Thank you to Boris Yeltsin, campy, Eddy13, Uberscribbler, Jimmy1201, Bobtrumpet, Quathis, CajunBear73, Lostinthought319, airauralintensity, Lux, and AceCaps for reviewing and to everybody for reading. I'd also like to extend a thank you to those who have been favoriting and/or following this or some of my other stories.
My thanks to campy for looking over this chapter.
KP © Disney; Original Characters © the Author
A/N: Yes, it's a Monday and I'm posting. I didn't want to put up a chapter on Good Friday, and waiting until the following week seemed like a bit much. So, here's the latest installment of What's The Alma Mater …
Chapter 41: Biscuits Are Kicked
I.
"Well, this is unexpected," Kim said as she came to a stop after opening the door to her dorm room and finding Fern playing Go with Yori as Rufus watched from the side of the game board while Shego was lounging on the teen hero-turned-college student's bed reading a magazine. Old habits dying hard, Kim couldn't help but look to see what her former foe was reading; much to her relief, the periodical didn't appear to have any connection with villainy.
"Hi, Roomie," Fern said as she looked up from the game board. Rufus squeaked a hello and waved.
"Kim Possible, it is good to see you," Yori offered as she rose and bowed in greeting.
Shego kept reading her magazine and then arched an eyebrow. "So, Cupcake, you're paying fifty big ones a year to sleep on this?" she snarked as she gestured at the bed. "I've had more comfortable stays in Cell Block D."
As Shego said this, Will followed Kim, who had stepped into the room. "Whoa. Who's the boy toy, Princess? You finally get tired of Dorkable?" Shego asked.
Kim's eyes flashed and she growled. "So not in the mood, Shego," she snapped. Will merely looked non-plussed. "Stop dissing the BF."
"My name is Will Du," he said, as if oblivious to Kim and her pique "and I am not a 'boy toy'; I am a highly skilled Global Justice agent."
Shego rolled her eyes. "Sorry, boy toy, boy scout. Big difference. Not," she replied, before turning back to her reading.
"That's it," Kim snapped. "What's your sitch, Shego? And, excuse me if I seem rude, but just what are you doing here, Yori?"
"Okay, look, you said if I needed to talk about my, well, thing, with Drew, I could. I need some help," Shego snapped back. "Happy now?"
"More like ferociously curious," Kim admitted. "Yori?"
"I am now enrolled as a student at the University, Kim Possible," the ninja answered. "Sensei thought that given recent developments involving our common foe it would be prudent if I were here and able to assist you and Stoppable-san."
"Okay," Kim replied, before mumbling, "I think." It was then that she noticed the furtive yet appreciative looks that Yori and Will were exchanging. As odd as that seemed, she hoped it meant she wouldn't have to irrationally jeal about Yori and Ron. Then she turned back to her one-time adversary. "Look, Shego, I really meant what I said about talking with you about your Drew sitch, but right now I have my own ish to deal with."
Fern had come to know Kim well enough over the past couple of months to know her roommate was worried about something and had a pretty good idea what it would be. "Ron's in trouble?"
Kim grimaced as she nodded.
"What's going on?" her roommate asked.
"Ron's been kidnapped by some super-secret government black ops group."
"Let me guess. They know all about the Lorwardians," Shego said. Her earlier sass had been replaced by a no-nonsense attitude. "And you're going to get him."
Kim nodded. "Ron's always had my back and I'm not letting him down. Whoever took him will so regret this."
"You're not going alone, Kimmie," Shego said, earning a curious look from the young woman. "Nobody messes with the buff— er, Stoppable, other than me, and since I'm on hiatus from villainy …"
Will drew himself up. "I am accompanying her," he said.
"Great, Boy Scout," Shego said as she got off the bed. "It'll be a party."
"Excuse me?" he said.
"Princess and I have some history," she said to Will, then turning to Kim, added, "Stoppable, too, I guess. I'm going with you, Cupcake."
"And it would be my honor to help in your rescue of Stoppable-san," Yori offered.
"Uh, hey, you guys need another set of hands?" Fern asked. "I did learn a couple of things from Team Impossible."
Rufus, meanwhile, dropped into a kung fu stance and, as best he could which was surprisingly well, growled.
Kim smiled at Fern, then all of the assembled group who were now standing before her and said, "Thanks. You guys rock."
II.
Reeve Barkin looked at the assembled reporters, adjusted the knot of his tie, cleared his throat, and, then barked, "Ron Stoppable has been suspended from the football team."
The reporters had been expecting more this terse statement. Ron was the biggest news in college football since his breakout game. The sudden turn in his fortunes was stunning. So, processing what they had just heard, they sat in their chairs, shifted uncomfortably — and then leapt to their feet and began screaming questions.
Barkin sighed. This was like being at feeding time at the zoo. No, it was worse. It was almost as bad as having to field questions at a faculty meeting. Almost.
"Yes, you," he said, pointing at one of the reporters.
"Why?"
Barkin arched an eyebrow. He knew what exactly what the man was asking, but just couldn't help but indulge himself and so he decided to toy with his interlocutor. "Why what?"
"You know. Why was Ron Stoppable kicked off the team? Was it drugs?"
Barkin scowled. "Stoppable was not 'kicked off' the team. He was suspended per regulations. As to drugs: No. None. Zip. Nada."
"His grades?" another asked. "I've done some research and found he struggled in High School."
"Negatory. He graduate from Middleton High School and was accepted because he helped complement our student body."
Then, lurking in the back of the room, Hedda Lyne called out. ""You mean one student body …"
Everybody looked at the scandal monger.
"… Kim Possible."
For the barest of moments, Barkin froze, his expression like that of the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. Most observers would not have noticed it but for a seasoned scandalmonger like Hedda, it was enough. He tried to recover and spat out, "No comment and we're done here, people. Move out."
All of the reporters were grumbling, save Hedda. She smiled with satisfaction as she prepared to rev up the rumor mill.
III.
Fern sat next to Kim on the GJ jet. She had never seen her roommate in full mission mode. Even without the battle suit, Kim looked dangerous. Fern was glad that she wasn't going to be on the receiving end of whatever hurt her roommate was going to lay down on the folks at Area 52. It was clear this was not any mission; this situation was personal. Fern knew Kim had a lot on her mind, so she really regretted what she had to tell her. She took a deep breath and then launched into her account of her encounter with Hedda Lyne and what she had later heard about the woman's 'interview' with Samantha Sneed.
Kim listened attentively. When Fern was done, the teen-hero-turned college student rubbed her temples as she simply said, "Oy."
"I'm sorry, Roomie," Fern said sympathetically.
Kim sighed. "So not your fault," she said, then frowned. "I am so going to kick that reporter's biscuit, then it's Samantha's turn. Troy Bell and me? As if!"
"I know, I know," Fern said with a sympathetic grin, then she glanced to the front of the cabin, where Yori and Will were sitting and seemed very caught up in one another even though they were piloting the hoverjet. "So, what's the deal with those two?"
Kim peeked over at the two and smirked. "I'd like the 411 on that myself."
IV.
Scamper, Bitey, and Ron watched the frustrated personnel walk out of the room.
"You guys think they're gone?" Ron asked.
"For now," Scamper replied.
"But they'll be back," Bitey added.
"That's not good, is it?" Ron wondered nervously.
"Depends on what your opinion of probes is," Scamper offered.
"What, space probes?" Ron asked.
Bitey actually squirmed. "Uh, no. 'Aliens' aren't the only ones who like to put things in places where they don't belong."
Ron's expression made clear he didn't understand what his extraterrestrial friend was suggesting. But his confusion didn't last for long. As realization dawned, he made a face and thought, "That is sick and wrong!"
V.
"What have you got for me, Wade?" Kim asked as she looked at her wrist Kimmunicator.
"This has to be the most heavily defended place you've ever tried to enter," he replied.
"So is it going to be hard for us to get in?" Fern asked.
Her question was met by silence and an expression of disbelief on Wade's face. "You're new at this, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah," Fern replied. "It's not like I tagged along with Burn on Team Impossible's missions. Did some training with them, but that's all."
Wade relaxed and grinned. "Then Kim will tell you that there has yet to be a system that I've been unable to hack, disarm, or get around."
Kim smiled. Wade was entitled to a little boasting. "You rock, but you know that, Wade."
"Good luck," he said. The GJ plane landed and the hatch opened.
Looking at Fern and turning to the others Kim said, "Okay, guys. It's go time."
VI.
Bright lights came on and an alarm began to blare. Scamper and Bitey looked around, wondering what was happening. Normally, men with guns or scientific equipment would have rushed into the room but this time, nobody came. They did notice that Ron was smiling smugly and as much as was possible for someone floating in a containment tube actually appeared to be relaxed.
"You seem awfully calm," Scamper observed, surprised by Ron's unexpected nonchalance. The alien presumed that Ron would be, well, freaking out.
"That's because everything is Chauncey," he replied.
"'Chauncey'? What does that mean?" Bitey asked.
"It means I'd bet all the nacos in China that KP is in the house and the dudes holding us are about to get one ginormous serving of Kimmitude," Ron explained as he was wearing the biggest grin the two aliens recalled ever seeing on him. "The bad guys are going down."
VII.
Gaining entry into the secret facility was easier than expected. The hoverjet's stealth mode allowed Kim's team to approach undetected and Shego's comet power easily punched a hole through the camouflaged door that Wade had identified, concealed beneath a dilapidated pick up truck that sat alone in the middle of the desert. Everyone had scoffed, but after that, the tech genius' estimation of the installation's security proved to be accurate. First up were the lasers, then there were destruct-o-bots, and finally, live personnel with weapons confronted them.
"Stop! You are in violation of a secure facility. You will surrender now!" the lead man barked. Kim thought that save for his government issued uniform, he looked like a garden-variety henchmen. She wondered if Jack Hench was expanding his client base.
"No duh and no way," Shego said before she let loose her comet power, sending the first guards into retreat.
"Shego!" Kim chided.
"What?" the ex-villain asked.
"Tipping your hand much?" Kim asked.
"While I would normally agree with you, Miss Possible, I believe our hosts would have already made a deduction as to our capabilities," Will said. He was wearing black covert-ops clothing, Yori was garbed in an onyx gi, Shego had changed into her black-and-green harlequin suit, and Kim, of course, was wearing a fully functional battle suit. Only Fern, dressed in jeans and a Tri Gamma sweatshirt, and Rufus, who as usual was naked, were not wearing some kind of combat gear.
"Ya think?" Shego said.
Kim looked a bit embarrassed. "Point taken," she conceded.
The team made their way forward but was soon entangled in another fight with more guards.
"We so do not have time for this," Kim growled as she leapfrogged one man, delivered a karate chop from behind dropping him before she turned and took out another with a perfectly executed spin kick.
"What do we do now, Princess?" Shego asked as she blasted some oncoming guards with her comet power. She was grateful that she'd brought along and changed into her trademark cat suit. Habits learned long ago as a hero, and then reinforced as a villainous henchwoman, taught her to always be prepared.
"Obvious much?" Kim responded as she delivered a vicious punch at a hapless soldier. "You're breaking into a secret government facility and you have to ask me what to do?"
"Well, it's not like we're stealing some gizmo for Drew," she countered as she kicked a guard in the stomach and followed that up with an uppercut to his companion's jaw.
"Maybe it will help if you think of Stoppable as a valuable piece of technology you're here to purloin," Will said as he dodged a blow, then struck out at the man who attacked him, much to the approval of Yori, who was using her ninjitsuskills to deal with her own opponents.
Fern, meanwhile, may have not gone on any Team Impossible missions, but it was clear she had learned some things from her brother and his teammates as she evaded the base personnel.
Meanwhile, Kim wore a smirk as she saw three heavily armed men head her way. The others on her team looked to help her, but Kim waved them off as she activated the energy bubble on her suit, easily deflecting the shots from their laser rifles. This allowed Yori and Will to take advantage of the guards' surprise to take them out. Kim then turned off her bubble. The group stood in the midst of a large number of fallen personnel, taking in their handiwork.
"Now what, Roomie?" Fern asked. She had never before been on an operation like this, had no gear, but much to her relief, wasn't scared but was actually energized by the action. She now wondered why Burn had never taken her along on a mission; she would have enjoyed herself and could have contributed to the team. Shrugging away the thought as pointless, she exchanged a high-five with Rufus, who was riding on her shoulder.
Kim took in her surroundings for the first time since they had infiltrated the facility and saw that they were in a large nondescript room. "We need to find Ron and the control center," she said with determination.
"So take out the bad guys, free your guy," Fern confirmed. "Sounds good."
"Uh huh," Rufus agreed enthusiastically.
"And might I ask how we plan on doing this?" Will asked. "The doors are unmarked and there is no signage. We do not know where Stoppable or the Area 52 personnel are located."
Kim cocked an eyebrow. "We'll do things Old School," she answered thinking back to the exchange she had with Ron as she turned to the mole rat, and they exchanged nods. Then she looked to her team.
Shego quirked an eyebrow; the knowing smile she wore suggested she already knew the answer to her question. "You got a plan, Princess?"
"We split up. Rufus is with me; You, Yori, Fern, and Will find whoever is running this place."
"So you're going to find Stoppable," Shego said, "And we get to take on some henchmen?"
"I thought you'd like the opportunity to hit someone and cause lots of damage," Kim riposted.
"Well, you got me there, Cupcake," Shego conceded. "Good luck."
"Excuse me, but I'm still wondering just how do you plan on find your partner?" Will asked.
The supremely confident expression on Kim's face as she answered him communicated that she was all business and had no doubts she'd be successful on this particular mission. "Will, trust me. This whole sitch, while ferociously annoying, is so not the drama. We'll find and free Ron, and then we'll join you to kick some bad guy biscuit."
To Be Continued …