~o0o~
Alone.
It was such a simple word, but it meant so much more to one Kim Possible, teen hero and world's savior as she dropped from a hovercraft and onto the skyscraper's rooftop. That singular thought – of missing the special someone in her life, of Shego – was there when she went to sleep, and there when she awoke. And while it did not hinder her day to day activities, it was an annoying itch that she just could not scratch.
Seven months, Kim thought. I haven't seen Shego for seven months. She let out a forlorn sigh. More than half a year of searching for her. I know she's out there. Faux has seen her, the Wegos have seen her. Even Mom has seen her!
It's so not fair!
She was handling their sudden separation by vigorously throwing herself at the slew of new villains that had sprung up in the wake of the Perses Virus. Days, weeks, circumnavigating the globe as she quelled every half-bit crazy with a contraption or an idea who wanted to be a villain. Surprisingly, punching bad guys was quite cathartic for her mood, though she would much rather be out searching for her could be – hopefully would be – girlfriend-in-hiding.
She's just too good at staying under the radar without Drakken to mess things up for her. A huff escaped her lips. She's a ghost without him!
She rolled her shoulders and pushed those gloomy thoughts aside, refusing to let them distract her.
There's business to take care of!
She raised an eyebrow at her surrounds as she weaved her way through all the ductwork and ventilation systems atop the roof, the floor shaking beneath her feet. Whoever had designed the tower had a flair for the dramatic, as spaced along the parapet were intricately designed grotesques. She rolled her eyes then shivered as a breeze gusted up the side of the building, the cool of Australia's winter making a nice change from the heat of Colorado's summer. Actually it wasn't that bad, considering she was used to snowy winters at home.
She rested a hand on a grotesques back and crouched down, leaning forwards.
"I'm Batman!" she announced in a deep growl, smirking at her own silliness.
She couldn't hold back a yawn as she rested against the statue, the stone rough against her touch. She was running on fumes after a week of helping fight forest fires in Southern Australia, and had been on her way to Mexico when the emergency call from Global Justice had come in.
A part of her had wanted to rebel and say no.
But she was needed.
So she was here.
This high up she had a perfect view over the city, and a clear line of sight at the destruction. Only a few blocks away a maelstrom of debris hung in the air, spinning high into the sky. It darkened the sun as it circled what remained of the city's center, the devastation within almost complete. Kim calmly took it all in before a deep, throbbing hum filled her senses, the rooftop shaking once more; in the distance buildings exploded upwards and outwards, their wreckage joining the expanding vortex of chaos above. It was all terrible and fascinating to behold, but that was just another day in the life of Kim Possible.
She narrowed her gaze then activated her wrist kimmunicator. "How's the sitch, Wade?"
"Not good," Wade promptly replied, his frowning face on screen. "It's increased in size a thousand fold since we were first contacted, and it's definitely electromagnetic in nature. I'm agreeing with Global Justice that it's most likely stolen Lorwardian technology." He looked away, typing quickly. "Whatever's doing it, it's pumping out so much interference that it's impossible to scan what's going on inside."
"What'll communications be like once I'm in?"
"Sketchy, at best. Most likely none."
"And the new suit? I know we haven't fully tested all its systems yet."
"The Mark Six Battlesuit will be fine. It's fully shielded against any and all outside influences."
"Like the Dementor Incident?"
"Exactly!"
It was a sore point for both of them, more so for Wade. He had taken it personally that Professor Dementor had remotely taken control of the original battlesuit, and had made sure that with each and every upgrade that the suit could never again be hacked or tampered with.
Kim turned back to the vortex, knowing full well what going in blind would mean. These were the most dangerous of missions – when she had no contact with Wade or any backup, plus an unknown villain waiting for her at the end. Too many times she had arrived home bloody and bruised from just such an operation. It starkly brought up that she had promised her parents that she would be more careful these days, but as the maelstrom expanded once more, she knew there was no other choice.
"Old school it is!" she stated.
"Roger that," Wade replied.
"Well then, inform Global Justice that I'm going in!"
"Will do, and go save the day."
"Kim out."
She saluted him goodbye and switched off her kimmunicator, then stood up. She wasn't worried about being seen, the electromagnetic interference went two ways. Plus she was on top of a distant skyscraper. Outfitted in her long-sleeved, purple mission t-shirt, black pants, grey gloves, and sturdy combat boots, she played with a plain silver bracelet sitting snugly around her wrist as she memorized a route through the devastation.
Happy with a path, she drew her grappling gun.
No Wade for backup. No Shego to look forward to. Just me and a mystery villain. She fastened the grapples claw to the grotesque, then huffed. I should be in Acapulco following up on that lead about Shego, not here. She idly traced a fingertip along the statue's flared wing.
"I bet you don't have any relationship problems."
She tested the claw's hold three times before she stepped up onto the parapet, a dizzying drop just a hand's-breath away. She looked down without a hint of fear then swan dived off the roof, grinning as she hurtled towards the ground. At the last possible instant she pressed a button on her grappling gun to slow her descent, the muscles in her arm taking the strain as she spun about, descending feet first.
Touchdown!
She raised the gun above her head and activated a switch, and in a few seconds the cable had fully retracted into its housing. Holstering the device, she set off at a brisk jog along the deserted street, her mind firmly in mission mode.
~o0o~
"MWAHAHAHAHA!" a man's voice cackled out insanely from nearby.
Kim wiped the sweat from her brow, her journey to the epicenter of the maelstrom as hard as she had envisaged. It had started out fairly easy, but the closer she got the more dangerous it had become. Yet it wasn't the razor sharp shards of glass and other falling debris sporadically hitting her battlesuit's shield that had worried her, it was the bus sized chunks of masonry, and bigger, to be concerned about.
It's like a warzone, she thought, looking around at the remnants of the city center. Or the aftereffects of the Lorwardian invasion.
She suppressed a shiver at the recollection, her face and clothes now covered in a thin layer of dirt and grime. A quick glance at her wrist kimmunicator showed her that she was disconnected from Wade, but that had been expected. With nothing else to go on but the villain's voice, she inched a little higher and peeked out from behind some rubble.
So… what am I up against–?
She slapped a hand across her mouth as she stifled a laugh, spinning back out of sight. She had expected almost anything, but not this.
Oh - My - God!
She took a moment to compose herself then once again peeked out from behind her hiding place.
Standing on the raised platform of what had once been a fountain was a portly, middle-aged man dressed in brightly colored, too tight, yellow and purple spandex. Completing the fashion disaster was a high-collared, red sequined cape, a feathery owl mask and sandals. He currently had his arms raised, waving them about as he stared at the vortex in the sky, and attached to his hands and running up his forearms were a pair of high-tech gauntlets.
It was here that Kim focused her gaze.
Ahh, so that's how you're doing it!
She also took note of the twelve beefy HenchCo henchmen sitting nearby, all of them looking quite bored. While the situation was deadly serious, she had to suppress a giggle as she returned her gaze to the villain. She found his ridiculous outfit brightening her day, so she decided to go easy on him.
Yeah, he's destroyed a city so he's going to jail, but I can see that he has no idea what he's doing. She moved back and stood up, pondering the situation. I could try the softly-softly approach? No battlesuit, and see if he'll just surrender? She pursed her lips. Risky, but worth it. And if he does just give up, I'll still have time to follow up on that lead about Shego.
"MWAHAHA!" the villain yelled out. "See, my loyal minions? See how I have conquered all before me?"
"Sure, boss," one of the henchmen promptly replied.
"Now, nothing can stand in my way–"
"I wouldn't say that," Kim called out as she stepped into view, hands on her hips.
"Ahhhh!" the villain shrieked as he jumped in fright, spinning about with wide eyes.
Kim stood there in just her mission outfit, her gaze firmly on the villain and thus on his badly fitting uniform. Especially on how it didn't cover enough here and was definitely too tight down … there. Yes, her thoughts were on the feminine form these days, but that didn't mean she still didn't appreciate a sexy guy. This villain, however, was not. And 'down there' was not something a girl should be forced to stare at.
Shego makes spandex look good. Think of Shego! Think of–
"Wow! It's you! It's really, really you!" the villain exclaimed as he excitedly bounced from foot to foot. "I thought they'd send Captain Australia or The Echidna, but to face the Kim Possible." He punched the air. "Oh yeah, I'm in the big time now, guys!"
"Well done," a henchman said.
"Way to go, boss," another henchman softly cheered.
Oookay… Kim thought, looking at them all. This all got pretty darn weird pretty darn quick.
"Guys, guys, take a photo of us together," the villain said as he jumped down and trotted towards Kim.
Um? "NO!" Kim snapped as she held up a hand, her sharp word bringing the villain up short. I'm used to a little bit of hero worship, but this is totally awkweird. Especially from a guy I'm about to arrest.
"I– I really would like a photo," the villain said, "but I guess we're on opposite sides right now, huh?"
"Totally," Kim replied. Phew! "I'm glad you understand… Um, and you are?"
"And I am?"
Yeah, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, she thought, taking in his blank expression. "And your name is?"
"Oh, sorry!" He reached into his top. Kim readied herself for a surprise attack. And he pulled out a small, crumpled up piece of card, cleared his throat, then read from it. "I, am Dr. Steel, Master of the Magnetic Arts!" He glanced at his minions. "How was that?" He received a thumbs up, so returned to his reading. "And I, Kim Possible, am your, um… foe!" His shoulders sagged as he shook his head. "No-no-no, that just doesn't sound right. Not now that it's you!"
"How about nemesis?" Kim piped up, always willing to help.
"Nemesis? Nemesis?" he muttered, stroking his chin in thought. It didn't take long before he smiled. "Yes! That's perfect!" He pointed a finger at Kim. "I am your nemesis!"
"You tell her, boss!"
"Well, now that we've got the pleasantries out of they way," Kim said. "I don't suppose you're just willing to surrender? You know, without a fuss and all?"
"Surrender?"
"It'll save you and your men a lot of bumps and bruises in the end."
"But– but why would I surrender? I've only just started my life of villainy!"
"And why did you do that?" And why on earth did you choose such a ridiculous costume?
"Why?"
"Yes, why? Why become a villain in the first place?" she asked exasperatedly. "You invented a piece of tech that you could've sold for millions, and yet, instead of doing that, you chose to become a criminal. So why? What makes the life of a villain so much better than anything else you could've decided to do?"
"I… have my reasons. And after today, I'll be famous. I'll get me a cool lair and more henchmen." He licked his lips. "Then, a sidekick."
Kim kept a straight face as she mentally facepalmed. About how Shego had ruined a lot of the men on the planet, and quite a few of the women too. Getting them all to think that if you became a villain, you ended up with a super sexy sidekick. One that wore a skintight suit. Stupid or not, idiotic or not, he was wielding a weapon that had devastated a city.
"Look, you seem like an okay kinda guy, are you sure I can't talk you into surrendering?" Kim said. "It's me, after all. So I'll totally put in a good word with Global Justice for you, when they arrive." C'mon, c'mon, please listen to reason. Don't go down the crazy route.
"I've conquered a city. I'll never surrender!" he shouted with gleeful defiance.
Dammit! She grimaced and looked him right in the eyes. "Listen, I'm trying to make this easy for you, 'cause the agents on their way won't be looking to subdue you!"
"You're lying," he gasped, glancing about at the ruined landscape.
"I wish I wasn't! But you've destroyed a city, and the U.N's charter states that–"
"I won't let you trick me!" he yelled.
"It's not a trick!" she yelled right back, her hopes fading as she watched him embrace the mad scientist within.
"I don't care! You're against me! You're all against me!" He leaped back, pointing a finger at Kim. "Now taste defeat, Kim Possible, at the hands of the mighty Dr. Steel! Henchmen, attack!"
Kim turned to look at the henchmen as they grabbed their power staves and headed towards her. And it was just that, a look, yet it conveyed so much more. It promised a world of pain, and blood, and more. One by one they stopped until they had all shuffled to a halt. Big beefy guys brought to a standstill by a simple look.
"Uh, boss… it's Kim Freakin Possible."
"Oh? Yes. Right. Sorry." He gestured at Kim. "You may have saved the world, Kim Possible, but I–" He waved a hand and Kim was almost pulled off her feet as all her equipment flew from her. "I have disarmed you. While you–" He chuckled with insane glee. "You didn't pack your super suit." He glared at his men. "There, she's helpless. Now, get her!"
Unfortunately for the henchmen they were stock standard HenchCo employees. This meant that they were intensely loyal to whoever was paying their bills and not the brightest around. They had been given an order, and all they could see was a lone teenage girl standing against them. It was the same mistake all the villains, terrorists, and evildoers made, never mind Kim's reputation.
She adjusted her stance, watching as the henchmen advanced.
I really hoped we could've done this the easy way. She clenched her fists. Guess it was to much to hope for.
In the old days – well, about a year ago – she would have waited for them to attack first, but she had moved beyond all that. She crouched and leapt, spinning in midair.
A kick to a henchman's head sent him flying into his companions, and before she touched the ground she angled her body and shattered another's knee. She landed and rolled and came at them head on, taking full advantage of their shock and confusion. Her next strike splintered a man's leg, bone ripping through skin, blood spraying across the ground as he dropped.
She tuned out his screams, there was a city to save.
She catapulted over their heads, striking quick and fast, two more henchmen crying out in pain as they dropped. A falling staff became a viable weapon, and she grabbed it. Spinning it around her body she slammed it's charged end into a henchman's face, a satisfying crunch running up her arms as he flew backwards. She danced away then swung the staff in a wide arc before leaping high into the air, her eyes glimmering with excitement. She lived for this, the adrenalin and the adventure. When her life was on the line. It was everything. She landed and darted amongst them, and where she stopped, a henchman fell, moving on before they had even hit the ground.
In reality the battle had been over before it had even begun, and soon she stood victorious over the broken, groaning bodies of her foes. She twirled the staff over her head and slammed it into the ground, leaving it there, and flicking the hair from her face she turned and looked at Dr. Steel.
"Ready to come quietly?" she asked, her voice still reasonable.
"St-Stay back!" Dr. Steel squealed in panic, his eyes wide.
She ignored him and walked forwards. It was time to end this.
Dr. Steel stepped back and fell over then scrambled away as he pointed both of his trembling hands at her. Rebar oozed from the ground and wrapped itself around Kim's ankles, then the whole world went mad. Nearby buildings exploded outwards and upwards as tons of metal, steel and reinforced concrete flew into the air. It hung there for a split-second before it descended upon Kim, no way to escape.
Hoo-boy, this'll be interesting! she thought.
She disappeared beneath the maelstrom of debris, until a giant, silent tomb covered where she had been standing. It left the area a choking, dust filled haze. And in the silence of its aftermath, a coughing figure slowly rose to its feet.
"I– I did it?" Dr. Steel mumbled in awe. "I defeated Kim Possible?" He blinked a few times before punching the air in victory. "I defeated Kim Possible!" he yelled out proudly to the world. With a wave of his hands he yanked the mound apart, then stared bug-eyed at what was revealed. Kim stood there in a perfectly spherical hollow, alive, unharmed, and resplendent in her white and blue battlesuit.
She glared at him, no mercy in her eyes.
"No–" Dr. Steel mumbled.
She took a slow, deliberate step towards him.
"Please–" he whimpered as he took a step back. In desperation he sent three street lights spearing at her chest.
She dodged two of them with catlike grace, the third she cut in two with a glowing green energy blade extending from the back of her wrist. She rolled to her feet and charged, dismissing the blade as she went … then turned invisible.
Dr. Steel gasped and frantically looked around for her.
"Oh God! Oh God! Oh–" he blubbered as he turned to run, but he only made it two steps before an unseen fist connected with his jaw, lifting him off the ground.
"Next time, take the easy option!" Kim said sternly as she looked down at Dr. Steel's unconscious form.
With the villain taken care of and knowing Global Justice was on the way, she went into cleanup and triage mode. She pulled the still-vibrating gauntlets off Dr. Steel, retrieved her stolen gear, and bound him securely before turning back to the gloves. She sat down and dragged them onto her lap, and gave them her undivided attention.
This one to disable? she thought, looking at a bright red switch. Or this? A dial catching her eye. Or maybe these? She wiped her brow and looked inside, knowing that the wrong choice on such a device could literally blow up in her face. She eventually decided upon an unassuming button by the wrist.
Here goes nothing!
She pushed the button and the ever-present hum from the gloves died away. It was immediately followed by the circling vortex of debris plummeting back to earth. The sight and sounds of half a city raining back to earth were terrifying and thoroughly deafening, but Kim didn't even bat an eye as she tapped on her kimmunicator.
"Hey Wade, what's the sitch?" she shouted, over the din.
"Kim?" Wade exclaimed, looking up from his keyboard.
"The bad guy's down for the count, along with his henchmen."
"That's great." He looked past Kim at all the debris raining down. "You okay? Any issues?"
"I'm good. The suit performed above and beyond."
"I can… see that…" he said slowly, his eyes flicking between Kim, the falling city, and another screen.
"It was no big," she said, dismissively waving a hand in the air. "The guy was a total noob, all things considered." She reached over and pulled off Dr. Steel's mask to reveal an unassuming face. "Inform Global Justice and Sadie of the situation, then see what you can find out about this guy." With a flick of her wrist she tossed the mask aside. "For now, I have a few injured henchmen to look after."
"Roger that, Kim. Glad you're okay. Wade out."
Triage time! she silently announced as she headed towards the henchmen. Out of nowhere she remembered the start of her new life. Of Shego showing up in her bedroom and helping her mom look after her.
I wish I knew then what I know now. I could've chatted her up big time. Especially when she… She blushed as the erotic daydream washed over her, enticing her to stay. Skin against skin. Lips exploring intimate places for the very first time. She actually had to pinch herself to focus back on the here and now.
I'm so lookin' forward to caring for her sexy butt the next time she gets an ouchie.
~o~
Kim stood up and stretched her back, and looked down at her handiwork. It had taken her a while to treat all the henchmen's wounds, but she was happy with a job well done. True, she had inflicted all their injuries, but that was no reason not to look after them as well. Her mother was a doctor, so it was ingrained into her to care for those in need.
"Take it easy, Chris," she said, gently squeezing a henchman's arm in support. "Help will be here soon."
She received a grateful nod in reply, and headed back over to Dr. Steel. She double checked his bindings then sat down, her elbow on a knee and chin in hand, as she looked him up and down.
Arnold Plimpton: former science professor, then former janitor. You caused so much terror and destruction, and for what? So you could get some revenge? Or did you always plan to play the villain? She had seen it before and would see it again. How a good idea, some brains, and a bad situation could send someone mad with power. I hope it was worth it, Arnold. 'Cause you're going away for a long, long time.
She sighed and stared over at her waiting hovercraft with barely contained impatience. She needed to be elsewhere. Specifically: Acapulco, and following up on that lead about Shego. Unfortunately she was stuck here waiting for Global Justice, plus they would want to question her in detail about everything, thus delaying her even more. Let alone how they were going to handle her unorthodox decision about the gauntlets.
Dr. Director's not going to like it, but I have an ace up my sleeve.
She turned her gaze to the clear winter's sky.
"I–I'm sorry…" Arnold Plimpton mumbled.
"Hey, you're awake?" Kim exclaimed, looking down at her prisoner.
"I'm sorry I tried to hurt you!"
"It's fine," Kim said, patting him on the shoulder. "You're not the first to try, and you won't be the last."
"I–I'm not a violent person, honest. But I just… lost it." He looked away. "I was just so angry…"
"I know." I know everything, thanks to Wade. She gave him a reassuring smile. "So here's what I'm gonna do…"
She leaned down, even though she didn't have to, and started to talk quickly and quietly. Arnold's eyes grew wider and wider the longer Kim went on, and by the end he had tears in them. She held out a hand and he vigorously shook it as best he could, words failing him.
"It's okay," Kim said. "I–"
They both looked up as two sleek Global Justice jets soared into view, coming to a halt right above.
About time! Kim thought as she watched them slowly descend. She squeezed Arnold's hands and gave him a conspiratorial wink then walked over to the jets landing zone, fingers impatiently drumming on her arm. No, no, take your time! It's not like I don't have anywhere else to be!
With a loud roar from their VTOL engines the two jets landed with military precision, their side hatches slamming open to unload numerous agents in grey suits, black helmets and shock harnesses, all with drawn weapons. Kim watched as one group surrounded the henchmen, another forming a perimeter around Arnold Plimpton.
Overkill, much? They know I have everything under control.
"Miss Possible?"
Kim turned at the hail, two agents approaching her. They looked extremely officious in their pristine blue-gray uniforms, dark sunglasses on their stony faces.
"Hey guys," Kim said as she walked over to meet them, ready to be on her way.
"I'm Agent Carter and this is Agent Hunt," the burlier of the two agents said. "On behalf of Global Justice we'd like to thank you for your invaluable assistance in neutralizing the threat."
"It was no big," Kim replied, going on automatic. She watched as Arnold was marched past her and into one of the waiting jets, the henchmen still being looked at by some medical personnel.
"Since it's going to take us a while to process all the individuals and the technology involved–"
Here it comes.
"–Let's begin your debriefing."
Ugh! She gave them a perfunctory smile. "Sorry guys, but I'm gonna have to bail on the whole debriefing thing."
She felt sorry for them at her unexpected reply. It was clearly not something they were used to by the looks on their faces. She had a working relationship with Global Justice. Was on their want list to join. Yet she wasn't in Global Justice. She skirted the grey areas as a hero and a vigilante which meant she did not officially answer to them. But in a way, she did. Again, it was a grey area.
"I'm sorry, but we have to insist!" Agent Hunt demanded.
Typical reply, she thought. As expected. "No can do, there's someplace I've gotta be." She put her fingers between her lips and whistled, and her hovercraft ascended into the air. It flew over until it hovered above Kim, a rope ladder rolling down. She grabbed a rung, then the hovercraft slowly rose. "Rain check, kay?" She climbed up to the open hatch and paused, looking back down. "Oh, and I'm keeping the tech. I worked out a deal with Mr. Plimpton for his family."
"I– We can't allow that," Agent Hunt spluttered.
"I wasn't asking. I was telling!"
~o~
Kim climbed into the hovercraft, pulled up the ladder, and slammed the trapdoor shut. She diligently stowed Dr. Steels gauntlets in a locker then with a happy sigh she collapsed onto the cushioned seat at the back, free at last.
I know I was being being passive aggressive towards those poor agents, but gosh darn it if Dr. Director doesn't deserve it for pushing through that U.N resolution.
"Girl, you're gettin down right feisty these days," a voice chirped up from out of the hovercraft's speaker system.
"Heya Sadie," Kim replied as she stifled a yawn.
A dusky skinned woman materialized out of thin air next to Kim. She appeared to be in her early thirties, with shoulder length, finely braided hair, and an athletic build. She wore faded jeans, with a tight blouse, complimented by a stylish leather jacket and biker boots.
"Good ta see you puttin' yer foot down with those guys," Sadie said as she looked down at Kim with a smile. "You keep that sass up and soon you'll be sayin' 'no' ta them."
"It's never that simple," Kim replied. "Especially when lives are on the line."
"I know, I know," Sadie replied, holding up her hands. "But you've been running yourself ragged for them, and need a break."
So true…
Kim couldn't hold back her next yawn, her tired eyes closing as the exertions of the day caught up with her. The seat was suddenly so comfortable, the lure of sleep calling to her.
Forget'n sumthin…
"Take it easy. Have a nap," Sadie said, as relaxing music drifted through the cockpit. "I'll have you home in a jiffy."
Sleep… Yes, sleep is good… M'be dr'm of Sh'go… She smiled as she drifted off, but then she remembered…
Shego!
She sat bolt upright, both her body and her mind complaining at the sudden exertion. She was alone and in the dark, the interior of the hovercraft barely lit by the instrument panels. It was inky black outside, the Pacific Ocean far, far below as they hurtled through the stratosphere on their way home.
"Sadie, get me Wade!"
The lights instantly came on and the music faded away, then Wade's face came up on one of the dashboard's screens.
"Hey Kim, what's up?"
"That intel on Shego, where did it lead?"
"Hang on, I'll check my latest findings."
Kim leaned forwards even though she had been through this same scenario many times before. A clue involving Shego, which invariable led to nothing. And when it did pan out, Shego had already moved on. Kim rubbed the tiredness from her eyes, smiling wanly as Sadie appeared next to her. She returned her attention to Wade, her hopes rising the longer he took to scrutinize the data.
Wade looked up with a triumphant smile. "Kim–"
Please.
"–It's her!"
Kim's heart leapt at the news and she could barely suppress the indescribable longing and wild excitement that suddenly coursed through her.
Shego… she thought, her imagination already conjuring up a barrage of alluring mental images of what could be. It would be their first time together in so long and there was so much she wanted to say and do. She bit her lip in anticipation, then realized that Wade was still talking to her.
"…And that's how I pinpointed her location," Wade said, proudly. "Here, I'll bring up her suite via the smart tv."
A large holographic picture of Wade and his bedroom appeared in midair before it was replaced by an exquisitely decorated hotel room. Kim's heart leapt as an out of focus individual passed in front of the camera. She inched forwards barely able to contain herself, then Shego walked into view and dropped unceremoniously onto a couch.
It's you! Kim thought. It's really, really you! She slowly, almost hesitantly reached out and ghosted her fingers across the image. She looks good. Really, really good. A great weight flowed from her, relief born from knowing. To see Shego so relaxed and obviously well, it brought a lump to her throat.
I've been so worried, about… everything.
She shifted closer, smiling as Shego frowned. In the old days it would have caused her to tense up, but her views towards Shego's mannerisms were now quite biassed. She found the crinkle in Shego's forehead quite cute, endearing, and a tad bit sexy. The fact that Shego was dressed in a loose fitting t-shirt and some short shorts only helped those feelings.
She's so damn sexy!
She blushed as Shego threw a leg over the arm of the chair, her eyes riveted to all that skin. Technically, she was spying. And there was a whole lot of voyeurism going on as well. A part of her, a tiny part, felt torn about it all, but neither did she ask Wade to cut the feed.
Gawwwd, those legs! I just wanna–
"Why isn't she green?" Sadie asked.
Um… Kim thought, blinking in realization. Why isn't she green? She was an expert investigator, but had missed it in her desire filled haze. Oh God! Did she lose her powers? Did I do this to her? Is that why she ran? Why she's hiding? Luckily her fears were quickly quelled as she remembered that her mom, Faux, and others had all seen Shego since that night, and none of them had mentioned anything about a change in skin color. The clinching factor, Shego had used her powers to protect Faux a few months ago.
"It's a disguise," Kim stated. But for who?
"Makes sense," Wade added. "She's as widely known as you, Kim. And we know she likes her privacy."
Maybe, but I'm not so sure. Anyways it doesn't matter, I've found her! She glanced at the clock on the dashboard and did some quick maths. And I'll be there in time for dinner, with her, in Acapulco. "Sadie?"
"On it," Sadie replied, the soft hum of the hovercraft's engines rising in tone as the ship changed course and increased speed.
Kim unconsciously ran a hand through her hair, then pictured how she must look after her battle with Dr. Steel. I can't show up looking like this. Dressed like this. Dropping to her knees she opened up one of the lockers beneath the seat.
"Kim, do we need to have another talk about you coming back without your mission outfit?" Sadie asked.
"A building was dropped on me," Kim replied as she dragged out her duffel bag.
"A building!?" both Wade and Sadie exclaimed.
"A small one…" Ah-ha! "I decided it would be a good test for the suit, so I didn't bother dodging." She stood up with a change of clothes in hand, only to find two stern sets of eyes looking at her. Uh-oh. "Guys, I was fine– No need to tell anyone– Please?"
"Sorry, Kim," Wade replied, looking sheepish. "You know I promised your mom and Kimberley that I'd let them know if you were being reckless."
"As did I," Sadie said.
"But–" She took in their resolute faces and sighed "I'm not getting out of this, am I?" Two heads shook in the negative. "Can you at least wait til I'm home?"
"Of course," they both answered in unison.
Disaster averted … for now, she held up her change of attire. Sadie promptly disappeared, while Wade pushed a key to turn off his feed. Now it was just her and Shego, and while she watched, Shego pushed up her shirt and scratched her stomach.
Kim's breathing increased as she stared, unable to look away. Her clothes forgotten.
If only I were home…
It was one thing to get a little bit crazy in the privacy of her own home, it was another out in public. Sadie was technically still here. She was the hovercraft, after all. And Wade, well he was just the push of a button away. Even with all that, it didn't stop the fantasy from building in her mind.
I'm seeing her soon. Have some control…
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out a few times to focus herself, though it left her tingling from head to toe. Opening her mouth, she promptly closed it again, her cheeks heating up. The thought of getting changed in front of Shego, even though it was a one-way feed, was still too much. So she walked over and turned the video off.
Okay. Better. I can do this now. She pursed her lips, then subvocalized, "Kilo-India-Mike, One-One-Zero-Zero-Six, Pandaroo."
While wearing the battlesuit, Kim could feel – everything. It was like she was naked as the day she was born, yet at the same time covered in the strongest steel. It was a power and a responsibility that she took deadly seriously. There was subtle shimmering in the air around her as the silvery-blue power lines along the suit flared for a second, then it started to peel away from her skin. The process was slow at first but gained in speed, until the suit had completely receded into a plain silver bracelet now adorning her wrist.
She had tried to describe the unique sensation to others, but the nearest approximation she could give was like a second skin growing. It made her shiver every time.
Until the next emergency, she thought, tapping the bracelet.
She was painfully aware that she was now completely nude, so she quickly laid her clothes on the seat then delved back into her duffel bag. In no time at all she had washed herself with a handful of wet wipes, applied some deodorant, and dressed herself. And after a quick brush of her hair, she was done.
Muuuch better.
She straightened some imaginary creases out of her plain white t-shirt, the skinny jeans adorning her legs good for any occasion. She nodded in satisfaction at her attire, counting herself suitably presentable for a long-overdue meeting with a prospective girlfriend.
I can only hope… She nervously bit her lip. Rose did say that she'd fight me every step of the way.
She brought the video feed of Shego back up, butterflies suddenly filling her stomach.
Oh geez! I'm gonna do it. I'm actually gonna ask her out. What if I lose it like in High School? Like when I tried to ask Josh out? No! I can do this. Just keep it simple and ask her to dinner. There's lots of great restaurants in Acapulco, after all.
"Kim, problem! Wade called out over the intercom.
"What's the sitch?" she replied.
The holographic image split in two, one side with Shego the other showing a lavish hallway. There were over a dozen thuggish looking men outside a door in the corridor, all with drawn weapons.
"That's outside her room!" Wade said, his voice raised in concern.
"Sadie?"
"We're already going as fast as we can," Sadie replied. "ETA: fifteen minutes.
Too slow. "Wade, call her room!" She'll ignore her mobile.
One of the men knocked on the door just as the phone began to ring. Shego looked up then stood up, but she headed out of shot towards the door, not the phone.
NO!
Kim watched as one of the men held up what looked like a police badge to the peephole, followed by a thug firing his shotgun through the door. She stood there aghast. It had all happened so fast, the feed from inside the suite now nothing but static. Like a horror film. Another shot took out the lock, the door kicked open. As they entered, another man aimed at the hallway camera, and took it out.
Now Kim was truly cut off. No way to see … or to know … what was happening.
Oh God! Shego? "Wa-Wade?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"Shotgun must have taken out the tv," Wade replied, his face visibly sweating. "And there's nothing else in the room for me to connect to."
I–I know she's fine. She stepped back on wobbly legs and sat down, her face draining of color. She has to be okay. A cold dread filled her stomach. Please be okay.
~o0o~
It's been awhile since I've given you all a properly dramatic ending, so 'you're welcome'.
I had a lot of fun laying the groundwork for the continuing story. Some of the plot points I'll build upon while others are just background material, but either way I'll be interested to see who picked up on what.
~o0o~
