Ron could only watch in horror as Shego descended her plasma blinding him from looking directly at her. When she hit the explosion was incredible throwing rocks, debris, and a red mist across the room. Ron wiped his face and it came back red as blood began to fall like rain.
As Ron wiped his face vigorously he realized that the red liquid was not blood. "What is this stuff?"
"It's coolant", said Drakken.
As the smoke and debris field began to clear, so everyone could now see the tableau before them. Shego's strike had opened a six-foot hole in the wall to the side of where the Raider leaned precariously against it. The hole had broken into piping that contained the red coolant material that now sprayed out into the room.
Shego stood over the helpless form of the Raider frozen in mid strike. Her head whipped around to stare at her eldest daughter. The expression on her face was a mixture of pain, rage, disappointment, and confusion. "Why Gracie…Why should I stay my hand?"
"It's not who you are", pleaded Gracie.
"It's who I am today", sneered Shego.
Gracie had never seen her parent like this before. She had never seen this side of Shego. She had never been truly scared of her. Words failed her and her mouth moved but no words came out.
Everyone in the room stood still as the standoff between parent and daughter played out. The time displacement equipment hummed quietly in the background. The battle outside seemed to quiet and for just an instance an almost thundering silence filled the room.
"So… sorry…momma…so…sorry", said the Raider as he began to slowly sink to the floor. All eyes in the room turned toward the Raider.
"Enough of this crap", said Shego as she grabbed the Raider by the front of his broken armor and with her other hand pulled off his mask. The sight that followed was more terrible than any nightmare she had ever experienced before. Shego backed away from the Raider her anger forgotten and replaced by disbelief.
"Good God," said Anne Possible as she beheld the face of the Raider.
"It just can't be", said Kim in denial of her own eyes.
"What?" said Drakken.
The first thing Ron noticed was the blood, so much blood. The Raider's nose was obviously broken and blood ran freely from one nostril. His lips were split and bloody foam drooled from between the broken lips and teeth. One of the Raider's eyes was almost already swollen shut. However, the eye that was open stared back with the olive-green color of Kim's eyes. The Raider's hair was the long black tresses of Shego with some red highlights. The Raider's skin was the rosy complexion of Kim with the facial and cheek structure of Shego.
Ron jumped up and pulled out his Kimmunicator as he approached the Raider and Shego. "Wade can you read me?"
"Yes I can Ron. I've been trying to reach all of you for some time but there was too much interference. Is everyone all right?" said Wade as his face appeared on the Kimmunicator's tiny screen.
Ron looked to the still burning form of the Proconsul's robotic suit and he could guess why the interference had stopped. "Hard to say right now but can this thing perform a genetic scan?" Ron referred to the Kimmunicator.
"Of course it can if it has some blood", said Wade indignantly.
"Blood is not a problem right now". Ron held the device up to the Raider's bloody face and the Kimmunicator began scanning the sample.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Gracie turned around and picked up the GJ bag but the sound she heard from it was not encouraging. It was the sound of something broken. She quickly opened the bag and found the files, the photograph, and the broken flash drive. Apparently she had crushed it when she had tripped over the bag. Damn, damn, damn swore Gracie in her head. She knew she did not have that much time. She grabbed the bag, the journal, and her Kimmunicator and ran down the steps of the control platform. George raced along with her and she scooped him up and placed him on her shoulder.
Anne saw Gracie running by on her way out of the room. "Gracie where are you going?"
"Sorry Grandma but I have to finish something, I will be right back".
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Ron what am I comparing this sample too?" asked Wade.
"You have Kim and Shego's genetic data profiles don't you?" said Ron.
"Yes…" said Wade questioningly.
"Compare it to them and quickly". The Raider finally reached the floor and Ron lay him down as even as he could with the damage to his arms and legs. "Dr. Possible I need you now" yelled Ron over his shoulder.
"What are you doing Stoppable?" questioned Shego.
"Go see to Kim", said Ron.
"I don't care what he looks like or what the genetics say, he is the fucker responsible for all of this", raged Shego, who was quickly getting over her shock and getting angry again.
Ron turned his head and locked eyes with Shego while still kneeling next to the prone form of the Raider. "See to your wife and my friend, now", he insisted.
Shego stood her ground for a few seconds and then turned and moved to take Kim from Anne who quickly ran to the Raider's side.
"Ron I have some results from that sample", Wade's voice sounded over the Kimmunicator.
"Go ahead Wade", said Ron.
"Alright this is a very fast and rough result and this sample is really messed up. There are markers of serious genetic manipulation all over this thing. However, there are definite indications of relation to both Kim and Shego in this sample. I would say that this person is a close relative or better yet a direct descendant of both of them".
"You're saying this sample probably comes from an offspring?"
"Ninety-eight percent probability of that at this time but like I said this is only a rough estimate".
It didn't take long for Anne's trained medical mind to come to a quick diagnosis of the Raider's condition. He was dying. "Ron he's going to need emergency medical services if not surgery in the next few minutes".
"Wade what is GJ's ETA at our location?" asked Ron.
"Maybe eight or nine minutes out now". Ron glanced to Anne and she slowly shook her head in the negative.
"Gracie we need Gracie", shouted Ron.
"She left just a little bit ago", said Anne.
"Left? Where did she go?"
"I don't know. She said she would be right back".
"It doesn't matter now", said the Raider beneath them. Ron and Anne glanced down at the Raider as blood bubbled from between his lips. "Gracie knows what she has to do and I at least got the chance to know all of you. It is enough, I am ready".
"You don't get off that easy. There is a story behind you and I for one want to hear it", said Ron.
Shego supported Kim as she looked at the prone form of the Raider. "Who is he?" she asked?
"I don't know", said Shego as she held her wife.
"I'm sorry Sheila. I didn't know this would happen. I truly didn't", said Drakken from the other side of Kim. Both Kim and Shego looked from the Raider to the pale blue face of the former arch-enemy and villain partner. "I promise you I will never become like him", said Drakken as he indicated the still smoldering remains of the Proconsul that lay across the room.
"Thank you Drew", said Kim as she reached out and took his hand. Shego merely snorted in response and Kim quickly elbowed her indicating that she be nice.
Anne watched the exchange between her daughter, daughter-in law, and Drakken. Then she leaned down to the Raider. "If I understand your purpose here then I would have to say you may have just succeeded in altering the future". The olive eye of the Raider met Anne's and he took her hand and squeezed gently. "What is your name?" asked Anne.
"Never had a true name, it is a testimony to the life of a person not remembered and best forgotten", said the Raider as a series of bloody coughing interrupted any further talking.
"I want to see him", said Kim as she began pulling them toward the Raider.
"Kim this may not be what you want to see", said Shego.
Kim turned to her wife, her face pleading. "Please Eme, I have to see for myself". Shego looked to Drakken and they both helped Kim over to where Ron and Anne continued to try to stabilize the Raider.
Kim stood at the head of the Raider and looked down at the bloody face below her. The Raider saw the movement and his one open eye looked up into Kim's. None of this made any sense. Or did it? She had to know. Kim knelt by his head and reached out to touch his hair. The hair was dirty and filled with sweat, coolant, and blood but it was his hair. As a mother she knew it was him and she remembered. Was it really less than an hour ago she had held him in her arms?
"Why", whispered Kim.
The lone eye of the Raider watched her and Kim saw all hope drain away from him. "Never forgive", was his whispered response.
Kim remembered the exchange that had taken place on his ship. Suddenly the birth, the battle, the exhaustion, and the memories were too much for her and her eyes rolled back and she fainted. Shego and Drakken caught her and laid her down next to the Raider.
"Anne", yelled Shego and Kim's mother quickly came over and checked on her daughter.
"She needs medical care as well. Where is Gracie?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Gracie reached the computer room and threw the GJ bag down. She began rifling through cabinets and drawers looking for what she needed. She found it in a desk drawer and it was brand new and still in the original packaging. She tore into the packaging and when she extracted the contents she found a flash drive exactly like the one she had before.
"Perfect. As if it was meant to be. I hate time travel", said Gracie as she booted up the computer. She plugged in the drive and found a webcam attached to the computer and switched it on. George jumped behind the webcam and like a Hollywood director pointed it at Gracie. The she began recording.
"Hello ... sorry. This message is twofold. First message is for Vega One. We have never met before but I am your sister…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Wade how much longer until GJ gets here" asked Ron.
"ETA is still three to four minutes", said Wade.
Gracie ran back into the time displacement room carrying the GJ bag on one shoulder and George on the other. She quickly ran back up the stairs to the control platform.
"Gracie we need you over here", yelled Anne when she saw Gracie run up the stairs.
"Just a second I have to finish something".
"Young lady you listen to your grandmother right now", said Shego in her command voice as she held Kim.
"Sorry momma but this has to come first or all this won't mean anything".
"What?" said Shego? Gracie had never actively defied her before. The time displacement equipment began to hum loudly and a new oval portal began to form except this one was larger than the ones previously created. This one was horizontal and set below the entire apparatus and comprised the entire platform.
"There that should do it", said Gracie as she picked up the GJ bag, which contained the files, photograph, and new flash drive. She closed the journal and placed it inside the bag. Then ran back down the stairs took out her Kimmunicator and placed it in the bag as well. As she came across the room she passed the middle platform, where the displacement device sat, and flung the bag up to it where it landed in the middle of the apparatus.
Just after the bag landed the portal moved upwards swallowing the entire platform and then disappeared leaving nothing behind.
"Gracie what have you done? We need that thing to get the baby back", said Shego.
"The baby is already back momma", Gracie pointed at the prone form of the Raider. "He has been back the entire time. He has been fighting for us all this time". Gracie knelt next to her mother first. "Even when he was fighting against us".
"Your mother is all right he needs you more now", said Anne as she reached out to grasp Gracie's hand and squeeze it for encouragement. Gracie went to the Raider's side and Ron moved to allow her access to him. Gracie looked down at the broken body of whom she now knew was her brother.
The Raider saw Gracie and tried to push her away with his one good arm. "No…Gracie… No".
Gracie leaned over him and pushed his arm away. "If you have learned anything about me you ought to know that I am not about to sit here and watch my baby brother die".
Gracie began calming her mind and marshalling her thoughts. She had never tried to help someone this injured before. This day had been so long and she was so tired. She placed her hands on the Raider and brought all of her energy to bear. Please God in heaven, she prayed, give me the strength to help and to heal.
Gracie closed her eyes and envisioned her power as column of golden light stretched out on an infinite field. She was a meta-human, a psionic, who could use her energy to mend and heal by correcting the imbalance in the energy of other individuals. Thus mending bones and closing wounds. She could sense the energy of all those around her but they were passive energies and not active like her own. Particularly evident were her momma's energy which shown like a green column of light and her Uncle Ron's which sparkled with a blue energy radiance. Only this time on the infinite field of energy she was not alone.
She sensed the Raider's energy there as well. Not as a passive force but an active one like her own. He was meta-human, a psionic, like her but his powers were different. His were psychometabolitic in nature so that he could use his energy to increase his physical abilities. He could become faster, stronger, tougher, and even denser as long as his mental energy held.
But now she saw his energy as a column of darkness shrouded in a veil of dark armor composed of emotions of regret, fear, and shame. Never before had anyone actively fought against her power but the darkness would not permit her light to enter. She had always considered her power to be a passive one but she knew that if she was to succeed she needed to penetrate that darkness.
She struck first with her feelings of friendship and family. The golden light pierced the darkness and drove it back. The Raider could no longer deny her claim of family. She was his sister and when she played back their interactions from the start she saw the signs that showed it. He really had never lied to her and that thought both amused and angered her. It showed that deep down he was her friend no matter how hard he tried to deny it.
Can't be friends called the darkness. Betrayal will only make it worse. Can't trust. Can't hope. The darkness writhed and churned in response.
The betrayal has already happened and I am still here. The whole family is still here. It may not have been nice but in the end I chose to support you even knowing what you did and who you were.
She struck next with her belief. The golden light cleaving into the darkness tearing off the armor piece by piece. She struck with her belief that good will win in the end. That the world is worth fighting for. That a just and merciful God is present in the universe and present in everyone within that universe.
The darkness responded pushing back against the light. The idea of good is relative and changes so that what is good one day may be bad the next. The world no matter how many times it is saved is always threatened again. It is a futile and empty to fight for it again and again. The idea of any God is without proof or reason but only full of self-worship and vanity.
It is not about proof, it is about faith. Faith in God, faith in myself, faith in my friends, faith in my family, and faith in my brother. Faith that no matter how many times the world is saved, it is worth saving.
Gracie felt so tired and her light began to fade when suddenly the columns of blue and green energy began merging with her own. Gracie felt her Momma's and Uncle's hands upon her shoulders as they gave their energy to her. Reinvigorated she began her attack anew.
She struck next with her love. Her love shown like a golden blazing column of fire that surrounded and began to consume the darkness. I love you and I'm convinced you love me. Love is the miracle that brought you here to save me and love can save anyone, even you.
The darkness fell back upon itself cowering before her love. Love is fleeting and transient. It is an illusion swallowed by time, familiarity, and complacency.
Love is the great equalizer, pleaded Gracie. Love is the companion of time and a constant friend who travels with you. How could you have endured all that you have endured if you did not have love?
Finally she struck with her ultimate weapon. This time the golden light did not blaze with brilliance but instead offered only the dimmest radiance of an open hand. She struck with forgiveness.
The darkness fell back further writhing and screaming in pain. Gracie was immediately struck with an image of her mother. In that image she saw her mother as fierce, angry, and certain with the words "Never forgive".
That may be true Gracie admitted. Some may never forgive. But in the end they are not the ones that truly matter. There is only one person you can't run from, can't hide from, can't lie too, and can't buy off. She searched their combined memories and pulled forth her own example. She pulled forth an image of a small and tiny hand gripping the gloved finger of a red masked man. Give that baby the chance that he has been waiting all these long years for. Forgive yourself.
The darkness dissolved before her and her energy spread out and flowed over the Raider like she had never experienced before. The effect was exhilarating and frightening at the same time as she felt her power expand and mix with the Raider's energy that now shown as a yellowish, not black, color which combined with her golden light.
Gracie opened her eyes to find Shego and Ron holding her shoulders and her hands wrapped in the Raider's hands. The Raider looked so much better than he did before. Both eyes were open and his arms and legs were straight and unbroken.
"You did it Gracie. He's stable now", said Anne as she continued to monitor the Raider's condition.
Just then soldiers of GJ stormed into the room followed by medical personnel and the Director herself.
The Raider pulled Gracie's hands up to his face and kissed her fingers. Gracie leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Why did you fight me?" asked Gracie.
The Raider looked at her and then the people around them. "In the end it may have been more merciful if you had just let me go".
Gracie now looked up at all the people that now hovered around them. "I have faith in them".
"Very well I will acquiesce, but only because I have faith in you".
Everyone stood out of the way as Kim and the Raider were loaded into portable medical beds by Anne and the GJ medical staff.
"Glad to see you made it Betty. Now maybe someone will be able to tell me just what the fuck actually happened here today", complained Shego as she followed Kim and the others out of the lair.
Author's Notes:
Not what you were expecting? Don't worry the "Wrath of Mom" is soon approaching.
Kim possible and all characters associated with it are the Copyrighted property of the Disney Corporation and the creation of Bob Schooley and Mark Mckorkle. Any characters of Disney's Kim Possible are used without their permission but for non-profit purposes.