a bit ago about someone trying to steal from the New Middleton Institute of Technology about someone trying to steal their prototype transwarp drive. It turned out that "someone" was a rather combat ready robot that wanted it for...some purpose. She didn't get much time to banter with it as it had flown off almost the second they showed up. Thankfully the anti-grav system in her suit allowed her to follow him through the busy skyways above the town. Unfortunately it was also bobbing and weaving in and out of the air lanes, causing her to do the same to avoid being smashed by the hover cars.

This was exactly why she hated robots! She really didn't mean to sound prejudice, it was just that her family had a long and storied history with robots and very little of it was good. The Autobots were okay but she was glad their main embassy was on Earth.

As if the human sized robots weren't bad enough, she thought in dismay as she served to avoid another car coming at her.

"Out of my way fleshbags!" the gunmetal gray robot ahead of her shouted as it started to fly in a straight line.

Naturally this caused the drivers to serve in all directions; left, right, up, down and cause a massive amount of confusion and panic as they tried to avoid hitting each other. Unfortunately this spent many of them heading right towards Zim. She let out a small shriek as she rolled, flipped, dipped, and shot upwards to get around them all. As she spun out of the way of one car she heard the honking horn of another and turned to see that it was just inches away from her. With little time to react she shot up just enough to where she could run along it's top as it passed under her. She launched herself once she got to the end so she could try to make up some of the lost time from the distraction. She sighed and wiped a few beads of sweat away from her green tinged skin.

She held up her left hand to block the artificial sunlight from her violet eyes so she could better see her opponent, who was now several yards away from her. She let out a small growl then pressed one of the buttons on the dial on the side of her head which activated the visor of her headset. It took a few seconds for her to adjust to everything going blue then used the visor's tracking system to carefully line up her shot. She honed in on the robot and held her left hand straight out in front of her. Her face scrunched up a bit as her hand became engulfed in black and green flames which she fired forward at a rapid pace. The blast around it's mark right in the middle of the robot's back and knocked it out of the traffic lane. She followed his path, her long light brown hair flowing in the wind. She lit off her other fist and launched a barrage at it, hoping to force it down on the rooftops where she'd at least have some good footing.

"Annoying insect!" the bot shouted he dodged a few of the plasma blasts.

He held his left arm out towards her and large pulse blaster sprang up from the forearm. He smirked bit before he unleashed his own barrage of towards the annoying girl. Zim let out a slight scream as she started another around of aerial acrobatics to avoid the blasts. It was mostly out of instinct though as the force field in her suit automatically activated to counter them. Despite it keeping her safe, the force of the shots themselves still sent her flying backwards or tumbling through the air. They stopped for a few seconds only so the mechanical madman could charge up a fairly powerful blast and sent it towards the teen hero. Again, the brunette braced herself as the blast collided with her shield and sent her spiraling out of control. After a few seconds of spinning, she was finally able to regain her balance so she could plant her feet on the side of nearby sky scrapper then push herself off it and land the roof of nearby building. She dug the reinforced talons on her fingers into the hard cement to slid herself to a stop. She then sighed and slumped her shoulders just bit.

"This is why I hate flying," she muttered.

"That's just cause you're no good at it," a smug voice called over the comlink of her headset.

"Oh really? Well then Mr. Amazing, why don't you just show me how it's done."

"With pleasure. Look to your right."

With a bit of a mocking tone she stood up and did just that. She watched as her escaping suspect zoomed over another building right as a small magnetic attached to a wire shot up at it and latched onto the robot's back. Her eyes then widened in horror as she saw a red headed boy was yanked up from the rooftop by the line, holding into what looked like an old, completely silver fishing rod.

"Oh you didn't," she grumbled as he sailed behind their suspect. "Don you idiot!"

She ran towards the end of the roof and jumped up as high as she could, the anti-grav system kicking back on again. She kicked on the extra propulsion system to help her close the gap between the two as quickly as she could. When she was closer to them, she held out he right hand to try and grab the left boot of his black suit. Her fingers brushed against the sole for only a second before he swung himself upwards and onto the robot's back. She clenched her fists in frustration then watched as the fishing rod glowed for a second then returned to it's normal shape of and old Japanese sword.

Don spun the weapon around in his hand then plunged the blade as far into the robot's back as he could. The metal behemoth let out a growl of frustration and pain as the blade cut through several of his circuits. His head spun around so he could glare up at the tanned looking boy.

"You meat sacks are starting to irrate me!" he shouted.

"Yeah, we do that," Don smirked.

The mech let out another low growl as his eyes growled brightly before firing twin red beams from them. Don let out a surprised shriek and leaned backwards on instinct. Unfortunately while he was off balanced the bot made a violent turn that not only threw the red off his back but also allowed him to land a devastating punch that sent the teen hero falling to the ground like a comet. Before he could even think of reactivating his own anti-grav system his back met the side of a sky scrapper with a sickening thud. His body went completely limp as it fell into the alleyway below, bouncing between the two buildings as it did so. Eventually he hit the bottom, his head bouncing roughly off the ground as his sword landed just a few inches away from.

"Don!" Zim cried out in concern before she swooped down to check on him.

She landed gently next to him and immediately knelt down to check for a pulse. She let out a relieved sigh when she felt a very slight one, but her panic returned when she noticed the large amount of blood pooling behind his head. She reached out a shaking hand towards it and lightly felt the wound, drawing back when she heard him let out a small whimper of pain. She then looked down at the blood staining the glove of her deep purple suit. When the shock passed and she could finally think clearly she called out one name.

"Nanvel!" she shouted desperately.

Instantly a small vid window popped up in front of her right eye in the visor's display. The face of a slightly dark skinned woman appeared, her maroon colored hair flowing around her face. She had a bright smile on her face and her lavender eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Oh hi Zim!" she greeted cheerfully with a small wave. "I was just thinking about you! There are some new gadgets I wanted to show you and some new designs for your suit that-"

"Nanvel I need a med-vac here now!" Zim interrupted, urgency in her voice evident.

The other older woman's expression turned serious in a second.

"What happened?"

"He fell from very high up," the brunette summarized. "He's hurt bad and...I just need to get him to a hospital right away!"

"On it," Navel replied as she started typing away. "I'm transmitting your location now, help should be there in no time."

"Thank you," she nodded then turned off the display before she looked back down at her friend's prone body. "Just hold in there Don, help's on the way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

True to Nanvel's word, an ambulance arrived in only a few minutes and sped the both to the nearest hospital She was a little apprehensive at being separated from during his surgery but quickly relented to the doctor's wish. She found a chair in the waiting room and practically fell back onto it. She unzipped the skin tight suit down to the top of her chest to give her some breathing room. Of course it was mostly a symbolic gesture but it made her feel a little better. As did the small object she pulled from the integrated utility belt. She clasped her fingers around it and rested her head on her interlaced hands, just hoping that everything would turn out alright.

She stayed hunched over for some time, afraid that if she moved she'd run the risk of seeing a doctor about to give her terrible news. She usually didn't run from the things that would terrify most people but this...this was something she just didn't think she could face. The thought of losing Don was just something she couldn't accept. They had known each other for as long as they could remember and in fact their families knew each of for...well...a long time. She figured they would always be together but to lose him like this would be...overwhelming. Especially since she knew it'd be her fault. How could she live with herself after that? She...wasn't sure she could. She just had to keep hoping, praying, that the surgery would go perfectly. That everything would work for the best in the end.

It was the most grueling thirty minutes of her life.

Just when she felt like she couldn't take the waiting any longer, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She picked her head, wiping a few tears away from her reddened eyes as she looked up to find one of the doctor's giving her a comforting look. The older woman had her long, red hair pulled back into a pony tale to exposed her bright, blue eyes which held only a look of cheery optimism.

"Miss Possible?" she asked softly.

"Y-yeah. Is my friend alright?" Zim asked, voice cracking a bit.

The doctor nodded. "He'll be just fine. The surgery went smoothly and the nanobots are working on repairing the rest of the damage right now. He should be out of here by the end of the evening."

"Thank you Doctor..." she paused to look at the woman's name tag. "Kredible."

"Oh just call me Ann," she said brightly as she set down next to the green tinged girl. "You know you're very lucky. A long time ago a hit to the head like that would have been fatal."

"Yeah like what, a hundred years ago or something?" Zim said offhandedly.

Ann looked away thoughtfully for a second. "About that, yeah. Of course back in those days everything was hands on too. And surgery took hours instead of minutes, not to mention recovery time. It was definitely a lot harder back then."

Zim studied her for a moment. "You talk like you're there."

"Now I know I'm no spring chicken anymore but do I look a hundred years old to you?" the redheaded woman asked, a bit of playfulness in her voice.

An embarrassed flush came to the girl's cheeked s she looked away.

"Um...no. Sorry, I didn't mean..." she apologized lamely.

"Oh think nothing of it. I'm just having some fun," Ann chuckled.

"Okay. So...can I see Don now?"

"Of course. He's down the hall in room 6. Just try not to excite him too much, he still needs to rest after all."

Zim nodded then started to stand up, her right fist still clenched around the object she was hold earlier.

"What's that?" Ann asked, pointing to the girl's closed handed. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Huh?" the teen hero asked, finally realizing what she was doing. "Oh this? It's just a family heirloom. I kinda carry it around as a good luck charm."

"Would you mind if I take a look?"

She shrugged then slowly opened her hand to let the heirloom fall down a long gold chain. At the end of it was a stone of mixing green and black colors outlined in gold. Ann stared at it in an almost familiar manner as she slowly started to reach for it. She then shook her head as if to come to her senses and drew the hand back.

"It's very beautiful," she said softly.

"Yeah it's not bad," Zim replied, looking at the stone. "It's suppose to be some sort of significant thing in my family but I can't remember the story. So like I said for now it's just kind of a good luck charm."

"You should try wearing it."

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Yes I do."

With another shrug, Zim undid the clasp of the chain and wrapped it around her neck, careful not to get any of long hair caught in it. When she was sure it was secure she let go and allowed the stone to dangle just above her chest. Ann smiled warmly as the new accessory.

"It looks beautiful on you," she complimented.

"You really think so?" Zim asked, looking down at it unsurely.

"Yes I do. I mean I know it's not my place to say so, but you should think about wearing it more often."

"Maybe I will. But for now I want to check on Don. Room 6 right?"

The redhead nodded.

"Good. Well...thanks," Zim said with a small wave as she walked off.

"You're welcome," Ann said softly, a touch of sadness in her voice.

Zim missed the words though as she was too focused on finding the room her childhood friend was in. Thankfully it didn't take too long and she slowed down as she approached the room marked with the number "6". She took a deep breath to prepare herself then slowly stepped into the room. She felt a mix of relief and pain when she saw Don laying peacefully in one of the beds, the soft beeping of a heart monitor letting her know that he was alive. She sat down in the chair next to the bed then reached over and placed a hand gently on top of his. His forest green eyes opened and instantly focused on her.

"Hey," he greeted quietly.

"Hey idiot," she greeted back, a sad and relieved smile on her face.

"Geez I'm still in the hospital bed here," he protested jokingly.

"Well it's your own fault. What were you thinking pulling a stunt like that?"

"That it would look really, really cool."

She shook her head. "And you wonder why I called you an idiot?"

"No, just wondering if you could wait til I'm out the door first."

"No such luck," she teased.

"So what did the doctor say anyway?" Don asked, a little scared.

"She said you're going to be just fine and should be out of here tonight."

He sighed and laid his head back on the pillow. "Well that's a relief."

"No kidding," she sighed.

"Course it's not like I should have been worried at all. You know what they say, 'Nothing stops a Stoppable."

Zim chuckled and shook her head. "And I thought my family motto was lame."

"Eh you work with what ya got," Don shrugged then finally noticed something different around his friend. "Hey, what's that?"

She looked down at where his had inclined his head towards the necklace she was wearing.

"Oh this," she remarked, cradling it a bit. "You know this, it's my good luck charm."

"But...you're wearing it."

"Yeah? So?"

"It's just...different. Looks good though."

"Thanks," she smiled.

"So what brought that on?"

A strange, slightly uneasy look crossed her face.

"You know it's the weirdest thing," she mused. "The doctor that worked on you suggested I wear it."

"And you did it?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Caught me off guard too. But she was just so...nice and warm, it's like I couldn't say no. The really weird part is that she seemed kinda...familiar."

"Familiar? Like familiar how?"

"I...don't know."

Don gave her a concerned look. "You sure you didn't bump your head?"

She face scrunched up a bit as she glared at him.

"I'm sure," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "After all I'm not the one who tried to hook a rampaging robot."

"You're not gonna let me live that down, are you?" he asked wearily.

"Mmmmm...not for at least another month or so."

"Oh joy," he muttered, closing his eyes.

"It's your own fault," she chided.

As their conversation continued on, they were unaware that they were being watched from afar. Ann stood in the hallway with a wistful smile on her face as she continued to watch the two banter back and fourth so easily. They were young and mildly care free, able to take whatever life threw at them in stride. And through it all they were the best of friends. They reminded her so much of another couple of world saving friends she knew from so long, long ago.

But maybe this time, things will actually work out for them, she thought hopefully before she walked off to continue her rounds.

The End

Author's Notes: Hey look at that, yet another chapter finished! This one took me a bit longer than I would have liked but it was only a day so I'd say that still classifies as being on a roll. This is a good sign for my next big fic. Feel like I'm finally hitting my stride again! And with a couple of long breaks coming up maybe I'll actually get some good work done. We'll have to see.

Again this is just one of those random ideas that came to me out of no wear and that demanded to be written. It's a little scifi I know but honestly it's not too far out there considering some of the stuff we've seen on the KP show. Then of course there's adding all the other universes I've blended together in the "MI" verse and well then there ya go. Now the idea does owe a lot to Gundam Wing but what can I say the idea of huge space colonies really appealed to me.

Of course the main point of this chapter was to show off just how far the Possible and Stoppable linages will go. It's at least a hundred years into the future and perhaps even more. Or perhaps their bloodlines will finally come togther. Who knows? Honestly I'm not sure right now either, cause for the moment Zim and Don just life in this story. Still I hope you guys found it enjoyable. I tried to give them each some unique looks so they just wouldn't be carbon copies of Kim and Ron like Mim and Jon were. It really bugs me when shows do that. I mean I understand why they do it, especially live action ones but still...just doesn't sit right with me.

Oh and bonus points for anyone who can guess which anime series Nanvel is visiting from.

Now I know the other thing all you guys are wondering about. This mysterious Ann Kredible character. She seems kind of...familiar doesn't she? But it couldn't who we all think it is, could it? Hmm...I don't know. Maybe...

*Taps chin thoughtfully then walks off.*